Questions about box damage and tape seals

[tyclin]

I asked for 20% refund. No the seller so far showed no interest in responding.

[c4dreams]

345 is pretty good since the set costs $432 retail with tax. if the seller has lots of good feedback, I'd probably be happy with the item. perhaps you could weight it to verify contents? I know if I sold something that was brand new and I knew everything was good, I would not be willing to refund $69 just because the tape wore off. my policy is buyer returns the item and I give a full refund.

[dunkers97]

Give him a bad rating! Teach him not to mess with LEGO professionals!

[Coneil21]

Are there any hard and fast rules re how to factor box damage into investment decisions? Or is it really a case by case decision?

[Blackjack]

I was at a place that had two Forbidden Forest sets for $12 apiece, but the boxes were pretty bent, so I passed. I don't know if I could have gotten a discount on them...

[Huskers1236]

Are there any hard and fast rules re how to factor box damage into investment decisions? Or is it really a case by case decision?

While not as picky as others (looks at Stephen) I do prefer nice boxes that show well and will perform optimally when I choose to sell. However, if you can find rarer sets that have some box damage, many times you can sell that set as sealed bags for darn near as much as one in a sealed box. So to somewhat answer your question, yes, it is rather case by case.

[stephen_rockefeller]

Lol Go MISB or go home is my motto!

[Guest ph4tb0i]

depends on the cost. If it's a major discount against the going price then sure. Otherwise I prefer minty mint.

[akohns]

If you're buying to hold onto a while you're going to want a good looking box. Don't pass on something that's EOL and fetching $150-200% retail already just because it has a rough box though. I found a Queen Anne the day after christmas this year for $75 and sold it the next day for $200 on ebay. The box was pretty rough but I took good photos and someone wanted it for that price.

[Ed Mack]

When judging box damage or shelf wear, you have to ask yourself who is your targeted buyers will be. If its other collectors, than box condition is important. If it is your regular Joe LEGO fan who wants a new set to build and missed out on the LEGO set when it was available at retail, then box condition is not as important.

[Diabolos80]

Ed Mack has stated repeatedly that the future of Lego secondary sales is in verified contents, not sealed boxes. I tend to agree. Seals are easy to peel and restick, and unscrupulous sellers have all kinds of methods to remove contents and re-seal the box so you'd never know. You really want to take the chance that MF box is filled with Mega Bloks, or would you rather buy one from a picture of all the bags laid out? Either way, as a seller I don't believe you're doing your business any harm by popping those seals and making sure you're selling what you think you are.

[Ed Mack]

Ed Mack has stated repeatedly that the future of Lego secondary sales is in verified contents, not sealed boxes. I tend to agree. Seals are easy to peel and restick, and unscrupulous sellers have all kinds of methods to remove contents and re-seal the box so you'd never know. You really want to take the chance that MF box is filled with Mega Bloks, or would you rather buy one from a picture of all the bags laid out? Either way, as a seller I don't believe you're doing your business any harm by popping those seals and making sure you're selling what you think you are.

Yes, unfortunately in today's day in age, MISB is only a term. For all intents and purposes, almost any LEGO set can be manipulated...basically...seals removed, contents removed, seals reapplied.

I can see a day in the not so near future that the important term will be VIB...

Verified

In

Box

Remember...I said it first.

[IrishGuy66]

Yes, unfortunately in today's day in age, MISB is only a term. For all intents and purposes, almost any LEGO set can be manipulated...basically...seals removed, contents removed, seals reapplied.

I can see a day in the not so near future that the important term will be VIB...

Verified

I******

Box

Ed I have a question..... is your new avatar your actual portrait? As awesome as you are I always kinda pictured you looking somewhat like that.

[Ed Mack]

Yes, unfortunately in today's day in age, MISB is only a term. For all intents and purposes, almost any LEGO set can be manipulated...basically...seals removed, contents removed, seals reapplied.

I can see a day in the not so near future that the important term will be VIB...

Verified

In

Box

Ed I have a question..... is your new avatar your actual portrait? As awesome as you are I always kinda pictured you looking somewhat like that.Yes...You are very observant.

[Quacs]

Apparently, Ed recently spent a little too much time in the sun too... Two words, Ed: Aloe Vera

[Ed Mack]

Apparently, Ed recently spent a little too much time in the sun too...

Two words, Ed: Aloe Vera

I'll keep that in mind. :bug:

[Huskers1236]

Regarding boxes and the seals. I noticed in a new review for the Dooku/Yoda set, that the box was using the little pop tabs. Do you think Lego has noticed their issues with the seals or is this a rare case? Even the smaller boxes right now are using the seals, so I was surprised to see that the box was using the pull tab type where you push in the 2 holes and pull the end open. While I like being able to cut the seals and flatten my boxes for the future, I like the idea of only being able to get into the box by messing it up, negating the ability to take out the figures and seal it back up.

[Ed Mack]

The old boxes from the 70s and early 80s were the best. The had flip up tops and a clear inner insert in which you could see the contents. The boxes were sturdy and reusable.

[Blackjack]

Ed I have a question..... is your new avatar your actual portrait? As awesome as you are I always kinda pictured you looking somewhat like that.

I love the new avatar. :cheese:

[Studebricker]

The old boxes from the 70s and early 80s were the best. The had flip up tops and a clear inner insert in which you could see the contents. The boxes were sturdy and reusable.

ah yes, the good ol' days... those window boxes were so cool

[kerrmando]

I love the old Pirate Sets with the opening front! Some Recent Technic sets have had those too!

[jaisonline]

The old boxes from the 70s and early 80s were the best. The had flip up tops and a clear inner insert in which you could see the contents. The boxes were sturdy and reusable.

True. My childhood 1984 and 1986 Black Forest Fortress and King's Castle survived all these years in those boxes. The BFF still has its plastic window while the KC was cutout :(

[Frank Brickowski]

Think about a scenario where you sell a set as "MISB" that you bought (and stored away) as "new" for example from amazon some years ago. As soon as the buyer gets the package he complains that inside the (supposed to be) MISB set bags or non-bagged parts are missing or that bags were already opened (and the amount of replacement parts would exceed the "normal" amount TLG would provide via customer service OR the set parts are no longer available)?

 

The problem for you as a seller: If it is a set like 10214 Tower Bridge which is "sealed" by only two adhesive strips on each side - those can easily be opened and re-sealed without leaving any trace or evidence.

 

1) How do YOU prove now that the set was perfect when you sold it?

 

2) How can you KNOW it was perfect when you sold it, since it could really have been an opened-and-returned one when you received it from amazon?

 

3) How can you ever be sure that such a "not really sealed" set (with only strips) has really never been opened and is complete if you do not open it yourself and check if all parts are inside to have evidence for yourself - resulting in the set being not being MISB any more?

 

Thanks for your thoughts on this!

[jaylay]

no matter what responses you get it all comes down to ... you really will never know. we put our trust in stores that what they say is MISB is what it is. if you want to make sure and unseal the sets to check on whats inside, thats your call, knowing the moment you unseal them, the value goes down.

[Coneil21]

I don't know the answer, but its definitely something I worry about.

Also, I'm curious to know if the veteran sellers on this site have had problems with selling new sets that turned out to be missing pieces. Is this something that happens frequently, rarely, almost never?