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[Apologies in advance if this has been discussed before. Couldn't find an appropriate thread.]
Lego set boxes can be quite heavy and bulky, and every now and then potential bidders on eBay or customers on Bricklink ask if I would consider shipping without box (but the parts still sealed in the plastic bags) to reduce shipping costs.
I also assume that many Lego consumers (not collectors) dispose of the box anyway.
I thought about creating an eBay auction for an item explicitly without box, just to see how the response would be. But before I do that, I was wondering if anybody on this forum has experience with selling Lego sets without box?
(To define the topic clearly: I'm really asking for experiences with selling new sets without box. Not for opinions/personal purchase preferences regarding box/no box. :)
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Probably makes a bigger difference on smaller sets as you may be able to send them in jiffy bags as a large letter as opposed to boxes, but we're talking very small sets here.
If you don't have the box, then just list the set as it is, mentioning there is no box. I wouldn't make this sound negative though, like the set is seriously lacking, but focus on saving on shipping. You would probably get a little less then with a boxed set, but it shouldn't be much of a difference.
I've had a few buyers ask me to ship sans box after the sale is complete. I generally give them the shipping costs both ways, and most elect to keep the box in the end, though some have opted to save a couple dollars and have me ditch the box.
I've done it both ways, many times...
On the larger sets, leaving the box off doesn't save enough weight to matter most of the time, the weight of the LEGO bricks is many times that of the box. What it can save is volume, so if you're shipping a large set and are paying for size, this can make a difference since many sets are 50% air.
On the smaller sets, such as 7639 City Camper, I can send that set in a #2 poly bubble mailer via 1st class mail if I debox it, but it has to go via UPS Ground or USPS Parcel Post if sent in the box, because the box sends it over the 13oz weight limit. That is a huge shipping difference for a fairly cheap set.
I recently shipped a damaged box Fire Brigade to Canada. The buyer asked me to debox, shipping went from $40 to $38. For a $165 sale, saving $2 is really not going to make or break it, so he had me send it in the box.
I just do not know if they are one of those people breaking into boxes for the parts, then resealing them and getting their money back and then reselling the sets without boxes, or if it is just like something like you are saying. Possibly cheaper to sell without the boxes to those who may not care if they get a box or not.
I can say that before this box emptying scam really took off this is a nice way to find those that want to break apart a cargo train set and sell all the 'cars' separately, same with the Maersk train and EN before that ( I was getting my extra EN Passenger cars from sellers on eBay)
The way you could test is come up with a price you want for the set, and list the set as a fixed cost on eBay..
Best case, you sell it and prove your point, worse case is you are out whatever the cost of the Fixed price listing is.
If you have the box, list the item with the option of having it, or not having it to reducing shipping.
Having done this a few times, I have found the buyer always wants the box.
My son has a mixture of Lego sets. Unfortunately the boxes were thrown out. I was just wondering if this affects their resale value at all. I have all of the pieces and instruction manuals. Thanks
in most cases, there isn't much difference in used sales prices with or without the box, but that is very set-dependent of course
There are some that really care about the box though.
For the casual builder, no need for boxes, but if you have a nice large set, especially a discontinued one, see if you can buy a box to get the most bang for your buck.
Otherwise, if they're already opened (and played with) then I shouldn't imagine the lack of box affecting the price much.
A big reason to have a box with your set is not so much for collectibility ,but for gift wrapping and overall "wow factor". If boxes weren't important, then toy aisles would be filled with stacks of clear plastic bags filled with toys. Parents will pay more for Legos with boxes even though they know there child will probably just throw them away after they open the present.
Things are very different for second hand sales, especially through bricklink or the like, where you are told what the set is by the seller. Having a box for an opened set does not guarantee it is complete like it does (at least should) in a store for a new set. The presence of a box might suggest it has been cared for, although I take nothing for granted these days and ask the seller. I'd prefer a set in excellent condition with no box than a boxed used set that the seller won't confirm the condition.
Never massively sure why I do this, I'm tempted to BL the boxes to be honest as I'll never sell the sets I have for display, and the others will end up in a lego box for my kids to play with
My system is simple, I build the sets and photograph them with the instructions and the figures. Stick the photo in a folder on my computer with the set number and name. I then bag the set and instructions in a proper sized Ziplock Bag. Label the bag clearly with set number, name, with figs and inst and any missing pieces. Then, when I want to list it, I just pull the photograph and plug it into my turbolister template. Its become a very efficient system!