Currently, the BrickLink inventories are only showing a set inventory, from the
perspective of how BrickLink wants to sell the items in the sets. The BrickLink
inventory does not show how TLG packages sets (the BOM). At times, that can be
a problem. One example ...
Each of those minifigs contains the usual ABS parts (which are loose packed in
the bags) plus it contains the capes. The capes (for more than one reason) are
packed in a cardboard sleeve ...
The cardboard sleeve is an interstitial container which does not appear
in the inventory of the set, nor in the inventory of the minifigs, but has to
be dealt with to sell the minifigs in the default method as BrickLink has defined
it in the current inventory. It is probably a good idea to leave the capes in
the sleeve until a sale occurs, as it protects the capes from folding/creases.
Suggestion
Enhance the inventory system to allow a perspective view, one being how the set
was packaged and the other being the default view of how BrickLink would suggest
the set contents be sold. This would require the interstitial containers
to be tied in both directions (BOM and final) so that the seller has a clear
view of what needs to be included with what.
A similar issue also exists with the cape in this set ...
This would require the interstitial containers
to be tied in both directions (BOM and final) so that the seller has a clear
view of what needs to be included with what.
Can you give examples of what exactly do you mean by saying 'what
needs to be included with what' - when it comes to selling? Using your own
example of set
This would require the interstitial containers
to be tied in both directions (BOM and final) so that the seller has a clear
view of what needs to be included with what.
Can you give examples of what exactly do you mean by saying 'what
needs to be included with what' - when it comes to selling? Using your own
example of set
How would the sleeve come into play and what are the advantages of that?
The default is that the capes must be part of the minifigs. The capes are not
loose packed, and for good reasons. The capes (for multiple minifigs) are packed
within the sleeve, but the sleeve is not tied to the inventory (of the set or
the minifigs).
In reality (and stepping gently across the line into implementation) the sleeve
should appear in the BOM inventory (as you find the set when the seal is broken
and opened). There should be a set of lines/pointers/whathaveyou that directs
how the set contents are transitioned to the BrickLink inventory for selling.
For most parts that is a 1:1 transition, but for the capes (and hinged plates,
etc) that requires an assisted transition. Not all sellers will want to sell
as the inventory suggests, but most will.
This would require the interstitial containers
to be tied in both directions (BOM and final) so that the seller has a clear
view of what needs to be included with what.
Can you give examples of what exactly do you mean by saying 'what
needs to be included with what' - when it comes to selling? Using your own
example of set
How would the sleeve come into play and what are the advantages of that?
The default is that the capes must be part of the minifigs. The capes are not
loose packed, and for good reasons. The capes (for multiple minifigs) are packed
within the sleeve, but the sleeve is not tied to the inventory (of the set or
the minifigs).
In reality (and stepping gently across the line into implementation) the sleeve
should appear in the BOM inventory (as you find the set when the seal is broken
and opened). There should be a set of lines/pointers/whathaveyou that directs
how the set contents are transitioned to the BrickLink inventory for selling.
For most parts that is a 1:1 transition, but for the capes (and hinged plates,
etc) that requires an assisted transition. Not all sellers will want to sell
as the inventory suggests, but most will.
NR
Okay what I really wanted to ask is - how your suggestion ties into selling (NEW)
minifigs.
One scenario where your suggestion comes into play is selling a NEW set. Then
a buyer knows what to expect, but in probably 999 cases per every 1000 - the
sets are sold SEALED. In other words - implementation of the suggestion addresses
a problem that does not really exist. Or at the very least - a problem that exists
in extremely edge cases.
Other scenario - implementation of the suggestion creates more issues than it
actually solves. In the set that you are using as an example - the cardboard
bag (a single asset) houses capes for three minifigs. That single asset (the
bag itself) is not divisible, and can only be tied to a single other asset during
the part-out phase.
It is not a problem in situations where the bag is housing a single cape, but
in all other situations it creates one.
From my point of view - in this scenario the suggestion also solves a problem
that is better left untouched.
Are we looking at this from the same angle, or am I missing something?
Other scenario - implementation of the suggestion creates more issues than it
actually solves. In the set that you are using as an example - the cardboard
bag (a single asset) houses capes for three minifigs. That single asset (the
bag itself) is not divisible, and can only be tied to a single other asset during
the part-out phase.
To sell the set's contents, as BL suggests they should be sold, requires
a sub-parting out of one asset that is not even mentioned in the set inventory.
Another way of looking at this is, all of the set inventories have been done
from the selling perspective, they have not been done from the BOM perspective.
The BOM perspective is the one that accurately portrays what is found in a sealed
set. This is a by-product of the fact that BL's existence is due to selling.
Selling (parts, sets, minifigs, or gear) is what generates demographically meaningful
information, but that is a topic for a different post. I'm trying to get
back to set inventories accurately portraying what is in a sealed set, when the
seal is broken and the contents are examined. We are not there at the moment.
USA
Lithuania, Panevėžys