If you’re thinking about unconventional investment opportunities, you might not immediately consider Lego sets. However, Shane O’Farrell, a 35-year-old from New Jersey, has turned these colorful bricks into a goldmine, earning a whopping $500,000 in the past two years. His journey into the world of Lego investing began with a childhood memory from Ireland, where he frequently played with the Fort Legoredo Lego set.
Little did young O’Farrell know that the set, which was priced at $85 in 1996, would skyrocket in value. Today, he sells that same set for $2,405. O’Farrell has made a profitable business out of buying and reselling popular Lego sets, focusing on those that are about to be discontinued. He explained to the New York Post why this venture appealed to him more than traditional stock investments. “I started trying to invest in stocks and realized the 8 percent a year that I’m making in the stock market is not really going to work,” he said. “It’s not really going to get me where I want to go. It would take decades.”
Indeed, Lego sets have proven to be an excellent investment, with their value growing by 11 percent annually, outperforming stocks, bonds, and even gold, according to a 2022 study. O’Farrell stays informed by reading finance and trend reports from Lego, particularly paying attention to when sets are about to be retired. For instance, he purchased several Lego Star Wars TIE Fighter Pilot helmet models for $60 each before they were discontinued in 2021. Just a year and a half later, he sold them for $350 each, marking a 400 percent return on investment.
Despite his success in the Lego resale market, O’Farrell maintains a full-time job, as flipping Lego kits requires minimal time. “I can do it on top of my full-time job and create a supplementary income,” he shared. He even runs a YouTube channel called Brick Bucks, where he offers tips for others interested in Lego investing.
O’Farrell emphasizes the patience required in this business, suggesting investors simply “buy the stuff, put it away somewhere in storage and just wait for the price to go up.” Identifying which sets to invest in is crucial, he advises, turning what might seem like child’s play into a serious financial strategy.