I am furious right now.... Kmart and Walmart legos tampered with in the Philadelphia suburban area. 

We are getting ready to move into a new home so I am trying to get my collection a bit more organized in boxes to move to the new house. 

As i started boxing things up i started to pay attention to some of the sets especially that i got on clearance in the past few months. 

 

Kmart:

2 Goblin Kings 

1 Attack at Weathertop

 

Both looked like the seals were all in tact but I noticed that there was no play in the box top the tab was holding. pulled a little harder and sure enough I could see glue! All three freaking boxes. 

Opened them all up and all figs gone!!

 

Walmart:

1 Wolverine Chopper I found after everything had been gone from stores for a while. 

I was so excited to find this set even though it was at retail. I didn't pay close enough attention that some jerk placed scotch tape perfectly over the seals that it was hardly noticeable!

 

whoever does this is a special kind of four letter words mixed together. 

 

This is now the 6th set I have bought missing figures. 

first being a slave 1 a few years ago from again walmart and another weathertop again from walmart. 

This is so frustrating. 

 

Does anyone have tips or is there a thread for tips of how to tell if legos they have bought were tampered with?

 

The two i will now be looking for are:

 

-Lift all tabs on the sets to make sure there is no glue present. I haven't found a set so tightly sealed from factory that I couldn't lift. 

-pay closer attention to the seals to make sure they do not look tampered with and additional tape is not present. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I had a Titan galactic heroes at walmart that was bought during the last clearance round.

It was light and I checked it and it was glued on the bottom.

Seals intact, they must have heated and open the box and then re-glued it

This scares me. I have a decent size inventory of unopened Lego sets, and I'm too scared to look and check (also a lot are boxed up in my storage room). My collection is about $5000, a lot for me but piddly compared to a bunch of guys here. 

LEGO seems to be slowly improving their boxes to deal with this situation.  There must be thousands of assumed MISB sets that are in member's inventories that have been opened and parts removed.  As I have stated many times before, verifying the contents of a set will become the norm unless LEGO seals all the boxes properly.

 

yup.  i'm all about the perforated boxes and other improvements done by Lego.

 

personally, i don't see a huge diff between sealed boxes and open boxes w/ sealed bags.  ...and i consider myself a purist.  

 

maybe the majority of people that really care about sealed boxes are the ones that use AFA??

 

a nice opened box set w/ sealed bags still makes a perfect gift because small pieces of clear tape can always be applied  before gift wrapping.

 

furthermore buyers might be a tad more forgiven with some box damage during transit knowing the box is already opened.

HOLY PARANOIA BATMAN!!!!

HOLY PARANOIA BATMAN!!!!

Lol this came from someone whose motto (used to be?) "Go MISB or go home" :D :D

I don't understand why there's not more love for the "box opened and contents verified; but bags still sealed" form of selling on the secondary market.

I don't understand why there's not more love for the "box opened and contents verified; but bags still sealed" form of selling on the secondary market.

 

I have preached it before. Cut the seals and sell baby. No one cares 99% of the time. Don't have any problems reselling.

I have preached it before. Cut the seals and sell baby. No one cares 99% of the time. Don't have any problems reselling.

 

I don't mind buying an opened box with sealed bags. I actually prefer to if it's a set I'm planning on building anyway. From a seller's standpoint though, sealed boxes definitely sell for more compared to one where the seals are broken.

I don't mind buying an opened box with sealed bags. I actually prefer to if it's a set I'm planning on building anyway. From a seller's standpoint though, sealed boxes definitely sell for more compared to one where the seals are broken.

 

 

there was an article done i believe.  the diff in price sold isn't that big.  i do think many sellers list their opened boxed w/ sealed bags) sets too cheaply on ebay (using BIN).  then they are quickly bought "on the cheap".

I don't understand why there's not more love for the "box opened and contents verified; but bags still sealed" form of selling on the secondary market.

 

 

The problem comes when you buy for anything else except yourself to build.....

 

If i buy something to build I prefer de-boxed option especially if I save on shipping that way....

 

But if I buy for my friend for a gift, then I need it sealed....

 

So de-boxing it(aka opening the box) it cuts off a percentage of your potential market, no matter how you try and turn it with words...

I don't mind buying an opened box with sealed bags. I actually prefer to if it's a set I'm planning on building anyway. From a seller's standpoint though, sealed boxes definitely sell for more compared to one where the seals are broken.

 

The average difference just comes from two things:

 

1. Sellers pricing them lower because they think they have to to sell it.

2. Auctions - they will sell for slightly less there.

 

As far as Buy it now, etc. makes no difference. I sell stuff beat up, whatever all the time. People still buy it at the same price.

The average difference just comes from two things:

 

1. Sellers pricing them lower because they think they have to to sell it.

2. Auctions - they will sell for slightly less there.

 

As far as Buy it now, etc. makes no difference. I sell stuff beat up, whatever all the time. People still buy it at the same price.

 

I'm sure it takes longer to sell a set with a beat up box if it's priced the same as one that is sealed and not beat up...unless the buyer is lazy or not search savvy. If that's the case, kudos to you! =)

The problem comes when you buy for anything else except yourself to build.....

 

If i buy something to build I prefer de-boxed option especially if I save on shipping that way....

 

But if I buy for my friend for a gift, then I need it sealed....

 

So de-boxing it(aka opening the box) it cuts off a percentage of your potential market, no matter how you try and turn it with words...

 

I don't mean de-boxed and only mailing the sealed bags....I mean the seller checking the box to see if everything is intact and then shipping the whole thing.  I know that if I were buying a set (myself or as a gift) on a secondary market....I'd ask then seller to open it nicely and make sure everything is there.  At the end of the day.....sacrificing two small pieces of tape with black lines on them is well worth the piece of mind that I'm getting the actual product. 

I don't mean de-boxed and only mailing the sealed bags....I mean the seller checking the box to see if everything is intact and then shipping the whole thing.  I know that if I were buying a set (myself or as a gift) on a secondary market....I'd ask then seller to open it nicely and make sure everything is there.  At the end of the day.....sacrificing two small pieces of tape with black lines on them is well worth the piece of mind that I'm getting the actual product.

If anyone contacted me and asked me to open one of my high dollar retired sets I would tell them to pound sand.....just sayin.

If anyone contacted me and asked me to open one of my high dollar retired sets I would tell them to pound sand.....just sayin.

 

Wow.  So if I contact you or win your auction and ask you to verify everything before you ship...it's easier for you to tell the buyer to pack sand, ship the thing and THEN find out if everythings there?  To each his own I guess........

I'm sure it takes longer to sell a set with a beat up box if it's priced the same as one that is sealed and not beat up...unless the buyer is lazy or not search savvy. If that's the case, kudos to you! =)

 

Its possible - its hard to tell since there are so many different factors involved.

 

Just saying I don't notice a difference and set wise I have sold a lot of damaged stuff with little issue.

 

But if you want to get rid of things quick I could see it being a deterrent. I don't really worry too much about how long stuff sits because I know eventually someone with buy it.

Also, wouldn't you need to sell it as "used" as soon as the box is open, at least on eBay?

Also, wouldn't you need to sell it as "used" as soon as the box is open, at least on eBay?

No. Just look at all the "new" minifigs for sale. Open set, remove mini figures sell as new. Then sell the set and new with no minifigs.

No. Just look at all the "new" minifigs for sale. Open set, remove mini figures sell as new. Then sell the set and new with no minifigs.

 

There's a difference between what people sell as "new" and what ebay officially allows to be sold as "new". An open box imo does NOT qualify for "new", regarding ebay rules. If people think differently - they may, until ebay bans them.

DO NOT SELL anything open box under the new category. The buyer will open a case for item not as described and you still lose. The fact that the box had been opened and the new listings state "new UN-opened product blah blah" eBay still side with the seller every time

DO NOT SELL anything open box under the new category. The buyer will open a case for item not as described and you still lose. The fact that the box had been opened and the new listings state "new UN-opened product blah blah" eBay still side with the seller every time

That's right. I have heard of this as well. The main point to note is whether or not the buyer will open a case against the seller. If the buyer doesn't, then no harm no foul. If the buyer opens an eBay case stating that the seller selected "New" in the description category and the seller sent the buyer a box where the factory seals are cut/broken, the seller will lose every time. 

That's right. I have heard of this as well. The main point to note is whether or not the buyer will open a case against the seller. If the buyer doesn't, then no harm no foul. If the buyer opens an eBay case stating that the seller selected "New" in the description category and the seller sent the buyer a box where the factory seals are cut/broken, the seller will lose every time.

precisely, I know this from experience actually. when I part out sets , take bennys spaceship for example, I put the ship as used but in my description I out new with minifigures removed and the set never being played with. hasn't affected me yet

Why people don't buy these valuable sets from reputable places like LEGO Shop at Home, Amazon (direct not reseller), John Lewis, etc. is beyond me. UK buyers will demand a MASSIVE discount on an opened box whether verified contents or not. In the UK, an opened box means no profit or not worthwhile after fees.

Dang.....I need to check my Golden Dragon set I bought off ebay.  Looked okay when I received it but I will be checking it again.  Sorry to hear this happened to you.

Why people don't buy these valuable sets from reputable places like S@H, Amazon (direct not reseller), John Lewis, etc. is beyond me. UK buyers will demand a MASSIVE discount on an opened box whether verified contents or not. In the UK, an opened box means no profit or not worthwhile after fees.

I have bought many large and expensive sets from eBay sellers in the US and UK and 99% have been as advertised.  I buy from eBay at times because the deal is a good one.  Sure, there are sellers on any site that are crooks, but the vast majority try to give the buyers the products they expect.