Discontinued Lego sets better investment than gold, claims study

The prices of these used Lego toy sets remain unaffected by the ups and downs in the stock market, the researchers said, highlighting the fact that the prices increased during the 2008 financial crisis.

Ever wondered what is the best thing to invest in? It’s not blockchain, or gold, wine, or even art. Russian researchers have claimed that second hand Lego blocks appreciate faster than any of them.

Researchers studied the prices of use Lego blocks from 1987 to 2015.(Representative Photo/Reuters)

Researchers from Russia’s Higher School of Economics have claimed in their study that the prices of used Lego sets rise by 11 per cent every year – which offer faster and better returns than traditional investments like stocks, bonds or gold.

The researchers studied the prices of use Lego blocks from 1987 to 2015 to arrive at the conclusion.

The Lego sets get pricier every year because of “high collectible value” combined with diminishing supply. Most Lego sets are discontinued after a few years.

The prices of these used toy sets remain unaffected by the ups and downs in the stock market, the researchers said, even highlighting the fact that the prices increased during the 2008 financial crisis.

Comparing it with as worthwhile an investment as jewellery, antiques or other things, the researchers claimed in the report that a large Lego set garnered 2,230 per cent return over eight years.

Lego prices even surged during the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) pandemic when many adults and children were forced to stay at homes during lockdowns.

“Tens of thousands of deals are made on the secondary Lego market. Even taking into account the small prices of most sets, this is a huge market that is not well-known by traditional investors,” Victoria Dobrynskaya, one of the study’s authors and Associate Professor at the Faculty of Economic Sciences, said about the research.

Their paper was published in the Research in International Business and Finance journal.

Some of the used Lego sets, which fetched high prices were the Millennium Falcon, Death Star II, and Imperial Star Destroyer.