Deal of the Decade!!! (Graded LEGO sets)

[stephen_rockefeller]

http://www.ebay.com/itm/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=221118362578&item=221118362578&lgeo=1&vectorid=229466

[Rich B]

haha what a joke!

[stephen_rockefeller]

I was so busy being sarcastic i forgot to ask my question........does anyone know where to get your sets graded and put in a plastic case like that? Its kinda cool I think.

[Ed Mack]

I was so busy being sarcastic i forgot to ask my question........does anyone know where to get your sets graded and put in a plastic case like that? Its kinda cool I think.

http://www.toygrader.com/

[Huskers1236]

http://www.toygrader.com/

I used to be very active in sports cards, and grading became huge around a decade or so ago. I have just started to see these "graded" Lego sets on ebay and I wonder how they are setting the market on them. Early on in sports cards, graded cards were the Wild West, you had no idea what the card was going to sell for and some were outrageous, $100 cards that were graded Gem Mint becoming $10,000 cards overnight.

If graded Lego starts to become the norm as graded cards did, hopefully there will be official pricing services, such as a site like this, to help monitor these sales and create valuations based on sales like Beckett did for graded cards. I think there should be a premium on sets like these that are encased, and proven by a 3rd party that the set is in fact, MISB. As opposed to someone's claim that a box is "mint", and turns out to have wear and creases.

I assume this company has set certain standards to create their different grading criteria and are thorough and steady with their grading. Ball cards saw many cut rate grading companies, and many of them went by the wayside while a couple stood strong for their consistent and difficult grading and not giving away "Perfect 10"'s away like candy.

I personally like the cases just to use for safety of special sets, they would come in handy to keep sets safe and be stackable to save space.

[Ed Mack]

http://www.toygrader.com/

I used to be very active in sports cards, and grading became huge around a decade or so ago. I have just started to see these "graded" Lego sets on ebay and I wonder how they are setting the market on them. Early on in sports cards, graded cards were the Wild West, you had no idea what the card was going to sell for and some were outrageous, $100 cards that were graded Gem Mint becoming $10,000 cards overnight.

If graded Lego starts to become the norm as graded cards did, hopefully there will be official pricing services, such as a site like this, to help monitor these sales and create valuations based on sales like Beckett did for graded cards. I think there should be a premium on sets like these that are encased, and proven by a 3rd party that the set is in fact, MISB. As opposed to someone's claim that a box is "mint", and turns out to have wear and creases.

I assume this company has set certain standards to create their different grading criteria and are thorough and steady with their grading. Ball cards saw many cut rate grading companies, and many of them went by the wayside while a couple stood strong for their consistent and difficult grading and not giving away "Perfect 10"'s away like candy.

I personally like the cases just to use for safety of special sets, they would come in handy to keep sets safe and be stackable to save space.

Very interesting topic and one that you will probably hear more about in the future. I can see people taking advantage of such situations and investing several hundred dollars in a fancy case and charging potential buyers thousands for the graded LEGO set.

My question to the LEGO investor out there is this...How do you trust a "graded" LEGO set? How can you be certain that a complete set is actually within a LEGO box without breaking the seals? And if the seals are broken to check, how is it still considered MISB?

[stephen_rockefeller]

http://www.toygrader.com/

I used to be very active in sports cards, and grading became huge around a decade or so ago. I have just started to see these "graded" Lego sets on ebay and I wonder how they are setting the market on them. Early on in sports cards, graded cards were the Wild West, you had no idea what the card was going to sell for and some were outrageous, $100 cards that were graded Gem Mint becoming $10,000 cards overnight.

If graded Lego starts to become the norm as graded cards did, hopefully there will be official pricing services, such as a site like this, to help monitor these sales and create valuations based on sales like Beckett did for graded cards. I think there should be a premium on sets like these that are encased, and proven by a 3rd party that the set is in fact, MISB. As opposed to someone's claim that a box is "mint", and turns out to have wear and creases.

I assume this company has set certain standards to create their different grading criteria and are thorough and steady with their grading. Ball cards saw many cut rate grading companies, and many of them went by the wayside while a couple stood strong for their consistent and difficult grading and not giving away "Perfect 10"'s away like candy.

I personally like the cases just to use for safety of special sets, they would come in handy to keep sets safe and be stackable to save space.

hey Ed were you skeptical of getting into LEGO investing after what happened yo baseball cards? I know I would definitely be!!

[Ed Mack]

http://www.toygrader.com/

I used to be very active in sports cards, and grading became huge around a decade or so ago. I have just started to see these "graded" Lego sets on ebay and I wonder how they are setting the market on them. Early on in sports cards, graded cards were the Wild West, you had no idea what the card was going to sell for and some were outrageous, $100 cards that were graded Gem Mint becoming $10,000 cards overnight.

If graded Lego starts to become the norm as graded cards did, hopefully there will be official pricing services, such as a site like this, to help monitor these sales and create valuations based on sales like Beckett did for graded cards. I think there should be a premium on sets like these that are encased, and proven by a 3rd party that the set is in fact, MISB. As opposed to someone's claim that a box is "mint", and turns out to have wear and creases.

I assume this company has set certain standards to create their different grading criteria and are thorough and steady with their grading. Ball cards saw many cut rate grading companies, and many of them went by the wayside while a couple stood strong for their consistent and difficult grading and not giving away "Perfect 10"'s away like candy.

I personally like the cases just to use for safety of special sets, they would come in handy to keep sets safe and be stackable to save space.

hey Ed were you skeptical of getting into LEGO investing after what happened yo baseball cards? I know I would definitely be!!I collected years ago and for fun...before it became a business for collector's. I don't think the Baseball card market is a direct comparison to the LEGO investment market. As I stated in the article about the potential LEGO bubble, there are similarities but the LEGO market has not spiked like the Baseball market did. There are many LEGO losers out there. I am all on board with LEGO investment and hope it remains solid. I think the LEGO market more closely resembles the Barbie Doll investment market. I have a new article coming out in the next day or two about that exact topic.

[azalon]

That's a pretty good grade for such a large box set. I'm sure it cost the seller a few hundred dollars to ship and grade it, but it only takes one buyer at say, 4K?, to make it pretty advantageous for the seller based on the current selling prices for #10179. I can see some collectors being willing to shell out extra for some smaller highly graded sets that display well on the shelf. The MF? Not so much, but as I said, it only takes one buyer. I would just hate to get a scratch on the acrylic case . . .

[stephen_rockefeller]

I thought about doing this for my 10188, but then I remember all my tragic Lego shipping stories and decided against it (for now). I would die if anything happened to what I consider my close to 10 10188. I wonder if the cost to grade and case a set depends on the current market value? Most people agree that this set will do well in the secondary market but I believe this set will far exceed expectations, just my amateur opinion though!

[Ed Mack]

I love the look of the acrylic cases, but there is something inherently wrong with sealing up a LEGO set. Just my opinion.

[chinothegeeko]

With some recent talk about graded sets, was wondering what everyone felt about possibly grading any of their investment sets? I for one own a few AFA graded sets, (7786, 7153, 4502) and love the look it gives and the highest quality preservation. I'm up in the air about getting some other sets graded for both investment purposes and personal preferences. I am an opener and builder first but the sets I really love, I normally try and keep a sealed set too. Was thinking of getting death star graded along with some SW polybags to get opened and designated uncirculated grade.

[jaisonline]

With some recent talk about graded sets, was wondering what everyone felt about possibly grading any of their investment sets?

I for one own a few AFA graded sets, (7786, 7153, 4502) and love the look it gives and the highest quality preservation. I'm up in the air about getting some other sets graded for both investment purposes and personal preferences.

I am an opener and builder first but the sets I really love, I normally try and keep a sealed set too.

Was thinking of getting death star graded along with some SW polybags to get opened and designated uncirculated grade.

not sure if you want to invoke a stirring debate or you're serious.

my thoughts...

"love the look it gives and the highest quality preservation".

- I agree but acrylic cases can be purchased online (even from AFA).

"...as thinking of getting death star graded along with some SW polybags to get opened and designated uncirculated grade."

- Why have AFA open sealed sets / polys just to get the U-Grade? It exactly isn't uncirculated as AFA employees did touch the items. Nevertheless, I can't even think how U-Grade bagged Lego elements would look in acrylic cases. Afa does throw away the box...

[Mos_Eisley]

I think the acrylic cases are nice, but as Jais stated, you can purchase just the acrylic cases without getting the grading done. As I stated in the other thread, I think grading LEGO sets adds very little value. It certainly doesn't turn a $300 set into a $2000 set. Getting sets graded is not difficult or that costly in the scheme of things. I would say a $300 set would cost around $100-$150 to have shipped, graded and shipped back. In my opinion, that $300 set would now sell for $550-600 at the most, and I still wouldn't pay that since anyone can buy a clean set, get it graded and have the same exact thing for around $450. If graded sets ever get any traction, the asking prices on ebay will be WAY under what Brick Envy is asking because performing the grading service for someone is not worth hundreds to thousands as a service charge.

[LowestFormOfWit]

I think the grading is practically pointless. You're playing a dangerous game trying to cater to the kind of crowd who will pay top dollar for top quality. It's a niche in a niche market, and Brickenvy, simplyvintagecollectables, and others have it pretty locked down.

[stephen_rockefeller]

I might be missing something but almost all of brickenvys AFA sold auctions are best offer so do we know how much they actually sold for?

[Mos_Eisley]

I think the grading is practically pointless. You're playing a dangerous game trying to cater to the kind of crowd who will pay top dollar for top quality. It's a niche in a niche market, and Brickenvy, simplyvintagecollectables, and others have it pretty locked down.

They only have it locked down right now because nobody else is doing it. They could easily be undercut by more than 50% on a lot of the items and the seller would still make a good profit on having the set graded.

[Grolim]

I think it limits your potential buyers greatly as well. It means now only serious collectors will want it, not builders. So if a few people start doing it then the over supply will bring the price down, perhaps to a point that is well lower than the margin on the grading costs.

[akohns]

I love the look of the acrylic cases, but there is something inherently wrong with sealing up a LEGO set. Just my opinion.

Probably gives Han deja vu haha.

Maybe they need to make custom cases that hold the assembled sets...

I feel like this is stupid in comparison to Baseball cards because the cards can still perform the same function sealed in a case as it does outside of the case... the legos cannot, unless you see the only function of legos is to rot inside the box for the next 100 years. In that case you certainly don't have true love for these toys.

[StarPod]

I think it limits your potential buyers greatly as well. It means now only serious collectors will want it, not builders. So if a few people start doing it then the over supply will bring the price down, perhaps to a point that is well lower than the margin on the grading costs.

Actually I think not as much as you think

Think of the Star Wars figures hasbro made back in the 70s. Boba get fetches around 1,000 not graded. The person spending that type of money has no intention of opening it being you can buy a opened one for around 15 bucks. Same goes for the 10179. You can buy it used for significantly cheaper. It only makes sense in my mind the person buying it to build would buy a opened one instead of a new one

[Mos_Eisley]

A lot of older, sealed sets are bought by adults who intend to open and build the set. Plenty of people want to build their set from brand new elements that are generally all accounted for and haven't been touched by anyone else. Of course there is a market for new and used sets, but I know plenty of people are cracking open those expensive sets, but I can't do it.

[chinothegeeko]

not sure if you want to invoke a stirring debate or you're serious.

my thoughts...

"love the look it gives and the highest quality preservation".

- I agree but acrylic cases can be purchased online (even from AFA).

"...as thinking of getting death star graded along with some SW polybags to get opened and designated uncirculated grade."

- Why have AFA open sealed sets / polys just to get the U-Grade? It exactly isn't uncirculated as AFA employees did touch the items. Nevertheless, I can't even think how U-Grade bagged Lego elements would look in acrylic cases. Afa does throw away the box...

I'm totally serious! My main question was, Is anyone planning to get their investment sets graded? As some do sell for much higher if they are graded.

As for the polybag, I don't care about the uncirculated grade, I just don't think AFA grades loose legos(could be wrong) so you have to send it in the poly, they open it and assemble it and case it. Looks great.

[chinothegeeko]

Also, a lot of comments sound like the people from when action figures started to get graded. "nobody will want them, I'm not paying that price for that" etc. etc. Now it took off to a point that is insane. Look at all the gi joes, transformers, and star wars that have jumped up in ridulous fashion just because it was graded. I'm not trying to argue, but was just wondering if any of you think it would be a good idea to grade some of the rarer sets if the boxes have a chance to grade 90 or higher?

[jaisonline]

Also,

a lot of comments sound like the people from when action figures started to get graded. "nobody will want them, I'm not paying that price for that" etc. etc. Now it took off to a point that is insane. Look at all the gi joes, transformers, and star wars that have jumped up in ridulous fashion just because it was graded.

I'm not trying to argue, but was just wondering if any of you think it would be a good idea to grade some of the rarer sets if the boxes have a chance to grade 90 or higher?

I agree about the figs (especially SW, SP, Indy Jones, Transformers, GI Joe, etc...). Same for cards. Unfort comics also sell higher if AFA graded. I even have AFA graded rare Kenner SW items. However, you wrote about "U-Grading" Lego items. The U-Grade will actually sell for less than leaving those very same sets sealed and ungraded 95% of the time.

[Studebricker]

 

Also, a lot of comments sound like the people from when action figures started to get graded. "nobody will want them, I'm not paying that price for that" etc. etc. Now it took off to a point that is insane. Look at all the gi joes, transformers, and star wars that have jumped up in ridulous fashion just because it was graded. I'm not trying to argue, but was just wondering if any of you think it would be a good idea to grade some of the rarer sets if the boxes have a chance to grade 90 or higher?

I think the difference is, those other things are more likely to be collected and not opened. Whereas Lego is more likely to be opened eventually, so yah, I don't see graded Lego boxes really taking off.