You're right about holding periods, but that's precisely why I want to minimize them.  The notable difference between FB last year and TH now is that FB was at the time the oldest modular out there.  Ditto for GE this year.  Buying any Lego is a leap of faith of course.  The company nearly went bankrupt on two occasions back in the late 90s - early 00s.  I try to minimize the risk of holding inventory by minimizing the time for which I hold it.  Nearly all Lego price appreciation occurs post-EOL, so it makes sense to buy as close to then as possible.  Sure, you risk a surprise retirement, but in the past surprise (out of order) retirements of exclusives have (and someone please correct me if I'm wrong) been extremely rare and involved either the UCS B-Wing (poorly rated, poorly designed set that LEGO Shop at Home dumped at 50% off just ahead of EOL; now that's a sign!) or the Death Star (with a long life due to pernicious Imperial influence over TLG).

 

Besides Architecture, everything seemed like it used to retire in order. Seems the game might be changing. Maybe.

I agree with you.  How can I help?

Honestly, I have no idea how to respond to a post that starts with "I agree with you", let alone one that ends with "How can I help?"  The internet is no place for words such as these!

I just bought a Town Hall from SAH.  I am actually glad it is backordered because that means they will send the Christmas Set first.  Both my EEE and Pet Shops from SAH this month were pancaked from the Christmas set. 

I just bought a Town Hall from SAH.  I am actually glad it is backordered because that means they will send the Christmas Set first.  Both my EEE and Pet Shops from SAH this month were pancaked from the Christmas set. 

I fear you may be disappointed.  Packaging small boxed sets like the Christmas promos with 8-pound modulars is an act of love compared with sending them through the mail in their own little bubble envelope.  In the end, though, I don't think it really matters.  Just be sure to list pancaked sets accurately when you sell them, to avoid the rare collector who plans to never open the set and wishes only to stare at a MISB set for all eternity.

My 2 TH's from Walmart came in today and were in amazing shape.  Didn't come in a Lego shipping box, but were nicely packaged for their journey to bfe.

I fear you may be disappointed.  Packaging small boxed sets like the Christmas promos with 8-pound modulars is an act of love compared with sending them through the mail in their own little bubble envelope.

It depends whether you are interested in a mint large set, or a mint promo box. I am usually more interested in the former, and the spaceman promotion left a quite visible "impression" on a large set recently - not nice.

I fear you may be disappointed.  Packaging small boxed sets like the Christmas promos with 8-pound modulars is an act of love compared with sending them through the mail in their own little bubble envelope.  In the end, though, I don't think it really matters.  Just be sure to list pancaked sets accurately when you sell them, to avoid the rare collector who plans to never open the set and wishes only to stare at a MISB set for all eternity.

Got my promo in an oversized box, it was in good shape.  TH should be here Friday.

Edited October 9, 201411 yr by fuzzy_bricks

Got my promo in an oversized boy

Oh boy. I don't want to picture this.

Oh boy. I don't want to picture this.

I had one heck of a time getting it out.

 

Yeah....that was a terrible typo to make.

Yeah....that was a terrible typo to make.

If I would have enough floor I would have rolled around laughing.

I had one heck of a time getting it out.

 

Yeah....that was a terrible typo to make.

 

This just made my day

TH at WM again, just got 2

Got one... tried for two... poof.

Do you guys really believe that TH is going to retire this year?

 

I cannot believe it.

 

Just me maybe.

Do you guys really believe that TH is going to retire this year?

 

I cannot believe it.

 

Just me maybe.

...chuckles to oneself.

All I know is... I don't know.

Backordered on LEGO Shop at Home

its definitely going to retire... someday

What I don't like about the town hall is that it centres itself around that of a married couple, maybe if it was portraying a same-sex marriage it may actually be a little bit interesting. At least with the fire brigade you got a fire engine. A town hall and all work there has to be the most dullest of subjects. They should have included a polybag full of dust with a janitor. This set has to sell for double to make it a realistic investment. Sell it for 200 you made barely nothing, 250, maybe you make 60-70. You can make those sort of returns by investing a lot less in Lego. What happens if there is a Lego modular housing market crash? No crash, I imagine the price will triple in 5 years, who knows, so so so so so many of these compared to the earlier sets.

Figures based on u.k rrp of

What I don't like about the town hall is that it centres itself around that of a married couple.

Well - it is where you marry after all - and quite probably the most interesting thing going on there. *grin*

Aren't town hall marriages because you're only meant to get married in a church once, e.*** for people who are divorced and remarrying. What is going on there is some stuffy old town hall patron wanders around a bit and other dull clerical based activities.

I am all in on this set.  If there is one set that will evoke Green Grocer and Cafe Corner's type pricing, this one is it.  It is a unique centerpiece of a town (that every town will need or at a minimum would like to have), short production span (if retired this winter), and just hell of a build.  If anyone feels confident that it will last until 2015 or beyond, or simply think this set sucks, I will be happy to take your inventory right now...

Aren't town hall marriages because you're only meant to get married in a church once, e.*** for people who are divorced and remarrying. What is going on there is some stuffy old town hall patron wanders around a bit and other dull clerical based activities.

 

Lego will never do a church, so this is as good as it gets for a Lego town. 

Town halls are 99% built as detached buildings whereas the set is built as a terrace building, oh yeah, it was just the other I was walking down the busy high street and passed the town hall and there was a newly we'd couple.

I think the exterior is more important than the interior when it comes to modulars, and TH has a notable one with the sheer height of it, the columns, the bell/clock tower, and the large skylights. I don't think the dull nature of what goes on inside a town hall will have any negative effect on this set.