10227 - UCS B-Wing Starfighter

[TheOrcKing]

I must be in the minority of thinking the Fire Brigade is just an okay modular house out of all the ones Lego designed. It is nice with some good features but feels average. Green Grocer is a fancier build more up my alley and so is next year's Parisian Restaurant.

[Quacs]

TOK, I agree.  I would buy Palace Cinema, Grand Emporium, Pet Shop, Green Grocer and Parisian Restaurant at MSRP for my own collection before Fire Brigade.  As the old saying goes, I like it but I don't love it - different strokes, I guess.

 

EDIT - sorry for the threadjack.  Now back to talking about the B-Wing retirement and what it means for portfolios...

[DoNotInsertIntoMouth]

Fire Brigade is arguably the best Lego set ever. Period. Its better than Cafe Corner, better than Market Street, and better than Green Grocer. There is only two sets that compare in over all design, playability with that iconic je ne c'est quoi that makes Lego winners... and they are more than double in price and the retired one is headed for five digit gains. Fire Brigade is a monster and no matter the stockpile of FB's in closets across the globe.... it won't be enough to match demand once retired. Bwing.... meh!

 

I would be surprised if anyone agreed with you about it being the Best Ever. I can name 20 Lego sets that look better than it. The tower Bridge is MUCH more impressive.

 

Now I could agree its better than the other three modulars, but I don't think it comes close to the GE or the Townhall honestly. Not close to better than the Taj Mahal or Eiffel Tower, the UCS Falcon, The Grand Carousel, etc.

[thirsty]

Most widely held set brickpicker or brickset. Market has spoken.

[Quacs]

Most widely held set brickpicker or brickset. Market has spoken.

 

Longest retail run for any modular, and the first introduced after the blow out, low production winners.  The market has spoken - it's said, "Why was this dang set available for so long?"

[thirsty]

Longest retail run for any modular, and the first introduced after the blow out, low production winners.  The market has spoken - it's said, "Why was this dang set available for so long?"

It was out that long because of its popularity. Investors have steered clear of this set because of the duration it was on offer. That is/was a big mistake.

[Quacs]

It was out that long because of its popularity. Investors have steered clear of this set because of the duration it was on offer. That is/was a big mistake.

 

I agree that there's a very good chance this will provide very nice returns despite the number of sets in investor's Brickfolios.  It has the modular appeal, and it is a nice set.  But no one really knows why it was out this long - could be great sales, could be over production and slack demand towards the end of its retail run.  No one truly knows for sure.

 

I also agree this should be a strong consideration for every investor's portfolio, even with the mountain of them showing up in Brickfolios.

 

Personally, I like other modulars better - nothing more than my own preference, and it shouldn't be taken as a slam against the set or its return profile.

[supraboy888]

It was out that long because of its popularity. Investors have steered clear of this set because of the duration it was on offer. That is/was a big mistake.

You got that right. I had friends panic buying last week and wanted to buy from me. I told them, tough luck buddy, go try your luck on ebay. Shipping to canada is $35USD and the latest USED one went for $200USD. I got offers for it for $240 today, little do they know that the Canadian Toys R Us is still selling for $199, so I flipped my current holding and just bought another set. People overlooked the FB and targetted the Pet Shop.

 

While I'm doing all this buy and sell while supplies dwindle, I'm still watching the BWing closely. Buy flipping the FB, it's going to pay down my puchase price for a BWing. I don't want to make it sound like I hate the BWing. I actually bought the BWing way before I laid my hands on the FB, but money talks, bullSh...walks. And my attention is on the FB. I bet I can still get a BWing for $160 on ebay in January when the X'mas money disappears, and in the meantime, I would've flipped 5-6 more FB for a nice $30 profit each, that equates to one free BWing.

[Quacs]

You got that right. I had friends panic buying last week and wanted to buy from me. I told them, tough luck buddy, go try your luck on ebay. Shipping to canada is $35USD and the latest USED one went for $200USD. I got offers for it for $240 today, little do they know that the Canadian Toys R Us is still selling for $199, so I flipped my current holding and just bought another set. People overlooked the FB and targetted the Pet Shop.

 

While I'm doing all this buy and sell while supplies dwindle, I'm still watching the BWing closely. Buy flipping the FB, it's going to pay down my puchase price for a BWing. I don't want to make it sound like I hate the BWing. I actually bought the BWing way before I laid my hands on the FB, but money talks, bullSh...walks. And my attention is on the FB. I bet I can still get a BWing for $160 on ebay in January when the X'mas money disappears, and in the meantime, I would've flipped 5-6 more FB for a nice $30 profit each, that equates to one free BWing.

 

Rinse and repeat - builds profit.

[supraboy888]

Rinse and repeat - builds profit.

Yup. I learned that as a kid. You won't get rich holding just one comic book. Flip them fast so you can redeploy.

It's like launching a bomb, you won't be able to launch another one unless you unload one first. The more you unload, the more surface area gets hit.

I'm not against the fact that those who want to collect the BWing will lose money. Some may be attached to their set and it's all cool.

When talking about profits and regenerating cash, there's no way the BWing can generate fast and furious profits. The FB can certainly do that. Obviously, those who had the May 4th blowout sale can brag, but in Canada, we don't get any May 4th blowout. The last BWing I unloaded, I got it from Walmart at $160USD a couple months back, and unloaded it in Canada for $200CAD, made about $30, but hey, it was sold before I even got the item. So all I did was rack up frequent flyer points, a better credit rating, and profits, for clicking a few buttons.

[supraboy888]

I would be surprised if anyone agreed with you about it being the Best Ever. I can name 20 Lego sets that look better than it. The tower Bridge is MUCH more impressive.

 

Now I could agree its better than the other three modulars, but I don't think it comes close to the GE or the Townhall honestly. Not close to better than the Taj Mahal or Eiffel Tower, the UCS Falcon, The Grand Carousel, etc.

The models you have mentioned are all much better than the BWing. No knock on the Bwing since it's a different type of a collector's item. I am definitetly going to get my hands on another BWing, but would I be dying for it if it went to $300? Nope. I see the Tower Bridge a way way better investment. The CAGR on the Tower Bridge could be pushing the mid-30s% like its predecessors. Kids love the FB. My two boys want me to rip open one of my FBs and I definitely will. They saw the BWing when I brought it home and they didn't care. They thought it was some stupid plane or UFO. There's always a place for a fire station.

[Ed Mack]

FB will be a better investment than most sets mentioned above IMO.  Everyone who builds one Modular, wants to build the rest to complete the series.  I think the Modulars connect with the regular LEGO fan much more than the Tower Bridge or SE Crawler.  There will be a buying frenzy with this set as soon as most people realize it is retired and the price is moving higher...quickly.  

[supraboy888]

FB will be a better investment than most sets mentioned above IMO.  Everyone who builds one Modular, wants to build the rest to complete the series.  I think the Modulars connect with the regular LEGO fan much more than the Tower Bridge or SE Crawler.  There will be a buying frenzy with this set as soon as most people realize it is retired and the price is moving higher...quickly.  

There would be many who disagree, especially what you saw here with the BWing lovers. They are one-sided because they are afterall, BWing fans, rather than fans of lego in general. The BWing and Star Wars fans only cover a small niche. The FB can be catered to anyone, any kid, any grandpa grandma out there. I think there's more legs to FB in terms of pricing than hitting a ceiling of $300-$400. Wait ten years when people built an entire city of modulars which will definitely include a fire station, that 5 yr old kid who's still not born yet will ask daddy, why is there a police station and no fire station? The modulars have lots of growth, from hospitals and police stations, to museums and stock exchanges. Just watch and see my friends. As for the BWing, it is what it is, build it, stick it on the shelf and collect dust.

[DoNotInsertIntoMouth]

There would be many who disagree, especially what you saw here with the BWing lovers. They are one-sided because they are afterall, BWing fans, rather than fans of lego in general. The BWing and Star Wars fans only cover a small niche. The FB can be catered to anyone, any kid, any grandpa grandma out there. I think there's more legs to FB in terms of pricing than hitting a ceiling of $300-$400. Wait ten years when people built an entire city of modulars which will definitely include a fire station, that 5 yr old kid who's still not born yet will ask daddy, why is there a police station and no fire station? The modulars have lots of growth, from hospitals and police stations, to museums and stock exchanges. Just watch and see my friends. As for the BWing, it is what it is, build it, stick it on the shelf and collect dust.

 

Thats generalizing - I have plenty of other themed lego sets, including a modular and a TB. Your same argument can be applied for someone who doesn't care as much about modular and city because I go and see that stuff outside my house everyday.

 

I dont remember the last time I walked down the street and saw a B-wing, or the Tower of Orthanc, or Hogwarts

[supraboy888]

Thats generalizing - I have plenty of other themed lego sets, including a modular and a TB. Your same argument can be applied for someone who doesn't care as much about modular and city because I go and see that stuff outside my house everyday.

 

I dont remember the last time I walked down the street and saw a B-wing, or the Tower of Orthanc, or Hogwarts

Go to Asia and ask how many are into Star Wars. People on the other side of the planet won't even know what a Tower of Orthanc is. I for one want a piece of the Tower of Orthanc at the right price. I have friends in Asia collecting lego sets and all they want are a bunch of modulars, and things they are familiar with. The number of lego city fans outweigh the number of Star Wars fans at least by a margin of 10-1, and I'm just being generous to the 10%. 95 out of 100 kids world wide would choose a fire station over a Bwing. And that is why there's a bigger supply of the FB, but there is also a massive demand. The demand is way way higher for the FB than the BWing.

 

To stay on topic, I think the BWing has been a major disappointment, and as mentioned, those holding too many of those are going to be bagholders. It's like choosing a stock, do you want a share of Google? Or do you want a share of Twitter? Bwing is your Twitter, it's cool, but not really functional compared to google which is widely used. Ask yourself and your buddies if they go onto google more or twitter more.

[Rich B]

There's no doubt the FB is a fantastic set and what it will increase rapidly in value over the next decade. However you make it sound as if the Bwing is awful. It's still a good investment in my opinion. While I agree that Lego city has a massive following, the Star Wars theme still has tons of sets that have increased significantly in value, even if it's following is small (which I believe it is a lot bigger than you think). As 'do not insert' said, it all depends on the person, it's unfair to generalize in the manner that you are.

[supraboy888]

There's no doubt the FB is a fantastic set and what it will increase rapidly in value over the next decade. However you make it sound as if the Bwing is awful. It's still a good investment in my opinion. While I agree that Lego city has a massive following, the Star Wars theme still has tons of sets that have increased significantly in value, even if it's following is small (which I believe it is a lot bigger than you think). As 'do not insert' said, it all depends on the person, it's unfair to generalize in the manner that you are.

I am also a Star Wars fan. My favorite is the Jabba Palace even though it's worthless. It's just that some make it sound like there are lots of Star Wars fans out there. Grab that Bwing and flash it around, I doubt all Star Wars movie watchers recognize that thing. Flash the Falcon around and everyone will recognize that. I like the Bwing, it does look cool, but like I said, it's hard to profit on that. You gotta also think about the bottom line. Bottom line is that I like your Joker in jump suit image. That's only available with the Arkham set and I bought two, one to play and one to collect. Can't say the same about the Bwing.

[Sauromosis]

Bwing ima let you finish but Fire Brigade is the greatest modular of all time.

[jaisonline]

Thats generalizing - I have plenty of other themed lego sets, including a modular and a TB. Your same argument can be applied for someone who doesn't care as much about modular and city because I go and see that stuff outside my house everyday.

I dont remember the last time I walked down the street and saw a B-wing, or the Tower of Orthanc, or Hogwarts

Lol.

[DoNotInsertIntoMouth]

There's no doubt the FB is a fantastic set and what it will increase rapidly in value over the next decade. However you make it sound as if the Bwing is awful. It's still a good investment in my opinion. While I agree that Lego city has a massive following, the Star Wars theme still has tons of sets that have increased significantly in value, even if it's following is small (which I believe it is a lot bigger than you think). As 'do not insert' said, it all depends on the person, it's unfair to generalize in the manner that you are.

 

People act like its not gonna grow. In the last several months it has went from high $140s to $180-$200. It is already growing. And the retail life is SHORT. 2-3 year retail life, I would agree it wouldn't have as much appeal. But the UCS line itself has appeal. The placards and the displayability.

 

 

I am also a Star Wars fan. My favorite is the Jabba Palace even though it's worthless. It's just that some make it sound like there are lots of Star Wars fans out there. Grab that Bwing and flash it around, I doubt all Star Wars movie watchers recognize that thing. Flash the Falcon around and everyone will recognize that. I like the Bwing, it does look cool, but like I said, it's hard to profit on that. You gotta also think about the bottom line. Bottom line is that I like your Joker in jump suit image. That's only available with the Arkham set and I bought two, one to play and one to collect. Can't say the same about the Bwing.

 

There will also be more star wars fans when these new movies come out. You are also going on a lot about China - most of us sell the majority of our stuff in the US/North America where Star wars is and will remain pretty popular.

 

Jabba's Palace is another one you are gonna miss out on if you think its worthless. People are gonna want this set for a while - especially with the Rancor pit. It wont grow like a UCS set, but I still expect it to double pretty easily. Its a unique set, is iconic, and has awesome figures.

[legopocalypse]

You guys STILL arguing about the bwing vs fire brigade..geez

[DoNotInsertIntoMouth]

Just healthy conversation. 

[supraboy888]

People act like its not gonna grow. In the last several months it has went from high $140s to $180-$200. It is already growing. And the retail life is SHORT. 2-3 year retail life, I would agree it wouldn't have as much appeal. But the UCS line itself has appeal. The placards and the displayability.

 

 

 

There will also be more star wars fans when these new movies come out. You are also going on a lot about China - most of us sell the majority of our stuff in the US/North America where Star wars is and will remain pretty popular.

 

Jabba's Palace is another one you are gonna miss out on if you think its worthless. People are gonna want this set for a while - especially with the Rancor pit. It wont grow like a UCS set, but I still expect it to double pretty easily. Its a unique set, is iconic, and has awesome figures.

 

I have Jabba's Palace all nicely sealed up, but I still think it won't rise in price. I got a few rancor pits and paid $35 for each. I also built the entire set with the desert skiff and now the sail's barge. If you're selling only to North America, you're limiting your profits. A Jabba's palace goes for about $200-$225 in Australia. You are right though, the palace won't be worthless, but it won't rise by too much. Money is better served buying a nice City Cargo train set.

[jaisonline]

I have Jabba's Palace all nicely sealed up, but I still think it won't rise in price. I got a few rancor pits and paid $35 for each. I also built the entire set with the desert skiff and now the sail's barge. If you're selling only to North America, you're limiting your profits. A Jabba's palace goes for about $200-$225 in Australia. You are right though, the palace won't be worthless, but it won't rise by too much. Money is better served buying a nice City Cargo train set.

No disrespect but there are times I wish we still had the dislike button. I don't even know where to begin. Your thoughts on the B-Wing, Jabba's Palace, China, Cargo Train, Star Wars, etc...

I'm out. Good luck with your future posts.

[comicblast]

I dont remember the last time I walked down the street and saw a B-wing, or the Tower of Orthanc, or Hogwarts

You've never been to Disneyland, have you. I recall seeing Hogwarts there...