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Housekeeping

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Original poster

Is it worth keeping lego boxes?

22 replies

tessieb · 07/01/2011 13:14

DS got lots of lego for Christmas and it is either built up and displayed on a shelf in his room or in plastic stacking storage boxes with other lego. I'm wondering what to do with the boxes it all came in. I've always thrown them in the past, but I was chatting to another mum recently who said she always stored the boxes. Is this worth doing just in case we wanted to sell it in the very distant future?

OP posts:

Meglet · 07/01/2011 13:16

I keep the boxes.

Don't throw them though, put them on Freecycle or something.

pinkhebe · 07/01/2011 13:19

we recycle ours, we don't have the space to keep them. we do have all the instructions though

penguin59 · 07/01/2011 13:21

Funny - you ask this. I am at the point where I have a huge collection of Harry Potter Lego languishing in the garage - that needs to go to a good home. No boxes, but more important as they come in little kits now - no build instructions - so I doubt I will get any cash for them. If only I had thought of that earlier! So I need to look into this Freecycle thing you mentioned! I wish Lego company provided a recycling service where they would would buy-back Lego by weight. Perhaps someone needs to start that!

fruitstick · 07/01/2011 13:21

I've recycled the boxes and kept the instructions.

Original poster

tessieb · 07/01/2011 13:24

I always keep the instructions, but the boxes take up a lot of space and I think stacking plastic containers are better for storage. To be honest, I can't imagine DS ever wanting to get rid of his lego as it's one of his favourite toys. He has already said he is going to save it for his children!

It's a question of what if he does decide to sell in the future, does having the original boxes make any difference to a sale? He's got a couple of very large (expensive!) sets.

OP posts:

goodtimesarecoming · 07/01/2011 13:25

Lego goes for loads on ebay, even if you havn't got the instructions, you can print them off the lego website.

Original poster

tessieb · 07/01/2011 13:27

Ooh penguin - Harry Potter lego is what my DS loves!!! He does have some of the older sets (without boxes) that were given to him a few years ago. He is a big big fan and that's what he's got for Christmas.

What do you have?

OP posts:

bumpybecky · 07/01/2011 13:30

DH is a bit of a lego freak and insists we keep all the boxes. It will sell for more money if you've got the original box. However I can't see DH ever selling any of it, so I really don't understand why we need the boxes.

Original poster

tessieb · 07/01/2011 13:35

Think I will flatten them and see if I can find somewhere to store them then, though I can't see DS ever selling them.

OP posts:

cat64 · 07/01/2011 13:41

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

fridayschild · 07/01/2011 13:44

I bin the boxes after about a month - when the novelty has worn off. I keep the instructions.

Once (and only once) I tried sorting out a kit from the collection of large plastic boxes of lego we have. I almost found all of it. DS was pleased to have a go at building the kit again, but not sufficiently pleased for me to try again.

Lego is sold by weight on e bay. People like to collect it because it's expensive to post.

penguin59 · 07/01/2011 14:26

Tessieb - I think he has everything - Hogwarts Castle, Express Train, etc It used to be laid out on the floor of his playroom like a little town! Before that he was a Star Wars freak - so we have that too. As he hasn't played with Lego for 6 years - I thinks its time to let go. I see that Fridayschild says there are people buying it by weight!

bumpybecky · 07/01/2011 14:56

people do buy by weight, but if you have a rarer (not a currently sold) set that's complete (or nearly complete) then you'll get much more for it than for a pile of random bricks

it's possible to buy individual bricks to make up missing bits from sets - try bricklink

either that or leave it in the loft until he's older :) Dh has the original lego castle he and his brothers played with in the 1970s, he bought the missing bits to make the models complete. He's seen them selling for silly amounts of money on eBay in much worse condition (not that he'd even think about selling his!)

belgo · 07/01/2011 14:59

Penguin - I'm sure you will be able to sell it, build it up, take a photo and post on ebay (with a minimum price). Second hand lego even without instruction is very popular.

Or just jkeep it for the grandchildren - this is what my mil did - and 30 years later it's still in great condition.

iloveyankees · 07/01/2011 15:39

penguin my advice is to build the sets, take piccys and sell them on ebay as a harry potter set (NOT by weight as these are not the standard lego sets iynwim) atm on ebay the HP classroom is on £21 with 5 hrs to go and the alley shops on £23. Looks like you could make yourself/son a few bob star wars lego also sells well too...

iloveyankees · 07/01/2011 15:49

sorry in answer to your question op I chuck the boxes if they are standard sets but the toy story set/HP/star wars etc I would keep the boxes:)

DreamTeamGirl · 07/01/2011 16:05

BTW You can download the lego instructions too

from Lego

DreamTeamGirl · 07/01/2011 16:06

Oh and I keep the instructions but never the boxes

Housemum · 07/01/2011 16:18

If you have the time or inclination, getting cheap laminating pouches from Asda and laminating the instruction pages is a good idea - we have Harry Potter Lego that DD1 has outgrown and DD2 not into yet - I've put the Lego sets into those "Really Useful boxes" which I got on special offer - I wish Lego would put their stuff in proper jigsaw-puzzzle type boxes rather than ones you have to almost rip open from the end.

DreamTeamGirl · 07/01/2011 21:55

housemum
Which size Really Useful boxes do you have?

Looking on the website they have masses!! And they look great.

oh and yy tot he boxes, so so annoying

Housemum · 08/01/2011 13:39

I got mine from Staples, they sometimes do 3 for 2 but they are pricey. Mine are A4 ish size base, some about 3" tall and another about 6" tall (9 litre one?)

DreamTeamGirl · 08/01/2011 18:21

oooh thanks, will have a look on Staples too xx

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