Lego sets have become an increasingly popular alternative investment in recent years. As Lego retires certain sets, the discontinued sets often appreciate substantially in the secondary market. However, not all Lego sets make good investments. When looking to invest in Lego sets, you need to consider factors like set themes, piece counts, original retail prices, and demand from collectors. This article will explore the best practices for investing in Lego sets in 2022 and recommend some of the most promising sets worth considering.
Look for Lego sets that are retiring soon
One of the most important factors when investing in Lego sets is choosing sets that are close to retirement. Lego announces when a set will be retiring usually 1-2 years in advance. This gives investors a window to buy up stock of soon-to-be retired sets. Once a set is retired, it will become harder to find as existing stock sells out, causing prices to appreciation in the secondary market. Some tips for finding retiring sets include browsing the Lego online shop retiring soon section, following Lego fan blogs that track set lifespans, and looking for sets that are 3-5 years old.
Prioritize sets from popular themes like Star Wars
Certain Lego themes tend to have higher demand from collectors, which translates to stronger investment potential. Licensed sets from movie franchises like Star Wars and Harry Potter tend to do well, as they have a broad appeal to both Lego fans and general pop culture enthusiasts. For example, UCS Star Wars sets like the Millennium Falcon and Star Destroyer have been excellent investments over the years. Other evergreen in-house themes like City, Creator Expert, and Technic also see good secondary market interest.
Larger piece count sets have higher upside
For original retail Lego sets, there is generally a correlation between piece count size and potential for price growth. Larger sets with 1,000+ pieces will tend to command more of a premium compared to smaller sets once retired. This is because the larger sets are often more display worthy, take more time/effort to build, and have more collectibility. Large UCS Star Wars sets are a prime example, often retiring with 2,000+ pieces and becoming quite valuable.
Moderate original MSRP sets offer the best value
When investing in Lego sets, finding a sweet spot for original MSRP provides the best potential returns. Very small sets with low original prices ($20-$50) have limited room for appreciation. On the other end, huge sets (>$800) often have high price tags already built in. The best opportunity is with mid-priced sets in the $150-$400 range, which offer more upside potential once stock runs dry after retirement.
Sets with niche appeal can also do well long-term
In additional to the most popular Lego sets, certain niche sets can also make smart investments, even if they are not the most well known themes. For example, sets with unique parts, obscure licenses, or recalled/controversial sets. These types of niche sets might not have broad appeal, but they can develop cult followings amongst Lego collectors over time, leading to strong returns.
When investing in Lego sets, be sure to focus on identifying sets that are retiring soon, come from in-demand themes like Star Wars, have moderately high piece counts, were moderately expensive at retail, and consider niche sets with unique appeal to collectors. Sets meeting these criteria have the highest potential for significant appreciation over time. Focus your investing on sets meeting as many of these criteria as possible.