Good to see you back. Based off 2023, one thing I'm doing this year is buying LESS throughout the year, but MORE in the 4th quarter. It's hard to say what is a good buy price if you're buying in say March through July. Example, maybe you bought the Disney 100 Brickheadz in July at MSRP but with a GWP because of short shelf life and because they were Lego exclusives and you dont expect them to be on sale. Maybe you get a GWP, but then you see them at 40% off at the end of the year with GWPs too. Maybe you bought the Jeep Wrangler at $35 (30% off) only to see Walmart have them at $25, with Amazon price matching too.
Agree, last year I bought all through the year when almost all sets retired in December so I'm going to wait until Dec this year, also buty sets valid over 30 dollars to make good money
I think the reason for the high number of discounts is simply because retail prices of Lego sets are insane! Nobody in their right mind would buy sets like the Justifier for 170 bucks. Glad that you are back, mate!
Missed your enthusiasm the last couple of months! So happy you are back. And often wondered what happened. But now we know! Many congratulations to you and your family! :-) Greetings from Belgium, Europe!
Welcome back! And congrats on the new addition to the family. You are one of my favorite RUclipsrs when it comes to Lego so happy to see you plan on continuing to make content. I think you nailed it on every single point. Buying at a discount is huge; I would say 20% should be the baseline before even considering a purchase. Also agree that there is going to be lot of folks exiting the reselling business after trying and realizing it isn't "easy" money. I've had several friends and family interested, until I explain everything involved, and then they immediately decide not for them. For those who have a good plan, are dedicated, and not afraid of a little work, this can be a great side gig or even full time income stream.
THanks Jake! I started beginning of 2022. First year was a lot of bad purchases at MSRP but doing pretty well otherwise. REally taking my time on the buying side and it has helped. About $14.6k in purchases so far. Built $900 of those and have had about $5.1K net in sales (after fees/shipping). About $9,200 left in inventory (based on cost). Enough profit to cover the "built" inventory and I've had a lot of fun.
Glad to have you back, Jake! Love your content and agree with everything you have to say. Congratulations on the addition to your beautiful family! That’s one lucky boy to grow up with a Dad who has such an awesome Lego collection!!
Awesome video well done Jake and thanks for the info. I am just getting into Lego and looking for a channel just like this. Just subbed and I’ll be watching!
Congrats to your new addition to the family :) I am based in Germany, and I feel like a lot of people been doing Lego Investing. Even for retired sets with minimal increase in sales-price or below MSRP, people don’t bother buying sets. It’s a rough time. My portfolio is very diversified. Maybe I have to wait a little longer (holiday season) or till next year, and perhaps I’ll sell more sets. Idk if you know, but Germany is in a recession, maybe that’s also why since people are a lot more cautious on what they spend their money on.
Congrats on the addition to your family. I agree with a lot of what you said. This Q4 had some deeper discounts on sets before the clearance waves began. Depending on the volume of sets you are looking to buy, you should look for the normal discounts in the middle of the year. Then be ready to double down with the deep discounts in Q4. Like you said this depends whether the Lego group and retailers better gauge their demand for this year.
Welcome back. Can't wait until your top ten for 2024. I got many of your top ten for 2023 and built them. Love them all. I am a collector not an investor. I used to live in Kansas city, at the Plaza, and did my medical residency at KU Medical Center. Loved those three years. Best of luck and congratulations.
I think you're likely right: a ton of people jumped into Lego investing thanks to the hype on RUclips and elsewhere without the patience and business savvy to do it right, and they'll be jumping back out. Unfortunately, that probably means even lower resell prices as they glut the market even further with sets they want to dump. I always find it sad when you see certain RUclipsrs promising/implying incredible returns on Lego investing so they can make money off RUclips views. Can you make money reselling Lego? Yes. Are you going to get rich, beat traditional investing, etc.? Highly unlikely.
I think I agree with this! Investing in stocks decent returns: Easy to sell. Investing in LEGO: fun, some really great returns, some not, hard to sell.
Good to see you back . I think youre overstating hold times esp for the insanely heavily discounted 2023 retiring sets. already been able to unload many of them in Jan incl World Map which blew the eff up.
Another problem with the Justifier is that it is still available from normal retail channels like Amazon and until recently Target. The same with the Creator Expert Mustang; though that has also been available for a long time. Also, Assembly Square is still available at retail. One piece of advice is for resellers to connect with their local LEGO store, and ask if they have any news on the next damage box shipment. You can find some retired gems. Some of my most profitable moves have occurred at the LEGO store clearance table.
The economy will get back on track eventually. We have had downturns many times before. People just cant see longer than the tip of their nose. Just buy up, hold, and cash in later.
I was a small time Lego Investor as a hobby started during the pandemic.and have sold almost all I have through ebay because of all the things mentioned. After eBay costs, tax, packaging, and driving to the post office, the profit and no profit margin no longer worth my time anymore. It was a fun run though.
congrats on the little guy! Do you think the volume or quality of set designs Lego is coming up with has an impact on future values of retired sets? (customers having new, and too many great choices on the shelves, before considering the aftermarket)?
I would say yes. There are tons of options. But completionists and those on the hunt for unique figs will always collect retired sets and those people aren't going away.
As for comparing Lego investing to thre stock market - Lego are sitting quite a bit on the shelves over here in Germany at the moment in online marketplaces. Because people have to set priorities where they spend their money on. We are sliding into a recession, so investing into actually toys comes to its limits. Especially when no one buys them. Can't feed Legos to your kids. The stock market is a bit turbulent, but overall it is rising, as usual. That being said, I still intend to go into Lego investing this year myself...
Congrats on baby #3. Now you gotta play zone defense. Just like teams had to in 2016 w/ the wildcats cause they were so good. Curious on your thoughts on the BL designer program if those are worth it? From the sounds of it the number is getting upped from 10k to 30k. I assume this will impact the resale market. Also since they have multiple series I assume that will also hurt it a bit.
30k will definitely impact the resale market but 30k is still significantly less than any normal retail LEGO set. I would imagine they won't do as well as they once did but there will be a few winners.
Great videos Jake ! I have only been investing in Lego sets for the last 2 years . I’m over 40 and I’m not on rush to sell my portfolio ar all. Like every other high risk investment it takes time to see your money grow substantially. Keep it up with the good work dude !! My favourite Lego set to invest this year is the Star Wars cantina ! I believe that will be a 1000 dollar set just after retirement and MUCH more after a few years
I agree and have been pounding it that dark clouds ahead . Global turmoil and economic conditions collapsing under hard time reselling. I actually see Lego selling at retail. The price points continue to rise and people just can’t afford Lego when they can’t pay there bills
I actually don't think it has much to do with economic conditions at all. Inflation has subsided and the markets are doing well. I think it has to do with massive overproduction by Lego both in terms of # of sets and the quantity of each set printed. That combined with over-pricing has forced Lego to discount massively to get rid of inventory. It used to be that if you got a set on sale for 30% off you would make a profit later, that's not the case anymore. The sets are really only worth 20% below retail at best to begin with. Additionally, there are so many sets and releases now that very few people are trying to collect everything. There are no more 'must haves' because 3 months later Lego will just release another similar set. Who has room to display that many new sets every year?
Hello Jake, Nice to see you are back. Great video by the way, agree with must of your points. I have a question for you about the give away. I am located in Spain, would I still be able to participate? Shipping can be expensive and customs may hold the package. Is there any other option you prefer instead of shipping overseas?
Great video Jake. Many thanks. Yep, sets I bought in 22, im looking at 26/27 before selling. Luckily I have a spare bedroom to store, otherwise it isn't going to work out. 👍
The birds of paradise set is not a great example of why you should invest...in fact it's an example of why you shouldn't invest. When it was still on the market everyone criticized its price point and recommended things like the Bonsai & Succulents as superior sets and better investment opportunities. The birds of paradise set was readily available for $60 on discount and many people in my local area tried to offload it for $50. The fact that it's selling now on eBay and Amazon is not necessarily indicative of a huge demand, but rather just a set not a ton of people hoarded due to worries about its viability. It's a slow sell at best and ultimately nobody could have predicted its 'success'.
If anything, it shows that you should not listen to lego investing channels. It was easy to deduce it would do well once it retired … exactly because no one was buying it up for investing later. It’s only common sense. In actual fact, if you check old investing videos, very few of the suggested sets actually become really good investments.
I think George makes a great point. Even I release my Top 10 list every year. But there are many sets I pick up outside of those. Some of my Top 10 have been great and others not so much. You have to understand the market well. Thanks T Yop for your thoughts as well!
As the secondary market is kind of crowded at the moment, I always try to identify the "underdogs" among retiring LEGO sets. Sometimes a set becomes a good investment only because no one consideres it to be a good investment :) Not always but there are some examples, like the colosseum #10276 (Jake had a video on this) or the unwanted cloud city #75222.
In terms of the economy. Inflation has been decreasing so it's incorrect to say inflation is as high as it's ever been. It was at its peak by the end of 2022 and subsided dramatically in 2023. Inflation was around 6.5% in 2022 and it was 3.4% in the 12 months ending in Dec 2023. The uncomfortable truth is that, it's not the economy causing this Lego market 'crash'. It's oversaturation. It's oversaturation of sellers, abundance of Lego selling content, overproduction of Lego sets, dramatic increase in the amount of Lego sets being released, and inflation in the retail price of Lego leading to increase in discounting to sell inventory. Let's be honest, why would Lego let the re-sellers who are effectively scalping make all the money off of Lego? They want to maximize that profit for themselves. So what they've done now is oversaturated the market with Lego, so no matter what you're into, you can buy it in Lego form. Why buy some retired set for overinflated prices when you can buy 5 other very similar sets that satiate the same craving directly from Lego? Why pay over MSRP when Lego themselves discount Lego so heavily? We all know that 20% off is the new MSRP. Lego 'investing' for the next while will be only for those who have been in the game a long time and are truly dedicated to that as a business. It'll take a big crash before 'investing' for the masses becomes a thing, if it ever was.
Couldn’t agree more with your reply and have nothing really to add to it … spot on!! I thankfully full into your last paragraph, which is I’ve been doing this for 15+ years now so can be patient with what’s going on at the moment. But like Jake said at the start, there is so many people now all over social media trying to promote there ideas on LEGO investing for their own buck/pound!! It won’t last forever, as people looking for a quick return will get bored and drop out!! 👍
T.yop! Sounds like you understand economics way more than me so thanks so much for the insight and yes I should have certainly talked about the overproduction (which i mentioned briefly at the end). The LEGO reselling bubble is certainly over inflated at this point. Just have to wait it out for it to pop
Well I am starting to sell on District and would love to have you come sell in the Jake's Bricks Distirct! Head here to learn more! district.net/jakesbricks But historically the best places have been eBay, FB marketplace, Bricklink and if you are moving volume and smaller margins - Amazon.
You can't write off inventory but you can for business expenses like printers, packing materials, etc. Basically I just report sales minus cost of goods for profit and then deduct all my business expenses
Too many people are doing it, too many of these sets not being opened and being sold on the resellers markets these days. Also, these days, more people just don't have any money left over after paying household bills. Now, if you have a lot of olders sets from the 80s, 90s, and the 2000s, maybe as a nostalgia thing from people's childhood memories.
I started seriously acquiring Lego investments at the start of last year. I’m firmly in the camp that these need to be held for 7 to 10 years. Maybe longer.
Congratulations on the new born :) family time is very important. is district a American thing have not heard of it only just seeing whatnot being popular here in the UK :)
Thx Jake! Very good to be mindful of today’s economic environment as well as the state of LEGO as we strategize this year. That being said, seeing a lot of panic about the ‘failing LEGO reseller market’. I don’t understand?! My returns - even on my recent purchases/sales - have been GREAT! True, the days of being able to buy a set at retail and sell for double within a year are mostly over. Also true that some returns may be shrinking a bit and hold times,possibly, are a bit longer, BUT 70-80% ROIs are still FANTASTIC and until I find a better investment, I’m ALL IN! I’m also seeing a lot of sellers exiting the market which will also help returns stabilize a bit for those of us who push through. Thx again for the insight!
Very good summary of the current investment potential due to economic reasons and increasing numbers of investors! I am also investing a little bit "slower" than before, because - like you said - not every Set is developing well in price. I hope that due to the currently unpleasent situation, some of the "quick" investors not being that much into LEGO will quit the investment again and the market can relax a little bit. All the best for you and your family Jake!
It's been proven that in times of economic hardship, people often fill their unhappiness or depression with "things" to cope with the real world. LEGO won't be affected by the economy. Segments such as travel and recreation are the segments most likely to see the effects of a recession.
I can see that. I would imagine it may be slightly affected but maybe not as significantly as travel. But I don't imagine middle class families in 2008 were buying $300+ LEGO sets regularly... but hey not an economist
Jake - you have the best most responsible channel - I agree with your predictions. The space is too crowded. I'm noticing more sellers in my area. Everyone has the same idea. If you started after 2021 your behind. I started in 2020 and my returns/sales are decent BUT I'm now being VERY mindful of my spending and what I'm spending on. One thing that I notice that happens is the newer seller/investors sell some sets and then come to spend money on my more expensive/collectible sets. I think Lego has started charging SO much for their marquee sets that people have less money to spend on the secondary market. I think Lego understands how much people are willing to pay for discontinued product and are just creating cool new products that match those price points. So Lego is competing with the secondary market. There are many bearish factors like this - but the product is great, and like you say, if you can get good enough discounts you can make money.
Congrats! I have 1 daughter and one more on the way. Can’t wait to let my lego investments help pay for their college in 16-18 years from now. Or just a nice vacation for the wife and I 😂
Small lego sets(polybags) $4.99 to $70 is the key low investment but double profit Ex. Batman michael keaton polybag $4.99 you can sell it for $10 Batimobile tv classic (Batman/cesar romero joker) $34.99 to $50-60 Low invest low risk reasonable profit 🤷
@@JakesBricks where I would have held/planned to hold for 18-24 months I now expect to hold for 36-48 months so double atleast, potentially 60 months to see a decent return. Based on Uk market. Fortunately I am in no rush to flip something so it doesn’t bother me, though it is nice to see maturity faster.
how bout this: just buy the lego sets you personally like. Enjoy them, collect them, display them then maybe one day sell them. DO that, instead of being like a guy who inherited daddys money and decided to juice the market and get a warehouse of shelves full of multiple thousands of sets of legos. Yeah,, don't be greedy and calculating and pretend that daddy gave you millions of dollars to not work and just fleece people with hoarding of sets of legos you went out and bought. Not saying thats this dude with his warehouse of legos though....im just saying in general. Just buy sets you enjoy and maybe a spare one you keep in the box. or you can be calculating and suck all the joy out of it.
Hey @toltech1624 appreciate your comment and I wanted to respond to a couple things 1. I started this channel to help LEGO collectors and LEGO fans like myself fund their building hobby through LEGO selling and investing because it is dang expensive. 2. My day job is a pastor at a church and my dad is a pastor as well so trust me I have gotten non of "daddy's money." I built my entire inventory you see behind me buying, selling and investing in LEGO on the side. It's been a really fun way to fund my building hobby, pay for vacation and even helped my family just buy a minivan for our family. 3. Can you reply to this message and tell me what your concerns are about LEGO investors "hoarding" or buying multiples of a LEGO sets. Thanks! Hope you are having a great day!
@@JakesBricksI am deeply shamed of my assumptions that reflect a weakened moment of character. The flesh is weak and the devil taunts us and creates avenues for us to fall to them at every turn. I was blinded but you have helped open my eyes. Continued success on all your endeavors including those of the Lego variety.
@@toltech1624! It’s all love over here! I love dialoguing with all people who agree and disagree with LEGO selling strategies. So I am glad I could share a bit of my passion and history! One thing I forgot to mention in regards to your comment was the strategy of buying one and selling one! Brilliant strategy btw!
Come Hang out with me at District: district.net/jakesbricks
LEGO Giveaway: district.net/product/lego-10305-lion-knights-castle-o-96c
=( pity shipping is only around North America and no Europe
@@TheMikitas17 for now yes sorry!
Good to see you back.
Based off 2023, one thing I'm doing this year is buying LESS throughout the year, but MORE in the 4th quarter.
It's hard to say what is a good buy price if you're buying in say March through July. Example, maybe you bought the Disney 100 Brickheadz in July at MSRP but with a GWP because of short shelf life and because they were Lego exclusives and you dont expect them to be on sale. Maybe you get a GWP, but then you see them at 40% off at the end of the year with GWPs too.
Maybe you bought the Jeep Wrangler at $35 (30% off) only to see Walmart have them at $25, with Amazon price matching too.
All great points here! And glad to be back!
Agree, last year I bought all through the year when almost all sets retired in December so I'm going to wait until Dec this year, also buty sets valid over 30 dollars to make good money
I think the reason for the high number of discounts is simply because retail prices of Lego sets are insane! Nobody in their right mind would buy sets like the Justifier for 170 bucks. Glad that you are back, mate!
Actually a really great point here
It's great to have you back. Congrats on the new addition to the family!
Thanks YESI!
Missed your enthusiasm the last couple of months! So happy you are back. And often wondered what happened. But now we know! Many congratulations to you and your family! :-) Greetings from Belgium, Europe!
STS! Thanks my friend! Good to be back!
Judging by the amount of LEGO sets in that room, I think it’s safe to say LEGO investing works.
Lol otherwise he’d be screwed and being as quiet about this as he can
All those sets were bought years ago
Some 6 months ago some 4 years ago
Ha it has for a while. We will see if it continues
@@JakesBricks 4 years is a long hold time. Hard to compound that way.
Welcome back! And congrats on the new addition to the family. You are one of my favorite RUclipsrs when it comes to Lego so happy to see you plan on continuing to make content. I think you nailed it on every single point. Buying at a discount is huge; I would say 20% should be the baseline before even considering a purchase. Also agree that there is going to be lot of folks exiting the reselling business after trying and realizing it isn't "easy" money. I've had several friends and family interested, until I explain everything involved, and then they immediately decide not for them. For those who have a good plan, are dedicated, and not afraid of a little work, this can be a great side gig or even full time income stream.
Charles I have had plenty of the same conversations with friends and family! Thanks of the compliment as well!!!
THanks Jake! I started beginning of 2022. First year was a lot of bad purchases at MSRP but doing pretty well otherwise. REally taking my time on the buying side and it has helped. About $14.6k in purchases so far. Built $900 of those and have had about $5.1K net in sales (after fees/shipping). About $9,200 left in inventory (based on cost). Enough profit to cover the "built" inventory and I've had a lot of fun.
James this is an amazing start! I didn't have 10k in inventory till like year 4 so well done!
Good to see you back! Congratulations on your little one!
Thanks so much!!
Congratulations for your son From Germany! All the Best for you and your Family ! You be back 💪🏻😀
Love my German friends! Thanks!
Glad to have you back, Jake! Love your content and agree with everything you have to say. Congratulations on the addition to your beautiful family! That’s one lucky boy to grow up with a Dad who has such an awesome Lego collection!!
Hopefully he grows to love LEGO as much as I do!!
Glad you are back. Congratulations!
Great to be back!!
Awesome video well done Jake and thanks for the info. I am just getting into Lego and looking for a channel just like this. Just subbed and I’ll be watching!
Damn, good to see you back!
Thanks! Good to be back!
Really glad to see you back. Love to hear your insights regarding LEGO.
Thanks Tom!
Good to see you back at it again! was waiting for it 😁
Thanks it's good to be back!
Good to see you back Jake. Congrats on your new addition💙👍
Thanks so much TIM!
Congrats to your new addition to the family :) I am based in Germany, and I feel like a lot of people been doing Lego Investing. Even for retired sets with minimal increase in sales-price or below MSRP, people don’t bother buying sets. It’s a rough time. My portfolio is very diversified. Maybe I have to wait a little longer (holiday season) or till next year, and perhaps I’ll sell more sets. Idk if you know, but Germany is in a recession, maybe that’s also why since people are a lot more cautious on what they spend their money on.
Great to hear about the economic season of Germany! That helps a ton! Thanks!
Congrats on the addition to your family. I agree with a lot of what you said. This Q4 had some deeper discounts on sets before the clearance waves began. Depending on the volume of sets you are looking to buy, you should look for the normal discounts in the middle of the year. Then be ready to double down with the deep discounts in Q4. Like you said this depends whether the Lego group and retailers better gauge their demand for this year.
All great points! Time will tell!
Welcome back. Can't wait until your top ten for 2024. I got many of your top ten for 2023 and built them. Love them all. I am a collector not an investor. I used to live in Kansas city, at the Plaza, and did my medical residency at KU Medical Center. Loved those three years.
Best of luck and congratulations.
Love the Plaza and I am a huge KU fan! Thanks Rezat!
I think you're likely right: a ton of people jumped into Lego investing thanks to the hype on RUclips and elsewhere without the patience and business savvy to do it right, and they'll be jumping back out. Unfortunately, that probably means even lower resell prices as they glut the market even further with sets they want to dump. I always find it sad when you see certain RUclipsrs promising/implying incredible returns on Lego investing so they can make money off RUclips views. Can you make money reselling Lego? Yes. Are you going to get rich, beat traditional investing, etc.? Highly unlikely.
I think I agree with this! Investing in stocks decent returns: Easy to sell. Investing in LEGO: fun, some really great returns, some not, hard to sell.
Great points! Glad to see you back and congrats to you and your family on the arrival of your son! Exciting news!
Thanks so much!!
Finally another video. Welcome back bro!
Good to be back!
Good to see you back . I think youre overstating hold times esp for the insanely heavily discounted 2023 retiring sets. already been able to unload many of them in Jan incl World Map which blew the eff up.
There are certainly a few winners but as many as usual
Another problem with the Justifier is that it is still available from normal retail channels like Amazon and until recently Target. The same with the Creator Expert Mustang; though that has also been available for a long time. Also, Assembly Square is still available at retail.
One piece of advice is for resellers to connect with their local LEGO store, and ask if they have any news on the next damage box shipment. You can find some retired gems. Some of my most profitable moves have occurred at the LEGO store clearance table.
This is true! It is still lingering at retail
Jake thanks for all you do! And congrats on the new addition. I have 5 and know how wonderful family is!
Appreciate it SP!
Thank you for posting again, love the work!
Thanks Andrew! I know its been a minute
The economy will get back on track eventually. We have had downturns many times before. People just cant see longer than the tip of their nose. Just buy up, hold, and cash in later.
Truth here!
Man congratz on the little boy , you have a beautiful family , wish you the best !!
Thanks Erick!
I was a small time Lego Investor as a hobby started during the pandemic.and have sold almost all I have through ebay because of all the things mentioned. After eBay costs, tax, packaging, and driving to the post office, the profit and no profit margin no longer worth my time anymore. It was a fun run though.
Totally understand. The time investment is definitely something worth considering. I should probably make a video on that.
congrats on the little guy!
Do you think the volume or quality of set designs Lego is coming up with has an impact on future values of retired sets? (customers having new, and too many great choices on the shelves, before considering the aftermarket)?
I would say yes. There are tons of options. But completionists and those on the hunt for unique figs will always collect retired sets and those people aren't going away.
As for comparing Lego investing to thre stock market - Lego are sitting quite a bit on the shelves over here in Germany at the moment in online marketplaces. Because people have to set priorities where they spend their money on. We are sliding into a recession, so investing into actually toys comes to its limits. Especially when no one buys them. Can't feed Legos to your kids. The stock market is a bit turbulent, but overall it is rising, as usual.
That being said, I still intend to go into Lego investing this year myself...
Thanks for the thoughts on the German market Thomas! Thanks helps a ton! And I agree!
Congrats Man 👍😁
Thanks!!!
Great to hear from you it’s been a while great video
It’s been way too long for sure
Congrats on baby #3. Now you gotta play zone defense. Just like teams had to in 2016 w/ the wildcats cause they were so good.
Curious on your thoughts on the BL designer program if those are worth it? From the sounds of it the number is getting upped from 10k to 30k. I assume this will impact the resale market. Also since they have multiple series I assume that will also hurt it a bit.
30k will definitely impact the resale market but 30k is still significantly less than any normal retail LEGO set. I would imagine they won't do as well as they once did but there will be a few winners.
Great videos Jake ! I have only been investing in Lego sets for the last 2 years . I’m over 40 and I’m not on rush to sell my portfolio ar all.
Like every other high risk investment it takes time to see your money grow substantially.
Keep it up with the good work dude !!
My favourite Lego set to invest this year is the Star Wars cantina ! I believe that will be a 1000 dollar set just after retirement and MUCH more after a few years
Daniel Love this! Catina should do well. We will see how much hype it gets.
Nice family picture...thanks for sharing & congratulations on your 3rd child
Thanks DH!!
I still think its a good idea, but you really have to know what to buy and be a real fan and have general knowledge in Lego and local Lego market
This 10000%
I agree and have been pounding it that dark clouds ahead . Global turmoil and economic conditions collapsing under hard time reselling. I actually see Lego selling at retail. The price points continue to rise and people just can’t afford Lego when they can’t pay there bills
Agreeeeed!
I actually don't think it has much to do with economic conditions at all. Inflation has subsided and the markets are doing well. I think it has to do with massive overproduction by Lego both in terms of # of sets and the quantity of each set printed. That combined with over-pricing has forced Lego to discount massively to get rid of inventory.
It used to be that if you got a set on sale for 30% off you would make a profit later, that's not the case anymore. The sets are really only worth 20% below retail at best to begin with. Additionally, there are so many sets and releases now that very few people are trying to collect everything. There are no more 'must haves' because 3 months later Lego will just release another similar set. Who has room to display that many new sets every year?
Was nice meeting you, thanks for the ISS set
Great to meet you too friend!
Nice video, lots of good advice. Thanks
Thanks William!
Good thoughts, thanks! keep it up :)
Thanks dimi!
Congratulations dude!
Thanks TFF!!
Hi, can you do a review on the World Map lego. Is this set a good investment?
It just retired! If you have one keep holding it for now
Great video mate very informative.I’m in Australia and got the justifier on sale au$90 recently and got 5
Great deal!!! especially in AUD
Congratulations Jake on your new family member.
Thanks!!!!
Congrats on your first son! Glad you’re back on RUclips!
Thanks Brick Dysasty!
Hello Jake,
Nice to see you are back. Great video by the way, agree with must of your points.
I have a question for you about the give away. I am located in Spain, would I still be able to participate? Shipping can be expensive and customs may hold the package. Is there any other option you prefer instead of shipping overseas?
Hey Carlos unfortunately no international shipping yet but the team at District is hoping to add that soon!
Does the LEGO store ever actually have sales? Or only retailers like TARGET or WALMART?
Yes they do… rarely but I saw more this year than I have in the past. Mostly sales on LEGO.com
Great video Jake. Many thanks. Yep, sets I bought in 22, im looking at 26/27 before selling. Luckily I have a spare bedroom to store, otherwise it isn't going to work out. 👍
BOOM! Great plan!
Good to see you back at it! In the meanwhile, what is your opinion about the 71775 and the 71775 ?
Well those both are the same number ha! But I think the 71775 has great potential to do well bc I don't think their is a ton of inventory out there.
@@JakesBricks I made a mistake! Meant 71775 and 10274🙂
@@Rieskae not sure about 10274 yet 🤷♂️
The birds of paradise set is not a great example of why you should invest...in fact it's an example of why you shouldn't invest. When it was still on the market everyone criticized its price point and recommended things like the Bonsai & Succulents as superior sets and better investment opportunities. The birds of paradise set was readily available for $60 on discount and many people in my local area tried to offload it for $50. The fact that it's selling now on eBay and Amazon is not necessarily indicative of a huge demand, but rather just a set not a ton of people hoarded due to worries about its viability. It's a slow sell at best and ultimately nobody could have predicted its 'success'.
If anything, it shows that you should not listen to lego investing channels. It was easy to deduce it would do well once it retired … exactly because no one was buying it up for investing later. It’s only common sense. In actual fact, if you check old investing videos, very few of the suggested sets actually become really good investments.
I think George makes a great point. Even I release my Top 10 list every year. But there are many sets I pick up outside of those. Some of my Top 10 have been great and others not so much. You have to understand the market well. Thanks T Yop for your thoughts as well!
Set 00003 BABY for the WIN! Congratulations!
Underrated comment right here!
Welcome back, and congrats on the healthy baby!
Thanks friend!
Congrats, Jake. Both with your new son and your lego selling page. Is the page international or american only?
Currently just US and Canada sorry! Hoping they expand to other countries soon
As the secondary market is kind of crowded at the moment, I always try to identify the "underdogs" among retiring LEGO sets. Sometimes a set becomes a good investment only because no one consideres it to be a good investment :) Not always but there are some examples, like the colosseum #10276 (Jake had a video on this) or the unwanted cloud city #75222.
Huge truth statement right here! There are always winners and losers. Really hard to determine which one is which sometimes
Congrats on the new baby!
Thanks a ton!
Welcome back chief !
Great to be back!
Congrats man! The world of 3 is awesome and really no change minus financially then going from 1-2. Oh and maybe owning a minivan as well haha
Got the minivan! And now spending money on diapers again
Good you are back !
So glad to be back!
Love your videos. Congrats on the new baby.
Thanks so much!
In terms of the economy. Inflation has been decreasing so it's incorrect to say inflation is as high as it's ever been. It was at its peak by the end of 2022 and subsided dramatically in 2023. Inflation was around 6.5% in 2022 and it was 3.4% in the 12 months ending in Dec 2023.
The uncomfortable truth is that, it's not the economy causing this Lego market 'crash'. It's oversaturation. It's oversaturation of sellers, abundance of Lego selling content, overproduction of Lego sets, dramatic increase in the amount of Lego sets being released, and inflation in the retail price of Lego leading to increase in discounting to sell inventory.
Let's be honest, why would Lego let the re-sellers who are effectively scalping make all the money off of Lego? They want to maximize that profit for themselves. So what they've done now is oversaturated the market with Lego, so no matter what you're into, you can buy it in Lego form. Why buy some retired set for overinflated prices when you can buy 5 other very similar sets that satiate the same craving directly from Lego? Why pay over MSRP when Lego themselves discount Lego so heavily? We all know that 20% off is the new MSRP.
Lego 'investing' for the next while will be only for those who have been in the game a long time and are truly dedicated to that as a business. It'll take a big crash before 'investing' for the masses becomes a thing, if it ever was.
Couldn’t agree more with your reply and have nothing really to add to it … spot on!!
I thankfully full into your last paragraph, which is I’ve been doing this for 15+ years now so can be patient with what’s going on at the moment.
But like Jake said at the start, there is so many people now all over social media trying to promote there ideas on LEGO investing for their own buck/pound!! It won’t last forever, as people looking for a quick return will get bored and drop out!! 👍
T.yop! Sounds like you understand economics way more than me so thanks so much for the insight and yes I should have certainly talked about the overproduction (which i mentioned briefly at the end). The LEGO reselling bubble is certainly over inflated at this point. Just have to wait it out for it to pop
What would you consider to be the best online selling place for LEGO? In the past I've used Ebay but should I look into other sites?
Well I am starting to sell on District and would love to have you come sell in the Jake's Bricks Distirct! Head here to learn more! district.net/jakesbricks
But historically the best places have been eBay, FB marketplace, Bricklink and if you are moving volume and smaller margins - Amazon.
Amazing!🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉❤ congratulation Mate!👌🎉🎉🎉 from UK 🙂
Thanks so much!
Congratulations 🎈🍾
Thanks!!!
I have always wondered if you can write off your lego collection in your taxes if you are always buying more? Is this something you do?
You can't write off inventory but you can for business expenses like printers, packing materials, etc. Basically I just report sales minus cost of goods for profit and then deduct all my business expenses
I did it for 8 years, works okay to get your mind going. But there are better ways mate :)
Better ways to make money!? Absolutely there are!
75323 you can still buy in Poland for 65% MRSP.
10289 still in MRSP.
Different markets for sure but 65% off for 75323 is crazy!!!
Great analysis.
Appreciate it!
Too many people are doing it, too many of these sets not being opened and being sold on the resellers markets these days. Also, these days, more people just don't have any money left over after paying household bills. Now, if you have a lot of olders sets from the 80s, 90s, and the 2000s, maybe as a nostalgia thing from people's childhood memories.
All great points many of which I addressed in the video. Thanks for the thoughts!
Congratulations my friend enjoy the time as I have 2 daughters in college and I don’t know where the time goes
I started seriously acquiring Lego investments at the start of last year. I’m firmly in the camp that these need to be held for 7 to 10 years. Maybe longer.
Not a bad theory. You do risk a set being re-made and losing almost all its value but if not you should get great returns
Congrats!
Thanks Apline!
Congratulations on the new born :) family time is very important. is district a American thing have not heard of it only just seeing whatnot being popular here in the UK :)
US and Canada currently. It's Brand new so I am pretty excited about it
Love your channel. From Canada, seems that I can’t put my name in for the challenge as it states that it does not ship to Canada.
Canada just added for the giveaway so try again!
Should i buy justifier for 118€? Its still in store
Hmmm I’d try to get it for around 100
Congratulations on the birth of your son!!!
Thanks Jon!!
Congratulations on the new born I have 2 daughters in college and don’t know where the time went enjoy the time as they grow up fast
Man I gotta try and slow things down over here!
Congrats on baby No. 3!
Thanks!!!
Thx Jake! Very good to be mindful of today’s economic environment as well as the state of LEGO as we strategize this year. That being said, seeing a lot of panic about the ‘failing LEGO reseller market’. I don’t understand?! My returns - even on my recent purchases/sales - have been GREAT! True, the days of being able to buy a set at retail and sell for double within a year are mostly over. Also true that some returns may be shrinking a bit and hold times,possibly, are a bit longer, BUT 70-80% ROIs are still FANTASTIC and until I find a better investment, I’m ALL IN! I’m also seeing a lot of sellers exiting the market which will also help returns stabilize a bit for those of us who push through. Thx again for the insight!
Keep Killing it Steve! Well done!
Very good summary of the current investment potential due to economic reasons and increasing numbers of investors! I am also investing a little bit "slower" than before, because - like you said - not every Set is developing well in price. I hope that due to the currently unpleasent situation, some of the "quick" investors not being that much into LEGO will quit the investment again and the market can relax a little bit. All the best for you and your family Jake!
Thanks Mich!
Congrats on the baby boy!
Thanks Robert!
Congrats with your son❤️
Thanks!!!
It's been proven that in times of economic hardship, people often fill their unhappiness or depression with "things" to cope with the real world. LEGO won't be affected by the economy. Segments such as travel and recreation are the segments most likely to see the effects of a recession.
I can see that. I would imagine it may be slightly affected but maybe not as significantly as travel. But I don't imagine middle class families in 2008 were buying $300+ LEGO sets regularly... but hey not an economist
Jake - you have the best most responsible channel - I agree with your predictions. The space is too crowded. I'm noticing more sellers in my area. Everyone has the same idea. If you started after 2021 your behind. I started in 2020 and my returns/sales are decent BUT I'm now being VERY mindful of my spending and what I'm spending on. One thing that I notice that happens is the newer seller/investors sell some sets and then come to spend money on my more expensive/collectible sets. I think Lego has started charging SO much for their marquee sets that people have less money to spend on the secondary market. I think Lego understands how much people are willing to pay for discontinued product and are just creating cool new products that match those price points. So Lego is competing with the secondary market.
There are many bearish factors like this - but the product is great, and like you say, if you can get good enough discounts you can make money.
These points are money! Thanks for the thoughts TM! Absolutely agree!
Congratulations ❤
Thanks Jason!
I see big sales but even WTH sales I don’t know if people will be able to afford it
Good thought here 💪💪
Congrats on your baby boy 🎉
Thanks ZIM!
Congrats! I have 1 daughter and one more on the way. Can’t wait to let my lego investments help pay for their college in 16-18 years from now. Or just a nice vacation for the wife and I 😂
That would be amazing!!!! I'll circle back with you in 15 years ha!
Small lego sets(polybags) $4.99 to $70 is the key low investment but double profit
Ex. Batman michael keaton polybag $4.99 you can sell it for $10
Batimobile tv classic (Batman/cesar romero joker)
$34.99 to $50-60
Low invest low risk reasonable profit 🤷
True but if you having to ship them sometimes its not worth it
Congratulations to your and your wife young man.
Thanks Todd!
You should mentioned that this platform works only for US and Canada :( btw, thanks for the video, comment for algos
Yes I should! I forgot how many subscribers are international 💪💪
I don’t invest in Lego but I find these videos interesting.
Glad you enjoy them!
You are wise my friend
I’ll take it thanks Tony!
250 for birds of paradise now
Yes. If you can overcome the urge to open it...
This is always my challenge as well ha!
Yes. The answer will always be yes. Almost better than gold.
I wouldn't say always yes... But a lot of the times yes!
From what I see it’s going to be a long long hold time until the new kids on the block clear/flip for a few £$¥€ profit.
how long do you think?
@@JakesBricks where I would have held/planned to hold for 18-24 months I now expect to hold for 36-48 months so double atleast, potentially 60 months to see a decent return. Based on Uk market. Fortunately I am in no rush to flip something so it doesn’t bother me, though it is nice to see maturity faster.
@@mattevans2953 totally agree I said this exact thing in the video 💪💪
Time to visit the urologist. 😂
Maybe hahahaha 😳
how bout this: just buy the lego sets you personally like. Enjoy them, collect them, display them then maybe one day sell them. DO that, instead of being like a guy who inherited daddys money and decided to juice the market and get a warehouse of shelves full of multiple thousands of sets of legos. Yeah,, don't be greedy and calculating and pretend that daddy gave you millions of dollars to not work and just fleece people with hoarding of sets of legos you went out and bought. Not saying thats this dude with his warehouse of legos though....im just saying in general. Just buy sets you enjoy and maybe a spare one you keep in the box. or you can be calculating and suck all the joy out of it.
Hey @toltech1624 appreciate your comment and I wanted to respond to a couple things 1. I started this channel to help LEGO collectors and LEGO fans like myself fund their building hobby through LEGO selling and investing because it is dang expensive. 2. My day job is a pastor at a church and my dad is a pastor as well so trust me I have gotten non of "daddy's money." I built my entire inventory you see behind me buying, selling and investing in LEGO on the side. It's been a really fun way to fund my building hobby, pay for vacation and even helped my family just buy a minivan for our family. 3. Can you reply to this message and tell me what your concerns are about LEGO investors "hoarding" or buying multiples of a LEGO sets. Thanks! Hope you are having a great day!
@@JakesBricksI am deeply shamed of my assumptions that reflect a weakened moment of character. The flesh is weak and the devil taunts us and creates avenues for us to fall to them at every turn. I was blinded but you have helped open my eyes. Continued success on all your endeavors including those of the Lego variety.
@@toltech1624! It’s all love over here! I love dialoguing with all people who agree and disagree with LEGO selling strategies. So I am glad I could share a bit of my passion and history! One thing I forgot to mention in regards to your comment was the strategy of buying one and selling one! Brilliant strategy btw!