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Hello, Just filled up my first rack of LEGO


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I've been a member here since November 1st (same day I started collecting) but figured now that I have 1 rack filled I'd introduce myself. This post could also go in the "how am I doing?" or the "stockroom pictures" thread. But I figure I would throw it here. 

 

 I definitely consider myself small time and mainly use the profits from my sales to finance my own collection (keeping the wife off my back  :cheese: ). I have most of these sets on the rack built and in my personal collection as well. All of the ones on the rack are new in sealed box. 

 

I think I'm doing ok but open to criticism. Only bought 2 city sets, a high speed train for $100 and a coast guard plane for around 30% off retail. No Chima or any of the riskier stuff to sell. All of the Architecture sets were at 40% or more off. Got some CS as well not in the picture. I have 4 Sopwith Camels headed my way that I bought for $104.50 each. I also had pretty good success flipping 25 or so Minecraft sets during the holiday season. 

 

I'm trying to keep a decent mix of short, mid and long term holds. I've made 50 or so sales doing the QFLL thing and am averaging $29.82 profit per sale as of now. Although now that the Holidays are over I'll be holding a lot more. 

 

I'm a software developer/consultant by day and have used that to my advantage when buying sets after EOL. It's been hard not to read the daily deals thread and want to run all over town searching for those Walmart deals. It's exhilarating, but its not where my strengths are and I have to play to my strengths. So I've written some pretty advanced scripts that buy my LEGO during the F5 phase. As I'm not a big investor, I don't mind only having 3 or 4 of each set. 

 

Honing in on a few more Red5 now and will probably start picking off a few ToO over the next few weeks. I also need to order a new rack to store stuff in. 

 

Recently, a buddy at work also gave me around 35 pounds of LEGO to sort through, build, sell and split the profits. I love building so getting paid to build free LEGO is pretty awesome. So far I've found lots of old space sets and a market street (yea baby!)

 

I'm 29, and originally from Atlanta.  My wife is Romanian and we have lived all over the world but are currently in Jacksonville, Florida. We have an adorable 10 month old girl who goes nuts over Duplo. I'm also a sponsored (Starboard) stand up paddleboarder and enjoy surfing and racing in my free time. Thats pretty much it in a nutshell. Feel free to give advice on my buying or box stacking techniques as I'm open to suggestions. 

 

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great collection and being able to do all that from profit you have already achieved what most of us haven't been able to at such a young age.....

 

congratulation!!!!

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I started about the same time as you and am jealous of your collection. Nice work! Also, I think Coats Guard Sea Plane will do very well. I've made money already selling that one. You can also sell the boat and plane separately very easily. People love that fishing boat. It floats!

I need to follow your lead; I'm also relatively small time, but not making the kind of profits you are. Keep it up!

Sent from my XT1028 using Brickpicker mobile app

Edited by randrace
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Thanks everyone!

 

Brickpicker has been the best reference material ever and I've read through countless numbers of topics just soaking it all in. Its amazing how much information is here just scattered throughout random threads. If I wouldn't have found BP on day 1 I'd have a rack full on Ninjago, Chima and City sets as thats what I see kids buying all the time so in my mind thats what sells, which isn't true when it comes to AFOLs willing to spend over MSRP for sets. I would've had to learn that the hard way if it wasn't for BP. so thanks!

 

And to the fellow newbies reading this, read! Read everything! whether people will admit it or not there are signs that point towards EOL. They aren't always in the same order and they don't necessarily always happen, but there are indicators. Read through random threads of retired and close to retiring sets and you will find the pattern. Don't just stick to the daily deals thread, theres gold hidden in other topics as well. 

 

Thanks again for being so welcoming and helping guide me in the right direction. I'll try to give back as much as I can. 

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Thanks for posting. I'm also a newbie here and started collecting right around the same time. Can you tell me what a "F5 phase" is? Sorry, still getting used to some of the jargon. Thx!

 

No worries. It takes a while. I've figured out most of them but there are still some that puzzle me. 

 

I don't use a windows machine but I guess on that operating system "F5" refreshes the browser window. So when a set sells out everywhere online, occasionally one of the big players (Target, Amazon, ToysRus, Lego shop at home) will find a pallet or whatever and upload a few sets. It's sporadic and they sell out really fast.  People usually post them in the daily deals threads. Everyone runs to that website and refreshes the page until they can hopefully snag a few sets. When they are all bought up you will see someone in the daily deals thread post "poof", meaning that its sold out. Maybe it comes back again? maybe not. It's kind of a last ditch effort to grab retired sets at MSRP. Thats how I was able to get all my GE, TH, SSD, HE, etc. after they had disapeared for most people online. So thats the 'F5 phase'

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No worries. It takes a while. I've figured out most of them but there are still some that puzzle me.

I don't use a windows machine but I guess on that operating system "F5" refreshes the browser window. So when a set sells out everywhere online, occasionally one of the big players (Target, Amazon, ToysRus, Lego shop at home) will find a pallet or whatever and upload a few sets. It's sporadic and they sell out really fast. People usually post them in the daily deals threads. Everyone runs to that website and refreshes the page until they can hopefully snag a few sets. When they are all bought up you will see someone in the daily deals thread post "poof", meaning that its sold out. Maybe it comes back again? maybe not. It's kind of a last ditch effort to grab retired sets at MSRP. Thats how I was able to get all my GE, TH, SSD, HE, etc. after they had disapeared for most people online. So thats the 'F5 phase'

That could be a blog post. Well done!

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