@@No0Dle-y9f sorry to hear! Do you think maybe you were overpaying for the sets if your margins were too low? I honestly haven't been able to find another e-commerce item category that has higher margins so I'm curious
*My thoughts as a professional Lego customer from 2005 until now on Lego Investing:* - There are 3 main Lego markets: European, American & the rest of the world. Lego is like money investing based on location. - For the rest of the world: I don't recommend investing in Lego because the purchase/retail price is already too high. - This is because compared to the other 2 markets, you don't get the discounts and don't get the profit afterwards. - For the American & European market, you need to look at specific themes. Adult themes are the future target audience probably. - Don't invest in Lego Duplo, Lego Ninjago and any other themes for kids. The prices will always stay very low. - Yes, there are too many investors from the 2 remaining markets. This will have a negative impact in the upcoming years. - As for the American market, there are too many investors and the discounts don't go further 40%, which isn't on the European level. - The European market is probably the most stable, where also the EU helps a lot with businesses between different countries. - I wouldn't recommend to begin investing Lego now if you live outside of the EU due to my reasons above. - Like with Bricklink being down and the COVID pandemic, in the near future more & more businesses will get hit hard for sure. - People will less & less become interested in Lego in upcoming years due to inflation and future events like war. - The amount of resellers/scalpers/investors also don't help the future of Lego. It makes it very hard for everyone to sell. - Lego Investing as your main job will also not be profitable in the long term due to my reasons above.
Not watched yet, but YES lego investing is finished, so all please stop investing and just leave it to me, i will take the hit and still invest so you don't have too
Lego-Investing also depends on region imho. I feel like here in Germany it’s kinda dying out or people are just being over-cautious in general on what to buy, not just in terms of Lego. I am not really an investor, rather I use this hobby to finance my Lego expenditures, ease up my purchasing decisions. Or certain sets that I may buy and not build, I might just resell. It all depends.
It’s over dudes, at least in Ozzie. Facebook marketplace is dead as dead, I’m told, eBay auctions are passing through, and retired sets are going for retail years after. Better to buy up crates of Prime I reckon…
Simply put - as long as "buy low, sell high" works, LEGO investing will work. The current dynamics close to the EOL of sets with overstocking by large vendors or LEGO postponing a date may mean you need more patience before a set becomes a collectors' items with increasing value. As with stocks, it is an investment for the long haul, not for day trading.
Curious if you have any data on that? I'm seeing many sets that just retired four months ago currently selling for double MSRP on Amazon, and selling by the bucket load
@@BrickBucks name 10 sets? And you have access to info of who is making actual sales for these sets? And even if there was there’s a zillion sets that retire that don’t make money. After shipping and selling fees it’s a waste.
@@Wealth_Wisdom_Discernment sure - I'm approx 100% ROI on Thors Hammer, Birds of Paradise, Republic Fighter Tank, Police Station, Doms Dodge Charger, Ravenclaw Banner, 12 Grimmauld Place, Professors of Hogwarts, Ahsoka Tano and Republic Gunship. All of these sets are selling like crazy - you can see it using tools like Keepa
@BrickBucks so what do you recommend for selling retired sets ? if a set is retired for 6 months en you can make like 100% profit , do you sell ? or if you really don't need the money keep it for longer even for 2 years or so and then sell it ?
if it hits an ROI that I'm happy with, I go ahead and sell. I want to shorten the hold time so I can reinvest the profits and compound the value. So selling quicker is a great way to compound
I guess it depends on the expected return overall and pros and cons of the liquidity and storage required. I think Lego investing saw a boom as the afol population increased, and as a lot of 90s kids reached their 30s and have more disposable income to spend on nostalgic sets. I think investing will still yield ok returns but won't be as good as it has been. Finding sets on sale, collecting vip points, and being able to wait 3-5 years of holding a set may still get decent return in my opinion.
I am able to bypass those fees because every year I ran a table at my local comicon and sell my lots there. The fees already factored in because I spend the entrance fee for me and my son to go there every year but now I just supplement by adding a little extra to it to rent the table and I still get into the con and walk around and do the things that we like doing every time we go I just sell Legos in between.
What do you think of Lego salvaging exclusives to Amazon and Walmart? One set I'm holding is on Ace Hardware website. Sets that were supposed to retire are still on Lego website and can stay for months.
Sets staying in stock in some retailers for a few months past retirement is annoying for sure, but even still, supply will eventually dry up because there's no more manufacturing. And when it does, prices will rise. So I just hold longer and if it only happens on a few of my sets and the rest are winners, things are golden
Mercari just dropped Seller fees completely. Now FREE to sell. But added Buyer fees and larger cash withdrawl fees. Be interesting to see if Selling is still worth it there... or Buyers stay away due to new fees.
Monkie kid wave 1 sets kinda are the only sets that I’ve seen that retained and increased in value. I’m finding some extremely desirable sets for dirt cheap so I just rounded out my childhood wishlist and capitalized. With the current climate retired sets are getting body slammed by sets like D&D, Dreamzzz, Jurassic park, and lion knight’s castle
Absolutely, it’s time to shift gears from LEGO investing. With market saturation, high costs, and changing interests towards digital entertainment, the returns are dwindling. Investing energy and capital into this volatile and over-crowded market is increasingly risky. There are far more lucrative and dynamic opportunities awaiting in other sectors. Time to build new ventures, not just collect bricks!
Market is not saturated, costs are manageable by simply learning how to buy at lower prices, and there is zero evidence for people's interest shifting away from LEGO - sales have been at an all time high
@@BrickBucks While LEGO's overall sales figures might appear strong, digging deeper reveals that profitability isn't quite as solid. The company has been heavily investing in expansion and digital innovation, which while necessary for long-term growth, has actually led to a drop in their operating profits. Moreover, the lucrative resale market for LEGO sets is not a blanket scenario; it's highly specific to certain rare or nostalgic sets. This creates a very hit-or-miss investment scenario where only a few selected sets appreciate notably in value. Given these nuances, betting big on LEGO for consistent, high returns might not be as sound as it seems. More strategic, diversified investment avenues might serve your goals better, Shane.
@@euromotif I invest in real estate and stocks too, and neither comes even close to the ROI on LEGO sets. It isn't only niche sets that go up in value - most sets do. And if you learn how to buy them at low prices, you can create your profit margin from thin air just from knowing how. Sure if you are buying at full MSRP and expecting to make a killing, you're doing it wrong, but how I do it... It's far from over
It's commendable to have a strategy that works for you, but the larger picture tells a different story. LEGO’s recent revenue growth is partly due to aggressive expansion and strategic spending, not purely from sales performance. Plus, the selective nature of set value increases points to an exception, not a rule. Market conditions and digital shifts are also potential disruptors. Smart investing is about reading the signs and adapting, and the signs here suggest a more cautious approach. Let’s not forget the basics of investment diversification - it's not just about buying low but spreading risks and staying agile in a rapidly changing market.
Yes, I still believe it’s a solid way to diversify investments while also having some fun. I’d be careful with some of the statements about not seeing anything dropping yet (for the most part). Go watch the clip of Jeremy Irons speaking in the movie Margin Call about the 2008 housing crisis. That will sum it up well
Hi! thx for the interesting video. You have skills and experience we dont have. In my language we used to say "you have bigger shoulders" in case something going wrong. Imho starting investing now is something will make you underperform compared to other investments. Newcomers now doesnt have time to make mistakes due to decreased roi and longer time to get "in the money". So my suggestions it could be to start REALLY SLOW if they really want to try. Especially thinking that the time you will make money is increased a lot in the last years. I started 2019/2020 and made a lot of mistakes even if i had some experience in Lego and collectible items. Spent too much just to see the returning period getting bigger and bigger. I think what i m saying is especially worth in Europe (even due to market differencies we had to learn).
It looks like many are making more money by making yt videos about lego investing than actually selling legos. 😀 If everybody is talking about it now and it became mainstream on yt its actually at its peak and over. 😀
@@TehBananaBread my average hold time is 12-18 months. I never hold longer than two years. If you can't get a good ROI on Lego investing, either you are buying the wrong sets or you're paying too much for them. If you learn to do both of these correctly, the returns are there. Hence why countless people I know are building large businesses doing this
@@BrickBucks Claim he can double his money every 1,5 year. Still needs to make youtube videos and sell a $50 per month course explaining others how to do it. Pick one. -Those who can, do. Those who cant, teach. No sane person would give away their secrets if it actually worked. They only do so because they see the end coming or because others are doing it. Both will result in a huge drop in future returns because average joe is now entering the scene and ruining the returns. Loops back to the original take.
@@BrickBucks very true, tho some guy in my town apprently got like 40 of em. Tbh investing and hoarding 10 is fine, as long as it ain't overboard. Tho totally agree, getting sets sealed is harder when there aren't people investing.
I don’t go with the mind to invest, but I’d rather buy sets that I know will be good value for the future so I can have them in my office. I’m torn between buying the ghost 2 or the coruscant guard gunship with them retiring soon. Maybe I just buy both and take the hit?😂
I'd love to talk more about personal finance and other investments including real estate and stocks. It's a topic I am extremely interested in. But I won't do it on this channel...maybe someday I'll start a second one
@@redwing634 for real estate I recommend Bigger Pockets. They have a RUclips channel but their podcast is my favorite. For stocks, I love New Money and Joseph Carlson
I'm visiting the Lego store in Liverpool tomorrow, hoping to find a bargain, I do think Lego should be part of an overall investment in action figures, stocks & shares
Too much sets being pumped out yearly, too many new investors and not enough demand. Who is going to care for set 11821 in 5 years when they can just buy set 52519. Lego is killing the secondary market because there is just too many of everything. When everything is special, nothing is. Finding the good sets has a huge luck factor baked into it
Great video as always! I started watching your videos the end of 2023 and it inspired me to get into Lego investing. Thank you for the great content and advice!
Are you investing in LEGO sets this year?
I am no longer investing in legos. Profit margin to low when they jacked up the price and shipping cost is to high for bigger sets.
No. I buy used lego for a cheaper price and have fun with it.
@@No0Dle-y9f sorry to hear! Do you think maybe you were overpaying for the sets if your margins were too low? I honestly haven't been able to find another e-commerce item category that has higher margins so I'm curious
I've collected Lego for over 40 years now, but I've never seen it as an investment. I do enjoy your videos though.
Waiting for black friday.. i got my list.. i quit buying at -30% when if i'm lucky i can get them at -50%/-60% on black friday 👌
*My thoughts as a professional Lego customer from 2005 until now on Lego Investing:*
- There are 3 main Lego markets: European, American & the rest of the world. Lego is like money investing based on location.
- For the rest of the world: I don't recommend investing in Lego because the purchase/retail price is already too high.
- This is because compared to the other 2 markets, you don't get the discounts and don't get the profit afterwards.
- For the American & European market, you need to look at specific themes. Adult themes are the future target audience probably.
- Don't invest in Lego Duplo, Lego Ninjago and any other themes for kids. The prices will always stay very low.
- Yes, there are too many investors from the 2 remaining markets. This will have a negative impact in the upcoming years.
- As for the American market, there are too many investors and the discounts don't go further 40%, which isn't on the European level.
- The European market is probably the most stable, where also the EU helps a lot with businesses between different countries.
- I wouldn't recommend to begin investing Lego now if you live outside of the EU due to my reasons above.
- Like with Bricklink being down and the COVID pandemic, in the near future more & more businesses will get hit hard for sure.
- People will less & less become interested in Lego in upcoming years due to inflation and future events like war.
- The amount of resellers/scalpers/investors also don't help the future of Lego. It makes it very hard for everyone to sell.
- Lego Investing as your main job will also not be profitable in the long term due to my reasons above.
Not watched yet, but YES lego investing is finished, so all please stop investing and just leave it to me, i will take the hit and still invest so you don't have too
My observation is that there is a massive inflation in the amount of sets. The amount to choose from is off the scale.
Yup and consumers will get hit with choice paralysis and decide to turn away
Lego-Investing also depends on region imho. I feel like here in Germany it’s kinda dying out or people are just being over-cautious in general on what to buy, not just in terms of Lego.
I am not really an investor, rather I use this hobby to finance my Lego expenditures, ease up my purchasing decisions. Or certain sets that I may buy and not build, I might just resell. It all depends.
It’s over dudes, at least in Ozzie. Facebook marketplace is dead as dead, I’m told, eBay auctions are passing through, and retired sets are going for retail years after. Better to buy up crates of Prime I reckon…
I like to use your videos to check which ones I should buy right now for my self and sets I can wait on a sale.
Simply put - as long as "buy low, sell high" works, LEGO investing will work.
The current dynamics close to the EOL of sets with overstocking by large vendors or LEGO postponing a date may mean you need more patience before a set becomes a collectors' items with increasing value. As with stocks, it is an investment for the long haul, not for day trading.
Disagree. Too many new and more attractive sets with hefty retail discounts make it hard for retired sets to compete.
How long do you hold onto your sets post retirement on average?
Average is around 10 months. I aim for 6-12 months usually, but some go a little longer to 18 months and some are quicker - 2-3 months
Very few people are going to spend money on old retired sets now, backside of the massive amount of current “big sets” that Lego makes.
Curious if you have any data on that? I'm seeing many sets that just retired four months ago currently selling for double MSRP on Amazon, and selling by the bucket load
@@BrickBucks name 10 sets? And you have access to info of who is making actual sales for these sets? And even if there was there’s a zillion sets that retire that don’t make money. After shipping and selling fees it’s a waste.
@@Wealth_Wisdom_Discernment sure - I'm approx 100% ROI on Thors Hammer, Birds of Paradise, Republic Fighter Tank, Police Station, Doms Dodge Charger, Ravenclaw Banner, 12 Grimmauld Place, Professors of Hogwarts, Ahsoka Tano and Republic Gunship. All of these sets are selling like crazy - you can see it using tools like Keepa
@@BrickBucksthe republic fighter tank is still goin crazy
@BrickBucks so what do you recommend for selling retired sets ? if a set is retired for 6 months en you can make like 100% profit , do you sell ? or if you really don't need the money keep it for longer even for 2 years or so and then sell it ?
if it hits an ROI that I'm happy with, I go ahead and sell. I want to shorten the hold time so I can reinvest the profits and compound the value. So selling quicker is a great way to compound
I guess it depends on the expected return overall and pros and cons of the liquidity and storage required. I think Lego investing saw a boom as the afol population increased, and as a lot of 90s kids reached their 30s and have more disposable income to spend on nostalgic sets. I think investing will still yield ok returns but won't be as good as it has been. Finding sets on sale, collecting vip points, and being able to wait 3-5 years of holding a set may still get decent return in my opinion.
I am able to bypass those fees because every year I ran a table at my local comicon and sell my lots there. The fees already factored in because I spend the entrance fee for me and my son to go there every year but now I just supplement by adding a little extra to it to rent the table and I still get into the con and walk around and do the things that we like doing every time we go I just sell Legos in between.
And I do about 90% of my sales there in just one weekend so I don’t have to worry about it all year round.
What do you think of Lego salvaging exclusives to Amazon and Walmart? One set I'm holding is on Ace Hardware website. Sets that were supposed to retire are still on Lego website and can stay for months.
Sets staying in stock in some retailers for a few months past retirement is annoying for sure, but even still, supply will eventually dry up because there's no more manufacturing. And when it does, prices will rise. So I just hold longer and if it only happens on a few of my sets and the rest are winners, things are golden
Some great insight! Always good to reevaluate but as of right now still plenty of money to be made if done correctly.
Mercari just dropped Seller fees completely. Now FREE to sell. But added Buyer fees and larger cash withdrawl fees.
Be interesting to see if Selling is still worth it there... or Buyers stay away due to new fees.
The just moved the fee from the seller to the buyer. The price will be the same. Just a gimmick to get sellers to return.
@@Glennthebuilder yea. Kinda what I said.
Monkie kid wave 1 sets kinda are the only sets that I’ve seen that retained and increased in value. I’m finding some extremely desirable sets for dirt cheap so I just rounded out my childhood wishlist and capitalized. With the current climate retired sets are getting body slammed by sets like D&D, Dreamzzz, Jurassic park, and lion knight’s castle
Absolutely, it’s time to shift gears from LEGO investing. With market saturation, high costs, and changing interests towards digital entertainment, the returns are dwindling. Investing energy and capital into this volatile and over-crowded market is increasingly risky. There are far more lucrative and dynamic opportunities awaiting in other sectors. Time to build new ventures, not just collect bricks!
Market is not saturated, costs are manageable by simply learning how to buy at lower prices, and there is zero evidence for people's interest shifting away from LEGO - sales have been at an all time high
@@BrickBucks While LEGO's overall sales figures might appear strong, digging deeper reveals that profitability isn't quite as solid. The company has been heavily investing in expansion and digital innovation, which while necessary for long-term growth, has actually led to a drop in their operating profits. Moreover, the lucrative resale market for LEGO sets is not a blanket scenario; it's highly specific to certain rare or nostalgic sets. This creates a very hit-or-miss investment scenario where only a few selected sets appreciate notably in value. Given these nuances, betting big on LEGO for consistent, high returns might not be as sound as it seems. More strategic, diversified investment avenues might serve your goals better, Shane.
@@euromotif I invest in real estate and stocks too, and neither comes even close to the ROI on LEGO sets. It isn't only niche sets that go up in value - most sets do. And if you learn how to buy them at low prices, you can create your profit margin from thin air just from knowing how. Sure if you are buying at full MSRP and expecting to make a killing, you're doing it wrong, but how I do it... It's far from over
It's commendable to have a strategy that works for you, but the larger picture tells a different story. LEGO’s recent revenue growth is partly due to aggressive expansion and strategic spending, not purely from sales performance. Plus, the selective nature of set value increases points to an exception, not a rule. Market conditions and digital shifts are also potential disruptors. Smart investing is about reading the signs and adapting, and the signs here suggest a more cautious approach. Let’s not forget the basics of investment diversification - it's not just about buying low but spreading risks and staying agile in a rapidly changing market.
Yes, I still believe it’s a solid way to diversify investments while also having some fun. I’d be careful with some of the statements about not seeing anything dropping yet (for the most part). Go watch the clip of Jeremy Irons speaking in the movie Margin Call about the 2008 housing crisis. That will sum it up well
Hi! thx for the interesting video. You have skills and experience we dont have. In my language we used to say "you have bigger shoulders" in case something going wrong. Imho starting investing now is something will make you underperform compared to other investments. Newcomers now doesnt have time to make mistakes due to decreased roi and longer time to get "in the money". So my suggestions it could be to start REALLY SLOW if they really want to try. Especially thinking that the time you will make money is increased a lot in the last years. I started 2019/2020 and made a lot of mistakes even if i had some experience in Lego and collectible items. Spent too much just to see the returning period getting bigger and bigger. I think what i m saying is especially worth in Europe (even due to market differencies we had to learn).
It looks like many are making more money by making yt videos about lego investing than actually selling legos. 😀 If everybody is talking about it now and it became mainstream on yt its actually at its peak and over. 😀
Been hearing this for four years :)
@@TehBananaBread strange how I'm selling so many sets for 100% ROI literally today then
@@TehBananaBread my average hold time is 12-18 months. I never hold longer than two years. If you can't get a good ROI on Lego investing, either you are buying the wrong sets or you're paying too much for them. If you learn to do both of these correctly, the returns are there. Hence why countless people I know are building large businesses doing this
@@BrickBucks Claim he can double his money every 1,5 year. Still needs to make youtube videos and sell a $50 per month course explaining others how to do it. Pick one.
-Those who can, do. Those who cant, teach. No sane person would give away their secrets if it actually worked. They only do so because they see the end coming or because others are doing it. Both will result in a huge drop in future returns because average joe is now entering the scene and ruining the returns.
Loops back to the original take.
@@BrickBucks No point in having a discussion when you are going to delete comments that rub a little too close to reality huh.
Well atleast I would be able to get the sets I like instead of people hoarding 10 of them in their basement.
if there were no LEGO investors, you wouldn't be able to find the sets you love the moment they retire :)
@@BrickBucks very true, tho some guy in my town apprently got like 40 of em. Tbh investing and hoarding 10 is fine, as long as it ain't overboard. Tho totally agree, getting sets sealed is harder when there aren't people investing.
It’s become harder, no doubt about it, but no absolutely the era of Lego investing isn’t going anywhere.
I don’t go with the mind to invest, but I’d rather buy sets that I know will be good value for the future so I can have them in my office.
I’m torn between buying the ghost 2 or the coruscant guard gunship with them retiring soon. Maybe I just buy both and take the hit?😂
Just sold 2 bird of paradise for 150€ each after fees, bought it for 50€, 200% roi after only 5 months is pretty crazy ...
That's how it's done, awesome work 🤟
New Lego factory in Vietnam will begin production this year. GLHF😂
The economy is improving? I don’t see that at all.
Buying less lego now, lego just have too many new set coming out and their price is higher, less people want to pay higher price for retired set.
You should make some real estate content :)
Please no. This is a Lego channel.
I'd love to talk more about personal finance and other investments including real estate and stocks. It's a topic I am extremely interested in. But I won't do it on this channel...maybe someday I'll start a second one
@@BrickBucks that'd be cool. Any particular youtubers you could recommend on the topic?
@@whodidit99never said it had to be on this channel...
@@redwing634 for real estate I recommend Bigger Pockets. They have a RUclips channel but their podcast is my favorite. For stocks, I love New Money and Joseph Carlson
I'm visiting the Lego store in Liverpool tomorrow, hoping to find a bargain, I do think Lego should be part of an overall investment in action figures, stocks & shares
Too much sets being pumped out yearly, too many new investors and not enough demand. Who is going to care for set 11821 in 5 years when they can just buy set 52519. Lego is killing the secondary market because there is just too many of everything. When everything is special, nothing is. Finding the good sets has a huge luck factor baked into it
Why don’t u ever talk about Mexico factory ruining the value of minifigs?
Well do we have real evidence or is all just conjecture?
ruining? More like saving
Maybe you need to come to terms that it’s just plastic ?
Great video as always! I started watching your videos the end of 2023 and it inspired me to get into Lego investing. Thank you for the great content and advice!
Thanks a lot! Glad that the vids are helping you to make money 🔥
Hello I'm trying to reach out to you about Legos. If you can get back to me. My name is Steve. Thank you.
hey, email shane@brickbucks.net
No
thanks for ruining LEGO investing.
I'd love to hear your facts on how I've done that 🙂
@@BrickBucks go look at keepa seller count on every set you've mentioned
@@sakuranowa yeah, it's low, and getting lower, which is why prices are up to 2x MSRP on a handful of sets that retired 4 months ago