Hi all,

Pretty new investor here and needed some feedback regarding popped seals.

As documented pretty well, recent boxes like Tower of Orthanc and Tumblers have come with iffy seals, and sure enough I have received my fair share of popped seals.

Do you all have a separate stash just for popped seals, or do any of you try to "repair" it because you are positive that it is not missing any pieces?

I've had a couple seals pop with literally the slightest graze of my sleeve.

Painful to not be able to sell them as MINT when the seals were weak to start with.

Does everyone just bite the bullet and sell it for less?

Thanks in advance.

 

2 hours ago, ichiroll said:

Hi all,

Pretty new investor here and needed some feedback regarding popped seals.

As documented pretty well, recent boxes like Tower of Orthanc and Tumblers have come with iffy seals, and sure enough I have received my fair share of popped seals.

Do you all have a separate stash just for popped seals, or do any of you try to "repair" it because you are positive that it is not missing any pieces?

I've had a couple seals pop with literally the slightest graze of my sleeve.

Painful to not be able to sell them as MINT when the seals were weak to start with.

Does everyone just bite the bullet and sell it for less?

Thanks in advance.

 

Hi,. I locked this thread because popped seals and opened boxes with sealed inner contents have been discussed plenty of times and ample information exists in blogs and threads.   Let me know if you need help locating that info (look at my signature also).

for some sets, owners won't care about popped seals if the inner bags/ white boxes are sealed.  These are the folks who either want to build the set after buying or verify their purchases aren't "resealed".  Expect comparable / slightly lower than MISB sales on average. If a MISB / NISB set routinely sells for $1000, your set will still get close to that...maybe $925 to $975.  It really depends on the rest of the box. 1-2 popped sells isn't a big deal since the inner contents are still sealed.

For some buyers, they only want perfect boxes.  These folks are hard to please because box damage does sometimes happen during shipping transit no matter how great you pack.  Again, not all people are like this but some exist and it's their right to want perfect boxes.  

Some folks on here including me pull prefer new sets in opened boxes to verify the bag count.

regrdless, NEVER TRY TO REPAIR THE POPPED TAPE SEALS.  it will just cause your trouble down the road.

 

as I was locking this topic, another member was trying reply.

here is what @Zelgazra typed....

 

If you do a bit more reading you'll come across this answer, scattered across multiple posts in multiple threads, so to summarize: 

If the set is rare and sought after enough in the aftermarket, you might actually have been dealt an advantage. Many collectors that intend to build the sets want to have some certified verification that the set is indeed 100% complete. If you've got a sought after set that's "Open Box, Sealed Bags" you'll likely drive more traffic to your posting at a marginally reduced price point than the going rate. People are willing to pay very close to top dollar for the assurance of a complete set, if it's popular enough. 

If it's an average set without too much demand, you're probably looking at sacrificing 15-20% of your projected selling price. This results in taking less profit [in the case that it plateaus before you can realize your intended potential] or you have to wait longer for appreciation to reach your projected selling price [again factoring in 15-20% off going market rates].

 

Depending on whether the set is still available on store shelves, how many were purchased that ended up as duds [popped seals] in relation to MISB, your personal morals surrounding returning products, and general consensus on the set's rarity will all play factor into whether you 'bite the bullet' or not. Each to their own really.

 

P.S.

As a sound piece of advice, I'd suggest never listing your items as "Mint". The definition is loose at best, and your definition of Mint may not equate to your buyer's definition of mint, nor do you have any control over how the postal service treats your package from the moment it leaves your hands to the moment it arrives in your buyer's. You're potentially just opening up the door to an "Item not as described" claim, which in many cases they will win. A great piece of advice I've picked up over the last year is to under-sell the quality of your items. New in Sealed Box is fine; that way, if the postal service does an excellent job, and your set does arrive MINT to your buyer, they will be exceptionally happy and reward you with excellent feedback. If it doesn't arrive MINT, they have nothing to fault you on based on your item description. Well worth it when you're starting out, positive feedback is key! 

Hope this is somewhat helpful.