There have been rumors circulating that the #10218 LEGO Creator Pet Shop is going to get retired soon. While LEGO usually doesn’t outright say that they are planning to retire a set, there are signs that indicate a set is soon going to be gone. In case of the LEGO Creator Pet Shop there are several indicators; the set has been around since 2011, and based on how long previous LEGO Modulars stayed around (two-four years), it is due to being retired this year. In addition, the only place you can still find the set is at the Online LEGO Shop (it shows as out of stock but you can still order it). So let’s talk about this before it’s to late. As I have mentioned above, the #10218 LEGO Creator Pet Shop was released in 2011 and to this day it is considered one of the best sets in the LEGO Modular Buildings line. The most obvious feature of the set is that it is split into two buildings on two 16×32 stud baseplates. This makes the buildings extremely versatile; you can put them next to each other in two ways, and you can also mix them in between other buildings. A
lso, if your display-space is a bit short, you might still be able to squeeze in one half next to the other sets that are all on 32×32 baseplates. The LEGO Creator Pet Shop has another major advantage; it is the easiest building to duplicate to create row-houses. In other words, if you get multiple sets you can put several of the apartment side of the buildings next to each other to make a row of apartments, and you can also duplicate the pet shop side to create a row of small stores. I have also seen people rebuilding both sides on a full 32×32 baseplate, thus making both buildings wider. While others add an additional second story to make the buildings taller. And you can also rebuild both buildings in different colors (the sand-blue side of the buildings looks particularly nice in sand-green). The point is that this is one of the most versatile of all the LEGO Modular Buildings. The inside of the LEGO Creator Pet Shop also has a lot of options. The pet shop side of the building can be turned into other type of small stores (I converted mine into a little grocery store). Y
ou can also play with the lettering above to the shop to make out different words and learn the art of lettering with LEGO. And the little split-story apartment above the pet shop is absolutely lovely. The other side with the big three-story apartment is originally quite bare, with just a couch, small tables, moving boxes and a minifig painting the walls – all indicating a family just moving in. Some LEGO fan’s didn’t like that this building is not finished on the inside, however I think this increases the playability, and allows you to tinker with the set long after you finish building it. (I should add here that all of the first LEGO Modular Buildings were unfinished on the inside. It is a fairly new development that now they have a fully furnished.) As you can see, the LEGO Creator Pet Shop is very modular and very creative in so many ways. While the other sets in the LEGO Modular Buildings line are a lot more specific, and would take quite a bit of effort and money to make them into something else, the LEGO Creator Pet Shop can easily be duplicated, modified, refurnished, redecorated in so many different ways. I
t is truly the most adaptable of the entire collection. And it also looks really sweet as it is. A lot of people consider the LEGO Creator Pet Shop as their most favorite LEGO Modular Building to this day. I myself count the set in my top three favorite LEGO Modulars – especially the sand-blue side (photo below: Pet Shop Steet by cimddwc). Going back to how this set is rumored to be retired soon, if you have ever considered getting it, please don’t wait. I remember last year when the #10224 LEGO Creator Town Hall was retired suddenly and ahead of schedule. The LEGO Creator Town Hall is the most expensive in the collection and a lot of people felt that it was a bit too big, too expensive, and not too interesting compared to the other ones, but still, when the set disappeared from the shelves there were so many frantic people trying to get one. It was just really sad. The LEGO Creator Pet Shop is much more desirable than the LEGO Creator Town Hall, and it is also much cheaper. O
nce the set is gone though, expect prices to skyrocket on the secondary market, like we have seen with all other LEGO Modular Buildings. So even if you are not fully ready for it, just get it now and put it away until you are. The #10218 LEGO Creator Pet Shop is listed as out of stock at the Online LEGO Shop, however this simply means that you can still order it, but may need to wait a bit until you receive it. Although the listing says it will ship in 30 days, in my experience out of stock items ship much-much faster than that. There is a limit of five sets per household, so you have the option to get extra ones for customizing and expanding, like we talked about before. Also, remember that this set qualifies for free shipping even if this is the only item you get, and also right now we are still in the Double VIP Points period (expires in just four days), so you can earn 299 points on this set, which is basically like a $15 discount. You can find the LEGO Creator Pet Shop, as well as the more recent LEGO Modular Buildings at the Online LEGO Shop.
So what do you think? Do you have the LEGO Modular Pet Shop already? Or are you considering getting it while it is still available? Are you planning to get just one, or get some extras as well? Feel free to share your thoughts and discuss in the comment section below! 😉 And you might also like to check out the following related posts:Town Hall53 ReviewsFIND MORE PRODUCTS LIKE THISBuildingsKeep the wheels of commerce turning with the authentic Town Hall!All listings for this productI absolutely have to begin with the Lego exclusive set that blew the doors off the investment world in Fall of 2014: Town Hall. Last Available (US): October 2014 The modular building series, starting in 2007 with Cafe Corner, quickly became extremely popular with both AFOLs and investors, rivaling Star Wars UCS as the well known "Top of the Line" Lego sets. Those first two buildings, including Green Grocer, were only available for a little over 2 years each which helps explain their astronomical appreciation.
However, by the time late 2014 arrived, a pattern had obviously been established in most investor's minds that the rest of the series was sticking around approximately 4 years per set. Fire Brigade had departed in late 2013 after 4 years, Grand Emporium was several months past its 4th anniversary (and expected to retire), and Pet Shop had been available for 3.5 already. Virtually no one had Town Hall on their radar as a candidate for retirement at the time. A few savvy individuals opened their eyes in Spring 2014 when it went temporarily out of stock, but the vast majority were non-believers and focused their attention and wallets elsewhere. This modular series centerpiece was also a poor seller in comparison to its brethren as it sat "gathering dust" on store shelves. Partial evidence of this fact was observed by many (including yours truly) that seal codes on these boxes were commonly a year or more old, while others in the modular series had been produced only a few months or even weeks prior to being offered at retail.
Apparently Town Hall just wasn't selling. Take a look at the date stamps on posts 6 and 7 in the official Brickpicker thread to see how ignored this set was. Several possible reasons for the lack of popularity, especially as an investment, include: On Oct 1, 2014 Town Hall went to backordered status at LEGO Shop at Home, then Toys'R'Us online went out of stock. The next day, Target sold out, and Lego status when to Sold Out as well, followed by Walmart (all according to reports made in our Town Hall thread). Eyebrows were officially raised, especially given the then-recent quick disappearance of Haunted House, when many expected that set to stay widely available through Halloween. But still a large number of investors thought it was unwarranted panic, citing the double VIP point promotion as well as the in-and-out of stock "dance" that Grand Emporium had been doing for much of the year without actually retiring. That's when our illustrious troll-guru leader Ed Mack dropped an atom bomb disguised as a feather, on page 7:
"Very soon, this will be the busiest thread on the site." Part Nostradamus classic, perhaps part self-fulfilling prophecy, this statement became more than true and the thread exploded over the next few days as investors and end users everywhere slowly but surely realized the huge ugly orange wedding chapel was actually going away... and maybe... just maybe... they wanted one (or several) after all. Last available on Oct. 4 from Lego US / Canada, occasional small batches of stock popped up at various retailers, both online and physical, for over a month... but you had to be very lucky or a truly dedicated soul (wearing out your F5 key or weaving scripting magic) to catch one of these opportunities. There was a final production run in weeks 38-39, corresponding to late September, that trickled out (primarily to resellers) during October. It seemingly was not too extensive, however. Meanwhile, eBay prices shot up into the $300-$350 range within a day.The Brickpicker Price Guide reflected this huge surprise retirement factor as New 10224 values reached $400 before Christmas and climbed steadily to the $530 range in Spring of 2015, before leveling off for several months.
Some investors were happy to buy in at over 2x MSRP, predicting continued growth in late 2015, which simply hasn't happened. Still, the set currently shows a 25% CAGR, outstanding by almost any measure. New prices have seemingly stabilized around $550 on Amazon, $500 on eBay, and $450 on Bricklink for the time being. Brick Classifieds currently follows suit. A substantial increase in Used values occurred on eBay (U.S.) from around $250 to $400 late last summer, continuing up to $450 now. It should be noted that the rest of the eBay world seems to have an approximate 20% premium on New over Used sets, a much wider gap than the U.S., and certainly closer to "normal". However, average Used sales over the last six months are $400 on Bricklink as well, proving strong demand for opened Town Halls. Perhaps end users hit their financial limit later this year, choosing to accept pre-owned copies at nearly half the price instead... so many doing so, in fact, that buying competition drove the Used price up to nearly New values.
Another factor could be that this set is quite difficult to piece together, reportedly commanding about $500 for all pieces and instructions (no box), before adding multiple shipping and handling charges. Do we assume New prices will begin the inevitable climb upward again soon? Or will Used values dip back down a bit first as Americans realize the relatively small difference right now? One would think the gap should widen again, one way or another. From a longer-term perspective, will there be another huge increase in Town Hall values at some point in the next year or two? Or will it simply rise steadily, seeking four-digit sales (then returns) closer to 2020? No one can say for sure, but it IS going to gain value again. The only questions are how fast and how far. Several seasoned investors believe this is one of a very small number of "special" sets released in the past few years that have the potential to reach the $1000 mark. Some optimists were even hoping it would approach that threshold in late 2015.
The one wild card in the game which could completely invalidate such bullish predictions is the possibility of a remake. I certainly don't see that happening, but I doubt anyone could have guessed over a year ago that Winter Toy Shop would be remade, either. If Lego ever decided to duplicate Town Hall, the value of 10224 would obviously drop like a rock. What to Do with Mine? If you are holding and can afford it, my personal advice is to keep holding. The relatively low supply of this set compared to so many other exclusives should make it an even bigger winner in the long run. Simply out-waiting sellers who are happy to take 3x their buy-in is a path to more profit for the rest of us. As more and more of these get bought and opened, a sealed Town Hall will become more of a collector's item, vaguely similar to Cafe Corner and Green Grocer before it. Of course it will never catch those sets in value, but it is a virtual lock for the "bronze medal" of modular building investments.
On the other hand, if you are a buyer who missed out... seriously consider looking for a current "deal" (whether new or used), and get yours soon. It is only a matter of time before this set keeps rising in value, and if there is another big jump, you will avoid several hundred dollars of regret by acting now. I believe we are in a temporary "lull" with Town Hall's value (especially New), and if so, the more buyers that take advantage of it, the sooner the lull will be over, financially benefiting those who do. I definitely do not recommend picking up this set at current prices as a pure investment anymore, however, as fresher and more predictable opportunities are widely available. Above all, realize - if you don't already - that Town Hall in many ways kicked off the maelstrom of CHAOS representing a marked change in Lego retirement (and production) schedules. Many investors "learned their lesson" when caught empty-handed with(out) this set, and adjusted their strategies to accumulate target stock numbers on subsequent exclusives earlier and more gradually.