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Showing content with the highest reputation on 02/02/2016 in all areas

  1. Just when I thought I'd seen the most bizarre way a Tumbler can arrive (Amazon dog food guy)... I arrived home today to find my Walmart order from a week ago in an oversized box on the doorstep. Picked it up and it was WAY too heavy to be a Tumbler. Lifted inside, cut it open, and found an old Dell computer monitor that looks like it was dug out of a dumpster as well as an old metal monitor stand, both crammed into an opened ASUS (???) monitor box. Sure enough, this ASUS box (containing an old DELL monitor and metal stand) was sitting haphazardly atop my Tumbler. I removed the debris to find the Tumbler box in surprisingly decent condition (some creases) given the weight of the old monitor and metal stand, but with the seals all popped on one side. After I stood there dumbfounded for the better part of a minute, I found humor in the situation and had a laugh. Called my wife over and showed her what happened. (Deadpan tone): "oh, so you bought more Legos?" she announced. Me: "Well, yeah, but... look at this!" Piper: "Did you order that monitor?" Me: "Definitely not." Piper: "Cool, well I guess you got a free monitor." (more deadpan) Me: "It looks like it's been in the garbage. And look at the Lego box underneath it - it's popped open and creased." Piper: "Looks fine to me... (pause) ... don't you already have that Lego set?" (more deadpan) Me: (eyes narrowing, quickly assessing whether or not she knows there are 11 of these already lined up in the top shelf of a closet in the guest room. I determine she doesn't or a much more hostile reaction I would have probably just received)... "just one for Jason to open when he's older and gets into Batman." Piper: "Well, that's pretty weird. What are you going to do with the monitor?" Me: "Throw it away I guess? I doubt it even works." Piper: "You should call Walmart and see if they want it back." Me: "It looks like someone in their shipping department said 'that's it, I quit!' then unplugged his monitor, threw it in this box, taped it up, and went home." Piper: (now turning to walk away and head back to the living room, calling out over her shoulder): "Maybe you can put it in the guest room with the 11 other Tumbler sets you hid up there." Me: ........ EPILOGUE: I called WM customer service later in the evening and was given a 20% discount on the Tumbler. CS rep was very pleasant and expressed surprisingly little incredulity at my description of what sat atop my Lego set in the shipping box. Just another Monday evening at the Walmart.com customer service phone center I suspect...
    13 points
  2. I've posted a few sneak preview pics of these before, but they may finally be done after several months of Bricklinking, MOD'ing, and tweaking. The Cylon Raider is pretty much a UCS size set and is massive & heavy. 2 ships from the classic Battlestar Galactica TV Series Classic Cylon Raider - 1820 pieces Viper Mark II - 325 pieces
    8 points
  3. I feel the need to defend Amazon packers a bit here. Judging by the last page in this thread most people are under the assumption that some lazy, inconsiderate minimum-wage employee gets to decide whether or not they want to place a bag of dog food on top of your collectible LEGO box. The packers have absolutely zero say in how your items are shipped. When you place an order on Amazon their computer algorithm takes all of the products in your order, calculates the weight and overall dimensions, and literally tells the packer everything to do. 1) It tells the packer which box(es) to use, and which items to place in each box. It even gives them a display on the computer showing where each item should go in the box (if necessary) 2) It tells the packer how much void fill to place in the box 3) It spits out an exact amount of tape necessary to seal the box In this case, the system told the packer that your LEGO box and your dog food would both fit in the same box. Whether the packer placed the dog food on top or on bottom, it would have had the same end result after being flipped around during transit. The only way to avoid this would be to place separate orders, waiting for your first one to package/ship before placing the second to ensure they don't get grouped together. That isn't to say the people packing these boxes actually care about your orders at all. They are paid commission/bonuses based on how many orders per hour they can ship out, so the system itself inherently promotes sloppy packaging... but it's not fair to blame the employees when the company forces them to package your orders a certain way.
    7 points
  4. Today I will always remember as the day I learned there's a Boba Fett fan club.
    5 points
  5. Not sure, I hope Jeff works some magic. That mobile app is not forgiving for mod tools, so I don't even try it anymore. Never been a subscriber.
    4 points
  6. I would be going to every walmart in the area if one of them had it for 49. That's 50% for a original trilogy ship, the only quesion should be is how many can you store and still have room to brush your teeth and leave your home to get more shuttles.
    4 points
  7. @Bold-Arrow I like how you went to every thread and told us to resubscribe here. It reminds me of high school, when someone runs down the hall popping his head in to each and every classroom real quick to make sure everybody knows there's going to be a fight in the parking lot at 3:00pm. Thanks for the heads up.
    3 points
  8. Thats where we're gonna get the stormtrooper Finn poly and I'm sure it'll be a GameStop preorder bonus like silver centurion was with Lego avengers
    3 points
  9. Finally decided to buy a 10196 Carousel mint in used box for $1900. It's been years since I owned one/built one. Can't wait ro build it again. And two 75059 Sandcrawlers for the Vault
    3 points
  10. Microfighters Tie Interceptor 75031 and X-wing 75032 both to the same buyer on amazon for total of $59.44 though through separate listings so got 2x the shipping and both sets fit in a 6x6x6 box, just over 10 oz shipping for both under $4 across the country first class. I can't decide whether I feel better about: - selling 2 sets I bought for $13 total on clearance for $59.44 or - that I made $6 pure profit from shipping expenses charged vs what I paid to ship the item. this is the first time i ever came out this far ahead with shipping from amazon.
    3 points
  11. All of this retirement talk has made me antsy. I'm in for ten more before the pack of piranha known as the horde skeletonize this beautiful set in mere seconds.
    3 points
  12. On descriptions: I buy a lot of sealed sets On EBay, I only need two pieces of information in your description: 1. Do you know how to pack a box? 2. How quickly are you going to ship? Often, the answer to number 1 has to be deduced by digging through your feedback. I look for someone to say, "great packing job," and I'm ready to buy. .
    3 points
  13. I don't do most of the stuff you do in 11, 13, and 15. Cut your time by using the app instead of uploading photos (BIG time savings.) Forget the watermark. If you are worried about people stealing your photos, throw a LEGO built nametag with your store name in your photos (see my avatar for example.) Don't spend too much time on your descriptions: I firmly believe they have much less impact then your feedback. I have had stuff fly off the shelf with a lazy, one sentence description: "I ship quickly and securely." I used to be very precious with my listings. Now I throw them up as quickly as possible, telling myself I'll go back and tune them up later. Often, they sell before I can do that.
    3 points
  14. So why are you here and not at Walmart getting that thing?
    3 points
  15. 3 points
  16. Many Bothans died to bring us this information. The official Xbox website has launched a page showing screen captures from an upcoming entrant into the LEGO Star Wars game series. This time it is Star Wars: The Force Awakens. The date given for the release of this game is 6/28/16. Players will be able to play as their favorite new and classic Star Wars character. One screen capture shows Han, Leia, and Chewbacca as they appear in the 75094 Imperial Shuttle Tydirium set. What that means about playing older movie scenes has not been shown yet. Warner Brothers games has not officially announced the forthcoming game Is this the release that will come with the FN-2187 Polybag that has been spotted, but has no official release information? The leaked trailer on YouTube mirrors the trailer for the film. At the end it shows that the game will be released on the following platforms PS4, PS3, PS Vita, Xbox One, Xbox 360, Wii U, Nintendo 3DS, and PC. Check below for more pictures.
    2 points
  17. This question has been asked add naseum throughout the forum already. The general consensus short answer is 'not much'. Long version: If the seals are broken, the box is open. You get the opportunity to view the sealed bags inside, verify that all the parts are present, and can claim this boldly in your listing that the set has been verified 100% complete (Lego makes mistakes, sometimes they forget a part or entire bag!). If the set is long retired, and truly rare, most end users aren't going to give two hoots if the box is open but the bags are sealed. You'd only be turning away collectors hunting for MISB sets, never to open. You can do better off without dealing with those people anyway I'm sure. Difference on an open box sealed bags set, to a New in Sealed Box set is probably less than 10%. If it's rare enough you might even get going market rate regardless.
    2 points
  18. Was that inspired by Monty Python? I guess it would need to be a cow instead of a translucent dot.
    2 points
  19. Speaking of polybags, this thing is now free at S@H with $50 purchase:
    2 points
  20. The mods are talking forum structure and any themes that might warrant their own forum with Jeff and Ed. We'll let everyone know soon.
    2 points
  21. I'm an extremely small scale "investor" who views holding onto a few sets as a hobby. I hope and plan to make some money in the long term but if I end up just getting my money back it will be an interesting if failed experiment. That said, I wish I had picked up a second one of these in January when my local LEGO shop had a few still at the marked down end of year price (albeit with beat up boxes). To echo the previous comments, I think that the appeal of this set goes beyond some of your typical LEGO fans. My wife whole heartedly supports my LEGO hobby on the one condition that I don't start trying to put my collection out in the living room; however, when I showed her the box at the LEGO store she immediately said that it would look great on display in our house. She even built one of the birds and really enjoyed the experience. I don't think this will be a quick money earner, especially not like it seems to be in Europe already, but I believe that down the line more and more fans will say, "hey, that was a neat, unique set", and there will be room for a small to mid size profit. I'll probably grab one at retail price or with a small discount from points or the like and thank myself down the line. Worse comes to worst, I'll end up stuck with a great gift for a nature loving friend or relative...
    2 points
  22. I just bought x2 21108 Ghostbusters Ecto-1 and x2 75102 Poe's X-Wing Fighter! One to build and one to re-sell at a future advantageous time. This is my first post, by the way!
    2 points
  23. Got rid of a few more sets this past week. For anyone that saw my query regarding a Harry Potter lot in the Deal or No Deal thread, I've already made some profit! (well, if you calculate on a per set basis... I'm still well in the negative overall :P) Another 30293 Kai Drifter NISBag $8.25 shipped Used 7929 Battle of Naboo (Ship & Instructions Only, no figs) $27.65 shipped Used 4735 Slytherin (No instructions) + 4712 Troll on the Loose (100% including box) $80 shipped (personal collection plus another bulk lot find; $15 Buy-In to replace figs) Used 4711 Flying Lesson + 4701 Sorting Hat (both 100% including box) $64 shipped (from that HP lot, $33.50 buy-in for the two) Probably more info that anyone cares about but there you have it. Unlike most of my listings which sit for at least a week or two before generating interest, Harry is as popular as ever, all listings sold within 48 hours. Offers and bartering were involved, love this aspect of selling personally! If you price strategically you can end up with your goal value in pocket, and your buyer thinks they snagged a deal from you: Everyone wins and it seems to generate great feedback!
    2 points
  24. $10 says this would not be the last time you'll hear about it
    2 points
  25. Classic example of not answering the question.
    2 points
  26. FYI... http://www.bobafettfanclub.com/news/collectibles/is-that-boba-fetts-slave-i-pictured-on-lego-rogue-one-backdrop-at-toy-fair/ Is That Boba Fett's Slave I Pictured on a LEGO "Rogue One" Backdrop at Toy Fair? Spotted moments ago on Twitter: "More #LEGO #StarWars Reveals from Nuremberg" in this photo and caption via @StudShooter, which appears to show a Firespray-class ship like Boba Fett's Slave I (if not the real deal) alongside "Rogue One." [uPDATE #1: We've spoken with StudShooter to check if he shot the picture. He didn't. We then worked to track down the original source using some reverse image searching, which led us to PromoBricks.de. Photography was prohibited at the event, so the original photographer may be intentionally anonymous.] [uPDATE #2: It appears to be a photo of the 2014/2015 "UCS" Slave I (75060). We also believed it was shot by Vesa Lehtimäki, who uses that same kind of dramatic lighting. He confirmed with us that he shot the photo and that it was pre-2015 with a prototype LEGO set. So, could this be just a stand-in photo for "Rogue One" or a re-pack?] [uPDATE #3: We can confirm 100% now that image shown is 2015 USC Slave I ("Empire"). It's not a new set coming October. It's not proof by itself of Slave I in Rogue One.] [uPDATE #4: Lucasfilm's Pablo Hidalgo re-tweeted our third update on Twitter: twitter-lego-rogue-one-pablo-retweet This may or may not be a validation of our findings.] So far, Boba Fett has only been rumored to appear in the first "story" film. This could be spoiling and thus confirming that rumor. That said, see our Fett Fact Check for more about those rumors thus far. Next to the "Rogue One" image is a TV series announcement. According to PromoBricks.de, that's a "Droid Tales-esque series titled The Freemaker Adventures."
    2 points
  27. Angry birds has a Piggy Pirate Ship.... just sayin'
    2 points
  28. Ha. There is no retirement talk. One post by me (about something to ponder) . I wanna get nuts,
    2 points
  29. I've got 40 of this set new, and it was the only linked tree set until Ewok Village. Now 6071 is worthless.
    2 points
  30. 2 points
  31. Yes, back to Angry Birds. The trees in Angry Birds and Ewok Village are interchangeable.
    2 points
  32. hi new to the forum and lego investing, so don't know how relevant this is but i picked up 2 t1's from toysrus today only ones on shelf but they have 02s6 on seal so newly produced i believe, also john lewis is showing 10 plus in stock online, first time since christmas.
    2 points
  33. this set is an absolute no brainer. when was the last time they produced this set? How many more star wars movies will be coming out?
    2 points
  34. Was someone mentioning time available for larger SW sets released since 08? Blue ones are the ones still available now numbers are the approximate days available at LEGO Shop at Home. Take what you want from the above but R5 doesnt seem that much of an outlier to me. If we are getting another 3 UCS size sets this year (Hoth, StarKiller and Snow Speeder) then having 7 available does seem like a stretch for TLG though. They can barely keep what they have out at the moment in stock
    2 points
  35. availability at shop at home usa: 10240 was available 2 years 6 months. 10221 2years 10 months 10212 2 years 2 months 10215 1 year 5 months 10225 2 yeasr 6 months 10240 was around basically the same as all the rest. it wasn't an outlier. it didn't stick around longer. it was around as long as r2d2 and people were surprised when that went eol. the only difference was there were more brickpickers hyping 10240 retirement. brickpickers didn't make it stick around longer. that's a fallacy.
    2 points
  36. I am very hopeful of this set. Everyone I know who sees this loves them - they even make a great gift for non-lego lovers (for example, my 50+ mom loves birds, so I gave one as a gift). That to me shows there is a ton of non-standard demand for this; that is, folks who don't love lego, but in general love birds or models. Casual demand should not be underestimated. Too bad I didn't pick them up when they were cheaper, but they are still available at retail on amazon. They are sold out in europe and are already above retail prices - also another strong sign.
    2 points
  37. My section of our current LUG display...
    2 points
  38. aaaaaaaaaand http://brickset.com/sets/41075-1/The-Elves-Treetop-Hideaway
    1 point
  39. There's 5 sets currently on the market, so it wouldn't be shock if something went. Architecture line is prone to sporadic retirement patterns with sets just 2 years old or less retiring before sets that are 4 or 5 years old, so it wouldn't be too shocking to see another set go like that. And like I said, do we know what's up for next year? Seems like a restaurant/food theme is easily expendable and interchangable (just make a sushi bar, sandwich shop, tavern, etc) while cinemas, banks, and puppy shops would seem like a one off in the theme.. I'd almost expect the DO to retire before the Cinema.
    1 point
  40. You can get RR down to $45 each using a $10 off $75 coupon here: http://shc.cpn2c.co/RecomService/web/bE3R Then use points and whatever other coupons you might have.
    1 point
  41. Wow, I'd love to see this as an ideas set! The Mobile Mechanized Tesla Cannon
    1 point
  42. I thought getting one for my kids was called being a good dad
    1 point
  43. I saw TFA in the cinema this week, a big smile when the anthem started! Despite a high Disney level I really enjoyed this movie. Kylo Ren's shuttle looks good in this movie and MF is great to watch. And Han Solo....just epic and Rey the eye-catcher. Will watch it again soon!
    1 point
  44. I have a couple milanos and knowhere escape sets put away, but im not expecting too much from GG2. The problem with lego super hero sets is they try to cover everything, so other than Batman and Avengers, nothing really gets much attention. Given that the number of movies is only going to increase over the next few years, I cant see them doing much more for GG2 than they did for the first GG. Its a shame that most of these sets are really designed as cheap 3 month shelf promos. I would love to see them devote some time to them, but its unlikely they will change their pattern as long as they keep selling.
    1 point
  45. Speaking for myself as a guy from the Netherlands interested in architecture and looking at New York city, it's in the same league as Trump tower, Flatiron building and Rockefeller center. Of course we Europeans know Chrysler building, One World Trade Center, Empire State building and Statue of Liberty better. United Nations headquarters is an important building from an architectural point of view, being an early (massive) example of modernism. Originally designed by Oscar Niemeyer, the same architect who co-did the ground plan and government buildings of Brasilia (Brasil's capital), thus linking it to South American Lego architecture fans. Niemeyers plans were amended in close collaboration with Le Corbusier (famous Swiss architect), thus linking this Lego set to European Lego architecture fans as well. Le Corbusier also designed Villa Savoye by the way. More info: - Oscar Niemeyer: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oscar_Niemeyer - Le Corbusier: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Le_Corbusier - United Nations building: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Headquarters_of_the_United_Nations - Brasilia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bras%C3%ADlia
    1 point
  46. Welcome to a (maybe?) regular update on what I'm currently investing in. While some would prefer to read through threads to listen to various members' opinions about what they are buying – or not buying, as the case may be, I think some folks would rather save some time and get the real scoop on what Big Blue Dog Bricks (BBDBricks) is up to. In this case, putting my money where my mouth is and telling readers what I bought this week, and why. Big Blue Dog Bricks: What I'm Investing In Now: Guardians of the Galaxy Edition! I'm a small to medium-sized investor, height wise, weight wise and probably also in terms of total investment. I've sold around 30k or so (before fees, shipping, taxes, etc) in the last three years, so not big time but not exactly green around the investment ears. I started small, with about 1k in the first several months and built from there, so I imagine this post might appeal to those either at a similar level of investment or who want to move from having a closet full of Lego to a basement full of Lego without being a hoarder. (For clarification, the Macks are hoarders, in that they don't sell their sets, while I regularly shift inventory to make room for more inventory) What I bought this week: Guardians of the Galaxy Sets! It is time, sheeple, to follow my advice and grab a few complete sets of this line before the ship sails off into the EOL night. As an investment vehicle this small theme within the larger Marvel line has quite a few things going for it right now and not too many negatives. Pros: Pretty solid movie: I double checked the box office haul just now and, if Wikipedia is to be trusted, made $774 million dollars worldwide, which is perhaps a little more than 'solid'. As a casual superheroes fan Guardians of the Galaxy (GotG) wasn't well known to me and I imagine others were also not as familiar with GotG storylines, villains and heroes as well. Despite not being as ubiquitous as Batman, Superman, Spiderman et al, the movie managed to do pretty darn well. If people will spend money to go the cinema, it stands to reason they might want licensed toys as well. Of course, that alone isn't enough of a pro on its own, so let's also consider some other positives. 18 month mark: The Milano Spaceship Rescue and Starblaster Showdown have already moved to Sold Out on Shop at Home. They may or may not come back, but as of this writing that is where these two sets stand. The Knowhere Escape Mission is still available, but it seems unlikely it will not succumb to its fate sooner rather than later. This week I grabbed six Milano sets from Wal-mart.ca, 50% off. I laughed when I saw the sticker on the outside of the original Lego shipping boxes – Do Not Put on Shelf Before June 1, 2014. Clearly, initial demand didn't require Wal-mart to open these bad boys up, or they perhaps got stuck behind other boxes and patiently sat in a warehouse somewhere for the last year and a half. At any rate, they are mine, now, and I love them (especially at 50% off) . Even though these might not be available at the official Lego website, it should be possible to get creative and add these sets to your stash over the next couple months from other retailers. 18 months is a standard (well, I don't know if this word applies to any Lego sets anymore) cycle and I'm glad they seemingly aren't extending production for a full two years (or more) which would make the opportunity window potentially much smaller before new sets hit with the sequel. Now is a great time to buy, as your hold time will be significantly less than many who hit up clearance sales last fall or this winter/spring/summer. Definite sequel coming: Always good news – wait, almost always? My worries with slightly less well known licensed lines is that they will drift more towards Lone Ranger or Prince of Persia type returns. It is easy to forget that LR still had a large box office return even though critics didn't especially love it (or even like it). Box office alone doesn't an investment make. A sequel slated for 2017 means GotG will certainly be back in front of the consumer in perhaps another 18 months. This could be a double-edged sword if the new (probable) Lego sets are too similar to those out now, or worse, a straight up remake of, say, the Milano. That being said, if the current sets get the retired tag there should be a window to sell, and a savvy Brickpicker should have leaks about the upcoming sets long before the general public does, and can act accordingly. Although I am buying these sets, I'm certainly not going 20-30 complete sets deep. I think it might be hard to move that many at a decent return and the window is too short to go all in, at least for BigBlue. Easily collectible: Unlike a lot of other lines, there are only three sets. I think this is advantageous for a few reasons. Number one, easy to invest in. I've spent the last couple of weeks searching out deals to get complete sets for future selling. Number two, easy for buyers to get all three at once without breaking the bank. It appeals to a lot more collectors. I personally hate starting to collect (for myself or my family) in a theme with a crazy amount of sets as I am a bit neurotic and like to have ALL OF THEM. Having an uncompleted theme of all the Hobbit or Lord of the Rings sets makes my brain uneasy. I think the phenomena is common, or at least I tell myself that to make myself feel better. This is a neat and tidy package of three, relatively easy to list and ship together. Having one offs, even if you got them at a great discount, might be harder to move even if priced well. As a collector, I hate paying for shipping more than once, so if I want sets I seek out lots. I can't imagine the majority of future buyers wanting to shell out over MSRP + shipping for one of the three sets, when listings for the whole line are also available. Obviously, those buying gifts or completing partially collected sets would be interested in single set sales, but my gut says most serious buyers post-EOL are going to be collectors looking for all three. Prove me right, Marvel collectors! Cons: There are cons, and not the convicts terrorizing the Lego City sets. Although I'm pretty confident the sequel will do well at the box office, even if it isn't as good or nearly as good as the original, the threat of a remade Milano scares me. Chinese counterfeiters scare me too, but I still think the target market I'm selling to is interested in the sets and genuine Lego products. Another major con is I think these have a definite ceiling in terms of growth. I've been able to source my complete sets at around 40% off MSRP or better (for all three) with some careful planning and buying, so I think my risk level is quite low. That being said, I don't expect double MSRP by next Christmas and would be quite content with perhaps 20% over MSRP sales. Anything more would be a bonus, and I'm only looking to move around 5-10 lots, definitely not more. These are a nice tangential investment for me, and might be a good call for a small to medium-sized investor who is looking for a short(ish) hold with a decent return, provided they are carefully sourced with maximal discounts. I'm certainly not advocating lining your stockroom with these sets, especially at or near MSRP, but I think there will be a window to make a decent return.
    1 point
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