Lord of the Rings/The Hobbit - general discussion

[glucapg]

How long do you think will be around this second wave of LOTR/Hobbit?

[glucapg]

Final results:

 

9 for Helm's Deep 

8 for Tower Of Ortanc

6 for Pirate Ship

4 for Unexpected Gathering

3 for Blackgate

3 for Barrel Escape

3 for Goblin King

3 for OrcForge

2 for Uruk-hay Army

2 for Wheathertop

2 for Shelob

2 for Mines of Moria

1 for Laketown

1 for Riddles for the Ring

[binici]

The ship and HD will do really well (big bang for you buck).

If you go into a Lego store, you'll notice a small qty of LotR sets...

[Bernard74]

So I took all of your advice and pulled the trigger on a HD set on EBay. It is open and used but seller claims it is 99.9% complete. From the pics it looked fine. I can handle picking up a few pieces online if need be.

It also came with Uruk-Hai army, Shelob set, all minifigs for those 3, plus all the minifigs (no set) from mines of moria.

I figure I might be able to sell the cave troll minifig and a few others and at least make back a little cash. Altogether, the lot was $152 plus $17 shipping.

Okay deal for my personal collection, you think?

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I'm sure you'll enjoy the build, it's one of my favourite sets. Only thing I would have liked is a way to get some of Haldir's elven archers to man the walls.

Other than Helm's Deep (& Uruk-Hai Army) I think Tower of Orthanc & Unexpected Gathering will be the most sought after sets in the future.

[4gotAboutDre]

I'm sure you'll enjoy the build, it's one of my favourite sets. Only thing I would have liked is a way to get some of Haldir's elven archers to man the walls.

Other than Helm's Deep (& Uruk-Hai Army) I think Tower of Orthanc & Unexpected Gathering will be the most sought after sets in the future.

Just got it in the mail today. It does indeed come with all the extra minifigs from moria and the full sets of Shelob and urak-hai army. I'm sure I can use some elven archers from mirkwood to make up for Haldir's forces, I'm not picky.

It came in lots of big freezer bags partially built so half the fun was taking apart all the partially built pieces. They are dusty and a little dirty so it looks like it's all been on display a long time.

This weekend I will put everything back together. Exciting times!! Definitely the coolest lego castle and LoTR set they have made. No doubt a sound investment for those of you who have stocked up.

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[romoore245]

Reading some of these past responses, little confused about the negative on the goblin king. I picked one up for $51.50 and there were two more but wasn't sure if the set would be worth extras or not?

[zskid00]

The Goblin King was heavily discounted most of the time it was available which means there wasn't much demand for it.  It did have a very short run of only about 12 months so it does have that going for it if the Hobbit sets pick up some steam post-retirement.  The minifigures should be a good draw with the goblins and dwarves being (and probably staying) exclusive to the set.  I can't see this one taking off like Helm's Deep or even the Pirate Ship eventually, but you really can't go wrong for $51.50.  I would probably pick up a couple more at that price but I am pretty high on LOTR/Hobbit and would love the extra sets for my personal collection even if the line doesn't perform all that well.

[templesweeper]

How do we know if a line is performing well.  Does Lego release that kind of sales info?  Or do we just make assumptions based on how long/often a set goes on sale.

[Bernard74]

They give some information about sales per theme in their annual report.

http://aboutus.lego.com/en-us/news-room/2014/february/annual-result-2013

Apparantly themes like City and Creator are still their biggest money makers.

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[templesweeper]

When you say they are their biggest money-makeres, is that in total sales, or total profit?  I would imagine that their Star Wars, Lord of the Rings and Super Hero lines would be harder for them to net as much profit because of the licensing fees.  Maybe not?

[romoore245]

Still bargain shopping found this at a few locations for $69 (passed) but online it is much less strange.

 

LEGO The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug Dol Guldur Battle Play Set $51.57

http://www.walmart.com/ip/LEGO-The-Hobbit-The-Desolation-of-Smaug-Dol-Guldur-Battle-Play-Set/25710572

[zskid00]

How do we know if a line is performing well.  Does Lego release that kind of sales info?  Or do we just make assumptions based on how long/often a set goes on sale.

 

I think the biggest indicator would have to be the growth in secondary market prices after a set retires or when it goes out of stock from retailers for an extended period.  There are so many factors that come into play when a set is still being produced that it would be hard to tell exactly how well it is selling, especially when you consider that sales vary from region to region.

[glenbart]

Goblin sales according to John Lewis website, 4 sold in 14 days, 816 remaining.

[Bernard74]

When you say they are their biggest money-makeres, is that in total sales, or total profit?  I would imagine that their Star Wars, Lord of the Rings and Super Hero lines would be harder for them to net as much profit because of the licensing fees.  Maybe not?

 

What I meant was biggest sellers, but to be 100% accurate, they didn't give away any figures they just made the following comments. In the summary on the website they say:

 

In 2013 evergreen product lines, such as LEGO

[romoore245]

Well I returned the Goblin King set to a different store that hadn't marked it down as much and without a receipt they let me do an exchange for a Friends DC thus getting it for the online price in store, then I waited a week and purchased two goblin king sets for $34.50 each. I think this is a safer price point, though I wasn't intent on selling I may be for a little while since I also purchased 11 unexpected gatherings sets as well. My big question is are any of the figures in these sets worth removing them and selling separate? 

[Guest TabbyBoy]

The more time goes on, the less faith I have in these 2 themes. Even months after EOL, prices are struggling to get even close to RRP. Out of both themes I think Tower of Orthanc is the only one worth getting, Helm's Deep, Orc Forge & Weathertop have been very disappointing. StarWars is timeless but, LOTR will soon be forgotten.

[matt1147]

I still have faith... I know there are diehard LOTR fans. But it is disappointing that the retired sets aren't taking off big time....

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Visit my eBay store: http://stores.ebay.com/mo-state-bricks

[glenbart]

Faith is one thing.... But I bet the people with over 43 LOTR sets are praying for a ******* miracle!

[Veegs]

The more time goes on, the less faith I have in these 2 themes. Even months after EOL, prices are struggling to get even close to RRP. Out of both themes I think Tower of Orthanc is the only one worth getting, Helm's Deep, Orc Forge & Weathertop have been very disappointing. StarWars is timeless but, LOTR will soon be forgotten.

 

I think this might be the canary in the coal mine, so to speak - the first waves were still around at retail (for sure online) long after the USA Today article and I think are a key indicator of what post EOL themes might be like in the future (unless they are less than 18 months at retail).  Since so many got in so low (well below MSRP) I'm not actually that shocked they haven't skyrocketed yet.  I still think growth will be decent by Oct. - Nov. this year, but not like the growth we've seen with past sets/themes.

[studontop]

I believe the key to LOTR is patience. I'll admit that I'm pretty biased with the theme especially wave 1, here's why:

1.Relatively short run incensed set that won't seem to go on forever like Star Wars.

2. BP, no not brick picker... BEST PICTURE!

It might sound silly, but I believe there is massive potential for these sets based on it's cinematic merit. HP is a bestseller, so is LOTR. Star wars has a ridiculous fan base, LOTR has a respectable following (not as crazy as SW, but respectable) How many sets can boast that their theme won an astounding 11 academy awards including best picture? Only LOTR. LOTR will undeniably go down in history as a 'classic'.

[allen9917]

1. Is it just a coincidence that only UK folks are down on the LotR sets? Maybe the theme is just not for the UK or EU market.

 

2. Can we have some patience here? I dont have a lot of experience but a winner set doesn't always mean it will skyrocket within a few months after EOL. Lego collectors are not stupid. They look for ways to buy the sets they love for cheap. Give some time for new collectors to develop their interest. By the meantime you earn your profit by outpatient other sellers willing to sell for low.

 

3. Do you really expect a big secondary market price increase when lots of potential buyers are recovering from post holiday stress syndrome?     

[CNH1974]

People seem to be wanting instant returns again as soon as a set goes EOL.

It could take a few years to see a decent return. Just because the FB doubled in a month does not mean the LOTR range will also. As Allen says..... Patience

Also HD is already above its UK RRP.

[Alcarin]

I think this line will do well (especially if its over) and even if there is 1 more wave....(which I hope for from collector point of view)

 

I expect ALL of wave 1 sets to hit atleast 25% above RETAIL value by next Christmas(2015).... (some even more)

 

Which looks great for me!

[glenbart]

Yeah, they are not too bad really, a lot of the superheroes sets that were doing well such as hulks helicarriers and caps avenging cycle are now gravitating back down towards to original RRP with the appearance of the figures remakes, the other superheroes sets are also just floating above RRP, well after you've paid fees. Stars wars sets are likewise.

[glenbart]

This Lego investing game has more sides than some kind of dohecadedronoid, some sets are good quick flippers, some mid term, long term, fast sellers, steady appreciators, yo-yo's....