General - Moving Lego

[njlegolover]

So unfortunately have to move and been searching for tips on how to pack/move numerous large assembled sets (UCS/Creator Experts/etc).

Not sure bubble wrapping all these sets and purchasing plastic bins like I'm seeing in google searches is most cost effective, but wanting to know from the experts here. I'm also hesitant for the moving company to be careful with these so figure I'd have to pack my car, but wife looking at me all crazy since she doesn't believe these are a priority =). It's a 6hr drive and even debated making a couple of trips in the 5 day span.

Any advice? Much appreciated! 

[Phil B]

13 minutes ago, njlegolover said:

So unfortunately have to move and been searching for tips on how to pack/move numerous large assembled sets (UCS/Creator Experts/etc).

Not sure bubble wrapping all these sets and purchasing plastic bins like I'm seeing in google searches is most cost effective, but wanting to know from the experts here. I'm also hesitant for the moving company to be careful with these so figure I'd have to pack my car, but wife looking at me all crazy since she doesn't believe these are a priority =). It's a 6hr drive and even debated making a couple of trips in the 5 day span.

Any advice? Much appreciated! 

Safest way to move them is to break them down into pieces, a few ziploc bags per set, and dump 'em all in a big tote, then let the movers move them. As long as you label the bags correctly and have manuals, you are fine. Plus you get to build all your sets again when you get settled!

[exracer327]

2 hours ago, njlegolover said:

So unfortunately have to move and been searching for tips on how to pack/move numerous large assembled sets (UCS/Creator Experts/etc).

Not sure bubble wrapping all these sets and purchasing plastic bins like I'm seeing in google searches is most cost effective, but wanting to know from the experts here. I'm also hesitant for the moving company to be careful with these so figure I'd have to pack my car, but wife looking at me all crazy since she doesn't believe these are a priority =). It's a 6hr drive and even debated making a couple of trips in the 5 day span.

Any advice? Much appreciated! 

As someone who recently did this and had 1/2 my son's LEGO sets stolen while en route - do not pack the instructions with the sets.  The instructions were the only proof for the insurance that we had the sets.  Our insurance was for replacement costs and the LEGO ended up being $700.

Our kids broke down each of their sets and we packed them into zip lock bags (the kind with the writable label on them).  We wrote the set # and name on each zip lock bag and numbered the bags if more than one.  Sadly, that was how the thief knew which sets to take as they took his largest and best sets.  (Interestingly enough, they left all of my daughter's friends sets alone).

To that end, do not use any kind of tote.  They just cut the tape as soon as they hear LEGO moving.  That is what happened to us.

In fact, the next time we move we're packing all our LEGO sets in large brown boxes and fill them with pillows and all kids of bedding for sound absorption.

Obviously, it's a lot easier to pack your sets if you don't have to deal with original boxes.  If you want to keep the boxes, well, you have to decide if you want to ship them flat or actually pack the sets inside the boxes, which will take up a lot more space and be a lot more expensive to move.  If you end up packing your sets inside the boxes you can use air pillows to fill the boxes so they maintain their shape.

[Captain_chaos]

Previously, I've used large double-walled cardboard boxes (about 2 feet cubed) and bubble-wrapped everything. I removed appendages from certain sets (like the sign on Grand Emporium) to make everything fit better (and they'd only break off otherwise). More sturdy sets (e.g., UCS) can just go as-is. So long as things can't roll around in the box it works very well.

[CosmicSpeed]

8 hours ago, Phil B said:

Safest way to move them is to break them down into pieces, a few ziploc bags per set, and dump 'em all in a big tote, then let the movers move them. As long as you label the bags correctly and have manuals, you are fine. Plus you get to build all your sets again when you get settled!

Hasn't there been some horror stories about moving people and "lost" Lego? I would use caution as @exracer327 has mentioned.

[KShine]

 

8 hours ago, njlegolover said:

So unfortunately have to move and been searching for tips on how to pack/move numerous large assembled sets (UCS/Creator Experts/etc).

Not sure bubble wrapping all these sets and purchasing plastic bins like I'm seeing in google searches is most cost effective, but wanting to know from the experts here. I'm also hesitant for the moving company to be careful with these so figure I'd have to pack my car, but wife looking at me all crazy since she doesn't believe these are a priority =). It's a 6hr drive and even debated making a couple of trips in the 5 day span.

Any advice? Much appreciated! 

How many assembled sets are we talking about?

[njlegolover]

23 hours ago, exracer327 said:

As someone who recently did this and had 1/2 my son's LEGO sets stolen while en route - do not pack the instructions with the sets.  The instructions were the only proof for the insurance that we had the sets.  Our insurance was for replacement costs and the LEGO ended up being $700.

Our kids broke down each of their sets and we packed them into zip lock bags (the kind with the writable label on them).  We wrote the set # and name on each zip lock bag and numbered the bags if more than one.  Sadly, that was how the thief knew which sets to take as they took his largest and best sets.  (Interestingly enough, they left all of my daughter's friends sets alone).

To that end, do not use any kind of tote.  They just cut the tape as soon as they hear LEGO moving.  That is what happened to us.

In fact, the next time we move we're packing all our LEGO sets in large brown boxes and fill them with pillows and all kids of bedding for sound absorption.

Obviously, it's a lot easier to pack your sets if you don't have to deal with original boxes.  If you want to keep the boxes, well, you have to decide if you want to ship them flat or actually pack the sets inside the boxes, which will take up a lot more space and be a lot more expensive to move.  If you end up packing your sets inside the boxes you can use air pillows to fill the boxes so they maintain their shape.

oh man....now i'm really considering just making several trips...appreciate this (esp about keeping the instructions separate)!

[njlegolover]

16 hours ago, KShine said:

 

How many assembled sets are we talking about?

87 medium to large sets sets. The smaller stuff i didn't mind rebuilding. But like the UCS Tumbler that many seem to despise 😃 it's so fragile. And then ships like the silent mary/black pearl. Expert buildings i was just separating in large chunks, wrapping w/ paper and putting odd parts in zip lock and putting them in smaller boxes (with the instructions!!!) and then putting them in those walmart black tote boxes but realized not the most cost efficient way. And then the rest of my inventory (another problem of not knowing how to transport w/ the increased paranoia). Didn't even think about the sound of the moving parts. Who can you trust nowadays?? At least i don't have to worry too much about my daughter's friends sets 😕

[KShine]

If the time spent worrying about what is happening to your LEGO in transit, plus the time spent fixing the things you are dismantling/fixing once you get to your new home, is greater than the time spent driving (and you enjoy driving), then you should drive.

[Thanos75]

I have moved my collection twice and am getting ready to move it for a third and final time. Biggest tip is to order several large rolls of stretch wrap. I keep the majority of my smaller built sets in those three drawer sterilite drawers. I have them under my city tables. I just wrap the whole thing and they are good. My bigger sets get broken down to smaller section and put into bags and grouped together in storage boxes. My unopened sets are on those rolling wire racks that many people use. Again I just stretch wrap the whole thing and roll it into the container. I dont trust anyone with my Lego so I load it myself into those U-store it containers and have it dropped off when im ready. That way nobody has access to it besides me.

[joesnow2005]

Can you throw it in water and freeze it to a big chunk of ice... 

[TANV]

Question for those of you who have moved your collections long distance with movers: do you ever put them on the High Value Inventory forms? My wife and I are moving across the country next week and the moving company has this form for High Value items.  I'm not sure if I should fill it out since it could be tempting targets or leave it be and hope nothing gets taken.

[$20 on joe vs dan]

3 hours ago, TANV said:

Question for those of you who have moved your collections long distance with movers: do you ever put them on the High Value Inventory forms? My wife and I are moving across the country next week and the moving company has this form for High Value items.  I'm not sure if I should fill it out since it could be tempting targets or leave it be and hope nothing gets taken.

so it's the "Steal this one and not that one" form?

what are the conditions...do you pay more for extra insurance and what docs are needed for payout if there is a theft?  If it's JUST a check box with no extra actual protection...sounds like the above

Edited July 23, 2020 by $20 on joe vs dan

[gmpirate]

If it were me, I'd sell all I could to at least cover my buy-ins.  I don't know how much inventory you are talking, but its a lot of work packing everything up, loading & unloading, setting up again, etc. etc.  I just went through it a couple months ago and I'm really still not completely done.

More directly to your question, you'd have a tough time recovering any value from stolen, lost or damaged Lego from the moving company anyway.  You're not going to be able to just hand over an inventory list with current Amazon and/or Ebay prices and be fairly compensated.  Legally its not very straight forward and the moving company at the very least would drag its feet over something like that.

[TANV]

On 7/23/2020 at 4:29 PM, $20 on joe vs dan said:

so it's the "Steal this one and not that one" form?

what are the conditions...do you pay more for extra insurance and what docs are needed for payout if there is a theft?  If it's JUST a check box with no extra actual protection...sounds like the above

 

On 7/23/2020 at 5:03 PM, gmpirate said:

If it were me, I'd sell all I could to at least cover my buy-ins.  I don't know how much inventory you are talking, but its a lot of work packing everything up, loading & unloading, setting up again, etc. etc.  I just went through it a couple months ago and I'm really still not completely done.

More directly to your question, you'd have a tough time recovering any value from stolen, lost or damaged Lego from the moving company anyway.  You're not going to be able to just hand over an inventory list with current Amazon and/or Ebay prices and be fairly compensated.  Legally its not very straight forward and the moving company at the very least would drag its feet over something like that.

Thanks for your advice, guys. I'm just going to leave it blank. The movers are coming tomorrow.