10221 - UCS: Super Star Destroyer

[Alpinemaps]

Great question.

I would diversify a bit. I would go with RIs (if you can still get them), Sea Cow, Fairground Mixer, and Benny's Spaceship.

Benny's Spaceship especially at $50 is a fantastic deal. Or ToO. That's another set to grab before it's gone.

 

Now that I'm not on mobile, I'll answer this a little better.

 

Of the things that I said, the best bang for your buck, IMO, if you're moving your money out of SSDs is Benny at $50 at Walmart.  Post retirement, I don't think $150 is a stretch.  If you're talking return on your buy-in, then you'd be at 3x.  I think you will get to 3x ROI on Benny at $50 faster than you will 3x ROI on SSD at $400.

[beartrapper]

That assumes you can actually get your hands on a Benny for $50, vs. already having a SSD. What's the phrase "a bird in the hand is better than putting all of your eggs in one basket" or something?

[mscheaf]

That assumes you can actually get your hands on a Benny for $50, vs. already having a SSD. What's the phrase "a bird in the hand is better than putting all of your eggs in one basket" or something?

 

Exactly, in my situation $50 Bennys might as well be the easter bunny. It might as well be a $10 NISB SSD on the shelf. Because they are all something I will never see.

[Alpinemaps]

True. 

 

Usually, I'm not one to be able to get these clearance deals.  But I've managed to grab a few $50 Benny's, living in SoCal.   Usually that doesn't happen.

[newbie77]

True. 

 

Usually, I'm not one to be able to get these clearance deals.  But I've managed to grab a few $50 Benny's, living in SoCal.   Usually that doesn't happen.

luck my friend .. you did score on Benny's ....

[Frank Brickowski]

Great question.

I would diversify a bit. I would go with RIs (if you can still get them), Sea Cow, Fairground Mixer, and Benny's Spaceship.

Benny's Spaceship especially at $50 is a fantastic deal. Or ToO. That's another set to grab before it's gone.

 

Besides RI I'd disagree with your tips entirely. Especially the Fairground Mixer... I mean, are you serious?

[Alpinemaps]

Besides RI I'd disagree with your tips entirely. Especially the Fairground Mixer... I mean, are you serious?

 

Before I answer that question...why don't you answer the question?  What would you invest in?  Why would you not invest in the Fairground Mixer?

[No More Monkeys]

Time for another "investing" game? But since the time horizon is 6 month, it should probably be QFLL game. Well, FLL, since 6 month is not that "quick"

[vexxet]

Exactly, in my situation $50 Bennys might as well be the easter bunny. It might as well be a $10 NISB SSD on the shelf. Because they are all something I will never see.

none at targets near you mscheaf?

[Alpinemaps]

Time for another "investing" game? But since the time horizon is 6 month, it should probably be QFLL game. Well, FLL, since 6 month is not that "quick"

 

Look at my ranking on the last investing game, and you'll definitely take my investment advice with a grain of salt!  lol

[Frank Brickowski]

Before I answer that question...why don't you answer the question?  What would you invest in?  Why would you not invest in the Fairground Mixer?

 

I think the Mixer is a rather bad investment because: Who is your target buying audience for that? You will not lose money with it, but there are far better short-term investments right now imo. Like Orthanc or even Red 5, also Ghostbusters or Birds. But the Mixer - I just don't see too many AFOLs buying that toy set for $200+ post EOL. And for the Sea Cow... $250 is already a high MSRP - I have problems seeing anyone pay $350+ for such a random ship too soon. Of course you will not lose money here either.

[exciter1]

Look at my ranking on the last investing game, and you'll definitely take my investment advice with a grain of salt!  lol

 

Obviously, a game and real life are 2 different things, but it was still fun.

[Alpinemaps]

I think the Mixer is a rather bad investment because: Who is your target buying audience for that? You will not lose money with it, but there are far better short-term investments right now imo. Like Orthanc or even Red 5, also Ghostbusters or Birds. But the Mixer - I just don't see too many AFOLs buying that toy set for $200+ post EOL. And for the Sea Cow... $250 is already a high MSRP - I have problems seeing anyone pay $350+ for such a random ship too soon. Of course you will not lose money here either.

 

We both agree that money will not be lost on investing on the Sea Cow or the Fairground Mixer.

 

The question that Ed asked was what would you invest your money in, if you're taking it out of SSDs.  I'm thinking long term, not short term investments.  I do agree with you that short term, this is not the place to put your money.  I will also agree that ToO is a good set to invest in, and buying 4 ToOs with the money from 1 SSD is not a bad thing at all - if you sell SSD at $750, invest another $50, you've taken $450 and turned it into an $800 investment quickly.  When both were available at RRP, I considered which was the smarter investment - 2x ToO or 1x SSD.  Although I put the money into an SSD, I seriously considered 2x ToO to be the better investment long term.

 

To answer your question about the Sea Cow and Fairground Mixer, I will use one set to answer both of these questions:  10196 - Grand Carousel

 

Sea Cow - I didn't like it; until I saw it in person.  Then I was blown away.  This set is flying under the radar IMO.  It's routinely hard to find, and routinely sells above RRP on eBay.  Ship completest will want it.  Lego Movie completest will want it.  It's honestly a really awesome looking ship.  I'm not a ship collector at all, but I have one in my personal collection (not yet built), because it's just that darn cool looking.

 

Sea Cow and Grand Carousel were both $250 RRP.  I remember looking at the GC, loving it, but never buying it (I was still in my dark ages).  I remember thinking, "who would pay $250 for a LEGO set?"  Eight of them sold in January on eBay, with an average price of $2,100.  Nearly 10x RRP.  Am I suggesting that the Sea Cow will hit 10x RRP?  Of course not.  But I do think that these sets are very similar in appeal, value, and availability.

 

Fairground Mixer - you ask the question, "who is your target buying audience for that?"  Let's the the obviously out of the way first - the same people who would by GC. But, it goes beyond that.  LEGO Group clearly thinks there is a buying audience - we've got a new Ferris Wheel coming out later this year.  Those two sets will compliment each other very well. On top of that, you've got the Joker's Funhouse set (retired last year), Joker's Bumper Car (2015), and the new Jokerland sets.  Together, that's a pretty decent "county fair" theme without even trying.  Maybe that's a stretch for most people.  It works for me.

 

But, I think the FM is another set that is undervalued and underhoarded at this time.  It's another set that's flying under the radar.  And, if TLG is starting another major, yearly theme (a la Modulars), then FM is the first of the theme.

[amtrak23]

Of course you will not lose money here either.

This belief along with other odd anomalies I have seen in the last few months has my faith in lil plastic bricks dwindling by the day.

If I had to invest SSD money in something that is easily attainable today I'd go with Ghostbusters, FM, and Sea Cow in that order.

I wouldn't touch RI because the other turds who bought a few k will hold price down until they are completely out (probably at least 2 yrs now) just like they did with the WM Landspeeder.

[glucapg]

We both agree that money will not be lost on investing on the Sea Cow or the Fairground Mixer.

The question that Ed asked was what would you invest your money in, if you're taking it out of SSDs. I'm thinking long term, not short term investments. I do agree with you that short term, this is not the place to put your money. I will also agree that ToO is a good set to invest in, and buying 4 ToOs with the money from 1 SSD is not a bad thing at all - if you sell SSD at $750, invest another $50, you've taken $450 and turned it into an $800 investment quickly. When both were available at RRP, I considered which was the smarter investment - 2x ToO or 1x SSD. Although I put the money into an SSD, I seriously considered 2x ToO to be the better investment long term.

To answer your question about the Sea Cow and Fairground Mixer, I will use one set to answer both of these questions: 10196 - Grand Carousel

Sea Cow - I didn't like it; until I saw it in person. Then I was blown away. This set is flying under the radar IMO. It's routinely hard to find, and routinely sells above RRP on eBay. Ship completest will want it. Lego Movie completest will want it. It's honestly a really awesome looking ship. I'm not a ship collector at all, but I have one in my personal collection (not yet built), because it's just that darn cool looking.

Sea Cow and Grand Carousel were both $250 RRP. I remember looking at the GC, loving it, but never buying it (I was still in my dark ages). I remember thinking, "who would pay $250 for a LEGO set?" Eight of them sold in January on eBay, with an average price of $2,100. Nearly 10x RRP. Am I suggesting that the Sea Cow will hit 10x RRP? Of course not. But I do think that these sets are very similar in appeal, value, and availability.

Fairground Mixer - you ask the question, "who is your target buying audience for that?" Let's the the obviously out of the way first - the same people who would by GC. But, it goes beyond that. LEGO Group clearly thinks there is a buying audience - we've got a new Ferris Wheel coming out later this year. Those two sets will compliment each other very well. On top of that, you've got the Joker's Funhouse set (retired last year), Joker's Bumper Car (2015), and the new Jokerland sets. Together, that's a pretty decent "county fair" theme without even trying. Maybe that's a stretch for most people. It works for me.

But, I think the FM is another set that is undervalued and underhoarded at this time. It's another set that's flying under the radar. And, if TLG is starting another major, yearly theme (a la Modulars), then FM is the first of the theme.

Great post

Thank you

Sent from my XT1052 using Brickpicker mobile app

[hannibal]

Seriously guys, who cares about these Mixers anyway? As a serious lego fan I only look at the exclusives and the rest is quite un-interesting. I don't even know what these Mixers are.

 

edit...they're actually called Mixels I see. Whatever...

 

so what about the SSD?

Edited February 26, 2015 by hannibal

[Locutus001]

Seriously guys, who cares about these Mixers anyway? As a serious lego fan I only look at the exclusives and the rest is quite un-interesting. I don't even know what these Mixers are.

 

edit...they're actually called Mixels I see. Whatever...

 

so what about the SSD?

Don't even know if this is sarcasm at work or not...

 

Just so that you know: Mixels and Fairground Mixer are two very different things...

 

Stick to exclusives if you want, I think that's a good strategy for investing, but being aware of other sets also doesn't hurt in my opinion.

 

The fairground mixer was on my "maybe" list but I decided against it. 

 

I only bought 3 SSD because I was too afraid to put that much money in only one set (in case it flops).

Maybe I have a little remorse now that I know that it keeps climbing and climbing ;-)

On the other hand there have been so many great sets to consider last year like HH, TH, GE, AA, R2D2 that it really was difficult (at least for me) to manage resources. Being new to this game I also had the feeling that I need to buy at least 1-2 DS ;-)

 

Could I turn back the hands of time I would buy more HH, TH and SSD and buy less non exclusives ^.^ but that's a lesson I've learned now.

On the other hand some of the none exclusives I bought are appreciating a growth in value right now which is nice.

I guess exclusives might be slightly more safe, but a good investor has to keep his eyes open for good sets rather than the status "exclusive".

[Alpinemaps]

This belief along with other odd anomalies I have seen in the last few months has my faith in lil plastic bricks dwindling by the day.

If I had to invest SSD money in something that is easily attainable today I'd go with Ghostbusters, FM, and Sea Cow in that order.

I wouldn't touch RI because the other turds who bought a few k will hold price down until they are completely out (probably at least 2 yrs now) just like they did with the WM Landspeeder.

 

I didn't mention Ecto-1, but I agree.  And the BTTF Delorean.  Would I take $750 and put them all into one or the other?  No, but those two sets are going to be easy winners.  It's a lot easier to get to $150 on Ecto-1 than it is to get to $1200 on SSD.  But there are tons of BTTF and Ghostbusters fans.  And there will be plenty of people that don't even know this out there, or won't be aware when it's retired, that will gladly play money for it.

 

Ecto-1 is a beauty, and if I were not a Lego investor, and it was gone, I'd easily pay $100-$150 just to have one sitting on my desk at work.

[GhostDad]

Regular (non exclusive) SW sets can do well also, as long as you bear in mind the risk of remakes for some of them.  You generally get them at a discount, versus MSRP for exclusives, so they can double in a similar time period.  The HP theme was a reliable winner as well, though sadly gone now.  I'm a little wary of exclusives, even as I find myself buying them over regular sets more and more, just because it makes me wonder 'why should almost all exclusives double versus MSRP in a year or so after retirement?'  I don't trust 'sure things'.

[Grynn]

Seriously guys, who cares about these Mixers anyway? As a serious lego fan I only look at the exclusives and the rest is quite un-interesting. I don't even know what these Mixers are.

 

edit...they're actually called Mixels I see. Whatever...

 

so what about the SSD?

 

I am stunned, permanently cross-eyed from now on.

[iahawks550]

Many were able to pick up multitudes of SSD at a $320 price point from Amazon in 2013.

[GhostDad]

I saw that sale... and passed.  I think I was loading up on Ninjago graphic novels at the time.

[hannibal]

Don't even know if this is sarcasm at work or not...

 

Just so that you know: Mixels and Fairground Mixer are two very different things...

 

Stick to exclusives if you want, I think that's a good strategy for investing, but being aware of other sets also doesn't hurt in my opinion.

 

The fairground mixer was on my "maybe" list but I decided against it. 

 

I only bought 3 SSD because I was too afraid to put that much money in only one set (in case it flops).

Maybe I have a little remorse now that I know that it keeps climbing and climbing ;-)

On the other hand there have been so many great sets to consider last year like HH, TH, GE, AA, R2D2 that it really was difficult (at least for me) to manage resources. Being new to this game I also had the feeling that I need to buy at least 1-2 DS ;-)

 

Could I turn back the hands of time I would buy more HH, TH and SSD and buy less non exclusives ^.^ but that's a lesson I've learned now.

On the other hand some of the none exclusives I bought are appreciating a growth in value right now which is nice.

I guess exclusives might be slightly more safe, but a good investor has to keep his eyes open for good sets rather than the status "exclusive".

 

You're right and I agree with you. And no, i wasn't sarcastic which is probably the worst bit of it all. Before I answer I actually opened the lego.com website to look what these Mixels are about, because I had no idea seriously. And yes, I've seen them before but they're for kids and I have no interest in them what so ever. I enjoyed nice challenging sets ever since I was a kid (Technic got me into lego), so there is no way to get me interested in these. On top of that I have no time to waste chasing these ones on a lower price so I can shift them on ebay later on. I am not a full-time ebayer.

 

Probably some people will be shocked by my opinion saying those Mixels are a joke, but to be properly undersood I'll compare it with car sales. One thing is to sell Ford Fiestas or alike. I makes a living. It's a job...but you can hardly get excited about it and honestly whether you sell Fiestas or Opel Corsa..same boring stuff. On the other hand side if you sell Ferraris and Lamborghinis its a bit different. It's a job again, it makes a living too...but its much more exciting to say the least. So, this is how I feel with exclusives. I buy the sets that are cool, cause people like me will be building them and paying top dollar for that. So I look at them with the eye of an investor and person who likes bad ass lego sets.

 

p.s. I know which ones the mixers are and the GC etc.

[Ciglione]

It does not matter what you sell really. No matter where you work... routine and boredom hit you. If it is fiesta or ferrari. It does not matter. As long as you make good money.

 

There is only one nice work and that is fireworks.

[MathBuilder]

That was last fall when there were retiring sets that were worthy of flipping into.  What about now?  What is going to retire?  Which set(s) will retire that will outgain an iconic STAR WARS LEGO set in the all time prime time hyped market?  I am talking about the next year...to spring of next year.   If the SSD doesn't approach the $900.00 level by this time next year, I would be shocked.  

 

As for the iconic brand falling argument, I guess it's time to unload my stash.

 

Ed what about another Iconic SW set like Red 5? Do you have any info saying it is not going away soon?

This and in second place Ewok village are the two sets that I feel should stay a bit more but at the same time I am worried they might do an early exit.