Hello LEGO fans, collectors and resellers…

Many of you may already know who I am, but for those of you that may have just learned about Brickpicker, my name is Ed Maciorowski and I would like to ask you for a few moments of your time. Over the past five years, my brother Jeff and I have operated the BrickPicker site at no cost to members and fans. All we ever asked from members was to click on affiliate links to help pay for the site expenses, which cost members little or no out of pocket money. Many of you have gained valuable information and insight from our data and forum community that enabled you to make money from LEGO collecting and reselling. Often, people would ask how can we help the BrickPicker site and its creators and we would say thanks for the offer, but no thanks, we felt uncomfortable taking donations. Well, we have a way for all of you to help out not only me, but over 150 children and their families.

Let me introduce you to the St. Paul School of Burlington, NJ…

My son, Max, is a member of the Kindergarten class in St. Paul School. He has attended the school since September and adores it. My wife, Jane, and I also adore the school. It is everything a school should be. It’s a school where everyone knows your name and there is a sense of pride and respect not found in many other larger schools. I cannot explain it, but there is an ambience of goodness in the building. Sounds corny I know, but as a person who has the word “evil” in his email address, I can tell you that I know when something deserves special recognition as a “good” thing. But it’s not only me who recognizes a great school. St. Paul School was voted the “Best Private School” in Burlington County, NJ and won numerous other awards. St. Paul School’s graduates constantly excel in high schools throughout Central NJ, with a large portion of graduates appearing on the National Honor Society and finishing top in their classes as Valedictorians and Salutatorians. To find out more about the St. Paul School, you can check out their website…

So here is the situation. St. Paul School is a Catholic school and as many people know, Catholic schools always have a hard time paying the bills to remain open. While St. Paul School and other Catholic schools welcome all religions and people, they are not funded by state or federal tax dollars and must adhere to many policies of the Catholic church and their Dioceses. Unfortunately, due to the weak economy and other forces outside of their control, enrollment in Catholic schools is down, putting more and more pressure on the school’s and local church’s budgets to remain open. This is an ongoing battle and fundraising has become an annual ritual in every Catholic school in the nation and most likely, the world. Everyone has to do their part to help out and Jeff and I are doing ours. Here is our plan…

Jeff and I are going to personally RAFFLE OFF THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS OF RARE AND RETIRED LEGO SETS! These sets are from our personal collections and they include the:

• 10188 Death Star
• 10228 Haunted House
• Sealed Case of 64 Series 10 Collectible Minifigures (MR.GOLD might be in there!)
• 10224 Town Hall
• 10225 Ultimate Collector Series R2-D2
• MORE SETS HAVE BEEN ADDED!!!

That is well over $2000.00 in LEGO sets. All are retired and appreciating in value as we speak. I will personally ship them to anywhere in the world at my cost and in a proper shipping container. There will be one winner for each set and you must buy tickets for each raffle separately. One person can win all the sets if they enter all five raffles. There are discounted tickets available and the raffle will be run on the www.rallyup.com website, which is a very reputable and trustworthy fundraising site. They will automatically pick the winners at 11:59 PM on January 31, 2016 and will notify the winners. I will then ship out the winning LEGO sets to their new owners. The raffle and link to share can be found below:

                                           https://rallyup.com/stpaul-2016

Each ticket costs $10.00 and enables you to enter one LEGO set raffle of your choice. $50.00 will cover all five iconic LEGO sets. ALL OF THE PROCEEDS (besides the commission to www.rallyup.com) goes to St. Paul School and to its corresponding church, The Parish of Saint Katharine Drexel, which helps the school operate. Tickets can be paid with any major credit card and the site is secure. Unfortunately, PayPal does not get involved with “raffles,” so PayPal can only be used for direct donations. I know that is a minor inconvenience, but if their is an issue, contact Jeff or I and we can see what we can do about transferring money to our PayPal account and paying for your raffle tickets. If we get a great response from people, we might add a few major sets or collectible and rare items to the raffle contest.

On a personal note, I just have to say that I feel awkward asking people to help and for money, but the St. Paul School kids, faculty and community are worth it. They need to raise $200,000 by the end of January in order to keep the doors open and I am pulling all of my strings to help get them to that goal. I need your help. Period. If you value quality education and teaching children morals and respect, then supporting a school like St. Paul is paramount to the future well being of this planet. To the BrickPicker community...Show the LEGO world that we are more than just a bunch of Quick Flipping Low Lifes….that we care and have a heart, even though we buy all of Little Timmy’s LEGO sets up to resell. LOL. Honestly, this is important to Jeff and I and I want to be proud of our community that we have built over the past 5+ years. If you want to repay us for all of the efforts we have made over the past five years, buy a ticket...or two...or five. My son and 150+ other kids and families, faculty and friends of the St. Paul School will thank you…

CLICK HERE TO PARTICIPATE IN THE FUNDRAISER

PLEASE HELP AND SHARE THIS BLOG POST ON FACEBOOK, TWITTER AND
OTHER SOCIAL MEDIA OUTLETS!!

 

If you are interested in just making a donation and want to use Paypal, you can.  Just click the purchase link on the right side bar.  On the next page you will see a checkbox that will allow you to just make a donation.  Check that box and you will then see options for payment.  Paypal is not available for buying raffle tickets, it is against their terms.

View full blog article

Look guys, I'm only playing devil's advocate here and all, so please, I don't personally feel this way, but in general I think some people see it this way: the Macks have tons of sets...  They've been buying and buying for years, and have never sold anything.  I can see some people on this site having not much sympathy, not only because of the nature of the school, but because some people will wonder, why with all those sets, why can't they just sell a few and donate the money?

I've personally seen some gofundme pages that really have me scratching my head wondering, who in the hell would ask money for this?

I think it's a great cause don't get me wrong, and I would buy a ticket if I could honestly rub two freaking pennies together, which I can't.  But there are more than enough greedy people out there who just won't do anything regardless.

I know Ed and Jeff are doing wonderful things and I truly appreciate everything this site has to offer.  I would just be careful and not get too optimistic on some people's generosity.  I've gotten my hopes up one too many times thinking people will pull through for me and never do.  I've become quite the cynic in this regards. 

55 minutes ago, NumeroUno said:

Finally got back to the site after a long time away only to come across this raffle.  Awesome idea! Was going to buy my powerball tickets tonight, but looks like my plans have changed, and for the better.  Keep up the optimism Macks, I have faith!

A+ I like that theory, I am tired of hearing about the powerball, this site even had a topic going on what would you do if you won the PB, I was like wow that topic is even here, I am tired of listening to the guys at my job on that topic. I will also be purchasing some raffle tickets. lets just say you will have a way better chance of winning the raffle than the PB.

10 minutes ago, Deanfjr said:

A+ I like that theory, I am tired of hearing about the powerball, this site even had a topic going on what would you do if you won the PB, I was like wow that topic is even here, I am tired of listening to the guys at my job on that topic. I will also be purchasing some raffle tickets. lets just say you will have a way better chance of winning the raffle than the PB.

I kind of started that thread as a joke.

I love this website and like the great idea of a raffle and all the hard work that is being done to raise money for this school. It must be a special place for people to go through all this trouble to raise money! I myself am Muslim and have many Muslim friends who's children attend catholic schools because many are great schools with caring teachers. They accept people of all faiths. If you think I'm wrong go into one and see for yourself. 

I hope everyone who uses this website and has made money from the information they gained donate to this school

6 minutes ago, Salimr said:

I love this website and like the great idea of a raffle and all the hard work that is being done to raise money for this school. It must be a special place for people to go through all this trouble to raise money! I myself am Muslim and have many Muslim friends who's children attend catholic schools because many are great schools with caring teachers. They accept people of all faiths. If you think I'm wrong go into one and see for yourself. 

I hope everyone who uses this website and has made money from the information they gained donate to this school

I am new to the site, but still don't mind to donate, just trying to decide to go all in on 1 item, if so what one that I want most, or pick a few.  

Approx. $700+ in less than 24 hours! Awesome!!

 

Btw. @Ed or Jeff. Have you thought about putting an ad or FSBO out in NJ Craigslist? I'd be wasting my time doing it in my town, but you might generate some interest in larger metropolitan areas! I know that if someone saw FSBO Lego Town Hall on CL a lot of people would see it. Just an idea to generate more views.

This may help the school for longer term. I am not sure if this is the right forum for my comment. Some states have school of choice. I am in Michigan and there is school of choice but religious schools and private do not count in Michigan (this may be changing as there are people pushing for them to) but there are some states such as I think Indiana with a voucher program where each kid as I understand gets a voucher to use at any school of their choice. This may or may not be the best option for all states and schools but if you feel it is, I would contact your legislators and let them know you want vouchers. Find stats that support you and maybe have your school speak with the law makers. I work for my state government and be as pessimistic as one wants. Things can get changed with intelligence and good information.

16 hours ago, c666187 said:

Are the "giving back" subtitles automatic?

 

 

They are updated daily and are connected with your emails.  If you have given and don't see one, ask Jeff or I and we will make sure you get one.

12 minutes ago, Ed Mack said:

They are updated daily and are connected with your emails.  If you have given and don't see one, ask Jeff or I and we will make sure you get one.

can the badge also appear for mods / admins given the existing badge?

no

6 minutes ago, jaisonline said:

can the badge also appear for mods / admins given the existing badge?

Nope.

2 hours ago, citymorgue said:

Look guys, I'm only playing devil's advocate here and all, so please, I don't personally feel this way, but in general I think some people see it this way: the Macks have tons of sets...  They've been buying and buying for years, and have never sold anything.  I can see some people on this site having not much sympathy, not only because of the nature of the school, but because some people will wonder, why with all those sets, why can't they just sell a few and donate the money?

I've personally seen some gofundme pages that really have me scratching my head wondering, who in the hell would ask money for this?

I think it's a great cause don't get me wrong, and I would buy a ticket if I could honestly rub two freaking pennies together, which I can't.  But there are more than enough greedy people out there who just won't do anything regardless.

I know Ed and Jeff are doing wonderful things and I truly appreciate everything this site has to offer.  I would just be careful and not get too optimistic on some people's generosity.  I've gotten my hopes up one too many times thinking people will pull through for me and never do.  I've become quite the cynic in this regards. 

I understand your point.  We have already donated thousands of dollars in sets and plan on adding some more.  Plus the cost of shipping and packaging to the winners.  This does not include other money I have donated through my real business and personal check book.  Look, I get it, some people just don't give a sh*t.  They just take, take, take and never give back.  I call them "energy vampires."  They not only don't give, they suck the life and energy from others with their poor attitudes.  I am trying to reach members who do care, but might have forgotten or have been too busy to help out.  We have well over 300 people responding, but I think we can do better.

"Ask and ye shall receive," is the old saying and I'm asking.  This is one small battle in a world of hurt and evil, but if I can make a small difference with the help of a community that Jeff and I created, then I will push every button and pull all the strings I can to make it as profitable as I can to help others.  I have already been humbled by the generosity of many, but you know me, I am the "King of the Horde"  and I want more...LOL

14 minutes ago, jaisonline said:

can the badge also appear for mods / admins given the existing badge?

Something like this @Jeff Mack

 

15 minutes ago, jaisonline said:

can the badge also appear for mods / admins given the existing badge?

No, but I just want all the members to know that the Moderators have donated, even the evil Stephen Rockefeller who hates kids and puppies.

6 minutes ago, pstebbing said:

Something like this @Jeff Mack

 

That's really a smart idea!

6 minutes ago, Ed Mack said:

"..even the evil Stephen Rockefeller who hates kids and puppies."

Quote of the month!!

On a serious note, who can hate puppies? I could understand kittens, maybe. But puppies...

1 hour ago, dcdfan said:

 

On a serious note, who can hate puppies? I could understand kittens, maybe. But puppies...

He is one of the few...He is so evil, I don't even think Jesus likes him.

Puppies can be evil too.

2 hours ago, Ed Mack said:

I understand your point.  We have already donated thousands of dollars in sets and plan on adding some more.  Plus the cost of shipping and packaging to the winners.  This does not include other money I have donated through my real business and personal check book.  Look, I get it, some people just don't give a sh*t.  They just take, take, take and never give back.  I call them "energy vampires."  They not only don't give, they suck the life and energy from others with their poor attitudes.  I am trying to reach members who do care, but might have forgotten or have been too busy to help out.  We have well over 300 people responding, but I think we can do better.

"Ask and ye shall receive," is the old saying and I'm asking.  This is one small battle in a world of hurt and evil, but if I can make a small difference with the help of a community that Jeff and I created, then I will push every button and pull all the strings I can to make it as profitable as I can to help others.  I have already been humbled by the generosity of many, but you know me, I am the "King of the Horde"  and I want more...LOL

That's fantastic Ed.  I know how passionate you are about all of this, and it's truly admirable.  Especially in just the sense that someone cares enough about their kids and are involved in their lives.  It's truly unfortunate how cutthroat people are these days.  As the old saying goes, Greed is good...  Which is truly sad, that of all things, money is most everyone's motivator.  People will always find ways to justify this, or that, but in the end, it's just they are stingy and greedy.

People waste their money on some pretty ridiculous stuff, I'm guilty of it too, but for some, it's truly sad they can't even fork over a few dollars to just help out.  Such is life, and I wish you all the best of luck in getting more people involved in your raffle.  Hopefully once my taxes come in, I'll through in a few bucks for the raffle.

NEW PRIZES ADDED!!!

7 minutes ago, Ed Mack said:

NEW PRIZES ADDED!!!

WOW!!!!

4 hours ago, pstebbing said:

Something like this @Jeff Mack

 

Thank you @pstebbing.  That looks awesome.  I'm wearing it proudly now.

10 minutes ago, Ed Mack said:

NEW PRIZES ADDED!!!

Dude.

Hi!

I have been a passive reader for over a year now and think it is time to contribute my part - my only problem is that rallyup is not accepting my card (authorization error)....

btw:  with the tickets ist will be like with Lego sets: buy the last day before retiring

16 minutes ago, the_dodger said:

Hi!

I have been a passive reader for over a year now and think it is time to contribute my part - my only problem is that rallyup is not accepting my card (authorization error)....

btw:  with the tickets ist will be like with Lego sets: buy the last day before retiring

Hi.  That is out of my control.  Maybe a number is wrong?  Thanks.

57 minutes ago, Ed Mack said:

NEW PRIZES ADDED!!!

Nice!!! Just bought several more tickets.

46 minutes ago, the_dodger said:

Hi!

I have been a passive reader for over a year now and think it is time to contribute my part - my only problem is that rallyup is not accepting my card (authorization error)....

btw:  with the tickets ist will be like with Lego sets: buy the last day before retiring

I've been working in the credit card industry for a very long time. The programs perform a check upon the card number before attempting to authorize. If the digits do not pass the check, it will not allow you to proceed to the authorization step. If the card is expired, it will typically not allow you to proceed. Basically, the number input is incorrect. If the card will not authorize, and the funds are available, there could be a variety of reasons, The CVV code was input wrong, the address information did not match, or the issuing bank decided that the activity was potentially fraudulent.

I'd suggest verifying the information that you are inputting is correct, the card number should have 16 digits, the expiration date should be in 2016 or later, and the CVV should be 3 digits.