Smaller packaging for Star Wars sets

[XimenaPaulina]

Brickdoctor shares us this interesting news of new and smaller box packaging for Star Wars sets.

Billund air, begone!

This seems to be a good decision. I doubt prices will fall that much, but at least it won't make you feel like you didn't get your money's worth. I wonder if this means BPs will have virtually the same size boxes as $20 sets? I'd think they'd keep with the current standard sizes, just using a smaller size, but the box art of a BP won't look so good on an impulse-size box.

Via FBTB.

Discuss away!

[prateek]

As I said in the other topic, it's good for Lego fans who know what to expect, but for those who are just buying as a gift or something they'd think the box was too small for the price.

[WhiteFang]

To me, the advantages below outweigh the minor disadvantages as a buyer point of view!

• Saves storage space for MISB LEGO sets
  
• Reduce shipping cost and packing materials for MISB LEGO sets
  

[XimenaPaulina]

I think this is a great move by TLG. Consider the benefits of these smaller packaging:

- Eco-friendly

- Space saver

- Lowers shipping cost for online sellers and buyers

- LEGO fans won't feel ripped off when purchasing sets with the contents filling up only half or a third of the box.

- Cuts packaging cost on TLG's part.

What's not to like with this move?

[Ceroknight]

this makes me wonder...will the bigger boxes have a value now since it's rare?

[Follows Closely]

What's not to like with this move?

Sales may go down, as parents/grandparents see that small box and large price tag.

[J4ke]

Well done TLG. I wonder if it will happen across all themes. I rather hope so.

[Frolando22]

I like it. It'll give me more space on my Box Tower

[BrickArtist]

I actually think this is about Plo Koons set individually, I mean look 175 parts? I think TLG will stop putting sets in boxes due to price, but rather parts.

[JCC1004]

I am really liking this. I hope other pictures turn up. This will really save space when I store my boxes. Also I just like scaled down items. One reason why I love LEGO.

Sales may go down but hopefully the prices will go down a bit which may even it out a bit.

[RileyC]

Its great that they are trying to reduce the sizes. Especially for these medium sets because most of the time they barely have anything in them. However this is a good start and I hope they continue this in the future.

[Commander Laquiet]

Well done TLG. I am sick of oversized boxes, and all the above reasons are very legitimate. I am pleased.

Also, correct me if I'm wrong, but does the smaller sized box apparently cost 1 cent more than the larger box?

[Brickdoctor]

Also, correct me if I'm wrong, but does the smaller sized box apparently cost 1 cent more than the larger box?

The guy who posted this originally says that he just moved a box over to take the pic; the lower price is for the Battle of Naboo, and both JSF boxes retail for the same price.

[JCC1004]

The guy who posted this originally says that he just moved a box over to take the pic; the lower price is for the Battle of Naboo, and both JSF boxes retail for the same price.

That's why I askedhim. That would have been hilarious if it cost one cent more. I think he would have taken pictures of other boxes if there were other smaller ones. Maybe they recently got a restock in the store for JSFs or this is a test run. we'll have to wait and see.

[Commander Laquiet]

The guy who posted this originally says that he just moved a box over to take the pic; the lower price is for the Battle of Naboo, and both JSF boxes retail for the same price.

Ah. I see. So we weren't being ripped off by Lego.

[Delta 38]

Ha, somehow I knew this was going to happen after that survey with smaller box sizes (I was in favour). It does make the set appear more overpriced, but it's better once you open it.

I did notice a change in some sets, particularly the Ninja Outpost set from the Ninjago line, which was impulse-sized despite being a few dollars above that mark. The rectangular box also looks better, instead of the awkward squarish one.

I like it. It'll give me more space on my Box Tower

That actually looks really good! It also makes me slightly jealous, as I throw away all my boxes without a second thought.

[lightningtiger]

Ah, at last realistic box sizes, save some trees and put more stock on store shelves....which means more boxes and....yeah less trees ?

Okay, but on a cost saving measure it's very wise, how long have we long been saying about the empty space in SW boxes eh ?

Dam, some sets you could of used as a baby's rattle sometimes !

But it doesn't mean small box size equals less sales.....not having Star Wars on the box or crappy designs....that results in poor sales.

[Captain Becker]

Great idea TLG! I really like the smaller box desing, do you guys think at the boxes also come smaller in other themes suchs as Castle, Town, Trains etc?

Captain Becker

[Praiter Yed]

This is a great move and hopefully they will use more standardised sizes for similarly sized sets across themes - at the moment there seems to be all kinds of random sizes and thickness'. I suppose it's possible that this could cause a small drop in sales with customers going for seemingly larger options from competitors, but with potential production savings and the environmental implications I don't think it will be long before other toy manufacturers follow suit.

[art_apples]

I think this is a great move overall for TLG... the immediate benefits for me are...

- When carrying the boxes home from the shops

- Postage costs when buying from second-hand market... will the new smaller sizes also reduce shop@home postage?

- Storage... I like to keep all my boxes intact, so obviously this is great news

- Enviromentally, I like to do everything I can to contribute (ahem.. except recycling my boxes) and having several hundred lego boxes this is great news again

What I was wondering though was whether Lego done this due to research and feedback where customers were disappointed with the size of the actual model in relation to their initial expectations considering the large box sizes...?

Reducing the box sizes will allow TLG to display more sets on the shelves... also would retailers other than Lego (TRU etc.) also display a greater range of sets as a result? There are sets like the X-wing 6212 which have obviously been in production for several years now, but the only place I've seen it available is shop@home, certainly in the UK it isn't available for the general public in the regular shops (excluding Lego's own shops which are so few and far between)

The logic in having the larger boxes was due to lego costing more than other similar toys which would be competeing for the average parents money on the shop shelf, hence Lego's inclination to use the larger boxes, so is Plo Koon's starfighter a test from Lego to see how the smaller package will affect sales before rolling it out across the range?

[Baylego]

I concur, this is a great idea! I really hope TLG follows through with this and distributes it across all lines.

[Ritz Brick]

I'm doubting that some box sizes will change. I remember hearing once that the reason SW boxes were so big was so STAR WARS was bigger and that there would be more colours on the boxes to look more attractive.

Just a thought I had with some box dimensions (Slave 1 for example) is the box have to have enough room for large pieces to rotate and move around, example, the windscreen could get crushed somehow if it were just jammed in the box.

One last comment, if there is not as much space in the boxes, our instruction books and sticker sheets have an even greater chance of being a crumpled mess.

[Brickdoctor]

One last comment, if there is not as much space in the boxes, our instruction books and sticker sheets have an even greater chance of being a crumpled mess.

That depends on how they're inserted. My copy of 8099 was so jam packed with pieces that the instructions didn't have room to move around and get crumpled. Plus eventually all sets will have the paper items in the cardboard-backed baggie.

[Ritz Brick]

That depends on how they're inserted. My copy of 8099 was so jam packed with pieces that the instructions didn't have room to move around and get crumpled. Plus eventually all sets will have the paper items in the cardboard-backed baggie.

I never thought about the cardboard, that just might up the price.

I wish they did the same thing with old model kits, where the instructions and decal sheet were inserted into a little slot on the bottom of the box.

[Ritz Brick]

If this topic is in the wrong place, move please. I've put it in the Star Wars forum because I've only seen the smaller eco boxes for Star Wars.

So. A while back there was some news/rumour of the Star Wars boxes being made smaller (less paper costs ect.) When I got Plo Koon's Starfighter it was in a much smaller box, same with the Hoth Wampa Cave. I forgot about this box change until yesterday when I opened the new Tie Fighter and found a huge box with 3 half filled bags inside. I was talking to the employess at the Lego Store and they said they don't know what happened with them, other than that the possibility of having smaller boxes would reduce the size of the display areas thus not everything being able to be seen.