Anyone raised in a decent family knows that you must respect other people’s property and resources. But unfortunately, some adults never got that lesson. Theft is theft, no matter if you’re talking about cash, electronics, jewelry, or… LEGO.
An avid LEGO collector asked the internet to weigh in on a brazen robbery that happened in his home, which led him to sue both his ex and her new boyfriend. According to him, the entitled man broke into his home and stole his old, expensive LEGO sets, which were worth more than the couple had in their savings account. You’ll find the full story and the internet’s verdicts below.
Some people love building with LEGO, others use it as a way to bond with their kids, while still others collect sets as investments
Image credits: mstandret / Envato (not the actual photo)
This man shared how we went to court after his son’s stepdad broke into his home and stole some old LEGO sets worth lots of money
Image credits: Vitaly Gariev / Unsplash (not the actual photo)
Image credits: Corona_Cyrus / Reddit (not the actual photo)
Image credits: 666bandit / Reddit (not the actual photo)
Image credits: leggomylego75389263
Some LEGO sets can be worth a ton of money, depending on how rare, exclusive, and old they are
Image credits: Guitrum / Reddit (not the actual photo)
To repeat ourselves, a theft is a theft, no matter what was taken. Collectible toys can be worth massive amounts of money. And older, rarer LEGO sets can be incredibly pricey.
According to Bright My Bricks, the distribution exclusivity of a LEGO set is the most influential factor when it comes to its rarity, followed by limited production and set age.
“Exclusive sets like those distributed during LEGO Inside Tours or specialized conventions achieve the highest valuations precisely because they’re never sold to the general public. These ultra-limited editions, produced in quantities ranging from 50 to 200 pieces, instantly become sought-after collectibles,” Bright My Bricks explains.
In the meantime, the preservation condition of your set directly influences its market value. For instance, the price difference between a sealed set and a used one can reach a whopping 70%. As a rule of thumb, collectors prioritize mint sealed sets, with the original packaging intact and unapplied stickers.
Furthermore, the completeness of a set is also essential. Even a single missing piece can crater a set’s value. “Exclusive minifigures, printed elements, and rare pieces contribute disproportionately to a set’s overall valuation.”
There are lots of websites out there that offer advice about what old LEGO sets are worth, what minifigures are trending, what upcoming sets might be worth ‘investing in,’ etc. LEGO is big business.
Not every ‘investment’ in collectible toys will pan out. It’s still risky
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The worth of a collectible toy can depend on a wide variety of factors. For instance, its price can be affected by its rarity, how hard it is to find, whether it’s going out of production, whether it’s a limited collection item, whether or not the packaging has been opened, whether there’s any damage, what nostalgic pop culture themes are currently trending in society, etc.
On top of that, if you find the right buyer, they might be willing to be even more generous. That being said, remember to take inflation into account: yes, the price might be higher, but the purchasing power of your currency may have dropped significantly over the years, too. And not every collectible ‘investment’ will pan out the way that you want it to.
You might get super lucky, but the odds are that you probably won’t. Some items will never be as rare and in-demand as you’d like. Or you might not get your hands on those super-exclusive items that everyone is craving.
What’s more, if you collect everything and anything hoping to get lucky, you might end up hurting your finances and filling your home with junk. And that’s no way to live.
Instead, you should collect what you’re genuinely passionate about. For one, this brings you joy. Moreover, when you’re passionate about a subject, you want to dive deeper and learn more about it. So, you end up learning what items are rare, what’s worth more, etc. You may end up deciding to sell some small parts of your collection. Or you might keep everything because you care more about your collection than making a quick buck.
What are your thoughts, dear Pandas? How would you react to someone you know stealing part of your collection, no matter what it was? Would you go as far as taking them to court? How do you protect your boundaries from entitled people? What do you collect and why? Do you enjoy building and playing with LEGO, or do you see sets as more of an investment in your and your family’s future? Let us know in the comments.
Some readers asked for more details about the bizarre situation
Most readers were on the Lego collector’s side. Here’s what they told him
Not everyone was on the same page. Some people called the man out
After some time, the Lego collector came back to share an update with his supporters
Image credits: leggomylego75389263
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