Idea: Brickpicker builder club

[tonysbricks]

My free time has been limited but I always wanted to try what jaisonline does with sets, buying them on the cheap, building them, and reselling. Maybe you take a small loss or make a small gain, but its more about paying a low price to build. A personal pleygo, if you will.

 

After seeing the incredible outpouring of support for the donation thread, I got to thinking why couldn't jaisonline's system work but with more people? Instead of people competing for cheap sets buy some as community sets, pass them around, and then sell once everyone has a crack at the build. I am thinking something along the lines of:

 

1) First, club members must be known, trusted, established members of the site

2) We agree on a list of sets to purchase ... big boys, MF, taj, cafe, UCS, etc. Our hit list is the prime targets

3) People go off and find deals

4) When a deal pops up the set gets purchased, and the original buyer handles it just like a normal transaction ... verify completeness, handle seller disputes, etc.

5) BUILD

6) After a couple weeks the set becomes available for the next person to build, It becomes a normal paypal transaction between old owner and new buyer. Each person who takes ownership would need to do the normal due diligence of part verification, making sure nothing was swapped out or missing. If something isn't right it's up to the buyer and seller to figure it out...no one else is vested so no collateral damage to club members

7) Once the set has passed through everyone it gets sold. Profit is put toward another set, losses are split between members and everyone chips in their couple bucks.

 

These are not sets to own and display, the time you hold it is so you can build it while still maintaining a business / family/ job. It shouldnt really be displayed more than a few days before torn down and offered up to the next in line. If you currently hold a set and your name comes up on another set, you get passed over (you can only have one set at a time).

 

I see a few benefits of this system ... ebay fees are incurred only once and divvied between members instead of each person having to deal with 10% loss each transaction.

Instead of builders competing they pool resources...money, logistics, and deal finding.

Community...I think a lot of people here invest to build, and this is a great way to bring together both worlds.

 

I can even see people offering up used sets they want to sell into the system and letting them go through the process. They won't get maximum ebay value but they would avoid fees so it's a win for them too? Anyone who steals a set from the club already paid for it, and if someone swipes some parts the new buyer would be able to verify and handle the dispute thru paypal.

 

So far I cannot think of any issues or potential abuses with a system like this, but what do you think? Any interest? 

[Bernard74]

Like the idea!

Sent from my iPad using Brickpicker

[matt1147]

Nice idea - at first glance, the only "con" I can think of is that nearly full price would still have to be paid rather than a true pooling of resources.

If there was a way to truly pool resources, then for example, 50 people paying $400 each for a UCS falcon would be more worth it to invest in a club.

Not real sure how else to do it though, except perhaps as a true "investment club" - only instead of pooling money for investing in stocks, the club buys lego sets. Problem is physical location and continued cost of passing around sets....

My bet is that your idea may best be handled as small groups at first - connected by either location or friendship, with the potential to grow larger in the future. I'll be interested in what others say!

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[legoman12323123]

Sounds very complex. Wouldnt it be better just to use your own money to buy a set you like . buiid it and keep it? I dont think most people on here are strapped for cash and can afford those sets. lol

 

tbh I wouldnt want to build a taj or a ucs falcon and than have to pass it on to the next guy, I would want to keep it for display/ sentimental value.

[Guest brickcrazyhouse]

like it, but one problem would be those icky smokers (me).  I thinks we would have to be excluded.

[Blackjack]

Sounds very complex. Wouldnt it be better just to use your own money to buy a set you like . buiid it and keep it? I dont think most people on here are strapped for cash and can afford those sets. lol

 

tbh I wouldnt want to build a taj or a ucs falcon and than have to pass it on to the next guy, I would want to keep it for display/ sentimental value.

 

His idea is an alternative to this.  While I wouldn't get into this, I think its a good idea for the avid builders, (not collectors) who want to take a crack at building legendary sets for a considerably lower price than buying the set used to build or keep.  It's all personal preference.