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My 60+ dad (being an absolute Solar / Wind / Alternate Energy Enthusiast) got from us a new LEGO Education (Energy) set and he couldnt resist and built this wind turbine within less than an hour.. I wouldnt expect that (so soon) .. so I think that besides he is really skilled it was an amazing xmas gift.. now he is waiting for some serious wind on the balcony to get some reading from the propellers on the attached energy meter (which was included in the set).. ?

Finished this off while the kids were napping. It’s -40 with the windchill today so cant do much else...

Winter Holiday Train. After the fact I wish I would have gotten the power functions beforehand. Glad the same will be reusable for our (still under the tree) Hogwarts Express.

The farm theme needs to be re-visited, along with a city zoo theme.

My son and I have been building the Hoth rebel base. I have to admit I don’t understand the hate for this one. We did add two large base plates and a lot of white plates to flush it out and we will probably add a tunnel and baca tank area.

$200 eBay GC for just [email protected] Sent from my SM-N900T using Brickpicker Forum mobile app

One word FREE Shipping! Well that is two words and @AirborneAFOL also has some good points. Earlier in the year I tried using calculated shipping on some of my listings and lowering the item price and I did not sell one set. In this day of Amazon people not only want but they expect free shipping. I tried promoted listings and raised my prices to offset the additional fee to eBay and I killed it (for me I am a STP) this holiday season. Also on sets I have multiples of I will start off low in order to get Best Match and then raise my prices after every 5 units. The default search is Best Match not lowest price and IMO that is what gets you sales. There is a current FP thread on SD now for candles and even though they are 70% off and there is a coupon code for $10 off $30 many people are not buying or are complaining because they are being charged $5.99 shipping even though with the coupon you could look at it as free shipping and an additional $4 off. Another thing I am not sure of is how you grade your sets, Good, Fair, Very Good, etc in the listing title. I understand why you would do this and see how it works for collectors but it may be confusing or a turn off for the impulse holiday shoppers you are after. This may be reflected in your conversion rate in your seller analytics page.

Your item description has active content. That’s an eBay no-no for about the past 6 months (maybe longer, don’t recall). Your Country of Manufacture is “Unknown”. Try “Denmark” or null. Use the Analyze Listing feature and compare your listing title schema against other sellers. Ditto for item specifics, return policy, shipping options, and Guaranteed Delivery. The market as a whole is down year over year, you could be losing some to that trend. Your sales conversion rate could be below market. Your listing quantities and/or total listings could be below market. The list goes on and on. If you’re serious about “saving your business”, you’ve gotta do the homework to hunt down every avenue that plays into search results, analyze your metrics, and make proactive tweaks.

Built the docking bay 327 which will be the new home of my recently purchased 10179.

They may not like what is buried beneath the ice....

I’m not a Technic fan, but I really dig that set. It’s probably the boat lover in me.

More info: Age 12 and over Box Size: 58x48x12cm (Town Hall sized box, bigger than DB but smaller than city) Release in June so could well be a D2C.

So anyways, since I’ve sent you payment, when are you shipping’em? I took a day off from work on the 3rd of January so I wouldn’t miss the delivery. [emoji12]

My daughter loves the winter village sets but is too young, so we built our own with a few new sets from Santa!

Town Hall, Grand Emporium, Fire Brigade and Pet Shop in 1 set. All NIB, for € 1.150,- in total. Local pick up from 'Marktplaats', so no fees. Buy in was €450,-.

so a quick update, after a couple more appeals and one of the nastiest emails I've sent to anyone ( not that I'm proud of it ), they finally admitted that they received my items but credited the items to the wrong seller ( no idea how since they are all stickered ).. anyways, they said they will fix it but it will take a while since they are pretty busy and they closed the case. smh.

A lot of this for me on multiples. I start low and sacrifice some profit at first and raise my price moderately above most listing after the 2nd to 3rd sale and gradually move up from there. My listings will appear top 2 or 3 for the remainder of my units 90 percent of the time. It seems shoppers want to buy from where others have bought before and trust the multiple sales history. I personaly don't use stock photos and have had very good success on multiples. I take one really good photo showcasing my product and I'll make sure i have a lot of units that are close to the same condition OR I write in the description all sets show some shelfware and imperfections. That seems to do it for me.

As are naive resellers. It´s been a while since we had a CITY steamroller too so be careful what you wish for.

$299 zoo $29-$119 different enclosures Even easy to do hot dog stands, different animals in polybags, other vendors Zoo would do amazing. Every city would have a zoo area waiting for every new set. Collectors would demand to have EVERY animal/set

Really like the end product , pretty sturdy , well designed and a lot of playability . The trigger to release the “bombs” is in the perfect place and well hidden . Figures are cool too

It's live in Germany. Expected to be the same for UK shortly

Every year has a different packaging theme. They don't alter the banner based on what's in the set. You'll see the same banner on hasbro, and most other products released the fiscal year.

You may want to consider account for $12 shipping and set it as free (given your math of being on the coast), and give it a trial run again. Your profits will vary a bit yet based on FL vs CA buyers, and you won’t always be the “cheapest” option for west coast buyers - but you may very well make up for the difference (and then some) based on the sales conversion rate and sales volume lifts. I’ve always been relatively small scale (~1000 sales for $30k/yr) and have been winding down & getting out of the game this past 6 months, but once I scrapped variable rates for free shipping it made a world of difference (with only a 5-7% hit to my profits). If I get around to it I’ll post my zone rate / package size / delivery service table. It’s a slick little cheat sheet that shows you exactly how much to expect for shipping costs.

What you’re really doing here is establishing a strong sales conversion rate right out of the gate. And that’s the single-most critical metric for driving “best match” results.

Yep on SD, said the gc part is dead.

It's on SD so it probably won't last long. Sent from my iPad using Brickpicker Forum mobile app

Merry Christmas to you too "I cracked open the bible today and I couldn't find the verse about the true meaning of Christmas being the arrival of toys before 12/25. Can you point me to it? Thanks in advance! " I'm not religious but I wouldn't hesitate to respond to anyone who accused me of ruining Christmas with something like that, especially if they've already left feedback I would call Ebay and ask about the feedback and if any of the "colorful" language he used violates Ebay's policies, definitely mention that, but I wouldn't sweat it if it can't be removed. There are too many unreasonable people to dodge negative feedback forever. Respond politely to the negative feedback they left so that others checking out your feedback can see your side of the story. In the future, when you notice orders like this, probably wise to contact the buyer and warn them that the item may not arrive by Christmas. There are too many people who buy without actually looking at the estimated delivery date, and as Jackson notes, Ebay is often very optimistic about delivery dates for some forms of shipping. That said, if this guy is in HI, he should be accustomed to delivery taking a lot longer. I mean, with Amazon prime, free shipping to HI is 3-7 days, instead of 2 days. Maybe it's his first foray into online shopping.

What estimated delivery date did the buyer see when he ordered? I’ve noticed that eBay provides incorrect estimated delivery dates for economy shipping.

Imperial Shuttle Tydirium

That's quite the Christmas present from Lego...

i am sure you are aware its usually 3-business days for PRIORITY MAIL [while 2 business day is touted in map it totally depends on where you are. if you are near the distribution center then it might work otherwise it won't] and while its not published making it at 5pm doesn't allow one to meet that within 3 days. what i mean to say is there is usually a cut-off time and if i remember correctly for me [it varies by location] its 245pm. if i make that time and drop off Priority mail before that then its usually make it within 3 business days. say if its dropped and the receipt says 247pm then i have noticed that the package takes 3+1=4 business days. for the scheduled pickups, unless they pickup exclusively at one's location its "+1" scenario. so, in my case if carrier picks up on Monday and/or i drop off on monday after 245pm then delivery date is most likely Friday [ during normal times]. trust me that i am not trying to defend USPS. but in this business its mostly learn on the job and protect oneself which means to understand what happens rather than what's in the paper :).

$70 local pick up. Turbo Tank and Hoth Attack are sealed. Ewok Attack seems to be in near-perfect condition.

Sold through all my Ariel dolphin carriages at $33+ FBA. Buy box was around $22-$24 when sent them in. Was hoping for the last minute FBA 2 day magic Around 30 total, my largest number I've sent in of one SKU

I was looking at my 9493s and their big, clunky cockpit canopies and wishing that they had the nice, new canopies from the Resistance X-wings and U-Wing. Seeing this new release makes me happy, even though I have several X-Wings already, I always like a new one.

Some FBA/FBM Sales over the past couple months. 7741 - City: Police Helicopter - $40 10218 - Creator: Pet Shop - $230 10228 - Monster Fighters: Haunted House - $443 10240 - Red Five X-Wing - $325 10249 - Winter Toy Shop - $134 10254 - Holiday Train - $179 10504 - Duplo: My First Circus - $80 10569 - Duplo: Town Treasure Attack - $48 10585 - Duplo: Mom and Baby - $34 10665 - Juniors: Spider-Man Spider Car Pursuit - $40 10673 - Juniors: Race Car Rally - $90 10674 - Juniors: Pony Farm - $80 10677 - Juniors: Beach Trip - $35 10683 - Juniors: Road Work Truck - $70 10721 - Juniors: Iron Man vs. Loki - $35 10848 - Duplo: My First Bricks - $50 21006 - Architecture: White House - $130 21011 - Architecture: Brandenburg Gate - $50 21013 - Architecture: Big Ben - $70 21015 - Architecture: Tower of Pisa - $75 21018 - Architecture: United Nations Building - $80 21020 - Architecture: Trevi Fountain - $130 21022 - Architecture: Lincoln Memorial - $95 21115 - Minecraft: The First Night - $80 21117 - Minecraft: The Ender Dragon - $160 21118 - Minecraft: The Mine - $200 21303 - IDEAS: Wall-E - $130 21312 - IDEAS: Women of NASA - $119 30474 - Creator: Reindeer - $20 30197 - Creator: Snowman Polybag - $28 31004 - Creator: Fierce Flyer - $50 31010 - Creator: Tree House - $60 31032 - Creator: Red Creatures - $70 31034 - Creator: Future Flyers - $70 31036 - Creator: Toy and Grocery Shop - $98 31040 - Creator: Desert Racers - $30 31043 - Creator: Chopper Transporter - $35 40125 - Santa's Visit - $30 40205 - Christmas Holiday Elves - $25 40252 - VW Beetle - $47 40254 - Nutcracker - $52 40262 - Christmas Mini Train - $25 40263 - Christmas Town Square - $25 41004 - Friends: Rehearsal Stage - $40 41037 - Friends: Stephanie's Beach House - $95 41052 - Princess: Ariel's Magical Kiss - $75 41053 - Princess: Cinderella's Dream Carriage - $45 41054 - Princess: Rapunzel's Creativity Tower - $130 41055 - Princess: Cinderella's Romantic Castle - $138 41058 - Friends: Heartlake Shopping Mall - $220 41061 - Princess: Jasmine's Exotic Palace - $54 41062 - Princess: Elsa's Sparkling Castle - $65 41088 - Friends: Puppy Training - $15 41093 - Friends: Heartlake Hair Salon - $48 41095 - Friends: Emma's House - $125 41100 - Friends: Heartlake Private Jet - $65 41135 - Friends: Livi's Pop Star House - $160 41141 - Princess: Pumpkins Royal Carriage - $28 41174 - Elves: Starlight Inn - $90 41078 - Elves: Skyra's Mysterious Sky Castle - $150 41171 - Elves: Baby Wind Dragon - $70 42020 - Technic: Twin-Rotor Helicopter - $75 42028 - Technic: Bulldozer - $110 42034 - Technic: Quad Bike - $50 42060 - Halloween Haunt - $40 44028 - Hero Factory: Surge and Rocka Combat Machine - $80 60003 - City: Fire Emergency - $60 60118 - City: Garbage Truck - $60 60034 - City: Arctic Helicrane - $75 60044 - City: Mobile Police Unit - $80 60047 - City: Police Station - $138 60053 - City: Race Car - $30 60055 - City: Monster Truck - $40 60066 - City: Swamp Police Starter Set - $30 60069 - City: Swamp Police Station - $160 60072 - City: Demolition Starter Set - $30 60075 - City: Demolition Excavator and Truck - $110 60076 - City: Demoliton Site - $180 60078 - City: Spaceport Utility Shuttle - $60 60081 - City: Pickup Tow Truck - $50 60083 - City: Snowplow Truck - $55 60084 - City: Racing Bike Transporter - $50 60085 - City: Powerboat Transporter - $80 60091 - City: Deep Sea Starter Set - $33 60092 - City: Deep Sea Submarine - $85 60095 - City: Deep Sea Exploration Vessel - $220 70224 - Chima: Tiger's Mobile Command Block - $160 70327 - Nexo Knights: King's Mech - $60 70412 - Pirates: Soldier's Fort - $65 70413 - Pirates: Brick Bounty - $223 70501 - Ninjago: Warrior Bike - $50 70601 - Nijago: Sky Shark - $65 70731 - Ninjago: Jay Walker One - $70 70733 - Ninjago: Blaster Bike - $65 70734 - Ninjago: Master Wu Dragon - $90 70739 - Ninjago: Airjitzu Kai Flyer - $30 70746 - Ninjago: Condrai Copter Attack - $55 70787 - Bionicle: Tahu Master of Fire - $70 70808 - The Lego Movie: Super Cycle Chase - $84 70816 - The Lego Movie: Benny's Spaceship Spaceship Spaceship - $125 70818 - The Lego Movie: Double-Decker Couch - $55 71315 - Bionicle: Quake Beast - $90 75003 - Star Wars: A-Wing Starfighter - $58 75035 - Star Wars: Kashyyyk Trooper Battle Pack - $35 75050 - Star Wars: B-Wing - $94 75058 - Star Wars: Trade Federation Multi-Troop Transport - $175 75078 - Star Wars: Imperial Troop Transport - $40 75082 - Star Wars: Tie Advanced Prototype - $70 75086 - Star Wars: Battle Droid Troop Carrier - $80 75093 - Star Wars: Death Star Final Duel - $130 75135 - Star Wars: Obi-Wan's Jedi Interceptor - $58 75150 - Star Wars: Vader's Tie Advanced vs. A-Wing - $120 75899 - Speed Champions: LaFerrari - $70 75901 - Scooby Doo: Mystery Plane Adventures - $58 75903 - Scooby Doo: Haunted Lighthouse - $130 75904 - Scooby Doo: Mystery Mansion - $175 75909 - Speed Champions: McLarin P1 - $80 75915 - Jurassic World: Pteranadon Capture - $60 75916 - Jurassic World: Dilophosaurus Ambush - $75 75917 - Jurassic World: Raptor Rampage - $125 75918 - Jurassic World: T-Rex Tracker - $175 75919 - Jurassic World: Indominus Rex Breakout - $300 76019 - Super Heroes: Starblaster Showdown - $48 76026 - Super Heroes: Gorilla Grodd Goes Bananas - $90 76027 - Super Heroes: Black Manta Deep Sea Strike - $70 76030 - Super Heroes: Avengers Hydra Showdown - $50 76036 - Super Heroes: Carnage's Shield Sky Attack - $35 76038 - Super Heroes: Avengers Tower - $175 79015 - The Hobbit: Witch King Battle - $27 79116 - TMNT: Big Rig Snow Getaway - $92 79118 - TMNT: Karai's Bike Escape - $40

This great article was published on brickset a couple of weeks ago. https://brickset.com/article/31089/review-pure-display-case-for-the-millennium-falcon

Well, time to sell my last one

Non-fruitcake story: Sometimes buyers aren't scamming us and being difficult. And sometimes we're providing a valuable service not just creating false scarcity and driving up prices. I've been sending confirmation texts because I've had had a lot of buyers with new accounts and people with mismatched PayPal/eBay info ordering gifts for other people. They've mostly been happy to confirm their orders. One of them wrote also just wrote back to say they received their order and to thank me for the quick turnaround on their order. After exchanging thank yous, the buyer also let me know that I'd made their holiday easier because they were going through chemo and had a tough time getting out to shop.

market is slowing down by alot... years before, when an exclusif got a 20%-25% off... it's sold out very quick in mins our max hours.... not weeks like now. I do think a lot of people are not investing in those anymore.. I do think alot of them were going to resellers and not consumers.

Yes and learned my lesson, never ship with that 2-3 month "surface" option Canada Post offers I believe that 2-3 months is a generous estimate by Canada post, I've heard of packages taking 4 months with that option. You can contact the seller and ask them to wait the extra month, but really nothing you can do... they can just ask ebay to step in and you're toast. Funny my only instance of this was to Australia as well, and after that i stopped shipping outside Canada/USA altogether. So sweet talk the buyer, be as kind and reassuring as you can be, and buy yourself some time. Of course if they intended to scam you from the get go then that's all moot. Pretty sure that was the intention of my buyer from Australia, but i still tried.

It’s only the 75105 MF, no way on earth I would sell a UCS MF on eBay (posted) with the way things are on eBay lately. What amazes me is that eBay have told me to just to send it and not to worry as I’m protected. Im going to do them a favour (yet again) and sit on it for a few days until the account owner tells me their account has been hacked.

There is a ski-out between the cottage and post office to get to town! We’ve been sorting bricks lately and have separated all the white bricks and plates ... next years will be even bigger (but I won’t add that silly friends chair lift) and I think we’ll have enough to cover the plates and make it all white!

Been up for a while, but the kids had finally left it in a state that worked for pictures (after a few adjustments). Still don’t know where the train and station will fit. Currently built with no home.

Here’s my Winter Village Display this year - enjoy!

Pretty much a straight re-release of the Falcon with rectangular dish and Chewie minifig.

I'm glad I'm not the only one that feels the need to put the Tardis into a Winter Village.

Nutcracker by Robert Heim

Part of the OCLUG display this year.

It's early for this topic but still, wow. Festive hand by Tim Goddard