Lego Packing Tips
Way to pack Legos
“Where do I donate Legos, how to do I pack Lego sets and pieces to box and ship them?”
Whether you are in New York, California, Florida, Texas, or anywhere else in the US, you can donate mixed used LEGOs really easily since they are really durable, and it is helpful to know how to pack Lego bulk pieces and sets in order for them to be shipped well. We use these for needs near and far, matching pieces with particular needs at the time.
Here are some packing tips that can give you a clear idea of how to ship properly:
- Start Lego Packaging by putting all Lego bricks and pieces in plastic bags (to prevent spilling if the box rips) and tie the bags (Zip-locks are fine, too). If you have complete sets, you can put each in their own separate plastic bag, and write “complete” on them. Don’t worry about trying to make a set complete if it isn’t already.
- Put the bags in a sturdy cardboard box. Try to fit all in a single box (or a few heavy packing boxes if needed) to save on shipping. Shipping two 5 lb boxes costs the same as one 30 lb box.
- It’s fine to break down sets if needed to save space. It’s fine to send completely assembled, or partially assembled, etc. FYI, a very lightweight huge box costs as much to ship as a heavy huge box (since they charge by size too).
- UPS and FedEx can handle up to 50 lb boxes, at a reasonable price. FedEx gets more expensive if over 50lb per box. Home Depot and Lowes sell good “heavy duty” boxes. Their 12″x12″x16″ Small Box holds about 20 lbs, and their 18″x18″x16″ Medium Box size holds up to about 45 lbs, and Large Boxes up to 70 lbs. UPS and FedEx have great shipping boxes too, so you can simply bring your bags of Legos there and have them make a box for you.
- Heavy boxes ship best if there isn’t a lot of dead space. Tape the box well, including all top and bottom edges.
- Send your box by UPS Ground, FedEx Ground. USPS Flat Rate boxes may work well for those in Hawaii, Alaska, and Puerto Rico.
- Let others know about this great service through FaceBook, etc. Don’t mention the mailing address since it may change next year but refer to the website where it is always current. If you like, email us to let us know how you heard about us (our email is on the top of the Home Page).
- We can meet you a suitable area in the Mountain View/Sunnyvale area if you want to drop off locally. Our shipping address can’t be used as a drop off address. It is a UPS Store location.
We are looking to fill needs right away. Let us know by email that you will be sending these.
Having questions in mind?
Frequently Asked Questions
Complete or Incomplete Sets
If you have complete or nearly complete sets, there is no need to break them down. It’s helpful if you put each in separate plastic bags and tie them shut. If you include a note saying you think they are probably complete or not, that’s helpful too. We often try to sell the sets that have more “collectible” value and use the money for postage reimbursement, buying new sets for programs, etc. Your single donation might enable us to pay for postage for multiple other donations.
Manuals
If you have manuals for complete sets, you can include those too. We don’t need manuals for incomplete sets however.
Condition
New and used Legos in good condition are great! If 10% or more of them are very dirty or have been chewed on by your pet, or if there are batteries or other toys, it’s harder for us to sort out.
Megablok, Hero Factory, Bionicles, KNEX, etc.
No, sorry, we don’t have a place to send these items.
Thanks again.