Investing in the UK

[MrGold]

I want to invest into some lego sets for future resale, I need to buy from uk and it seems hard to get a good deal and looks as though it's more expensive than the U.S it's like

[Alcarin]

I want to invest into some lego sets for future resale, I need to buy from uk and it seems hard to get a good deal and looks as though it's more expensive than the U.S it's like

[MrGold]

Ok, you got anything for me to invest into right now? I have about

[gefmayhem]

Its worth checking the major supermarkets regularly for reduced things - Tescos in Perth had Gandalf Returns and Iron Man v (the baddie from the new film) for

[Alcarin]

Ok, you got anything for me to invest into right now? I have about

[MrGold]

Tesco near me are selling gandalf returns for

[MrGold]

I know some of you said no to small sets but

[Grolim]

Fairly good price for the Gandalf, it wouldn't be a bad option perhaps. Any chance of taking advantage of the UK high prices by importing from the US and quick flipping? There may be a few gems out there you can do that on.

[MrGold]

I'll look into it! Thanks for the reply! How many Gandalf should I invest into?

[CNH1974]

I bought four Gandalfs last week! Slightly confused though, you want to buy in the UK to make a profit in the US? Usually it's the other way around. You can do a quick flip within the UK/EU market place. Lots of people are doing that with 10193 which went EOL last November. eBay price immediately shot up by 30% to

[Alcarin]

I bought four Gandalfs last week!

Slightly confused though, you want to buy in the UK to make a profit in the US? Usually it's the other way around.

You can do a quick flip within the UK/EU market place. Lots of people are doing that with 10193 which went EOL last November. eBay price immediately shot up by 30% to

[gefmayhem]

Fairly good price for the Gandalf, it wouldn't be a bad option perhaps.

Any chance of taking advantage of the UK high prices by importing from the US and quick flipping? There may be a few gems out there you can do that on.

Main problem with that is you know how much you've paid for an item, you know what the postage will be and then you get hammered with import duty.

It can add a lot to the cost of importing sets

[CNH1974]

My plan is to keep most sets I buy for a number of years. But I do tend to keep to the larger sets. But looking at sales of EOL sets in the UK the ROI seems to be similar. So if their RRP was 30% above the US price their EOL prices are similarly higher. This is not represented on all sets. When we get the UK data on the site hopefully this will become clearer

[Alcarin]

My plan is to keep most sets I buy for a number of years. But I do tend to keep to the larger sets.

But looking at sales of EOL sets in the UK the ROI seems to be similar. So if their RRP was 30% above the US price their EOL prices are similarly higher. This is not represented on all sets. When we get the UK data on the site hopefully this will become clearer

You are right, but the important detail is

if you are competitive on US Ebay with prices it means you will sell probably 3 times faster....

Your plan is perfect for Europe situation but for your plan choosing sets like Gandalf arrives is a waste of money imo....

even if it doubles you're better of saving cash and buying some set on 50 pounds instead...

less work for same profit.

[CNH1974]

Whilst I tend to stick to larger sets, sometimes smaller sets can be lucrative. It's about diversification. Smaller sets are easy to package up and cheaper to post. Buying small sets at at RRP is a bit pointless though. In terms of pricing I have learnt whilst doing eBay, the majority of users stick to their local site. Which is good from a sellers point of view. Because of this UK prices tend to remain in their own small bubble.

[Alcarin]

Whilst I tend to stick to larger sets, sometimes smaller sets can be lucrative. It's about diversification. Smaller sets are easy to package up and cheaper to post. Buying small sets at at RRP is a bit pointless though.

In terms of pricing I have learnt whilst doing eBay, the majority of users stick to their local site. Which is good from a sellers point of view. Because of this UK prices tend to remain in their own small bubble.

Alot of buyers does not have LOCAL site....

And by doing this you're limiting yourself to atleast 25% if not much more of buyers base and lowering chances of selling...

It goes similar to this. EUROPE

1. Buying set on RETAIL = have to wait 3-5 years after EOL to sell it on decent price (usually double retail)

2. Buying set on 5-25% below retail = could flip it fast for around 10% profit (25% discount) OR wait 1-4 years for decent price (usually double retail)

3. Buying set on 30-50% off = can flip it now for 15-35% profit or wait 1-2 years after EOL for decent price (usually double retail)

Number 2 sounds great BUT we have to keep in mind people from different countries will only buy our set in number 2 bracket if

1. The shipping does not exceed their local RETAIL

2. Local online sellers cannot or do not want to offer set on same or cheaper price (since shipping is cheaper)

If you can get set on Number 3 option above it means you got a winner for whole or 95% of European union... Especially if that is 40% or more off.

Number 1 = limited to long waiting (no other chance)

Number 2 = limited to your own country or long waiting (and even then you cannot get amazing profit in your own country unless you got a limited sale not nation wide distributer sale(large markets in every city)

Number 3 = competitive more or less everywhere unless your post office prices are crazy but even then you can sell it for small profit easily

[CNH1974]

Alot of buyers does not have LOCAL site....

And by doing this you're limiting yourself to atleast 25% if not much more of buyers base and lowering chances of selling...

It goes similar to this. EUROPE

1. Buying set on RETAIL = have to wait 3-5 years after EOL to sell it on decent price (usually double retail)

2. Buying set on 5-25% below retail = could flip it fast for around 10% profit (25% discount) OR wait 1-4 years for decent price (usually double retail)

3. Buying set on 30-50% off = can flip it now for 15-35% profit or wait 1-2 years after EOL for decent price (usually double retail)

Number 2 sounds great BUT we have to keep in mind people from different countries will only buy our set in number 2 bracket if

1. The shipping does not exceed their local RETAIL

2. Local online sellers cannot or do not want to offer set on same or cheaper price (since shipping is cheaper)

If you can get set on Number 3 option above it means you got a winner for whole or 95% of European union... Especially if that is 40% or more off.

Number 1 = limited to long waiting (no other chance)

Number 2 = limited to your own country or long waiting (and even then you cannot get amazing profit in your own country unless you got a limited sale not nation wide distributer sale(large markets in every city)

Number 3 = competitive more or less everywhere unless your post office prices are crazy but even then you can sell it for small profit easily

I agree, I am lucky to be in a large Ebay market which has enough sales to reach its own pricing levels. Very few UK people look outside of Ebay UK. Which from our (local) point of view is good. It also means I can buy at UK RRP and will still make money (hopefully). Of course I try to avoid this.

And it does lead to some very large price discrepanices. A case in point 10217 Diagon Alley. Went EOL in Europe, 6 months before the US. So the Ebay UK price (and probably the rest of the EU) was twice the price of Ebay US. ANd people here were happy to pay it. There was so much difference I queried it with Ed/Jeff which was when they told me about the staggered EOL.

I assume your number 2 is on sets that are not yet EOL.

[Alcarin]

yeah every point (1-3) is about buying set in store now and carrying it home... then from there my theory expands... Maybe i forgot number 4 to conclude theory and in that number store closing and ridiculous discounts fall like some guy scoring Planet series fro mSW for 1$ .... thats a no brainer though :P

[MrGold]

I just purchased 3 gandalf arrives for $9.94 each, flip or keep for 4 years?

[CNH1974]

I doubt the eBay prices will be higher than what you paid for it. Keep until they go EOL.

[MrGold]

what do you think they will rise to eventually?

[CNH1974]

Who knows.... It may go to

[MrGold]

ah awesome! Thanks! Should I invest into the Urak hai army for

[CNH1974]

I'm trying to get those for

[MrGold]

i'm in the uk tesco are doing them for