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Subject: 
Re: How do you view your LEGO collection?
Newsgroups: 
lugnet.general
Date: 
Wed, 13 Dec 2000 04:56:03 GMT
Viewed: 
573 times
  
B.  A financial investment that should increase in value over time.
C.  A tool for financial gain (you sell your creations and/or parts)


I'll probably start a flame war here, but I think answering B. or C., and being
serious about it, is completely ridiculous.

In order to make B. work, you would have to buy in such huge bulk (read . . .
HUNDEREDS or THOUSANDS of a particularly  valued set), and hold it for so long,
that it makes it virtually unfeasable in all circumstances.

Let's give a quick example:

You buy a set in 1990 for say, $10.  You hold on to this set for 10 years and
sell it today for $60.  OK, you have made 600%.  Good job.  But that is only
$60 value in 10 years time.  The only way to really make this work is to
somehow buy say, 500 of those sets.  Now we are spending $5000 on LEGO in 1990.
Unrealistic.  We make (and this is a huge assumption that you can sell all 500
sets, which is highly unlikely) $25,000 in TEN years, storing all that lego for
that long, etc.  I can think of better ways to make money.  Plus, you have to
have the foresight TEN years in advance for all of this.

There is simply not enough demand, and too little wholesale supply to make C.
work really well.  A few people may make money on LEGO sculptures, etc., but
don't count on it as a serious source of income.  And to buy sets used or at a
discount then sell off the parts or sets would require vendor prices.  That
basically means you are Toys R Us, and are completing with them.  Not likely.
If you can get vendor prices (like, a $10 retail set for $7) in sufficient
quantity )hundreds or thousands of a set), more power to you.

Don't get me wrong.  I am very glad that a lot of people sell lego parts, sets,
etc.  I buy from them all the time.  But I think everyone should keep in mind
this is a hobby/pastime/collection, not a viable business model.  We have Ebay,
Brickbay, and more to basically trade pieces at slight markups.  I don't think
anyone is quitting their day job to run a LEGO store full-time and making $100
grand a year doing it.

I would be VERY interested to hear from ANYONE who has made over say, $10,000
PROFIT selling LEGOS in one year (and employees of TLG, TRU, Zany, etc . . .
you don't count). :)

It's a fun, fun, fun, wonderful hobby. I love it to death.  But retailers and
TLG is making money, not us. :)

Then again, maybe this is a troll for some brave soul to come out and tell us
they quit their day job and are selling LEGOs full time as a hobby during dream
job. . .

Lovin' the LEGOS,

Jason



Message is in Reply To:
  How do you view your LEGO collection?
 
Do you view your LEGO collection as an investment in your... A. Mental Well-being. (Its just something you have fun with). B. A financial investment that should increase in value over time. C. A tool for financial gain (you sell your creations (...) (24 years ago, 8-Dec-00, to lugnet.general) !! 

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