Answers.Body: <p>I found that looking to the website <a href="http://www.custompartnet.com/estimate/injection-molding/" rel="nofollow noreferrer">http://www.custompartnet.com/estimate/injection-molding/</a> is a great help to figuring out how much stuff costs.  </p>
  
  <p><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/Cd08q.png" alt="Image of Estimator"></p>
  
  <p>I started with a quantity of 1 million, as Lego would make bricks in huge quantities.<br>
  Small envelope of around an inch for the standard brick, 
  .1 in thickness on the top is the most, 
  looked up the volume online, and
  chose the other options logically.  </p>
  
  <p>Material and Production is all we care about, so... </p>
  
  <p>2 cents + 3.3 Cents = ~5 cents per brick!</p>
  
  <p>It might even be a little cheaper assuming they produce in China. </p>
  
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2015-06-15T19:16:08.453Z
Answers.LastActivityDate: 2015-06-15T19:16:08.453Z
Answers.UserDisplayName: Mason
Answers.Body: <p>There is no official production cost information that I'm aware of.</p>
  
  <p>There's cost related to research, set design, mold making, the actual plastic pellets, packaging, shipping, marketing. Then there's money coming in from video games, and they might actually lose money on the theme parks. Some of the inventory is sold at discounted prices, some might be stuck on shelves or warehouses for years.</p>
  
  <blockquote>
    <p>In 2012, 45.7 billion LEGO bricks were produced at a rate of 5.2
    million per hour.</p>
  </blockquote>
  
  <p><a href="http://education.lego.com/nl-be/about-us/lego-education-worldwide/lego-facts" rel="nofollow">http://education.lego.com/nl-be/about-us/lego-education-worldwide/lego-facts</a></p>
  
  <blockquote>
    <p>The year's operating profit increased to GBP 866 million. The year's
    net profit increased to GBP 611 million The revenue increased to GBP
    2,549 million.</p>
  </blockquote>
  
  <p><a href="https://wwwsecure.lego.com/en-GB/aboutus/news-room/2013/february/annual-result-2012" rel="nofollow">https://wwwsecure.lego.com/en-GB/aboutus/news-room/2013/february/annual-result-2012</a></p>
  
  <p>Now that's 2549/45700 = 0.055 GBP = 0.088 USD per sold piece. Profit is a third of that, expenses 2 thirds.
  Assume my math is correct so an average brick production cost at 6 cents for 2012 ? Should be interesting to check this for more that 1 year.</p>
  
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2015-05-23T14:02:52.300Z
Answers.LastActivityDate: 2015-05-23T14:02:52.300Z
Answers.UserDisplayName: Razvan Zoitanu
Answers.Body: <p>I was also wondering that and searching internet about it and I found a detailed research about the LEGO prices in <a href="http://www.realityprose.com/what-happened-with-lego/" rel="nofollow">http://www.realityprose.com/what-happened-with-lego/</a></p>
  
  <p>It is seen that price per brick is variable but e.g. in 2011 it is said that it was like 12 cents.</p>
  
  <p>However, there is more detailed and interesting information at the link above.</p>
  
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2016-06-29T11:56:45.713Z
Answers.Text: That article is really informative, but he was analyzing retail prices, not cost of production.  It does provide a nice sanity check for Mason's answer.
Answers.UserDisplayName: chicks
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2015-05-24T20:39:38.197Z
Answers.LastActivityDate: 2015-05-25T02:45:58.750Z
Answers.LastEditDate: 2015-05-25T02:45:58.750Z
Answers.UserDisplayName: E A
Answers.Body: <p>You can buy a bag of 1.000 LEGO bricks for 50€.</p>
  
  <p>If you do the maths, they must produce under 5 cents/unit in order to sell those bags on profit.</p>
  
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2016-06-29T06:48:23.377Z
Answers.Text: But those bricks might be smaller than average.
Answers.UserDisplayName: Henrik supports the community
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2016-06-28T20:08:31.723Z
Answers.LastActivityDate: 2016-06-28T20:08:31.723Z
Answers.UserDisplayName: Joan
Body: <p>I know that LEGO bricks approximately sell for 10 cents per piece but what does it cost to make an average brick?</p>
  
Comments.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Comments.CreationDate: 2015-04-22T22:11:10.990Z
Comments.Text: Here is a reference for the 10 cents per brick claim: http://www.wired.com/2014/08/lego-cost/
Comments.UserDisplayName: pcantin
Tags: <manufacturing>
Title: How much does an average LEGO brick cost to produce?
UserDisplayName: Snyder
ThreadText: # How much does an average LEGO brick cost to produce?
  
  (Asked by: username_0 on 2015-04-22)
  
  I know that LEGO bricks approximately sell for 10 cents per piece but what does it cost to make an average brick?
  
  **Tags:** manufacturing
  
  > **Comments:**
  > **username_1**: Here is a reference for the 10 cents per brick claim: http://www.wired.com/2014/08/lego-cost/  
  
  ---
  
  ## 4 answers
  
  ### Answer by username_2 on 2015-06-15. Score: 4
  
  I found that looking to the website <http://www.custompartnet.com/estimate/injection-molding/> is a great help to figuring out how much stuff costs.
  
  ![Image of Estimator](https://i.sstatic.net/Cd08q.png)
  
  I started with a quantity of 1 million, as Lego would make bricks in huge quantities.  
  Small envelope of around an inch for the standard brick,
  .1 in thickness on the top is the most,
  looked up the volume online, and
  chose the other options logically.
  
  Material and Production is all we care about, so...
  
  2 cents + 3.3 Cents = ~5 cents per brick!
  
  It might even be a little cheaper assuming they produce in China.
  
  
  ---
  
  ### Answer by username_3 on 2015-05-23. Score: 3
  
  There is no official production cost information that I'm aware of.
  
  There's cost related to research, set design, mold making, the actual plastic pellets, packaging, shipping, marketing. Then there's money coming in from video games, and they might actually lose money on the theme parks. Some of the inventory is sold at discounted prices, some might be stuck on shelves or warehouses for years.
  
  > In 2012, 45.7 billion LEGO bricks were produced at a rate of 5.2
  > million per hour.
  
  <http://education.lego.com/nl-be/about-us/lego-education-worldwide/lego-facts>
  
  > The year's operating profit increased to GBP 866 million. The year's
  > net profit increased to GBP 611 million The revenue increased to GBP
  > 2,549 million.
  
  <https://wwwsecure.lego.com/en-GB/aboutus/news-room/2013/february/annual-result-2012>
  
  Now that's 2549/45700 = 0.055 GBP = 0.088 USD per sold piece. Profit is a third of that, expenses 2 thirds.
  Assume my math is correct so an average brick production cost at 6 cents for 2012 ? Should be interesting to check this for more that 1 year.
  
  
  ---
  
  ### Answer by username_4 on 2015-05-24. Score: 2
  
  I was also wondering that and searching internet about it and I found a detailed research about the LEGO prices in <http://www.realityprose.com/what-happened-with-lego/>
  
  It is seen that price per brick is variable but e.g. in 2011 it is said that it was like 12 cents.
  
  However, there is more detailed and interesting information at the link above.
  
  > **Comments:**
  > **username_5**: That article is really informative, but he was analyzing retail prices, not cost of production.  It does provide a nice sanity check for username_2's answer.  
  
  ---
  
  ### Answer by username_6 on 2016-06-28. Score: 0
  
  You can buy a bag of 1.000 LEGO bricks for 50€.
  
  If you do the maths, they must produce under 5 cents/unit in order to sell those bags on profit.
  
  > **Comments:**
  > **username_7**: But those bricks might be smaller than average.  
  
  ---
  
  