Is this a trustworthy site to buy/sell through?

durazno33 · March 2020

Recently I stumbled upon this website:
https://theplasticbrick.com/

that says it buys and sells Lego sets. The thing is, it looks like you have to send them the Lego sets then they evaluate it before they give you a price and pay you. That seems fishy to me unless they have established a level of credibility in the community where their reputation would be damaged if they didn't pay you a fair price.

Has anyone here purchased or sold through them? How trustworthy are they?

klinton · March 2020

11 times out of 10, if it looks at all fishy... the it's a total scam. Trust your gut reaction to the red flags.

Aleydita · March 2020

Looks legit to me - busy social media presence with reviews. Whether or not you'd get a good deal is an entirely different proposition.

Huw · March 2020

Looks legit to me too, and there's a physical address on the contact page which always gives confidence.

Mr_Cross · March 2020

IMO, if you know anything at all about (your) LEGO, you would probably do better to sell it elsewhere.

I think the buying side of the site is aimed at Nofflers who've got a bundle of LEGO that they can't be fussed sorting through. I doubt the company is ripping anyone off, but they will only pay a fraction of the full value. A rough estimate would be a quarter to a third of the market value, depending on the quality and content, because otherwise they won't make enough profit on what they can sell on.

To be entirely fair, it looks like their shop is selling at pretty good prices too...

Seems okay to me, but I'd try with a small lot to begin with if you are selling to them.

CCC · March 2020

It might be an idea to submit a price request just to see what they are paying.

As above, I imagine if you have checked your sets to be 100% complete, then you will get a better price elsewhere.

durazno33 · March 2020

Thanks for the suggestions. I used to sell a lot locally and through Ebay. Even before the virus, selling in person was becoming less frequent and prices worse and worse and Ebay selling can be such a hassle. These guys might be worth trying.

CCC · March 2020

Go for it. It will be interesting to see what offers you get.

colay · March 2020

durazno33 said:

Thanks for the suggestions. I used to sell a lot locally and through Ebay. Even before the virus, selling in person was becoming less frequent and prices worse and worse and Ebay selling can be such a hassle. These guys might be worth trying.

Im not advocating them, or checked them out, but as others have said, prices may be best elsewhere. I see these guys, as stated by @Mr_Cross , being useful for Nofflers lol. If you haven't got the time or inclination to sort, or need money quick, they could be a good bet. The way I see it:

Pros:

No sorting, counting, finding missing pieces

No dealing with non payers

No listing, time wasters or haggling

No posting one set here, one set there

No comeback on you, I assume, if a piece is missing, lost in post (when THEY sell it on)

They are taking some of the risk, as they may not be able to shift it

Cons:

Less value back (possibly, we've all just assumed this, BUT, they will have to make a profit)

Risk of sending Lego and getting NOTHING back

They under value it, for what you want, sell it, then you A, dont have the Lego, B, get less money

How do you get your Lego back if you dont agree with the value? Lets say they offer you £150 for the latest MilF, that was used, but all boxed, instructions and Mint except being built and repacked?

I think there is a market for it, and, if I knew them, may well be tempted, if I had to sell my collection, to use someone like this, but, I'd want an agreed value before sending anything. For A LOT of Lego, if they were in 100 mile radius (maybe less) I'd expect to see a person, but thats just me

Good luck whatever you decide.

:)