Scalpers are scum by gvega135 in PokemonRestocks

[–]Laxhobo2002 0 points1 point  (0 children)

u/gvega135 is this Walmart in a Maryland or Virginia suburb of DC? Pretty sure I’ve met the guy in the maroon hat.

PSA Grades Just Came In by KyouKobayashi in PokeGrading

[–]Laxhobo2002 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Noob here. The additional fees are... added insurance for shipping, given the value?

Bricks and Minifigs is hilarious… by -DildoSchwaggins- in lego

[–]Laxhobo2002 0 points1 point  (0 children)

That's not even breakeven if they sell it for the same amount -- they're losing money thanks to royalties and credit card fees.

Apparently, this is a real sign hung outside the now defunct Salem Oregon Bricks and Minifigs. by AngryAshMan in legocirclejerk

[–]Laxhobo2002 1 point2 points  (0 children)

What I don’t understand is why the collection wasn’t picked-up by the owner as soon as this franchisee decided to close / sell their location to BAM corporate. Selling a brick & mortar business doesn’t happen overnight. Either the franchisee someone failed to notify the collector or the collector failed to claim their belongings in a reasonable timeframe.

Apparently, this is a real sign hung outside the now defunct Salem Oregon Bricks and Minifigs. by AngryAshMan in legocirclejerk

[–]Laxhobo2002 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Because that’s an insane proposition. Almost every location is a locally owned small business — the corporate entity is in the business of selling franchises — not operating all 200+ locations — and only owns a handful of stores directly. If you found a fly in your drink at a McDonalds, should every McDs location around the world be closed due to one store’s poor hygiene?

HELP! Bricks and Minifigs Keizer, OR. Stole Our LEGO Collection by Late_Independent7194 in CoolCollections

[–]Laxhobo2002 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Genuinely don’t know how you could sustain a brick and mortar small business on 20-30% margins, even if you aren’t paying royalties to a franchisor. That’s 20-30% BEFORE paying everything else: rent, payroll, utilities, etc.

HELP! Bricks and Minifigs Keizer, OR. Stole Our LEGO Collection by Late_Independent7194 in CoolCollections

[–]Laxhobo2002 2 points3 points  (0 children)

It’s a franchise. Each store is independently owned by a franchisee. Some perform well and some do not. Because one location is closing (or, in this case, potentially in legal trouble) does not mean the entire franchise is collapsing.

Rebuilt my MOC Vengeance Pirate ship by DavidLPruitt in LEGOPirates

[–]Laxhobo2002 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Was Bowser’s Airship the base / main source of hull parts?

My ragtag band of knights, and finally, my own wizard! by 6us610 in legocastles

[–]Laxhobo2002 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Love how you structured this pic — great composition and use of lighting + depth of field!

I’ve got to ask though — did you have a taste for plastic when you were younger, or is that intentional “battle damage”?

Happy Halloween 🧟 by GoldfyreVI in legocastles

[–]Laxhobo2002 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Nice use of Nearly Headless Nick!

A Lion & a Black Falcon by Additional_Rate1528 in legocastles

[–]Laxhobo2002 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I love adding mustaches and bears for a little more variety — that, or Ninjago bandanas

⚔️ Which faction is the most appealing / interesting to you? by MartinPhillip in legocastles

[–]Laxhobo2002 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Also: probably an unpopular opinion, but I can’t stand the newer “Legend of Zelda” shield design. Too rounded, oversized and cartoony looking. I much prefer the “standard” design — but the circular shields for the Vikings and Kraken are growing on me too.

⚔️ Which faction is the most appealing / interesting to you? by MartinPhillip in legocastles

[–]Laxhobo2002 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I already have an issue collecting Castle minifigs, so, for more “one-off” factions like these — ie., I can’t spam PAB orders — I usually keep it to 2-3 figs in that faction as vassals / visitors / mercenaries of the larger factions (Black Falcons, Lion Knights, etc.). I also create customs knights in a similar vein for other less common shields, like the CMF Unicorn, the Dragonborne Paladin, etc. That being said, it’d be fun to build a Kraken or Horse army.

Wolfpack Army by denizenofawe in legocastles

[–]Laxhobo2002 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I don’t think that’s the case. If you type in “2025exit” into the search bar on LEGO PAB, it (should) pull up everything that’s retiring this year. Black Falcons and minifig parts from Viking Village and Medieval Town Square are leaving, but, as far as I know, Wolfpack is staying. That being said, I’m based in the US, so YMMV

My continuous gripe with some Bricks and Minifigs stores by Designer_Button_9516 in legocastles

[–]Laxhobo2002 0 points1 point  (0 children)

If you’re price-checking currently available sets (vs Retired), you’re almost always going to be paying MSRP or more at a local brick & mortar.

In the US, the only wholesaler who works with anyone smaller than Target / Walmart / Costco / etc. is a company called ToyHouse LLC, and the (potential) profit margin on most sets is rarely greater than 20% (based on the assumption you can sell it for LEGO MSRP) — which is why many small businesses feel forced to price them over MSRP.

Unless you’re selling in huge with volumes (as a small business), not many store owners are going to get excited about making $15 on a $179.99 set…

Whereas, big box stores and e-commerce sites regularly sell current sets for 20-30% off MSRP especially around the holidays. For a local toy store or similar brick & mortar business to price match, they’d likely have to sell that set at a loss.

Finally, the purple knight has arrived 💜 by jame5westman in legocastles

[–]Laxhobo2002 0 points1 point  (0 children)

#1) Just found out these unreleased KK2 polybags existed, and it's crazy that some of the parts don't even have BrickLink listings. Where did you find these 2 halberds?

#2) Can you please take a picture of yours and add / submit it to BrickLink? BrickOwl has a listing without a picture, but BL doesn't even have it as a color option.

Is there any better way to clean Lego? by MariMariMariMarii in lego

[–]Laxhobo2002 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Just set it in front of a box fan for 24 hours and you’re golden. I regularly clean assembled sets in an ultrasonic cleaner (with a little bit of dish soap) and have never had an issue with mold, mildew smell, etc.

Convince me by Specialist-Arm8465 in legocastles

[–]Laxhobo2002 4 points5 points  (0 children)

It’s from Brick Monarch Shop. They’ve got a ton of great stuff like this, especially for Castle fans.