Ninjago discontinued? Maybe not...

[TheOrcKing]

Okay, first off I have no inside source or wierd mystical power, alright.

Got it?....Good.

Only earlier did I come across this article on "theBrickBlogger" talking about the "Ninjago ending in 2013" rap that we've all heard the beejeezus out of.

Here's the link.

theBrickBlogger.com - LEGO Ninjago in 2013 and beyond?

Now to me, it sounds like LEGO has no intention of ending NINJAGO real soon. It actually sounds more like NINJAGO will go on for ANOTHER WHOLE YEAR!

....But does that mean it will still be discontinued?

Well, atleast at this point, the 'end of line' date is pushed further than what was originally thought (which was leaning more towards the beginning of the year instead of the end of it). Then again, LEGO might not discontinue the series for even longer still. I mean, look how long BIONICLE ran before they discontinued that series? 10 YEARS!!! And now we have HERO FACTORY, so in way, BIONICLE never really went away now did it?

Who knows, maybe instead of the sets being discontinued, it's the TV series that is going to be canceled.

Whatever...

Look, I don't know what the heck's going on with NINJAGO or who even started the 'discontinued in 2013' rumor (which honestly, that's probably all it is).

All I'm going to say is...

"NINJA-GO!"

[Ed Mack]

Nice find... I'll keep it short. It's all about the money. If the Ninjago theme is as popular as The LEGO Group says it is (and appears to be from sales and prices), there is NO WAY in Hades that the theme will be discontinued. Just sayin'...

[stephen_rockefeller]

I hope it does get discontinued soon.....prices would sky rocket don't you think?? I need to get on the bus with this theme before I miss it!

[Ed Mack]

I hope it does get discontinued soon.....prices would sky rocket don't you think?? I need to get on the bus with this theme before I miss it!

It all depends on what replaces it. If some kind of kick butt theme replaces it, maybe not. But I think what kids like about the theme is the gaming aspect of it and the collectible cards from the spinners, so my guess would be that the Ninjago secondary market would do very well if the theme ended in 2013.

[CelesAurivern]

It all depends on what replaces it. If some kind of kick butt theme replaces it, maybe not. But I think what kids like about the theme is the gaming aspect of it and the collectible cards from the spinners, so my guess would be that the Ninjago secondary market would do very well if the theme ended in 2013.As you say, it's what kids like about the theme.

Sure, it would appreciate a little, but I doubt there's enough demand from AFOLs, the real market drivers, to make prices skyrocket.

You'd be better off parking your cash in a Haunted House or Jabba's Palace.

[Ed Mack]

It all depends on what replaces it. If some kind of kick butt theme replaces it, maybe not. But I think what kids like about the theme is the gaming aspect of it and the collectible cards from the spinners, so my guess would be that the Ninjago secondary market would do very well if the theme ended in 2013.As you say, it's what kids like about the theme.

Sure, it would appreciate a little, but I doubt there's enough demand from AFOLs, the real market drivers, to make prices skyrocket.

You'd be better off parking your cash in a Haunted House or Jabba's Palace.

I like the Haunted House and Jabba's Palace, but you really need to look at Ninjago set data before making such assumptions. Most Ninjago sets are less than 2 years old and most are still available, yet there are Ninjago sets that have appreciated 200%. The real market drivers of LEGO sets are kids. The secondary market is chump change in the entire LEGO sales picture and AFOLs overestimate their true effect on market prices.

The problem with a Haunted House is that every Tom, Dick or Harry will have one, or two or three. How valuable will they become? They need to be rare to be valuable and I get the sense they won't be rare enough to make huge gains in the secondary market.

[CelesAurivern]

I like the Haunted House and Jabba's Palace, but you really need to look at Ninjago set data before making such assumptions. Most Ninjago sets are less than 2 years old and most are still available, yet there are Ninjago sets that have appreciated 200%. The real market drivers of LEGO sets are kids. The secondary market is chump change in the entire LEGO sales picture and AFOLs overestimate their true effect on market prices.

The problem with a Haunted House is that every Tom, **** or Harry will have one, or two or three. How valuable will they become? They need to be rare to be valuable and I get the sense they won't be rare enough to make huge gains in the secondary market.

Now I'm interested, sir. Which Ninjago sets have made those gains?

Any recommendations on which ones(that are still at RRP) to pick up?

Of course, I totally agree that kids are the primary market for the LEGO group.

But I meant my market, as a reseller, is primarily driven by AFOLs.

I don't expect to sell my MISB Imperial Flagship to a kid for 500 bucks a few years down the road.

Neither would I expect some parent to buy it for his/her kid for 500 bucks.

[Ed Mack]

Now I'm interested, sir. Which Ninjago sets have made those gains?

Any recommendations on which ones(that are still at RRP) to pick up?

Of course, I totally agree that kids are the primary market for the LEGO group.

But I meant my market, as a reseller, is primarily driven by AFOLs.

I don't expect to sell my MISB Imperial Flagship to a kid for 500 bucks a few years down the road.

Neither would I expect some parent to buy it for his/her kid for 500 bucks.

Check it out... Remember one thing...Today's kids are tomorrow's AFOLs. The sets that are hot today might be bought by kids when they get older and have some discretionary income to spend. There are many ways to make money investing in LEGO sets. Just don't underestimate the power of the Ninjago Spinner. ;-)

[CelesAurivern]

Check it out... Remember one thing...Today's kids are tomorrow's AFOLs. The sets that are hot today might be bought by kids when they get older and have some discretionary income to spend. There are many ways to make money investing in LEGO sets. Just don't underestimate the power of the Ninjago Spinner. ;-)

Haha, of the entire series, Nya was the only one I bought ause I thought she had a cool Chinese dress print.

But back to the investment part and a few points on why I think Ninjago is a high risk-low gain investment.

1. As I think most of us might agree, Ninjago is probably for elementary schoolers. I have reservations on if the current batch of elementary schoolers, when they reach adulthood, would still be interested to pick up toys they missed during their childhood.

Myself, I used to love Transformers and GI JOE. But would I pay 3 times the original RRP to pick up one today? It's a firm no. But that's just me

2. There are a lot of sets in the series. You'd need a really keen eye to know which set is the one that brings in the green. Sure, we can see Nya on the charts, and Lloyd ZX potentially, since it's been more overhyped than iPhone 5.

But also bear in mind these are small sets at 9.99 each. You'd have to hoard up quite a bit, then do a lot of transactions to resell everything, just to make a small gain.

Think penny stocks vs blue chips.

3. It an ongoing and untested series. 2011-2013?

We can't really tell if prices are going to shoot through the roof. (Though I doubt)

Any major investment at this point in time, I think, is still speculation.

Safer to bank on tried and tested series like Star Wars.

4. Your source matters and RRPs differ greatly depending on where you live.

I'm assuming the report is based in US RRP vs Ebay global sales.

USA has the cheapest RRP in the world. Anywhere else in the world, you risk paying 30-100% more if you get it from your local supplier. If you don't live in the Federation and plan to import from the Federation, bear in mind shipping, currency exchanges and taxes may wipe out any potential gains.

5. Ebay vs Bricklink: which channel you are selling by.

The appreciation level on these two mediums differ somewhat, if Nya is to be an example.

http://www.bricklink.com/catalogPG.asp?S=2172-1

If we observe the last 6 months data, we can see the average is a 40% appreciation.

I suspect a large number of purchases from Bricklink eventually end up on Ebay at higher prices.

[Rich B]

It all depends on what replaces it. If some kind of kick butt theme replaces it, maybe not. But I think what kids like about the theme is the gaming aspect of it and the collectible cards from the spinners, so my guess would be that the Ninjago secondary market would do very well if the theme ended in 2013.As you say, it's what kids like about the theme.

Sure, it would appreciate a little, but I doubt there's enough demand from AFOLs, the real market drivers, to make prices skyrocket.

You'd be better off parking your cash in a Haunted House or Jabba's Palace.

I like the Haunted House and Jabba's Palace, but you really need to look at Ninjago set data before making such assumptions. Most Ninjago sets are less than 2 years old and most are still available, yet there are Ninjago sets that have appreciated 200%. The real market drivers of LEGO sets are kids. The secondary market is chump change in the entire LEGO sales picture and AFOLs overestimate their true effect on market prices.

The problem with a Haunted House is that every Tom, **** or Harry will have one, or two or three. How valuable will they become? They need to be rare to be valuable and I get the sense they won't be rare enough to make huge gains in the secondary market.

Ed, I understand what you're saying about the Haunted House not being as rare as some of the Ninjago sets in years to come, however are you saying, or do you think the Haunted House is a bad investment altogether? IMO I still think it will do pretty well assuming it's off the shelves within 2 years or so, not 5 like the DS or MMV.......god those 2 sets are killing me

[TheOrcKing]

This may sound a little off-topic with what everyone here has been discussing, but here's an interesting thought. What if this whole 'official' announcement about NINJAGO being discontinued was an intentional 'leak' by LEGO just to get everybodys (collectors in particular, I believe) attention and even further increase sales? NINJAGO sets were doing pretty well to begin with, but it wasn't until very far into the themes' lifecycle did alot of collectors even notice these. I've been collecting these for myself ever since they very first came out because their similiar to the earlier NINJA theme they did about ten years ago (of which, those sets have tremendously gone up in value). But after that 'official' announcement, all of a sudden every NINJAGO set was flying off the shelves. Even the Spinners that were less popular than other Spinners sold out. The one that gets me is why the heck is Kai from the first line of Spinners worth so much?! For crying out, he's in SO many of the first run of sets, I have like four of him! Nya is one thing, Samurai-X is another, even Lloyd ZX makes sense. But basic, first run Kai? Ugh...whatever... After that auction involving the supposed promotional LEGENDS OF CHIMA set that was in a eBay auction nobody know about (not even LEGO?) until a month or so AFTER it ended, look at how much of a buzz that caused. Now EVERYBODY knows about this one of many themes coming next year. We even know the names of the first run of sets for it! It makes one think "just how much of a 'leak' are these actually?" Judging by the increased sales & hype, I'd say these 'leaks' were a hundred percent intentional. I also wonder, with the way technology is now, why the heck are the few pics for the LEGENDS OF CHIMA such crappy quality?! Seriously, with the bad grain and lousy resolution, they look like they were taken with a cheap camera! Regardless, I'm still going to keep collecting the NINJAGO sets until it actually DOES reach its 'end-of-line'. For better or worse.

[Ed Mack]

It all depends on what replaces it. If some kind of kick butt theme replaces it, maybe not. But I think what kids like about the theme is the gaming aspect of it and the collectible cards from the spinners, so my guess would be that the Ninjago secondary market would do very well if the theme ended in 2013.As you say, it's what kids like about the theme.

Sure, it would appreciate a little, but I doubt there's enough demand from AFOLs, the real market drivers, to make prices skyrocket.

You'd be better off parking your cash in a Haunted House or Jabba's Palace.

I like the Haunted House and Jabba's Palace, but you really need to look at Ninjago set data before making such assumptions. Most Ninjago sets are less than 2 years old and most are still available, yet there are Ninjago sets that have appreciated 200%. The real market drivers of LEGO sets are kids. The secondary market is chump change in the entire LEGO sales picture and AFOLs overestimate their true effect on market prices.

The problem with a Haunted House is that every Tom, Dick or Harry will have one, or two or three. How valuable will they become? They need to be rare to be valuable and I get the sense they won't be rare enough to make huge gains in the secondary market.

Ed, I understand what you're saying about the Haunted House not being as rare as some of the Ninjago sets in years to come, however are you saying, or do you think the Haunted House is a bad investment altogether? IMO I still think it will do pretty well assuming it's off the shelves within 2 years or so, not 5 like the DS or MMV.......god those 2 sets are killing meBy no means am I saying the Haunted House is a bad investment. I told people to buy 5 of them earlier today. LOL. The Haunted House is an easy choice for a future investment winner. A fantastic set!!! What I am saying is it is quite possible that its popularity will work against it ever achieving elite status after EOL. If everybody has one, how rare can it be or how much will people pay for it? On the other hand, if people shy away from it because they think everyone is buying it and why should they bother, then the Haunted House might be truly valuable after EOL. My original point was about Ninjago and not to underestimate that theme and that some AFOLs should pay attention to the snake men and dragons as potential big gainers.

[Ed Mack]

Haha, of the entire series, Nya was the only one I bought ause I thought she had a cool Chinese dress print.

But back to the investment part and a few points on why I think Ninjago is a high risk-low gain investment.

1. As I think most of us might agree, Ninjago is probably for elementary schoolers. I have reservations on if the current batch of elementary schoolers, when they reach adulthood, would still be interested to pick up toys they missed during their childhood.

Myself, I used to love Transformers and GI JOE. But would I pay 3 times the original RRP to pick up one today? It's a firm no. But that's just me I am a 44 year old man who thinks the Ninjago Dragon sets kick butt. I'm sure there are plenty of others. Seriously though, we AFOLs play with little plastic minifigures, is there really an adult theme in LEGO besides Architecture, Large Scale Models and Technic sets? I think anyone who invests and collects LEGO sets is an elementary schooler at heart. But that's just me... ;-)

2. There are a lot of sets in the series. You'd need a really keen eye to know which set is the one that brings in the green. Sure, we can see Nya on the charts, and Lloyd ZX potentially, since it's been more overhyped than iPhone 5.

But also bear in mind these are small sets at 9.99 each. You'd have to hoard up quite a bit, then do a lot of transactions to resell everything, just to make a small gain.

Think penny stocks vs blue chips. To be honest, I prefer the Ninjago Dragon sets to anything else in the theme. The Spinners are good investments for the novice investor or investor with limited money to spend.

3. It an ongoing and untested series. 2011-2013?

We can't really tell if prices are going to shoot through the roof. (Though I doubt)

Any major investment at this point in time, I think, is still speculation.

Safer to bank on tried and tested series like Star Wars. There is no bigger fan of STAR WARS LEGO sets than me, but numbers don't lie. Overall, the CAGR for the entire STAR WARS theme has fallen below the average LEGO set(10.52% for SW in comparison to 10.64% for the average LEGO set). Maybe it's time to diversify.

4. Your source matters and RRPs differ greatly depending on where you live.

I'm assuming the report is based in US RRP vs Ebay global sales.

USA has the cheapest RRP in the world. Anywhere else in the world, you risk paying 30-100% more if you get it from your local supplier. If you don't live in the Federation and plan to import from the Federation, bear in mind shipping, currency exchanges and taxes may wipe out any potential gains. That applies to every LEGO set. A Ninjago set has the same fees and taxes attached to it as another LEGO theme does. Sure, there will be differences across the world, but proportions/ratios of appreciation should be similar. Our site is a guide. Every country has different market conditions, but any LEGO set will cost more in a European country. A Nya Spinner might not appreciate 120%+ in Europe, but in comparison to other sets in Europe, it should be a huge gainer as well.

5. Ebay vs Bricklink: which channel you are selling by.

The appreciation level on these two mediums differ somewhat, if Nya is to be an example.

http://www.bricklink.com/catalogPG.asp?S=2172-1

If we observe the last 6 months data, we can see the average is a 40% appreciation.

I suspect a large number of purchases from Bricklink eventually end up on Ebay at higher prices. Our data indicates that the Nya Spinner appreciated 47% over the last six months and 126% from launch, so the data is very close to Bricklinks.

[Ed Mack]

This may sound a little off-topic with what everyone here has been discussing, but here's an interesting thought.

What if this whole 'official' announcement about NINJAGO being discontinued was an intentional 'leak' by LEGO just to get everybodys (collectors in particular, I believe) attention and even further increase sales?

NINJAGO sets were doing pretty well to begin with, but it wasn't until very far into the themes' lifecycle did alot of collectors even notice these. I've been collecting these for myself ever since they very first came out because their similiar to the earlier NINJA theme they did about ten years ago (of which, those sets have tremendously gone up in value). But after that 'official' announcement, all of a sudden every NINJAGO set was flying off the shelves. Even the Spinners that were less popular than other Spinners sold out.

The one that gets me is why the heck is Kai from the first line of Spinners worth so much?! For crying out, he's in SO many of the first run of sets, I have like four of him! Nya is one thing, Samurai-X is another, even Lloyd ZX makes sense. But basic, first run Kai?

Ugh...whatever...

After that auction involving the supposed promotional LEGENDS OF CHIMA set that was in a eBay auction nobody know about (not even LEGO?) until a month or so AFTER it ended, look at how much of a buzz that caused. Now EVERYBODY knows about this one of many themes coming next year. We even know the names of the first run of sets for it!

It makes one think "just how much of a 'leak' are these actually?"

Judging by the increased sales & hype, I'd say these 'leaks' were a hundred percent intentional.

I also wonder, with the way technology is now, why the heck are the few pics for the LEGENDS OF CHIMA such crappy quality?! Seriously, with the bad grain and lousy resolution, they look like they were taken with a cheap camera!

Regardless, I'm still going to keep collecting the NINJAGO sets until it actually DOES reach its 'end-of-line'.

For better or worse.

I agree with you 1000%. If Ninjago sales are so great, why would the theme be terminated? LEGO likes to make money and the Spinners make LEGO money.

[CelesAurivern]

I am a 44 year old man who thinks the Ninjago Dragon sets kick butt. I'm sure there are plenty of others. Seriously though, we AFOLs play with little plastic minifigures, is there really an adult theme in LEGO besides Architecture, Large Scale Models and Technic sets? I think anyone who invests and collects LEGO sets is an elementary schooler at heart. But that's just me... ;-)

Haha, that's awesome bro

I'm a bit of a shipbuilder myself and my room has 6 ships on display.

Fortunately my partner thinks ships are cool ;p

Btw, I don't care for architecture or technic either. I'd sooner build a Friends dollhouse

That applies to every LEGO set. A Ninjago set has the same fees and taxes attached to it as another LEGO theme does. Sure, there will be differences across the world, but proportions/ratios of appreciation should be similar. Our site is a guide. Every country has different market conditions, but any LEGO set will cost more in a European country. A Nya Spinner might not appreciate 120%+ in Europe, but in comparison to other sets in Europe, it should be a huge gainer as well.

The real downside is if you live in the downsize, Oz.

You pay nearly two-times the US price, considering the AUD is stronger than the USD at the moment.

I look at the ebay data as indicative of global demand prices as I'm sure a large portion of purchases are from overseas, trying to get a better deal, because everyone else is so deprived of fair(US) prices.

So if you live anywhere else in the world besides the Federation, there's plenty of other things to consider.

The average CAGR of 10%(US standards) flies out the window in global economics. 10 years to break even for Oz? >_<

Our data indicates that the Nya Spinner appreciated 47% over the last six months and 126% from launch, so the data is very close to Bricklinks.

Sir, I correct myself on the 40% gain. I was looking at the wrong currency.

The actual statistic is far less rosy.

For Nya Spinner:

Qty Avg Price on Bricklink is USD 11.60 (362 units sold over 6 months)

Bricklink CAGR: 11.6/9.9 = 1.1717 (Slightly over 17% gain)

http://www.bricklink.com/catalogPG.asp?S=2509-1

For Earth Dragon Defense: Your data reports 122.43% CAGR

Qty Avg Price on Bricklink is USD 47.14 (207 units sold over 6 months)

Bricklink CAGR: 47.14/34.99 = 1.3472 (Slightly over 34% gain)

And note that sales tax is not included at launch price. We need to consider that sales tax diminishes 5-10% of the gains.

Like I said, I believe people buy cheaply on bricklink and/or other avenues to resell on ebay, making ebay a tertiary market.

Simply because the whole world knows about ebay, but only enthusiasts would know about bricklink.

[CelesAurivern]

http://www.bricklink.com/catalogPG.asp?S=2260-1 I missed out Ice Dragon Attack, possibly the best pick of the lot. Your data reports 223.51% CAGR Qty Avg Price on Bricklink is USD 48.97 (217 units sold over 6 months) Bricklink CAGR: 48.97/19.99 = 2.45 (145% gain)

[Ed Mack]

I am a 44 year old man who thinks the Ninjago Dragon sets kick butt. I'm sure there are plenty of others. Seriously though, we AFOLs play with little plastic minifigures, is there really an adult theme in LEGO besides Architecture, Large Scale Models and Technic sets? I think anyone who invests and collects LEGO sets is an elementary schooler at heart. But that's just me... ;-)

Haha, that's awesome bro

I'm a bit of a shipbuilder myself and my room has 6 ships on display.

Fortunately my partner thinks ships are cool ;p

Btw, I don't care for architecture or technic either. I'd sooner build a Friends dollhouse

That applies to every LEGO set. A Ninjago set has the same fees and taxes attached to it as another LEGO theme does. Sure, there will be differences across the world, but proportions/ratios of appreciation should be similar. Our site is a guide. Every country has different market conditions, but any LEGO set will cost more in a European country. A Nya Spinner might not appreciate 120%+ in Europe, but in comparison to other sets in Europe, it should be a huge gainer as well.

The real downside is if you live in the downsize, Oz.

You pay nearly two-times the US price, considering the AUD is stronger than the USD at the moment.

I look at the ebay data as indicative of global demand prices as I'm sure a large portion of purchases are from overseas, trying to get a better deal, because everyone else is so deprived of fair(US) prices.

So if you live anywhere else in the world besides the Federation, there's plenty of other things to consider.

The average CAGR of 10%(US standards) flies out the window in global economics. 10 years to break even for Oz? >_

Our data indicates that the Nya Spinner appreciated 47% over the last six months and 126% from launch, so the data is very close to Bricklinks.

Sir, I correct myself on the 40% gain. I was looking at the wrong currency.

The actual statistic is far less rosy.

For Nya Spinner:

Qty Avg Price on Bricklink is USD 11.60 (362 units sold over 6 months)

Bricklink CAGR: 11.6/9.9 = 1.1717 (Slightly over 17% gain)

http://www.bricklink.com/catalogPG.asp?S=2509-1

For Earth Dragon Defense: Your data reports 122.43% CAGR

Qty Avg Price on Bricklink is USD 47.14 (207 units sold over 6 months)

Bricklink CAGR: 47.14/34.99 = 1.3472 (Slightly over 34% gain)

And note that sales tax is not included at launch price. We need to consider that sales tax diminishes 5-10% of the gains.

Like I said, I believe people buy cheaply on bricklink and/or other avenues to resell on ebay, making ebay a tertiary market.

Simply because the whole world knows about ebay, but only enthusiasts would know about bricklink.

Yes, it is quite unfair what non-US countries pay for LEGO sets. I have had luck with Bricklink in the past for sets, but I have basically ended my investment in older LEGO sets and have not used them in a while. I have collected what I want from the older sets(STAR WARS/BIONICLE/TECHNIC/LARGE SCALE MODELS) and have been concentrating on newer sets.

I wish Bricklink would work with us, but they are not interested in branching out to other sites. I feel it would be a good way to help Bricklink sellers "sell" sets if they can post their sets next to EBAY and Amazon feeds. If they are truly lower priced, they would sell more sets. As I stated earlier, we are only a guide. Prices for LEGO sets around the world are different than the American market. That being said, the basic ratio of what one set costs in relation to another set should be the same worldwide, as long you are comparing within the same market. If a AFOL from Germany like a Town Plan for instance, the growth they see on the American market should be approximately equal within the German LEGO market to other LEGO sets in the German LEGO market. If a Town Plan appreciated 5 times better than a STAR WARS Battle Pack say, the ratio should be similar in the US and Germany. Only you and other AFOLs from your country know your market and how it relates to the American LEGO market.

I wish I had more knowledge of foreign issues, taxes and fees, but I try to learn from educated members like yourself to further my understanding of LEGO collecting abroad.

As for the end result of selling LEGO sets and taxes/commissions/etc..., there are so many variables, that we cannot address them here within our data. I would hope most potential sellers realize that tax has to be paid on sales, along as commissions to EBAY, Bricklink, Amazon, etc... That would be a great article for an experienced LEGO seller to write....how to maximize savings, not only on the buying end, but selling as well.

Once again, thanks for the quality input and comments. It is much appreciated by me and our members.

[CelesAurivern]

I wish Bricklink would work with us, but they are not interested in branching out to other sites. I feel it would be a good way to help Bricklink sellers "sell" sets if they can post their sets next to EBAY and Amazon feeds. If they are truly lower priced, they would sell more sets.

It's unfortunate that the founder passed. He might have been more receptive to grow bricklink. The way I see it, the family inherited a major cash cow and I can totally understand their apprehension in sharing any part of it. If you observe the number of transactions done per month, you'll have a rough idea of how much commissions they earn from it and why they're so eager to keep a low profile.

Rule of thumb: If it ain't broke, don't fix it.

As I stated earlier, we are only a guide. Prices for LEGO sets around the world are different than the American market. That being said, the basic ratio of what one set costs in relation to another set should be the same worldwide, as long you are comparing within the same market. If a AFOL from Germany like a Town Plan for instance, the growth they see on the American market should be approximately equal within the German LEGO market to other LEGO sets in the German LEGO market. If a Town Plan appreciated 5 times better than a STAR WARS Battle Pack say, the ratio should be similar in the US and Germany. Only you and other AFOLs from your country know your market and how it relates to the American LEGO market.

Agreed on the appreciation part, though my view is that the global market drives the increase, not the local markets. Say my EUR100.00 set appreciated to EUR300.00 at equilibrium, the same set that cost USD70.00 would move up accordingly to USD400.00 once US sellers understand there is demand across the Atlantic and that foreigners are importing.

I wish I had more knowledge of foreign issues, taxes and fees, but I try to learn from educated members like yourself to further my understanding of LEGO collecting abroad.

As for the end result of selling LEGO sets and taxes/commissions/etc..., there are so many variables, that we cannot address them here within our data. I would hope most potential sellers realize that tax has to be paid on sales, along as commissions to EBAY, Bricklink, Amazon, etc... That would be a great article for an experienced LEGO seller to write....how to maximize savings, not only on the buying end, but selling as well.

Indeed, there are plenty of factors to consider. Serious points to take into consideration will be inflation rate(avg 2.5% globally) and currency depreciation. The Euro, for example, lost around 25% of it's value since Jan 2010 to present. In just a mere 2 years, it has hit a historical low, thanks to the Greeks. The USD doesn't seem too healthy either, hitting a historical low mid-2011, thanks to growing public debt and warmongering. (Apologies if any political views are offended)

Once again, thanks for the quality input and comments. It is much appreciated by me and our members.

Thank you as well for giving detailed and deliberated replies. I think we're all here to learn, so it's always good to hear alternatives and fresh viewpoints :)

[TheOrcKing]

I missed out Ice Dragon Attack, possibly the best pick of the lot.

Agreed.

It's the only set with a Zane DX and/or Krazi, besides their respective spinners. Plus, the original $20 price was really good considering you got two exclusive minifigs & a dragon, what's not to like?

What I think was wierd is that Krazi (in this set) has his jester cap, but no armor.

Yet in his spinner, he has his armor but no jester cap. (....huh?!)

Same odd thing for the other skeleton warriors, the spinner has them wearing armor (or some other accessory) that seems to be lacking in the boxsets they're in.

Chopov being the exception

Skullbike Chopper (2259) - full armor and helmet

Spinner (2114) - armor but no helmet

For the most part, the figures in the spinners aren't any different than the boxset ones. So odd bits like this seem a little wierd.

That reminds me, does anybody remember the "Skeleton Warriors" cartoon?

Now, that was kickass!

Skeleton Warriors - Intro on YouTube

[Blackjack]

If they are making Ninjago next year, then I am wondering why they only have six sets this year. I mean, themes usually only do that in the last year. Also, the other two years have had 40+ sets apiece, why the change now?