Redisplay Messages: Compact | Brief | All | Full Show Messages: All | Without Replies| Author: | clrv4000  | | Posted: | Jan 25, 2024 00:08 | | Subject: | Re: Important proposal regarding catalog variants | | Viewed: | 58 times | | Topic: | Catalog | |
| I am quite displeased with this change. I already have enough trouble ordering
the correct variants for completing sets accurately, as many sellers are too
lazy to separate variants. (Like every one of you who doesn't check for
broken ball-joint sockets on used Bionicle parts before entering them into your
inventory - it's incredibly frustrating that I keep receiving so many broken
parts over and over. It's literally the majority of the parts I receive.)
Some of these changes matter a lot when trying to complete vintage sets correctly.
I've also found axle clutch differences, sometimes significantly, between
hole profile variants. Even just considering appearance, I recently needed a
number of 1x2 technic bricks with '+' axle hole. There are three different
versions of the mold, and I needed them to actually look the same in ten repetitious
positions on a detailed model. The function was visual, not physical. Thankfully
I already had enough that matched, as I could have ordered them over and over
again and never ended up with all of them matching.
Another example of something that needs to be distinguished, but most sellers
are often not even aware of it, is between parts 15672 and 92946. When they
are used side by side, it definitely matters which one is used so they all line
up right. I've nearly given up trying to order the right variants for set
completion, as I now have a ton of the wrong ones I have little use for. I tire
of having to ask sellers ahead of time about this so often, and then still have
to go through the headache of explaining the difference nearly every time.
Now that the onus is on the sellers to fill in extended descriptions for so
many variants, you can be sure that most will not bother. This ruins the usefulness
and reputation of this marketplace and reference database, and it sets a bad
precedent that will surely result in more unsolicited/unwanted regressions.
There needs to be a clear indicator provided in store name headers that shows
whether a seller actually makes the effort to separate variants. I shouldn't
have to open a store and read through their terms in hopes of finding whether
or not they even mention it. Simply put, if buyers want a simplified buying/browsing
experience, give them a checkbox option to ignore/merge variants. Instead, you've
forced everyone to have the same dumbed-down experience. Would it have been
so hard to offer a 'Basic' and 'Advanced' version of the website
UI?
If sellers prefer a simplified experience, perhaps they are in the wrong place.
Why not just go sell bulk lots on eBay rather than cluttering up the listings
here. I understand that it takes an enormous effort and commitment to run a
Bricklink store, but surely you all knew what you were signing up for if you
were here in the first place, right?
I use Bricklink as my primary reference and buying source because of its history
as a detail oriented and community-friendly entity, and for it's extensive
completeness of historical reference material. If you're going to break
this experience, I honestly don't know how much longer I can stick around.
The question remains, who actually asked for this? I most certainly didn't.
|
 |
| Author: | clrv4000 | | Posted: | Apr 5, 2023 11:35 | | Subject: | Re: ATTN: BrickLink "Trans-Black" Color Change | | Viewed: | 62 times | | Topic: | Catalog | |
| I understand the need for this change, and it's funny that I never really
thought about the fact that the existing color was a brown hue until you mentioned
it. I presume the implication is that LEGO is retiring the old color at the
time of release of the new one. There are two really unfortunate things to note
about this situation:
- The entire content of the internet references the existing parts as "trans-black"
- web catalogs, forums, images, seller listings, etc, and few of those are going
to change along with Bricklink. This is going to cause massive confusion for
a great many years, and many casual LEGO builders and resellers are never going
to learn the difference. Plus the entire internet archive is going to refer
to the 'now wrong' color.
- This change means that the limited variety of parts in the old color will never
be expanded. It has been an extreme challenge to build my MOCs taking advantage
of the old color, often having the parts selection dictate what builds I even
consider at all, and now this situation will be permanent. Additionally, the
fact that these parts get scratched/scuffed very easily means that the existing
stock of good quality re-sale parts is going to dry up and get expensive.
It would have been nice of LEGO to explain why this change is happening, because
I don't really see what the need for it was. Surely in this day and age
it was not because of a formulation change in the raw material, like in the distant
past, as nowadays any company working in high volume can generally get any coloration
made that they desire.
|
|
| Author: | clrv4000 | | Posted: | Nov 23, 2022 23:37 | | Subject: | Re: Auto-cancelled quote. | | Viewed: | 32 times | | Topic: | Buying | |
| In Buying, clrv4000 writes:
| | In Buying, clrv4000 writes:
| | In Buying, 1P writes:
| | Go into the quote and add all the items to a wanted list, there's a button
for it somewhere near the bottom of the quote request
Then you can go into the wanted list & buy what you need from the same seller
|
Yes, I found that out, but it's still a laborious process for nearly 200
items. Seeing as I have no other recourse, I am going to attempt it if the seller
agrees to let me resubmit as a committed order.
|
I've determined how to re-populate the correct store cart through the Buy
Wanted List tool. Roughly 10% of the items I had tried to order the first time
are now not available from that store. This process is painful. There really
needs to be a way to edit a quote rather than automatically junking it.
|
Oh, and FYI, the quote was auto cancelled less than an hour after the quote
had been responded to by the seller. This isn't much of a time window to
commit an order in. I made this quote just before I left home for work and intended
to complete the purchase this evening when I got back home. I would not have
had an opportunity to do this in time even close. It's not a good process.
|
|
| Author: | clrv4000 | | Posted: | Nov 23, 2022 23:33 | | Subject: | Re: Auto-cancelled quote. | | Viewed: | 30 times | | Topic: | Buying | |
| In Buying, clrv4000 writes:
| | In Buying, 1P writes:
| | Go into the quote and add all the items to a wanted list, there's a button
for it somewhere near the bottom of the quote request
Then you can go into the wanted list & buy what you need from the same seller
|
Yes, I found that out, but it's still a laborious process for nearly 200
items. Seeing as I have no other recourse, I am going to attempt it if the seller
agrees to let me resubmit as a committed order.
|
I've determined how to re-populate the correct store cart through the Buy
Wanted List tool. Roughly 10% of the items I had tried to order the first time
are now not available from that store. This process is painful. There really
needs to be a way to edit a quote rather than automatically junking it.
|
|
| Author: | clrv4000 | | Posted: | Nov 23, 2022 23:19 | | Subject: | Re: Auto-cancelled quote. | | Viewed: | 31 times | | Topic: | Buying | |
| In Buying, 1P writes:
| | Go into the quote and add all the items to a wanted list, there's a button
for it somewhere near the bottom of the quote request
Then you can go into the wanted list & buy what you need from the same seller
|
Yes, I found that out, but it's still a laborious process for nearly 200
items. Seeing as I have no other recourse, I am going to attempt it if the seller
agrees to let me resubmit as a committed order.
|
|
| Author: | clrv4000 | | Posted: | Nov 23, 2022 23:17 | | Subject: | Re: Auto-cancelled quote. | | Viewed: | 32 times | | Topic: | Buying | |
| In Buying, Nubs_Select writes:
| | my question is why would they say to request a quote instead of an invoice? they
are the same thing except you can cancel the quote if you don't like the
shipping cost or something but if you put that much time into making that cart
then I'm puzzled why the quote option was chosen instead of the invoice option
|
I followed their terms exactly as worded. Their terms were to request a quote
when the total item quantity was above a specific threshold. I don't know
why they ask for that, but if it's in the store terms, I have to follow their
rules. Many stores have some very particular and unusual terms, and if you don't
play by their terms, you're just going to get your order cancelled anyway.
I can use a button on the cancelled quote listing to auto-populate a new Want
List with the same items and quantities, but with nearly 200 unique parts in
the order, re-entering this order will still be very laborious. And even then
I still have the problem that it would require a request for quote that could
be auto-cancelled by the system within seconds of submission.
I have contacted the seller to ask if I can simply commit the same order right
off the top without a quote request, given that they had already responded to
the quote request the first time before the system trashed it.
|
|
| Author: | clrv4000 | | Posted: | Nov 23, 2022 23:01 | | Subject: | Auto-cancelled quote. | | Viewed: | 94 times | | Topic: | Buying | |
| I had to request a quote from a seller because they said it was necessary given
the large number of items in the order. They noted in the store terms that Bricklink
automatically cancels a quote if any other customer orders any one item that
is in your own quote. So as luck would have it, my quote was cancelled the same
day because of exactly this problem. I had an extensive list of items which
were all manually selected from the store, so this is extremely frustrating.
Is there really no way to re-populate a store cart automatically from a cancelled
quote?
This is exceptionally stupid functionality. I'm unlikely to bother ever
making an order again if a quote is required because of this issue. It's
also very unlikely I'll be re-ordering the items from my cancelled quote,
to the detriment of the seller. Am I missing anything here?
|
|
| Author: | clrv4000 | | Posted: | May 15, 2022 18:10 | | Subject: | Duplo knight figure - no set assigned. | | Viewed: | 58 times | | Topic: | Catalog Identification | |
| I ran into an unusual situation today while inventorying Duplo parts. I have
two knight figures which are orphans from any original set components they were
purchased with. One of the two has no set assigned in the Bricklink catalog
- 47394pb084. This seemed rather odd for something produced in the 2000's.
Was this a case of random variants being packaged with sets? I'm really
curious to know the history of this issue and the series it belongs to, as I'd
never even heard of this series before. I was never seriously into the Lego
Castle sets, but the first-generation Duplo Castle sets look awesome! The one
thing that really sticks out is these knight figures are some of the very few
Duplo characters which don't have a happy expression on their faces. Even
most Duplo animals have a happy expression.
Kris
|
|
| Author: | clrv4000 | | Posted: | Dec 6, 2019 21:59 | | Subject: | Inventory Change Request for Set 8902-1 | | Viewed: | 20 times | | Topic: | Inventories Requests (Entry) | | Status: | Open | |
| Please make changes to the following inventory:
* Delete 1 Part 53571 Flat Silver Bionicle Weapon Piraka Water Harpoon (Vezok)
* Add 1 Part 53571 Pearl Light Gray Bionicle Weapon Piraka Water Harpoon (Vezok)
Comments from Submitter:
This part was only issued with one set in one color. I have this part and it is quite clearly and distinctly Pearl Light Gray (and extremely pale at that) rather than Flat Silver. There are two other parts in the set listed as Pearl Light Gray, and generally all would match in a Bionicle set. Even the combination-colored feet are Pearl Light Gray combined with Dark Blue. If it turns out that Flat Silver really did appear in production at one time, then that color probably should be made an alternate entry with Pearl Light Gray being the primary entry. Please confirm, thanks.
|
|
| Author: | clrv4000 | | Posted: | May 26, 2019 22:49 | | Subject: | 11650c01 Vehicle Base sub-components | | Viewed: | 53 times | | Topic: | Catalog | | Status: | Open | |
| I was wondering if anyone has attempted/managed to separate the joined sub-components
that make up this assembly. As far as I can tell on mine, doing this would cause
damage. I'm curious to know what the 'rivet-like' pins on the bottom
look like separated and whether they could serve another useful purpose on their
own. I would hazard a guess that it is stud diameter for a length of one plate-thickness
with a bar-size (or similar) hole in the center on the inside.
I presume there is no LEGO-published part number for the pin alone.
|
|
| Author: | clrv4000 | | Posted: | May 25, 2019 21:47 | | Subject: | Re: Mystery part | | Viewed: | 63 times | | Topic: | Catalog | |
| In Catalog, dkillgore writes:
| | In Catalog, clrv4000 writes:
| | In Catalog, dkillgore writes:
| | In Catalog, Hygrotus writes:
| | I have pending approval something like this
[p=Unknown]
Did anybody see something like this? Anybody knows anything about it?
|
So, no other numbers or marks anywhere on it?
Like others, I can see countless problems to solve with this but like others
before me, steer clear of Bionicles...looks suspiciously like Bionicle instead
of our endeared Technic
|
Speaking of Bionicle, you could have one of those common Technic ball-joint
balls (32474 or 53585) with just a stud sticking out the side when combined with
such a piece. That's got me brainstorming...
|
Okayyyyy- now I see it! You may be right!
|
Sort of reminds me of this thing someone 3D printed:
https://www.myminifactory.com/de/object/3d-print-1l-lego-technic-liftarm-81004
Of course you wouldn't want to get THAT stuck in a 32474! (I occasionally
run into a similar 'homemade solution' when I find 1L axle stubs snapped
off of Bionicle detail parts in used LEGO batches. I had to drill a tiny center
hole and drive a fine screw into the bit to remove it on a couple occasions.)
|
|
| Author: | clrv4000 | | Posted: | May 25, 2019 21:22 | | Subject: | Re: Mystery part | | Viewed: | 33 times | | Topic: | Catalog | |
| In Catalog, dkillgore writes:
| | In Catalog, Hygrotus writes:
| | I have pending approval something like this
[p=Unknown]
Did anybody see something like this? Anybody knows anything about it?
|
So, no other numbers or marks anywhere on it?
Like others, I can see countless problems to solve with this but like others
before me, steer clear of Bionicles...looks suspiciously like Bionicle instead
of our endeared Technic
|
Speaking of Bionicle, you could have one of those common Technic ball-joint
balls (32474 or 53585) with just a stud sticking out the side when combined with
such a piece. That's got me brainstorming...
|
|
| Author: | clrv4000 | | Posted: | May 25, 2019 20:22 | | Subject: | Re: Mystery part | | Viewed: | 34 times | | Topic: | Catalog | |
| In Catalog, Hygrotus writes:
| | I have pending approval something like this
[p=Unknown]
Did anybody see something like this? Anybody knows anything about it?
|
All I can say is that I really would like a part like that! I can already
think of some situations I could have solved easily with that. Hopefully some
sleuth can sort this out for us. Please keep us updated.
|
|
| Author: | clrv4000 | | Posted: | Feb 4, 2019 00:05 | | Subject: | Stickered parts, sets 60009-1 75872-1 75051-1 | | Viewed: | 45 times | | Topic: | Inventories | | Status: | Open | |
| I have a few stickered parts, acquired second-hand, from sets 60009-1, 75872-1
and 75051-1. I'd like to be able to inventory them properly in my collection,
but all or most of the stickered part catalog entries for these sets have not
been created yet on BrickLink. I could submit catalog additions for all of them,
but I'm a bit hesitant since I've never done that before on BrickLink,
and I don't have all the stickered parts for each set. Are there any of
you guys out there who have one or more of these sets and could submit the stickered
parts? It would be a great help. (Otherwise I'll get around eventually
to figuring out how to do it myself.)
Kris
|
|
