Condition Grading:
- "Great" with no other notes
-- usually reserved for fresh boxes with no noticeable defects. I
don't believe in a "mint" condition box -- even out of the factory
shipping boxes, I usually find some defects in the form of shelf wear if
I look hard enough. But this would be the closest to "mint" that I
will sell.
- "Great" with notes
-- usually boxes with some minor defects. Usually what you might see
on a store shelf. May have some shelf wear, and a couple small corner
dings, a faint box cutter scratch, some small creases, a security
sticker or price tag, slight edge indentations from spider security wrap
devices, etc... Typically what you'd find at a brick and mortar store.
- "Good"
-- Multiple dings, scrapes, creases, security stickers, price tags,
indentations. Still a very nice and sturdy box suitable for gifting.
- "Fair"
-- May have a combination of large creases, crunched up corners, heavy
shelf wear, small punctures, a box seal popped but still closed from
other seals on the side. Usually a result of being squeezed during
shipping when I originally bought from an online retailer. Probably not
gift worthy, but fine to build.
- "Poor"
-- Reserved for the worst. Box seals on one full side may have popped
from stress. Box may have been heavily "pancaked". All sets are
weighed and compared to others to ensure that all contents are accounted
for. If the seals are fully popped, the contents are inspected and
inventoried for completeness. You're getting a box that holds the pieces. These sets are sold with the intention to build.
Because
the larger sets (>1000 pieces typically) go through more stress
during shipment, I am a little more lenient with smaller dings on them
than I am with the smaller boxes.
In
all cases, pictures of all sides are included and I try to use my extra
photo allotment to highlight some of the biggest defects for each set.
Note: "Relabeled for US"
-- During the pandemic shutdowns in 2020, LEGO imported fully-boxed
sets into North America to meet demand (most US sets are made in their
Mexico factory). However, US regulations require more stringent package
labeling. To work around this, LEGO made some large labels and
hand-applied (they are not always square...) them to the boxes. If you
see this note in the condition description, that's what it is about.
I've decided to rate any box no better than "Good" if it has these
labels because they are technically factory, but I feel they take away
something from the collectable quality of the box. If it's the only
condition given, then it probably would have been a "Great" box without
them.