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Serious answer...I wrote it.

Has this been priced as low before? LEGO Star Wars TM Bounty Hunter Speeder Bike™ Battle Pack 75167 $7.99 https://www.walmart.com/ip/LEGO-Star-Wars-TM-Bounty-Hunter-Speeder-Bike-Battle-Pack-75167/55126256

Barnes & Noble: 50% off (or is it 20%?) for select sets: https://m.barnesandnoble.com/b/20-off-select-lego/_/N-2ry7?page=1&offset=1&limit=20 The page header currently says 20% but the prices showing up are 50% off. Not the greatest selection but could be some decent buys for folks. Go get what you want before it hits SD and/or B&N fixes the pricing (if they really meant 20% off)!

Knowing about logical fallacies alone doesn't help you much if you don't see when they apply and when they don't. In this present case your personal fallacy lies in the erroneous assumption that Ed Mack is basing the validity of his arguments on his authority. The truth is his arguments are based on experience.

i just bought a bunch of Lego Joker steamrollers from some guy named Terry. I am on my way I tell you.

What is there not to like...

First off, if you knew me and were familiar with this site, you would realize the answer was meant to be somewhat sarcastic and funny. Secondly, I didn't recommend it, nor have I pitched the book for years. Yes, the prices are outdated, but there is useful information in the book for novices, plus it's a really nice book. Bad business? LOL...Don't you have to make money from something for it to be a business? The book made me practically nothing. I have't received a check in over a year. But it was a cool experience to write two books and to write monthly articles for BLOCKS magazine and I can tell people that I am "published." Well let me introduce myself. I am the co-owner/creator of the site and I am from NJ, but I do not do the well done videos, belljohn does. For a person who talks a big game, you certainly don't pay attention. You have 358 posts and have been on the site for a year. A quick search on the internet can do wonders... https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/business/2012/12/27/lego-investors-profit/1732525/ I agree, the real good information is on this forum and from all of its diversified and intelligent members. People like belljohn and I don't do this for money, it's a passion. Enjoy the site...

....and you can't take advantage of every deal. Don't dwell on what you missed, look forward to the next score. I used to beat myself up for missing a deal, but come to realize the next deal is right around the corner. Persistence pays.....

Not quite right...markup is the amount a product is selling at over cost. Margin is sales minus COGS. Markup shows profits as it relates to cost while margin shows profits in relation to revenue. The two numbers will be diff. I.e. I just sold a Horizon Express for $215 (which is also what I sold one for two years ago right after retirement [emoji30]). I bought in at $130. Markup = ($215 - $130) / $130 = 65.38% Margin = ($215 - $130) / $215 = 39.53% Markup makes sure you're generating revenue on sales and Margin shows the actual profit you made on the sale. Accountant here I'll answer anything else you have. And to get it out of the way: no I'm not a masochist and yes I generally do like accounting [emoji12] Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

"If it was easy everyone would do it" - I don't mean this to come off as condescending, but there are no easy answers. I have been doing this for several years, and I am still learning, adapting, and refining my processes. I am sure several of the vets here would echo that sentiment. But there are tools, sites like this one, and others, that can help you learn and grow. But like most things, the best teacher is practice. Even without insider info, there are ways to make educated guesses as to what is retiring - there are some predictable trends, and not so predictable trends - For example, we know what themes LEGO is still using in 2019, and we can see that "LEGO Batman Movie", "Cars", "NEXO Knights" and "Elves" are not among them - so we know those sets are retiring. From themes that are continuing, such as DC Super Heroes, LEGO typically only has one BIG SET (140 ish price point) for each super hero line, currently Flying Fox for DC And the Sanctum for Marvel. Flying Fox has been out for a year and a half (Release dates available on Brickset.com), so it's an educated guess to assume that set is on its way out, even without having any other info. Some other info we do have on this set however is that it's been cleared out from most major retailers at steep discounts. That also can usually be taken as a sign of something retiring. Every set retires eventually. Some sets bring better returns than others at a different timeline and for different storage spaces. All those nuances are things you'll have to figure out yourself. From my example above, I think most serious LEGO investors are shying away from most LEGO Batman Movie and Cars sets, even at steep discounts. Elves seem to be a mixed bag, and I find NEXO Knights interesting. After the relative flop that I consider most of CHIMA to be, I avoided a lot of NEXO - And some of those sets have actually appreciated quite well - and I just haven't put much into the theme. But as someone else said, you can't buy it all. And some decisions will be winners, some will be losers. If you have more winners than losers, you're doing well. Personally, I have more Joker Steamrollers and Gorzan Gorilla Strikers than I care to admit. But I have far more Gorilla Grodd goes Bannanas and Joker Manors to make up for it. And here's the thing, MOST "losers" still sell for close to MSRP, so if you bought at a decent discount, 40% or more - You're still going to make a few bucks or come out even. That's one of the things I like about doing this, since at worst you are likely to break even - It's a pretty decent risk. The sets I have bought over the years that sold for less than MSRP 2-3 after retirement I can count on one hand. If I were to give advice to someone just getting involved, I would say this: Have a budget and a plan. Don't overspend. Be realistic. And definitely do not buy every set that's retiring or every set that's 50% off. THERE IS ALWAYS SOMETHING TO BUY. There are better/more efficient ways to go about it all, but as we all keep echoing - things are changing constantly. The Amazon gating thing is kind of a big deal. I don't even know if I *could* start doing this today with a goal of making money. Once you're already entrenched and have a system/rotation, it's a different game. Even as someone who has done this a while, and who (I consider) to have decent success, I would be lying if I said I totally understood it. I really thought 31038 Changing Seasons was going to be successful, and it has turned out to be pretty much a dud (even though I personally love the set). I would have never guessed that a set like 31032 Red Creatures would have been the smash that it is, but I ended up with a fair amount of them anyway. You are here, which is a major step. I was doing this for years before I discovered this site, and the information and experience found here have been instrumental in helping me grow. So from here, I'd say do a little research, dip your toes in, and see how it goes.

The kind that doesn't write books

If you watch the market long enough, you will realize that it is generally not guesswork. There are very clear patterns to their product cycle that make retirement dates highly predictable for many sets. Can you predict every retirement date? No. For whatever reason, Lego retires some sets far earlier than anyone would ever expect and extends other far longer than anyone would ever want. But if you watch long enough, it's not hard to predict at least 70% of the sets that will retire in a given year without having any inside info. Sent from my SM-G965U using Brickpicker Forum mobile app

I'm still trying to figure out how to get rich quick off these plastic bricks.

math

I can think of a super easy way for you to get this topic back on the rails.

But is it better to spend VIP points during 2X VIP???

Yes. they let me keep it. That would have been an interesting conversation...

Cheer up. It's almost Christmas.

As much as I enjoyed the process and finished products, it is so time consuming. I was up until 2-3AM for months writing and that was not including the hours I put in when I was working my real job. I think we got paid like $5000.00 each to do the book. Divide that by hundreds of hours, it is not worth it. I think we can move on from this. You didn't realize who I was. I assumed you knew. No biggie.

The inner circle know the retiring sets months ahead and plan accordingly. If you are out of that loop then you are a tea leaves guy with a major disadvantage. Doesn´t mean you can´t strike gold but you are trying to catch lightning in teacup. Urrggg I think I just ovedosed on clichés....

Go pitch the idea of flipping LEGO on Shark Tank and ask for $1M for 1% of your company

I'm a simple person. Bama hat, Braves hat, brewery magazine, Disney castle instructions and the Mack book.

for the 135th time yes it is... That damn Ed Mack character getting this thread off topic again, should go write a book or something... still have my book on the bottom shelf of my night stand.

Not really a wretched hive so much as a hangout. And yes, I bought raffle tickets to help the school, too. On a somewhat serious note, I do think most people here are honest and hardworking resellers and collectors who like what they do. I also think we should continue to have conversations about ethics and consider each other as AFOL first. The great thing about this digital space is that it brings so many of us together, but I think some of us forget in all the deals, the buying and selling, that there are people behind the screen, in the shipping center hauling boxes, driving the trucks, etc. Sent from my iPhone using Brickpicker Forum mobile app

Though some have tried .....

Many experienced sellers don't wait for the retirement dance, they identify sets for purchase and buy throughout the year(s) at discount and then do a silent happy dance when items retire.

Send it out for free?! There’s about $0.53 worth of plastic there, they can’t just go around giving that away all willy nilly.

It is not a red herring. The analysis is straightforward...compare RRP of sets that have retired to the current secondary market rates. If you know the market and make good choices, it is generally in the neighborhood of 5 out of 5 sets that appreciates after retirement. Sent from my SM-G965U using Brickpicker Forum mobile app

If your going to post diner pics there is only one choice

I think the reindeer looks rabid

Yes. I would post pics but this is the wrong forum. Plus, it was so good they’d be NSFW. Let’s just say I came home with 6 HP from one store.

1) 50% off 2) Boat 3) Largest Set in the theme 4) On/off Theme (typical 3-4 year cycle in City themes with Arctic and Coast Guard the most common ones).

Barnes and Noble, where it doesnt pay to be a member. - I have been a paid member for five years as a lover of books and bookstores. Ever since a bad card bought from Raise and a plea with their audit depaetment my IP has been permablocked even though my account was restored to good standing. Every order I place has to be in a Private browser to go thru and of course the one this morning auto cancelled because my second hp figure set. So sad, you would think this place would like money or loyal customers. Not much nicer in stores either, at least the manager near my house making up lies about Lego to me like they cant clearance them out because Lego wont let them, when today they are clearly on clearance.

It's kind of insane that they cancel the entire order instead of just removing the promo from the order or not allowing it to add to the cart if you have already received one on that account/name.

Waking up to 80+ emails thinking I missed out on the deal of the year just to realize it is all about some book ... hmmmm, actually maybe it is not a bad thing after all. time for coffee . brb

Not my cup of tea. Really liked the historic train one from 2016.

Bless you my son! You are a true believer! Did I ever tell you that I love that set?

Taught you everything you know! Mail it to me...I can autograph it for you. ✍️ Fair enough.

You're going to have to research a lot of what you're asking on your own. There are some articles on this site but most of the information is in the forums. There is a book you may want to check out too. https://www.amazon.com/Ultimate-Guide-Collectible-LEGO-Sets/dp/1440244820/

I'm wondering if this freebie is going to be only available to black card holders, or when the promo is over and they have too many left just anyone can get it? I really doubt there will be demand for this beyond the people who are card holders. heck even demand among cardholders is going to be low, especially if we have to buy over $50 in star wars sets. this should have been directly mailed right to cardholders, with no fanfare and perhaps a thank you/apology letter.

It's something that could have really been done well. If you purchased a Falcon on the first day (backorders included), everyone should have gotten one. Then make something cool. Maybe a real "heavy" card like an American Express Black card or similar. Then make it in like a black chrome and number them and some sort of display. Then you have something special

Solidarity seems like a bit of a reach for a bunch of people who'll happily undercut each other for $5 profit.

Just needs an architectural style printed tile under the minifig with the word "Sucker"

Not sure where to post this so I'll gently lay it down right... here. For anyone that linked their Target account to their Google Express account and received the TARGET30 code for 30% off Target on Google Express; Target excludes LEGO from the promo but for some reason it's applying to Walmart, LEGO included. Have fun.

That’s what she said.

“Ruin it for me” I meant lol