At what point did you realize you had to get selective?

Yodalicious

^ We may be in the midst of it. I've gone Walmarting the past two days to find Ninjago CMFs. 8 different ones in two days. It helps that I had to drive around the city for work. Anyway...

The number of TLBM sets still on shelves is mind blowing. Even after many of the Walmarts have reset their toy sections. Most of them won't sell. In some cases, even at discounted prices. I've seen 2 with stacks of $9 Catwoman sets. And not stacks of 4-5, but stacks of 40-50.

But it's not just LEGO. Cars 3 toys are everywhere and already heavily discounted too. The Walmarts have far more than they can ever sell. 

Recce

I don't think there is necessarily a bubble bust but definitely I'm beginning to see more and more sales and heavy discounts. 

Lego had a very tight grip on retail pricings here in SG. The Deathstar set costs the equivalent of US$665 over here. At most we get 10% off from the Lego Certified Shops for these store exclusive sets and maybe 20% off nornal sets found in shops like TRU and other megastores. 

Around this year, though, things started to change, some new releases have surprisingly decent pricings (though still more expensive than US) and we're seeing more places having heavier discounts than just 20% off.

TLG's business plan is to flood the market with as many sets as possible but the side effect is a dilution of perceived value of the sets.  

They likely don't care that much, though, as their core market is and always has been the kids. They want to sell as many sets to as many kids as possible. 

To the AFOL community the sets will have lesser collector values in the long run, this won't hurt TLG as the secondary market tradings won't profit them at all, but at the same time they don't want to alienate this group no matter how small it occupies in their profit pie chart, and hence all the community services they're doing. 

To sum up, moving forward there'll even be more sets produced each year, this year they may hit the 1000 sets produced milestone? The new sets will have much lesser collector value thus discouraging hoarding and encouraging building. TLG will earn even more money from more sets sold to kids.

mh3490

See but there could be a rebound in the collectors market because of a lack of said hoarding meaning less available for resale later down the road and possibly more niche collecting 

SumoLego

^ It'll be friggin' difficult to fit my collection in my coffin.  Time to start saving for a mausoleum...

(I think one about the scale of Halicarnassus should suffice.)

mh3490

Got you one better @SumoLego use your legos to build the mausoleum 

piratemania7

I think eventually it does come down to a select group of things happening to really force people to think differently in their day to day habit.  I for one find the money I spend and the space I have to be the two big competing factors of the show. The space is a big one because I cannot display everything I really want to right now.

77ncaachamps

Istokg said:

I read all these comments with interest....

In the many years of collecting... I have witnessed many things about AFOLs.... several have ended in divorce due to the collectors bug... others have circumvented the disapproving spouse with LEGO shipped to their work locations (or friends house)... and everything between.  

With the large scale of the LEGO models, and the larger and larger models available for the adult market... I think that many collectors will be curtailing their buying instincts in the future, to possibly more selective purchases (Bricklink parts, Ebay, etc)... and fewer sets.  Unless you have a basement that you can dedicate to LEGO, or above the garage, or (as is more common in Europe) you build out your attic space... there comes a saturation point where you really can't buy much more.

I sometimes wonder if there are enough new collectors, or those coming out of their dark ages, to sustain the rapid number of sets produced each year.  DaveE produced a bar chart showing that the number of LEGO items has grown exponentially to 800 or more LEGO items in 2017, I wonder if a LEGO bubble isn't gong to happen any time soon.  This would affect the resellers and investors first, and probably make many collectors happy to see a reduction in the price exuberance of the cosst of secondary market LEGO sets (as well as new sets.

Only time will tell.  But space storage/building problems could be an early sign of trouble on the LEGO horizon for adult collectors.

I've been feeling that this would happen some time soon because of the high markups and the frequency and timeliness of the discounts soon after sets are released.

I haven't been a super observant Lego collector or buyer to know if this is common compared to other years, but like every market, the Lego one may be due for a correction.

Judgeguy

I have considered cutting back to the stuff I really "need" several times but never really acted on it. This year I have bought more than double the amount of lego I have bought in any other year. However, I am going to university in a week so money will be short. I don't know how I am going to afford any Lego at all, let alone all the ones I will want.

Drmnez

Budget and prioritize^

Mr_Cross

From now on I'm only going to collect sets that contain sausage!

Patrik78

My dedicated Lego cabinet will be completely full once Old Fishing Store, Saturn V and WV Train Station arrive. Speaking of boxed sets, have only room for a temporary display. The solution is currently unknown :)

piratemania7

I have to find a better boxed set storage solution. Right now everything is just packed in the closet I would lIke some organization to better display and know what I have.

mh3490

Sorry for bringing back a zombie thread but was hoping to get some fresh insights from others about purchasing less items. I for one have noticed a steep decline in my purchases during the last year and I think it may have something to do with the oversaturation of sets with just too much to choose fromfrom.

Hanzo

I've tried to cut back to just Star Wars and Space related sets and even then it is a daunting task.  They just make so....much....stuff.  I empathize with the completionist collectors out there.

LuLego

I’m now working backwards...
Haven’t bought any ‘new’ sets for a few months. Have sold off quite a few super hero sets which, if in all honesty, I only bought because it was a theme I collected rather than a set I actually liked.

Instead I’ve been buying my childhood sets from the late 1980s early 1990s.

When I built #6285 recently, I actually got goosebumps.

Im loving collecting again!

dmcc0

^tell them it's an investment:)

MrJackson

I didn't start really getting selective until I stopped working at Lego about a year ago. It's amazing how much stuff doesn't have the same appeal when I'm not staring at it 4 shifts a week. I'm also totally out of room in my basement, so I've switched my collecting focus towards finishing up some loose ends and figuring out shelving for my final sets that need to go up like the Saturn V and Super Star Destroyer. Also making display cases for my Darths and Classic Space astronauts, upgrading the Ultron Hulkbuster, finishing up details in my city, etc.  There's simply no more room.

Baby_Yoda

My roommates are always disappointed with how much I'll spend on a particular set. They were very pleased when I found #21151 was out of stock at my local Kmart yesterday. I thought I was getting better at forgetting certain themes exist, but #76107 is looking very attractive at A$89...

Astrobricks

I’m starting to get more picky (I keep telling myself). I passed up #75210 for $25 today at Walmart because I’m almost certain it will go lower. I won’t buy for parts unless the price/part is less than 5 cents. And I’m finally starting to realize I have enough parts already, considering how little MOCing I do. 

mh3490

I got to admit that I have pretty much run out of space in my current home but will be moving to a bigger house in the summer and I might get back into my old bad habits 

wardm

I’ve bought my first house and it’s not big. There’s no space for a LEGO room, since everything is quite open. 
Now I need to be selective at what I keep and what I sell. I have to admit that a lot of things I’ve bought the last couple of years were just for the minifigures and not the vehicles (especially super heroes and some star wars stuff).
I also ended up with lots of sets that didn’t really interest me, but just was a good deal to buy at that time. 
The things I really want to integrate in my new home are the modulars, things like ninjago city, apocalypseburg, larger buildings like the arkham asylum, the disney castle, the ewok village, jabba’s palace, large creator expert cars and everything harry potter.
So all the super heroes, star wars, elves, jurassic world, city, simpsons and other stuff has to go. 
I’m planning on keeping a lot of the figures though, cause they mean the most to me, especially the most famous characters. 
Any tips on selling/marketing/pricing incomplete sets (I mean just some figures missing)? 

wardm

Now for the future of buying: I’ll probably buy every single Wizarding World set, even if it’s a remake of what I already own. Harry Potter is mostly what got me into LEGO and back into it again in 2010. 
I’ll end up buying all the new modulars too, as I’ve enjoyed all of them. The only ones I don’t own are CC and (MS), but I might bricklink them once with a different colour scheme or something. 
I might be buying some figures from bricklink, but only the ones I really want. 
I’ll continue buying lots of CMF, but I’m not a completionist in those. Also the fun in the park-type of sets I love! 
I’m trying not to get into the hidden side theme, as they have some really cool parts, but I might end up getting the school and graveyard at a discount to complement my Haunted House and Scooby Doo sets around Halloween.
I also won’t stop buying winter village sets. 
And I hope I can keep to this ‘promise to myself’. (Probably not though) 

MCNwakeboard

I generally stick within the following themes for sets and or MOCs: 

Classic castle revival (2012 Kingdoms) 
Lord of the Rings/Hobbit
Creator Expert (Modular Buildings, Fairgrounds, Trains)
Classic pirate revival (2009 & 2015) 
Harry Potter (recent releases) 
Winter Village Line

There are a few additional sets (UCS Imperial Shuttle, Disney Castle, Sopwith Camel) and I do pick up useful CMFs. 

alaskaguy

mh3490 said:

Sorry if this has been brought up already didn't see anything, but wanted to know at what point did you guys realize maybe I shouldn't buy everything that started with the word Lego. Because today I did some organizing in the Lego room and realized space is running out.

I spent $17,000 in two months. Wife told me to knock it off. 

MrJackson

17 THOUSAND??????

jmeninno

WIFE??????

pxchris

IT??????

Bosstone100

$17000! I just put together a basketball card set for $1500. Wife was surprisingly cool about it. Maybe because it WASN'T Lego for once. 

mh3490

Yep pretty sure I wouldn't be typing this if I spent that much on Lego wife would have buried me under the floor boards 

SumoLego

alaskaguy said:
Wife told me to knock it off. 

A bank?

pxchris

mh3490 said:

Yep pretty sure I wouldn't be typing this if I spent that much on Lego wife would have buried me under the floor boards 

You could take a zero off that sum and my fate would still be the same. 

vwong19

I’m dropping out of the Winter Village theme. It was fun while it lasted, but the theme has grown too much and I stopped setting them up each winter. Selling off the sets and reinvesting in other themes.

Drmnez

I realized I need to further limit and consider selling some of my collection cuz I started collecting comic statues

Polyphemus

alaskaguy said:
I spent $17,000 in two months. Wife told me to knock it off. 

Wow! I thought $20k spread over 3 years was bad... and I don't have a wife!

I realised I had to get selective at about the $10k mark and I couldn't keep everything built and in one room. Didn't really work...

SumoLego

vwong19 said:

I’m dropping out of the Winter Village theme.

You're going to regret it when they release the WV Tree Recycling Truck and Gingerbread Dump in 2025.

I won't be able to live without the WV Candy Cane Factory of 2022...

vwong19

SumoLego said:

vwong19 said:

I’m dropping out of the Winter Village theme.

You're going to regret it when they release the WV Tree Recycling Truck and Gingerbread Dump in 2025.

I won't be able to live without the WV Candy Cane Factory of 2022...

But I could pick up the candy cane factory in 2025 for 75% of the price on Bricklink. And rehashes in 2026.

77ncaachamps

When my Friends collection started to rival other Lego series.

Redbullgivesuwind

77ncaachamps said:

When my Friends collection started to rival other Lego series.

"So no one told you collecting was going to be this way,
your shelf is full, you're broke,
your wife is annoyed
It's like there is always more gear,
Even when you haven't been paid, this week, month
or even for a year, but

Lego will always be there for you,
(when the roof starts to leak)
Brickset will be there for you
(When the divorce proceedings start)
Lego will there for you
(Cause you are addicted)"

To the tune of I'll be There for You.

SumoLego

- Slowly puts away empty boxes of Ross and Phoebe Funkos -

datsunrobbie

I've suspected it for a while, but only really started doing anything about it a couple of weeks ago. Local Savers still has great deals, but I've started really checking to see if I already have the sets, where for about 4 years I basically bought everything with the Lego logo on it. Time to slow down, start going through the backlog, and maybe even sell off some of the stuff I'm unlikely to ever build.

Gibbo1959

I keep thinking I'm getting to the point - then I find myself in Smyths picking up a pile of the Dimensions Cybermen/Daleks because they're only £2 and why not - today it was a Legolas and Bane and the Mission Impossible pack cos it was £9 in total and you get 3 minifigures and some extra bits so why not...but at the other end of the scale I have talked myself out of buying Apocalypesburg cos while I would no doubt enjoy the build, it would just be a stand alone gathering dust. Something that resonated with me was an acronym I heard on the recent James May Hornby documentary - SABLE - Stash Acquired Beyond Life Expectancy - and while it's not that bad (I hope), I realised I've managed to acquire an awful lot of sets that I haven't built over the last year or so, whereas previously every purchase got built almost straight away. So while I may have a full retirement to eventually create Gibbotown, what is mainly concerning me is the actual packing and transportation of everything at some point. 

PeteM

Gibbo1959 said:

... I have talked myself out of buying Apocalypesburg cos while I would no doubt enjoy the build, it would just be a stand alone gathering dust. Something that resonated with me was an acronym I heard on the recent James May Hornby documentary - SABLE - Stash Acquired Beyond Life Expectancy - and while it's not that bad (I hope), I realised I've managed to acquire an awful lot of sets that I haven't built over the last year or so, whereas previously every purchase got built almost straight away. 

I saw that documentary and that phrase  struck a chord with me too - not just for unbuilt sets (though I have more than is probably reasonable for someone who is neither a collector or a reseller) but also all the loose pieces from handing around from bulk lots and Lego shop PAB... Getting a bit dark, but it has had me considering writing instructions for ‘disposal’ should the worst happen as my wife won’t have a clue and I want to make sure she knows to get proper market value for sealed Winter Village Cottage, Town Hall, Emerald Night etc!! Which is quite mad....

mh3490

When I was packing all of my sets up to store at my dad's house while we show the house and wait on the new one to get built I caught myself thinking man I feel sorry for who has to deal with this after I am dead and ya I agree @PeteM about leaving instructions 

SumoLego

mh3490 said:

...I agree @PeteM about leaving instructions...

Send it to: @SumoLego, c/o The Largest LEGO Hoard in North America.

Or, you could have the sets, figures and pieces placed in a trust, and instruct they be sold and the proceeds to go a to charity.  Or just donate them to Fairybricks - they'll know what to do with them!

klinton

I think I've always been rather selective about Lego? Barring very rare occasions where there's a theme I'm particularly excited about, I only buy sets one or two at a time, and only when I intend to sit down and build them that day. I have no frame of reference to comprehend the massive backlogs many collectors go on about. I've very rarely ever bought a set 'just because' (it was on sale/ the one I wanted was sold out/ ect.), and stick pretty closely to my established want list. I don't imagine I'll ever reach a point where I feel the need to change my collecting habits, as I've never acquired a set that I didn't love before making the purchase, or that didn't compliment my existing collection. 

Astrobricks

klinton said:

I think I've always been rather selective about Lego? Barring very rare occasions where there's a theme I'm particularly excited about, I only buy sets one or two at a time, and only when I intend to sit down and build them that day. I have no frame of reference to comprehend the massive backlogs many collectors go on about. I've very rarely ever bought a set 'just because' (it was on sale/ the one I wanted was sold out/ ect.), and stick pretty closely to my established want list. I don't imagine I'll ever reach a point where I feel the need to change my collecting habits, as I've never acquired a set that I didn't love before making the purchase, or that didn't compliment my existing collection. 

Oh, well, aren’t we all sane and reasonable! ;-)

mak0137

This thread is making me think that. I mostly buy to build with the kids but now the unbuilt stuff pile seems to be getting too big. I want them to build, play, rebuild and appreciate. That means not having too many sets open and available at a time. When its time for something new many times they go back to sets they have not built/played in a couple of months. All this leads to the stated pile of new sets getting bigger. It might be time to let go of some stuff. 

pharmjod

Astrobricks said:

Oh, well, aren’t we all sane and reasonable! ;-)

Canadians, Eh?