So, what kind of collector are you?

Hanzo

I have seen pictures recently of collections that basically look like a warehouse full of hermetically sealed boxes left untouched for likely years and it got me thinking....since I buy a set, bring it home, open it, build it and toss the box in the recycling bin...am I crazy?

Do you care about resale value?  Keep the boxes after you build?  Never open sets and basically collect picture boxes?

I am sure there are a million different ways people go about things, and likely it's a mix of all of the above but I am curious all the same.

jonmdudley

I am a "toys are ment to be played with" type of collector. almost every set I own has been opened (just got a lot for my birthday). I do not keep boxes, I only keep instructions for 1000+ sets. I have a decent amount of sets that have been put into bags and will not be opened up again until I get back to the states.

oldtodd33

You could look at this one too.  http://bricksetforum.com/discussion/comment/391423#Comment_391423

Or this one. http://bricksetforum.com/discussion/1845/what-type-of-collector-are-you-are-there-many-sealed-set-collectors-here/p1

Hanzo

oldtodd33 said:

You could look at this one too.  http://bricksetforum.com/discussion/comment/391423#Comment_391423

Or this one. http://bricksetforum.com/discussion/1845/what-type-of-collector-are-you-are-there-many-sealed-set-collectors-here/p1

I will check them out.  Always interesting to me when getting into new hobbies how the most serious/veteran collectors operate.

vwong19

Collecting has evolved for me. When I first got back into collecting the thought about price didn’t even factor. I didn’t know about sales or after market prices. With experience in Lego, my collecting habits have changed from consumer to collector to reseller. 

I collect mostly super hero minifigures, modulars, intricate minifigure scale sets. I collect the collectible minifigure line. I no longer collect SW although that is where I began.

I have a significant number of unopened sets, but mostly because I don’t have the time or space to build and display these sets.

I sell sets on Bricklink that I longer want or feel that the prices are worth selling.

I hunt for good sales on sets that I believe are under valued such as clearance sales or sets that will discontinue.

I gift and donate Lego sets that I can’t sell or are not worth selling.

Many sets that I open immediately are super heroes but primarily to extract the minifigure and add to my collection. The last set that I built was the SW Sail Barge that I bought used from the Brickset Marketplace.

I obviously care very much about the value of each Lego set and take great care of them. By definition I invest in them but I also take great pleasure in building, collecting and also selling.

Aanchir

I buy sets to build and play with, mostly. I don’t MOC as often as I like, and a lot of my sets do go back into their boxes for storage once I no longer have space to display them. But I rarely purchase a set as an investment unless it’s something like the original LEGO House set or the Billund Airport that I know is very limited in availability and that I might not have another chance to get.

I am usually not a completionist with sets, but I am to a greater extent with minifigs and characters from my favorite themes like Ninjago and Elves. There are some Ninjago figs I’m missing, and I don’t feel a lot of urgency in obtaining them, but when new sets are announced I like to make a spreadsheet to figure out the best way of getting all the figs.

I keep boxes, but mostly out of habit rather than for resale value. Growing up we didn’t have high-quality box pics freely available online, and the inspiration model pics often couldn’t be found anywhere else. So my family would cut out all the pictures and stow them in storage cases. Nowadays, though, all the cutting feels tedious and flat cardboard doesn’t take up an ungodly amount of space anyway, so I just flatten most of my boxes and otherwise leave them intact. I can always throw them out if I need the space, but I can’t “un-throw out” boxes I want to refer to again. Also, as a Bionicle fan, I got used to storing sets in their packages, especially to take to and from college, so I still tend to keep some bigger boxes intact for that purpose. I’d like to get in the habit of storing sets in a smarter way, though.

flord

My collecting has changed in the last year or so as money and space have become issues. I generally buy for my 3 kids, with a few things for me, mostly out of nostalgia.

I keep the boxes for the modulars and few USC sets I have. Those are the only sets I care about selling later on when the time comes to get rid of them. Unless of course my kids want to keep them when they become adults.

FowlerBricks

I buy for the fun of having Lego (playing/building with them) plus a bit of character collecting. I never ever leave a set unopened unless it's a gift (even then I am tempted to build it)

dmcc0

I got back into Lego after getting a few sets for my kids when they were younger. Realised pretty quickly that I was enjoying building more than they were so bought some more sets and eventually stop pretending they were for the kids, although my daughter still collects Friends!

My initial buying habits were to buy anything I liked and anything that was cheap, but quickly realised I'd have to focus my collecting as there was just too much. Space and budget was becoming a factor too.  Currently just stick to Star Wars and Pirates (with the odd classic space/castle set too) but am in the process of sorting/re-building/selling the stuff I no longer want, but it's taking quite a while.  Haven't kept the boxes for anything as I had no intention of selling    

Game_on

I "try" to only buy sets that I want to build.  But unfortunately I don't always build the sets I buy.  I've only got a small collection of un-built sets at the moment.  (5 or so)

I tend to stick to Star Wars, Marvel, Creator and city sets with the occasional Bat Man set mixed in there if it catches my eye. 

Although I do have my eye on the Mech Dragon Ninjago set.  And there are a few classic Space sets I have been contemplating getting as well. I'm sure I can work those sets in there too. 

Boardshorts85

My interest in Lego is broad, but my collection is targeted to basically the modulars and related accessories, plus Batman.  I came out of the Dark Ages with the Ideas BTTF Delorean and from there the natural progression to me was the Architecture Line (architect here).  But, as these are just display pieces, I took them apart when we moved and haven't put them back to together in two years.  My only "big" purchase in the ~15 months post-Dark Ages and pre-move was the UCS Tumbler, which also hasn't been rebuilt.

Now my collection is focused around the modulars, various sets and CMF to populate those modulars, and other sets that I might be able to MOC into a modular, like Corner Deli.

Oh and also Batman.  All of the Batman.

I'll hold onto boxes for the higher value stuff, but mostly the boxes head to recycling and the instructions get stored.

willobee498

Everything I buy is to play/build with, mostly focused on building my City display. Boxes get tossed, loose bricks are in bins (sorted by theme), and instructions are something I'd love to not have, but the Lego site instructions are a bit too low quality to use all the time. 

Mr_Hobbles

Everything I buy I've opened, with one exception: My Leicester Square Launch UCS Falcon. Aside from having no room to put the finished model, I'm still currently undecided between buying a second to build and opening it (but keeping the box).

For 90% of Lego sets I throw the box away. I only keep boxes for larger more valuable sets: modular buildings, Old Fishing Store, Ghostbusters HQ, etc. I also keep the Architecture boxes.

Normal set boxes get thrown. Star Wars, Super Heroes, City, etc.

OrmskirkBricks

I'm a "collector to display", but I do have a large number of unopened sets, mainly as I have no display space available currently until I remodel my Lego room early next year.

But I do flat-pack the boxes and store them!

khmellymel

I don't know, I don't think I fit any sort of definition.  I both mod and MOC (though not to any real scale I guess) and collect, but I don't collect by theme or year, I just buy what I like, with the exception of CMF; if I pick up the series, I get them all.  I have loose bricks for MOCing that are separate from sets (however I'll steal pieces for MOCs and return them to the sets when I'm done).  I will likely open the stuff I collect, although if that I consider the set "special" (to me or in general) I'll buy two - one to keep sealed, and one to open and build.  Boxes should be in pristine condition but the sets I open I'll flatpack the box.  Smushed (creased) boxes really irritate me.

I also don't display.  In fact, the only Lego I have on display at the moment is a large clear vase I filled with different coloured pieces in a rainbow stripe - but all the pieces are loose.  I do occasionally have a small seasonal setup though (well, at Christmas it probably gets a bit bigger...).  I sometimes have a modular or two out, but they are rotated.  In general, I build, I leave it out for a day or two to enjoy, and then I tidy away.  

So... yeah.  I suppose one could call me a "casual" AFOL... except, perhaps, the size of my collection probably wouldn't be considered casual!

EDIT:  Oh, and right now I have the mini modular set above my wall jewelry cabinet but the size is so perfect it was almost like it was made for it. 

rdflego

Can 'piece hunter' be a category? I'm a MOCer so I usually buy sets based on the pieces tbh. I have a small percentage of sets on display but 98% of my collection is sorted into labelled compartments.

alaskaguy

Hanzo said:

I have seen pictures recently of collections that basically look like a warehouse full of hermetically sealed boxes left untouched for likely years and it got me thinking....since I buy a set, bring it home, open it, build it and toss the box in the recycling bin...am I crazy?

Do you care about resale value?  Keep the boxes after you build?  Never open sets and basically collect picture boxes?

I am sure there are a million different ways people go about things, and likely it's a mix of all of the above but I am curious all the same.

I'm a "buy them for my kid to play with" type collector.  As my kid is currently 1 year old, this means that I buy sets that I think are interesting for one reason or another, or are on a good sale (40% off at least), put them in my security room, and wait for the day when I will give them to my kid (birthday, good behaviour day, random reward, random gift, etc.).  I don't particularly care about resale value - but by the time my kid gets some of these sets, they may very well be worth a pretty penny. But if they are not, so much the better since they are being bought to PLAY WITH, not to PROFITEER from.

That said - I do NOT buy any "Hollywood themes" - any set that is based on movies, cartoons, superheros, etc. etc.  Basically, anything that represents mass media's attempt to commercialize children is something I avoid (Legos or otherwise).

MaffyD

I keep all my sets in the box it came in. Polybags go in a Really Useful Box with a lid. I do not like squashed boxes or flat packed boxes and I try not to think about them getting damaged, as I know it happens.

Everything is to build, and to play with (either me, or my children, or all of us together). But time and space are not my friends, ever.

TheFew

I tend to:

1) treat lego sets like works of art, and only open and build ones that look good on display.

2) I tend to buy lots of sets and then don't open them. So I have lots in storage... no real idea why!

3) I love collecting parts for MoCs, but when it comes to building I soon get bored.

Make of that what you will!

Mr_Cross

I buy sets I like the look of, usually based on an exclusive or new part. I open them (or intend to), build them, deconstruct them enough to bung them back in the box and then store them until I steal bits for a moc or I manage to find some time to sort it into my parts collection. Right now, I have unsorted boxes of Lego of all species, old, new, partially built, partially deconstructed, old stuff in my loft, badly sorted drawer cabinets, margarine tubs full of bits I was using but then needed to clear away in a hurry. Things I didn't get round to opening and am thinking of selling. Minifigures that have been stripped out of sets I wanted for parts only.
It's chaos, utter, utter chaos!

meandonlyme

I buy large display sets as well as very small sets. I buy sets with the intent of building them... eventually. I keep boxes (not shipping boxes), bags and instructions.

M1J0E

I enjoy the sets I buy, so they’re never sealed.  I do tend to keep the boxes for the larger sets, but small city/town sets I throw them in the recycle.  The larger sets get built & displayed, the smaller ones get pulled out every so often to build then broken down & put away again.  I still have this thing about not mixing pieces though, so even the smallest sets get stored in their own zippy bags, ready to be rebuilt again.

JRL

I find it hard to articulate what kind of collector I am. I buy sets I like the look of, I’m not loyal to theme, and I never part out sets preferring to keep them complete (inc spares). I also retain boxes and bags. I’m addicted to the buzz of a newly purchased set. 

I build them them when I can for display, but I only have limited space. I’m currently contemplating taking apart and rebagging, in numbered bag reverse order, the GBHQ to replace it with Ninjago City, but it’s a daunting prospect!

xwingpilot

Currently, apart from two #40308 Lesters, all of my collection is Star Wars (2013-), and all of my sets are on display on IKEA KALLAX shelving. Everything is on brick-built stands or bases, and all the opened polybags, boxes and instructions are stored in the loft. I don't buy for resale value, but it's nice to know that LEGO holds it's value well.

I also started this thread exactly two years ago to the day!

http://bricksetforum.com/discussion/21738/what-type-of-collector-are-you/p1

datsunrobbie

I call it Obsessive Bargain Hoarding. I check a couple of local thrift shops every week, and usually buy anything with the LEGO logo on it. Most of it is gallon bags of used parts. Small sets might be in a single bag, large sets may be scattered into several bags, and bags often have parts from multiple sets, so the "safest" thing to do is just buy all of them. Boxed sets show up less often, and pricing varies, so I get the cheap ones and leave the rest for other folks. Same at Walmart/Target/TRU mainly buying from the clearance aisle for at least 30% off MSRP.

Part of me knows I should stop buying for a while and at least sort through the backlog, but my wife says buy while the deals are available. With very few exceptions (Saturn V, Yellow Submarine. '66 Batcave), all my LEGO is there to be played with. My grandson does not build much yet, but we have great fun with the NXT robot.

libbster

when I first got into Lego which was about a year ago I was buying anything and everything I could get my hands on the thrill of buying and building sets as I started with the easy ones and moved on to expert series was an amazing feeling. But now I've realized that 1.) space becomes very limited very quickly 2.) Lego is very expensive so I find I am way more selective about what sets I really want and actually have the space for. 3.) I buy some sets that I believe will have decent resale value to fund my hobby. 4. I realized I am more of a display than play type of collector. I also find I'm spending more money on bricklink these days than actual lego sets as I am branching out into MOC making territory. I keep all my boxes I have no idea why really I think I just like the art work :) My instructions used to be in plastic sleeves in binders but that filled up so quickly I just dumped them all into a plastic laundry basket for now, will probably get a file cabinet within the next few months though.

gmonkey76

xwingpilot said:

I also started this thread exactly two years ago to the day!

http://bricksetforum.com/discussion/21738/what-type-of-collector-are-you/p1

@Huw @drdavewatford @CapnRex101 should we maybe merge these two threads as there kind of the same?

M1J0E

I’m probably more of a display type of collector as well @libbster and like you I’ve also found space & funds become limited quite quickly!  So I’ve found I focus on certain themes I want, while recognizing I can’t buy it all as there’s just too much good stuff coming out all the time.  So to elaborate on my earlier post, here’s more what I focus on:

1. Architecture - the theme that brought me out of my dark ages, realizing that LEGO had evolved hugely since I was a kid, and could be an item an adult would purchase to build.  As such, I display these sets all around my living room the same as others would do with any other art.  I’ve gotten more than a few compliments from people who don’t realize what a thing LEGO has become.

2. Modular/Expert - I only have a couple of modulars so far (DO & AS), and the Disney castle is next, and the Ninjago city after that.  A couple more modulars would be nice as well.  

3. Winter Village - Does anyone else build/rebuild sets?  Or do you just build them once & put them away again but still built?  Having the debate with building the winter village sets again this year, I always thought you got more value out of building & rebuilding the sets, but I think this year once I have them built, I’ll just store them in totes again for next year, as I own many of them.

4. City/Town - probably my fav as a kid, and as an adult it’s fun to put together a layout combining classic town I had as a kid, and have bricklinked as an adult, along with modern city sets.  It’s fun to fill the dining room table creating a town in plastic, but not something I keep as a long term display.  This last focus is one where I give myself permission to chuck the boxes in the recycle.  

Judgeguy

I buy sets to build them and use them. Normally they are star wars/ Superheroes/ Lord of the Rings/ Indiana Jones but I sometimes buy a set if it has a cool vehicle or something. 
I love building sets so I would never keep a set unopened.
One fault of mine is that I keep almost all my sets in cardboard boxes but that is because when I had them on display they got dusty and yellowed. I still get them out and admire them though.
Ultimately I would like to make use of my collection by building small MOCs or brickfilms.

Switchfoot55

I think I identify more with @datsunrobbie. I'm a sucker for a deal. And bargain hunting on Facebook Marketplace, OfferUp, Letgo, or any local thrift stores is an absolute thrill for me. I have to make sure I keep myself in check, however, or I could get out of hand really quick and end up spending more on "deals" than on sets I actually want. 

My collection is a bit random, but I have some Star Wars items and then several of the Ideas sets. I like supporting the fan-generated sets. 

I'm definitely an open and build sort of collector. I do save the boxes and instructions (which goes back to my hoarder tendencies with certain items). But the sets are for play! I enjoy watching my son's imagination unfold. And when they inevitably break apart, I take the time to fully dismantle, inventory, clean if necessary, and then rebuild. 

1265

The vast of my collection consists of boxed sets that sit on shelves in my two closets and spare bedroom.  I've been collecting for many years and before it was profitable to sell Lego products.  I have never sold and have only traded once to a fellow Brickset member many years ago.  My collection of Lego was something I never intended to profit in the future, but something I enjoyed even not opening the boxes.  I still buy now-and-then but not so much in the last couple years.  This is partly because I have other hobbies but also has to do with the TLC product quality.  TLC has sacrificed product for profits which has attributed to my slow down of buying Lego.

Polyphemus

Wow. Interesting to see the diversity of reasons people have for collecting.

I exited my Dark Ages almost 2 years ago with #75105. Being a bit of a completionist that was followed by 10 days of lunacy at the end of which I found I'd bought every Star Wars TFA set released to that point (with the exception of buildable figures and microfighters - not interested. Same goes for Brickheadz).

From there I moved onto Modulars, Creator Expert and City vehicles to supplement them. I still collect Star Wars but the completionist urge makes it hard. I did the same thing as before with Rogue One and I'll probably start with TLJ some time after Christmas (my wallet's still on life support after UCS MF). I picked up one or two OT sets but knowing I can't go back in time to collect everything means setting them aside in my mind as "not really part of my collection". OCD - it's a killer. I made the mistake last year of getting more than one of the Volcano Explorers sets which meant I was now "collecting" them and had to get the lot.

I'm not really into Ninjago but I did end up buying #70751, #70618 and #70620 because they were just too awesome.

That's it for main themes but along the way I picked up any large and detailed sets that were reasonably compatible with my city layout - GBHQ, Simpsons, etc.

Shock & horror: I don’t care much for minifigures. However, if I lost one from a set I'd be mortified. I'm happy to not collect them though. I think my OCD would make my spleen explode.

I have no desire to invest in Lego. I build all my sets, usually within nanoseconds of getting home with them. Living alone with no children means not having to be responsible and so they go on display in a spare room in my apartment. Up until very recently I had all my sets built. I've been thinking of moving to another state lately though so I've been diligently unbuilding them in reverse order into numbered ziplock bags and placing them all lovingly in their original boxes - even the small City vehicles and Star Wars battle packs (there's that OCD again).

And so despite not collecting to invest, the vast majority of my collection at this very moment sits in neatly stacked boxes waiting until I can upgrade from an apartment to a house and rebuild them all again.

readersam

I am a theme collector. I buy as many of the sets in a theme I like as I can. Thus I have all the Harry Potter, all the Monster Fighters, all the Friends, all the Elves, all the modulars, all the Scooby Doo, all the Disney, and I think all the Winter Village. I am in the process of getting the Architecture sets. I buy to build, though I am behind in building right now. I have an entire room in my house devoted to LEGO. I play with them, so when they are built they usually stay built (I have an entire town made of the Friends sets and am in the process of creating Elvendale). I am also putting in some bookcases with glass doors for display of the sets that look good, but aren't really for play, like the Architecture line. I also buy random sets that I enjoy, like Ninjago City, and Old Fishing Store.

tallblocktoo

I have no idea what type of collector I am.  Honestly I think when I started buying Lego about 2 years ago I just thought it all looked cool and I purchased something from almost every theme.  

Currently I am enjoying Advanced Models, Ideas, and Architecture the most I think.  Saying that I hope to decrease the number of purchases in other themes. 

I buy to build and display.  I don't play with sets and currently don't have children in my life that are old enough to make use of it.  Someday will likely pass some on to grandchildren. 

I have built probably 90% of what I own.  That is where the fun lies for me. 

LegoPondswald

I buy what I like, that's what kind of collector I am. Everything I buy, I build. I mostly collect modular buildings, Lego City, Lego Batman Movie, Brickheadz (got them all!) and Star Wars. Recently started on the christmas themed sets, since christmas is almost here. 

ateague

I collect a bit of everything, mostly what I like and what looks good on display (Disney Castle, VW Camper, Saturn V). Got back in to Lego late on so had to pay premium for Tower of Orthanc and Unexpected Gathering but 2 of my favourites. Going for all TLBM Minifigures also. 

flakmaniak

The type of collector I am is... None! I collect... My own designs!

(Okay sure various sets strike my fancy, but often they have "cool minifigs and perfectly nice parts". Some I have still assembled, though. Perhaps one day I will expand/customize them or... Repurpose the parts.)

And of course, the theme I have gotten most of recently should tell you I'm really just a kid still: I love Ninjago. Ninja was great during my childhood, and Ninjago is great now.

But whatever I'm building, be it Aquazone subs or imperious black castles or overwrought mechs, it's gotta be my own. The straight-built sets I have sit upstairs, hidden away, almost out of shame, for I didn't design them.

(That said I totally bought all the Skybound sets because I loved the small pirate aircraft; I'll probably keep those assembled and try to design more in that style. And given how many Ninjago figs I've lying around, you could probably successfully accuse me of collecting those. Maybe the main Nexo Knights as well, given I've got one of each version.)

Patrik78

The one with not enough space :(

Pumpkin_3CK5

The Smaug kind. 

HugeYellowBrick

Sets that contain a Kayak, or a man-eating plant. I don't open or build them. Crazy, right?

SumoLego

Pumpkin_3CK5 said:

The Smaug kind. 

Hmmm.  Be weary of dwarves, Men of Dale and Elves.

BrickWaters

I only collect what I can afford. I had a number of LEGO sets growing up and have kept several storage containers of my old LEGOs but nowadays I generally only buy sets on clearance or on sale. I will occasionally pay retail for a set but those are usually sets below twenty dollars. It really depends on the theme. 

My favorite themes are City, Star Wars, Indiana Jones, Western, and the Collectable Minifigures. Although there are a number of other themes I enjoy as well. Due to my current living arrangements I have limited space and cannot display all the sets I have. 

I'm also in the early stages of a MOC model on the Boardgames "Clue." I'm doing in my spare time when I have a little bit of extra money to buy parts from Bricklink. It's going to be a long term project and won't be completed for many months. 

arathemis

The kind that buys more than he can build/display. I somehow managed to convince my wife that we need a bigger place and got a room just for my lego (almost). It still has an extensible sofa for guests, so technically it is a guest room. But it does have 3 glass door cabinets for display and a desk for building sets, and another cabinet that is used only for storing instructions.

So for now I have some more space that needs filling.

P.S. Also I was given half the laundry room to store my unopened sets. Talk about an understanding wife...

astarguy

i know i am a little late to this, but as a collector here are my thoughts, i only buy sets i like to build, i build all sets i buy, i throw out the boxes, most of my collection is in bags due to lack of space, i will never sell any Lego that i currently own( my wife and kids has been instructed that when i die the are to be given away or donated to a children's hospital.)  there is one set that i have 2 copies of that one will stay in the box for a long as i am alive and that is the Saturn 5. i do have some sets that are  duplicates but it was not intentional. if i had the room i would display all my sets. 

SueButcher

Me, it's the Classics only. I'm amazed how cheap it is to buy the Sixties stuff considering its age. I build, but I don't chuck the boxes; the old ones with the grids of weirdly lit colour photos are exceeding cool-looking. And although I'm very fond of it, Lego is just part of my making, collecting, and fixing hobby. I don't think the Lego will ever take up more space than a small suitcase.

Charmiefcb

I see set. I like set. I buy set.
I do throw away the boxes when I can but living at home with a mother who sees news reports of LEGO BETTER THAN GOLD! So it’s keep the boxes! Then accuse me of having too much and calls me a hoarder. Which means I can only throw out a box when she goes out and I can fold it up and put it in the recycling. Which is annoying.

I buy them for me and the fun of building them. How will I get rid of them when I’m older? Just give them to my grand kids. I don’t buy them to store them sealed and never do anything with them. The ones that buy multiples of the same set and hoard them hoping they will sell for thousands annoy me. If I ever get in trouble with the law it will be for breaking into one of these peoples homes, tie them up and make them watch me unbox and build every set they have stored. To me that sort of collecting is more about money than the love of a hobby.
That said my attic sort of looks like a sealed collectors collection right now. Keeping them unopened until around Christmas time when I plan on having a huge build a thon until new year.