Gale is a LEGO collector with four decades of finds from across the globe, including vintage Star Wars sets and Belville sets designed for girls and sold only in Europe.
“It’s a sickness,” Gale said with a laugh. “You want to have everything.”
But now the collector who tracks each LEGO purchase has discovered a great retirement gig selling parts of his collection online via the eBay ecommerce site.
“Marv will always collect,” said Persis Elwood, his wife of 20 years. “But now he’s much more selective. And It’s interesting to see him communicate with other hard-core collectors.”
Gale said he bought his first Lego sets for his son and daughter, both grown with children of their own. But when his first marriage ended, and his ex-wife and children left, Gale said he felt very alone. He opened a LEGO set one evening after his workday. Wow! You can make what you want, he thought. Snapping blocks together to create houses, cars, boats and more became a relaxing evening ritual.
“It was very therapeutic,” Gale said. “I called it my LEGO therapy. It was an escape,” As the LEGO sets began to pile up, Gale said he also realized he enjoyed LEGOs collecting as well.
“I knew I wasn’t going to stop. But when you move from a player to a collector, everything changes,” Gale said. “You want the box too. And you want the box nice. And the instructions.”
After moving from Washington to Dayton for a job at Wright Patterson Air Force Base, Gale settled in but had to find new ways in a pre-Internet world to locate collectible Lego sets.
“I used to make Walmart runs. They had after-Christmas sales,” Gale said. “I knew every Walmart within 35 miles of here.” He also hit garage sales, and when traveling, visited Lego stores. He even checked European second-hand stores. A major purchase from an Indiana collector’s estate sale added more vintage and unique pieces.
“At our old house, I didn’t pay much attention to (his collection). Then one day, I went down to the basement, and it was absolutely packed,” Elwood said.
In their current home, Gale also uses the basement for L storage, display and eBay prep. LEGO store shelves repurposed from toy stores and a variety of shelving units show some of his best collection pieces, including his Lego Darth Maul head and other Star Wars figures and battleships. Movie scenes from the Pirates of the Caribbean and Ghostbusters—and even TV shows such as Big Bang Theory — play out in the display space.
Gale and Elwood keep every set labeled and cataloged for easy access once they are sold. During Winter months, Gale said he often retreats to the basement to work on this online store. He assembles every opened set he purchases to ensure it is complete. Then he photographs the set, uploads the pictures and adds the piece to his store.
“It’s a process,” he said.
Simple and repetitive, just a matter of filling in screens and selecting options. Currently his store offers about 130 items.
He checks his email for sales each morning over coffee with Elwood. After a purchase, he and Elwood carefully package and mail sets using the mailing labels and packaging slips provided by eBay, which also remits payments and provides transaction records and tax statements.
Elwood has kept an eye on their account activity since their store opened four years ago.
“We’ve always treated it as an investment,” she said, adding that sales over a 90-day period have soared as high as $8,000.
For tax purposes, she tracks costs—for everything from packing tape to postage. But Elwood claimed those tasks pale in comparison to Gale’s job keeping customers happy.
“That’s tough work.”
Gale maintains 100% positive feedback after more than 630 sales on a site that caters to other serious collectors. “You have to make sure it’s exactly right—the right pieces, the right colors. It matters to these people,” he emphasized, adding a Star Wars battle cruiser may have more than 1,000 pieces. His Lego Death Star includes more than 3,000 pieces.
Elwood estimates Gale puts in about 10 hours of work on LEGO sales a week. They can temporarily close their storefront when travelling. They have many interests vying for time such as Tai Chi classes.
Gale plays the trumpet, banjo, mandolin and 12-string guitar, accompanying Elwood on the piano in their music room. And Gale enjoys landscaping their spacious yard.
“When the weather warms up, I’ll be outside,” said Gale.
TIPS FOR SELLING
Ready to cash in on your long-held collection of vintage Matchbox cars, troll dolls or pillbox hats? Lego collector Marvin Gale said he believes ecommerce sites such as eBay and Etsy offer retired collectors a good opportunity to downsize, but those interested should do their homework.
First, potential shop owners should spend some screen time at several sites to see if there is even a market for their collectibles. Where is it sold, and what are buyers paying? Gale emphasized.
“Collectibles are weird. It’s always a strange market, supply and demand,” he said, adding items heat up, cool down then become popular again. Know what your collectibles will bring. eBay tends to draw more experienced collectors, Gale added, and brings higher prices. In his opinion, Etsy draws more artisans.
Business publications, the internet—and the ecommerce sites themselves—also offer much free information on what the sites offer in terms of benefits, requirements and subscription rates so you can compare.
In addition to subscription rates, Gale noted that potential shop owners should consider other costs such as shipping. Plus shop owners should track income for tax purposes even if the site tracks it.
“I state right on my site that I don’t do international shipping,” he said, adding he thought the costs were too steep. In addition to postage, costs for packing materials such as boxes and bubble wrap can eat into profits. Gale said he minimizes costs by reusing Amazon and other packing boxes and packaging materials supplied by friends.
Obviously smaller collectibles that don’t break easily are easier to package and ship, Gale said. “That’s why I love Legos. They don’t break. They are usually light weight and easy to ship.”
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