So, what did LEGO cost you? The question is kind of open to interpretation, isn’t it? One might take it as asking how much did you, personally, spend on LEGO? I am afraid to answer that question myself. I don’t really want to know… You can’t put a price on happiness, right? What I am actually asking is how much did LEGO cost, in general, this past year. As many of you know, I review the Canadian LEGO catalogs as they arrive in my mailbox (I am eagerly anticipating the January 2018 edition as we speak). This has given me the opportunity to look at some trends in LEGO. In 2017, there were three catalogs advertising a total of 300 sets (some were repeated from catalog to catalog). You can read my individual catalog reviews using the following links:
Average Number of Minifigures per Set = 4
Okay, so this is not a critical piece of information related to the cost of LEGO. But, Minifigures are important, and are a deciding factor in the purchase of many sets. On average, a LEGO set contained four Minifigures in 2017. This average was calculated using only sets that were meant to come with Minifigures. As such, it excludes themes like Technic and Architecture, which never come with Minifigures.
Average Brick-to-Minifigure Ratio = 189:1
Again, not directly cost related, but the brick-to-Minifigure ratio is an important consideration for me. It is one of the rating criteria that I use when reviewing my sets. I love Minifigures, so the more I get per set, the better. This ratio allows me to compare the number of Minifigures that I get per set across all the sets I buy (each with different numbers of bricks). On average, you were getting one Minifigure for every 189 bricks in 2017.
Average Cost of a LEGO Set = $99.81 CAD
This number should be taken with a grain of salt. It only takes into account the sets that LEGO chose to advertise in their 2017 catalogs, and not all of the sets that were actually available. But, it still gives you an idea of the cost of sets. On average, a LEGO set cost about $100 (Canadian dollars) in 2017.
Average Cost per Brick = $0.13 CAD
This is another criterion that I use when reviewing my LEGO sets. The cost of a set is generally not a good indicator because it doesn’t allow you to compare the value of different sized sets. Breaking down the cost of a set into how much each piece costs is a better indicator of overall bang for your buck. This past year, the average cost of a brick was $0.13 in Canada.
There you have it. In an average $99.81 LEGO set in 2017, each brick would have cost you $0.13, and you would have gotten four Minifigures at a ratio of 189 bricks per Minifig. I look forward to seeing if/how this changes in 2018!
As always, feel free to leave your thoughts in the comments below.
Until next time,
-Tom
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