Is the LEGO 10258 London Bus a Good Investment Set?

22nd November 2021

Typically LEGO sets retire at the end of the calendar year but we start to notice them getting harder and harder to find from late October onwards. So as we approach this time of year I'm sure many of you start to ask yourself the question, "What sets will make a good investment?"

The LEGO Creator Expert London Bus is scheduled to retire at the end of this year / early next year and today we're asking the question "Is the London Bus a good investment set?"

The set

If we look at the set itself, there's no denying it's a good one. It perfectly resembles the vehicle it's based on and makes for a great display piece.

One thing this set does have against it is I don't think it has a wide appeal unlike other sets such as the Aston Martin DB5. Sure London buses are recognisable the world over but unless you either live in London or have been there on holiday, would you want to have this set on display in your home.

Creator Expert Vehicles

If we look at the Creator Expert Vehicles subtheme as a whole and compare the retail price to their current value we see that this line really hasn't doesn't that well post retirement. The standout set has been the Ferrari F40 which has more than tripled in value since it retired in 2017 and the Mini Cooper MK VII has also done quite well but aside from those two sets, there's been little growth to speak of.

Year	Sets	RRP (combined)	Current Value (combined)
2021	4	£445.53	£445.53
2020	1	£71.09	£71.09
2019	2	£197.48	£197.48
2018	1	£118.49	£119.27
2017	1	£110.59	£110.59
2016	1	£78.99	£97.57
2015	1	£78.99	£252.06
2014	1	£78.99	£174.90

Looking to the future

One thing the Creator Expert Vehicle subtheme has got in it's favour going forward is that it's a theme that LEGO seem keen to make more of in the future which would indicate their popularity is on the rise.

This year alone there has been 4 sets added to this subtheme with the Volkswagen T2 Camper Van, Pickup Truck, Porsche 911 and the Fiat 500 Light Blue Edition (although this one doesn't really count as it's just a variant of an existing set from 2020).

There are also rumours that we are going to get a Back To The Future style Delorean next year, which is bound to sell extremely well given the popularity of the three films.

If a theme attracts more fans and builders it generally means they're going to want to pick up retired sets to pad out their collection. Take the modular buildings as an example, so many people want to get their hands on sets like the Green Grocer, Market Street, Town Hall etc just so they have a complete street and this demand drives prices up.

Conclusion

Personally I would be a little hesitant on picking up the London Bus as an investment, if I have £110.00 to spend there's probably other sets that will do better in the short term.

Disclaimer: This article or any others on brickranker.com should not be considered financial advice and investing in LEGO is risky.