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Anyone else experiencing major drops in eBay sales lately???

Doofy McGee

By Doofy McGee
in General Buying & Selling

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Kanohi
Kanohi

I'm the very definition of a "lurker" but I just wanted to throw something out there....   All this talk of how BP being to blame for all the new sellers out there is way off base.  The nu

Ed Mack
Ed Mack

It is a post like this which sums up my feelings on this subject and why this site was developed. There are plenty of untapped markets and sets for the LEGO investing party to continue. For those "ol

justafrog
justafrog

And how many sellers have quit the LEGO selling game since January 2010? Raise your hands... oh, wait, you're not here so you can't.

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Ed Mack CHAIRMAN OF THE BRICK

Ed Mack

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So when can we expect barbiepicker.com ?

We have thought about it. Barbie Dolls and LEGO sets are both excellent choices for the hobbyist, collector and reseller. Some Barbie Dolls sell for tens of thousands of dollars and they have a huge following as we all know. They constantly release special edition dolls that make LEGO sets look like chump change in the secondary market. Problem is, we don't know a damn thing about Barbie Dolls.

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DoNotInsertIntoMouth CHIEF BRICK OFFICER

DoNotInsertIntoMouth

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Good video, but I gotta scratch my head and an intelligent person using Bing.com though. :)

 

We have thought about it. Barbie Dolls and LEGO sets are both excellent choices for the hobbyist, collector and reseller. Some Barbie Dolls sell for tens of thousands of dollars and they have a huge following as we all know. They constantly release special edition dolls that make LEGO sets look like chump change in the secondary market. Problem is, we don't know a damn thing about Barbie Dolls.

Sent from my iPhone using Brickpicker

 

All I know about them is none of the girls in school would let me play. Damnit.

 

In all seriousness, taking much of anything in a short period of time as a "trend" on ebay is useless. I have learned that. Take this for instance.

 

I parted 4 Rancor pits out back in October. Didn't sell a Malikili until February - when I sold 4 in 3 days.

 

I hadn't sold a Padme from 75021 for 3 months - have now sold 4 in the last week.

 

Its just like that. Some you can understand - like the Lego movie comes out and then all the sets and figs double in price. But other stuff just makes no sense. 

 

Ebay is a random set of data. Some people are off ebay for months, jump back on. You have to look at things over the long period of time. Until I go 3 months without selling much, Im not in the slightest bit worried. 

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Pseudoty BRICKVESTOR

Pseudoty

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Are there any examples of other products that have permanently maintained the type of growth Lego has been maintaining over the last several years? just curious.

Ammunition

We have thought about it. Barbie Dolls and LEGO sets are both excellent choices for the hobbyist, collector and reseller. Some Barbie Dolls sell for tens of thousands of dollars and they have a huge following as we all know. They constantly release special edition dolls that make LEGO sets look like chump change in the secondary market. Problem is, we don't know a damn thing about Barbie Dolls.

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I got into Barbies, no pun intended, back in the mid 90s when my eldest daughter started playing with them. I remember making a killing on the Teacher Barbie with no panties and buying a lot of those high end collectible, don't open the box, ones from a store in NJ called Caldor that was like a walmart but now long gone on their going out of buisness sale

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Anakinisvader BRICKFOLIO MANAGER

Anakinisvader

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Are there any examples of other products that have permanently maintained the type of growth Lego has been maintaining over the last several years? just curious.

Yes there was.... oh wait a minute not that one. Then there was..... nope not that one either. But there has always been..... short answer. NO.

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Mos_Eisley BRICK TRADER

Mos_Eisley

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I had no idea all this activity was going on in this thread. As already stated, these discussions generally involve those who have been doing this a while recognizing that things are changing while all the newer people say that everything is fine. I don't need to study any graphs or charts to know that the market is very different than it was several years ago and it's only continuing to go that way. To those who are so sure everything is fine, what are you basing that off? You're happy because you're making 1/3 less than you would have made a few years ago doing the exact same amount of work, you just don't know it. The question becomes will you be happy when you actually start to see for yourself that you're making less than when you started?

Every year there are more and more people who come in and think they've got the new angle that's going to let them make their mark in the LEGO reselling world. Many will fail, but enough will succeed at least enough to continue doing it. Honestly, nobody is coming up with anything innovative here. It's all been done before. You're going to do it better than everyone else? Do you really think the people who have been doing this for years haven't already done the amazing new tactics you have?

I'm not saying it's game over and there's no money to be made, but the real money is going to be in holding a really long time, but I doubt too many will be willing to hold on that long. Sure, there will be the random sets that pop up that are ripe for quick flips, but it will only get tougher.

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Young_Gun21 BRICK ADVISOR

Young_Gun21

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Great point. I know what you are looking for and all I can tell you is that will cost you money. LOL. There is only so much we will give away for free.

Ed since we can't see the graph could you tell us if we see the trend of lower sales this time of year?

-I don't always go shopping, but when I do I buy Lego-

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justafrog BRICKFOLIO MANAGER

justafrog

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As a newcomer to LEGO, I'll just say that I have heard all this before - about 16 years ago, when venerable old booksellers told me that what I was doing wasn't going to work, that the book market was dying (this was before e-readers, which actually will affect the book market and are starting to, but really not all that rapidly in many areas), that their way was the only good way to do things.

 

They believed it, too. Hell, some of them STILL argue with me to this day that I'm doing it wrong. It doesn't make their way wrong either, there is just more than one way to skin cats and sell books or LEGO. Some of the newbies they lectured did go out of business rapidly. Some of us made it. Some of the lecturers are still around, some didn't last the market changes themselves.

 

Selling is a matter of numbers in quantifiable cost, time, effort, and knowledge.

 

LEGO isn't different or special versus selling books or Barbies or lumber or potatoes.

 

What makes me successful as a businessperson is understanding numbers and customer service, having excellent organizational skills, a bit of working capital, an aversion to debt and its risks, and a lamentable absence of the Fear of Failure gene. I'm quite annoying about falling down, picking myself up and dusting myself off cheerfully, and going to plans B, C, D... 

 

Some new people will fail, some will succeed. Some old people will fade away unable to change with the times, some will change and thrive.

 

No market stays stagnant - that's a fact of business and nature. Change or die.

 

I don't know the definition of "real money" - it honestly isn't of a lot of interest to me. I know my numbers, my projections, my goals to meet. If I get what I'm after, I'm calling it a win.

 

Maybe I could make more buying and holding for a really long time, or day trading in the stock market, or putting it all on "black" at the first open casino, or quick flipping LEGO, or joining the circus (I mean, you don't meet talking frogs every day)... but that's not my plan.

 

I have no new angle. I look at what the market wants, I select from those wants the things I think I can provide well. It's that simple and that hard.

 

(Edited for hilarious typos).

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justafrog BRICKFOLIO MANAGER

justafrog

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Ask yourself "What gives me the edge or advantage over my competitors" if you don't have an answer or dont know then you will most likely fail. IMO

-I don't always go shopping, but when I do I buy Lego-

 

A good tip. Another one is: have written goals and either meet them or figure out why you aren't and change them to new written goals.

 

Zig Ziglar used to say, "If you aim at nothing, you'll hit it every time."

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Young_Gun21 BRICK ADVISOR

Young_Gun21

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A good tip. Another one is: have written goals and either meet them or figure out why you aren't and change them to new written goals.

Zig Ziglar used to say, "If you aim at nothing, you'll hit it every time."

Exactly I keep them on my wall so I see them everyday. No Goals=No Motivation to get up and be successful

-I don't always go shopping, but when I do I buy Lego-

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Mos_Eisley BRICK TRADER

Mos_Eisley

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As a newcomer to LEGO, I'll just say that I have heard all this before - about 16 years ago, when venerable old booksellers told me that what I was doing wasn't going to work, that the book market was dying (this was before e-readers, which actually will affect the book market and are starting to, but really not all that rapidly in many areas), that their way was the only good way to do things.

They believed it, too. Hell, some of them STILL argue with me to this day that I'm doing it wrong. It doesn't make their way wrong either, there is just more than one way to skin cats and sell books or LEGO. Some of the newbies they lectured did go out of business rapidly. Some of us made it. Some of the lecturers are still around, some didn't last the market changes themselves.

Selling is a matter of numbers in quantifiable cost, time, effort, and knowledge.

LEGO isn't different or special versus selling books or Barbies or lumber or potatoes.

What makes me successful as a businessperson is understanding numbers and customer service, having excellent organizational skills, a bit of working capital, an aversion to debt and its risks, and a lamentable absence of the Fear of Failure gene. I'm quite annoying about falling down, picking myself up and dusting myself off cheerfully, and going to plans B, C, D...

Some new people will fail, some will succeed. Some old people will fade away unable to change with the times, some will change and thrive.

No market stays stagnant - that's a fact of business and nature. Change or die.

I don't know the definition of "real money" - it honestly isn't of a lot of interest to me. I know my numbers, my projections, my goals to meet. If I get what I'm after, I'm calling it a win.

Maybe I could make more buying and holding for a really long time, or day trading in the stock market, or putting it all on "black" at the first open casino, or quick flipping LEGO, or joining the circus (I mean, you don't meet talking frogs every day)... but that's not my plan.

I have no new angle. I look at what the market wants, I select from those wants the things I think I can provide well. It's that simple and that hard.

(Edited for hilarious typos).

This is all great in theory, but I'm going to go out on a limb and guess that there was never a year that saw the number of book, potato, or Barbie (maybe even all combined) resellers increase equal to the amount LEGO resellers has increased over the past year. Is there money to be made? Of course. But it is less than what it was, regardless of the level of service or anything else you want to provide. If it's worth it to you, good for you. People are coming to this looking for easy money, not scrapping their way to paying for their hobby. Let's continue this chat in a few years when you've had a chance to see a change in the LEGO marketplace.
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justafrog BRICKFOLIO MANAGER

justafrog

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This is all great in theory, but I'm going to go out on a limb and guess that there was never a year that saw the number of book, potato, or Barbie (maybe even all combined) resellers increase equal to the amount LEGO resellers has increased over the past year. Is there money to be made? Of course. But it is less than what it was, regardless of the level of service or anything else you want to provide. If it's worth it to you, good for you. People are coming to this looking for easy money, not scrapping their way to paying for their hobby. Let's continue this chat in a few years when you've had a chance to see a change in the LEGO marketplace.

Absolutely. But if you have any hopes I'll shut up and sit quietly in the corner respecting my LEGO elders until then, I apologize in advance for disappointing you. ;)

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peenutz BRICK BROKER

peenutz

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So I just started on this site in Feb 2014, when I finally decided to spend money on Star Wars Legos that I've wanted for so long but held off cuz of stuff like buying a car, a home, supporting a wife and child... you know, lame stuff... Then I happened upon this site and now I've spent over 10Gs on Legos in a month... but I'm not worried because I'm not buying on credit, I've budgeted so that my family won't starve, and I can still make payments on the home. So the way I see it, if the Lego market continues to grow and make money, great! I'll be able to pay for sets I love through some sales. If not, and the market crashes, great too! Now I can finally get my hands on green grocer and UCS sets without spending an arm and a leg. So as long as you're in it for the love of Lego and not mortgaging your home or buying on credit, however the Legos ends up should be good for Lego enthusiasts no?

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imperial_peter BRICKPICKER

imperial_peter

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I have been talking to my wife about investing more and more into lego and have been doing pretty good. The size of our collection has almost doubled in the past two months. Doubled!! just hit 250 sets.  I originally came here to find out what our lego was worth and it was more than a relief to see that all that money I have spent on my son has not been thrown to the wind and even better a large profit on mainly used sets. I have never sold any lego and plan to hoard as much lego as I possibly can at the best price on sets I feel comfortable buying for as long as I can, Brickpicker helps me see angles and views I never thought I needed to think about. This site is awesome and the information is very valuable to me. Sign me up for premium membership ;) Our new sets value is small but has grown a lot in two months. In a very short period of time I have done very very well, thank you very much BP!!! Im close to 300% profit without even trying that hard. I like reading about tips on how to do it better. I don't mind waiting for time to go by. Been collecting star wars for years and most of all that purchase is a loss.  my son has a lot of expensive toys. Thank god for lego lol.

 

Peter

( actually trying to distribute lego, full time, for lego!! does anyone here?)

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