What is the best way to value MISB sets for trading?

wagnerml2

Recently I have had several successful trades and a few that didn't work out. In the US, we have had the luxury of having some awesome clearance sales recently and I have picked up some good sets for more than 50% off. Trouble is, so has everyone else. Here is my question, when you are trading, is it etiquette to assume that a current MISB set is tradable as MSRP? Obviously retired sets go for more (normally average bricklink sold price or average Ebay sold price), but what about current sets?

Some of the new HP sets are sets I got on clearance at Target. I had a trading partner who had another set that was purchased on clearance, but had a higher MSRP. However, the average Bricklink and Ebay prices for both sets were the same. I wanted to trade straight up, she wanted a little more, so we couldn't agree (there were no hard feelings).

I understand that the value is truly in the eyes of a beholder, and both sides must agree for a trade to work out, but just wondering how others in the forum value the current sets for trade purposes, especially given the clearance prices on some?

kylejohnson11

I'd say it depends on who I'm trading with. There are buddies that I will trade with at cost of the sets, but other people I will trade with as what I could sell the set for, regardless if it is clearance or not.

dougts

I would say the easiest way is to consider what you could sell the set for (so, essentially what it has just recently sold for). What you paid for it is generally irrelevant - after all, you likely bought in on clearance with the intent of trying to make a few bucks. This would intend to support your case in the example you site. however, I can see your potential trading partner's point of view as well, so there is no definite right or wrong answer, and like you say, it ultimately takes two to tango.

obviously, deals among friends tend to be different.

Yellowcastle

I've moved this thread to "Buying and Selling." As to the question at hand, I agree that the perceived value of a current set is entirely subjective to the parties involved. If someone were local to me and had a Republic Frigate to trade, I would think a $100 to $130sh set would be fair. They might have got it for 30% off at BN though or could have paid $10 over MSRP at TRU.

It thus comes down to which sets I'm willing to trade, which sets do they want, how bad do they want to get rid of their set, and how my bad do they want my set. I recently had an inquiry on one of my older creator houses but I valued the set personally more than the market seemed to value it.

Alternatively, I have some older SW sets that I just don't really like. I imagine I would potentially consider swapping one of them for a Fort Legoredo (example) even if the market valued my Sail Barge (example) higher.

But I love my creator houses. :o)

fff

BL average price should do, if the set is retired or not, no matter the price you bought it at. This is my suggestion, which i find it fair. Of course if you know clearance or big offers ar current to the reach of the person, I'd say that that price could do as well -but only during that period of time-.