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The one that got away thread

LuLegoLuLego Member Posts: 1,010
in Buying & Selling Topics
So we already have a "brag" thread.

How about somewhere to release that frustration for the Lego deals and bargains you've missed out on.

im so annoyed right now as I was the second person to reply to an ad on gumtree this evening:
the guy wanted just £20 for a huge box of superhero Lego. I could see in the photo the two face minifigure, joker goon minifigure, two face car, bat mobile, batwing, joker helicopter, riddler chase batmobile, Kilian Aldridge minifigure sitting in his boat. And that was on the surface of this massive box.
To rub salt in...the seller was 5 minutes up the road from me.

im gutted. I never find Lego bargains despite going to loads of car boot sales and checking out gumtree at least twice a day.

i really wanted that two face figure too.

it does feel better now I've shared my frustration. Thanks forum. 
NorlegoMasterBeefypiratemania7VorpalRyuTheBigLegoskiRonyar77ncaachampsJackad7
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Comments

  • NorlegoNorlego Member Posts: 449
    That is an execellent thread. I dont mind being second or third in a queue, but it is those that jump the queue that annoy me. Happens on Gumtree all the time. I had made a deal to buy 2 pirate ships from the 80s for a tenner each. Spoke to the lady and all. She did want it out of way quick, but agreed for me to pick it up 3 days later. I did not think to ask her to take down the ad. A few hours later some idiot has been and picked up the sets...

    So I thought if that is how things are, I might as well do it myself. So if I see something I would like, I jump queues by offering to take all the Lego they have or for a little more than asking price. Once I got 2 9Vs trains listed at £35 each by paying £45 each. I also got a massive box of 90s lego with manuals that did not cost much.

    Some tips for getting cheap Lego that I use.
    Gumtree
    Ask if seller has more Lego not listed. Often they do. Offer to buy it all. (For an extremly low price.)
    Ofter to pick up Lego same day if it sold to somebody else.
    Look out for ads with no photos or poor photos. I have yet to be dissappointed when bought Lego unseen. Often a quick phonecall tells me more than a few photos anyway.
    Cheap old ads. Sometimes people price things far to high, but if unsold will sell cheaply 3 later.

    Carboots
    Dont turn up sometime after midday. Only dealers sell Lego then.
    Turn up as a seller at opening time. Wonder around asking everybody if they have Lego. Often people do not bring Lego to sell, but happy to sell it later on. I have got Classic space, 80s Castle and Potter sets cheaply from doing this. Bit of a hassle, but it is cheap...
    Sell Lego from your stall and put up a sign you buy Lego. You will be surprised what might come your way.
    The best things with a carboot is that it takes so little time. Throw unwanted things into a banana boxes. Load up the car half full on Saturday afternoon. (To have room for Lego you buy.) Then buy Lego before the carboot opens to the public.
    TheBigLegoskicatwrangler
  • LuLegoLuLego Member Posts: 1,010
    All is fair in love and Lego!
    NorlegoTheBigLegoski
  • Lego_Lord_MayorcaLego_Lord_Mayorca Member Posts: 619
    During my eBay heyday (2009-2011), I tried to avoid getting into drawn-out bidding wars, but on occasion, I did for some really coveted items like a MISB 8880 Super Car. I won that one easily, but it was a 6991 Monorail Transport Base that eluded me due to inattention (still in college at the time) that really ate away at me. Thankfully, after working for a few months, I started trawling eBay again and found another copy in more suspect condition, but I bid for it anyway and won. Turns out that while it was not "MISB", it was actually never built or played with, and while the display trays had their protective covering torn off, the actual pieces were all still in the sealed factory bags.

    Before that, I always lamented from childhood choosing the Sea Sprint 9 Aquazone set in 1995 over a Gas Transit. In 2009, I finally remedied that with one I found NISB for a little less than $50. Not a deal, but a long-desired correction to one of rare, childhood Lego follies!
    catwrangler
  • crazycarlcrazycarl Member Posts: 392
    edited August 2015
    Im mad I missed set #75920.  I passed it up for weeks at walmart and [email protected] I wasnt even going to collect this theme.  Then we went to go see the movie.  I went out and bought all the sets but this one and #75919 and now its sold out.  I ordered Charlie and Echo off amazon for $40 shipped.  Thats really the only reason I wanted that set so not a total loss.  Way inflated price for 2 dinos but i imagine they will keep going up.  The wife wants #75919 so I may get that too.  If it ever comes back in stock!
  • natro220natro220 Member Posts: 545
    I came out of my dark ages in 2009 or so.  I decided to go to my local Lego Store on a whim, and bought the 10177 Dreamliner set for 50% off, 39.99.  They also had loads of other sets on clearance which would now go for a small fortune.  Market Street and the VW Beetle were both 50% off as well.  I thought the Market Street set was hideous, and couldn't get myself to spend the $60 for the Beetle...and now they each go for a ridiculous sum.  Now you're lucky if you can find a random Star Wars or Castle set on clearance it seems.  Funny how that is.
    VorpalRyuTheBigLegoski
  • BooTheMightyHamsterBooTheMightyHamster Member Posts: 1,533
    I remember being in a shop somewhere, back in 2007, thinking 'Who in their right mind would pay £340 for a Millennium Falcon made out of Lego?'
    Lego_Lord_MayorcaSumoLegoHangedSanchezVorpalRyutecjamTheBigLegoskiJackad7Goldchains
  • natro220natro220 Member Posts: 545
    :D Isn't it funny how a little bit of time makes things seem so much more desirable? 
    kiki180703
  • PeteMPeteM Member Posts: 447
    I remember going into a Lego shop for the first time around 2010, still in my dark ages, and picking up an Emerald Night. I was impressed by its developments in trains and building techniques compared to my 12v models, but couldn't believe Lego had got so expensive - over £60 just for a train!

    Needless to say I paid a lot more in aftermarket prices a couple of years later (though a lot less than I would pay now!)....
  • drdavewatforddrdavewatford Administrator Posts: 6,754
    edited August 2015
    I baulked at paying the aftermarket prices for Mr. Gold and Set 3450 Statue of Liberty a couple of years back; I'd bite your hands off to get them at those prices now!
    VorpalRyu
  • BACbrixBACbrix Member Posts: 655
    Chrome Darth Vader $83.00 sealed. Seller had 3 last year. 
  • matticus_bricksmatticus_bricks Member Posts: 651
    I have one that is getting away from me right now, simply because I just don't have the money. Someone on Craigslist near me is offering a Haunted House, Pet Shop and Palace Cinema, used and outgrown by their daughter for $400 total. I wish I could buy it, but I can't afford it as I've bought too much lately. 
  • Bricklover18Bricklover18 Member Posts: 722
    edited August 2015
    Found the Death Star, millennium falcon, camper van, about 200 minifigures, 10 baseplate a, and various other sets and poly bags for $450

  • Bricklover18Bricklover18 Member Posts: 722

    It also included these
    BrickDanceroldtodd33SumoLego
  • kiki180703kiki180703 Member Posts: 1,063
    I remember at the beginning of 2010 when browsing on the the [email protected] website. I saw the taj mahal and I thought I'd wait until summer to buy it but when I checked it in July it was discontinued. When I saw that, I was like Noooooooooooooooooo!
    Jern92TheBigLegoski
  • piratemania7piratemania7 Member Posts: 2,146
    Not following my urge to source a third TH literally weeks before it went bye bye.
    Mordoor
  • Jern92Jern92 Member Posts: 890
    These are a few sets I will always look fondly at and regret still being in the dark ages when they came out.

    1. Taj Mahal (my all-time favorite set)
    2. Green Grocer (a close second)
    3. Grand Carousel 

    Maybe one day I'll be rich enough to buy them. But they'll probably cost tens of thousands of dollars by then.
    kiki180703
  • hoyatableshoyatables Member Posts: 873
    I regret passing on the Emerald Night.  I was collecting at that point, but focused largely on modulars only and thought "why would I want a train?"  I also passed on the Imperial Flagship but picked that up at a markup a year after EOL.  

    I also really regret passing on the Grand Carousel -- twice.  I regret passing on it when it first came out - at the time I was just coming out of my Dark Ages and was either still single or just married, and thought it was way too much for what it was.  More recently, about two years ago after my daughter was born I realized how amazing it would be for her room, but I passed because at $800 it seemed to steep.  Now my daughter is two and loves carousels and I look at the current prices and just shake my head.

    However, I did get mostly complete UCS Falcon off Craigslist for $150 in 2012, so you know, I can't complain :).
  • HangedSanchezHangedSanchez Member Posts: 310
    #10224 Town Hall. That's all.....
    SumoLego
  • HangedSanchezHangedSanchez Member Posts: 310
    LuLego said:
    All is fair in love and Lego!
    Until someone does it to you!
  • DNADNA Member Posts: 89
    The Grand Carousel new and sealed in it's box $10 at a tag sale. I had a broken leg and was making my way across the property as fast as I could on my crutches after I spotted it on a table. Someone else beat me to it. I'm still not over it. 
    VorpalRyuLegoboyTheBigLegoskiJackad7Ahwooga
  • YodaliciousYodalicious Member Posts: 1,366
    The Zombie set from Monster Fighters. Saw three at Target a month or so after it had basically disappeared from shelves. Passed because I didn't want another theme even though I wanted the set. They were gone the next day when I went back. Because of that I passed on the Haunted House as well. Figured at that point is just skip the theme completely. 

    And the PotC sets. They were available right as I was coming out of my dark ages. The Black Pearl even went to $79 on Black Friday and I still didn't pull the trigger. I still can't say why. But it didn't get away. I did buy it on the aftermarket. Only set I've ever paid more than retail for. Quite a bit more. Still kicking myself. 
  • Rsa33Rsa33 Member Posts: 156
    10189 - Taj Mahal, scoffed at the $300-400 range for NISB after coming out of my first dark age.

    Now after coming out of my second dark age, blah...

    At least there is an option to bricklink :)
  • SithLord196SithLord196 Member Posts: 1,161
    Mine will always be #10179. I had just started college, and while Lego was still interesting I had no money for it. Due to monetary constraints for a few years, my Lego collecting fell off until a few years back.

    Not being able to buy #10179 at retail will always bother me though.
    VorpalRyu
  • beabea Member Posts: 227
    edited August 2015
    I remember admiring the #10196 Grand carousel in the Lego store as I was buying gifts but I was not interested enough in it to buy it for myself at the time.

    I also saw #10185 Green Grocer at a discount at Amazon but again, was not interested enough at the time to actually buy it.

    I think both of those go for a small fortune now, especially Carousel, but I just can't bring myself to pay that much.
  • BobflipBobflip Member Posts: 723
    Erm... double standards much? ;-)
    Norlego said:
    it is those that jump the queue that annoy me. Happens on Gumtree all the time.
    Norlego said:
    Some tips for getting cheap Lego that I use.
    Gumtree
    Ofter to pick up Lego same day if it sold to somebody else.
    SuperTramp
  • CoyotelilyCoyotelily Member Posts: 661
    Grand carousel, Linda's partner had offered to buy her a big set for Christmas and I talked her into the town hall rather than the carousel as we thought the carousel was a bit techniccy - I'm now trying to find all the pieces to build the Carousel and am already upto £255 without the sound brick which is £125 and green base board £70 + about 100 other pieces. Both of us now buy at least one of everything, from modular or fairground, and if we don't want it immediately it's put away until we decide we like it after all!!!
  • TimsterinoTimsterino Member Posts: 6
    Hi, we must all have stories about the Lego sets we wanted but never got round to getting or just plain couldn't afford at the time, now I won't pay massively inflated prices on the secondary market so unless I spot what I want in a charity shop or a genuine auction on EBay etc I consider them gone for good, I suspect quite a few people may feel the same so here to start the ball rolling are a few of mine.

    1. The Haunted House  this was discontinued about a month before I got into modulars
    2. UCS Tantive this one I just completely missed
    3. Palapatines arrest because it would have fit as a bookend with the final duel
    4. Lego  Classic Space 918 space cruiser, was an object of a young boys dreams and everyone else had one.

    lets hear your tales of the sets you missed and even some happy tales of when you got them for a bargain years later.
  • LegoTTLegoTT Member Posts: 487
    I was in college and visited the Lego Store in Chicago while visiting some friends. I was in the thick of my dark ages and remember seeing The UCS Millenium Falcon. I had the box in my hands, but my girlfriend (now my wife) reminded me that it probably wouldn't fit in the back of the car with all of our luggage on our trip home. Ugh...

    More recently, just before I came out of my dark ages, I was wandering around aimlessly in my local Lego Store. Didn't really want anything yet, but I recall seeing the Super Star Destroyer and R2D2. A few weeks (and some online orders) later I returned to the store as a newly converted AFOL- only to find both of those sets were gone and retired. Womp womp. 

    I take those two stories as a sign that I shouldn't collect UCS Star Wars ships- I don't have the room anyway!
  • SirKevbagsSirKevbags Member Posts: 4,027
    Hello @Timsterino and welcome to the forum :-)

    It's a fun topic and one that was discussed recently here http://www.bricksetforum.com/discussion/20863/the-one-that-got-away-thread/p1

    I appreciate there is a vast amount of content for a new member to digest but it might be worth having a search first before posting a new thread.
    MasterBeefy
  • Sethro3Sethro3 Member Posts: 995
    I think I must be one of the lucky ones. I don't really have any LEGO regrets. Sure, there are sets that might be worthwhile having, but I never held it in my hands and walked away to miss out on it. Most of them happened while I was in my dark ages, so there isn't much I can do about that because I didn't know about them. And I'm of the mindset that I won't pay ridiculous prices after the fact.

    Sure, early Modulars are neat, and I've bricklinked them, but they won't be the same. I figure I can improve upon the original design. Looking back at most sets I'm not that impressed. Maybe I'm difficult to please or too critical. I can always find something better to improve, even if I decide to bricklink past sets. But I only do so, if I can do it under a certain threshold AND I have a good chunk of the pieces in my collection already. So far I've done Cafe Corner and Green Grocer and currently working on Grand Carousel (which I had no interest in whatsoever looking back at it, but since my daughter is getting the Ferris Wheel for her birthday this year from her grandma..)
  • NorlegoNorlego Member Posts: 449
    Bobflip said:
    Erm... double standards much? ;-)
    Norlego said:
    it is those that jump the queue that annoy me. Happens on Gumtree all the time.
    Norlego said:
    Some tips for getting cheap Lego that I use.
    Gumtree
    Ofter to pick up Lego same day if it sold to somebody else.
    That is not double standards... Read what I wrote in between those quotes... It happened to me a couple of times, so I thought if that is how it is I might as well join... When I have bought things others have tried to do the same, but sellers have chosen to sell to me as I contacted them first. Also I send them polite emails/phone calls, which does help. One of the sellers told me of emails he had received that where very rude. So if you are going to jump the queue, do it in a polite way...

  • Mandalorian_BuilderMandalorian_Builder Member Posts: 197
    The Monster mansion for sure... It was discontinued right around the time I was getting back into Lego. I had plenty of opportunity, but I never pulled the trigger.
  • CupIsHalfEmptyCupIsHalfEmpty Member Posts: 545
    Somebody locally to me just bought a new in sealed box Green Grocer for $400 CAD ($300 USD) on Kijiji. Missed it by about 5 minutes. 
  • Rsa33Rsa33 Member Posts: 156
    Missed a cafe corner sealed $800 usd santa monica, who copped?!
  • William_TownsleyWilliam_Townsley Member Posts: 880
    I missed a Green Grocer the other day at £100 Still gutted 
  • Pumpkin_3CK5Pumpkin_3CK5 Member Posts: 805
    I think I'll still be annoyed for missing out on a lot of sets even if I posted anything here.

    : still angry :
  • LuLegoLuLego Member Posts: 1,010
    Sorry you are still angry Pumpkin...

    Just think of all the potential sets you can now buy with the money you didn't spend.

    our thoughts are with you in this difficult time and you have our deepest sympathy.

    ; )


    SalamalexOldfan
  • RomanticWarriorRomanticWarrior Member Posts: 248
    I guess the only one would be the Zombies.  I didn't get into Monster Fighters until that set was long gone.  I think I only miss it because my MF collection feels incomplete without it.  Not because I'm totally in love with the set.  Though the hammer truck is sadistically hilarious!
  • brumeybrumey Member Posts: 1,002
    #70746 condrai copter
    #70749 enter the serpent

    -50% at my local toys shop
    i checked on friday and they had still 3 each left.
    when i came back on monday with my money all of them where gone!

    WHY DIDNT I BUY THEM ON FRIDAY?  life sucks!
  • catwranglercatwrangler Member Posts: 1,894
    edited December 2015
    Really gutted about an Ebay purchase from last night that fell through this morning - I'd bought #4094-1 Motor Movers for about £15 all-in, but then I got an email saying I was being refunded because it was not available for sale/the seller had gone out of stock. That's a tenner under the original RRP, and with motors being the price they are these days I thought it was a bargain and a really nice Christmas present for my other half to boot! :(
  • fourstudfourstud Member Posts: 1,370
    70010 The Lion CHI Temple

    When I first saw it, I was in love with it. I was planning on getting it for my birthday, but I went with Worriz' Combat Lair and the other set for whatever reason. Can't believe I didn't get it. 
  • LeeLee Member Posts: 138
    Sadly we cant have everything.
  • solid_stridersolid_strider Member Posts: 209
    Last summer/fall, I missed out on the 7633 City Construction Site for $10, and the Maersk Train, 3677 Cargo Train and 3182 Airport for $35 a pop through two Craigslist ads.  I must have missed the first by 20 minutes or so, and the trains/airport by about an hour.  I've had my fair share of good scores though, so it all balances out.
  • khopewosinkhopewosin Member Posts: 101
    I worked a deal via craigslist  to get 918 for $30. Had a fight with my girlfriend and was too pissed off to go pick it up. Of course it was gone by the time I calmed down the next day.
  • PicopiratePicopirate Member Posts: 325
    I couple years ago went to the KC Legoland and saw several retired sets, including three #10212 Imperial Shuttle's and about 6-8 #4866 Knight Bus's.  I have a few Star Wars sets but do not collect either of these series.  I also had just purchased the UCS R2D2 to sell (my first and only investment set).   I went back a couple weeks later after coming into some cash but all of the retired sets were gone.   In hindsight, I wish I would have picked up at least one of the Imperial Shuttles and put it in the closet for a couple years.  I did manage to make nearly $200 profit on R2D2, but it looks like I could have made about $500 or more on the Imperial Shuttle.
  • empireempire Member Posts: 69
    edited January 2016
    Definitely Monster Fighters Haunted House for me. Put it off, took a break for awhile, and when I came back it was sold out.
    Mynatt
  • prevereprevere Member Posts: 2,923
    UCS SSD. When it was $360 I just couldn't pull the trigger. Now id kill to get a loose one for $400.
  • BastaBasta Member Posts: 1,259
    Walked past UCS Death Star II & UCS AT-ST for months thinking I should buy those, at the time Lego wasn't my priority and I didn't have the disposable income I do now.

    On the subject of classified adds (Gumtree & Craigslist etc.) you should always go in with the mindset that nothing is sold until the money has changed hands.

    Anyone who thinks they can call and expect some ludicrously cheap deal to be held for days unitll you can find the time to pick it up is dreaming.

    Good sellers will tell you this though "yep it's yours for X price, BUT if someone else turns up before you then it's theirs". Too many time wasters on classified adds to do it any different IMO. (This is my experiance as a buyer, I have never sold Lego on a classified site)
  • chrisalddinchrisalddin Member Posts: 3,041
    Basta said:
    On the subject of classified adds (Gumtree & Craigslist etc.) you should always go in with the mindset that nothing is sold until the money has changed hands.

    Anyone who thinks they can call and expect some ludicrously cheap deal to be held for days unitll you can find the time to pick it up is dreaming.

    Good sellers will tell you this though "yep it's yours for X price, BUT if someone else turns up before you then it's theirs". Too many time wasters on classified adds to do it any different IMO. (This is my experiance as a buyer, I have never sold Lego on a classified site)
    Thank you, this comment gave me a idea.
    have a sod load of model train stuff that i not used in over 5 years, and all the 2nd hand selling shop have closed down. i don't feel i am up to doing a e-bay as i dont think i can manage the shiping of said item, but Gumtree may work. as you dont send stuff out they come to you.
    still going to be a lot of work. but i could use the room it all taking up and the cash.
    so thanks :)
  • dragon114dragon114 Member Posts: 642
    saw castle dragon moutn for $40 hoping it would go down more and it sold.
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