Investing for the future usually involves shares, houses, gold or even art. But Lego collecting is providing suprisingly good returns - maybe even better than our own stockmarket. Lego can be a messy nightmare for some parents, but for Michelle Smith from Cambridge it's a dream job - she's making a living from being a Lego reseller. Ms Smith has rooms of used Lego parts that she sorts and sells on Trade Me. At any one time she has about 1000 listings. And it all started by selling a few used toys. Ms Smith says a Lego auction she put on Trade Me "went ballistic", and that kicked things off from there. Collectors like to boast on YouTube about their Lego rooms and they will pay a lot for a special limited edition. Ten years ago, the 'Cafe Corner' collection cost US$140 - it now sells for more than US$1500. And the ultimate collector item, the Star Wars Millennium Falcon, cost US$140 and it now fetches almost US$4000. tracks Lego prices just like a stockmarket, and not everyone's in it for the joy of the toy, some are out to get a good deal and resell for a good price.
So how does Lego rate as an investment? Current bank deposit rates are about 3 to 4 percent, the annual average return on the New Zealand stock exchange over the last 10 years just over 6 percent, but Lego experts believe if you really know your stuff you can get an average annual return of 10 per cent on your bricks. But not every Lego set is a winner. Ms Smith focuses on mini figures because they cost less and can bring a good return, and people pay hundreds of dollars for the tiny figures. So the next time you tread on that missing brick, think not of the pain but of possible riches.With the popularity of LEGO Modular sets with the LEGO Creator Detective’s Office (10246) becoming the latest set released this year, LEGO has announced that they are bringing back some of the more popular Modular sets including Cafe Corner (10182) and the Green Grocer (10185) with a new theme/subtheme called Revival. This weekend at LEGO Stores and [email protected], they’ll be selling the sets for a limited time for VIP members.
The only catch is there’s no word on what the pricing for the two sets will be. Hopefully, they’ll be the same as before but considering inflation since they sets were first released, I bet they’ll be slightly higher than before. It was also stated that LEGO is planning to release more Modular sets in the future. There’s no mentioning of which sets will be coming but for now, at least we don’t have to resort to BrickLinking parts to recreate them. Check out the full press release below as well as an image of the sets. LEGO Reintroducing Retired Modular Building Sets With New Theme Called Modular Revival BILLUND, DENMARK (April 1, 2015) – For many LEGO fans, the 10185 Café Corner and 10182 Green Grocer were some of our most popular sets in the LEGO Modular Building series. For the newer LEGO fans who may have missed out on them, we’re now bringing these sets back, for a limited time, the same way that they were released in 2007 and 2008, respectively. This reintroduction of the sets will also bring a brand new theme called Revival.
To celebrate the return of 10185 Café Corner and 10182 Green Grocer, we are having a special LEGO VIP shopping event that will be one that you won’t forget! This weekend, April 3-5, we are making these two sets available in limited quantities on LEGO Brand Stores and on LEGO [email protected] We also have another surprise waiting for you during the checkout process but you’ll have to see what that is for yourself. We’re aiming to roll out more retired LEGO Modular Buildings in the near future. If you tune into our social media pages in the coming months, expect to see sneak peeks, and hear our LEGO designers reintroduce these sets again in a brand new format. Modular Revival is just getting started, so you can expect a few things to change over the coming months as we plan to roll out these exclusive sets and who knows, maybe you’ll see other themes be implemented into the Revival series. We have a lot more to show you.You can build a small fortune from Lego – by collecting the most sought-after plastic bricks.
Stumble across an Ultimate Collector’s Millennium Falcon set in the attic and you will have a toy space ship worth more than £3,000. When this Star Wars model of the Hans Solo-piloted rocket was first available in shops eight years ago, it cost about £340.Alternatively, find a Mr Gold minifigure in a cupboard drawer at home, as sold in packs at newsagents a couple of years ago, and you will be smiling all the way to the bank. Costing £2 originally, it now commands a price of £1,000. Will Lego but won't let go: Founder of the London branch of Adult Fans of Lego Richard Selby, 44, is happy to play with Lego as well as stock up on sets as an investmentRichard Selby is founder of the London branch of the Adult Fans of Lego. He is happy – aged 44 – to play with Lego with fellow enthusiasts as well as stocking up on sets as an investment.The IT consultant, who lives in Walthamstow, East London, with graphic artist wife Aisling, 47, and their children ten-year-old Ben and Lance, six, says: ‘My interest started when the children were young and we would play Lego together.
They would then go to bed and I would continue to build with the bricks while they were fast asleep.‘It is not a childish pursuit. It offers a creative outlet for adults as well as children – just like art does.’Richard adds: ‘Many modern sets are targeted at adult collectors – with limited editions often costing more than £100. It is these boxed sets that rise the most in value.’Lego plastic bricks were first made in 1949 but it was not until 1958 that the stud-and-tube connection style we recognise today was introduced. They were originally simple red and white bricks produced from a matt cellulose acetate material that could warp over time. The modern plastic Lego brick was introduced in 1963 and made from acrylonitrile butadiene styrene. Moneymaker: Limited edition set Café Corner was released in 2007 at a price of £90 - it can now sell for £2,000Richard says: ‘You should start by collecting what you like – as chances are if you think it is a cool Lego set, others will too.
Some limited editions targeted at adults – such as the range of modular buildings – have soared in value. The first set in the range was Café Corner and released in 2007 at a price of £90. It can now sell for £2,000. Lego-themed sets with a huge fan base – such as Star Wars and Harry Potter – rise in value as they become scarcer.’Among Richard’s favourite investment purchases is a limited edition submarine, only released in Japan in 2010 for £40. Within six months this boxed toy was worth £350.Richard says those interested in collecting older Lego bricks should only buy sets that come in their original wooden box. Values of these sets are likely to remain stable at about £300 rather than enjoy dramatic price growth. Yet the earliest wooden items made by Lego – such as play bricks, tractors and toy ducks – are extremely rare. Richard says: ‘If you have an old Lego toy with the maker’s stamp on it then you can almost set the price yourself as these are items more at home in a museum than a private collection.’Adam White, journalist for Lego fan magazine Bricks, says you do not have to buy an expensive limited edition set to make money.
Know which bricks make the most money: Lego sets in pristine condition and in their original boxes fetch the most moneyFree Lego given away in sales promotions can sometimes prove a sound investment. He says: ‘Promotional Lego gifts were often unique pieces – this gives them great value for collectors. For example, a DVD for a Lego movie called Justice League came with a free ‘trickster’ minifigure that could not be bought in any other way. People were buying the film for £8 and then selling the Lego character for £20 – it was crazy.’ Website Republic66Media sells Lego magazines Bricks (£4.99 monthly) and Bricks Culture (£9.99 quarterly). Online trading website BrickLink offers a great place to buy and sell Lego – as well as providing information on price trends.The Brickish Association is a community group for Adult Fans of Lego. A ‘Brick 2015 Build for Lego fans’ show is being held at the ExCeL conference centre in East London from December 11 to 13. Tickets cost from £20.