How Can Used be More Valuable then New

Bubba

I picked up a polybag set from GameStop for Finn as part of the Star Warts Lego Skywalker Saga game and when I looked up pricing for it on my phone to see what they were selling for I was seeing the USED price avg at $11.99 with new avg around $8. How is it possible that a used instance of a Lego Set sells for more than a New one? 

SumoLego

I'm sure that is some sort of statistical anomaly.

Bubba

I thought it had to be a mistake of some kind.  I've never seen an item of value where used is more valuable then New when they are instances of the same thing (ie not addiotnal runs or pressings but originals) 

560Heliport

Perhaps very few of that item have sold recently, so those average prices are accurate, just weird.

CCC

What do you mean by selling?

Do you mean a seller's price for an item not yet sold, or the price when a transaction has actually taken place. These are two different things.

Bubba

CCC said:

What do you mean by selling?

Do you mean a seller's price for an item not yet sold, or the price when a transaction has actually taken place. These are two different things.

I went to one of the sites that lists selling prices on new & used sets of all years (like brick link) and checked to se the avg price on this set and that's where I saw the price discrepancy. I did this all on my phone while at GameStop so I didn't make note of it beyond being surprised at how something new was showing as selling for less than used and decided when next at my regular computer I'd post a question asking if this was possible or not. 

rockethead26

Intermittent unavailability of new sets causing used sets to go up and sell higher until new sets become available again?

CCC

Of course it is possible. But it tends not to be very common if there are many sales of both new and used. Whereas more likely if only a few sales and hence poor statistics.

Bubba

I don't know if these are sold by any retailer just by collectors as they are, I think, promo polybags. 

CCC

For an average to be $11.99, it suggests that either all sellers were selling them for that (unlikely) or that only one seller had sold them, or that possibly only one sale had taken place. At BL, that data is kept for and averaged over six months. If loads more new ones come into stock, the price for new will drop while the used average will stay as it was unless more sales are made. 

Put the set number or name, then actual data can be looked at.

Astrobricks

“Star Warts”
Lol

Bubba

The polybag set# is 30605. Name is Finn(FN-2187)

Switchfoot55

Looks like the suspicion is correct. 

One Used set sold at $11.99 while 314 New sets have sold at an average of $8.21. 

Bubba

Switchfoot55 said:

Looks like the suspicion is correct. 

One Used set sold at $11.99 while 314 New sets have sold at an average of $8.21. 

That makes sense.  It's also a great example of how surface level information can be misleading. Until someone pointed this out I would not have considered this as possible scenario. Thanks

Astrobricks

Bubba said:

The polybag set# is 30605. Name is Finn(FN-2187)

Or, put another way, the polybag set is #30605 :)

Bubba

Astrobricks said:

Bubba said:

The polybag set# is 30605. Name is Finn(FN-2187)

Or, put another way, the polybag set is #30605 :)

I didn't realize that # + set number created an automatic link. That's handy. 

Brainslugged

I don't think I ever noticed before that Finn is sandy. I have the polybag but never got round to opening it.

SumoLego

Astrobricks said:

“Star Warts”
Lol

Another entry from the 'Chinese LEGO Knock-off' Directory.  All the sets come with toads...

Sethro3

While not the same situation, looking at Darth Revan on bricklink.

Polybag is $238.50. Minifigure is $259.86

Now you'd think the polybag is sealed and the minifigure listing would be opened? Odd that it would be valued higher. But could be the same situation where one happened to sell at a different price and it shifted everything. But it makes you want to open your sealed polybag for more value :P

CCC

Sethro3 said:

While not the same situation, looking at Darth Revan on bricklink.

Polybag is $238.50. Minifigure is $259.86

Now you'd think the polybag is sealed and the minifigure listing would be opened? Odd that it would be valued higher. But could be the same situation where one happened to sell at a different price and it shifted everything. But it makes you want to open your sealed polybag for more value :P

Minifigures being worth more than their polybags (or sometimes bigger sets) is relatively common. People add minifigures to their wants list and the volume sold tends to be higher than for the set.

Bubba

Sethro3 said:

While not the same situation, looking at Darth Revan on bricklink.

Polybag is $238.50. Minifigure is $259.86

Now you'd think the polybag is sealed and the minifigure listing would be opened? Odd that it would be valued higher. But could be the same situation where one happened to sell at a different price and it shifted everything. But it makes you want to open your sealed polybag for more value :P

$238.5) I searched on Ebay and found one for $4.50 ( https://www.ebay.com/itm/175266888379?chn=ps&_trkparms=ispr=1&amdata=enc:1Ys1MpVh7SQiL1bTJxyfifg19&norover=1&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-117182-37290-0&mkcid=2&itemid=175266888379&targetid=1599090335697&device=c&mktype=&googleloc=9026906&poi=&campaignid=15275224983&mkgroupid=131097072938&rlsatarget=pla-1599090335697&abcId=9300697&merchantid=552686352&gclid=CjwKCAjwkMeUBhBuEiwA4hpqEOkiuiJSkqyGnwPliZMbXWUEFkolJ7H8wVsTK-gc2V7o0jFp8tqjVhoCfkwQAvD_BwE ) I's used but still

Marshallmario

I'm certainly not one of the experts around here but that does not look to be made by Lego. The description says it is unbranded and "for" Lego. The black plate does not have Lego stamped on the top of the stud.

Astrobricks

Bubba said:

Sethro3 said:

While not the same situation, looking at Darth Revan on bricklink.

Polybag is $238.50. Minifigure is $259.86

Now you'd think the polybag is sealed and the minifigure listing would be opened? Odd that it would be valued higher. But could be the same situation where one happened to sell at a different price and it shifted everything. But it makes you want to open your sealed polybag for more value :P

$238.5) I searched on Ebay and found one for $4.50 ( https://www.ebay.com/itm/175266888379?chn=ps&_trkparms=ispr=1&amdata=enc:1Ys1MpVh7SQiL1bTJxyfifg19&norover=1&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-117182-37290-0&mkcid=2&itemid=175266888379&targetid=1599090335697&device=c&mktype=&googleloc=9026906&poi=&campaignid=15275224983&mkgroupid=131097072938&rlsatarget=pla-1599090335697&abcId=9300697&merchantid=552686352&gclid=CjwKCAjwkMeUBhBuEiwA4hpqEOkiuiJSkqyGnwPliZMbXWUEFkolJ7H8wVsTK-gc2V7o0jFp8tqjVhoCfkwQAvD_BwE ) I's used but still

Yeah, stay away from that vendor. Way too many red flags. The hood and printing don’t even match.

Bubba

Astrobricks said:

Bubba said:

Sethro3 said:

While not the same situation, looking at Darth Revan on bricklink.

Polybag is $238.50. Minifigure is $259.86

Now you'd think the polybag is sealed and the minifigure listing would be opened? Odd that it would be valued higher. But could be the same situation where one happened to sell at a different price and it shifted everything. But it makes you want to open your sealed polybag for more value :P

$238.5) I searched on Ebay and found one for $4.50 ( https://www.ebay.com/itm/175266888379?chn=ps&_trkparms=ispr=1&amdata=enc:1Ys1MpVh7SQiL1bTJxyfifg19&norover=1&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-117182-37290-0&mkcid=2&itemid=175266888379&targetid=1599090335697&device=c&mktype=&googleloc=9026906&poi=&campaignid=15275224983&mkgroupid=131097072938&rlsatarget=pla-1599090335697&abcId=9300697&merchantid=552686352&gclid=CjwKCAjwkMeUBhBuEiwA4hpqEOkiuiJSkqyGnwPliZMbXWUEFkolJ7H8wVsTK-gc2V7o0jFp8tqjVhoCfkwQAvD_BwE ) I's used but still

Yeah, stay away from that vendor. Way too many red flags. The hood and printing don’t even match.

Your right. I should have gone toe brick link instead. and that minifig, well lets just say its equal to a car payment. 

Bubba

It's amazing how much these minifigs sell for when the sets they come in aren't much more than the used minifig.  I take it there's a decent number of collectors who buy complete sets just for the special minifig like the Thanos with Gauntlet. 

Bubba

I'm not really a collector but an AFOL w/Kids who all love Legos and so we've been acquiring (not really collecting) sets and individual pieces (ie garage sales) for 40 years so I do have some valuable sets but only a few that have never been opened. I got the LEGO Star Wars YODA Statues, set #7194 and believe it or not it's never been opened. I just wasn't interested in it but my father got it on sale at a Toy Store that was goin out of business (Kay Bee) so I left it alone and now its worth around $400. The thing still has the toy store price sticker on it.  My father also got me the Lego Town Plan anniversary set #10184 but we opened that and built  and rebuilt it a few times. 

I need to get off my lazy but and put the YODA set online for sale.