The Lego Star Wars Money Sink
I was scanning Ebay today and came across some interesting trends. They are not new trends by any means, I've seen it before, but never really thought about it. Lego has always been costly on Ebay and the smaller the lot the larger the shipping rate.
Example: A pink bucket of Lego that I was thinking about getting for my daughter. We decided to wait until after Christmas, but not the shelves are empty. So I dug around. At my local retail the box goes for $15 and some change. The first one I came across on Ebay...$22 plus shipping. Then I saw one for $13, but I know Ebay. I immediately looked at the shipping...$9.97. I did not bother to look at the details for either auction, the sellars could have been selling empty tubs for all I care. I look at the descriptions AFTER I find what I think could be a good deal.
The above example is normal for any Lego item. High price with medium/small shipping, or low price with high shipping. I saw a lot of TEN pink bricks going for $30...no thanks.
Now, take the above normal pricing activity and use that as your base for Lego Star Wars. Need a brown Ewok minifig? I saw one with a spear, he only cost $15 plus shipping. You can get the actual set he comes in, with more Ewoks, on Bricklink for $30.
How about some light sabers to arm your custom Lego Star Wars Jedi? I saw several lots with 10-12 light sabers each ranging from $15-$25 plus shipping. Even the $5-$10 sets come with a complete minifig and sometimes two or more light sabers.
In spite of the obivous money sink that Lego auctions on Ebay have proven to be, it does not stop these outrageously priced lots to attract several bids before the end of the auction. I also noticed that buy-it-now auctions do not last long either. With Lego Star Wars the bidding wars can become laughable.
I should consider selling a bin or two of parts that I don't use. Within a week or two I should be able to afford the Lego Star Wars UCS Millenium Falcon...
Example: A pink bucket of Lego that I was thinking about getting for my daughter. We decided to wait until after Christmas, but not the shelves are empty. So I dug around. At my local retail the box goes for $15 and some change. The first one I came across on Ebay...$22 plus shipping. Then I saw one for $13, but I know Ebay. I immediately looked at the shipping...$9.97. I did not bother to look at the details for either auction, the sellars could have been selling empty tubs for all I care. I look at the descriptions AFTER I find what I think could be a good deal.
The above example is normal for any Lego item. High price with medium/small shipping, or low price with high shipping. I saw a lot of TEN pink bricks going for $30...no thanks.
Now, take the above normal pricing activity and use that as your base for Lego Star Wars. Need a brown Ewok minifig? I saw one with a spear, he only cost $15 plus shipping. You can get the actual set he comes in, with more Ewoks, on Bricklink for $30.
How about some light sabers to arm your custom Lego Star Wars Jedi? I saw several lots with 10-12 light sabers each ranging from $15-$25 plus shipping. Even the $5-$10 sets come with a complete minifig and sometimes two or more light sabers.
In spite of the obivous money sink that Lego auctions on Ebay have proven to be, it does not stop these outrageously priced lots to attract several bids before the end of the auction. I also noticed that buy-it-now auctions do not last long either. With Lego Star Wars the bidding wars can become laughable.
I should consider selling a bin or two of parts that I don't use. Within a week or two I should be able to afford the Lego Star Wars UCS Millenium Falcon...
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