Collect or investment

PilotBrick · January 24

Are yore more collector or you only invest in Lego? For me is Lego passion. I prefere the old Sets from the Space theme and the Town/City Sets. Sometimes i buying to much and than i have to sell it. That was the reason to found a own Legomarketplace called PilotBrick.com. Maybe it´s off topic but i think its important to know this about me. I am more collector as investor in Lego and whats about you?

M1J0E · January 24

I’m definitely not an investor. I can’t even budget enough to have all I’d like to collect (people who post their weekend hauls is like a years worth for me LOL), let alone ‘save’ any for investments. But inherently I think “most” sets (maybe not all though I admit) should be worth MSRP after retirement even as open/used ones. So I can probably freely enjoy collecting, secure in the knowledge if I need to liquidate what I have managed to collect, that I won’t be out a whole lot.

PilotBrick · January 24

oh yeaa.. when i see the photos of their weekend hauls... thats sometimes totally strange. they spend more money for lego as i pay for my rent per month :-)

datsunrobbie · January 24

^Check out the "brag" thread. There's lots of Lego to be had cheaply if you let somebody else buy it first. Finding it just requires patience and a bit of luck.

PilotBrick · January 24

datsunrobbie said:

^Check out the "brag" thread. There's lots of Lego to be had cheaply if you let somebody else buy it first. Finding it just requires patience and a bit of luck.

thanks datsunrobbie :-)

klinton · January 24

I just collect them to amuse myself. It's just a hobby that I persue with varying degrees of enthusiasm depending on the themes on offer. I've never left a set unopened for longer than a week, and I have no idea how people do so. Hahaha. I've not oversaturated my life with countless random sets though, so each one I buy is one that I'm genuinely excited to have and that I'm eager to build.

pxchris · January 24

I am 100% a collector. I buy the sets that I genuinely want for myself to build and display. Or, the occasional (this is pretty rare) set I pick up just for pieces for MOC building which is a fairly new area of the LEGO experience for me (that is, building MOCs in the AFOL sense, not all of the awesome creations I made as a kid). I buy old used sets from the 80s and 90s as well as brand new sets. I have a pretty eclectic taste from licensed themes to the creator lines and a bit of everything in between.

pxchris · January 24

And I definitely struggle to keep my jealousy in check when I see the weekend hauls that easily dwarf what I spend in a year. My wife might thing that I spend a lot on LEGO... but boy, she has NO idea!

CCC · January 24

Mainly collect but a bit of selling stuff I get cheap or no longer want.

Why start your own marketplace when there are very well established ones such as bricklink and more recently brickowl?

PilotBrick · January 24

it’s not a classic marketplace like bricklink. we have a focus on rare old Sets and not bricks. that’s a small but i think, important difference. the other thing is... i have run a long time the biggest price comparison shopping engine of germany. and it was time for something new in my life ... passion & business :-)

madforLEGO · January 25

PilotBrick said:

it’s not a classic marketplace like bricklink. we have a focus on rare old Sets and not bricks. that’s a small but i think, important difference. the other thing is... i have run a long time the biggest price comparison shopping engine of germany. and it was time for something new in my life ... passion & business :-)

You can sell sets on Bricklink and Brickowl.

SumoLego · January 25

I generally do trades to get out-of-reach items. Not really sitting on sets to sell at a later date. I really don't have the patience.

PilotBrick · January 25

madforLEGO said:

PilotBrick said:

it’s not a classic marketplace like bricklink. we have a focus on rare old Sets and not bricks. that’s a small but i think, important difference. the other thing is... i have run a long time the biggest price comparison shopping engine of germany. and it was time for something new in my life ... passion & business :-)

You can sell sets on Bricklink and Brickowl.

of course .. you can... and if you want to get a better price for your items, dont forget ebay.

monkyby87 · January 25

Lego investing isn't what it once was, and it takes more patience and care than it used to. Aside from the bigger, harder to find sets, you have to work to make a really good profit nowadays. And with the sheer number of sets and options out there now, investing isn't what all of these articles you see claim. Plus, it's not like action figures where you can see them sitting on the shelf and be fine with them still in package. The whole fun of these is building! lol.

Polyphemus · January 25

100% collect to build. The seals are usually broken within minutes of getting home from the shop. I did manage to wait a whole 24 hours once...

FowlerBricks · January 25

I guess I would say I fall into the 'collector' category, but I prefer to use my Lego. I use it for photos or just to mess around with.

daewoo · February 8

I'm a collector who likes to participate in shows. I don't have many MOCs (I'm just not that good yet at building from scratch), but I love watching people's reactions when they see what you can do with lots of Lego.

SteveG · February 8

I'm a collector first. I used to be an investing collector of all sorts of things. So much that I opened a store around collecting. Then I saw the other side of collecting to invest and got burned out on the whole thing. Took some years away and now collect things that I enjoy. Too many things, not just Legos.

Ayrbys · February 11

Maybe it would sound funny but I am both )) I invested in a bigger property in Greece to be able to have more place for collecting and my Lego hobby. Now I have a small room dedicated to Lego with a table and shelves just for it. My wife isn't a fan of such solution but it is for sure better than having pieces and parts of it all around the house.

Astrobricks · February 11

Ayrbys said:

Maybe it would sound funny but I am both )) I invested in a bigger property in Greece to be able to have more place for collecting and my Lego hobby. Now I have a small room dedicated to Lego with a table and shelves just for it. My wife isn't a fan of such solution but it is for sure better than having pieces and parts of it all around the house.

So you live in Canada but keep your LEGO in Greece?

stlux · February 11

@Astrobricks There was a spam URL in that post originally; a mod has probably taken it out. So no need to find logic in that post ;)

prevere · February 12

Loved Lego as a kid. Starting selling off my stuff in college, and turned into an investor. That re-activated the collector in me. So I'm pretty much like the Hulk now, depends on the day and mood.

SumoLego · February 12

Astrobricks said:

Ayrbys said:

...I invested in a bigger property in Greece...

So you live in Canada but keep your LEGO in Greece?

I have my LEGO stored in a subterranean ice fortress guarded by magic crystals. It's just east of Point Barrow and a stone's throw away from where Captain America went into the ice.

SprinkleOtter · February 12

SumoLego said:

Astrobricks said:

Ayrbys said:

...I invested in a bigger property in Greece...

So you live in Canada but keep your LEGO in Greece?

I have my LEGO stored in a subterranean ice fortress guarded by magic crystals. It's just east of Point Barrow and a stone's throw away from where Captain America went into the ice.

How far from the underground Nazi base is it? You don't want them plundering your collection to restart the Third Reich, now...

MAGNINOMINISUMBRA · February 12

^restart?
Oh yes... that’s right... restart...

alaskaguy · March 11

PilotBrick said:

Are yore more collector or you only invest in Lego?

Neither. I buy them for my kid to play with. I buy. He play. Maybe he will sell when he is done playing with them. I really don't know.

alaskaguy · March 11

alaskaguy said:

Neither. I buy them for my kid to play with. I buy. He play. Maybe he will sell when he is done playing with them. I really don't know.

My most recent purchases (from Lego pieces & parts site):

Duplo: (30) A-frame supports (Crane Base #1) @ $4.58/each
Duplo: (30) 2x10 brick (green) @ $2.14/each
Duplo: (27) 2x10x2 brick w/arch @ $1.87/each
Duplo: (20) train ramp, 1 brick high (6219647) @ $4.59/each
Duplo: (15) 2x10x2 brick bow @ $1.74/each
Duplo: (10) 2x8x brick inside bow @ $1.79/each

Doesn't really strike me as much of an "investment". But my policy is that for every $1 I spend on Legos for him, I put $2 into his 529 savings plan. That's where I "invest".

Brainslugged · March 11

SumoLego said:
I have my LEGO stored in a subterranean ice fortress guarded by magic crystals. It's just east of Point Barrow and a stone's throw away from where Captain America went into the ice.

I travelled across the Atlantic to bury all my Lego 200 foot underground and booby-trapped it with thousand foot long flood tunnels leading to it so the whole lot gets flooded should anyone try to retrieve it. I did have a bit of a brain-fart though and accidentally left an etched stone slab 100 foot above it letting people know exactly what's there if they keep digging.

It's on Oak Island just off the coast of Canada should anyone be interested in any of it. I'm not quite sure how im going to retrieve it though as i forgot to plan that far ahead.

Pitfall69 · March 11

Investing in a state run college fund is definitely not for me. Too many drawbacks for my liking. As bad as Lego investing has been, it still has better returns than most stocks on average and I'd rather put that money in a ROTH IRA.

I collect and invest. I've already paid for my entire Lego collection from the money I have made selling Lego. I never bought Duplo for my kids, I always let them play with my Lego and when they got old enough, I bought them their own Lego sets. I did buy a Grand Carousel for my first born and a Haunted House for my second born. I think those were decent investments :)

I have my Lego at home, but it is protected by a Resident Evil style defense system and an evil Red Queen (my wife) ;]

SumoLego · March 11

Brainslugged said:
It's on Oak Island just off the coast of Canada should anyone be interested in any of it.

We all know about the connection between LEGO and the Knights Templar. The Ark of the Covenant is just a fancy box for Mr. Gold.

Pitfall69 · March 11

Yes, maybe if we went back 9 and 6 years respectively I'd be letting the cat out of the bag...lol

alaskaguy · March 12

Pitfall69 said:

Investing in a state run college fund is definitely not for me. Too many drawbacks for my liking....I'd rather put that money in a ROTH IRA.

Meh...the Utah 529 plan gets outstanding ratings and unlike a Roth (or Lego purchases), I get an automatic 3% match from my state for every dollar I put in, so that's a pretty good deal for me right off the bat. Throw in the tax-free withdrawals (including EARNINGS) on the 529 AND no limits on deposits and it beats the Roth hands-down for me. The no limits on deposits is a big deal - we'll be tossing $20K/year into there soon.

Pitfall69 · March 12

^What if your children don't want to go to college? Your state sounds like a decent deal. I mean, there's a reason not many people contribute to a 529. I just want my money to be taken out at any time without a penalty. I know that if you take money out of a 401k and the like there's a penalty but I read somewhere that the 529 penalties are worse simehow.

alaskaguy · March 12

Pitfall69 said:

^What if your children don't want to go to college? Your state sounds like a decent deal. I mean, there's a reason not many people contribute to a 529. I just want my money to be taken out at any time without a penalty.

Then I will have saved a lot of money that will give me an even better retirement. A 10% penalty on earnings is way cheaper than paying for college. I see it as win-win.

Pitfall69 · March 12

^I guess I'm ignorant here. I thought you could ONLY use the money for college or qualified expenses? Won't you incur a 10% penalty and state and federal taxes?

Pitfall69 · March 12

Anyway, we've gotten off topic again...lol

My Lego addiction as waned over the last few years and I find myself buying less sets every year, but my daughter has made up for that. I will be happy when she goes into her Dark Ages; it will be cheaper for me :)

alaskaguy · March 12

Pitfall69 said:

^I guess I'm ignorant here. I thought you could ONLY use the money for college or qualified expenses? Won't you incur a 10% penalty and state and federal taxes?

Sure you will. But the penalty is still cheaper than paying for college. And you will only pay taxes on the earnings (not deposits), which is the same as you’d pay investing elsewhere other than a Roth. Besides which...if you leave it there until retirement and mange things properly, you can arrange matters such that your withdrawal from it is the only income you have that area and probably avoid paying taxes on the earnings anyway.

However, you can’t contribute much to a Roth anyway, AND if you’re already maxing out that contribution like we are, then it isn’t an alternative to a 529 to begin with.

monstblitz · March 12

Collector. Although at some point I'll become an accidental investor due to an insurmountable back-log.

Aanchir · March 13

I'm mostly a collector and builder, though the value of LEGO as an investment sometimes helps me justify how much I spend on it. XD

In the very least, I have a little more confidence that if I ever got into a tough financial spot and had to sell some of my LEGO collection, I might get back a bigger portion of what I paid for it than I would for a collection of already-opened toys from some other brand.

Astrobricks · March 13

I’m going to retire off the profit from selling my Darth Revan ;-)

Oh, wait. I’m already retired.

BOBJACK_JACKBOB · March 14

Are 'collector' and 'investor' the only two options to describe an AFOL?

I don't feel either is right for me.

SumoLego · March 14

^ That probably makes you a collector. If you're in it only for asset value, then you're an investor.

I don't know too many people that buy mutual funds based on their name, color or anything other than investment returns...

Baby_Yoda · March 15

I suppose you could be a fan that rarely buys new Lego for any purpose and builds with what they already have. You're not collecting or investing anything because you're not purchasing anything.

klinton · March 15

Baby_Yoda said:

I suppose you could be a fan that rarely buys new Lego for any purpose and builds with what they already have. You're not collecting or investing anything because you're not purchasing anything.

But... you would require a collection of bricks with which to build with, no? You don't need to be actively increasing your existing collection to be a collector. I've many finished collections to which I no longer add items but still enjoy them as they are.

SumoLego said:
^ That probably makes you a collector. If you're in it only for asset value, then you're an investor.

I don't know too many people that buy mutual funds based on their name, color or anything other than investment returns...

I buy them in alphabetical order. I'm still desperately searching for a 'Y' and an 'X' to complete my collect... er, portfolio.

CCC · March 15

For me a collector implies that you have a collection and consider it as a collection. Personally, I don't consider my collection a collection I consider it as parts to build from. It doesn't matter to me if I don't have a particular set from a theme if I don't like it but have the rest of the theme, and I gave up with CMF long ago. It doesn't bother me if I have 10 of a set, as I am just going to open them for parts. I also don't mind playing with my bricks, keeping them in mint condition is not an issue.

So I consider myself a builder, rather than collector.

I am also an investor though, but they are sets I don't touch / display or parts I don't use.

Baby_Yoda · March 15

Well, a collection is by definition a group of things - in this case, any group of Lego parts would be a collection. However, a collector must also by definition be one who undertakes the act of collecting. If you have previously acquired a collection but no longer collect, you are not a collector anymore. I guess you could call that a post-collector?

BOBJACK_JACKBOB · March 15

@CCC I feel the same. I think I would consider myself not a collector or investor but a builder. I understand that aquiring lots of one particular thing is, by definition, collecting but to me that action is a means to an end and doesn't define why I do it. I have a collection but I'm not a collector LOL!

Also, it's very refreshing to hear an AFOL say they play with LEGO!

560Heliport · March 15

I play with LEGO! I'd call myself a builder, rather than collector or investor.

MaffyD · March 15

I play with Lego too! But I am a collector, as well as a builder. I just have a rather small, rather specific collection.

CCC · March 15

So how many people here have a collection of socks (or forks, or rubber bands, ...)? I don't consider myself a sock collector but I must have at least 30 of them, and most of them in pairs. I consider myself a sock wearer. I use them but I don't collect them.

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