Questions about box damage and tape seals

[holleman67]

86 lb scale is nice. Little over kill but works great for larger sets like Ssd and helps with other items that you may sell

[jaylay]

still dont know why LEGO bothers with tape than just glueing the flaps ... sheesh!!! once it comes from the LEGO factory sealed shut with glue it should be very hard to tampered with ...

[kunfuzd]

still dont know why LEGO bothers with tape than just glueing the flaps ... sheesh!!! once it comes from the LEGO factory sealed shut with glue it should be very hard to tampered with ...

 

Hot glue gun?!  

[jaylay]

Hot glue gun?!  

once a flap has been glued properly, it would be very difficult to lift it without bending or damaging the flap ... very easy to spot!

[gorbasho]

once a flap has been glued properly, it would be very difficult to lift it without bending or damaging the flap ... very easy to spot!

If they kept the current boxes with a plain flap you could just slide a blade under to loosen the glue and keep the flap undamaged. Maybe if they changed the flap shape it could work.

[jaylay]

If they kept the current boxes with a plain flap you could just slide a blade under to loosen the glue and keep the flap undamaged. Maybe if they changed the flap shape it could work.

or use a better glue!

[Guest brickcrazyhouse]

you got a box filled with puzzle pieces 

edit: joke. . . i hope

[Pirate]

once a flap has been glued properly, it would be very difficult to lift it without bending or damaging the flap ... very easy to spot!

No, it's just as easy, if not easier, to open and reseal the glued flaps.

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[Guest MaartenBegins]

in the attic or basement: zip bags of bags you can fold and tape? thanks Maarten

[Ciglione]

I am affraid I do not understand what you are asking here.

[Neosphinx]

If the basement is dry, basement. Temperature fluctuates less there then on attic, unless its well insulated.

For second hand sets (I take it you're talking about that), you can store them best in zipped. Less chance of losing parts.

[Guest MaartenBegins]

Thanks for the advice! With the bags I meant for new sealed boxes... there are big zip bags on the market but also big non zip bags :-) the difference is that in the zip bags the air in the bag will never change (no circulation...) with a bag that is taped a little bit, the air can still reach the box...

[tractorboy]

I use air-tight zip-lock bags, that you would use for storing food in the freezer for example. I get mine in Aldi.

I have heard that air-tight bags are best, as exposure to air can contribute to discoloration over time, though I don't know how true this is.

Plus they're just very easy to use.

 

edit: ok, thought you meant used sets.

[Neosphinx]

Thanks for the advice! With the bags I meant for new sealed boxes... there are big zip bags on the market but also big non zip bags :-) the difference is that in the zip bags the air in the bag will never change (no circulation...) with a bag that is taped a little bit, the air can still reach the box...

Ehm.... I think they are rather costly, big bags like that. I just leave the sets in large cartboard boxes to protect them from dust and light. Never thought about wrapping them in plastic.

[jaisonline]

my favorite "bags" to store no box / loose sets are the same ones i use when mailing sets (in a shipping box of course).  i use a felt tip perm marker to write the set name and # on the outside.  another envelope can be used for instructions.

 

these usps, fedex, etc... envelopes are "tough".

 

for new / sealed sets, i don't use anything another than making sure they are stacked properly on shelving units.

 

[Neosphinx]

my favorite "bags" to store no box / loose sets are the same ones i use when mailing sets (in a shipping box of course).  i use a felt tip perm marker to write the set name and # on the outside.  another envelope can be used for instructions.

 

these usps, fedex, etc... envelopes are "tough".

 

for new / sealed sets, i don't use anything another than making sure they are stacked properly on shelving units.

 

 

 

You don't use extra cartboard box around the new sets? Is there no issue with light then fading box colors?

[jaisonline]

You don't use extra cartboard box around the new sets? Is there no issue with light then fading box colors?

 i store sealed and opened box sets the same way.  sometimes do keep sets in the lego shipping boxes if stacking sideways.

 

[exciter1]

I use air-tight zip-lock bags, that you would use for storing food in the freezer for example. I get mine in Aldi.

I have heard that air-tight bags are best, as exposure to air can contribute to discoloration over time, though I don't know how true this is.

Plus they're just very easy to use.

 

edit: ok, thought you meant used sets.

 

Over a 3-5 year period, I would not worry about box deterioration, unless you store them out in the rain or in extreme heat.

[jaisonline]

Over a 3-5 year period, I would not worry about box deterioration, unless you store them out in the rain or in extreme heat.

I agree with exciter.

I have (and sold) MISB sets from mid-2000s and those box seals held up well even before I bought them. Tape is tape when it comes down to it and there isn't much you can do other than common sense. Keep out of the extreme heat, cold, light , etc... as much as possible, don't get them wet, stack sets properly, and never fed them after midnight.

Honestly, I focus more effort on packing the sets properly for shipping.

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[Guest MaartenBegins]

Ok. A lot of usefull tips and advice! But I noticed that some seals are a little bitt loose. Is it because other boxes were stacked upon these box? So my next question following the wich seal is the best option question is "how to stack them properly?" Thanks

[Sauromosis]

I have also seen issues with changes in humidity. Going from someplace very dry to somewhere humid or vice versa. Than alone can cause serious problems with paper and glue.

 

How do you know if it's humidity?  The seals on one of my sets just popped yesterday, the rest are fine.  Hopefully, it's just that box.  Mine are all in the basement.

Edited September 4, 2014 by jaisonline
removed the reglue reference as that is considered shady in most circles

[Bold-Arrow]

How do you know if it's humidity? The seals on one of my sets just popped yesterday, the rest are fine. Hopefully, it's just that box. Mine are all in the basement.

 

you can't list it as nisb at this point

[Sauromosis]

Didn't mean to start a morality war.  Would NEVER list that as MISB.

Edited September 4, 2014 by sauromosis

[naf]

This doesn't surprise me, it seems like Lego uses a weak tape for the seals.  As was previously mentioned in the exo suit thread, the seals on those sets are slipping due to the strain of the box flap, gotta keep those sets packed tight or they'll eventually pop.  Also, the seals on the SSD's tend to stretch and slip if they're moved around too much, probably due to the massive size of the set and only have 2 seals on each side.  Lego really needs to re-evaluate how they seal sets, really wish they'd just go back to the punch tab style boxes for everything instead of taped seals.

[pickleboy]

Can you get a better price for an set if it is still factory sealed in the box?  I have a couple of death stars that are still in the factory box and have never seen the light of day.  I am curious if I can get a premium on these some day?

Also another question is how do you sell a factory sealed box without opening it?  How do you protect yourself from the buyer possibly opening it on the other end after the transaction and saying something else was inside the sealed box?

Anyone have experience with this?



(I also have a factory sealed 2010 VintageTRU re-release Millennium Falcon that is in the factory box!!)