LEGO investors make a living from reselling sets

LEGO resellers have talked about the current state of the secondary market, with dealers reporting returns of 1,200% but not certain about where prices will go in the future.

LEGO resellers have been spotlighted in a feature by the Telegraph, with Emma Leahy’s Bricktraders business in St Albans being spotlighted.

“It’s 50/50 between being a business and a labour of love,” she tells the Telegraph. “I love the collecting aspect because you can find hidden gems. I once bought what I thought was a large box of loose LEGO for £5, but in there I found an old Eiffel Tower set which was worth £600 alone.”

While there have been clear successes such as those early adult-orientated LEGO sets, resellers are finding the LEGO Group’s re-issues are affecting business. “Collecting has gone downhill,” Minifigs & Bricks owner David Kirkham says. “When a set does well, LEGO just brings it out again.”

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He gave the example of 75192 Millennium Falcon release affecting the price of 10179 Ultimate Collector’s Millennium Falcon. “It originally cost £350 but the price quickly went up to around £2,500,” he explains. “I even saw them on sale for £6,500. These were sets that people were looking at as a long-term investment. But they’ve been scuppered as the value of those models suddenly plummeted.”

Martin Kast, who deals as rarebrix, is unconvinced about the long-term of future of LEGO reselling: “It needs to grab the attention of kids – they are the collectors of the future. But they are growing up with computers and tablets, so I don’t know whether they will have the same feeling about LEGO as we once did.”

The LEGO reselling community is bracing for changes, as the LEGO Group recently aquired Bricklink.

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Author Profile

Graham
Graham was the BrickFanatics.com Editor up until November 2020. He has plenty of experience working on LEGO related projects. He has contributed to various websites and publications on topics including niche hobbies, the toy industry and education.

Follw Graham on Twitter @grahamh100.

Graham

Graham was the BrickFanatics.com Editor up until November 2020. He has plenty of experience working on LEGO related projects. He has contributed to various websites and publications on topics including niche hobbies, the toy industry and education. Follw Graham on Twitter @grahamh100.

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