Most valuable technic set.

[davidmull]

I'm just curious to know whats the most expensive second hand set or what makes big money,I seen a new 8868 on brick link for 850 dollars.by the way that brick link is great :)

[Blakbird]

I'm just curious to know whats the most expensive second hand set or what makes big money,I seen a new 8868 on brick link for 850 dollars.by the way that brick link is great :)

Depends on rarity, age, demand, and other factors. The most expensive sets I have ever bought on a price per part basis are 858 and 8847. Neither of them are particularly special, they are just hard to find. The most expensive Technic set when it was new was 8485 and still commands a very high price. On a strictly total cost basis, the most expensive are those that are in greatest demand including 8880, 8448, 8421, and even 8288.

Some of the prices on Bricklink are not really meant to sell anything. I think some people list their collections thinking, "I don't really want to sell any of this, but if someone offers me $850 then I guess I will." Motivated sellers have much more reasonable prices. I've seen a single item on Bricklink listed at $30,000 once.

The price of used (and MISB) Technic sets is nothing compared to Star Wars sets though. Up until 2008 I had every single Star Wars set and then I sold them all. If I had waited another 2 or 3 years I could have had 5 times the money. Technic does not have that kind of demand.

[Enilder]

Depends on rarity, age, demand, and other factors. The most expensive sets I have ever bought on a price per part basis are 858 and 8847. Neither of them are particularly special, they are just hard to find. The most expensive Technic set when it was new was 8485 and still commands a very high price. On a strictly total cost basis, the most expensive are those that are in greatest demand including 8880, 8448, 8421, and even 8288.

Some of the prices on Bricklink are not really meant to sell anything. I think some people list their collections thinking, "I don't really want to sell any of this, but if someone offers me $850 then I guess I will." Motivated sellers have much more reasonable prices. I've seen a single item on Bricklink listed at $30,000 once.

The price of used (and MISB) Technic sets is nothing compared to Star Wars sets though. Up until 2008 I had every single Star Wars set and then I sold them all. If I had waited another 2 or 3 years I could have had 5 times the money. Technic does not have that kind of demand.

really? 8288? i'd much rather include 5571 or 8480 over that for sure!

pretty much any older technic sets up to late 90s or early 2000s.

[RockeTeK]

What about 8461, the Williams F1 car? And 8466, the 4x4 Offroader?

[dolittle]

Hi,

For me valuable isn't just price oriented, I am not sure if this was the question here..

It is what you get with the set.

The harder to find parts and more expensive parts make for a more valuable set.

For example the 8043 makes a great set - you get 4 motors ( 4 * 7.5$ ) , 2 IR receivers ( 2 * 15$ ) and 2 IR trans (2 * 9.5$ ) - I believe only these items would cost you 79$ while the whole set costs 200$ - so this is a great price for the parts received - making it very valuable.

Thanks,

Noam

[CP5670]

8288 has strangely always been rather expensive on both ebay and Bricklink, given that it's a relatively recent set.

The most expensive set I've actually seen sold was an MISB 954 Sky Copter on ebay many years ago, which went for $1100. In general, the ebay prices of 90s Technic sets have actually gone down in the last few years. I think the demand peaked at one point 4 or 5 years ago and has dropped since then; many people who wanted those sets already have them now.

[freakwave]

8288 has strangely always been rather expensive on both ebay and Bricklink, given that it's a relatively recent set.

.. but I think it was only available for a rather short period. I recently got a second one on a flea-market for an incredible 15 EUR! It was dusty though, but after having everything cleaned properly it looks shineas new with no scratches on the liftarms, love it!

[Cwetqo]

I paid most for my 8448 (120euro), but that's mainly because i was new to e-bay and I did not follow the rule to set you maximum price and never go above that.

After that I paid 90 euro for my 8455 and I got all other larger technic sets for less than that (8880, 8480, 8868, 8285, 8297, 8466 etc...). I still have to find 8421 wcich is also among more expensive ones (I hope for price around 70-80 eur).

8868 in general is not so expensive set. I paid mine around 50 euro+pp and saw many bids endind in 60-70 euro range.

So, it seems that my most expensive set will be new Unimog.

[Paul Boratko]

What about 8461, the Williams F1 car? And 8466, the 4x4 Offroader?

I have seen the BMW dealership edition of the 8461 Williams set sell for $1,200 on Ebay last year...

[nychase]

As many of you know I have quite a collection...

From my experience so far the 8145 Ferrari has been one of the most expensive sets to buy second hand despite just how new it is. I have every other technic except for some of the very early models (late 70's). I can't explain why it is so much, I don't know why the 1:8 Ferrari is less...I just know that I have had a hell of a time getting the 8145 for less than 200.

As a bonus, on March 28 someone snagged a 8145 for BIN 100 bucks with box, instructions and all parts.

Talk about a slap in the face!

Valuable though? I think that 5571 MISB is very very high up on that list (Yes I know thats not Technic).

What Eric didn't mention about 8858 and 8847 is that they both use very rare pieces. Its not the piston heads like you might think (I have plenty), its the proper slope bricks without center studs or some of the other mold changes that occurred over the years. Unlike what we do with most incomplete sets...you can't just part these back together and have them be period correct (kinda like using the correct friction pins).

[allanp]

The most expensive sale I heard of was a MISB 852 helicopter being sold for £3000.

Looking at the prices of sets on bricklink such as the 8868, 8880, 8480, 8865, 8856 and 8862 (one currently for sale at $1995) i'm glad i've got near MISB copies of all those sets.

[JunkstyleGio]

I've come to learn that patience comes with lower prices; so far I've NEVER paid more than €80 for a second hand set! (and I've got a lot of the afore mentioned sets!)

[allanp]

and luck. I got very tidy copies of 8860, 8862, 8865, 8851 and 8094, £100 for the lot from bargain pages. Guy din't know what he was selling me thinks!

[CP5670]

Valuable though? I think that 5571 MISB is very very high up on that list (Yes I know thats not Technic).

That still remains my most expensive Lego purchase ever, even though I got mine several years ago.

Looking at the prices of sets on bricklink such as the 8868, 8880, 8480, 8865, 8856 and 8862 (one currently for sale at $1995) i'm glad i've got near MISB copies of all those sets.

The Bricklink prices aren't always indicative of what they are actually selling for. It's better to look at ebay. It has been a long time now but I got MISB copies of all of those except 8868, while paying roughly the same as the original prices. I've still seen 8865 and 8856 go for relatively low prices in the last year or two (lower than the original prices if you adjust for inflation). As I said earlier, I think the demand for most sets of that era has simply tapered off.

[Paul Boratko]

As many of you know I have quite a collection...

From my experience so far the 8145 Ferrari has been one of the most expensive sets to buy second hand despite just how new it is. I have every other technic except for some of the very early models (late 70's). I can't explain why it is so much, I don't know why the 1:8 Ferrari is less...I just know that I have had a hell of a time getting the 8145 for less than 200.

As a bonus, on March 28 someone snagged a 8145 for BIN 100 bucks with box, instructions and all parts.

I snagged up 20 of them when Lego Shop at Home clearanced out the 8145 set out a couple years ago for $54.99... Last year at this same time a MIB 8145 set was right around $200... Now they are $400+

[skyliner]

I'm just curious to know whats the most expensive second hand set or what makes big money,I seen a new 8868 on brick link for 850 dollars.by the way that brick link is great :)

The most i have seen paid was £750 for a sealed MISB 956 from 1977.

[nychase]

I snagged up 20 of them when Lego Shop at Home clearanced out the 8145 set out a couple years ago for $54.99... Last year at this same time a MIB 8145 set was right around $200... Now they are $400+

Care to share one with a fellow collector? I don't normally look for MISB because I prefer to actually play with the model rather than get totally caught up in the investment.

Regardless...good for you...that was a crazy good deal. Does S@H do those kind of deals often?

[dr_spock]

Most I paid for a MSIB is $80 CAD for an 8288 in 2008 when I started an interest in Lego and Technics.

[Paul Boratko]

Care to share one with a fellow collector? I don't normally look for MISB because I prefer to actually play with the model rather than get totally caught up in the investment.

Regardless...good for you...that was a crazy good deal. Does S@H do those kind of deals often?

Lego Shop at Home always clearances their sets 1/2 off towards the end of their runs usually about 12 to 16 months after they are released and the new sets start to appear. They have done this with every set that I can remember... I am also talking about the large sets like the 8275 Bulldozer and the 8285 Tow Truck(another set that is very expensive to get new) and most recently the 8258 Crane Truck...

Unfortunately I only have one sealed 8145 set left here, but it is my wife's.

Always keep an eye open at Lego's Shop at Home site and check it every day, because you never know what set will get clearanced out next... I expect the 8041 Race Truck should be coming up soon... That set has some really great parts, especially at 1/2 price...

[HyperBlade]

I have seen the BMW dealership edition of the 8461 Williams set sell for $1,200 on Ebay last year...

Was that new or second hand?

[chaosof99]

Got a second-hand 8868 Air Tech Claw Rig off ebay today for only 38€ (plus 5,50€ shipping). I thought it would be a lot more. Saw several other with instant buy options at 100€ and more. My maximum bid was 69,50€ (so it would be 75€ with shipping), so I more or less payed half of what I expected to pay.

I guess it didn't go to a high bid because apparenty the box is missing and the set was without the instruction booklet. Ironically, I got an instruction book for 8868, but not the model. I got the book bundled when I bought a couple of big boxes of Lego from a 2nd hand shop. Apparently some parts of 8868 (e.g. two of the wheels, and I believe the compressor piston) were in the boxes, but no complete model.

The model I bought looks to be complete though, judging by the photos on e-bay. Very excited to get it into my hands. A model I wanted to have when I was a child, but never got.

Edited April 27, 2011 by chaosof99

[DLuders]

@ Chaosof99: You lucky dog! Getting a 19-year-old set for so cheap is not easy to do. You can check the 8868 Parts Inventory to see if you have everything.

[davidmull]

That's a cool picture above,it looks like a real life assembly line :)

[chaosof99]

@ Chaosof99: You lucky dog! Getting a 19-year-old set for so cheap is not easy to do.

Not trying to brag, but I think I just did it again: 8880 Supercar for 52€.

Also today I bought, somewhat on impulse, an 8853 Excavator for 15,60€. And the best part is that I'm probably only paying shipping fees once, because it's from the same seller. Actually also bid on two Model Team sets he/she had offered (5550 Custom Rally Van and 5581 Magic Flash) but got overbid on those. Only lowballed them (20€ max) because I was only marginally interested. He also had an 5510 Off-Road 4x4, but I already own that set. The one I was really after was of course the Supercar, and for that price I can hardly complain. My max bid was 75€, so I'm paying only about two thirds of what I expected to There were several instant-buy ones at about 120€.

[davidmull]

Not trying to brag, but I think I just did it again: 8880 Supercar for 52€.

Also today I bought, somewhat on impulse, an 8853 Excavator for 15,60€. And the best part is that I'm probably only paying shipping fees once, because it's from the same seller. Actually also bid on two Model Team sets he/she had offered (5550 Custom Rally Van and 5581 Magic Flash) but got overbid on those. Only lowballed them (20€ max) because I was only marginally interested. He also had an 5510 Off-Road 4x4, but I already own that set. The one I was really after was of course the Supercar, and for that price I can hardly complain. My max bid was 75€, so I'm paying only about two thirds of what I expected to There were several instant-buy ones at about 120€.

Where are u buying these sets eBay?