71010 - Minifigures - Series 14 Monsters

[gregpj]

You want us to believe you can smoosh 60 packs in just 1 minute?  Isn't that a bit extreme even for series 14 CMF?  Show me an unedited video of you doing it beside a running stopwatch (and your custom basket) to proof me wrong

I can do it in about 30 seconds but I guarantee it wouldn't be pretty enough for a video. Blind bags would be flying everywhere!!

I don't have a magic sorter.

[montreid]

Rising tide lifts all boats.   Buy in bulk and sell off gradually --good investment either way and more efficient;   save the time to get more product and more sales downstream  -- of course this assumes capital outstrips available time one has.

[Darth_Raichu]

one of course gets a significant head-start when every case has the same figures in the same place in the box, once you opened the first box & confirm placement orders you should be able to complete all the subsequent boxes in no time.

He did not say anything about box placement.  Plus if he was as good as he said, the placement orders would just mess up his timing.

[El Guapo]

“Nunchuck skills… bowhunting skills… computer hacking skills…Lego smooshing skills...Girls only want boyfriends who have great skills!”
 

[TheOrcKing]

You heard it here folks. ChristopherJB currently holds the Guinness World Record for "Fastest Smoosher". Also a runner-up for "Nicest Custom Basket".

[Darth_Raichu]

“Nunchuck skills… bowhunting skills… computer hacking skills…Lego smooshing skills...Girls only want boyfriends who have great skills!”
 

Booyah!! 1.44 floppy disks to the rescue

 

 

[Huskers1236]

[gregpj]

Why? Because...

[HappyHawkeye]

Where I disagree with him is that it's going to lead to big money.  Once again, those days have passed.  Right now the bottom sits at around 88 on amazon, and ebay sells for about that price.  At those prices, complete sets are not worth attempting to flip.  Best to leave them on the sales floor and let nature take it's course, unless you are willing to hold them for the long term, then I suggest completing a few sets for that purpose.  But the meat is gone off this bone for the time being.
 

Sure money isn't as good as it was, but I'm still clearing $25 a set on these. Since I've got big monkey sausage fingers it takes me closer to 20-30 minutes to get through a case, but still that's a pretty easy $75 or more for not a lot of work. And they are still selling steadily. Not big money, but I'm making a couple hundred dollars a week with a good ROI and my listings aren't stagnating. Imma keep flipping these bad boys until the price drops another $5-$10 per set.

[Darth_Raichu]

Why? Because...

Hufflepuff !!

[sharky1999]

I would have taken that bet if indeed you were spending 1-2 seconds on each one, or at most 5. Nothing personal, I just don't believe you because I don't think it's possible. I've smooshed hundreds of minifigs and understand that once you get well practiced you can often find that accessory or other indicator and instantly know what you have. But I also know that these distinguishing characteristics can often be hidden given that 1) they are not always in the same spot in the pack, 2) they can be obscured by getting lumped into other things in the pack, 3) they can get stuck under/between base plates and checklists. One second is a very, very short amount of time. In order to do what you say you are doing you'd have to grab something specific in each pack the first place you grab. Can you do this every 4th or 5th pack? Sure,  maybe. Can you do it every time or every other? No way.

J'accuse!

(and another vote for wanting to see a picture of the custom satchel)

I agree.  Also sometimes a pack has a lot of air in it which makes it almost impossible to smoosh quickly.  Once I actually find the distinguishing piece it's easy to know what you have in a split second.  The key is finding the distinguishing part quickly.  As you have pointed out it's not a guarantee you will grab it on the first feel.

Edited September 17, 2015 by sharky1999

[jerryherb]

fuller bags are easier to find accessories in. im about 5-10 secs per baggie once i get used to a new series. if it takes me 15s i toss it and move on. it takes less practice than you might think. just use this from the TRU $1 store section for .5 second results

<sorry ali express is a bad word round these parts>

re: it was just an example. couldnt find the pinart box on TRU site.....

Edited September 17, 2015 by jerryherb

[mfortunek]

1) nobody can correctly identify 60 sealed random bags from one series in 60 seconds. Period. That's ridiculous and impossible and I'll take any bet with any person and I'll give you two to one odds.

 

2) sealed bags are more valuable. Not by a lot, but they are. Anybody with a CFOL (child fan of Lego) knows this. My 5 year old son likes the excitement and surprise more than the actual minifigure.

[TheGallows]

Anyone tried weighing these on accurate scales. Surely there's a slight difference between each one.

Probably something you'd only do from the comfort of your own home or car, but still, good option for those who cant or want to feel for them.

[dcdfan]

 

OK. It's been over 24 hours & no one commented on the light switch...

[jerryherb]

Anyone tried weighing these on accurate scales. Surely there's a slight difference between each one.

Probably something you'd only do from the comfort of your own home or car, but still, good option for those who cant or want to feel for them.

dont have an accurate enough scale.... the one from my college years only goes down to .1g. on a labscale that might work assuming none are close to being identical (.001g)

Edited September 17, 2015 by jerryherb

[lodibricks]

Man, I suck. Just went to TRU and smooshed for like 10 mins and wasn't sure of anything so I just grabbed a random dozen and checked out.
If I ever go blind, I'll be putting Krazy Glue on my toothbrush.

[TheGallows]

dont have an accurate enough scale.... the one from my college years only goes down to .1g

you can get ones to .01

[jerryherb]

you can get ones to .01

youre gonna have to weigh them a few times and tare every single weighing. it may take more time than smooshing for us "elite" 

[fossilrock]

Sure money isn't as good as it was, but I'm still clearing $25 a set on these. Since I've got big monkey sausage fingers it takes me closer to 20-30 minutes to get through a case, but still that's a pretty easy $75 or more for not a lot of work. And they are still selling steadily. Not big money, but I'm making a couple hundred dollars a week with a good ROI and my listings aren't stagnating. Imma keep flipping these bad boys until the price drops another $5-$10 per set.

On Amazon?  My sales have stagnated.  Last set I sold was last week for 117.  Profit margin was close to 30.  Granted, I was a bit surprised when it sold because the bottom already started to fall out, and there were many sellers ahead of me, but I did manage to blow out 7 of my 10 sets.  At this point, complete sets can be found for under 100.  At those prices, unless they get these at steep discounts, they are not making much profit to make it worthwhile, because fees eat deep into those slim margins.  My rule of thumb is it must sell at 50% above retail to make a profit.  At retail a set cost 63.84.  Add in sales tax, of the usual 7 to 9%, which adds another 5.00.  Selling at 100 would net about 13.00, as Amazon fees would eat up 17.00.  Since there are some selling these now at 88... i'll pass and wait out this phase..

dont have an accurate enough scale.... the one from my college years only goes down to .1g

A complete set, in a typical 11X8.5 bubble mailer was coming in at 7.6 ounces.  So, I round up to 8.

[gregpj]

OK. It's been over 24 hours & no one commented on the light switch...

I did... I guess I forgot to hit submit. It looks like it could be just the perspective, but man I'd fire that electrician in a second if it really is that crooked.

[colossus]

you can get ones to .01

I have a microscale that weighs these in 0.01g increments with reproducible readings to 0.02.

Unless you're looking for the Witch, plant monster, or skeleton boy you're going to have to smoosh these since the rest have weights that overlap. Cat woman overlaps with 3 other figures so the amount of time it takes to weigh these is about the same time it takes to smoosh them (I smoosh about 10 seconds or less).

I must say I got addicted to smooshing.  When I was at Legoland CA last week I helped 25 random people get what they want while I smooshed about 200.  The staff was laughing at me and gave me free souvenir pins for my kids for helping out other guests. Oddly nobody requested cat woman or banshee - lot of requests for zombies (including 6 people who wants zombie pirate oddly).

[LEGOmaniacs]

OK. It's been over 24 hours & no one commented on the light switch...

Ha! What would you like to know about my light switch?

[Alpinemaps]

Ha! What would you like to know about my light switch?

Now I'm curious..,.whats wrong with the light switch.

[speedsausage]

The angle the pic was taken at makes it look like it was installed crooked.