One thing that I really enjoy about Hive is the variety of posts and so many different interests. There really is just about something for everyone. Today I decided to branch out in a different direction to a hobby I picked up once my son moved out and abandoned all of his old toys in closet storage. Over the years he collected a lot of Legos but as he grew up lost interest. He was okay with donating them to Goodwill (a thrift store) until a friend mentioned to me that some of the older Legos can be valuable collector's items.
I thought over what he had told me and pulled out some of the Legos and started to price them. To my surprise many were indeed valuable collector's items. I began to search thrift stores for Legos when I stopped by to search for silver items that might be for sale at a bargain price.
A few month back I found a four quart container full of Lego mini-figures in Goodwill. They were asking $50 US and I gladly took the gamble since I knew it wasn't at all a gamble at all. Many of these figures are worth a couple dollars, but some can be worth thousands if you get lucky and find the right ones. Like anything condition matters.
I got very lucky with the container finding some true gems. This first one is Agen Kolar, from Star Wars. He's not a very well known character, as a matter of fact I had no idea who he was. Apparently he was on the Jedi High Council. But the mini-figure turned out to be very valuable to the tune of excess of $100 US. I recently sold this one.
starwars.fandom.com
Here is the character from the movie in case you were wondering. It still doesn't ring any bells in my mind but I haven't seen this particular movie in years!
Another interesting find was Mace Windu, played by none other than Samuel L. Jackson and is the only Jedi to have a purple light saber. This one was worth about $30 and was sold to the same buyer as the first one.
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Those first two I experimented with on the lighting and background. They were taken with my Samsung tablet but it just took to much time. So for expensive figures I will use it, but for the most part an old cellphone does the job. It's an Samsung 8 if I recall.
This won't be a Star Wars deep dive, so if you aren't a fan don't worry! This is what's left in the four quart bin, it was filled to top with mini-figures. It was a steal at $50! Plus when I'm done I have a nice storage bin!
When I first started the pictures I used the old cell phone against a white backdrop. It was lackluster but it was quick. This character is Rogue and came out of a special collection Lego released sometime back, I had a couple and they sold for around $10 each. Not too bad!
From there I started to use Lego plates as backdrops and since I was going to sell these on eBay presentation mattered. This one is Spooky Boy also from a special collection from Lego.
And also Shakespeare, also from a special collection.
Then I upped my game a little and started using multiple Lego plates as props. This guy is Eeth Koth, another Star Wars mini-figure, he turned out to be worth about $50.
Others I have found but not sorted or really put up for sale, but everyone will recognize these two characters I'm sure!
And this guy too!
Not my finest pictures, but the final products when I list them will look better.
Unfortunately the bin apparently belonged to a young boy (I'm assuming) who was hard on some of the figures. There were many that had cracked arms and lost their hands. Some had badly cracked torsos. Here are a few of those.
So not all gold in the bin! The two figures on the end would be rather valuable if the arms weren't broken as well as the torso. But I can always sell the heads and legs to at least make a little extra return.
Legos sets also can be nice flips, but you run the risk of having to replace missing parts which I have done several times and they were profitable. But I've had a few that have turned into parts donors since fixing them up is just too expensive. There's always some risk when you buy them, but it's a fun hobby and micro business. I wouldn't dedicate all my time to this pursuit but 30 minutes a day is kind of fun!
That is my Lego flipping hobby. Not as profitable as house flipping but much cheaper with a lot less risk. If you're looking for a small side business it isn't too bad. If you have any questions, suggestions, or comments please feel free to leave them below. Have a great weekend everyone!
Disclaimer:
I'm not a financial advisor and this isn't financial advice, please always do your own research before spending your hard earned money.
All photos are mine unless otherwise stated.
Lego is copyrighted by the Lego Corporation
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