LEGO Transportation Sets: A Viable Investment Vehicle?

Cars, trains, planes and ships, what do all these transportation methods have in common? They usually start depreciating the very moment you use them for the first time, especially so with cars but also true of all the others. In the LEGO world, however, the opposite is most often the case.

There is usually a lot of talk in LEGO forums about the great appreciation usually shown by train sets, and that is something that can’t be ignored, but it sometimes makes me think that we are overlooking or at least under valuating the performance of ships, planes and cars, that as I will show a little later in this article are usually at least as good as the best LEGO trains. There is something about scale models of these transportations methods that has always attracted attention in large groups of people, and LEGO has obviously noticed.

In this article I will try to showcase the performance of each of these classes, but first let me draw you some sort of map so you know what to expect: First we will be taking the road while we talk about some of the best performers in the four wheel universe, we will then park our vehicle at the piers where we will be boarding onto the top performing ships of LEGO history. Once we disembark, we will be buying our train tickets (direction: airport) and have a little talk about the largest, and best performer, trains in the LEGO world. By that time, we should be in time to catch our plane and return to our starting point once again to complete the trip. As if all this were not enough, I’ll leave you with a comparison and ranking of all these transportation categories as well as an analysis of the current investment options available to you in this regard.

Let’s begin our journey.

Road Trip

Cars, trucks and other vehicles have always been of interest to a large amount of the population. Take the success of other toys like Hot Wheels, scale models and even real car collecting as evidence of the interest this transportation method generates in people.

When we talk specifically about LEGO vehicles, we have to focus a lot more in those from the Technic line, as they have usually been the largest and best performers over the course of the years. Let’s take a look at the Top 5 LEGO vehicles that have been retired so far.

8421 Mobile Crane

*No Description

Found* Comments: The second largest vehicle ever produced by LEGO, and part of the Technic line. This set is huge with close to 2,000 pieces and a very interesting model as well. Driving this thing will probably not get you very far at a fast rate, but it has definitely proven to be a fast grower over the years. There is little activity on this set (New) on eBay, with the last one being sold in April of this year for the amazing price of $ 725! As with all Technic builds, there is a lot of functionality in this set and it seems to have gone well under the radar.

8258 Crane Truck

instructions for rebuilding into a Duty Wrecker! DownloadWhen you need to move the biggest and heaviest loads, it’s time to call on the mighty crane truck! This massive, realistic vehicle includes a Power Functions control box that you can use to unfold, raise and lower its powerful, motorized crane arm, and to extend the outriggers to stabilize your cargo. With built-in Power Functions, this Crane Truck always gets the job done!

• An exciting and challenging building experience with this 2-in-1 real world model!
• Try the functionalities with the included Power Functions XL Motor, Power Functions Battery box, and Power Functions Control Switch!
• Power Functions powers the crane arm and extendable outriggers!
• Crane unfolds , raises and lowers and swivels 360°!
• Cab opens to reveal interior details and V8 engine with moveable pistons!
• Rebuilds into Duty Wrecker!
• Crane measures 20.9 inches (53cm) x 22 inches (56cm)!

Comments: Another Technic build, another crane type set. Came with Power Functions to make some of the nice features included work, and even had some pieces made completely out of rubber and metal instead of traditional plastic. You could even download a different set of instructions and completely change the looks and functionality of the model, so you were basically getting two different sets for the price of one. This set is more recent than the Mobile Crane, and as such has a lot more activity per month on eBay. The price seems to be moving up steadily every month as well.

8285 – Tow Truck

• Its rear telescopic towing mechanism lifts pneumatically to rescue stranded vehicles, while the ratchet-regulated winch secures the load.
• Open the hood to reveal the detailed V6 engine with moving pistons and spinning radiator fan!
• Side compartments conceal manual controls for raising the hook or extending and lowering the boom.
• Authentic model for skilled builders! Pump the pneumatic cylinder to lift the telescoping boom!
• Tow Truck measures over 26" (66cm) long! Turn the wheels to see the realistic V6 engine pistons move!
• Lower the stabilizers for towing heavy loads! Telescoping boom extends, retracts, lifts and lowers!
• Open the hood to see the detailed engine and spinning radiator fans!
• Includes building instructions to rebuild into a heavy load flat-bed truck! Also includes instructions for integrating #8287 Motor Set (sold separately) into the alternate model. The motor will lift and lower the arm and pull the string up and down.

This amazing, fully-functional Tow Truck is equipped with rack and pinion front wheel steering, and an operating crane, winch and lift -- just like the real thing!

Comments: And big trucks continue to dominate the list, just like they do in the real American car marketplace. Really good looking tow truck, and being a Technic set, it does come with its fair share of motorized and other functional features. As with the previously discussed model, this set also had a second set of instructions to transform into a flatbed truck. This Tow Truck was originally released in 2006, just one year after the Mobile Crane, and shows a similar level of low activity on eBay as a consequence. The last two new ones sold for over $ 700 as well, but with such a low amount of data is really hard to tell what their real market value is at this point. Another under the radar set at a time when LEGO investing was not really in full gear. Another great Technic investment.

5571 Giant Truck

*No Description Found*

Comments: Released in 1996, this is the oldest set of this Top 5, and the first one that is not a Technic build (it IS another truck though). A real vintage piece, this truck is one of the earliest examples of a real LEGO display piece the company has us accustomed to as of late. Not only was one of the largest models of the time, if not the largest, but it also has been proven to be one of the top performers of this list. With a surprising 9 % CAGR still after more than 16 years of its release and at least one new set sold for the last 6 months, this set has nothing to fear from any of the other larger trucks talked about above.
One thing to note, the set suffered from a significant drop in value in the last month, but considering for how long this set has been retired, I would assume that those are just typical price fluctuations that will average out in the end.

10187 Volkswagen Beetle

LEGO fans around the world named the famed Volkswagen Beetle as the classic car that they most wanted as a LEGO model'¦and now it's finally here! Based on the iconic 1960 'œCharlotte' model, the LEGO Volkswagen Beetle features realistic details and functions like opening doors, hood and trunk, a spare tire in the front and engine in the back, an accurate interior, and more. Includes display plate with detailed specifications of the original Volkswagen model! Measures 16" (41cm) long and 6'½" (16cm) high! Realistic details include a movable stick shift, opening glove compartment and seats that fold forward! Features an engine in the back trunk and spare tire under the hood! Beetle details also includes a Volkswagen logo decal, windshield wipers and rearview mirror! Tires measure 2'½" (6cm) wide! Build the classic Volkswagen Beetle!

Comments: And so it’s the last set of the list, and the only one in the Top 5 that is not a truck or a Technic build, just a “regular” passenger car. The VW Beetle is one of the most popular and easily recognizable cars in history, thanks to its particular design, and LEGO’s agreement with the automaker has made it possible for fans to build their own. Even more, this car model was chosen by real LEGO fans, so its popularity was to be expected.

Released in 2008, this mostly blue model has presented a very fast level of growth, with a CAGR of over 30.5% and also an increase of almost 3 % over the past month. The Beetle has been growing steadily every month, and at $ 455 already, it is 280% over its original retail price in just a couple of years.

Honorable Mentions

I think there is no need for me to add any more information, am I right? LEGO cars and trucks have proven to be extremely good performers in the secondary market, so don’t doubt about getting a few of them. These will always be popular, and that makes the price go higher and higher. Definitely a better investment than a real car, if you ask me.

Set Sail…

Lego Ships are one of the most talked about and successful investment choices you can make in the LEGO universe. Ships are one of the oldest methods of transportation in human history, and they go pretty far back in time when talking exclusively about LEGO as well.

Most of the time, the company has decided to go with the sail boat type of ship, instead of more modern designs, probably because they look so much better when transformed into bricks. As you will see, however, there have been several profit makers of both kinds.

Also, unlike in the cars/trucks category, LEGO ships performance is not so much linked to a specific line or theme. The variety of themes included in the Top 5 and Top 10 is rather interesting, from Pirates, to the licensed Pirates of the Caribbean, and even a couple of Maersk vessels.

Let’s now go ahead and dive into specific sets:

10210 Imperial Flagship

• Includes 9 minifigures: the ship’s captain, his daughter, a pirate captain prisoner with shackles, the ship’s cook, a lieutenant, and 4 soldiers!
• Amazingly detailed and realistic ship features 3 removable sections!
• Main hull contains 4 firing cannons, ammunition crates, muskets, torches, cannonballs, prison with a rat, saw shark figurehead, a moving rudder and a fully-equipped ship’s kitchen with fish, turkey legs and a carrot!
• Raise and lower the working anchor!
• Open the front deck’s working doors and play inside!
• Imperial Flagship is equipped with masts and rigging!
• Open the back house deck’s doors to reveal the captain’s chambers complete with a map, poison bottle, organ and even a treasure chest filled with jewels and gold!
• Features 6 opening windows, a telescope and sextant as well as 3 deck lanterns!
• Measures 29.5” (75 cm) long and 23.6” (60 cm) tall!

All hands on deck! This amazingly detailed and realistic historical ship has three removable sections. The main hull contains 4 firing cannons, ammunition crates, muskets, torches, cannonballs, a prison with a rat, a fully-equipped ship’s kitchen, working anchor, moving rudder and a saw shark figurehead. The front deck has an opening door to the inside of the ship and sails with masts and rigging. The back house deck has opening doors to the captain’s chambers containing a map, poison bottle, organ and a treasure chest full of jewels and gold. The Imperial Flagship has 6 opening windows, a telescope and sextant and 3 deck lanterns. Includes 9 minifigures: the ship’s captain, his daughter, a pirate captain prisoner with shackles, the ship’s cook, a lieutenant, and 4 soldiers. Measures 29.5” (75 cm) long and 23.6” (60 cm) tall. Ages 14+. 1,664 pieces Build an incredible classic sailing ship!

Comments: The largest and, in my opinion, most amazing ship LEGO has ever produced. The Imperial Flagship is part of the generic Pirates theme, but it does not look that most of the previous sail boats, as this one is extremely realistic looking (both inside and out). The ship was also a LEGO exclusive AND also including 9 cool minifigs, so it pretty much had everything going for it. At this point, it has been retired for a little over a year and is already getting close to doubling in value.

The Imperial Flagship is the Holy Grail of LEGO ship investment, and I think it will be a while before we see another model that can even compare with it, both in size and realism.

4997 Transport Ferry

Load your ferry up with vehicles using the working back ramp and transport your cargo safely across the sea. Then use the geared lever to open the front doors and unload at your distant destination! Includes instructions to rebuild into a transport hovercraft or a cargo plane! Includes a car with trailer attached to load onto the ferry! Turn the gear to lower the ramp to drive the car onto the ferry then raise the ramp to set sail! Unlatch the front doors, turn the gear to open the doors, and drive the car off of the ferry! Ferry is on wheels to move it in any direction! Ferry measures 16" (41cm) long and 5" (13cm) wide! Prepare to set sail!

Comments: I told you there would be a lot of variety in this Top 5. This Transport Ferry set was produced in 2008 under the Creator theme, so it actually allows you to build three different models: a hovercraft, a cargo plane and the ferry. As with most sets in the Creator line, the price per piece is a real bargain, and at a low MSRP of $ 70, this was a set that you would have been able to stock up without real trouble. But now is too late, this great looking Ferry is already over MSRP by more than double, but suffers from the same issue some of the cars and trucks we talked about before do on the secondary market: there is just not much activity with this set. In fact, there has not been a new one sold since November of last year, according to Brickpicker’s data, so there is really no way to know how much this set is changing in price on a per month basis. Still, it has already appreciated a lot, and from the current listings available on eBay, it could be going by $200 in some months.

4195 Queen Anne’s Revenge

• Includes 7 minifigures: Blackbeard, Jack Sparrow, Angelica, Quartermaster, Cook and 2 pirates
• Features large sails, lanterns, fire elements and bone detailing
• Detach the captain’s quarters!
• Move the cannons!
• Steer with the helm!
• An essential build for fans of the Pirates of the Caribbean™ film series
• Measures over 20" (50cm) tall and 25" (66cm) wide
• Includes free poster!

Captain Jack Sparrow and his motley band of pirates are taking control of the Queen Anne’s Revenge! It’s mayhem and mutiny as they seize the ship from Angelica and her zombie crew. If they only knew that Blackbeard, the pirate all pirates fear, is watching and waiting in the captain’s quarters. This time Jack has gone too far! Set sail for the Fountain of Youth on the most dreaded ship on the high seas!

Comments: And the first licensed theme makes its appearance. With Pirates of the Caribbean being such a successful franchise, one would expect that all of the LEGO sets released under it would shoot up in price after retirement, but this has not happened. The two exceptions are, of course, the two ships that LEGO released, one being the Black Pearl, and the second one this Queen Anne’s Revenge. The Black Pearl was not large enough to make it in this Top 5, but its performance is extremely similar to the QAR.

This ship is another great example about why are sail ships so popular with LEGO builders, as they look really great once completed. Besides that, the QAR also included 7 high quality minifigs related to the movie series, as well as an interesting number of cool play features. At this point, the ship is experiencing the high growth period usually seen after going EOL, and is bound to double in value in relation to MSRP before the end of this year.

10155 Maersk Line Container Ship

• Build the icon of worldwide shipping!
• Highly realistic details
• Add this representative of the world’s leading container shipping company to your LEGO® collection!
• Measures 27” (69 cm) long

More than 550 Maersk Sealand cargo liners sail the seas, carrying valuable goods to ports in 130 countries around the world. Established in 1904, this company is headquartered in Copenhagen, Denmark and is the leading container shipping company in the world. Build your own version of this accurately detailed freighter and embark on a voyage of trade and adventure! Build the iconic Maersk Container Ship!

Comments: (Re-release of 10152) Maersk licensed LEGO set is something you’ll be seeing plenty in the following lists, they are just some of the most popular sets on the market, probably because it gives a lot of realism to the set and your collection by having a world recognized brand like Maersk. Having said that, this is not a heavily detailed and nice sail boat, but rather a ship designed for the hard and dirty work of moving containers across continents, and to that extent it is a very good looking ship. The brick built containers are one of its nicest features.

Investment wise, this set has done a great job in the secondary market, though not as good as its older and less good looking sibling. Still, this one is a more recent model that lasted very little time on the shelves, so there is still plenty of room for more growth. It also was a lot more expensive than the previous version, so that is something you should consider as well. Another interesting fact that we can gather from the price guide information, is that despite the ship being somewhat active on eBay, it has been dropping as far as market value is concerned for already two consecutive months (New). While this may be a temporary trend, one has to wonder if the set has already reached its peak.

10152 Maersk Sealand Container Ship

Maersk Sealand cargo liners sail the seas, carrying valuable goods to ports around the world. Build your own version of this accurately detailed freighter and embark on a voyage of trade and adventure! Build the most famous cargo liner in the world!

Comments: If before we were talking about its newer, bigger and more impressive relative, now it’s time for the original Maersk Container ship to be in the spotlight. Unlike 10155, this version was released way back in 2004 at a much lower price (both MSRP and per piece) but with a very similar feel. The new one has some improvements, but overall you would be hard pressed to find really significant differences.

What’s more important is, that despite having a lower activity level than the newer version, this set has already matured and has even grown some more in the past few months, staying very consistently above $ 190 without much variation. With an original investment of $ 75, you are probably very happy with how this one turned out if you were already into LEGO investing by that time.

Honorable Mentions

So, there have been fewer ships than cars/trucks over LEGO history, but as you can see all of the ones in this list have had a performance that rivals that of any set we talked about on that previous section.

Along the Rails…

Trains are investment winners. How many times have you read that phrase in the forums? Probably a lot, and for good reasons. If you are just entering the LEGO investing world for the first time and are a little wary of the whole thing, one of the safest investments out there would be to put your money towards a LEGO train purchase. These things, besides being appealing for the average LEGO fan, are also incredibly popular with the more broad train collecting population. Train enthusiasts, even if they are not really fans of LEGO, provide the secondary market with an influx of buyers that some of the other themes out there can’t compete with. Trains are just THAT popular. Even more, LEGO has been able to produce brick built trains that actually run over rails, allowing for so many more displaying and playing options to be available.

Over the years, LEGO has produce a large amount of very high quality models, going from vintage and traditional, passing through cargo trains, to the current high speed Horizon Express. Let’s go ahead and take a detailed look over some of the most important ones.

10219 Maersk Train

• Containers can be loaded side-by-side or stacked!
• Includes 3 workman minifigures!
• Train measures 36"" (92cm) long!
• Building instructions include a historical description of the LEGO Group/A.P. Moller Maersk Group cooperation and a timeline of the products launched!
• Motorize your Maersk train by adding LEGO Power Functions #8878 Rechargeable Battery Box, #8887 Transformer 10V DC, #8884 IR Receiver, #8879 IR Speed Remote Control and #88002 Train Motor!

A replica of the real engine that operated on the railroads of America, this Maersk train features exceptional detailing and functions, such as opening driver's cab, removable side panel revealing a detailed, 16-cylinder engine, and authentic Maersk branding. The model also includes 2 wagons and 3 containers with opening doors (1 with refrigeration detailing). The set also includes a shunter truck and detachable trailer for loading and offloading the containers. Add LEGO® Power Functions to motorize! The highly-realistic Maersk diesel-electric freight train has arrived!

Comments: Another Maersk themed set gets to be in a Top 5. This recently retired model has been appreciating very fast over the past few months, even though it seems to have hit some resistance these past weeks, nothing major considering how fast this one went up. The Maersk train is the largest train, piece wise, ever produced by LEGO after the recently released Horizon Express. Really compatible with both previously discussed container ships, this great looking model is aiming high, and will probably be worth double MSRP in less than a year.

10194 Emerald Night

With piston-powered wheels, this train is an all-new LEGO® classic! Here comes the Emerald Night! Build this incredible classic-styled train with loads of amazing details, from the steam locomotive with furnace to the opening tender and dining car with removable roof, opening doors and detailed interior. Measures 27.2" (68cm) long! Includes three minifigures, elements in rare colors and all-new large train wheels with piston motion! Add LEGO® Power Functions to motorize. This classically-styled train features a steam locomotive with furnace, opening tender, dining car with removable roof, opening doors and detailed interior! Train measures 27.2" (68cm) long Lots of authentic touches including elements in rare colors and all-new large train wheels with piston motion! Includes 3 minifigures! All new LEGO classic!

Comments: An old-school looking train, the Emerald Night has been a real star on the secondary market. A LEGO exclusive, this model was reasonably priced at only $ 99.99, a great deal relative to the high quality set you got from your money, considering it also was open to motorizing. This great looking model has already more than doubled in value and despite a drop in value in the month of April, from the last eBay sales it looks that this set will continue to show continued growth over the rest of the year.

10183 Hobby Trains

*No Description Found*

Comments: Why limit yourself to only one train design, when you can just build several of them with the same pieces? That was the idea behind the 10183 Hobby Trains set. You purchased a set with over 1,000 pieces that would allow you to create several different train designs at your leisure, without having to be “married” to one specific design. In a way, this set represented the original purpose of LEGO bricks, bringing creativity out and allowing you to build several different things with pretty much the same standard bricks. Anyway, as well as being one of the most interesting sets LEGO has ever released, in my opinion, the Hobby Trains has proven to be another investment winner, going over MSRP by almost 136 % and showing a steady growing trend.

10173 Holiday Train

• Complete train measures over 45" (105cm) long!
• Includes a holiday-themed locomotive, tender, passenger car with removable roof, Christmas tree carrier, caboose, and best of all, a long open freight car overflowing with gifts for all of your whole LEGO® City!
• Set features 7 minifigures, including 2 engineers, 1 railroad worker and 4 passengers, plus loads of special elements!
• Does not include train tracks.

Ride the rails to holiday fun with this exclusive train set! This cheerful train is all decked out for the season in red, white and green, with festive lights, holly, and good tidings galore. All aboard for holiday adventure!

Comments: Of all the trains in this list, this is the definite Star. The 10173 Holiday Train was a Special Edition released by LEGO for a really short period of time back in 2006; it probably lasted less than 4 months on the shelves. On top of that, the train is themed to the holidays and that usually means a higher price in the secondary market, kind of what happens now with the Winter Village sets. A lot of people like to set up their holiday towns, and how could they complete theirs without an appropriate train set? This is the set that filled that need during the 06 holiday season, and that continues to be in really high demand by many LEGO collectors all over the world. MISB listings for this set are very rare, even on eBay, and it seems that every single December the set jumps in value to a new record high, where it will stay pretty consistently until the next holiday season arrives. This is the very definition of a train investment winner.

4565 Freight and Crane Railway

*No Description Found*

Comments: Another LEGO vintage set that has managed to do very well over the years. The first thing that may come into your mind when you first see this set is just how much LEGO has been improving the set design over the past decade, but by 1990s standards, this set was the top of the line. Running on a 9V track, this train not only has a lot of charm, but also a pretty decent performance in the secondary market.

Honorable Mentions

You see, it does not matter if they are new or old, or vintage if you prefer that term, most large LEGO sets have been really good performers over the years, and I am leaving a lot of them out of these lists just in the interest of not over extending the article, think some of the World City or newer City trains, and some of the Santa Fe cars as well.

Finally, prepare for takeoff…

And just like that we get to the last category I will be analyzing in this article, planes. Pretty much as it is with all of the other transportations types, planes have a market that usually goes beyond LEGO fans, with a large group of people being collectors of all types of plane models.

LEGO planes are not as large of some of the other sets in the others categories, with some exceptions, and there also seems to be a fewer number of pure plane sets when compared to cars, trains and ships. Let’s see some of the highlights.

10177 Boeing 787 Dreamliner

The newest and most revolutionary aircraft in the legendary Boeing fleet, the 787 Dreamliner is designed for ultimate in air travel, and now it can be yours in this exclusive collector's model! With authentic colors, scale and details, the LEGO Boeing 787 Dreamliner is just like the real thing! The Dreamliner features a display stand and display card listing the real aircraft's specifications and details. Overall length is 26" (66cm) and wingspan is 27" (69 cm)! Includes collector's display stand and display card with detailed specifications for the real aircraft! A LEGO exclusive, based on exact specifications from Boeing Commercial Airplanes for the ultimate in scale, details and authenticity!

Comments: The Boeing 787 is the largest plane LEGO set ever produced, and as such it also has some of the largest gains in this list, already over retail price by 287 %, and slowly growing even more. Unlike some of the sets I will be talking about after this one, the Boeing is a complete collector’s and display piece, even coming with a display fact sheet on the style of SW UCS sets.

10124 Wright Flyer

*No Description Found*

Comments: Such an iconic moment in history needed to have its own LEGO recreation. Released in 2003, the Wright Flyer is a set any serious plane collector will probably want to add to their collection, and they will have to pay a pretty high price at this point. The set is really rare to see on eBay, with only 3 new ones currently listed for sale at prices way above the Brickpicker Price Guide, something to be expected with sets that do not “trade” that much.

10024 Red Baron

*No Description Found*

Comments: A cool looking red propeller plane released back in 2002. This is another case of not enough activity to really determine the current market value of the set, but even if we base blindly on the price guide, the set presents a pretty good CAGR for the amount of years it has been retired so far. Just as a reference, the last 2 sealed sets sold by $ 300 and $ 350.

 7628 Peril In Peru

• Includes Indiana Jones with hat, whip and bag, Mutt Williams™ and Irina Spalko™, Colonel Dovchenko™, pilot and guard minifigures!
• Includes plane, runway tractor and trolley, stairs to access the plane, plus Russian truck and a case that holds the crystal skull!
• Plane features working landing gear, propellers that spin and side compartments that open!

Indiana Jones™ and Mutt have been captured by Irina Spalko™ and her henchmen! Taken to a secret South American airport, they must use their wits to escape. Can they work together to recover the crystal skull and battle their way to freedom? Airport action!

Comments: An Indiana Jones plane that includes some other minor features, this pretty cool looking plane has doubled in value in a little over two years with a pretty good CAGR of 15%. It did have a drop in price last month, but if you see the trend, it is clearly a positive one. It may not be one of the greatest winners, but it has done pretty well.

3451 Sopwith Camel

*No Description Found*

Comments: The predecessor of the current 10226 Sopwith Camel, 3451 shares a pretty similar structure (after all, it is the same plane) with a different color scheme. This older version was a little less detailed than the current Sopwith, and that allowed it to have a lower price. The 3451 moves a couple of new sets a month on eBay, but has been on a slump for a while now, that inherently enough started a couple months after the newer version was released. From that point it went from a peak of almost $ 170 to its current value. Not a huge drop, but it is somewhat significant.

Honorable Mentions

There you have it. Planes are much more modest in terms of size, quantity and even growth, with the most recent CITY sets presenting the best numbers of the last few years. Still, as you see from the lists above, most sets have appreciated very well in the secondary market.

Before going into the few sets currently available for investment in these categories, I wanted to give you some numbers to compare all the larger transportation LEGO types, and see how they rank historically based on the sets on this article. Please note that these numbers should be used only as a guide, since we are comparing differently sized sets, released over a long period of time that have also been retired at very different times.

Pretty interesting results, right? It would appear that from the sets we showcased above, the best transportation LEGO sets are those that are in the Ships category and by a very decent margin too. They are followed by Cars and Trucks, then Planes, and finally Trains. It follows that, if Trains are investment winners, then pretty much all other transportation type sets are as well. Of course, there is one caveat in this analysis. We have only analyzed the largest sets of each category, so there are probably a lot of other factors at play here.
It follows this analysis that, if you have investment money, transportation sets are usually a safe bet, with Ships being the top choice.
Before we conclude, let’s now examine my top currently available choices that fit into any of these four categories.

10233 Horizon Express

My Analysis: The Horizon Express is the largest LEGO train ever produced, and that fact alone should be enough to make it an investment winner. Of course, there are several more factors that make this nice train a very appealing option, like it’s unique colors and elements, advanced building techniques and nice interior as well as exterior detailing. The Horizon has just been released a short while back, so there is plenty of time for you to get it at a nice price, you will for sure want to add some to your investment Brickfolio

Value Prediction: The fact that it is the largest train LEGO has ever designed will make it one of the most sought after trains once it goes into retirement. In my opinion, the Horizon will easily outperform the LEGO train average CAGR we calculated above, expect a number closer to 20% over its first two years after retirement, putting it around $ 270 (Assuming it goes EOL by the end of next year)

10226 Sopwith Camel

My Analysis: No need for me to tell you how good this set will perform, you have already seen what its smaller and less fancy predecessor has been doing over the past few years: going up steadily in value. Even more, we are talking about a vastly superior model, with a lot of pieces in a nice and rare green tone, several functional features, and a just outstanding display value. Truly, a collector’s piece.

Value Prediction: Planes came third in our little experiment above, with an average CAGR above 15 %. Even more, the older Sopwith presents a CAGR of almost 10 % after being retired for more than a decade. If we project the same trend with this current version, by the time it has been retired for as long as 3451 its price should be somewhere around $ 285. It is my opinion, however, that this set will be doing a lot better than that, so plan accordingly.

10220 Volkswagen T1 Camper Van

My Analysis: Another VW licensed vehicle that probably will turn out to be a great investment choice, just like the VW Beetle before it. Set reviews for this set, both here on Brickpicker and in some other LEGO sites, have been extremely positive, mostly highlighting is “historical” significance and high accuracy compared to the original vehicle.

Value Prediction: If this set even remotely follows the path set up by the Beetle, then we are up for a big payday in the future. It is important to note though, that the Beetle retired at a point where LEGO investing was not as widespread as it is today, so expect the Van to perform great, but not as much as 10187. A 25 % CAGR by the time it has been retired for as long as the Beetle would put it around $ 360. We will all be happy campers with this set!

79008 Pirate Ship Ambush

My Analysis: My pick in the ship category has not been released as of this date, but I might as well let you know it is the Lord of the Rings 79008. This great looking vessel will come with 9 high quality minifigs, including the more than likely exclusive Ghost King, and some other interesting characters.

Value Prediction: Not really much information to really give you an accurate prediction, but I will go on a limb and guarantee this ship will perform at least as good as the POTC ones, especially QAR.

We have come a long way, travelling by so many different ways and through so many years of LEGO history. I have said more than I really had planned to do, but I really hope I have given you at least a superficial look at some of the positive aspects of LEGO transportation set investment. All of these different categories have their own strengths and weaknesses, but as far as choosing them as investment choices for your Brickfolio, the historical information seems to guarantee that any of them will take you where you want to go, and allow you to bring some money back with you at the same time!

Thanks for reading.

*Title by Ed Mack*

I know many of these sets have been discussed before, but for some people, it's just a little reminder that it might be time to pull the proverbial trigger on these sets. Many are long in the tooth and will be getting retired shortly. While a 8110 Unimog U400 isn't a flashy set, it will perform very well in the afterlife...all large Technic sets do it seems. A set like the 42000 Grand Prix Racer reminds me of the older, 8461 Williams F1 Team Racer, which appreciated nicely. I thinks what I enjoy most about the Transportation sets is their playability and display qualities. Not only do they look cool sitting on your office desk, they are also fun rolling around on that same desk. Good luck...

• 10226 Sopwith Camel
• 8110 Unimog U400
• 9398 4x4 Crawler
• 10223 Horizon Express
• 10220 Volkwagon T1 Camper
• 42000 Grand Prix Racer

"ED"itor's Note: I just want to say that Fcbarcelona101 did an excellent job on this Evaluation Corner article. He hit the nail on the head with a lot of his analysis. The large scale vehicle LEGO sets in any theme seem to excel in the secondary LEGO market. I guess it's because they are some of the best designed and coolest of all LEGO sets. If you haven't already bought the following sets, maybe it's time that you do...