Buying Pirate LEGO - where to buy, advice, tips and questions

[Lorentzen]

Here's Lorentzen's review (really great pics, by the way Almost makes me feel like getting old sets MISB...)

I've also got a gallery of pics here, including some of the box.

Wow - those are great pictures SlyOwl - it really makes me wanna take some new pictures of my SES - at the time of my review there were a few bricks missing to make my SES 100% complete, but now it is complete. This should definitely make for some better pictures to put into my review.

[funkybrick]

I see you have a pure heart, man... may the MISB Skull's Eye Schooners be with you

EDIT: Oh, and if someone is interested... I decided to get the MISB Imperial Trading Post! It will arrive soon :))

Edited January 7, 2010 by funkybrick

[Lorentzen]

Hey guys - I was just wondering - Is 80 UK pounds (including shipping/post) a good price for a BSB that has everything except the rowboat and a few of the minifgs (I already own them)

[Mister Phes]

What condition are the sails in?

Is the box included?

What about the instructions?

Is there a picture of the Black Seas Barracuda you want to buy?

[SlyOwl]

Perhaps not. I got mine for

[martinsuper]

You really need to set yourself a price limit and keep bidding until you win. I have every ship, and of some doubles, but I do not have Skulls Eye Schooner because I have not won one yet.

I got my BSB with box and instructions and some extra parts for about $90 US dollar. Granted the lady had it listed as "LEGOLAND 6285", instead of "LEGO 6285 Black Sea Barracuda Pirate Ship", or even "LEGO pirate ship" which would have got more hits. Have you tried just searching 6285? You don't know what will pop up! But like everyone else says, PATIENCE!!!

-martinsuper

[Zorro]

I recently bought one for 61 Euro's, but that was a complete set with a very good shaped box, instructions and the bricks themselves were marvelous, the sails only put on once and kept into a separate bag...extra's included like the small island baseplate, weapons, many extra bricks etc.

Only thing missing was a pair of legs for one of the minifigs, if I remember correctly.

80 UK Pounds is a bit much IMO...unless you are in a hurry to own this set!

[Lorentzen]

Well thanks guys

The sails look great, and there are instructions, but no box.

It's from Portugal - Here's a link http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewI...e=STRK:MEWAX:IT

- but I've decided to wait longer until I find a better deal. It just sucks that I always have to pay so much for shipping

[Big Cam]

Well thanks guys

The sails look great, and there are instructions, but no box.

It's from Portugal - Here's a link http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewI...e=STRK:MEWAX:IT

- but I've decided to wait longer until I find a better deal. It just sucks that I always have to pay so much for shipping

That ship looks like mine, and mine sat in my parents basement for about 15 years, they were caked with dust that will only come off with a good washing. Try to look for one that was stored unassembled.

[Mister Phes]

Hey guys - I was just wondering - Is 80 UK pounds (including shipping/post) a good price for a BSB that has everything except the rowboat and a few of the minifgs (I already own them)

Hold up! How did you get 80 UK pounds for the ship and postage?

On the auction you've linked it says £50.00 for the ship (with Buy It Now) and £70.00 for the postage.

So that's £120 all up.

For £70 postage you'd be much better off buying one in the UK to reduce postage costs. Postage should cost under £20 within the UK, plus Pirate LEGO sets in the UK are [usually] cheaper than say the US and Australia.

[jamtf]

I paid a lot more for my used copy. Approximately 120 euro's for a copy with a bad box but good instructions. Purchased it in September 2008. The set was conditionwise quite fine though. I even decided to buy an incomplete copy shortly afterwards with a better box including the plastic inlay trays for parts for about 70 euro's. Needless to say I switched the boxes so now I have a very fine set and some extra bricks for MOCing a ship. Perhaps I once decide to try to complete the incomplete set as well. It has most of the important pieces including hull, sails, masts, some cannons, etc. but only 2 minifigs (I have spares in my collection so that won't be the problem).

[Big Cam]

I paid a lot more for my used copy. Approximately 120 euro's for a copy with a bad box but good instructions. Purchased it in September 2008. The set was conditionwise quite fine though. I even decided to buy an incomplete copy shortly afterwards with a better box including the plastic inlay trays for parts for about 70 euro's. Needless to say I switched the boxes so now I have a very fine set and some extra bricks for MOCing a ship. Perhaps I once decide to try to complete the incomplete set as well. It has most of the important pieces including hull, sails, masts, some cannons, etc. but only 2 minifigs (I have spares in my collection so that won't be the problem).

I can see it being worth more back then, wasn't that before the new release of BBB

[Aquila D'oro]

As already stated - definately try eBay UK + forget that guy from portugal, i've checked that add out myself - its been there a while, the postage cost is rediculous......

if your lucky you can find one from 30GBP (usually without a box) many are around for 40-50GBP

thing to remember is the box really worth it - my reasons for saying that are as follows

1) they charge/auction for alot more

2) the postage can cost a HELL of alot more

3) Tends to get bashed in transit...... (my big peev at the moment)

4) it doesnt affect the playability of the set now does it?

5) then you have to store it when your not using it

6) IMO - only worth having if your re-selling which i'd say dont bother unless its MISB because there are so many around due to popularity and re-release

one other option is to look at getting incomplete sets (i grapped a BSB for so cheap it was criminal) but i have alot of bits from that era so it was an easy fix and now i have another BSB

definately use the fact you dont need the minifigs to your advantage

in the case of some sets (particularly ones with rare minifigs like the SES for example) the set can drop in price by a fair amount for absent rarities - just make sure the sails look crisp and clean and if there are rare parts mssing check the cost of replacement before you bid/buy

P.S. dont rush, there are plenty of BSBs around you're best of waiting for a good deal.... having said that ive been waiting for over a month to get a 6271... getting frustrated!!!!

[Lorentzen]

Thanks for all the great advice guys.

I am actually thinking of buying an incomplete set, that does have all sails and strings, hulls and masts - because the rest can easily be found in my own collection of lego, and if not, than the missing bricks are definitely not as expensive as sails, hulls and all the masts.

It would "only" have cost me 30 uk piunds for shipping for that auction I linked to, I don't know how you get it to be 70 uk pounds - that's an insane price for having it sent to another country

[Lorentzen]

oh - and by the way - I really don't mind buying a dirty ship (with nice looking sails though) because I love to sit and clean every single brick.

Seriously - I do. It's like therapy for me

I usually use a soft toothbrush with very little water on, and the bricks turn out beautiful when I done.

[Big Cam]

oh - and by the way - I really don't mind buying a dirty ship (with nice looking sails though) because I love to sit and clean every single brick.

Seriously - I do. It's like therapy for me

I usually use a soft toothbrush with very little water on, and the bricks turn out beautiful when I done.

I totally understand that and if that's the case then by all emans, but it was a pain for me, and since I just used a rag and soapy water, I didn't lets say throughly clean them and you can tell.

[RichardD]

I bought a SES about eight years ago - it was pretty dusty and faded when I got it, and only got worse as a result of sitting on my shelf.

I washed it in lukewarm water and some car shampoo, took a nailbrush to most of the larger pieces and plates, and it's come out looking like new. The bricks are nice and tight when assembled, too.

Old, dusty models can actually be a good sign - they've been put together and left assembled, rather than constantly built and taken apart. So the bricks might show less wear than a clean example might.

Back on topic, £80 is pretty close to top market rate for a BSB if the last two or three weeks on Ebay are anything to go by.

[jamtf]

I can see it being worth more back then, wasn't that before the new release of BBB

Yes, and shortly before the worldwide credit crunch that hit us...

oh - and by the way - I really don't mind buying a dirty ship (with nice looking sails though) because I love to sit and clean every single brick.

Seriously - I do. It's like therapy for me

I usually use a soft toothbrush with very little water on, and the bricks turn out beautiful when I done.

My BSBs have been undergoing the same treatment. Water with some added soap for washing dishes (called Dubro - a brand from Procter & Gamble) a tooth brush and a towel for drying the bricks did the trick for me. For me it is a way to forget about school etc. and to just sit and relax. It helps taking away some of the pressure one has to cope with from time to time... exams for instance.

[Broken Bricks]

Sorry if this is not the appropriate forum for this thread...it is about a pirate item, but it is somewhat general as well.

I got an Armada Flagship on ebay which I received today.

The item was described as complete but missing a minifig torso, but on top of the minifig torso, 4 small parts were missing.

Also, the seller did not mention it came from a smoking home...so now I have an odor problem too.

My question is:

1- Since I was already planning to buy the missing minifig online (on BL), should I just buy the missing parts? It probably won't cost more than a couple dollars. Or should go to the process of notifying the seller about the missing parts trying to convince him to send them to me.

2- How do I get rid of the smoke smell? It's particularly strong on the sails, but they look great otherwise so I am afraid of washing it and causing damage.

All your advice will be appreciated.

[Mister Phes]

I can answer question 1 for you:

Contact the seller and let them know the pieces are missing, sometimes sellers accidentially leave parts out and still have them, other times you're not so lucky but it can't hurt to ask.

And in the best case for this scenario, sometimes if the seller does possess the missing parts, they'll send a few extra parts as an apology.

[Captain Zuloo]

Unless you get some really good follow-up servcie, I'd leave some feedback that reflects your ideas. I have been caught by dishonest eBay sellers too many times...

But certainly contact them and let them know, also about the smoking.

[Siegfried]

Does the seller regually sell LEGO? If so they have no excuse, if not they just may not know that it's an issue. In any case, threat of Bad feedback may be your best bet.

[Holodoc]

Does the seller regually sell LEGO? If so they have no excuse, if not they just may not know that it's an issue. In any case, threat of Bad feedback may be your best bet.

That's what I've done several times now in the past: Whenever pieces are missing (and that seems to happen every second auction! ) I contact the seller with a detailed list and let him decide wether he will order the stuff from Bricklink or I will handle it. Normally the seller decides to let me take care of it and then I claim a certain amount of money back for that - depending on the parts missing.

I have no idea for the odor-problem though.

[astra]

I think what's mentioned above about contacting the seller over the missing parts is the best thing you can do.

About the odor problem, maybe this will help. I've bought some Lego parts on ebay some time ago, which also had a smoke smell surrounding them. I then used a product called "HG alle nare luchtjes weg" (yes that's Dutch). this is a spraycan from the company HG and get's rid of nasty smells, works really good! Now I don't know where you live, but in English the name of the product should be something around "eliminator of all unpleasant smells at source" I think. Perhaps you can go to a local drugstore and see if they sell it?

Good luck!

[Dr. Steve]

I have had this problem only 1 time. I contacted the seller and let him know which parts were missing. He replied right away with an apology and sent me my missing parts and an extra Imperial soldier as an apology. I left him + Feedback since he made an honest mistake and corrected it and then some.

Hope you get your missing parts.