Lego sets come in all different sizes with different numbers of Lego pieces. Of course bigger sets cost more, but is there a linear relationship between set size and cost? Let’s take a look. Oh, and yes – I did look at this before, but that was a long time ago. It’s time to revisit the data. It’s not too difficult to find data for Lego prices and number of pieces. If you just look on the Lego online store. There you can find both the price and the number of pieces for each set. You can even sort them by “themes” – like “Star Wars” or “friends” Even though it’s easy to get, I only collected price data for a subset of the themes (mostly because I am lazy). If I put all of this data together, I can get a plot of the set price vs. number of pieces in set. Here is what that looks like. Let’s look at the linear function that fits this data. The slope of this line is 0.104 US Dollars per Lego piece. There is your answer. On average, one Lego piece costs 10.4 cents.
Also, I think it’s nice to notice that this data is fairly linear.What about the y-intercept for this fitting function? The value from the fit is 7.34 USD. That means that for this function, if you had a Lego set with zero pieces in it, it would still cost $7.34 – you know, for the box and instructions and stuff. Yes, I know that there are Lego sets cheaper than $7.34 – this is just the y-intercept for the fitting function. Now let me point out the three outliers in this plot. Notice that all of these (one from Duplo and two from the City theme) are train sets. Of course train sets are going to be more expensive than a set with the same number of pieces (but not a train) because of the electric motors and stuff. If you are looking for a “good deal”, might I suggest the Trevi Fountain (21020). This set has 731 pieces for just $49.99. According to the fitting function, a set with this many pieces should cost about 83 dollars. Suppose I break all the data into the different themes.
If I fit a linear function to each of the different themes, I can get both the price per piece of Lego and the price of a zero piece set. Here are the brick prices for some of the Lego themes. The error bars are the uncertainties in the fit parameters. If you know what a Duplo block is, you probably aren’t surprised that they are the most expensive (63 cents per brick). These are bricks created for smaller kids. They are all large so that you can’t swallow them. It just makes since that they would cost more. The other expensive bricks are the City sets. But this is deceiving due to the high set prices of the train kits. I suspect if you removed these train sets from the plot, it would be a more normal price. What about the base cost? This is the y-intercept of the linear fit. Here you will notice that the City theme has a negative base cost. This means that if there were no pieces (on average) in a City set, Lego would pay YOU money. But why is this negative? It’s because of the high price of the train sets.
They increase the slope of the linear fit but also push the y-intercept into negative values. The real bargains are the Architecture themed sets. These have a base cost of only 70.7 cents where as the Marvel themed sets have a base cost of 3.61 USD. I’ve probably already answered some of these questions in the past, but it would still be fun as a homework assignment. Some of these aren’t too difficult. You could think of them as Duplo Homework. Notice that not even once did I use a plural version of the term “Lego”.Lego Says 2015 Was Its ‘Best Year Ever,’ With Huge Sales JumpLego Group reported astounding revenue growth for 2015, up 25% from the prior year as it estimated the company's popular construction sets and toys reached an estimated 100 million children.The strong performance built upon years of success as the Danish-based toy maker has cultivated a very loyal following by selling a mix of traditional Lego sets and licensed properties linked to Star Wars, The Avengers, Batman and other popular franchises.
Lego's results also extended a strong sales jump in 2014, when toy sales were up 13% as results were greatly boosted by the company's first major motion picture film, "The Lego Movie.""This has been the best year ever for the Lego Group," Lego Chief Executive Jørgen Vig Knudstorp told analysts during a video presentation. Vig Knudstorp was so enthusiastic about the results that he leaped into the air in front of the press, saying "If I could sing and dance, I should be singing and dancing because it is a fantastic number of results."Lego's growth has been astonishing. It reported annual sales of about $2.3 billion in 2010 and just five years later, reported revenue of about $5.2 billion (those figures were converted from the Danish krone).What's fueling the growth? Parents are putting greater emphasis on toys that inspire learning, especially under the umbrella of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics). Lego has also benefited from blockbuster films like the latest Star Wars, as well as a greater push to address the girls' market.
But also notably, Lego can't yet claim the title of world's largest toy maker. Barbie and Hot Wheels maker Mattel (mat) is still larger, with $5.7 billion in revenue for 2015. Mattel's sales have faced challenges however, dropping 5% last year. Transformers and My Little Pony owner Hasbro (has) ranks third in the toy aisle, with $4.45 billion in revenue.The toy industry is in a period of strength as it benefits from big sales from two hot Walt Disney (dis) properties: "Frozen," a princess-themed movie that drove demand in 2014 and "Star Wars: The Force Awakens," which lifted sales late in 2015 and should be a strong tailwind for this year as well.This offer has already expired. While you may have missed out here, we have so many more great deals to share with you! To make sure you don't miss any more offers like this one, join our mailing list and follow us on Twitter. for up to the minute updates on new deals and reviews. You can also find us on Facebook, follow us on Google Plus, or subscribe to our Feed.
Amazon has the 1,000+ piece LEGO Architecture United States Capitol Building Kit (21030) for $74.99 shipped. That’s $25 (or 25%) below the regular $100 price tag. This is the lowest Amazon has ever offered it for and the best price we can find. This amazing 1,032 piece set spreads over 17-inches wide and features “the Capitol’s neoclassical facade, dome, colonnades, north and south wings, steps and lawns, remove the dome to access the rotunda, featuring columns, 8 statue elements and a tiled floor.” You can find even more details here including an interesting infographic LEGO released to compare the model with the real thing. It is the best-selling toy of its kind on Amazon. We also spotted some other notable LEGO deals including a bunch of Angry Birds sets and more. Everything below ships free for Prime members or in orders $49: LEGO Angry Birds Piggy Plane Attack Building Kit $14 (Reg. $20) LEGO Angry Birds Piggy Car Escape Building Kit $11 (Reg. $15)
LEGO Angry Birds Pig City Teardown $31.50 (Reg. $35+) LEGO Angry Birds Bird Island Egg Heist $24 And here are even more Angry Birds sets sitting at all-time lows from Amazon, Walmart and Target. More details on the LEGO Architecture United States Capitol Building Kit: Build a LEGO brick model of one of the world’s most architecturally impressive and symbolically important structures. Located in Washington DC, the United States Capitol is a magnificent example of neoclassical architecture covering more than 1.5 million square feet and with over 600 rooms and miles of corridors. The building that we see today is the result of several major periods of construction that have taken place since president George Washington first laid the cornerstone on September 18, 1793. This meticulously detailed LEGO Architecture interpretation of the U.S. Capitol focuses on the structure’s striking white, columned facade with its famous steps and lawns, and features a removable dome for access to a detailed interior depicting the famous National Statuary Hall, complete with columns, statues and tiled floor.