Insight into the LEGO Black Market

[mikethompson]

Its real.

LINK TO STORY

There are crime rings targeting LEGO sets and reselling them. I can't say I'm too surprised considering how expensive some sets are, but I have an image in my head something like this:

 

[Chasing Embers]

As bad as those damn things hurt to step on barefoot, I knew there had to be a shady side!

 

[Old School 3319]

I am sure there are a bunch of 20 to 30 guys still living in Mom and Dad's basement hoarding all the lego's

 

[cosmicfolklore]

Someone should post links to the counterfeiters for parents with kids at that age, because if my kids were still young enough, I'd only buy the cheap fake stuff for them. I can't believe that a parents would be upset that someone trying to give them an affordable deal on an overpriced thing like Legos. Screw Lego's Copyright Trademark thing.

Heck, I made my own building blocks for my kids when they were still babies. If they were still that age, I'd just make smaller building blocks and put Velcro on them.

It's like those stupid Beanie Babies. My grandmother made some for my kids, because the price just went through the roof. It wasn't like children are going to collect them in hopes of making money off of them. I wonder if anyone actually made any money by hoarding back those damned things anyway. I only ever saw them at trade days and flea markets after the 80's anyways. They were like trailer park emblems of affluence.

 

[Old School 3319]

Someone should post links to the counterfeiters for parents with kids at that age, because if my kids were still young enough, I'd only buy the cheap fake stuff for them. I can't believe that a parents would be upset that someone trying to give them an affordable deal on an overpriced thing like Legos. Screw Lego's Copyright Trademark thing.

Heck, I made my own building blocks for my kids when they were still babies. If they were still that age, I'd just make smaller building blocks and put Velcro on them.

It's like those stupid Beanie Babies. My grandmother made some for my kids, because the price just went through the roof. It wasn't like children are going to collect them in hopes of making money off of them. I wonder if anyone actually made any money by hoarding back those damned things anyway. I only ever saw them at trade days and flea markets after the 80's anyways. They were like trailer park emblems of affluence.

we had lincoln logs to play with

 

[cosmicfolklore]

we had lincoln logs to play with

I loved my Lincoln Logs. My kids had some of those as well. But, they were never very expensive.

 

[mikethompson]

I had Lego as a kid, and my kids have plenty. We've bought tons of bricks secondhand now I'm wondering if they were hot! Lol

 

[cosmicfolklore]

I had Lego as a kid, and my kids have plenty. We've bought tons of bricks secondhand now I'm wondering if they were hot! Lol

I had a five gallon plastic bucket full of legos. I also had a five gallon bucket full of army men, green grey, and yellow, with an Iwo Jima mountain. I stormed Iwo Jima thousands of times as a kid.
I also remember that cleaning up my army men and legos before dinner was my least favorite thing to do in the world.

 

[cosmicfolklore]

I also had six of those cases full of HotWheels and MatchBox cars. I remember coming home from college and asking my mom where they were, but she had sold them in a yard sale for like $5 a case full, I was crushed. Maybe if I had of taken them to a flea market, I could have been rich, ha ha.

 

[mikethompson]

I had a five gallon plastic bucket full of legos. I also had a five gallon bucket full of army men, green grey, and yellow, with an Iwo Jima mountain. I stormed Iwo Jima thousands of times as a kid.
I also remember that cleaning up my army men and legos before dinner was my least favorite thing to do in the world.

When I was a kid (wow maybe I am getting old), LEGO was in like 4 bright colours. Now there are a million colours, some of which are exactly the colour of our carpet or hardwood. Camo LEGO is the worst!

 

[mikethompson]

HotWheels and MatchBox cars

That gives me an idea for another thread

 

[cosmicfolklore]

When I was a kid (wow maybe I am getting old), LEGO was in like 4 bright colours. Now there are a million colours, some of which are exactly the colour of our carpet or hardwood. Camo LEGO is the worst!

Yep, mine were white, red, yellow, and blue, with a few of those large flat green ones that I think were supposed to be a yard.

 

[scloyd]

There's money to be made in unopened Lego sets. I've done it a few times and you'd be surprised on how much people are willing to pay. The trick is to wait until the set becomes retired.

The annual Christmas sets and Star Wars are always big sellers.

Years ago I found Lego airport sets on clearance for 50% off. I bought three sets. I built one set and held onto the other two. A year later I sold the two unopened on ebay for double the original retail price. Not a bad profit for something sitting on a closet shelf.

Currently I have six unopened retired Lego Star Wars figures sitting in a box in the attic.

Star Wars figures similar to this

 

[cosmicfolklore]

I hate how Legos are sold as these kits that are supposed to make specific things, like Star Wars scenes. When I was a kid, we had to use our imaginations, and deal with pieces that didn't always conform to our will. Mostly, I made castles and defensive bases for my army men.
Heck, when I played with my action figures, they never conformed to the rules of Star Wars or GI Joes, which wasn't even a show yet. If Luke wanted to do battle with Leigha and Mork from Ork, then Darth Vader was his obvious friend (pre Empire Strikes Back).

Now, kids feel like they have to follow instructions or make what is on the package. Phooey on all of that. Teach them to use their imaginations! Develop creativity. That's what playing is for. They can follow directions when their older, or not. Teach them to rebel and NOT follow directions would probably make for a better start on life.

 

[scloyd]

I hate how Legos are sold as these kits that are supposed to make specific things, like Star Wars scenes. When I was a kid, we had to use our imaginations, and deal with pieces that didn't always conform to our will. Mostly, I made castles and defensive bases for my army men.
Heck, when I played with my action figures, they never conformed to the rules of Star Wars or GI Joes, which wasn't even a show yet. If Luke wanted to do battle with Leigha and Mork from Ork, then Darth Vader was his obvious friend (pre Empire Strikes Back).

Now, kids feel like they have to follow instructions or make what is on the package. Phooey on all of that. Teach them to use their imaginations! Develop creativity. That's what playing is for. They can follow directions when their older, or not. Teach them to rebel and NOT follow directions would probably make for a better start on life.

When my 7 year old grandson is over and we're building with Legos, he prefers the tubs of loose Legos over the sets. We will build with Legos and Lincoln Logs at the same time. We will build a garage with the Lincoln Logs and then build cars with the Legos to park in the garage.

I love playing with Legos with my grandson. My other grandson is only 2, so he likes to play with Schleich farm animals and trucks.

 

[CoffeeAndBourbon]

we had lincoln logs to play with

And TinkerToys

 

[cosmicfolklore]

Mine was all rusty with some bent and broken jagged edges. I think this was the reason for my very first tetanus shot.

 

[fireground_piper]

There is absolutely a LEGO collector world. I had to read through this book back when it came out for work and it introduced me to what I never knew existed:

LEGO: A Love Story

An adult LEGO fan's dual to build with bricks and buil…

www.goodreads.com

If I recall correctly, there are some pieces styles and colors that are made in limited quantities every year and there's quite the demand. It's been over 10 years since I read the book, but it made an impression on me about the legit adult market around LEGO.

 

[beezer]

I work with two guys who purchase all of the new Lego Star Wars releases. One of the guys purchases two sets; one to build and one to leave in the box. They do it as a fun investment.

I toyed with the idea of buying unopened boxes of minifigures after seeing the markup for previous seasons, but never got around to it. I'm afraid my son won't have the willpower to leave them sealed.

 

[Old School 3319]

I guess I see it kinda like baseball cards ok for kids but a little weird when grown up do it