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I could be completely wrong about SSS, but I think we will still see them at TRU for years (literally 100 in the store, I haven't seen SC 100 deep)

The sold listings make me happy

Got one from Target today. Excellent condition. That will go to the winner of the Batman Bundle.

Resellers BS'ing resellers. Classic.

http://goo.gl/JjY9Np Hopefully retiring soon but no one really knows.

Guess I've been buying the wrong Poe in hopes of retirement. Never seem to get this stuff right... On a positive note its canopy is flawless...

Sold mine for $295 today. Buyer left a note to "Take care of the box so it doesn't get damaged and so the seals don't break, im buying this for my son as a gift." Because sealed boxes are what every kid looks for before building a set...

wow, I completely disagree with most of this post, that's quite impressive. "The Sea Cow was a lazy average design." => Nope. "The only reason for the pop in price is that so few were purchased and it started at a $250 price point which was dumb" I bet it's more complicated than that. "...in and of itself when the movie is directed primarily towards kids." => It doesn't mean adults didn't like it. Or that some kids have parents that can buy a $250 set to them. "They could have done with a $100 ship set and spent time elsewhere." => I'm sure that if they produced a big cuckoo palace you would have say the same thing. "There's nothing special about this thing" => lol ? "they should have put the effort into making a few more better larger Pirate Ships and another Imperial Flagship with a different design when they re-released those few Pirate sets last year." => Investors are glad to buy ships but the queen anne's revenge, black pearl and now brick bounty weren't that popular back in the days. And the fact that the sea cow exists doesn't mean that Lego couldn't create a "serious" UCS ship (and they didn't). It's like saying that Lego can't create a motorcyle set just because the orange one in the movie does exist. "Some of the decisions made by the LEGO group are irrational." => I'm confident that these are rational... as a manufacturer point of view. You have to consider all the sets produced and factury capacities. All is about money and I dare say Lego do know what they do.

Good idea. Now we just need a mod to move 2/3 of The Tumbler thread into this one. I polish my mint Tumblers twice a day, by the way.

I wish I knew. I make up crap all the time.

Simple really. the CEO of the parent company wants to build an online shopping portal, which is SYW (blend of ****** and alibaba). Rather than fund this the normal way, with massive VC cash, he is going old school. Basically leaching cash from Kmart and Sears to build up the new company. Kmart will go under as it debt increases and ultimately file for bankruptcy (again), and likely disappear as assets are sold off. Sears may not die out completely but will also declare bankruptcy (again), and some of their sub brands may be sold off (craftsman, lands end, kenmore, etc). But since SYW, SEARS, and Kmart are all separate corporations SYW will be insulated from the bankruptcies. SYW becomes a billion dollar shopping portal (probably not but thats the plan...), and the parent company goes on to higher profits after shedding all the dead weight (ie debt). and of course we get to ride along, filling our own pockets, then jumping ship when we see the waterfall...

Spoken like someone who hasn't seen or built it. There are plenty of pirate ships. There is only one sea cow

Some beautiful soul out there thought hey I'm gonna buy a MF and use my 5 year old 2011 LEGO bags and reseal some Megabloks, Tyco, and Cobi blocks (doing a piss poor job at that I may add) and send this back to Target instead. Why pay for something when you can be this much of a low life and return it. I mean it does require hard to work to be able to buy your kid or yourself something nice. Why bother with that hard work when there are alternatives such as this... And yes that is the Salvage tag that was removed from the middle of the box. You know the one someone said they "must destroy" to keep brand integrity up. Seen many switch outs in my business this one just was one of the more flagrant ones on a LEGO item.

Retired on Lego.com US.

This just in - Star Wars Episode 8 has been pushed back from May 2017 to December 15, 2017: http://www.starwars.com/news/star-wars-episode-viii-to-open-december-15-2017

Ok, so, let's start over here. Because I think some people are missing my point. Poe's Black X-wing (which contains, Poe in flight jacket, Goss Towers, and BB8) comes out September 4th. From the get go it's some what hard to find. Six months later it becomes extremely scarce, then in July you see Poe's Blue X-wing (which contains Poe in the other jacket, BB8, Lor San Tekka, and a Flametrooper)… All that really changed was the black to blue color, and a small change in the minifigs (bye bye goss towers, and hello Lor San Tekka).. Why is that not feasible? I also am convinced there will be another OT x-wing for Rogue One. There are pictures of the stage with this very x-wing floating on the internet. The Rogue One setlist has also not been revealed, and i'd suspect we will see another september "force friday" event for that movie…

Hero Factory 44023/44024 (total cost $6) on eBay for $36.

I think it is complete realistic to think that lego will retire Poe's X-wing after only a year. As mentioned earlier there is a new movie based entirely on an x-wing squadron coming out at the end of the year. It would be silly for lego to not put out a different x-wing at the end of the year. It is also known information that lego is going to put out a differnt x-wing in the summer. It makes no sense business wise for lego to have 3 x-wing models out at the same time. Im not saying they are retiring it in the next couple of months I an just stating that it is completely possible that it will not make it to 2017.

Have you seen my mansion?

Technically the rate change is good news for people selling 14oz-16oz items. These can be shipped First Class instead of Priority (save you $2/item). Yep, it is the only positive thing that can be said about this change

I'm going to mirror Roy's views here. No one on this site has 'the knowledge'. What we gain is experience and a better understanding based on patterns. Trying to anticipate retirements for modulars, UCS and Advanced Creator sets is tricky as a number of factors come into play and can easily affect their decision as to whether they are retired or kept in production. You should spend some time on the site reading threads and compiling your own analysis and from that develop your own conclusions. This way you're better set to your own budget, timeframe and expectations.

Bought another 10179, oouch... But can't wait to build this one

Seriously! Read through the forum, check out the respective threads for Pet Shop, Parisian Restaurant as well as the current thread, and you'll find masses of thoughts. Every couple of hours there's at least one Brickpicker who has thoughts on these sets' due retirement.

Any posts further bashing another forum member or generally being rude or being off topic or etc will be summarily deleted. I love deleting posts.

and officially retired in the US

i don't think i noticed this before : 42009 MKII is done

and now for some facts. http://www.brickpicker.com/bpms/search.cfm?searchterm=AT-AT 1000 piece AT-AT's are released on a remarkably consistent 3-4 year schedule since 2003. we're not due for another until 2017 at the earliest and possibly not until 2018. interest in AT-AT is being driven by the Battlefront game and all thing Star Wars. there was hardly a safer LEGO bet in 2014-15 then AT-AT.

related note ..... my how the mighty have fallen http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00XJX64XW it is approaching buy levels lol

Yes. Exactly. There are those of us that aren't Master Builders. As some one that isn't a MB, I could never design a ship as awesome as the Sea Cow. But, building it and displaying it makes me feel like I can. Those are your opinions and feelings. Not necessarily everyone else. There are other people that feel just the opposite; they don't like Star Wars, but they did like the LEGO Movie. I'm 43, and felt like that movie was aimed more at me than at my kids. Sure my kids enjoy it on a superficial level. But there's actually a lot of depth in that movie. There's quite a few characters the movie that I could either identify with. Much like Rocky & Bullwinkle and Bugs Bunny, there are many different levels this movie can be enjoyed on. From your point of view. Not from their point of view. LEGO is sitting on top of the toy world. I'm sure they have some confidence that the decisions they've made over the last 10 years, to get them from as low as they were to being on top, makes them feel they know what they are doing. Look, I'm not trying to change people's minds here. I couldn't care less whether you like or not. I'm very happy that people didn't horde this, as I think it will do well post EOL. I do get tired of the constant poo poo'ing on this set, instead of just letting it go. If you don't like it, just move on. Let those of us that like it, enjoy it, and want to discuss it merits do that. Just like with any other set.

How many times are we going to hear your opinion on the sea cow? If you don't like it move along.....it's pretty simple.

"The sky is falling!!" USPS to raise shipping rates as much as 25% Unless you are completely new to the selling side of Lego investing, you have probably heard that the United States Postal Service is increasing shipping rates. There are plenty of articles and news stories documenting why they are doing this, and that is not what this blog entry is for. There are even plenty of news articles that will help the eBay sellers navigate the new fee structure for shipping, a decent summary can be found HERE I had been meaning to make a post about this topic earlier in time for the Christmas rush, but I figured that with this news, it would fit in nicely with our new Blog/News series that Brickpicker has been developing. How to "win" at shipping The difference in a successful Lego investor/seller and one that is just scraping by with small margins can be as simple as understanding your shipping options, and ways to save money. If you use the USPS for your primary shipping option, use their free shipping supplies. Looking at their website, the USPS offers 73 different options of free shipping supplies It always makes me wonder when fellow brickpickers post their deals on Staples boxes if they are paying for their boxes and then turning them around and using the USPS services. The Game Board shipping box with outside dimensions: 24-1/16" x 11-7/8" x 3-1/8" is one of my stand by for those medium sized sets. Feel free to "make your own" size, just be sure to use the USPS service. These supplies can be delivered straight to your house at no charge and can be rather convenient. This goes with the first post, but know your box sizes and know your flat rate costs. Did you know that an entire set of 9 Mixels fit perfectly in a padded flat rate shipping envelope? These you can ship anywhere in the USA for around $6. Will that set you sell fit in a medium flat rate box? (did you know that there are two versions of this? a flat and a square one?) Know your dimensions, know your sets. You can be overpaying for your shipping without even knowing it. For loose Lego or anything in a polybag, the padded flat rate shipping option is amazing. There are probably options out there that you don't know exist. What is a regional rate box? Do a little of your own research and you may find better options than you are currently using. Make a shipping plan. This is mostly for the eBay sellers, but it's good to have a plan with any time you will be doing shipping. There is nothing more deflating than paying an extra $20 or more to ship to Hawaii, Alaska or Puerto Rico (all in the US) or some other obscure territory that you didn't know existed and is suddenly hot after your Lego sets. I personally ask buyers living those states to ask for a shipping quote (include that in all your listings!!), I will also make a note that I will add an extra $10 or $20 to cover the extra expenses. I am 100% convinced that there are people living in all these remote places that do a lot of their online shopping to take advantage of those that don't know any better. Reuse shipping boxes. This doesn't work if Amazon is your primary selling venue, but if one isn't already doing this, they need to start. Your Tumblers just arrive in mint condition? Well, tape that box right back up (after you remove the invoice sheet) and put it into cold storage as is. If you do most of your buying online this should be a no brainer. For the larger sets that I end up building, I break down the large boxes and keep them in the garage. Chances are your local Staples or Walmart doesn't carry a decent box option in hand for exclusive sized sets, so start building your stash. Use cheaper options, but know their unique tricks too. I live in a small town that doesn't have a FedEx or a UPS store. Scheduling a pickup is an option, but I am a little concerned with theft, and it doesn't usually fit into my schedule. There is a Ma and Pop type shipping place in town that charges $3 to drop off a package. I think I probably left 20 packages there before the lady told me one of their little secrets. A lot of FedEx shipments use both the USPS and FedEx trucks. Look at your label. If there is both a USPS and FedEx barcode on the label, you can just drop off at your nearest post office and pocket your $3. Become the master bundler. If you don't know the maximum weight of your first class package, you probably don't dabble in the small stuff, or are just new to this. Well, it is 13oz. Did you know that a lot of polybags are so light you can fit 5-10 in one first class package? I have found that as my ebay presence has grown, and I have navigated the shipping challenges, I have been able to use that to make more money. For international buyers that are requesting a quote, I always let them know that I can add any small items for little or no extra charge. I have been pleasantly surprised how many will add a few polybags or loose minifigures. They are already paying shipping so they are saving quite a bit buy just adding on to their existing order. One of the things I like most about eBay is the ability to create your own bundle. You may be the only listing with Star Wars and Friends sets. By sending them to the same buyer you can save by shipping them together. Time your auctions accordingly. This is probably most important for the West and East coast sellers, but it is good to know, If I live on the West Coast, time your auctions to end at a decent time for West Coast people, when all the East Coast people and their expensive shipping rates are in bed. This is going to take some trial and error, and will greatly depend on your volume of sales. Once you get into a groove you may be surprised how much you save selling closer to home. This also works with the "or best offer" option. This lets you screen where you send your Lego and give priority to those that live close. I probably left out plenty of other tricks, but this is a good start I think. What did I leave out? What are your secrets? *photo credit is from the USPS website, I figure they won't mine if we send them some traffic* View full blog article

figured it was you...

Is this one of those spoon feed Money making questions all the veterans here are talking about?

Just a point re: The obviousness of The Lego Movie being "a kids' movie," and not for adults... There are very, very few modern wide-release "kids' movies," esp. with a $60,000,000 budget. Restore a brand from yesteryear in the hopes of capturing identification from post-13 viewers ('15 ex: Alvin & Chipmunks [win,] Pan [lose] ) or elongate a successful 21-min format brand ('15 ex: Spongebob [win]) are the two en vogue pitches... 99% of "kids-only" long-format media is direct to shelf. Movies like The Lego Movie may seem like a sure thing in retrospect, but it wasn't. Pan lost $80MM this year with huge brand recognition, Hugh Jackman, and a recognizable young star. Even if you kill it with script & story, you have to get people to show up... to secure distribution channels they had to show a specific, proven plan for how they were going to get 13-24 yr olds interested, and 24-39 to bring the family. They cast Morgan Freeman, Chris Pratt, Liam Neeson, and Will Ferrell, then give them hundreds of witty double entendres and callbacks like every other animated feature to get people like me to bring the family... My 4 and 8 year old remember the song... I remember about 100 Star Wars callbacks. Parents were not just considered, they were counted on. No parents, no Lego Movie.

Speaking from a dad perspective (and a cheap dad that can generally get good deals on lego sets ), I would have a hard time paying over retail or even retail for any Lego sets for my kids. Primarily because even though my kids love legos, and especially love getting a particular set that jumps out at them when they see it, the enjoyment of building and playing with that set fades very quickly. In other words I think that I could get them a different set for less and they would pretty much get the same overall enjoyment from it - or, could get a bigger set for the same price as a RE and they would arguably enjoy it more because the build is more challenging and/or the end result is more impressive. $70 can get you a pretty great set if you work some magic with sales, gift cards, etc.That being said, none of my kids have a predisposition towards really getting hooked on particular themes, so that probably makes my conclusions about what to get them easier. From a practical perspective, if this is a set you would really like to get for your kid, I think buying now and buying two is a good way to go about it. Eventually the profits from the second copy should pay for at least a good chunk of the first, getting you much closer to what you would have paid retail.

I like how we are complaining now that this set is retired (finally) and trying to make amends for not purchasing... If you purchased this set for a decent discount or at MSRP, I believe it will do well starting this spring.

Yeah I was thinking that but like Jeffrey_Dollars said literally every single other TFA set is and has been back in stock for quite a while in my area, for weeks actually. I want this set personally and for future investment because I really liked the character and think it's a pretty cool looking ship. We should also factor in the new Rogue One movie this year. I am positive Lego / Disney will want to have all new X-Wings and other ships to release as that movie approaches which could push this one to retirement sooner or at the very least limit it's production. Why take up X-Wing valuable store shelf space with Poe for a movie that's released 9 months ago when Lego could put out all new ships and pilots based on Rogue One like Wedge, etc.? Poe's ship is unique, but i'm sure they'll find a way to make the ships in Rogue One somewhat unique as well. Just my thoughts on it, could be totally wrong. I think to look at the past release schedules, retirement dates, etc. for Star Wars Lego specifically simply doesn't hold up anymore. Never in the history of Lego or Star Wars have we had so many movies coming out so quickly. 1 per year for the foreseeable future. I believe strongly that this will cause a shift in how they release Star Wars sets, how long they "live", etc.

My 60+ are in the back of my storage. Ill check baxk in 2 years.

I kayak around alligators all the time, never had a problem. Oysters, on the other hand, will mess you up.

Absolutely true. Modulars are a bad investment. Do not waste your time on these. Absolutely. Best post of the day.

No need to leave 'the game' (I'm expanding operations at the moment, in fact) just don't know that adding any more PS or PC until the fall is worthwhile, and maybe not even then. At this point, I might leave it up to F5 when I'm pretty sure the Sold Out on S&H will stick for good. It would be nice if Europe would retire a whole bunch of awesome sets again this fall and leave me time to go absolutely nuts on sets that were almost guaranteed to retire shortly.

I looked and I think I sold over 100 last fall I was not thinking that it would be back to walmart so I kept buying from eBay to replenish in anticipation of retirement and would have to check but think I acquired about 30 through eBay and then another couple dozen or so through walmart I should have at least 50 remaining in storage I was a bit worried it was coming back but I could not help but buy more

whom at amazon, may ask, will police what kind of boxes you use? i know its against their "policy" but recycling boxes in good condition works for me and i have not had a single complaint thus far. i have also received packages from the third party vendors that obviously recycled; these were still better packaged than amazon brand flimsy POS boxes.

I'm finally building my 7784 Batmobile UCE set from 2006 and love these 2 pics. Boy, I sure miss the alternative build pics in back of the manuals. Tumbler 2006 edition using 7784's elements.

Its even worse when they set up a time and meeting place and then never show. Even had a lady tell me she was on her way just running late and then never showed.

That's a great link right above, lets revive this forum a little BPs! if you got your money on bundle #5, you may just be getting my bricks too anyway, as cheap as I am, as lazy, as....as NOT-participating-in-SH.T as I am, I'm going to make a little version of Mos_Eisley $-4-likes idea, give this post 10 likes and I'll spend $10 on raffle ticket, up to 50 likes/$50! Let's go. (I'll pay on last day of the raffle Ed) And on the side, buy some tix too! Plus like Mos_Eisley post that I provided...

From Target.com: Really...?