fred67

I have a number of sets... some quite large, that I would like to sell. So what do people here do? Do you get large boxes ahead of time? If so, where? I mean, whether I sell here or open a BL store or sell on Ebay... I guess BL you don't know until afterwards anyway, but on Ebay you usually see the shipping ahead of time, so what do you need to do? I can weigh the box, but unless you actually pack it up, how do you know the total weight? Peanuts are light enough, but they still add weight... as does an outer box. Where do you get boxes? Thanks for any advice... I wanted to be able to make shipping as painless and inexpensive as possible, but I don't want to invest a lot into shipping supplies (like scales and such) that I won't use much.

My subtitle was changed... it originally said something like "No, I don't really hate LEGO."

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.

Sorry. Fact is that LEGO scale is always out of whack, but then you need to accept there's no reasonable way to make sets to a real minifigure scale. A real castle would start at the size of my dining room table and get bigger from there, and cost $20,000. I probably shouldn't have started the topic... it's not like it's something that's not already well known, but I was just thinking that, while they can't make a dining room table size castle, they could at scale things to work with each other a little better.

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. 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.

So I finally bought the King's Battle Chariot (fantasy era). I only recently put together the drawbridge defense and this battle chariot. I thought the drawbridge defense was awesome, but in order to combine it with King's Castle, you have to elevate the entire King's Castle... I think I'm up to it, and I think the combination will be really cool. But now I put together the chariot... and the first thing I noticed was that the King apparently had a chariot built that couldn't even go in the gate at the castle. LEGO scale has always been terrible... I realize they are sold as separate play sets, but you'd think they could go together, and it would be nice if TLG considered such when designing sets.

My daughter is 8, and on a recent day home sick (I had a holiday that wasn't a school holiday, for some reason), she actually came to me and asked if we could build a castle. So... I'd say yes. She had also previously gotten some Belleville castle, too.

I saw the set at the LEGO store the other day and passed... it's the first one I've passed on. First, I also don't understand why the Whitehouse, but I'm American so it doesn't bother me, but the set (including the pictures in this thread) show the front being squared, not rounded like this picture posted by grogall. What am I missing? One of the reasons I passed was because I was like "they couldn't even figure out a rounded front?"

This is a great thread, guys; having just gotten the Wizard, it's one of those simply things that can have a big impact on the look. Greatly appreciated.

That's just awesome... I'm a fan of mini trains, I've never seen micro. Well done!

I'm your opposite... I'll probably only get the castle and Hogwarts Express... seeing all the figures clinches it for me, unless they're going to ask like a million dollars (sorry, that's what it seems like the good big sets are going for, or might as well be).

Most model train makers sell both kits and separately... LEGO used to do that, and I agree with Paul... I started with a couple of sets, and added to it by buying separate engines and rolling stock; three steam engines, one diesel (BNSF, and later bought a Santa Fe, but not directly from LEGO); a handful of cars, a couple of cabooses... It wasn't just steam, though, they had the Santa Fe and BNSF, and I later I bought the intermodal cargo carrier (whatever it was they called it), and never had the opportunity to buy the Santa Fe cars, because they were discontinued by then, but I built several of them on my own... But then I guess we don't represent the typical LEGO buyer. That's not really right... as mentioned, they had both Santa Fe and BNSF. Perhaps too North American-centric? They also had the Santa Fe cars and the intermodal cargo carrier (10170), all available for purchase separately. Moreover, every single one of the engines, both steam and diesel, were incredibly easy to put the motor on, and motor was a very reasonable price. As for 2, I can't argue there. The diesel engines came with a couple of minifigures, but it's hard to see how they sold all that steam era (typically, although not only, associated with old west) without any figures to go with it... not even a "pack," as far as I'm aware. But I don't know why it wasn't more popular... I could discuss it quite a bit without reaching a conclusion that I was sure was accurate, and I'm sure there's a number of reasons - both what was stated publicly and other reasons as well. There was definitely a lack of marketing, and the fact that you could only get them from TLG didn't help. I'm lucky to have a LEGO store nearby, but by that time 9V trains were already on their way out, and they didn't sell most of that stuff anyway (I did buy the BNSF there, and track and couple extra motors). As someone else mentioned one of the stated reasons for the change was price, I think $200 is unconscionable. But this is what I predict will happen: TLG will be validated by all the people like us who will buy it anyway, but also all the parents of kids who didn't get a train set for Christmas because they were sold out everywhere.

Sorry, hate to be such a negative guy, but that this is the nicest since 2005 isn't saying much... (no, I can't let go of the 9V baggage). My thoughts, as the Brickster says, are that I want this... but I won't go anywhere near it for 200 bucks. TLG is making it fairly easy this year to ween myself off LEGO.

Yes, I like this set a lot, but I can't help but wonder how I'll fit the tram in, on tracks, with road plates and other city structures.

Wow... 8404 looks great. Not for $100, maybe, but I can't find an official price and it looks like it might be as low as $80.

The coincidence is that, as I was commuting home today, I was thinking exactly the same things. The Chrome Vader giveaway (in the U.S. anyway) last year, for example... I guarantee you that 90% of those figures were gotten by people working at stores and friends of those people, and I was wondering "well, what should be done?" And then the recent Chrome Stormtrooper giveaway at TRU; I wanted two but couldn't get a second one even though my wife was there and could have made a separate purchase... but I promise if I was friends with the cashier I'd have gotten as many as I (reasonably) wanted. TLG could have put slips of paper redeemable for the figure, including a "sorry, you didn't get one" in the other boxes, which would have made the weight identical, but then they'd have the overhead of having to redeem all of these coupons, extra shipping, etc., etc., all because store employees refuse to give the general public a "fair chance." But then I though, so what if I worked at TRU or a LEGO Store, or if I was good friends with an employee there... would I take advantage, too? And the answer is: while I wouldn't greedily grab as many as I could, I'd be down for one or two, certainly. But then if I'm an employee, and I find two cheap sets with the Vader, for example, and I set them aside for me, would I stop? No... because, if I was 20 and had other LEGO enthusiast friends, I'd likely be setting aside sets for them, too. TLG can tell LEGO Store managers to look out for this and not let it happen, which might help... but it doesn't help when the store is TRU or WalMart or Target. If they have a problem with it, they really need to take the incentive away... And honestly, the way to do it with these collectibles is A) Put them in a box instead of polybags, and B) Not have ANY indication on the outside of the box. Even that wouldn't help... people open up LEGO boxes all the time. It's just really a shame, but maybe the model of having it be "fairly" random is just not tenable.

I'm wondering in what other capacity I could work in Florida. I'd love to quit my job in GA, move down to FL and work with LEGO. I won't clean up puke, though.

Definitely... I didn't mean to imply it scaled well. There is a Steve Martin bit where he talks about getting into investing. "So I invested in cardboard at $0.10/ton, and I'm going to sell when it gets to $0.13/ton. Of course, I have to store it in my apartment..." Even if I could afford $10k in LEGO, my wife would kick me out for not having any place to put it, but it can be a very good investment to help cover the costs of this relatively expensive hobby if you invest in the right sets, and invest in sets you would want in the event they don't increase so much in value... you lose nothing because you're still buying something you like. Even the best investment advisor can't guarantee anything, but if you see sets constantly sold out at LEGO.com, but with future availability... that's a pretty good indicator. My dilemma is this... I bought sets I just didn't have room to build, like the Millennium Falcon 4504 on Black Friday sale for $80.00. It's MISB. The cheapest MISB at bricklink is $360. I would never have paid $360 for it in a million years (well... you know what I mean). I didn't buy it as an investment, but not being a "collector" of that sort, it seems crazy to keep it when I could buy two Grand Emporiums and have money left over. Call me crazy.

Thanks, very nice... nice to see the stand close up, too; if it's been shown before (close up) I've missed it. Easily replicated with a black 2x4 plate and four jumpers (or two jumpers and two tiles, which would look even nicer). Anyway, this coincides with what I read a while back, that in any given box there'd be at least three of each, and I think that's awesome if you can get your hands on a box. I'm still skeptical; I don't know any "insiders" and too many managers of stores I've met lately give me the "we can't let you do that" attitude. I'm doubtful, after buying a whole box, I'd even want to give or sell any... I can think of a number of great street scenes, as well as other uses... so to answer the question of why'd you want so many, the fact is, for example, divers don't normally dive alone; clowns often work in groups or at least pairs, sporting events have more than one cheerleader... Still trying to figure out if anyone in the states is allowing pre-ordering at cost, I'd love to hear about it. The only ones I've seen had a substantial markup.

I'm not a LEGO purist (more of a LEGO segregationist), and if someone is offering stuff I like then that's cool, I've bought non-LEGO sets before. But after seeing the review, I went to the website and, using Chrome on Linux, go so far as to the Viking page, but it wouldn't let me see anything beyond that... just the one set, with no information about it. Clicking the arrows to the right of the set, I would expect to see more... but they did nothing. Not belittling the bricks, but the site could use some work.

No doubt you'll get a lot more on Ebay than I would pay! Didn't mean to discourage you... I have little doubt you'll successfully sell your lot of castle guys.

Well, I was fooling around and didn't really look at everything it came with. After further review, without knowing the figures, I'd actually say that's quite a high starting price for an auction... $6 each for a fully equipped figure? I mean, a lot of castle minifigs sell for as little as $2/each on bricklink, depending on the type. Skeletons are practically worthless, IMO... a dime a dozen. Having a lot of horses, capes, and so many extra weapons and armor makes it more worthwhile, but the price doesn't really make me go "wow!" But then I'm a pretty cheap bastard. After looking again at the list and pictures and doing some bricklink looking, I don't think I'd bid more than $400... maybe $450 even if I didn't have the wife and kids. But again... that's me... cheap. I'm no expert, but I wouldn't doubt that someone will think it's a good enough deal... to be able to get so much all at once makes it more worthwhile for some, too. But you have plenty of time left... I don't know how other people ebay, but I generally look at LEGO and sort by time remaining, and seldom look at items with more than a few hours. You may not get bids until the last day, you'll just have to wait and see.

I would bid if I didn't have a wife and kids to support.

I would think the retiring of the shuttle is exactly why this is a good time for a new shuttle set, not despite it. It's like the last chance to get one... like this year has the first part of the last Harry Potter movie; last chance to capitalize on it's success... so we get a new game and sets.

It's May, and we're still "hoping" instead of "knowing." That's what's disappointing.