Discussion Forum: Messages by Emporiosa (5532)
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 Author: Emporiosa View Messages Posted By Emporiosa
 Posted: Dec 1, 2023 19:31
 Subject: Re: New Zealand Tax Implementation
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 Topic: Administrative
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In Administrative, Nubs_Select writes:
  any word on either bricklink or seller side implementation for tax for Canada
so we can instant checkout like most other countries?

+1
 Author: Emporiosa View Messages Posted By Emporiosa
 Posted: Nov 18, 2023 09:08
 Subject: Re: List parts back to store when order cancelled
 Viewed: 26 times
 Topic: General
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In General, outofthe60s writes:
  Is there an easy way to list the parts from a cancelled order back into my store
stock or do I have to manually re-enter each lot from the order manually? This
is not a NPB issue. Thanks.

If already cancelled? No it's too late and need to do it manually (or could
use BrickStore to import that order to get the items, and then upload).

But after you refund via BL, and then open the OCR, the OCR page for cancelling
the order gives options of what you want to do with the items (such as bringing
them back into your inventory).
 Author: Emporiosa View Messages Posted By Emporiosa
 Posted: Nov 14, 2023 17:04
 Subject: Re: Account address: buyer vs seller
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 Topic: Suggestions
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  So my suggestion/request is one of the following:

Option 1 - Allow any buyer to enter any shipping destination in the checkout
process, just like 99% of webshops allow to do so.

Option 2 - Each account should have a buyer and a seller address. Only when changing
the seller address, a new store verification is required.

Thanks for considering any of these options.

I completely hear you on this; it's very common in Canada since we hug the
US border. There are types of parcel holding facilities where we get to have
US shipping addresses, and we cross over to get them once they arrive.

This isn't a full solution to what you're looking for, but in Feb 2021,
Russell did say they would consider allowing sellers to open another buyer account
for certain cases like these. I'm not sure if this is the case right now
and I'd recommend reaching out to Help Desk to confirm first, but here's
the original message: https://www.bricklink.com/message.asp?ID=1253276
 Author: Emporiosa View Messages Posted By Emporiosa
 Posted: Nov 13, 2023 11:13
 Subject: Re: Linking to tracking numbers
 Viewed: 30 times
 Topic: Selling
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In Selling, Brick_a_mind writes:
  I was wondering if anyone knows a way to link to the tracking numbers generated
through Paypal shipping, so when I send out the "drive through" notification
it will automatically include the tracking number without my having to type it
in manually each time.

Thanks!

You'll likely need to make something custom to do the API calls required,
or use a type of BrickLink specific SaaS/product that can do this.
 Author: Emporiosa View Messages Posted By Emporiosa
 Posted: Nov 10, 2023 11:26
 Subject: Re: Joblot of minifigures advice
 Viewed: 32 times
 Topic: Selling
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(We can't edit threads and I just realized I forgot your photograph question)

That's one of the great things about BrickLink - you don't need photographs.
You may want to upload your own are when you listing items with damage and want
the buyer to see exactly what they are receiving - especially for rare/expensive
figures. Or when listing a custom lot. The most important thing though is still
writing out specifics about the condition such as cracks, fading to print, etc...

But for items in great condition, no photos are required (nor additional notes
about the item).
 Author: Emporiosa View Messages Posted By Emporiosa
 Posted: Nov 10, 2023 11:09
 Subject: Re: Joblot of minifigures advice
 Viewed: 33 times
 Topic: Selling
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In Selling, BeardRunner writes:
  Hi all,

Glad to be a member and join the group.

  
Any advice would be much appreciated.

Welcome to BrickLink

For all licensed/rare figures, selling individually is absolutely the way to
go. Most collectors already have many figures of a particular theme and are looking
for specific ones. Or even those who have a beloved character. If you sell as
a lot, you're going to need to price it lower, and it'll be often those
looking to resell individual figures.

You'll want to familiarize yourself with things to look for item condition
such as places where cracks/stress lines on torsos appear, arms etc. If selling
figures on BrickLink, they do not include handheld accessories. You can see what
is included with a figure by looking up its inventory. They do include things
like backpacks/back attachments if part of the official figure, but never handheld
accessories. I believe there's no issue with adding a note to say you are
including extras with a figure though, should you wish to.

For more normal figures like City, Town etc, and especially figures that have
damage, these are better to sell either locally/online groups or auction sites
etc with photos for them. You can sell custom lots or damaged items on BrickLink
but custom lots are harder to see, so you'll want to post on the forum potentially
to say that you have it listed. And anything with damage you need to be very
descriptive. On other platforms, you can usually be more generic in described
wear/damage.

You'll need to receive 1 positive feedback to open a store, which you can
get from placing an order with a store. I'm in Canada (but do sell to the
UK), and am a seller who gives feedback upon payment, but you may find stores
that wait until you've finalized the order as Completed and left them feedback
before they will. Read the store terms that you're buying from to know if
they leave feedback after payment if you're trying to get one quickly for
to put in a new store request -- or hopefully some local sellers will also
let you know in this thread

After that, you'll be able to upgrade your buyer status to seller (so your
account can do both), and that kicks off the New Seller Verification process.
More info here: https://www.bricklink.com/help.asp?helpID=2440

If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out. Good luck!

-Sarah
 Author: Emporiosa View Messages Posted By Emporiosa
 Posted: Nov 9, 2023 08:31
 Subject: Re: XML upload doesn't work
 Viewed: 39 times
 Topic: Technical Issues
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In Technical Issues, daves.customs writes:
  Hey,

For some reason when I try to upload an XML and click 'Proceed to verify
items' it loads forever and doesn't upload the parts. I tried everything
that comes to mind. Any suggestions?

How many lots are you trying to upload? I think usually it might throw an error,
but if you're trying to upload too much at a time (over 1K lots) it'll
likely fail. I haven't tried an upload since the site came back up though
to see if it's behaving differently.

They're also likely more overloaded than usual with the backlog of parts
being uploaded by sellers.
 Author: Emporiosa View Messages Posted By Emporiosa
 Posted: Nov 8, 2023 20:51
 Subject: Re: e transfer as a payment method
 Viewed: 35 times
 Topic: Payment Methods
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In Payment Methods, kittybrickz writes:
  Hello!

I have a customer that paid with etransfer, and have shipped the item but I'm
not able to progress the order status, I think there is a setting that changed
when BL was down, or I'm missing something? Or is it up to the customer to
progress the paid status?

Also, I had an international buyer pay by paypal when BL was down, and there
seems to be no option to progress the status either.

Thank you for your expertise in this matter!

You need to put in a ticket with the support desk to have Interac E-transfer
added to your account (there's a certain about of time that you need on the
platform for them to process it). You should still be able to update it in BL
though. Try setting it first to Paid, and then to Shipped.

For the international order, if there was a tax part, you'll need to refund
them and have them pay again via the onsite payment button. After that you'll
be able to set it to shipped.
 Author: Emporiosa View Messages Posted By Emporiosa
 Posted: Nov 1, 2023 20:37
 Subject: Re: CMF Marvel 2- Do you Send the Boxes?
 Viewed: 48 times
 Topic: Selling
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In Selling, starbeanie writes:
  You can list any set without putting a Condition.

So that comes back to my question - why you would suggest that they go as far
as listing as Incomplete for excluding the CMF packaging when you aren't
doing so for most of your listings? Especially when you also exclude the insert
and extra parts for most (which is far more incomplete).

I understand there's differing opinions about if they should be listed Complete
or Incomplete without the foil/box when it comes to CMFs, but it's another
thing when you're recommending something you're not following yourself.
 Author: Emporiosa View Messages Posted By Emporiosa
 Posted: Nov 1, 2023 20:27
 Subject: Re: CMF Marvel 2- Do you Send the Boxes?
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 Topic: Selling
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In Selling, Emporiosa writes:
  In Selling, starbeanie writes:
  Actually, only 5 say Complete. The rest don't have a condition. Thanks for
pointing those 5 out though. I've fixed them now.

No condition = complete though, as you can set them to Incomplete like you suggested
to them.

Now that I think about it, did the CMFs change in how they were inventoried meaning
you couldn't set incomplete on more recent series (and this is what you meant
about not having a condition like Sealed)? Or does the Incomplete condition remain
hidden on those but still are set that way?
 Author: Emporiosa View Messages Posted By Emporiosa
 Posted: Nov 1, 2023 20:23
 Subject: Re: CMF Marvel 2- Do you Send the Boxes?
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 Topic: Selling
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In Selling, starbeanie writes:
  Actually, only 5 say Complete. The rest don't have a condition. Thanks for
pointing those 5 out though. I've fixed them now.

No condition = complete though, as you can set them to Incomplete like you suggested
to them.
 Author: Emporiosa View Messages Posted By Emporiosa
 Posted: Nov 1, 2023 19:57
 Subject: Re: CMF Marvel 2- Do you Send the Boxes?
 Viewed: 34 times
 Topic: Selling
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In Selling, Upstate_Brickz writes:
  Greeting Bricklink,

Is there a general consensus on how we should sell the Marvel Series 2 CMFs now
that they're in stupid boxes? Are you sending the boxes with the figs, if
sold as a "new", "complete" set, like the foil bags? Or just
ditching them entirely? Has anyone sold a complete set of 12? I imagine the buyer
does not want 12 boxes.

Thanks for any feedback.

Upstate_Brickz

Most are excluding the boxes (including myself). I make sure to put a note about
it. I've purchased a lot of this series as well and none of the sellers (all
large sellers) are shipping the boxes with them, and I'm glad because they're
bulky and heavy compared to the previous foil bags.

Not to mention, in some countries like Canada, they wouldn't be able to ship
via our regular Lettermail service causing up to $20 parcel charges for a single
fig depending where they are in the country.
 Author: Emporiosa View Messages Posted By Emporiosa
 Posted: Nov 1, 2023 19:47
 Subject: Re: CMF Marvel 2- Do you Send the Boxes?
 Viewed: 48 times
 Topic: Selling
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In Selling, starbeanie writes:
  If you list them as Complete, you must include the boxes. List them as Incomplete
instead.


All of your CMFs are listed as complete but with no foil/instructions (all 168
different lots). On top of that, many of your listings say you don't include
the extra parts.

Why would you recommend they do the opposite?
 
 Author: Emporiosa View Messages Posted By Emporiosa
 Posted: Oct 31, 2023 19:10
 Subject: Re: Canadian Province filter plz :)
 Viewed: 27 times
 Topic: Taxes
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Ordering: The way you’re reading it, BL is somewhat indirectly involved in the
ordering with EasyBuy and Co….
  But those can also simply be considered as advanced search tools.
  Actually, I’m not sure what constitutes “being involved in the ordering,” what
could be an example of that?  BL isn’t ordering for me, it just helps me find
the goods & sellers, and then I decide 🤔

Like you touched on for a lot of the points (and even the fact that we see some
of the definitions differently), it definitely seems too vague for how they defined
things, which is why I'm really curious how BL arrived to their conclusion
with the CRA. I believe the new legislation coming in for Jan 2024 solidifies
the definition though. I'm just unsure if that definition is purely for the
additions to the Income Tax Act, or also change the definitions for the purpose
of tax collection. I guess we'll know if we hear of any new requirements
coming in for Canadians for Jan 1st 😊
 Author: Emporiosa View Messages Posted By Emporiosa
 Posted: Oct 31, 2023 16:51
 Subject: Re: Canadian Province filter plz :)
 Viewed: 47 times
 Topic: Taxes
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In Taxes, SylvainLS writes:
  In Taxes, Emporiosa writes:
  […]
Not the size or value because it's $30K revenue (including shipping) in 4
quarters which many individual sellers already qualify for.

$30k is the threshold for each individual/business.  What is the threshold for
the marketplace to be considered a marketplace by the CRA?  That’s that one I
was talking about.

Even if BL makes more than $30k in Canada in fees.  That (possibly) just means
BL has to pay Canadian taxes on those fees.  That doesn’t make BL a marketplace-for-the-CRA.

It's still $30K for them as a platform. The fees part they already collect
taxes. I believe that BL is saying they do not qualify for the definition of
a "distribution platform operator". They never explained why they said
they don't believe they qualify, but I'd love to understand how/why.

Especially when looking up the CRA definition of distribution platform operator
that states "is involved, directly or through arrangements with third
parties, in collecting, receiving or charging the consideration for the supply
and transmitting all or part of the consideration to the supplier" --
which to me sounds like the API integrations that they do with PayPal and Stripe.

And even services like the Easy Buy features etc are more than just advertising
product on the platform. They also have certain TOS to facilitate the site and
also certain requirements for buyers and sellers as part of the requirements
of the sale. For example, the NPB or NSS processes. They supersede any terms
that a seller has, which immediately disqualifies them for the Excluded Operator
definition. Attached a screenshot for more info and link below.


https://www.canada.ca/en/revenue-agency/services/tax/businesses/topics/gst-hst-businesses/digital-economy-gsthst/charge-collect/sales-good.html
 
 Author: Emporiosa View Messages Posted By Emporiosa
 Posted: Oct 31, 2023 14:42
 Subject: Re: Canadian Province filter plz :)
 Viewed: 31 times
 Topic: Taxes
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In Taxes, peregrinator writes:
  In Taxes, Emporiosa writes:
  Before marketplace tax, there already existed a tax field (and the VAT Tax ID
field that was mentioned). What I'm unsure about is if they had a tax table
available for sellers to say "I need to collect X% from State X, Y% from
state Y," etc... I could have sworn they did. But they at least did state
filtering of some kind to support IC I believe.

They did - in fact they still do:

Thanks; that definitely confirms it! That's why I find it so bizarre that
they didn't just customize a version for Canada based on this exact same
framework that's already coded (should have been done years ago when IC was
launched - taxes aren't a new thing for sellers).
 Author: Emporiosa View Messages Posted By Emporiosa
 Posted: Oct 31, 2023 12:59
 Subject: Re: Canadian Province filter plz :)
 Viewed: 24 times
 Topic: Taxes
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  If BL had to collect taxes in Canada, it would work well for Canada too.

The problem is that BL is not big enough in Canada or that the Canadian law isn’t
considering BL as a marketplace or big enough.

IOW, it’s your fault Canadians!  You aren’t buying enough / you are not making
the correct laws!

Not the size or value because it's $30K revenue (including shipping) in 4
quarters which many individual sellers already qualify for. All other marketplace
platforms that I'm part of qualify for the CRA definition of a marketplace,
but BL's tax team mentioned they do not qualify for it for some reason. I
suspect it's why we won't see Canada participate in the MOC Pop-up store
in the short term as I suspect that would challenge their current definition
that keeps them excluded.

On the flip side, I suspect they're delaying participation because they still
are working on marketplace tax and are buying time - that's the optimistic
view anyways 😊
 Author: Emporiosa View Messages Posted By Emporiosa
 Posted: Oct 31, 2023 12:53
 Subject: Re: Canadian Province filter plz :)
 Viewed: 33 times
 Topic: Taxes
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  - 15% HST for NB/NL/NS/PEI

But the catch is that the buyer only see the shipping methods corresponding to
his residence Province. Like that a buyer from Quebec will only see the Quebec
shipping method, an Ontarian will only see the Ontario one, etc.



Not that I disagree with the idea, especially as I'll touch on another possible
benefit, but if they can do filtering based on provinces (like how we do for
countries), I struggle to understand the difficulty of doing the same with a
tax table.

Before marketplace tax, there already existed a tax field (and the VAT Tax ID
field that was mentioned). What I'm unsure about is if they had a tax table
available for sellers to say "I need to collect X% from State X, Y% from
state Y," etc... I could have sworn they did. But they at least did state
filtering of some kind to support IC I believe.

Other marketplaces give us the option to set the tax rate we need to collect
from each province (especially as the seller's requirements will differ depending
on which specific provinces they're registered to collect from). A QC seller
will need the GST + PST, but myself I only need to set it as 5% GST for QC buyers.
Then at checkout, rather than having to select a specific IC shipping profile
that matches their province, the buyer will get the same shipping option provided
but with the appropriate tax.

The other benefit is at checkout, just like other countries that have tax enabled,
there will be a separate line that shows it's for tax. It's awful that
it's bundled with the handling/shipping fees.

Back to your original idea though, the benefit I can see for adding the province
filtering but still using shipping profiles to put in the taxes rather than tax
tables is that it can allow us to do psuedo-shipping zones (it'll be on par
with BrickOwl anyways, but still not as great as their tax tables). It'll
be based on province, but at least it's a bit better for offering shipping
via instant checkout. Of course, it doesn't solve the remote postal codes,
but for many stores, this is still infinitely better.
 Author: Emporiosa View Messages Posted By Emporiosa
 Posted: Oct 30, 2023 22:32
 Subject: Re: New policy on Forum sales posts
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 Topic: Administrative
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  We're thinking of running a little contest over the next 6 months to reward
the best and most creative sales posts. More details on that later.

Great policy change; thanks BL team!

-Sarah
 Author: Emporiosa View Messages Posted By Emporiosa
 Posted: Oct 10, 2023 12:55
 Subject: Re: HS code for cloth
 Viewed: 31 times
 Topic: Help
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I still use the same 950330 for everything that came in a LEGO set, plastic or
not. The exception being an order with only instruction booklets.

~Jen

Thanks Jen! I was mainly worried because they ordered that, and only that (if
there's at least some plastic brick in the order I through it all together
in the same HS code usually). When I was diving into the HS codes for fabric,
it gets quite detailed and finicky about the materials, if it's manmade,
is it woven, etc...
 Author: Emporiosa View Messages Posted By Emporiosa
 Posted: Oct 10, 2023 10:53
 Subject: HS code for cloth
 Viewed: 76 times
 Topic: Help
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Would someone happen to know the HS code that is used for cloth pieces such as
 
Part No: 37566  Name: Cloth Carpet Rug 4 x 6 with White Stars Pattern
* 
37566 Cloth Carpet Rug 4 x 6 with White Stars Pattern
Parts: Cloth {Medium Lavender}

Thanks!
 Author: Emporiosa View Messages Posted By Emporiosa
 Posted: Oct 3, 2023 09:39
 Subject: Re: Problematic Super-Heroes Minifigure ID's
 Viewed: 41 times
 Topic: Catalog
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  I think just putting in a couple subcategory is the most result from the least
amount of work and it would be worthwhile. But listen to Randy on this. They
are struggling to get new minifigs and sets approved and inventoried right now.
The job of making 2 subcategories and sorting out the minifigs does technically
get bigger with each passing month, but that growth rate is manageable. It won't
be way harder later.

100% agree - I'd say a lot of these posts aren't about bringing more
work onto a very small team, but to make BrickLink aware of the requested features/updates
etc... and to allow them to staff accordingly should they feel some of these
things are important enough for their business. It's not feasible how it
is right now.

I'm not holding my breath of course as I know there are even seller tools
(and other features) that were promised well before my time on the platform
 Author: Emporiosa View Messages Posted By Emporiosa
 Posted: Oct 2, 2023 14:43
 Subject: Re: Problematic Super-Heroes Minifigure ID's
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 Topic: Catalog
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  I propose a recoding of minifigures, and already typed out a document with the
new ID's for both Marvel and DC (screencap included in post). If the sets
are two separate themes, it only makes sense that the minifigures should be separate
themes as well. Thank you for your time in reading, and for all the work that
goes into maintaining this database!

Although this is a massive undertaking, and like axaday mentioned, it might be
easier if they introduce gaps to split it - I agree on the idea. I'm unsure
how the catalogue discussion went when the DC and Spider-Man figures preceded
the Super Heroes line, and the decision to merge into it. I assume there was
some kind of "standard" made for the catalogue when this started.

According to the wiki, Super Heroes also included Pixar's The Incredibles,
but the figures are in their own dedicated line, and not even under the generic
Disney one. What would have caused this to split completely from any of the other
catalogue sections? Or perhaps the wiki is incorrect:
 
Minifig No: incr001  Name: Elastigirl
* 
incr001 (Inv) Elastigirl
Minifigures: The Incredibles: Incredibles 2
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lego_Super_Heroes

Super Heroes was a type of branding used on sets that usually said MARVEL SUPER
HEROES or DC SUPER HEROES. But more recent sets usually only say MARVEL or DC
and perhaps the movie/franchise. For example:

 
Set No: 76240  Name: Batman Batmobile Tumbler
* 
76240-1 (Inv) Batman Batmobile Tumbler
2040 Parts, 2 Minifigures, 2021
Sets: Super Heroes: The Dark Knight Trilogy

This theme is not part of the "Super Heroes" branding, but the figures
are put into the "sh" fig category, like all other Batman figs. I believe
LEGO still refers to Marvel and DC as Super Heroes lines internally, but from
the catalogue perspective, I agree it would help keep them more distinct.
 Author: Emporiosa View Messages Posted By Emporiosa
 Posted: Sep 26, 2023 09:06
 Subject: Re: Denied party/entity international shipment
 Viewed: 39 times
 Topic: Shipping
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In Shipping, WildBricks writes:
  Okay, here's a new one for me:

I shipped a package to Spain and it has been returned because "Failed To
Meet Export Regulations and Name Matches Denied Party/Entity". After I lifted
the green postal sticker I was able to see that the buyer's name had been
circled with a red wax pencil. I took the package to my local USPS depot and
asked what I did wrong, how I can correct the issue, future reference info and
was told that it had to do with the recipient and not the customs deceleration
(small electronics for toys, no batteries).

Considering the fact that this buyer's name is probably one of the most common
in Spain, think David Smith, I'm not sure if that is true. Can someone out
there give me a little perspective? Considering this is my 3rd returned international
package in 3 months I'm getting a little paranoid and considering turning
off international shipping altogether. (First was to Venezuela for prohibited
shipping list, 2nd was this same package for lack of description on customs deceleration.)

From what I'm seeing if you search that exact phase, and even check recent
posts on forums etc, it really sounds like their name/address is flagged on the
"do not export to" list. Hard to say if it's a fluke/error, but it's
a pretty serious flag to get for a return it seems.

"Denied or restricted parties are persons, entities, or vessels that have
violated export regulations or have been deemed a threat to national security.
Governments (such as the U.S., Canada, Japan, and Switzerland), as well as intergovernmental
and supranational organizations (such as the United Nations and European Union),
all maintain different lists of these parties and have prohibitions on transactions
with them. Further complicating matters, the information comes in different forms
and is updated constantly."
 Author: Emporiosa View Messages Posted By Emporiosa
 Posted: Sep 22, 2023 14:27
 Subject: Re: Sticker sheet quality in new sets
 Viewed: 40 times
 Topic: Help
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In Help, Nubs_Select writes:
  In Help, Emporiosa writes:
  Curious if this is an anomaly as the image for it in the catalogue looks perfect.

1 thing I do when add pictures for things like sticker sheets is if it has jagged
edges I crop that off so the image can look perfect even if it’s got jagged edges
but yah those ones are not to happy looking

That's a good point and I'll try to tidy mine up a bit too where I can.
Hopefully it's not a trend for sets to come anyways.
 Author: Emporiosa View Messages Posted By Emporiosa
 Posted: Sep 22, 2023 12:17
 Subject: Sticker sheet quality in new sets
 Viewed: 105 times
 Topic: Help
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Curious if this is an anomaly as the image for it in the catalogue looks perfect.
But I'm certain I have other new sticker sheets from recent sets that have
this poor quality as well.

They're all awfully cut, and even one of them doesn't have enough of
the backing to cover the sticker edge. It feels like it was printed on a large
roll and someone didn't use scissors but instead was trying to (badly) separate
it by angling it over the edge of a table/bench. Or the blade of the cutter they
were using was incredibly dull and basically only ripping the pages.

Apologies for the blurriness (tried downsizing the image afterwards to have it
be under 2MB).

Related set:
 
Set No: 71457  Name: Pegasus Flying Horse
* 
71457-1 (Inv) Pegasus Flying Horse
458 Parts, 4 Minifigures, 2023
Sets: DREAMZzz

Thanks!
 
 Author: Emporiosa View Messages Posted By Emporiosa
 Posted: Sep 12, 2023 10:48
 Subject: Re: Discussion about instruction's QR codes
 Viewed: 42 times
 Topic: General
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  I understand both sides of the discussion, but in reality... trying to manage
the points thing will be a nightmare. How does one prove if a seller did or did
not scan the QR code, and if perhaps it's just not scanning properly? Sellers
are not LEGO employees, nor are they affiliated with LEGO in any way other than
selling on the BrickLink platform. It opens up a large can of worms for troubleshooting
issues or finger-pointing that may not be warranted.

There is also the trust for parts and minifigures to be actually new.

100%; but these codes introduce another element which is that LEGO supports the
solution for scanning/issuing points. It's more about the question "is
it worth the trouble?" for what the value of these points are.

It's not a new issue either because we've had parts with codes before
like
 
Part No: 3001pb142  Name: Brick 2 x 4 with Minecraft Variable Code Pattern
* 
3001pb142 Brick 2 x 4 with Minecraft Variable Code Pattern
Parts: Brick, Decorated {Tan}
. The same argument could be made for parts like these, but
they're far more niche and IMO less likely to be an issue.

In the end it's not really a huge deal either way, but I could see most sellers
not take the risk with their new instructions, and many will list as used as
a precaution (or they'll just scan the points themselves and throw out/recycle
the instructions to not risk a claim).

Preferably, I'd hope BL's stance be that points are not to be expected,
and then should sellers wish to include notes of points scanned/not-scanned they
can in their listings.

To add another point; the original spirit of LEGO offering points was related
to registering the set. The act of just purchasing instructions doesn't mean
you've purchased/owned the set necessarily (even if you may have purchased
it used locally or on BL and simply needed the instructions).

https://www.lego.com/en-us/service/help/lego_insiders/lego_insiders/registering-your-lego-sets-kA06N000000Gq2vSAC
 Author: Emporiosa View Messages Posted By Emporiosa
 Posted: Sep 11, 2023 20:09
 Subject: Re: Discussion about instruction's QR codes
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 Topic: General
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In General, CE_Eric writes:
  There is a measurable (albeit perhaps miniscule) value to an unscanned QR code
that IMO should be acknowledged with a "New" or "Used" condition.

I know this is going to be a challenge for some sellers, but in good faith and
fairness, I think the definition of "New" instruction condition includes
the QR code is unused for Insider Points.

If an instruction's QR code is "Used" to obtain Insider Points, would
it not follow that it is in a "Used" condition? Coffee cup stains, or
obvious wear on an instruction's pages would also objectively show that it
is Used, even if the QR code is unused, no?


I understand both sides of the discussion, but in reality... trying to manage
the points thing will be a nightmare. How does one prove if a seller did or did
not scan the QR code, and if perhaps it's just not scanning properly? Sellers
are not LEGO employees, nor are they affiliated with LEGO in any way other than
selling on the BrickLink platform. It opens up a large can of worms for troubleshooting
issues or finger-pointing that may not be warranted.
 Author: Emporiosa View Messages Posted By Emporiosa
 Posted: Sep 10, 2023 14:31
 Subject: Re: Missing Minifigs in some sets!
 Viewed: 52 times
 Topic: Help
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  And, I wouldn't try to add them to the catalog. They were omitted for the
reason stated in the Notes for that inventory.

Thanks,
~Jen

I completely understand the rationale for it, but still curious (as I'm not
aware of any prior discussion, so forgive me if this was already argued ad nauseum)...

The official listing for the set by LEGO indicates 3 minifigures + a robo-dog
build, and all of the official pictures for the set have the same configuration
for the additional 2 minifigures. Even their knolling picture excludes these
additional minifigure parts and aren't considered regular building parts
for the set. Wouldn't this be enough to normally still argue that it's
considered an official figure, since the set is specifically supposed to be "instruction-free"?
 Author: Emporiosa View Messages Posted By Emporiosa
 Posted: Sep 9, 2023 12:06
 Subject: Re: How do I get my first sales?
 Viewed: 60 times
 Topic: Help
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In Help, BrickSelect writes:
  Hey! I'm a new Bricklink Seller and I'm trying to get soem sales to
get the ball rolling... Does anyone have any tips?

Right now you're only accepting Euro but are based in the US. You may want
to add US $ to encourage domestic buyers. And I see that instant checkout is
setup, but it also helps having clear terms and shipping prices also shown prior
to buyers getting to the checkout phase. And if you keep adding new stock, it'll
also help drive new buyers As I'm in Canada and you don't ship there,
I can't test your IC shipping methods to see if there's anything there
that might be driving away folks.
 Author: Emporiosa View Messages Posted By Emporiosa
 Posted: Sep 8, 2023 16:11
 Subject: Re: UPS charging $108
 Viewed: 39 times
 Topic: Buying
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On occasion I get a question from a Canadian buyer asking if I will sell to them.

This post helps explain the hesitation I have...

There's no issue with using USPS, UPS has outrageous customs brokerage fees.


^ this is it. UPS is the worst of the worst. Fedex is up there. DHL is probably
the best I've found. USPS/Canada Post started charging brokerage charges
too but cheaper like around $10-12 I think. DHL I believe is around $17-18.

If you ship with UPS Worldwide services (which are expensive, for any of the
options), they aren't as pricy for brokerage charges, but it's when you
ship via UPS Standard like what happened here. And they also have the most additional
"BS" fees that they can slap on your invoice when they feel like it.

And with USPS-CanPost, it's common for them to waive through packages without
charging taxes on them, so it's more likely that the buyer will catch a break
from both the brokerage fee + import tax (even if you properly declared).
 Author: Emporiosa View Messages Posted By Emporiosa
 Posted: Sep 8, 2023 16:02
 Subject: Re: UPS charging $108
 Viewed: 39 times
 Topic: Buying
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In Buying, Emporiosa writes:
  In Buying, Styphelus writes:
  I recently purchased a set and asked the seller how much shipping would be. He
told me shipping would be $16.00. I agreed and made the purchase.

Today UPS knocked at my door and they want $108.72 to deliver. The set cost me
$186.00. I'm not paying an additional $108.72. What are my choices here?
Can I refuse to pay and get a refund on the set?

I went to check again the amount you said was for brokerage and it's exactly
the following two charges:

Entry Prep Fee $60.15
Disbursement Fee $7.00
Subtotal: $67.15
13% HST: $8.73
_______________________
TOTAL: $75.88

As ridiculous as it sounds, they didn't even ding you with the full charges.
Usually you'd also have a $6.00 fee because they went to the door, but if
you pay for it online they waive it (so at the door it would have been $82.66
total).
 Author: Emporiosa View Messages Posted By Emporiosa
 Posted: Sep 8, 2023 15:49
 Subject: Re: UPS charging $108
 Viewed: 49 times
 Topic: Buying
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  Buyer wrote "The set cost me $186.00."

Does $186 include shipping costs? In Canadian dollar or American one?

If it includes shipping costs, the seller made a mistake in including shipping
and handling costs as parts of item's value.
$186 USD is about $253. I calculated import fees:

https://www.cbsa-asfc.gc.ca/travel-voyage/dte-acl/est-cal-eng.html

and I got $32.89 (%13 in Ontario, versus %12 BC) so this seems to be correct.

Exactly, and that aligns with the $200-350 range which is $60.15 charge and then
they have the other fees (I put it in a big reply for the breakdown). It's
clear that UPS Standard service was used. Usually the fee is $11 on the other
services + a bit more for some of their random other fees, but not the giant
other fee. It's why the shipping was so cheap; they didn't use UPS Worldwide
Express Saver or the other Worldwide options.

https://www.ups.com/assets/resources/webcontent/en_CA/rate_guide_ca.pdf
 Author: Emporiosa View Messages Posted By Emporiosa
 Posted: Sep 8, 2023 15:46
 Subject: Re: UPS charging $108
 Viewed: 50 times
 Topic: Buying
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In Buying, Styphelus writes:
  I recently purchased a set and asked the seller how much shipping would be. He
told me shipping would be $16.00. I agreed and made the purchase.

Today UPS knocked at my door and they want $108.72 to deliver. The set cost me
$186.00. I'm not paying an additional $108.72. What are my choices here?
Can I refuse to pay and get a refund on the set?

A couple of questions... $186 for the set - is this USD? 13% would be $24.18,
but in USD it makes more sense. It means it's around like $245ish I think
or $250CAD.

The reason I also ask is because that means your fees do align with UPS. It's
all in their rate guide. https://www.ups.com/assets/resources/webcontent/en_CA/rate_guide_ca.pdf
Is it highway robbery? Of course it is. Were you advised by the seller and/or
selected UPS as an option for shipping? If so, and you had accepted it, it's
on you as the importer to understand what UPS will charge if you do not clear
the package yourself. You always have the option to self-clear. You can also
choose to ask to ship via USPS, but I'm assuming UPS was cheaper in this
case. If you weren't advised, you could refuse and have it returned.

It's a lesson for sellers and buyers, because UPS is the worst of all of
the "bad" companies for Canadians. If UPS Standard service is
used, they tack on a huge fee. If any of the UPS Worldwide Express or Expedited
services are used, these fees are free. In this case it's $60.15 for items
valued $200-350CAD.

They then also charge an "Import Collect on Delivery (ICOD) Fee" when
they come to the door to collect - $6.

And they also charge the greater of 3.7% of the duty/tax amount or $7 ($7 in
this case) for good measure.

They also have a bonus Invoice Integerity Fee of $5 if the seller was missing
some info. "This fee may apply when the included documents are missing critical
information and a telephone call or other form of communication is required to
obtain
the correct information. Examples of missing information include poor descriptions,
no country of origin, missing quantities, etc"

Now if the declared amount should have been $186 in CAD, then the seller may
have made some errors in the declaration, but it doesn't look like the case.
 Author: Emporiosa View Messages Posted By Emporiosa
 Posted: Sep 8, 2023 15:34
 Subject: Re: UPS charging $108
 Viewed: 42 times
 Topic: Buying
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  You should ship with USPS and never with UPS, Fedex.
Because UPS (and other private couriers) charges ouragous processing fees. In
case of this buyer, $108 is way above what they should have charged him. As far
as I know, the processing fees might be $40 CAD.

I agree about avoiding the big carriers, but his fees were actually correct for
UPS unfortunately. It's all in their rate guide.
 Author: Emporiosa View Messages Posted By Emporiosa
 Posted: Sep 8, 2023 12:39
 Subject: Re: Cannot mark order as Shipped
 Viewed: 39 times
 Topic: Problem
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In Problem, svestenbaek writes:
  Have a problem with an order regarding marking the order as "shipped"
On the 'Order recieved' page, I have the options to mark as "Pending/Processing/Ready/Packed"

How to process further from here?
The customer has paid off-site

Were any taxes/VAT collected for their order? If so you, you need to refund
them on the transaction you received and have them pay onsite via the PAY button
that they have with their order.
 Author: Emporiosa View Messages Posted By Emporiosa
 Posted: Sep 8, 2023 10:28
 Subject: Re: Feedback
 Viewed: 33 times
 Topic: Help
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In Help, ihave36paws writes:
  I am looking for a way to remove all of the past Feedback remarks permanently
that I have
used so that there are not so many choices that drop down.

I Know at one time my husband had done it but he no longer remembers how.

I have the opposite issue... I did a fresh install on my computer and I lost
all of mine that I used!

It has to do with clearing the saved data from your browser. Which browser do
you use?
 Author: Emporiosa View Messages Posted By Emporiosa
 Posted: Sep 3, 2023 15:51
 Subject: Re: Issues with minifig shipping
 Viewed: 28 times
 Topic: Shipping
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In Shipping, Emporiosa writes:
  In Shipping, BeastMode1735 writes:
  They are set up as 7x2x10 with a padded restriction of 0.1x0.2x0.1. Practicly
all minifigures trigger the parcel shipping.

Ah the 7x2x10 - were you indenting for those to be in inches? I believe the shipping
profile operates in centimeters.

I tried
 
Minifig No: sw0221  Name: Clone Trooper Gunner (Phase 1) - Large Eyes
* 
sw0221 (Inv) Clone Trooper Gunner (Phase 1) - Large Eyes
Minifigures: Star Wars: Star Wars The Clone Wars
and it worked fine for Lettermail.

**intending
 Author: Emporiosa View Messages Posted By Emporiosa
 Posted: Sep 3, 2023 15:50
 Subject: Re: Issues with minifig shipping
 Viewed: 26 times
 Topic: Shipping
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In Shipping, BeastMode1735 writes:
  They are set up as 7x2x10 with a padded restriction of 0.1x0.2x0.1. Practicly
all minifigures trigger the parcel shipping.

Ah the 7x2x10 - were you indenting for those to be in inches? I believe the shipping
profile operates in centimeters.

I tried
 
Minifig No: sw0221  Name: Clone Trooper Gunner (Phase 1) - Large Eyes
* 
sw0221 (Inv) Clone Trooper Gunner (Phase 1) - Large Eyes
Minifigures: Star Wars: Star Wars The Clone Wars
and it worked fine for Lettermail.
 Author: Emporiosa View Messages Posted By Emporiosa
 Posted: Sep 3, 2023 15:46
 Subject: Re: Why not add History of Part Sales
 Viewed: 31 times
 Topic: General
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In General, uticabrix writes:
  In General, SylvainLS writes:
  In General, uticabrix writes:
  I know it is possible on this platform, so would be great to see a "History
of Sales" for each part. This is be handy for stores to be able to see
how well specific parts sell. Just a thought for Admins. Cheers!

What’s the difference with the Price Guide?


Also, if you want to make a suggestion (on which members can vote), make it in
the Suggestions topic

Sorry not sure what the price guide has to do with anything? Price guide is
fine to me.

Agree with Sylvain; I'm not sure I follow what you're asking for that's
different from what we see in the PG. You can see precisely how many times it
sold per month (including the qty and price per purchase) for the last 6 months.
You also see the total volume available (and via how many sellers) to help give
you an idea of turnover.
 Author: Emporiosa View Messages Posted By Emporiosa
 Posted: Sep 3, 2023 15:32
 Subject: Re: Issues with minifig shipping
 Viewed: 24 times
 Topic: Shipping
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  Should it, though? If it goes internationally or to the US from Canada, does
the receiving postal service consider it the same type of mail that Canada Post
classified it as? There's a lot more to this than just mail articles posted
within Canada.

Cheers ...

ghyde

OP ships to only Canada, I'm not sure what you're referring to In
Canada, we most definitely ship using Lettermail service (the largest % of orders
domestically for any seller of parts/figs is via Lettermail). You cannot export
merchandise via Lettermail from any country AFAIK; you must use small packet
services. The seller who posted only ships to Canada though which is what they're
asking about.
 Author: Emporiosa View Messages Posted By Emporiosa
 Posted: Sep 3, 2023 15:09
 Subject: Re: Issues with minifig shipping
 Viewed: 31 times
 Topic: Shipping
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In Shipping, BeastMode1735 writes:
  When i go to check out the shipping prices in my store i notice that the shipping
comes to the flat rate parcel. I know i set it as a insta checkout for both lettermail
amd parcel but im not sure why it goes to parcel. Should i switch teh values
of the y and z axis dimensions to fix this or is there a better way?

Thanks in advance

What do you currently have setup for your Lettermail shipping dimensions (in
that shipping profile)? And do you have an example fig ID that you noticed it
triggered parcel?
 Author: Emporiosa View Messages Posted By Emporiosa
 Posted: Sep 3, 2023 15:07
 Subject: Re: Issues with minifig shipping
 Viewed: 32 times
 Topic: Shipping
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  Looking at it from a personal viewpoint, I'd much rather my minifigs were
shipped to me in a small padded envelope and not lettermail. Those sorting machines
that get fed these parcels can be quite harsh on the small packets, even though
the postal service technically shouldn't be using them to sort the small
packet mail.

I would much rather my minifigs came without belt marks on them.

Just my 2c worth.

Cheers ...

ghyde

Small padded envelope ships via Lettermail in Canada
 Author: Emporiosa View Messages Posted By Emporiosa
 Posted: Sep 3, 2023 12:20
 Subject: Re: Invoicing vs Instant Checkout?
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 Topic: Selling
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In Selling, ReclaimedComp writes:
  I know this question has most likely been discussed hundreds of times but I've
been debating on whether or not to start accepting invoices. Does it increase
sales enough to make it worth it? I've read where people will place orders
and never pay or do not pay for a long peroid of time. When someone places an
invoiced order does it remove the inventory from your store or is it removed
when the invoice has been paid?

What is it that you're trying to achieve as you already have IC? If IC is
working for you, adding "manual" invoicing (and even quotes) doesn't
give you anything more, and usually buyers prefer stores with IC, not the other
way around.

If it's because you're wanting to sell to other countries (and you don't
want to use IC), or sets (which can be trickier as well), then yes - manual invoicing
for such cases is great. Another use is for keeping an order open when you usually
have IC.
 Author: Emporiosa View Messages Posted By Emporiosa
 Posted: Sep 1, 2023 09:00
 Subject: Re: Tracking Letter Mail in Canada
 Viewed: 24 times
 Topic: Shipping
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In Shipping, Emporiosa writes:
  In Shipping, Tiggy2 writes:
  Selling a $50.00 Minifigure and would like to put tracking on it. Do I charge
the buyer?

As we know in Canada Letter Mail is cheap ($2.50) Packages are not ($20.00).
Is there a way to send letter mail with tracking that’s not $20.00?

Thank you

Yes if it fits into Lettermail, you can purchase tracking with Registered Mail
for I think $9 + tax (+ the stamp).

About charging the buyer; only if your terms are clear about it (like saying
that orders over $50 must ship with tracking) or give them the option to cancel.
 Author: Emporiosa View Messages Posted By Emporiosa
 Posted: Sep 1, 2023 08:58
 Subject: Re: Tracking Letter Mail in Canada
 Viewed: 31 times
 Topic: Shipping
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In Shipping, Tiggy2 writes:
  Selling a $50.00 Minifigure and would like to put tracking on it. Do I charge
the buyer?

As we know in Canada Letter Mail is cheap ($2.50) Packages are not ($20.00).
Is there a way to send letter mail with tracking that’s not $20.00?

Thank you

Yes if it fits into Lettermail, you can purchase tracking with Registered Mail
for I think $9 + tax (+ the stamp).
 Author: Emporiosa View Messages Posted By Emporiosa
 Posted: Aug 30, 2023 11:17
 Subject: Re: Slow sales.... What do I do?
 Viewed: 85 times
 Topic: Selling
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In Selling, ReclaimedComp writes:
  I've been selling on Bricklink for about a year and have and good months
and bad months. But I have never where had just one order in a months time until
August. I have good feedback and ship orders quickly. I'm adding new inventory
add new inventory almost every day and have over 58k in parts with almost 8k
in lots. I price everything a the 6 month average. What am I doing wrong or
what else can I do?

Chris
Reclaimed Components

+1 to all other comments; just the usual slow time, even if slower than the previous
year But it makes for the perfect time to ramp up for the busiest time of
year!
 Author: Emporiosa View Messages Posted By Emporiosa
 Posted: Aug 28, 2023 15:55
 Subject: Re: New Mini Figures Coming Out 9/1
 Viewed: 43 times
 Topic: LEGO products
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  Funny, if was a car collector and was looking for a specific Ford Mustang, would
I buy a blind container which might contain my 'last to complete my wanted
list' ?
I think I wouldn't.
It has some charm around it, but if you are keen on completing a set, you end
up spending far more money on buying the wrong items in this way.

That's the nature of all "blind bag" items - it doesn't compare
to purchasing a car. It's a gamble. It's the same thing with trading
cards. If anything, LEGO figures have been *mostly* far more fair in the sense
that often a box includes at least 2 full sets (depending on the series), and
almost no chase or very rare figures with the exception of Mr. Gold. Even the
Percival Graves figure was guaranteed in the box. MTG/Pokemon cards do not have
that same kind of guarantee in a box.

And if you want to go a step further, it's the same reason why the video
games industry has a battle about blind boxes there. Many countries have banned
the sale of these kinds of items because it's considered a type of gambling
and often targets children.
 Author: Emporiosa View Messages Posted By Emporiosa
 Posted: Aug 27, 2023 19:57
 Subject: Re: 500 - Internal server error
 Viewed: 32 times
 Topic: Technical Issues
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In Technical Issues, coopers.bricks writes:
  Hello!

I spent a long time parting out a set and when I go to upload items I get taken
to a page that says "500 - Internal server error. There is a problem with
the resource you are looking for, and it cannot be displayed."

I've tried troubleshooting but I've gotten no where. Can anybody help
with this?

Thanks,

- Cooper

I'm not sure if there were possibly some server issues at the time you were
posting this, but is this a set with over 1000 lots by chance? If so, it'll
timeout if you try to part out the whole thing and it's recommended to use
free software such as Brickstore to help split it into a couple of uploads.
 Author: Emporiosa View Messages Posted By Emporiosa
 Posted: Aug 27, 2023 19:29
 Subject: Re: BrickStore unable to add individual parts?
 Viewed: 24 times
 Topic: Related Software
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In Help, MCTDM writes:
  I'm pulling my hair out trying to work out what i've done to cause this.

When adding sets or minifigures i don't have this issue at all but for parts
i do.

I'm sure it's probably a really simple fix but i can;t seem to work it
out

You'll notice the add button is greyed out.

Try picking a colour on the right hand side first and see if that works

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