LEGO Box Seals

bitay

I am considering purchasing a 4728 sealed set and the owner said there are no seals on this box only the things you press in to rip the box open. I've seen these sets with the seals so when did Lego start putting seals on their boxes and why?

Matthew

I don't think any sets have a seal and press studs, it's one or the other.
I'm pretty sure #4728 was sealed with press studs, only larger sets used tape seals at that point.

It doesn't apply to this set, but there does seem to be a discrepancy between tape seals and press studs for sets destined for the USA/Europe markets, I have some duplicate sets that are sealed differently to each other.

Matthew

(Copied across post from duplicate thread)

LegoFanTexas said:

I still see that, sometimes I see both versions on the same set.

The current X-Wing, #9493, I've seen that set come both ways, from the same retailer.

Nuts, I know, but I'm sure it has to do with different production facilities being setup different ways and it simply costing a lot of money to change one or the other.

graphite

One good reason for the seals that I can see is the ability to easily mark variences in set packaging as with the error in FB. It probably was chosen at some point when they changed or optimized their production process to mark facility location and batch run.

madforLEGO

I think part of it may be people complaining they had to 'damage' the box by tearing it open, although that likely is an urban legend. I'm sure cost savings come into play. The thieves are not complaining though.

bitay

Thank you for all of your comments. I never considered that they were for different markets or that the boxes were damaged upon opening so they change the way the boxes were manufactured. I appreciate all of the replies.

TheLoneTensor

madforLEGO said:

I think part of it may be people complaining they had to 'damage' the box by tearing it open, although that likely is an urban legend. I'm sure cost savings come into play. The thieves are not complaining though.

This is probably spot on, because honestly, don't we all hesitate for at least a moment before plunging our thumb into that beautiful box? And, no matter how small it is, don't we regret it a bit afterwards?

binaryeye

TheLoneTensor said:

This is probably spot on, because honestly, don't we all hesitate for at least a moment before plunging our thumb into that beautiful box?

No hesitation here. If anything, it annoys me that the boxes are more difficult to open cleanly than the tape-sealed sets. But all my boxes go in the recycling bin, so I'm probably in the minority here.

JeffH

If I remember correctly there is a batch of #75005 Rancor Pit having the press open tab. I have seen those at Walmart and Target.

LegoFanTexas

^ Yes, I've seen Rancor Pit both ways as well...

Huw

I thought I had replied to this thread earlier, but I can't see it now. Anyway, Matthew is right: sets packed in the USA tend to have tape seals and those packed in Europe, up to a certain size of box, have rip-tabs.

madforLEGO

Same in US some sets have tape and some have punch tabs. Larger boxes then to have punch tape smaller do not. I think there is some line in the sand as to the size of the box and what constitutes a punch seal and what gets a tape seal.