Do LEGO Battle Packs Offer Any "BANG" for Your Investment Buck?

Bigger is better...Isn't that the saying? Big LEGO sets get all the love, especially when it comes to the investing and secondary LEGO market. What's not to love about a 5000 piece 10179 Millennium Falcon or 10189 Taj Mahal and their returns? I'll tell you what's not to love...their current prices. These large iconic LEGO sets sell more than a lot of cars do. In other words, thousands of dollars. Not every LEGO collector and investor is a well-to-do AFOL, that has thousands of dollars of discretionary income to spend on big ticket LEGO sets like the new Modular Buildings or STAR WARS Ultimate Collector's Series sets. So what does a novice LEGO investor, with limited means, do? Can a person invest in smaller, more cost efficient LEGO sets and still see positive returns on their money? I believe the answer is a resounding...YES! And there are many options to do this. Let's take a look at one...

In one of my earlier articles, I spoke about LEGO STAR WARS Mini Building Sets and their investment returns and potential. These small and affordable polybag sets appreciated nicely in the secondary LEGO market, and still do. I have another suggestion for the budget conscious LEGO investor...LEGO “Battle Packs.” The “Battle Pack” is a very small LEGO set, usually less than 100 pieces. It frequently contains four or more minifigures that are theme related. They are called “Army Builders” by some, due to the fact the Battle Packs have a large number of minifigures for the set size and that they are based on warriors or soldiers of some sort. LEGO fans and collectors will buy boxes and boxes of these sets to build their own “Clone Armies” or legions of Knights in shining armor. The STAR WARS and Castle themes make up most of the Battle Pack population. They are usually less than $15(US) and can be found for less than $10 a set on auction sites like EBAY, especially if you buy in bulk or lots. But as with any sort of investments, there are good ones and bad ones, even within the same LEGO theme or category. Let's take a look at the 20 LEGO Battle Packs that have been released since 2007.

Before we take a look at each individual Battle Pack, let's take a quick peek at some statistical data for the 20 Battle Packs. Besides the set name and number, pieces, minifigure and MSRP data, we also included the percentage growth from retail and the set's CAGR value. The CAGR value, which is known as Compound Annual Growth Rate is explained further here. In layman's terms, the CAGR can be thought of as the growth rate statistic that gets you from the initial investment value to the ending investment value if you assume that the investment has been compounding over the time period. It simplifies years of different growth percentages and gives you a single number that represents compounded growth percentage of an investment, in this case, a LEGO set. The average, or mean, CAGR for the thousands of LEGO sets in the Brickpicker database is 12.81%. If a set falls above this number, it appreciates better than the standard LEGO set. If a set falls below this number, it appreciates worse than the standard LEGO set. Either way, any set that has a CAGR near 12.81% is a solid investment choice in today's finance and investment world. Let's examine the chart below, then I will break down each set with a description from LEGO.com and my investment analysis:

*Numbers in green indicate LEGO sets that appreciate better than the Mean CAGR(12.81%).

*Numbers in gray indicate LEGO sets that appreciate approximately the same as the Mean CAGR(12.81%).

*Numbers in red indicate LEGO sets the appreciate below the MEAN CAGR(12.81%).

7654 Droids Battle Pack : The Trade Federation is on the march! Send your Separatist forces into battle against the Republic with a droid transport carrier and 'hovering' STAP vehicle, complete with a full squad of armed and combat-ready battle droids. Set includes four Battle Droid and three Super Battle Droid minifigures! Build your own army and stage a battle against the #7655 Clone Troopers Battle Pack!

Brickpicker Analysis: Oldest and largest of the Battle Packs, with seven minifigures. Above average growth and the Battle Droids are hard to come by. If you are a droid fan, this set is for you. One of my favorite Battle Packs...

7655 Clone Trooper Battle Pack : The Clone Wars are on! When the Separatists attack, the Republic fights back with its legions of Clone Troopers. Build your army with an assortment of battle-ready troopers, complete with a blaster turret and speeder bike! Set includes Shock Trooper, Star Corps Trooper and two Clone Trooper minifigures. Build your own army and stage a battle against the #7654 Droids Battle Pack!

Brickpicker Analysis: Clone Troopers...LEGO's gift to STAR WARS fans. Any set with them has a great chance to be an investment winner. This set has four and has shown tremendous growth. A bit on the pricey side right now, but it is a good indicator of what sets 7913 or 9488 could do in the future.

852271 Knights Battle Pack : Whether you're building your LEGO Castle army or defending the kingdom from evil skeleton warriors, these brave knights are here to save the day. Includes five heroic minifigures equipped with lots of different weapons, shields and armor!

Brickpicker Analysis: Castle Battle Packs are great Army builders. Five minifigures in this set. A nice performer over the past several years. Future growth remains solid with the popularity of the Castle/Kingdoms themes.

852272 Skeleton Battle Pack : Knights of LEGO Castle beware -- the skeleton warriors have brought reinforcements! Build up your skeleton army with this set of five skeleton minifigures. Includes five different evil skeletons equipped with plenty of weapons, armor and gear, plus a creepy spider!

Brickpicker Analysis: The complimentary set to the above 852721 Knights Battle pack, this set also is a solid investment. Five skeleton warriors make up the set. A very popular LEGO set among the Battle Packs.

8014 Clone Walker Battle Pack : As the Clone Wars rage across the galaxy, the Republic army advances across the battlefields of hundreds of planets. Build up your army with the Clone Walker, a tough two-man vehicle with poseable legs and flick-firing missiles! Includes two Clone Troopers, Clone Gunner, Clone Commander and ARC trooper gear! Build your army and add #8015 Assassin Droids Battle Pack for even more fun! Measures over 3.5" (8cm) tall!  

Brickpicker Analysis: Another Clone Army building set. Four Clone Troopers plus a Clone Walker makes for a nice little set for investment. It has appreciated well over the last three years. Once again, this set is a good indicator where the newer Clone Battle Packs might be heading.

8015 Assassin Droid Battle Pack : Programmed for stealth and destruction, Assassin Droids are used by gangsters, smugglers and crooks on every planet from Coruscant to Tatooine. Build up your own army of these silent, skilled and sneaky droids and send them out with their flick-missile-firing speeder on secret missions all across the galaxy! Includes three Assassin Droid and two Elite Assassin Droid minifigures and two flick fire missiles! Build your army and add #8014 Clone Walker Battle Pack for even more fun! Measures 8" (20cm) long  

Brickpicker Analysis: Very 'average' Battle Pack. The CAGR is right around the mean. I guess these Assassin Droids just are not too popular with the LEGO and STAR WARS fans out there. Not a bad set, by any means, just nothing special.

852701 Troll Warrior Battle Pack : Build up your LEGO Castle army with the Troll Warrior Battle Pack! Set includes three fierce troll soldiers and two elite warriors to challenge your knightly forces, plus helmets, shields, plenty of weapons and even a rat.

Brickpicker Analysis: Excellent appreciation for this set over the past several years. The minifigures are very cool and there are five of them. These Castle Battle Packs really appreciate well. There must be a whole group of LEGO fans that build huge Armies with these sets. Nothing similar to this set on the market today...too bad.

852702 Dwarf Warrior Battle Pack : When the trolls attack, the fearless dwarfs stand ready! Build up your LEGO Castle army with these five mighty dwarf warriors with helmets, shields, weapons, mining equipment, ore and a blazing torch to light the way through underground caverns.

Brickpicker Analysis: These Dwarfs are the Giants of the Battle Pack CAGR world. This Castle themed Battle Pack leads the pack with a CAGR almost triple the average LEGO set(35.13%). Great things do come in small packages. Rare set. If you can find one at fair price, pick it up...

852747 Pirates Battle Pack : The Pirates and the Soldiers face off in an epic battle for the treasure map and the treasure chest it leads to! Who will win? Who will lose? Who does that silly monkey belong to? Only you can decide the fate of the greatest battle the oceans have ever seen! Set includes 4 LEGO Pirates minifigures, a monkey, and a treasure box.  

Brickpicker Analysis: The Pirates theme just doesn't cut it as a Battle Pack. This set falls below the average LEGO set in annual appreciation and besides the monkey and parrot, nothing is really special about this set. LEGO Pirate ships are cool, LEGO Pirate minifigures are not...

8083 Rebel Trooper Battle Pack : Help the Rebels defend their base on Hoth! Set comes with three Rebel foot soldiers, a Rebel pilot and a Rebel transport craft.

Brickpicker Analysis: This STAR WARS Battle Pack was recently discontinued, along with its sister set, the 8084 Snowtrooper Battle Pack. Both sets should appreciate well in the near future. The one neat thing about STAR WARS LEGO sets, or STAR WARS themed toys in general, is that George Lucas is constantly re-releasing movies and coming up with new material that revive some portion of the STAR WARS Universe. If the Hoth scene from Empire Strikes Back is redone, or newer LEGO sets are released pertaining to the snow environment, these 'snow' minifigures could really see a nice uptick in value...

8084 Snowtrooper Battle Pack : Defeat the Rebels with Imperial might! Set comes with 2 Snowtroopers, AT-AT Driver and Imperial Officer.

Brickpicker Analysis: See set 8083 above for more details...I personally like the STAR WARS Imperial Battle Packs more than the Rebel Battle Packs, but I guess I'm just a Sith at heart...LOL. As with the 8083, I see positive appreciation for this set after the initial drop in value(from sellers unloading excess old inventory and store discounts).

852921 Kingdoms Battle Pack 1 : Set of 5 Knight minifigures are ready to go into battle to defend the realm against all enemies. Engage the Knights against the Dragon Knights in battle for complete medieval fun! Includes 5 authentic Knight minifigures Knights are equipped with swords, shields, helmets and more Set up mock battles against the Dragon Knights!  

Brickpicker Analysis: These Castle and Kingdom Battle Packs really appreciate well. This set has almost doubled in value in two years. Another option for the Castle and Kingdoms “Army Builder” is the 8533373 Kingdoms Chess Set (now that these sets went EOL and are hard to find at a fair price). That set has 28 Kingdoms minifigures for $50(US). Not a bad deal...

852922 Kingdoms Battle Pack 2 : Set of 5 fully armed Dragon minifigures are armed and ready for mock battle. Engage the Dragons against the Knight Battle Pack for massive medieval mayhem! Includes 5 authentic minifigures Dragon knights are equipped with full battle gear: swords, shields, helmets and more Create your own battle for the kingdom!  

Brickpicker Analysis: Similar to the 852291, Kingdoms Battle Pack 1, is another rare and expensive set for its size. Like its sister set, the 852922 has and is continuing to increase in value at a good clip. A good Army building set when first released, this set is too expensive to make an Army now. Better off buying the Kingdoms Chess Set, 8533373, to populate your Kingdom.

7913 Clone Trooper Battle Pack : Unleash the might of the clone army against the Mandalorians! As the Clone Wars rage across the galaxy, the Army of the Republic faces a powerful new enemy- the Mandalorians! Build up your crack team of clone troopers with the BARC speeder, the all-new ARF clone trooper, 2 new bomb squad clone troopers and the new clone commander minifigures.  

BrickPicker Analysis: A future winner here folks...This is my favorite Battle Pack. Love the minifigures. Still can be found in some stores, even at a discount! This is a fantastic Clone Army building set and I think the orange Bomb Squad Troopers stand out from the crowd. See if you can locate any remaining sets in clearance isles at your local Target or Walmart.

7914 Mandalorian Battle Pack : Fight off the clone troopers with the Mandalorian Army! A new force has entered Clone Wars on the side of the Separatists - the Mandalorians! Build up your Mandalorian Army and take the battle to the Clone Army with Mandalorian assassin and 3 Mandalorian trooper minifigures, each with their own unique weapon.  

Brickpicker Analysis: The sister set to the 7914 Clone Trooper Battle Pack. Another future solid performer and still available on the primary market. Look for clearance items. The blue soldiers are very unique in the STAR WARS minifigure world. This set is starting to gain more traction and interest from STAR WARS fans. This might be one of those sleeper sets that you'd wish you bought cases of, yet ignored it and bought the pretty orange Bomb Squad Troopers.

853176 Skeleton Mummy Battle Pack : Battle the Pharaohs posse for the treasure! Set contains one Flying Mummy and two Mummy Warriors,a sarcophagus, jewels, snakes and a couple of scorpions.  

Brickpicker Analysis: Very under-rated theme in my opinion(Pharaoh's Quest). This is the worst performing set of the bunch, so I would stay away unless, like me, you like the Pharaoh's Quest theme. The whole package is creative with the little scorpions, jewels and sarcophagus and the kick butt Flying Mummy, but it is not an investment juggernaut by any means...

853219 Pirates of the Caribbean Battle Pack : All hands on deck for a battle on the high seas! Wage a pirate war or set out for a treasure-packed adventure with 5 salty scalawags from the LEGO® Brand Pirates of the Caribbean™ building sets. Act out your favorite scenes from Disney’s Pirates of the Caribbean™: On Stranger Tides film. A great gift for any LEGO Brand Pirates of the Caribbean fan.

Brickpicker Analysis: The POTC theme is coming to an end and heading into retirement. This is a neat little Battle Pack, with five quality minifigures, but who builds Armies with POTC minifigures? Answer...No one. Pass on this set. All these minifigures are readily available in the other POTC sets.

853301 Alien Conquest Battle Pack : Stage an outer space attack with the LEGO® Alien Conquest Battle Pack! The aliens have landed! Battle the outer space intruders and defend the earthling with 5 minifigures and accessories from the LEGO® Alien Conquest building sets. A great gift for any LEGO Alien Conquest fan.

Brickpicker Analysis: I really like the Alien Conquest theme, but not many others do I suppose by the looks of the data. Cool Battle Pack, but I guess there is no reason to form an Alien Army out of lovable little Aliens. Maybe LEGO should take note and make the next Alien theme more like the real Alien movie, if they want to increase sales, that is. Just my two cents....By the way, pass on the Alien Conquest Battle Pack if you like your money. LOL.

9488 Elite Clone Trooper and Commando Droid Battle Pack : Bombard the Separatist forces with the Republic artillery cannon! The Separatists have sent a new droid enemy to attack the forces of the Republic, but the clone army’s elite troopers have a new weapon of their own: the powerful Republic artillery cannon! With elevating turret and flick missile, those clankers will be running for cover! Includes 4 minifigures: ARC trooper, ARF trooper and 2 new enemy Commando Droids.

Brickpicker Analysis: New set, so the data is irrelevant at this time. As with any Clone Battle Pack, the investment growth and potential is above average to high. The two Clone Troopers are very cool and the Droids are different than most. I like the looks of this set, but without FOUR Clone Troopers, I doubt it will ever be equal to older Clone Battle Packs.

9489 Endor Rebel Trooper and Imperial Trooper Battle Pack : Surprise the Imperial troops at the Battle of Endor! Recreate the battle of Endor™ from Star Wars: Episode VI Return of the Jedi with this fantastic new battle pack. Help the Endor Rebel troopers launch a surprise attack on the Imperial forces from the secret Rebel hideout. Includes 4 minifigures: Stormtrooper, Scout Trooper and 2 Endor Rebel Troopers.

Brickpicker Analysis: As with set 9488, the data on this set is not important at this time. It is a new set and any data is skewed by sales and discounts and lack of time to appreciate. Going forward though, this looks to be another quality investment on a small scale. Personally, I dislike the Endor minifigures with a passion, but that's just me. Others might love Ewoks and weird-looking rebel uniforms, but that's for another discussion. If I had to pick between the 9488 and 9489, I would pick the Clones and Droids any day of the week...

CONCLUSION: So there you have it, the 20 LEGO Battle Packs that have been released to date. As the reader can see, there are some winners and a few losers in the LEGO investment game. Surprisingly, it looks like the Castle and Kingdoms Battle Packs are the top of the food chain, even beating out the STAR WARS Battle Packs when it comes to the CAGR data. I would imagine in the gross sales department, direct from LEGO or other primary markets, the STAR WARS Battle Packs outsell all other themes by vast quantities. But as far as appreciation and investment growth go, the Castle and Kingdoms Battle Packs are the best. As for the rest of the Battle Pack themes, although they might be creative and fun, they are not valued as 'investment' sets.

There is one issue that needs to be addressed before I conclude this anthology(LOL). The topic concerns making money from Battle Packs by “parting” out a set and reselling the pieces for more than the set was bought for. This is a very common and effective practice among the STAR WARS Battle Packs. For example, little Eddie eBayer buys a discounted Clone Trooper Battle Pack for $10. He opens the box and resells the four Clone Troopers for $3.50 apiece(which is approximately the going rate on EBAY or Bricklink). Eddie then takes the remaining pieces and sells them for $1 on his Bricklink store. So, at the bare minimum, Eddie “parts” out his Clone Battle Pack for $15 makes a 50% profit. This is on a small scale and taxes and commissions to EBAY and Bricklink are not accounted for, but you can see that there is profit to be made if you are creative and willing to put in a little effort. Multiply this by 10, 20 or 30 and you can make some serious cash. There are a boatload of these Clone Trooper lots and minifigures for sale on EBAY that sell every day, so this system works.

I'm going to wrap this story up now...It has gotten way too big for such small LEGO sets. But I guess that's the point. LEGO collectors and investors can make big money off of small investments like the LEGO Battle Packs, especially in multiples. Just like picking the right stocks, picking the right LEGO Battle Packs will make or break the investment. Knights, Trolls and Clone Troopers are good investments...Pirates and Aliens are not. The “parting” out system is a winner for those who want to put a little more effort into an investment and don't have the time for it to appreciate. LEGO investment on a small scale is a possibility and the LEGO Battle Packs are a good example of this. Once again, LEGO sets of all shapes, sizes and costs continue to impress me as a worthwhile investment and with small sets like the LEGO Battle Packs, there are enough options to cater to all walks of life...