Study: Lego Investments May Be Better than Gold

Source: https://www.econotimes.com/LEGO-is-better-investment-than-gold-Study-1624172

 

Pre-reading Questions:

1. Do you like to play Lego?

2. What toys did you like most in your childhood?

Vocabulary어휘

1. profitable 형용사 수익성이 있는, 이익이 되는 ˈprɑːfɪtəbəl

->making or likely to make money

The company will be profitable in three years.

그 회사는 3년 뒤에 수익성이 있을 것이다.

2. investment 명사 투자 ɪnˈvɛstmənt

->the action or process of putting money into something in order to make more money

I am trying to recover the money I lost in a bad investment.

나는 잘못된 투자로 잃은 돈을 만회하려고 노력하고 있다.

3. stock 명사 주식, (한 기업의) 주식 자본, 재고품[재고] stɑːk

->a share of a company owned by a person or business

I often read the newspaper to check how my stocks are performing.

주식시세를 확인하기 위하여 신문을 자주 읽습니다.

4. index 명사 지수, 지표 ˈɪndɛks

->a system showing the number, level, etc. of something compared to a standard

Syria is the lowest-ranking country on the 2016 Global Peace Index.

시리아는 2016년 세계 평화 지수에서 최하위 국가이다.

5. seasonal 형용사 ˈsiːz(ə)n(ə)l

->happening or available at a certain time of year

Our meals include seasonal vegetables so the menu changes every few months.

우리의 식사들은 계절에 따라 다른 채소들이 포함되어 있어서 메뉴가 몇 달마다 바뀐다.

6. storage 명사 보관, 저장, 저장고 ˈstoʊrɪdʒ

->the action of keeping something for future use; a place where something can be kept

The chairs can be folded completely flat for easy storage.

Article뉴스기사

Study: Lego Investments May Be Better than Gold

A new study has found that Lego may be a more profitable investment than stocks or gold or even alternative investments such as art and wine. Researchers from Russia's Higher School of Economics looked at the prices of 2,322 Lego sets sold between 1987 and 2015, using information from Brickpicker.com and the 2015 book The Ultimate Guide to Collectible Lego Sets. It was found that these sets increased in value by an average of about 11% every year.

The study authors note that in 2015 The Telegraph wrote that the average increase in the value of gold since the year 2000 was less than 10%, while a 2013 study found that the value of art increased by an average of less than 4% per year between 1957 and 2007. Lego also performed better than the S&P 500 stock index in most years after the 2008 financial crisis. The sets that rose the most were Lego Ideas sets, which are those made based on ideas from Lego fans. These rose in value by an average of 64% per year. Next were seasonal sets, which rose at 58% per year, and superheroes sets, which rose at 51% per year.

The study also found that the value of small and large sets grew faster than that of medium sets. Only sets that had never been opened were studied. However, the authors also said that Lego is only a good investment if kept for many years and that it can have costs — such as storage and shipping — that other investments such as stocks do not. Study co-author Victoria Dobrynskaya also warned that not all sets are equally successful. You have to be "a real Lego fan" to have a sense of the ones that are likely to increase in value, she said.

Discussion토론

1. What are your thoughts on the fact that Lego may be a more profitable investment than stocks or gold?

2. Do you find it surprising that the average Lego set increased in value by 11% per year? Why? Why not?

3. Do you know anyone who collects or invests in Lego?

4. Do you own anything that has gone up in value since you bought it?

5. What alternative investments would you consider putting money into if you had cash to spare? Why?

Further Discussion 심층 토론

1. Do you have any Lego? Are there any sets you'd like to buy?

2. What were the most popular toys when you were growing up?

3. What was your favorite childhood toy? Why?

4. How are today’s toys compared with those you played with as a child?

5. Do you think today's toys are better than the ones you played with as a child?