Competition?

[Anakinisvader]

Here's a question for discussion. If most people here are investing in typically the same sets such as: Fire Brigade, Pet Shop, Vampyre's Castle, Helm's Deep etc... Won't this make us all competitors when it comes time to sell? I know we all have differen't thresholds for profit and selling but at one time or another there will be times when our selling will overlap with eachother. Let the friendly competition begin.

[sadowsk1]

I agree, in a sense it makes us all competitors. It gets interesting when people start to sell and how profit is determined by what kind of sales or deals a person may have taken advantage of when it came to acquiring a set and how much of a return they get when they sell. I wouldn't say we are all direct competitors just because what we hope to gain and our expectations can be different.

[legopocalypse]

yes i've always thought that as well. Especially people who advise everyone on what sets to get, they're just creating extra competition for themselves on ebay, amazon, etc. when it comes times to sell since a lot of other sellers/investors will also be selling the same set(s).

[chess227]

I think the big key here is that we get caught up in this small community and think that everyone out there is investing in Lego sets, when in fact, we are still a very very small portion of the community. There are more of us now than there were a year ago, but the fact remains that there are way more buyers than investors. In fact, I would say that most of the people that start collecting Lego sets end up selling their sets early to get out of it. I know I almost did when I realized how much I had plunked down on sets over the course of a few months. A lot of new investors will realize that it may not be worth turning a $150 set into $400 over the course of 2 years when you have to deal with storage, shipping, potential set damage, auction fees, having that money tied up for 2 years, etc. There is a huge downside to investing in legos and I think the only people who do it are people that love the product. I also think that it is even more rare for an investor on here to have SEVERAL copies of high dollar sets laying around. Sure, I know some do, but the average investor on here doesn't have 20 Tower Bridges laying around their house..... It's just not feasible... I think most only have a few copies of each set laying around and once they sell off their spare copies, that is one less competitor and every one else's price goes up. The bottom line is that it never hurts to help other people in this area when you can share knowledge and build a better collector/investor community. We all share the same passion for Legos and it is nice to see such a helpful community.

[Veegs]

So...I am going to go out on a limb and say invest heavily in Prince of Persia - although it is EOL from S&****, sets can still be found below retail. Buy low, sell high!

[Anakinisvader]

So...I am going to go out on a limb and say invest heavily in Prince of Persia - although it is EOL from S&****, sets can still be found below retail. Buy low, sell high!

I think with POP its: buy low, sell lower....

[@rtisan]

I think with POP its: buy low, sell lower....

I agree. There just doesn`t appear to be a market for the Theme. Ok, yes there is, but certainly a small one. I bought a couple cheap when they were still in production, but only for my personal collection. It`s not at all iconic like Starwars or Indiana Jones, which of course takes away from it. Going back to PoP, even if you find them cheap, it`s unlikely for them to ever increase enough to make it worth while from what I have read.

[Alcarin]

Yep we are. hence give wrong info.... collect data from everyone and use it to your advantage hmmmmm Espionage lol

[redeemed763]

So...I am going to go out on a limb and say invest heavily in Prince of Persia - although it is EOL from S&****, sets can still be found below retail. Buy low, sell high!

OUCH! Careful, that limb broke a little while ago ;)

[TheOrcKing]

So...I am going to go out on a limb and say invest heavily in Prince of Persia - although it is EOL from S&H, sets can still be found below retail. Buy low, sell high!

Wow! That's the best advice I've ever heard! I'm gonna be rich!

Ha ha ha! XD

[Jeff Mack]

This is much like the other thread that Alcarin posted a few days back and the answer is really that its no different than it ever is. People buy things at different prices, sell at different times, have different quantities and have different price points in their head. Some are always going to sell or try to sell at too high of a price and hold their inventory long, while others will sell it at a price point to unload it and make their profit. There is a buyer for everything. Some sellers will have their Fire Brigades two years after others get rid of theirs. Its a dynamic marketplace, so sure, there will be "competition" but there are already a lot of buyers and sellers throughout ebay and bricklink, but yet transactions happen every day.

[Alcarin]

This is much like the other thread that Alcarin posted a few days back and the answer is really that its no different than it ever is. People buy things at different prices, sell at different times, have different quantities and have different price points in their head. Some are always going to sell or try to sell at too high of a price and hold their inventory long, while others will sell it at a price point to unload it and make their profit. There is a buyer for everything.

Some sellers will have their Fire Brigades two years after others get rid of theirs. Its a dynamic marketplace, so sure, there will be "competition" but there are already a lot of buyers and sellers throughout ebay and bricklink, but yet transactions happen every day.

I think Jeff is right, but we must all admit, if everyone says something is a winner (set) and everyone buys it, it takes longer for set to be appreciated OVERALL.

I just dont see Fire Brigade doing even REMOTELY well compared to other modulars or exclusives. It will not loose value but I think it might take twice the time to appreciate quarter as much as Green Grocer.

I think us, users can easily derail the investment.

If we go in example. We all say on forums how something will be awesome 80% investors listens to Brickpicker ocmmunity (only those reading) and for example some of us buys something else off radar and make better and faster profit.

Brickpicker is becoming the Media, and I foresee that in time when Brickpicker really becomes popular (common knowledge) it might very well happen that sets that Brickpicker forums proclaim as winners, to avoid, because so many will jump on the train we might have 3-4 years for a set to break 1,5x retail because so many will be unloading etc.

Its just a thought but I see it that way, it always happened similarly in history of investing/collecting.

[dakotahorn]

Good stay away from my SW Planet series. None of you guys like them anyway... and you know it. Lol

[Anakinisvader]

Good stay away from my SW Planet series. None of you guys like them anyway... and you know it.

Lol

I love the planet sets.... ON FIRE!!!! Bwu Ha ha ha ha ha ha (evil laugh)

[emes]

I think the big key here is that we get caught up in this small community and think that everyone out there is investing in Lego sets, when in fact, we are still a very very small portion of the community. There are more of us now than there were a year ago, but the fact remains that there are way more buyers than investors. In fact, I would say that most of the people that start collecting Lego sets end up selling their sets early to get out of it. I know I almost did when I realized how much I had plunked down on sets over the course of a few months. A lot of new investors will realize that it may not be worth turning a $150 set into $400 over the course of 2 years when you have to deal with storage, shipping, potential set damage, auction fees, having that money tied up for 2 years, etc. There is a huge downside to investing in legos and I think the only people who do it are people that love the product. I also think that it is even more rare for an investor on here to have SEVERAL copies of high dollar sets laying around. Sure, I know some do, but the average investor on here doesn't have 20 Tower Bridges laying around their house..... It's just not feasible... I think most only have a few copies of each set laying around and once they sell off their spare copies, that is one less competitor and every one else's price goes up.

The bottom line is that it never hurts to help other people in this area when you can share knowledge and build a better collector/investor community. We all share the same passion for Legos and it is nice to see such a helpful community.

This...best post in a long time.

[comicblast]

This...best post in a long time.

I agree... Most, if not all of us are here because we love Legos. NOT because we desperately need money. Its just a hobby that you can make money on as a bonus!

[Jeff Mack]

Brickpicker is becoming the Media, and I foresee that in time when Brickpicker really becomes popular (common knowledge) it might very well happen that sets that Brickpicker forums proclaim as winners, to avoid, because so many will jump on the train we might have 3-4 years for a set to break 1,5x retail because so many will be unloading etc.

We are still a small little spec in the world of LEGO, sure new people find us everyday, and even if we grow 10x what we are now, it is still small in the overall fanbase of LEGO. There will always be plenty of people that will never know who we are. Even Brickset is constantly getting new people and that site has been around for 15 years.

Sadly there are also plenty of suckers out there that will buy a set or anything else for that matter at any given price. There will always be a core group of super serious investors, the average, the newbie and the ones that just don't know what the heck they are doing It all averages out.

[mayor]

I think the big key here is that we get caught up in this small community and think that everyone out there is investing in Lego sets, when in fact, we are still a very very small portion of the community. There are more of us now than there were a year ago, but the fact remains that there are way more buyers than investors. In fact, I would say that most of the people that start collecting Lego sets end up selling their sets early to get out of it. I know I almost did when I realized how much I had plunked down on sets over the course of a few months. A lot of new investors will realize that it may not be worth turning a $150 set into $400 over the course of 2 years when you have to deal with storage, shipping, potential set damage, auction fees, having that money tied up for 2 years, etc. There is a huge downside to investing in legos and I think the only people who do it are people that love the product. I also think that it is even more rare for an investor on here to have SEVERAL copies of high dollar sets laying around. Sure, I know some do, but the average investor on here doesn't have 20 Tower Bridges laying around their house..... It's just not feasible... I think most only have a few copies of each set laying around and once they sell off their spare copies, that is one less competitor and every one else's price goes up.

The bottom line is that it never hurts to help other people in this area when you can share knowledge and build a better collector/investor community. We all share the same passion for Legos and it is nice to see such a helpful community.

[mayor]

i thought of getting 20 tower bridges, only have 10, but I do have 25 VW Vans. Great Lego model!!!!

[comicblast]

i thought of getting 20 tower bridges, only have 10, but I do have 25 VW Vans. Great Lego model!!!!

Woah...I stand...er sit in awe!

[Grolim]

There is some aspects of competition, yes. But as others have eloquently pointed out it depends on the selling point of each investor. We aren't all going to dump our inventory at the same time. Some will flip, some will hold short term, medium term, or long term, or forever! Different motivations for each. Plus there are different markets to sell in as well.

[Ed Mack]

I'm waiting 20 years so everybody is outta the business before I sell my sets! ;-)

[LEGO Oleg]

Here's a question for discussion. If most people here are investing in typically the same sets such as: Fire Brigade, Pet Shop, Vampyre's Castle, Helm's Deep etc... Won't this make us all competitors when it comes time to sell? I know we all have differen't thresholds for profit and selling but at one time or another there will be times when our selling will overlap with eachother. Let the friendly competition begin.

Hi, my competitors friends...

I make my own portfolio and recommend to read this forum and think not just do what other say,even me.

Like stock investing, nobody beats Price of Omaha (as u say POP). U need to feel how will set do in the future....nobody perfect, even me, LOL.

Competitors???...its so many ways for diversification and niches to sell....way to many for all of us. So.....We are friends? Again?

[Grolim]

I'm waiting 20 years so everybody is outta the business before I sell my sets! ;-)

haha, love it! I think that'll guarantee you being the only seller in the market. Name your own price!

[Ed Mack]

There is some aspects of competition, yes. But as others have eloquently pointed out it depends on the selling point of each investor. We aren't all going to dump our inventory at the same time. Some will flip, some will hold short term, medium term, or long term, or forever! Different motivations for each. Plus there are different markets to sell in as well.

Excellent point. Also, you have to take into consideration the influx of new LEGO fans. TLG is exploding in growth and the growth looks to continue. Many of these new fans will want these retired sets in several years or longer. The cycle will continue until there are more sellers than buyers.