Technic Set Packaging

[nicjasno]

I started collecting the technic sets from the past that i cherished most, and i was reminded how well those sets were packaged for collecting and display.

When you opened the cover you had an overview of the main parts, usually in a plastic tray and the bags containing the other bits. So even when the model wasn't build, you could neatly put the parts back into the packaging, protected from dust and excellent for storage.

Nowdays all you get is a cardboard box, and when you disasemble the model, all parts are loose in the big box. And are more likely to get scratched on the cardboard and are not presentable. :(

I understand that this makes it all much cheaper for lego of course. But from a collectors point of view it is not very nice.

Edited December 18, 2013 by nicjasno

[aol000xw]

I miss those boxes too, 8860 was really nice. Not sure how much a box like that can add to price but for flagships they could make boxes like those again.

[JGW3000]

TLG got burned on the 41999 due to their loose-part packaging method - someone had to stuff 80,000 rims into 80,000 tires, in order to protect the chrome rims from damage during shipping. If they had a nice old-style compartmentalized box they could have saved on the labor cost, and had an even nicer collectable package. My protected rims arrived nicely in their tire wrappings, thank you

[zux]

TLG got burned on the 41999 due to their loose-part packaging method - someone had to stuff 80,000 rims into 80,000 tires, in order to protect the chrome rims from damage during shipping. If they had a nice old-style compartmentalized box they could have saved on the labor cost, and had an even nicer collectable package. My protected rims arrived nicely in their tire wrappings, thank you

Older Packaging would'nt safe those chromed coloured rims from being scratched anyway. 41999 has boxes of a smaller format and volume comparing to 9398 and its parts are stored pretty compact. So I don't see issues about 41999 here, but other flagships could use some of advanced packaging.

[trekman]

My first set was 8859 - Tractor. It has a clear plastic cover that kept everything secure to a potential buyer. I remember spending a good few minutes admiring everything before I even undid the plastic cover.

Also you may remember the lego bulldozer 856. It had an integrated pouch in the lid for storing the instruction book

Because of their construction, the boxes were able to be stacked, and would not collapse under their own weight. Changed days!

[Carrera124]

I also miss these "old time" boxes, where storage was made easy.

But on the other hand, I guess that more than 90% of the boxes are/were dumped. And in this case, especially regarding ecological aspects, it is better to use simple boxes.

Of course, TLG could improve the modern boxes by reducing their size, instead of selling air.

41999 was a very good example how this could work, compared to 9398.

But the 9398 box also needs to be an eye-catcher on the shelf, while the 41999 box doesn't as it was sold mainly via S@H.

[aol000xw]

No wonder current boxes are dumped, those are crap.

The difference in cost for current "orange boxes" and 41999 can't be that big, and I kept 41999 because is usable while the orange ones go straight to trash.

[nicjasno]

I prefer smaller boxes. The unimog box was also gigantic. The volume of parts inside did not warrant the size at all.

[allanp]

I know the older packaging was more expensive to make, but it also made the sets more appealing on the shelves, I wonder if it made a difference in sales enough to warrant using the more elaborate packaging. I know I much prefer the older style. Take a look at a brand new 8868 and lift the lid, it just screams "oh yes, you want to buy me, you really do!". The thing with Lego is that you are not buying a finished toy, one of it's man appeals is that you are buying a kit of 100's of parts to put together. The older boxes showed that off perfectly.

[JGW3000]

one of it's man appeals

A Freudian slip??? (No offense to the Lady members of the forum)

[Paul B Technic]

I also had a few of the older sets with the flip up lids, these looked much better than what we get now. I also agree that the boxes need to be smaller, I hate opening a box and finding it is half empty :(

[1974]

I had a talk with a LEGO employee (does not matter who, but he knows about this stuff as it's his daytime job) some time ago and the actual costs of the LEGO parts are not that high. A box made like in the old days would significanlty up the price. On top that comes marketing, transportation etc etc ad infinitum - which all have their costs

Also, the 'box machines' are not geared for those old boxes. I guess the parts where put manually into the lid? While we AFOLs might pay +10% for a cool box, he indicated "that would not be nearly enough" given TLGs current infrastructure/machinery

But yeah, I spend countless hours "flippin' lids" at toyshops in the 80's And what I could see really DID have an outcome of what I did buy/wished for at christmas/birthdays

Also, it was quite funny just _what_ parts where displayed in the upper transparant lid. Often some new parts, but it was mostly random as I recall?

Todays, pseudo wanna be fliplids don't really work. At all

[nicjasno]

It was usually the "special" parts for that model. Like pneumatic parts, or differentials, or springs or suspension components that were in the transparent tray.

I understand that they can't get the old way back, but can we then at least get smaller boxes with a smooth inner surface (maybe double thick cardboard on the edges like in the 90s, to give the boxes a bit more stability?

[1974]

It was usually the "special" parts for that model. Like pneumatic parts, or differentials, or springs or suspension components that were in the transparent tray.

I understand that they can't get the old way back, but can we then at least get smaller boxes with a smooth inner surface (maybe double thick cardboard on the edges like in the 90s, to give the boxes a bit more stability?

Not allways, here's my 8660 trans lid :

Nice new techfigs, bended (argghh) skis and common technic parts

I think TLG is actually making boxes smaller now, but yes, there's just too much air inside

[vmln8r]

The thing with Lego is that you are not buying a finished toy, one of it's man appeals is that you are buying a kit of 100's of parts to put together.

This is a good point, however I think it can be achieved in ways other than with an elaborate, expensive and ecologically wasteful box.

I understand that they can't get the old way back, but can we then at least get smaller boxes with a smooth inner surface (maybe double thick cardboard on the edges like in the 90s, to give the boxes a bit more stability?

I think it's a matter of priorities. Ask most people which they'd prefer; a nicer box or more Lego? In terms of branding/marketing, focusing on the plastic bricks rather than the packaging for it seems to make a lot more sense.

[1974]

TLG are not selling bricks, they are selling a complete product. Boxes matters or they would not have invested a lot of time in making those new fancy Friends boxes

[trekman]

It is interesting to note how many more recent sets are being sold on "Ebay" without the box. It is also interesting to note that many older sets are still being sold complete with the box. Do you think there will be a small crisis in years to come on the used market, with boxes being discarded and consequently pieces being lost or instructions damaged or lost? Will the new style box survive a couple of house moves, attic storage, and what about the pieces?

[1974]

Nobody will want the new style boxes, There's be no market for them. I'm pretty sure of that

[Paul B Technic]

Nobody will want the new style boxes, There's be no market for them. I'm pretty sure of that

I toss all my boxes now, I never use to :(

[nicjasno]

The new boxes have absolutely no collecting value sadly :(

[Balrog]

Regarding too much air inside the boxes, there are some problems to consider.

If the made a box according to every set, they would have a lot more expenses on boxes than now. So they have various sizes of boxes and look into which a set will fit.

Because sets have various sizes in terms of different piece sizes and piece counts, the bare sets are always different in regards of their whole size. So now, when they look for boxing them, they put the pieces into a box and find they bags don't go in easily, so they try the next bigger available box. Thus, there is the extra danish air in the box. Now please think about the box of 42009 for example, which was full to the rim. Not much extra air.

Also, they have improved on the boxes a lot, because only a few years back, you would have approximately half the box empty.

[TinkerBrick]

I'm not sure about the collecting value of the boxes. For decades my grandpa used to collect metal model trains dating back to the late 19th century/early 20th century. He always said that even for used toys, the value almost doubles when the box is supplied. As for the evaluation of the modern style boxes - one can determine this in maybe 20 years from now.

[Gee]

My take is that the boxes may add value in the future for rare sets, like 41999. But then, what's to stop people from buying a box and instructions from eBay, Craigslist etc, filling it with the parts from their collection or BrickLink and then advertising it as the "original" boxed set?

LEGO parts are just that: parts, they're not highly individual, one-offs or special on their own. Even the rare pieces are produced in the tens of thousands. The only way it becomes so is if the set is MISB, but what's the point in that? LEGO is meant to be played with, stripped, rebuilt and played with again ad infinitum.

With that in mind, I'd like to see the boxes made as eco-friendly as possible.

[nicjasno]

Agreed. But the cardboard isn't the main problem here. The problem is the plastic bags. So much waste material after opening.

In the sets i started collecting i put the parts n resealable bags, that can be used ad infinitum, just like the bricks, instead of the tear open bags that lego uses. Maybe a place to improove? Use resealable bags and then they can put rims into them aswell.

[Carrera124]

Older boxes were designed for selling and storage at home.

But if they were dumped, lot of waste was created: styrofoam with paper glued to it, plastic tray, plastic cover...

During 1982, the boxes were redesigned without using styrofoam (afaik, 8090 was the last the set with a styrofoam box, while 8030 and 8050 only user paper-boxes).

The bigger the sets, the higher the chance that the box was kept. You'll find lots of 8860 and 8859 sets with original box. But you'll find less 8845 and 8844 sets with original box.

The current boxes are designed for selling, not for storage at home.

If the modern boxes are dumped, less waste is created. But using them for storage, doesn't work very good.