Frequently asked questions

It can be, but the comparison most often quoted ("LEGO outperforms gold and the S&P 500") is cherry-picked from the best-performing sets. The reality is more nuanced:

• Carefully selected, retired LEGO sets in mint sealed condition have historically delivered annual returns of 8–15% on average — comparable to broad equity markets.
• Top performers (UCS Star Wars, certain Modulars) have done much better. Worst performers have lost value.
• The price you actually pay (storage, time, opportunity cost, illiquidity) matters more than headline gains.

Swiss Brix is built to surface the sets most likely to fall in the top half of that range — but no system can predict the future. Treat the picks as a starting point for your own research, not a guarantee.

The forecasts come from BrickEconomy, which has been tracking LEGO market data since 2014. Their published track record on 2-year predictions is reasonable — the median set lands within ±20% of its forecast value, with retired sets generally being more predictable than active ones.

Swiss Brix doesn't blindly trust forecasts. The Buy Score also considers actual 12-month price momentum, market spread vs. MSRP, and theme prestige to balance the forecast signal.

For investment purposes, yes — virtually all secondary-market premium accrues to sealed sets in mint box condition. A few specifics:

• Boxes should be free of dents, tears, scuffs, and discoloration. Avoid direct sunlight and humidity.
• Don't write on the box, don't apply tape, don't peel stickers. Original shrink wrap is valuable.
• If you've already opened a set, it's not worthless — built models still trade, but at a steep discount (typically 30-50% below sealed).
• Used (built and disassembled) sets in 100% complete condition with manuals trade at roughly 50-70% of sealed value for popular sets, much less for less popular ones.

Swiss Brix is built for the Swiss market — that's our home market and where we have the most reliable retail-pricing data. CHF prices come directly from LEGO Switzerland.

If you're outside Switzerland: the Buy Scores still apply (the underlying price/forecast relationship is the same regardless of currency), and you can mentally convert CHF prices to your local currency. Swiss prices typically run 5-15% higher than EU prices at retail, so factor that in if you're shopping in Germany or France.

The catalog data refreshes every morning at 06:00 Zurich time. That includes:

• Current LEGO Switzerland retail prices for active sets
• BrickEconomy market values and 2-year forecasts
• Brickset retirement signals and new release announcements

So the latest numbers you see are never more than 24 hours old. Buy Scores are recalculated nightly with the new inputs.

MSRP is the original launch price LEGO set when the set first came out. It doesn't change.

Current price is what LEGO is selling the set for today (might be discounted, might be at MSRP, might be marked up). For retired sets, there is no current LEGO price — it's only available secondary-market.

For investment math: retired sets use current market value as the buy-in price (since you can't actually pay MSRP anymore), and active sets use MSRP. That's why upside % differs from a naive "forecast minus MSRP" calculation on retired sets.

The grade is a letter version of the 0-100 Buy Score, calibrated to actual LEGO data:

• A+ / A (70+): exceptional. Rare, top of the heap.
• A- / B+ (50-59): strong picks worth acting on.
• B / B- (40-49): decent. Watch for entry points.
• C+ / C / C- (25-39): hold or skip — better picks elsewhere.
• D / F (<25): avoid for investment.

Full methodology on the About page.

Yes. The Buy Score is calculated by an algorithm that doesn't know which sets are affiliate-eligible. We don't manually nudge picks toward retailers we get a commission from. The affiliate links are added after the ranking is determined.

That said, this is something to verify yourself: if you see a pick that looks strange, the data sources are listed on the About page and you can cross-check.

Loosely — historically, sealed LEGO has appreciated faster than CHF inflation. But this isn't a deep, liquid market like real estate or equities; the inflation hedge characteristics are different. Don't treat LEGO as a substitute for diversified inflation-resistant assets.

Three main options:

• BrickLink — the LEGO marketplace. Buyer pool is global and serious. Best prices, takes a few weeks.
• eBay — broader audience, often faster sales but higher fees and more risk of scammy buyers.
• Local secondhand sites — Tutti.ch, Anibis.ch, Ricardo.ch in Switzerland. Lower prices, faster, no shipping hassles.

Plan for ~10-15% transaction costs across fees, shipping, and price negotiation. Liquidity isn't immediate — budget 2-6 weeks to actually close a sale.

Generally avoid:

• Polybag/promotional sets under CHF 20 — too small a price gap to make money after fees.
• Highly themed annual releases (e.g. Advent calendars in non-flagship themes) — limited collector demand after the season ends.
• Sets with very large initial print runs — supply often outstrips demand for years after retirement.
• Sets you actually want to build — once opened, the investment value drops 30-50%.

Right now Swiss Brix runs on affiliate revenue. When you click a "Buy at LEGO" or "Buy at BrickLink" link and purchase, we earn a small commission at no cost to you. That covers the data, hosting, and time.

Long-term we may add a paid premium tier (more advanced data, priority alerts, deeper historical tracking) but the free tier — daily picks, weekly newsletter, full set database — stays free.

Email digest@swissbrix.com. We read every message, but reply time can vary.

If you spot a data error (wrong price, wrong piece count, etc.), tell us the set ID and what looks wrong — we'll cross-check with our sources and fix it within a day or two.