Posted on 06/30/2024 7:10:18 AM PDT by Diana in Wisconsin
Lego’s fanbase, which famously cuts across kids, teenagers and grownup collectors, is seeing some unsavory characters break into the mix, and for all the wrong reasons.
Lego products, especially the pricier sets that range from over $100 to $1,000 or more, are being targeted for theft both by individual shoplifters and larger organized retail crime rings who make a beeline for sets sitting on store shelves because they can fetch a good profit at resale both in legal and illegal channels.
Miguel Zuniga, who operates a Bricks & Minifigs Lego resale franchise store in Lumita, Los Angeles County, is still dealing with a break-in on June 18.
The Lego heist happened around 5 am that Tuesday morning.
“I was asleep, and the ADT security system gave me a call. Then my wife got a call. I went straight to the cameras and saw we were being robbed,” Zuniga told CNN.
He got to his store within 10 minutes, but the burglars were gone – with about $5,000 to $7,000 of Legos, he estimates.
Retail crime experts told CNN that stolen Lego sets are easy to resell, they’re typically hard to trace and they can fetch close to the original retail price if in mint condition and unused. Even used sets in decent shape can go for 50% of the original price.
In recent months, robbers have stolen Legos in several states.
Earlier this month, police in California arrested two people in connection with a retail theft ring that allegedly stole thousands of Lego toys from several Southern California retailers, according to CNN affiliate KABC.
LAPD detectives recovered more than 2,800 boxes of Lego toys with retail value of $20 to over $1,000 per item, the report quoted a police statement as saying.
(Excerpt) Read more at channel3000.com ...
The way I read it, ADT provides the service to alert him of a burglary and the ability to watch his shop get ripped off real-time.
Glad I am not longer in retail.
Ran my own (small) business for 35 years. Could not have survived persistent looting - we had our share!
Insurance companies can only cover so much.
Sprinkle them on the getaway path. No one can handle that much pain.
I was too old for Legos. I collected Pez dispensers before it was cool.
I wish I still had my Matchbox cars.
FIFY
My young son was not to careful about where he left things. Me - seven stiches between right big and index toes.
Can also watch the police being non-racist.
Left behind.
Nothing more painful than stepping on Lego wearing only socks.
“”Lumita, Los Angeles County””
I think the writer meant LOMITA!!!
Sorry - I didn’t read the replies far enough - yes, Lomita!!
If DAs crack down on shoplifting, the problem goes away - for Legos and everything else. Keep voting Democrat and explore the intricacies of what shoplifters prefer to steal, or stop voting Democrat and stop worrying about ridiculous BS.
Yes, why don’t they also alert the police?
Why would socks make them more painful than barefoot?
I still have my matchbox cars and lego’s. Most of my Lego’s got co-mingled with my sons, but I kept my Matchbox cars separate.
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