Received 4842 boxes with creases, to keep or not to keep?

[Ktworld]

Guys, need your wisdom on this one.... I bought 2 4842 off a 3rd party Amazon reseller. Price is "ok", around $126 with shipping As I ship to California, sales tax is inevitable unless buy from 3rd party.... At current price, either from Amazon direct, or sites like Walmart or Target, lowest price include shipping & tax will come up roughly $136 each... So unless we can foresee another wave of future sales on these 4842 before they are gone, otherwise I am looking at either accepting these imperfections on the box, or give up the $10 savings each.... So basically 2 questions... 1. Likelihood of another wave of sales from major retailers on 4842, up to $10 or more, before end of this year? 2. If not, will these creases and dents "cost" me $10 on the aftermarket? Would you guys keep these sets or return them? Thanks!! Kenneth

[A_Feisty_Pickle]

If that is the extent of the damage, I would keep them rather than going through the hassle of returning them and ordering replacements (with no guarantee the next two you buy being any better). The damage seems pretty moderate. I really don't see it hurting the value that much in the long run.

[StarCityBrickCompany]

Would you be responsible for return shipping or any expenses whatsoever?

[Ed Mack]

Guys, need your wisdom on this one....

I bought 2 4842 off a 3rd party Amazon reseller. Price is "ok", around $126 with shipping

As I ship to California, sales tax is inevitable unless buy from 3rd party....

At current price, either from Amazon direct, or sites like Walmart or Target,

lowest price include shipping & tax will come up roughly $136 each...

So unless we can foresee another wave of future sales on these 4842 before they are gone,

otherwise I am looking at either accepting these imperfections on the box,

or give up the $10 savings each....

So basically 2 questions...

1. Likelihood of another wave of sales from major retailers on 4842, up to $10 or more,

before end of this year?

2. If not, will these creases and dents "cost" me $10 on the aftermarket?

Would you guys keep these sets or return them?

Thanks!!

Kenneth

Good questions...

1. Likelihood of another sale on this set is very good IMO. It is still being sold by LEGO S@H, so you have some time. That being said, you must be very vigilant and check the Amazon and Walmart listings everyday and early. Those two retailers have been running some fantastic sales on large sets the last 2 weeks and it will probably continue, but the sales are random, varied in theme and not advertised. It pays to pay attention. Check out our Amazon and Walmart deals in our toolbar on the homepage.

2. Is it dents/creases or rips? One set looks ripped.

[cbaker1974]

TRU has it as a BOGO50 right now, but the TRU markup is in effect...still, you will come in around the price you paid for those 2 sets. My advice would be to return the 2 you got if you don't have to pay shipping, and go buy 2 from a brick and mortar TRU so that you can hand select the sets (if you absolutely want them now). There is also a $20 off any one regularly priced item coupon (over $125) that you might also be able to stack in the store on the "regularly priced" castle in the BOGO50 deal, might have to be extra nice to the cashier. This set is sold out in Europe, so it's a sure sign that it is going EOL...whether it will last until Black Friday is a tossup. If it does, then you will get 10% off from LEGO Shop at Home, 5% (VIP points) plus likely a free bonus item worth $15-20 for spending >$150 going by past history. Plus if you have a discover card you'll be able to save an additional 10%. If you did all of those things, you'd be looking at paying ~$110 after tax + a $15 item. That's assuming you will have to pay RRP and that it won't be marked down (it could be one of the 25% off items) You'll also likely be able to find a similar deal at Target with a coupon. You'll get docked more than $10 in the aftermarket for that damage for sure.

[Ktworld]

Thanks guys for your insightful responses and suggestions.... I believe I could argue to Amazon on this being damaged, as the dents/creases does lower it's perceived value... in this case, then I don't need to be responsible for return shipping... The damages are dents/creases, not rips.... Going to brick & mortar TRU is not an option because I am located across the "pond" in Taiwan.... I just order online and have them sent to my California office.... this is beside the point, but you WILL NOT believe the premium they mark up in the TRU stores here..... "market price" for a GE is roughly $200-$230 USD....... But the LEGO Shop at Home idea does sound good.... and yes, I do use Discover card on my orders, but I am not aware of how you save 10% by using that....... Problem is that from what I read here and my personal experience, damaged boxes will be a constant rather than exception in this type of hobby.... so yes, maybe even if I return these, I might end up with worse ones on the next batch..... Good thing is that I still have until the 28th to return these sets, so I will see what happens.... If equal or better deal pops up before then, I will return them, if not, I will leave the return dilemma till that time. However, I do believe that most likely I will return the sets. Trying to explain the dents on Ebay is not going to be any easier than the hassle processing returns...... Checking up on WM/Amazon prices daily won't be a problem, as "lego scavenger hunting" has become not only a hobby, but an addiction to me, at least for the next few months to come.... Anyway, thanks guys for your advices!

[cbaker1974]

But the LEGO Shop at Home idea does sound good.... and yes, I do use Discover card on my orders, but I am not aware of how you save 10% by using that.......

This takes advantage of a couple of things...

#1 - The 4th quarter bonus categories for Discover are online shopping, you will need to signup for the bonus categories online under your Discover account. Then any purchase you make in Oct-Nov-Dec at any online merchant (up to a max of $1500 for all transactions that quarter) qualify for 5% cashback. You have to use a normal Discover card for this, one that you manage and pay at discover.com. A co-branded discover (like one from Barclays) doesn't count.

#2 - Go through the shopdiscover.com portal to get to Lego.com to get an an additional 5% back and pay with your discover card when you checkout. There's no limit to this cash back rebate. They also have Walmart and Target at the same % back.

There are other online cashback sites you can go through (******, resellerrewards, etc) but they can vary...I chose discover since they tend to have the most on an everyday basis. You can google for "cashback monitor" or "cashback watch" and it will bring up sites that poll all the cashback companies to see who is running the best deal.

[Alpha13snake]

I find this a little crazy, how much value do we put in paper & plastic bags? I'm happy to buy a set with any savings even if the box is not perfect. I do save the boxes, but they don't have to be mint. As long as the set is complete with no yellowing then I'm fine with it. The box is a nice bonus if you can get it, but really how much value do you place on cardboard?

[Ed Mack]

I find this a little crazy, how much value do we put in paper & plastic bags?

I'm happy to buy a set with any savings even if the box is not perfect.

I do save the boxes, but they don't have to be mint.

As long as the set is complete with no yellowing then I'm fine with it. The box is a nice bonus if you can get it, but really how much value do you place on cardboard?

With LEGO boxes, quite a bit. A damaged 10179 Millennium Falcon box could be worth hundreds of dollars in an auction setting. That is an extreme case, but the bottom line is creased boxes are worth less to a collector than a mint one. Crushed even less. Ripped even less than that. Even an old price tag is a negative.

If you are going to build the set, it matters very little(unless the box is trashed). but if you are looking to resell at a later time, it is best to avoid damaged boxes unless you get the set for a super cheap price.

As for the topic question...It is still my belief you will find this set cheaper than $125 in the near future if you pay attention to all the main retailers.

[azalon]

Just another quick thought if you choose not to go through with the hassle of the return. If/when that set gets to a good value after retirement you should still be able to sell it with the damaged box. Obviously for a tad less, but sometimes some buyers look for the discounted but sealed sets. If an undamaged set is going for $250 and you sell yours for $225, I don't think you would worry that much about the lost $25 with your margins. But then again, if there's no cost to you to return them and purchase elsewhere, why not?

[Ktworld]

Just saw the TRU BOGO 50% deal... which comes up to be almost exactly the same as what I paid for the amazon price... placed the order, if these new sets come in good condition, then definitely sending back the creased set... I agree that if I am building the set myself, as long as the box is not crushed or ripped or has risk of missing component, damages to the box isn't a huge issue... but in the case of 4842 the sets are almost certainly kept for future resale. If we are expecting the sets to sell like hot cakes with buyers chasing you relentless, then probably not too big of a deal. But in a realistic world, we most likely will see swarms of resellers competing for a few interested buyers who will scrutinize any and all problems with the purchases and the items themselves. This is where I believe where a dented box will come at a huge disadvantage... special thanks to cbaker1974 on pointing out the cash back deals with discover card... another unexpected added benefit of asking fellow afol for help......

[Doofy McGee]

Might I suggest getting it online at Target? They have it for $127.99 right now with free shipping. I have had very, very good luck with Target since I started ordering LEGOs online. Plus you can bring it back right to the store for a refund if the condition is unacceptable. I am very picky about box condition. If it were me, I would keep trying to get a couple of "keepers" until the set is gone forever. It might inconvenience you a little, or cost you a couple extra bucks, but I think it will be worth it come resale time.

[bnb123]

Amazon has been know to mangle some boxes. Received 2 Volkswagen Buses, one with huge crease on the right side that caved in the box a little and another with a rip in the middle of the back of the box about the size of a golf ball. These were shelf damage issue from the warehouse cause the shipping boxes were fine on arrival. Good thing Amazon is good with returns