Quality of Items upon Receipt

[speedpro50]

I just got in an order from FAO Schwarz for 22 Grand Emporiums. Upon pulling them out of the LEGO boxes (2 per box), I feel like 15 of the 22 are not acceptable. They either have crushed corners, large creases in the box (random places), or even small incisions. Am I being too picky? What is your standard? Normally, the actual set box itself holds up quite well when shipped in LEGO boxes, but these didn't. I am on the phone with FAO now to get the damaged items exchanged, but what a hassle. How do you handle this personally?

[Jeff Mack]

For me, I am not going to go crazy for crease, dent, etc. As long as the seals are fully sealed, I feel confident I can sell the set as NIB, though not able to classify it as MISB. Currently, I don't think there is much evidence to show that you can earn significantly higher values for your set based on this Overall it may be more appealing to the buyer to pick perfect box from a sale on eBay, so you will probably have a better chance to sell it if it is in better shape. Now, if the box is crushed (or just too many dents/creases,tears), that is not what you paid for, and I would return it in a heartbeat. To me, its sad that whatever store it may be, that their shipping department just cares about getting the box out the door and not saying to a supervisor that they feel the customer will be unhappy with this poor excuse for a box. 15 of 22 is a lot. If their customer service is confident they can get you 15 "good" boxes, then it can be worth the effort. In the end you will feel better about your large purchase.

[Rich B]

I just got in an order from FAO Schwarz for 22 Grand Emporiums. Upon pulling them out of the LEGO boxes (2 per box), I feel like 15 of the 22 are not acceptable. They either have crushed corners, large creases in the box (random places), or even small incisions. Am I being too picky? What is your standard? Normally, the actual set box itself holds up quite well when shipped in LEGO boxes, but these didn't. I am on the phone with FAO now to get the damaged items exchanged, but what a hassle. How do you handle this personally?

This is an ongoing problem for all Lego investors. You either learn to be more forgiving and except the damaged boxes or you're like me and demand mint/pristine boxes. That being said I avoid purchasing Lego sets that have to be shipped, however I will order sets online when there is a really good sale that cannot be passed but when I do order online I never order 22 of one set, one because I don't have the money to invest that much in just one set and two even if I did I would be extremely nervous that they may get destroyed via shipping. Ordering online is a great way to find sets at discounted prices and great for increasing profits, however I try to avoid it if possible. Yes I spend more money in the long run by purchasing the majority of sets at my local Lego store but to me it's worth it to see nice pristine boxes of Lego on the shelves in my storage room. Seeing dented or trashed boxes would upset me, however I understand that I'm more picky than most. Sorry to hear about your bad luck, I know it's a huge headache, good luck with everything.

[Doofy McGee]

That's a tough break for sure. If it were me, I would talk to as many people as I needed to at FAO until a satisfactory arrangement can be made. You are paying them a lot of money, and the merchandise should at very least be well packaged. Like Jeff says above, small dents and dings here and there may not ultimately matter in the long run, but 15 out of 22 is a pretty bad ratio. This is over $2,000 we're talking about. You should get things in a condition that is acceptable to you.

[Rich B]

That's a tough break for sure. If it were me, I would talk to as many people as I needed to at FAO until a satisfactory arrangement can be made. You are paying them a lot of money, and the merchandise should at very least be well packaged. Like Jeff says above, small dents and dings here and there may not ultimately matter in the long run, but 15 out of 22 is a pretty bad ratio. This is over $2,000 we're talking about. You should get things in a condition that is acceptable to you.

Exactly, I agree with arock68! When you're spending thousands of dollars on Lego or anything for that matter you should/need to get it in a condition acceptable to you.

[speedpro50]

For me, I am not going to go crazy for crease, dent, etc. . . .

Now, if the box is crushed (or just too many dents/creases,tears), that is not what you paid for, and I would return it in a heartbeat. To me, its sad that whatever store it may be, that their shipping department just cares about getting the box out the door and not saying to a supervisor that they feel the customer will be unhappy with this poor excuse for a box. 15 of 22 is a lot. If their customer service is confident they can get you 15 "good" boxes, then it can be worth the effort. In the end you will feel better about your large purchase.

Where is the line for you (thanks for sharing Jeff)? Is one crease too much? Is one lightly crushed corner okay? I am interested in knowing where each of us draw the line. Jeff's point about being able to sell NIB versus MISB is quite valid.

[Ed Mack]

Where is the line for you (thanks for sharing Jeff)? Is one crease too much? Is one lightly crushed corner okay? I am interested in knowing where each of us draw the line. Jeff's point about being able to sell NIB versus MISB is quite valid.

Creases in regular run of the mill LEGO sets do very little to hurt value to be quite honest. They really don't show well on photos and potential buyers don't seem to care much. Corners are worth a little more, rips more than that. Every situation is different. Did you really get a great deal on the set? If yes, then returning it is probably not worth the effort, especially if the store sells out and cannot supply a replacement set. There is always a risk of stores going out of stock, then you don't have anything but your money back.

Another factor is how much time, effort and gas will you waste returning an item? If you waste a hour re-wrapping and driving to a post office or UPS/FED EX store, then what is "your time" worth? $10 an hour? $20 an hour? More? A $5 crease might not be worth the effort.

[Doofy McGee]

Good points Ed. I guess it all boils down to how picky you choose to be, and also just how bad the damage really is.

[Brickarmor]

My rule of thumb for shipped sets: creasing is inevitable, crushing and crumpling is preventable. If it is still a recognizable rectangular prism, keep it. If it's more like an accordion or something used for target practice, send it back. But if the structural integrity of the box is not compromised I would not pursue it, for your replacements will be coming from the same place packed by the same people. Ordering multiples also ensures that they will be packed tight; had you made 22 separate transactions, in addition to carpal tunnel you might have received 22 boxes with ample room and air packets. Maybe.

[Ed Mack]

Also, new replacement Grand Emporiums might not be available if you return them. Who knows what is going on with the set? They are still sold out on LEGO S@H and from what I hear on the forums, no one really knows for sure if there will be more produced. It is all rumors and hearsay. Can you believe some person on the phone who just takes orders and could really care less about future inventory? I say keep the best ones and return only the ones that you cannot live with, as long as you can get replacements for it. If they cannot assure you a replacement, then it might be smart to hold onto them or buy replacements from Amazon or the like.

[StarCityBrickCompany]

Where is the line for you (thanks for sharing Jeff)? Is one crease too much? Is one lightly crushed corner okay? I am interested in knowing where each of us draw the line. Jeff's point about being able to sell NIB versus MISB is quite valid.

I buy & sell a lot - My decision to complain or return an item is based on how good a deal I got on the sets. If I buy set that is worth $300 for $50, I am not going to compain about poor packaging. As I have mentioned before, MISB is way over rated. I personally try to avoid ever labeling a set as being absolutely perfect (even if it is). Labeling something as being Perfectly Mint is looking for trouble. It allows for too much of a chance for a headache. No set is 100% perfect (get out the magnifying glass), & while we might not see anything wrong with a set - there is a good chance that someone who is willing to pay a premium for absolute perfection might.

[stephen_rockefeller]

Where is the line for you (thanks for sharing Jeff)? Is one crease too much? Is one lightly crushed corner okay? I am interested in knowing where each of us draw the line. Jeff's point about being able to sell NIB versus MISB is quite valid.

For me there is no line, pristine box condition period. Rich and I seem to be the minority in this forum.

[bibious]

Some more advice. I got a SSD from Amazon. small gouge in the box nothing too major but definitely something I would have report in a listing. I chatted with Amazon and ten minutes later I was refunded back 10% of the purchase price of the SSD. I'm planning on building one of my three sets so I'll just build this one and keep the other two good boxes in storage for sale. moral of the story using logic on the phone about cost of shipping/time back and forth can help you just get a discount on the item and save you all the hassle. Amazon is awesome for this not sure about the other companies.

[Rich B]

quote]For me there is no line, pristine box condition period. Rich and I seem to be the minority in this forum.

[stephen_rockefeller]

quote]For me there is no line, pristine box condition period. Rich and I seem to be the minority in this forum.

Haha yep, if it's not clean and pristine I don't want it unless I'm getting an extremely great deal.

[Rich B]

Haha yep, if it's not clean and pristine I don't want it unless I'm getting an extremely great deal.

I dont even want it if its a good deal.......hey rich check your private messages.