Death Star In Factory Sealed Shipping Box

gordonf

I bought a new 10188 DS at a Lego retail store that was still sealed in the factory shipping box. Being new to Lego collecting, I have a couple of questions.

Does being in the shipping box add anything to the resale value? Should I open it to make sure the set is not damaged?

I would appreciate your input. Thank you.

CurvedRoadPlate

I have seen folks walking out of the store with boxes like that. Is this something you can request? Or are other sets in multiples in those boxes? If you were going to save a modular for resale I could see the advantage of keeping it that way.

alldarker

The answer depends on what your plans are with it. If you want to sell it in a couple of years time, I'd keep the shipping box sealed. It will probably add to the resale value, due to the fact that it proves you took good care of everything that came with the box, and the packaging itself is likely to be pristine inside the shipping case.
Of course, keeping it sealed within a sealed shipping case is definitely going to affect the displayability :)

DadsAFOL

There is only one DS per outer carton. As long as the outer box is undamaged, no need to worry about the inner box. No extra value, but keeping it in there will eliminate any shelf wear if you try to sell it in the future.

timinchicago

The lone #10188 at the Water Tower Place store this past weekend was in terrible condition. The flaps were ripped, no seals, there were several gaping holes in the box and a great deal of general overall shelf wear. Not hard to see why as I witnessed several customers take it off the shelf and play a little foot hockey with it as they attempted to locate the price.

I mentioned the degraded box condition to the store and they assured me that the contents were all in tact including minifigs and offered me a 20% discount. I countered with 30% and was denied, so no sale.

According to the store 10188 is notorious for having a less than pristine box condition. My feeling is that a 10188 in a sealed outer shipping box would probably appeal to many collectors.

Renny

Maybe I'm in a minority here but I would never buy a set that is in a sealed shipping box. Who's to say what set is actually in there? If people are unethical enough to empty out Lego sets and reseal them, how easy would it be to sell a similar sized set in a sealed shipping box?

*I know you stated you got it from a Lego store but a buyer doesn't really know that for sure.

I say open it and show any prospective customer what they are actually buying. As for the shipping box itself I personally don't see any added value at all there. All I need to see is the condition of the set box to know it was well cared for.

TheLoneTensor

a) I feel there is value added to #10188 with the outer shipping, if only because it helps keep the main product box nice through all its travels and storage.

b) That said, I think it adds zero value by having that outer box "factory sealed," so feel free to open it to ensure you know what what you have inside, then seal it back up. Just open it carefully, as the main product box is not very far from the tape you are cutting. There's a reason the outer box reads "DO NOT CUT WITH RAZOR."

c) Thirdly, there's no guarantee that the box inside the outer box is undamaged unless you look at it for yourself. It's likely good, but you never know, a lot can happen to that box before it gets in that shipping box, plus who knows about slight water seepage/freezing/humidity that may have happened while it was stored in the box, etc.

d) Fourthly, there are actually even smaller, sealed boxes (and instruction packet) in the main product box, so theoretically, breaking the seals on the main product box isn't that big a deal, but this could affect final value a bit.

BigKid

I always felt that a factory sealed box added value to the item. IMO I always view factory sealed cases as "perfect" and "mint" since it has never been opened since it left the factory. Not to say there's not a huge tear across the box but if you never open it you'll never know. :)

I have several Death Stars that were shipped to me from Toys R Us in the factory box. I opened one and left the others sealed.

BigKid

krklint

in the Star Wars world of collectibles, I've been able to sell original action-figure shipping boxes, with nothing inside. I have not heard of people within the Lego world collecting this way, but within the SW buying circles, there are people who will buy a shipping box. The cross-over of Lego and SW might also cause an increase in value due to some people collecting cardboard in the larger collecting context.

Shouldaville

Amazon shipped a DS to me in the factory box and then inside a box twice as large (huge!) with one sheet of packing paper. Needless to say, corners were completely smashed with 30 lbs tumbling around. My feedback was to just ship in the factory box...reduce costs and damage.

LegoFanTexas

^ Yep, that is why you have to buy 2 DS from Amazon, that shipping box fits a pair of them just fine, but is way too big for 1 of them.

leego76

I understood that they keep a battered one on the shop floor and then get you a pristine one in shipping box from the store room when you buy it? You can see why hey do this as they'd soon end up with a load of battered boxes with the amount of times people take it off the shelf!

dougts

Most people should realize that almost every outer shipping box in the LEGO brand stores have already been opened and resealed by store staff anyway. Protocol upon receipt of shipment is to take the items out of the outer boxes, price sticker them, return them to the outer box, reseal, and put it in backstock. Unless it's going on the shelf or the "ready" area in the back, which are already deboxed.

I have bought many many sets directly from the back of the store still in shipping boxes. Unless I'm getting them right off the truck, they almost always have been opened and price stickered, the resealed

YMMV of course

piratemania7

I thoroughly believe anytime shipping boxes and any other protection is added; you add value. Especially if it is pristine and looks "sharp". Does this affect the value greatly? No. But it certainly keeps it at a prime and on the scale of value for the particular set it would unquestionably be at the top; so you would always claim the most profit for that. Now, of course, the one wild card is, and as someone previously mentioned, what's really inside the box and did it really come from a LEGO store? Well, OK, but lets not all be paranoid freaks from outer space. This doubt is the one doubt any time you are selling something and cannot visibly see it, so you could VERY CAREFULLY open the outer box to let someone know for sure it's the DS; otherwise, maybe a redacted receipt would help?

CCC

If you are storing it for later retail, just store it in the shipping box. It is less likely to get damaged and takes up about the same volume. I wouldn't pay extra for something sealed inside a shipping box - after all, there is no guarantee that you have not opened the shipping box and resealed it. It is far easier to do this on a shipping box than a product box. You could easily put a product box with shelf wear inside a shipping box and seal it and claim it has been sealed since you bought it and as noted above, the store could have done this already. So for me, the fact it has never been opened (to your knowledge) doesn't make it more valuable.

Knowing the condition of the product box is more useful.

luckyruss

I am always just really amused with the notion of a set being "MISBISB"!


There have been a few Falcons sold this way, still sealed in the outer box - the seller usually makes a point of this but I don't have any evidence to suggest they have got a higher price than just sealed in the product box. The points others have made about then not being able to see the condition, etc, come into play. In the end I guess it depends on who the buyer is and what it is they are after in the set - to open and build, future resale value, to keep sealed on a shelf, etc.

cheshirecat

^ As a mere consumer I'd agree when it comes time to sell, best to open up the shipping box and show the pristine condition inside. Explain the whole thing and tell them it will be shipped in the original shipping box.

My gut says that if you keep the shipping box sealed you'll loose more customers that are wary of buying a mystery brown box than you'll gain collectors who care.

Be glad you've got the shipping box, it will protect your MISB nicely and when it comes time to sell you'll have it in perfect condition. Open it now or later, it doesn't really matter but keep it safe and snugly wrapped up inside it.

mountebank

Personally, I'm less motivated to buy a promise that a sealed box contains something than I am to buy when there's an indication that the something is actually there. For this reason, I bought a second hand Green Grocer.

This MISBISB is all a bit Schrödinger's Cat, isn't it?

Paperballpark

Personally I think the only way the shipping box will add value is if you keep the set box stored inside it - that way the set box will stay in better condition, and therefore the set will fetch maximum price when you do sell it.

jdylak

You better put that sealed set in a sealed shipping box in another box to protect that shipping box. But then that box will need protection as well so better box that as well. But that box might get a ding so better box up that one...geez where does it end??

TheLoneTensor

MISBISBISBISBISBISBISBISBISBISBISBISBISBISBISBISBISBISBISBISBISBISBISBISBISBISBISB

MorkMan

You have all inspired me to start selling sealed LEGO shipping boxes. I wonder what people will pay for the potential look inside a brown box?