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”.Latest Toy Tech StoryLEGO Polybag Set Collecting Clearly we are living in the "golden age" of LEGO. The family-owned company, officially known as THE LEGO GROUP (TLG), has risen phoenix-like to become today's most profitable toy company after nearly facing bankruptcy in the early 2000's. If a store sells children's toys, chances are there are LEGO sets on the shelves. In addition, there are animated cartoons, numerous video games, theme parks, family-oriented LEGO "festivals" and internationally distributed magazines for both kids and adults.
Plus, 3 new LEGO films are in production as a result of the...I want to read more! »Latest LEGO Set ReviewsJake on LEGO 4338 Monster PodSet promotes creativity like other sets in this line. implemented work well together, and the pin joint.... Morepcnerdkid on LEGO 8570 Gali Nuvai love this set first one i ever got but i thought she was a guy Andreas on LEGO 912 Universal Building SetGreat set, have it already 40 years!Enrico on LEGO 6441 Deep Reef RefugeAn unmissable set in your Divers collection. The whole set encompasses a large variety of objects. MoreEnrico on LEGO 6556 Scuba SquadThe set, at least for the period it was released during, is nice. The trailer works smoothly. The van shows the.... MoreAngela Beatty Daniels on LEGO 375-1 Deluxe Basic SetI have most of this my first set of Legos. I learned to love Legos with it. Review your classic LEGO sets today on the ToysPeriod LEGO Reference Database.Latest Additions to the ToysPeriod Shop (View All)Micro Engineering 10-124 Flex-Trak N Code 55 18 Foot Bundle - $29.25 LEGO 4475 Jabba's Message Star Wars Set from 2003 New Sealed$52.00LEGO 4476 Jabba's Prize Scarce 2003 Classic Star Wars Sealed$63.00More Vintage, Classic, and Rare ToysLEGO 7127 Imperial AT-ST Rare Star Wars from 2001 New Sealed$64.00LEGO 1381 Vampire's Crypt Rare Studios Monster Set New MISB$145.00LEGO 5771 Hillside
House Limited Edition Creator Set Sealed$137.00LEGO 9449 Ultra Sonic Raider Retired 2012 Ninjago New Sealed$129.00LEGO 7964 Republic Frigate Hard to Find Clone Wars Sealed$230.00LEGO 8099 Midi-scale Imperial Star Destroyer Star Wars New$79.00LEGO 6056 Dragon Wagon Vintage 1993 Dragon Knights Sealed$110.00LEGO 6420 Mail Carrier Classic Town Set from 1998 Sealed New$47.00LEGO 6595 Surf Shack Classic 1993 Seaside Town Set MISB New$57.00LEGO 7327 Scorpion Pyramid Retired 2011 Pharaoh's Quest New$220.00LEGO 5770 Lighthouse Island Classic 2011 Creator Set Sealed$99.99LEGO 7947 Prison Tower Rescue Retired 2010 Castle Sealed New$120.00Plus, 3 new LEGO films are in production as a result of the global phenomenon of "The LEGO Movie". LEGO is also reported to be the most recognized "brand" on earth. Interestingly, AFOLs (adult fans of LEGO) are playing an increasing role in this success, beyond just buying sets for their kids. Adult-oriented LUGs (LEGO user groups) have formed in many countries.
Some of these groups are officially "certified" by the company. LEGO brick creations made by AFOLs are featured in art galleries and museums all over the world. (Using a "medium" both youngsters and adults can personally relate to is an astonishingly clever way to engage them in art and history!) A LEGO investor website tracks set value fluctuations, as its members try to profit from buying and selling LEGO sets like commodity traders. Vintage sets are also becoming more "treasured", as AFOLs seek to rediscover the simpler times and toys of their youth. Perhaps more adults are discovering the enjoyment of building something in the physical world as a temporary escape from the stresses and cyber-world focus of modern life. But somewhere out on the fringes of this LEGO juggernaut is the rather obscure world of the polybag. TLG manufactures boxed sets in enormous numbers in an effort to satisfy the planet's seemingly insatiable appetite for their building sets. Individual sets can be in production for years.
Larger sets can contain thousands of parts and cost several hundred dollars at retail. Happily for LEGO fans, nearly every current set seen in catalogs or on the internet can be immediately plucked from store shelves or bought online. Bargain-hunting, credit card limits or lack of display space at home may be the only impediments to instant LEGO gratification. In contrast, polybags are generally the simplest and lowest priced LEGO building sets ("free" to about $8). They are packaged in color-printed polypropylene bags, and are produced in relatively limited numbers for promotional purposes. They can be used to highlight a special marketing event or made for a specific TLG "corporate partner". Their release can be focused on one store franchise or one event ... or hop from store to store, country to country or continent to continent. However, availability is usually short-lived, and LEGO marketers rarely indicate how extensive a polybag's distribution might be. Although these little sets are generally inexpensive and easy to build, they can be VERY challenging to collect.
Several years ago, I first noticed polybag sets hanging on pegs at the check-out counters of my local "big-box" stores. Occasionally, I would grab an interesting set or two, particularly if the set was a 4-wheel ATV (all-terrain vehicle) or an aircraft. The LEGO ATV's are diminutive reminders of a spectacular ATV tour I took on the island of Kauai. A 30+ year aviation career accounts for my attraction to the aircraft. As my "bag count" continued to rise year after year, I suddenly realized I had inadvertently become a polybag collector. Comments (2) Monday, 7:04 pm | November 2nd, 2015ToysPeriod strives to bring you the world's finest selection of high quality pre-owned classic toys in the best possible condition. Many of our vintage toys are in their original factory sealed boxes.We carry a range of 'new old stock,' retired, and out-of-production releases from famous toy and hobby brands.ToysPeriod routinely stocks several makers of European toys, such as LEGO and BRIO. We do this because of their long-standing reputation for quality.
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