Some rare Lego sets are now selling for literally thousands of pounds online, as enthusiasts snap up the popular toys. But it's not just rare pieces that are selling well, with standard sets now frequently worth more than when they were new and even old bags of unsorted bricks in demand. “With the soar in popularity of Lego with both adults and children, the effect on the values of both rare, hard to find sets and new releases has been incredible," said Bev Channell, event director for Lego event BRICK 2015, running at Birmingham's NEC this week. “It’s well worth searching through your old sets to see what treasures are hiding there.” The bigger, rarer sets tend to be worth the most - but with Lego frequently refreshing its range that means any old set that's large enough could be worth upwards of £1,000. Currently, these are the most valuable sets: Sadly, to get the best prices for your Lego, it needs to be “mint in box” - which means not opened since it was bought and still factory sealed.
The good news for people who want to play with their toys is that you can still get good returns for assembled models – as long as there are no pieces missing. The easiest Lego sets to sell are Star Wars themed, with Millennium Falcons, Death Stars and X-Wings all selling well – and some prices in the thousands. But there's much more than just Star Wars selling. A look at the best-selling kits on BrickPicker shows trains, play houses, dinosaurs, Harry Potter sets, Back to the Future Deloreans and Pirate sets all featuring. Most of the sales take place on eBay, with BrickPicker providing lists of the top selling and biggest rising prices – as well as a tool letting you compare the price of sets. You can also search on eBay for sold prices of similar sets. If you've got a box of Lego, rather than a specific set, you can bulk-sell as well – although prices for these are a lot lower. That said, if you have the time and can split the box out by category (be it Star Wars, pirates, Medieval, Technic or whatever) these smaller – more specific - bundles will frequently sell for more than a job-lot of unsorted bricks.
To get the most value, you need to be selling pristine-condition Lego toys. “As with any sort of collectible, the safe storage of the collectible is very important,” Ed Mack explains in a piece on How to make money from Lego . “Although the actual Lego brick is pretty much indestructible under normal conditions, the Lego boxes and instructions need special care.” That means quite a lot of space to store them all if you're trying to make money from them, and possibly adding the cost to your insurance. Then there are the seller fees on eBay. And the shipping costs – remember, Lego is bulky and could cost quite a bit to ship. And if you're selling to a collector, they'll expect it to arrive in good condition, so packing costs go up again. Oh, and don't count your profits before you sell – the price of a set can drop fast if Lego re-introduces it while prices can rise as well as fall in line with demand too. Is Lego better than gold? 500+ VOTES SO FAR The market for old toys on eBay is much bigger than just Lego.
If you've got some old childhood clutter just gathering dust, here are 8 ways to tell if your old toys could be worth more then just memories while our guide to getting the most cash when selling old toys on eBay can be found here.ESRB assigns age and content ratings for video games and mobile apps, enforces advertising and marketing guidelines for the video game industry, and helps companies implement responsible online and mobile privacy practices.With E3 2016 (check out our extensive coverage) happening right now, gamers (including myself) are going gaga over which games to pre-order. And since we all have limitations with our wallets, we have to choose wisely when it comes to those enticing Collector’s Editions that come with some of our favourite games.Here are our top 10 hottest Collector’s Edition game titles that you won’t want to miss, including tips on how to get them at the best deal during the pre-order phase. You’d have to choose wisely and act fast before the rules change, or when stocks run out!
Luckily, some games, such as the upcoming God of War, have not been given a proper release window, so there are no pre-orders for what will definitely launch with a HUGE Collector’s Edition.Here are 3 important ProTips before you make your orders:Singapore gamers (and we suspect, to many others across South-East Asia), please consolidate your orders. When you order via Amazon right now, you can enjoy the AmazonGlobal Standard Shipping rate of just US$4.99! And knowing just how huge the packages of Collector’s Editions can get, this makes the deal extra juicy. You have to choose wisely though, as you can only order up to 3 sets of each edition, but no matter how many you orders you place at one go, the shipping rate still hangs at $4.99. The great thing about Amazon is that the company honours the shipping prices (and retail price) at the point of purchase, so even if shipping goes up at a later date, you will still pay just US$4.99 per order.Here’s another important one. If you live in Singapore, be sure to split up your orders to keep the total well below S$400 (US$295), so you don’t end up having to foot an extra 7% GST when the items arrive.
One way is to group an order that has games on different release dates, and not lump them together. Amazon will split up your shipments accordingly when they are released, and send the first game being released first. You still only pay one shipment fee for the combined order that might exceed S$400, but the game that arrives separately will be priced at less than that. If you want to split orders to hit below the S$400 mark, make sure that you use different addresses as well. Two separate orders of under S$400 each, but sent to the same address at the same time, can be tied together. To be safe, why not ship one order to your office/In-Laws/neighbour.Would you like an additional 20% off each of the Collector’s Editions? If you are an Amazon Prime member, you already know you’ll be getting 20% off the pre-order price! If not, then now might be the best time to sign up for the FREE 30-day trial, and enjoy 20% off your pre-orders instantly.Now let’s get down to the goods. Due for release on 21 October 2016, the Battlefield 1 Amazon Exclusive CE includes the Deluxe Edition Base Game, Collector’s Edition Statue (14″ Tall), Exclusive Steel book, Exclusive cloth poster, Deck of playing cards, Messenger pigeon tube with exclusive DLC content, Exclusive patch, and Premium packaging.
Available for PC, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One.Due for release on 23 August 2016, the Deus Ex: Mankind Divided CE includes Day 1 Edition Game with: Classic, Enforcer and Intruder In-Game DLC Packs, Digital Novella, Digital Comic Book, Extra in-game mission, Digital Artbook and Digital OST Sampler plus 9″ Adam Jensen Figurine, 48 pg Titan Art Book and LE Steel book.Available for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One.Due for release on 11 November 2016, the Dishonored 2 Premium CE includes Corvo Attano’s Mask Replica and Stand, Emily Kaldwin’s Ring Replica and Display Box, a Collectible ‘Legacy’ Metal Case, the Digital Imperial Assassin’s Pack, a Full Colour Propaganda Poster and a Digital Copy of Dishonored: Definitive Edition.Available for PC, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One.Due for release on 7 October 2016, the Gears of War 4 CE includes the GOW 4 Ultimate Edition SteelBook (Physical Disc) + Season Pass, a JD Fenix on COG Bike Premium Statue by TriForce (19 Inches in Length, 11 Inches in Height), a Frag Grenade Keychain (6 Inches in Length) & Exclusive Lithograph by TriForce, In-Game Bonus Content: Includes 3 Gears Crates, all in a Premium Packaging Box.There’s even an Amazon Exclusive “Outsider Variant” of the set if you’re interested.
Both are available only for Xbox One.Due for release on 28 February 2017, the Horizon Zero Dawn CE includes the game, a Special Steelbook case, a 9″ ALOY Statue by Gentle Giant, a 48 Page Art Book, a Voucher for exclusive PS4 Dynamic Theme and In-Game DLC Items: Carja Storm Ranger Armor, Carja Striker Bow, Carja Trader Pack, Banuk Trailblazer Armor, Banuk Culling Bow, Banuk Traveler Pack, Nora Keeper Pack, Nora Machine Trapper Pack.Available only for PlayStation 4.Due for release on 7 October 2016, the Mafia III CE includes the game and all bonus digital content found in the Mafia III: Deluxe Edition, plus The Art of Mafia III Collectible Art Book by Insight Edition, Lincoln Clay Replica Dog Tags, Faux Leather Establishment Drink Coasters, Exclusive Collectible Art Prints, Original Game Score in 180 gram audiophile pressing, Official Soundtrack of New Bordeaux in 180 gram audiophile pressing.Available for PC, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One.Due for release on 14 February 2017, the “Take Your Heart” Premium Edition comes with the game, SteelBook collectible case, soundtrack CD, 4″ Morgana Plush, 64-page hardcover art book, school bag & collectible outer box.
Available for PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 3.Due for release on 13 September 2016, the ReCore Collector’s Editon includes the game, a hand painted and finished Joule and Mack Premium Statue (14 inches Tall, 6 lbs heavy), an exclusive metal case, an exclusive Lithograph and Corebot Alphatbet Decoder Dial.Available only for Xbox One.Due for release on 25 October 2016, The Last Guardian CE includes the game in a Premium Steelbook case, a Premium Statue, a 72-page Art Book, a Digital Soundtrack (10 tracks), a sticker sheet and a collector’s box.Available only for PlayStation 4.Due for release on 28 October 2016, the Titanfall 2 CE includes the Deluxe Edition game, a Dog Tag Flash Drive (8GB with an 18″ metallic ball chain), a Pilot SRS Field Journal (3″ x 4.5″ and features an aluminum case, pen and Vanguard Squad logo), Titanfall 2 Vanguard Pilot Helmet Replica (1:1 full scale replica) – Featuring mixed material elements, the helmet includes a battery operated blue light-up translucent faceplate, blue status/task light, functional tactical ARC rail system/an adjustable interior head strap and display stand, Tactical Helmet Accessories: A tactical spotlight and targeting laser sight, Squad Morale Patches and Vanguard Shemagh Scarf (measures at 42″ x 42″ and features an original custom designed Titanfall pattern).