We are going crazy over a problem that does not exist. The fact is that this type of fraud could be done with anything. We are fixated on Lego, but there is simply more money to be made by doing it with other expensive non Lego items. Other than for the rare instances of an item being purchased/returned at a big box store (where figs were removed), it doesn't happen. Why? Who would be doing this? Long time sellers, who want to destroy their seller reputations? Amazon, Target, Walmart? Maybe Lego will start shipping empty boxes to multiple purchasers? Like I mentioned - there is more money to be made by scammers elsewhere - easier too (our boxes are too big, why bother).

The problem is that we don't know how big of a deal this could be. I'm pretty sure that most moms who bought an incomplete set at Target would just take it back to the store and complain and wouldn't ever take to the internet to tell anyone about it.

What other expensive non Lego items could you do this with? It's not like if you buy a TV and return it they aren't going to check the box to make sure it's in there. Legos are probably the most expensive items in most stores that the clerk wouldn't think twice about on a return.

In all of our collections, we all may have sets that have been compromised. But we'll never know it, unless we start opening boxes, thus destroying the value of what's inside.

A dishonest person buying 2-3 large sets at a time, removing the contents and replacing them with something with little to no value, could easily make $200-$300 per trip. In a big city with plenty of big box stores, you could go a long time before anyone ever got wise.

With the number of drop shippers using stolen credit cards that we hear about around here, I'm sure there are people who are doing this.

The Clearance stickers Wal-Mart puts on there boxes rips most of the boxes.

You can use a hair dryer and almost any sticker will lift off that sort of box very easily.

ours also put packing tape over the sticker.

ours also put packing tape over the sticker.

Geez...Maybe that's why! I'm guessing that hair dryers could still assist in lowering the damage done to the box. I can't guarentee anything though. BUT, as soon as you get home, try to remove all the stickers. I've learned the hard way that things with adhesive get stickier with time.

Now packing tape, that's going the extra mile! Yeesh.

 

The good news: a scraped area to the box won't damage the resale value by much, if at all. Just describe it when you sell it and you'll find plenty of buyers who don't care because they're going to build the thing.

Ok thanks

No they don't, just have to be patience.....

It's true, I imagine some have.  I have never had a problem.

I`m sure many of us have had this issue. I just leave mine in place, and will make sure to note of the sticker`s presence when it comes time to sell. 

 

 

 

Now packing tape, that's going the extra mile! Yeesh.

 

The good news: a scraped area to the box won't damage the resale value by much, if at all. Just describe it when you sell it and you'll find plenty of buyers who don't care because they're going to build the thing.

 

Good news for my slaughtered Helm`s Deeps that arrived today. Well, ok, not slaughtered but they aren`t very good. 

Just leave the sticker on then......

didn't know about the hair dryer trick. ive damaged some of my boxes by trying to peel the stickers off. it takes off the glossy part of the box!

Most of my listings say something like "Items may have light retail shelf wear and/or stickers." That covers your bases and anyone who's gifting the item isn't going to mind. If it's something that's going to be held for a long time then maybe I'd worry.

It depends on the box type.  The new licensed sets have a glossy box, while the original theme boxes (like City) are still like cardboard.  I've only tried peeling stickers off glossy boxes and poly bags, and that doesn't give me a problem, but I can see how the original theme boxes would be damaged by stickers.

It depends on the box type.  The new licensed sets have a glossy box, while the original theme boxes (like City) are still like cardboard.  I've only tried peeling stickers off glossy boxes and poly bags, and that doesn't give me a problem, but I can see how the original theme boxes would be damaged by stickers.

I am at the same conclusion. The newer boxes Lego has been using for the past something years are somewhat easy to peel off those clearance stickers. On the same token, the price stickers nowadays don't seem to cling on as vigorously as they once did. I can actually use my fingernail to get at the corner and slowly roll the sticker off without leaving any residue or tearing off part of the box cover.

For those of you that left the sticker on, do you darken out the original price on the sticker?

Hair dryer and a nice sharp razor blade works very well for me. Comes off like butta!!!

Are we talking about those huge clearance stickers they stick on boxes or the tiny ones? Those huge ones don't look like they'll ever come off.

At Target I noticed for the first time they have a round sticker that says the item is "electrically protected" on some boxes of TLR sets. The sticker looks really hard to get off. It's almost metallic

At Target I noticed for the first time they have a round sticker that says the item is "electrically protected" on some boxes of TLR sets. The sticker looks really hard to get off. It's almost metallic

Luckily my target doesn't have those yet. I don't even bother removing the square ones from TRU as it doesn't seem like it would turn out well.

KMart sometimes has those little plastic anti-theft strips on their boxes.  You can heat them up with a hair dryer, but the metallic stuff inside always sticks and you have to remove and scrub with Goo Gone to get them off.

I am always worried that goo gone will mess up the boxes.

I second Goo Gone. I've also had luck removing price stickers from other objects using a cotton ball and isopropyl alcohol.

I am always worried that goo gone will mess up the boxes.

 

Use a very little at a time using a cotton ball.

When I used a hair dryer to get the Lego Price Sticker off, it came right off, But there was still some rough glue on the box, so I used the Goo Gone on it and it was just a dap on a napkin and the paint from the box came off, so you have to watch when using Goo Gone.