Hello From Australia

I thought I would share my views on Brickvesting and purchasing Lego in Australia.

Firstly, a bit of background on me. I enjoy Lego. I played with it as a child and I still play with it. The Duplo that I had as a child I still have and my son plays with it. I have worked my way through the themes of Space, Town, Technic, Creator and most things in between.

I have over the past few years gotten back into Lego and I have been collecting both current and retired sets. Since the advent of online auctions sites such as eBay, I have been able to buy as an adult, some of the sets that I wanted as a child. The urge to check for a certain set I remember from childhood can strike at any point and thanks to the internet, I can check on the availability and more importantly the cost of such sets.

As an AFOL (Adult Fan Of Lego), I have collected some sets that I have wanted from years back. Within my house I have sets on display. I even have the odd piece at work. I do not hide my hobby, however as I am about to explain, not being in Northern Hemisphere does pose a number of hurdles with collecting.

I will point out that I very rarely keep the boxes of any sets. I know that a complete set (with box) is worth a whole heap more than just the pieces and the instruction book. To be honest, I only have one set that is complete by that definition. I do keep all of the instructions from the sets I have.

(Please note: The following is from my observation and memory. If I make a mistake, please let me know.)

Within Australia, there are very few retailers that sell the big items. Of late with the introduction of online shopping just taking off with the large department chains and they are slowly selling the bigger items online only as they cannot guarantee that the item will sell in store. Almost all of the department stores, toy stores and even supermarkets sell the smaller sets (that is under $50).

Another thing that occurs in Australia is that not all sets are available for sale that may have been made available in the Northern Hemisphere. I purchased set 7344, the Dump Truck. I cannot recall this set being released in Australia and I purchased it online from the US.

Until recently, Lego charged a fee for all purchases made from their website. The prices are AU$ prices and regardless of the exchange rate, the sets are more expensive than say the US or the UK. I purchased the Polizia Lamborghini and from memory, the shipping fee was $30 on a $120 set. Now a days, Lego does not charge a shipping fee for anything over $150 for the order.

The other issue is that with sites such as eBay, the shipping price for Lego can vary greatly. I have seen $20 sets with $40 shipping. Thanks, but no thanks. A big issue with collecting in Australia is the shipping cost. Some sellers I have purchased from have had very reasonable shipping costs. I have purchased sets from the UK, the US, within Australia, Germany and other overseas locations. For me, the cost of shipping with a box is not worth the cost as most of the shipping to Australia is based on volume and not just weight.

There are other avenues such as BrickLink to be able to purchase sets, again the shipping costs can vary dependant on the location of the seller however in my experience the costs have been realistic.

At times I have wished there was an option to be able to take the slowest form of delivery to keep the shipping costs down. Again this is subject to the seller and their method of delivery.

With respect to Brickvesting, I am new to the concept, even though the concept is not. We have all seen the amazing ride the Lego Millenium Falcon (10179) has taken due to the popularity of both Lego and Star Wars. Don't we all wish we bought a couple of pristine sets when they first came out! It has been intersesting to read the blogs about people selecting undamaged sets and storing them away for the purpose of accruing value to either be sold at a later date or kept to increase in value, the same way as wine collectors do. From my situation, the sort of Brickvesting I would be getting into is the old sets from the early 1980s to 1990s that are starting to come back into vogue. Watch what happens to the Blue 1980s Space Minifig when "The Lego Movie" comes out.

It does seem the Brickvesting is as much hit and miss as the Lego themes and sets themselves. Whilst "The Hobbit" as a movie was popular, the Lego sets seem to be doing ok. The "Harry Potter" series appears to have waned off due to the movies becoming dated and interest being lost. I cannot say much for the " Dino Riders" set other than I liked the helicopter enough to get it. To me, the Lego Technic range has always been my favourite, I have spent a fair bit on cranes, planes and helicopters. The Soccer and Ice Hockey sets are another example, in my opinon where you would not make a return on any potential investment.

What I am also interested in seeing the future of is the Lego Minig Series. To me the idea of having a box of packets unopened is a interesting and frustrating dilemma. It is great to know you may have a Mr Gold in the box but without openening the box to open the packets, how are you to know what is inside. The increasing number of series of Minifig sets may have the potential to devalue the overall collection. Unless Lego continues the idea of a "rare" (5000 or less) minifig within the set, the interest in the sets may die off.

Another item I have noticed with Brickvesting is where do you store these items whislt they accrue in value? For those who have the storage space and the right conditions, half of you issues will be taken care of.

I know that there are more detailed blogs regarding Brickvesting. I am presenting my view of an interesting aspect of collecting Lego. I hope that people continue to Brickvest as it will continue the sets being available long after they have been retired by Lego.

With regards to collecting from Australia, I wanted to share some of the issues with pursuing my hobby from a country where the cost of purchasing an item ultimately comes down to how much will it cost to send it to me.

I am wondering how many others are out there and if you would like to share your experience in buying and collecting Lego?