It just takes one sale

The unexpected sale or set in a bizarre location is the great white whale of LEGO collecting. But it is the rare moments that keep us going in the lean months.

My wife and I were headed back from a day of recycling and yard work when karma rewarded us. A second-hand shop was going out of sale and liquidating its inventory. As soon as we walked in the door, I saw the familiar red logo of LEGO and my heart beat a little faster. It was the World of Mosaics- Set 6163, marked down to $1. A set that originally retailed for $20/$25 and currently sells for $15. Better yet, it is chock-full of headlights, 1x1 bricks, which I sorely need.

To find the Yellow Castle in a garage sale or a bag of dark green pieces at a flea market might be (or seem) impossible. But yet, it has happened. I think I'm starting to understand why car enthusiasts look for old Mustangs in barns and art enthusiasts hope to track down paintings in attics. It is the thrill of the find combined with the hope that the next sale will be the one to hold the rarest sets.