Ebay fails me... And how to trust Bricklink?

[drdavewatford]

I've probably bought more than 100 sets from eBay; it's often the only way to find older sets at an affordable price. Bricklink is certainly more reliable in my experience BUT you usually pay handsomely for that privilege - prices for sets are often astronomical.

Perhaps half of the supposedly complete sets I've bought from eBay have had pieces missing. I genuinely believe that most sellers aren't being dishonest, they just aren't AFOLs and don't realise that it's not acceptable to substitute one piece for another OR they aren't aware of resources such as Bricklink or Peeron and therefore don't have an inventory to check against.

Thing is, missing pieces usually aren't a problem. I always do an inventory prior to building a used set (whether from eBay, Bricklink or wherever) and missing pieces can almost always be replaced for pennies via Bricklink sellers, who have always sent my parts orders quickly. It's a choice - save money and buy from eBay, or pay a big premium for the same set on Bricklink but buy with much more confidence. Perhaps I'm just a masochist, but I quite enjoy the chase for missing pieces, and feel really quite satisfied if I can get a fantastic bargain from eBay and then replace the missing pieces for 50 cents plus postage !!

But if you can't bear to chase missing pieces and/or you don't mind paying a premium for your used sets, it has to be Bricklink, every time.

Dr. D.

[roamingstop]

A semi-useful hint - also check the sellers recent feedback as well. If they are 95% of the time a buyer, but occasionally sell knock off cameras, rolex watches and such like then you are likely to be on a looser.

Ive had a couple of bad ebay experiences - nearly always my own fault (for not checking the details well enough), and another had missing instructions (shown in the photo, listed in details, never posted to me) for which I got a refund (after opening resolution centre). But other times ive been lucky - without a photo I obtained a MISB Santa Fe 10022 for 1/3 of the Bricklink price. Somehow reading the sellers feedback I just felt it was honest.

Power sellers can be a real pain as well - once their numbers are above 1000-2000 the odd one or two negative feedbacks wont influence them.

Bricklink has always been great, a real community feeling and sellers / buyers know what they are doing (most of the time) and are mostly happy to correct mistakes.

[legotrainfan]

Look closely at the photos of the sets you want to buy. If you think there's something missing, inform the seller. I once bid on a used set and informed the seller that there were one or two pieces missing. He said he'd check and try to find them. Unfortunately, I didn't win the auction.

[lisqr]

Yeah, eBay isn't the most reliable source for second-hand Lego. Bricklink is usually more trust worthy. Check out our list of trusted bricklink sellers in the BSTF forum. There, you can also buy/sell/trade with members right here on EB! Check out the EB Straightshooters list to see who is trustworthy.

Hope that helped.

Yeah, but then again, those are the people who don't know what the sets are worth, so you could end up making a great deal if you get lucky and the set is complete. But that's being optimistic of course.

I agree. So I only buy on ebay when it's dirt cheap. I once got a $80 discontinued set for $20. It came 95% complete, missing quite a few rare parts. But still a good deal for the other 95% bricks.

[Brickaroo]

Definitely trust Bricklink over eBay. Why? For the most part Lego collectors and fans sell products on that site, whereas everybody trying to make a few quick dollars sells them on eBay (of course the good ones use eBay too but it's harder to split them and pick out which ones are good).

Worst case scenario on Bricklink has been an accidentally missed part, it usually only takes a quick email and the seller that made the mistake will quickly send out the missing pieces at no extra cost. Problem solved.

[Norro]

Bricklink exists in the real universe. Ebay is just outside of it, so for some reason you don't get what you pay for. Sometimes it is far better, sometimes it is far worse...

My advice is pay low amounts on ebay to avoid disappointment. I normally pay such small amounts that even only getting 50% of what is described is a win for me. Bricklink, on the other hand, is expensive and more useful for getting exactly what you want (specific part or set).

God Bless,

Nathan

[Artifex]

Guys, thanks a lot. You have really convinced me to give Bricklinck a chance.

Although you can get some good deals on ebay, asking most users to deliver 100% of anything is just too much, even when the pictures show a complete item and you don't get some of the parts that are in the pictures.

I'll give BL a chance. Thanks for all the comments and suggestions, and know that your opinion counts.

And... I'm a conformist!!

[Brickaroo]

Once you've given Bricklink a chance you'll never quite understand how you lived without it.

Always try to get your sets from sellers that have heaps of feedback if you're looking to make sure there aren't problems. Most sellers are excellent when communicating as well, never be afraid to ask for extra pictures of specific things you're looking for (I always ask for photos of boxes and stickered parts, they're a good indication of the quality of the set in my opinion).

[pacific493]

I sell a lot of sets on both Ebay and Bricklink, and I would advise you not to give up on Ebay, but to be careful who you buy from and to always check the seller's feedback before buying. In addition to selling, I have bought a lot of sets off of Ebay and am always very careful to make sure that I am either getting a good enough deal that I won't mind if a few parts are missing or that I am buying from a reputable seller who has a good track record of standing by their listings. When I sell, I do my best to make sure that every set that I sell on Ebay is complete, but I invariably miss a piece or two every once and a while, and am always happy to send any missing pieces (this is generally reflected in my feedback). I wouldn't give up on Ebay since you are likely to find much better deals on sets there than on Bricklink where prices tend to be higher.

[Hoboman]

Just bought a power miner rock monster group off ebay.

When they arrived, they were key chains that had the "chain" removed.

No where did it say that they were the key chains on the auction.

The seller claimed they never said they were from sets.

I would never expect this from a Brick Link Seller.

[fred67]

My two cents... I haven't had a problem with Ebay because I hardly buy LEGO from there, and when I have it was separate pieces (like x number of 9V train tracks) or unspecified bulk lots...

I trust bricklink more, but I've had my share of crappy sellers there, too... usually shorting me a few pieces or doing things like, when ordering things in pairs (4 left, 4 right wings, for example), shorting me on one making pieces I got nearly useless.

I suppose the difference is it's easier to work stuff out on bricklink than ebay, and the forums there mean a lot more if go and share your story.

One thing I've noticed, although I haven't ordered a lot in the past 10 or 11 months (maybe 4 or 5 orders), was that before that - last summer, I had a TERRIBLE time with sellers.

... I wouldn't give up on Ebay since you are likely to find much better deals on sets there than on Bricklink where prices tend to be higher.

Sorry, I disagree... I often watch auctions that are ending soon and compare what the going price is to bricklink prices, and it nearly always would have been cheaper to get it on bricklink. Exceptions for things like bulk lots, maybe. I'm not saying it doesn't happen, but even if the prices are close, I trust bricklink a lot more.

[pacific493]

Sorry, I disagree... I often watch auctions that are ending soon and compare what the going price is to bricklink prices, and it nearly always would have been cheaper to get it on bricklink. Exceptions for things like bulk lots, maybe. I'm not saying it doesn't happen, but even if the prices are close, I trust bricklink a lot more.

What kind of sets are you watching on Ebay? I mostly deal with vintage sets and there are much better deals to be had on Ebay than Bricklink. I have bought some old train sets off of Ebay with the original boxes for less than half what they would have cost me on Bricklink.

[fred67]

What kind of sets are you watching on Ebay? I mostly deal with vintage sets and there are much better deals to be had on Ebay than Bricklink. I have bought some old train sets off of Ebay with the original boxes for less than half what they would have cost me on Bricklink.

Maybe I don't look as much as you do. Just a few hours ago I saw an 8009 (Technic r2d2) go for $45 (last I checked... don't know if it went up), you can get new/sealed on BL for $20 less. I don't look at all of them, I'll admit... but the advice is the same regardless... check BL before bidding on Ebay.

[CP5670]

This is something that has changed over the years. At one point (2000-2005 or so), ebay set prices were consistently much cheaper than on Bricklink, but today it varies a lot. It seems like there has been a new influx of ebay collectors who don't know about BL.

As a general trend, I think used sets are still cheaper on ebay, while MISB set prices can be all over the place. The famous, "high demand" MISB sets are often more expensive on ebay, while lesser known, "low demand" MISB sets are cheaper on ebay. There are many exceptions to this though.