CAMom Posted March 13, 2013 Share Posted March 13, 2013 So, it's really official. We're moving. :) Our home sold in 5 days and our escrow closes next week. Our home in OR won't be completed until July so we are renting locally for a few months. We are in the process of moving all of our belongings to our rental townhouse. Everything has gone smoothly so far. However, my 7yo doesn't want me touching all of his Lego creations. :lol: Any ideas on how to transport them without destroying them? I have several of them in sturdy cardboard banker's box right now. But, I can't take 15 trips to the new place to carry one box at a time. ;) I'd love some tips on getting them there safely! TIA Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CAMom Posted March 13, 2013 Author Share Posted March 13, 2013 Can I try a bump. :) No views and no responses. I may have to figure it out on my own. ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
theYoungerMrsWarde Posted March 13, 2013 Share Posted March 13, 2013 I'll bump for you. I have no idea! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eagle Posted March 13, 2013 Share Posted March 13, 2013 Get him to take some photos of them from a few angles now in case there is a last-minute decision that they can't be transported as is. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nukeswife Posted March 13, 2013 Share Posted March 13, 2013 If it's a move that requires more than a 20-30 minute drive he'll most likely have to start over with many of them. My oldest has a lot of the big starwars sets and they've never managed to stay intact enough during a move Even with taking them apart and putting the pieces in baggies for him to then use to reconstruct on the other end we somehow wound up with missing pieces. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheReader Posted March 14, 2013 Share Posted March 14, 2013 Okay, I have experience with this. Lots. Unfortunately, the only way to get them 100% in tact is like you say, in his lap, in a box. Or, on the floor board in a box, etc. However many you have room to transport that way, tell him he may choose that number to ride safely, but the rest really have to come a little bit apart. For the "a little bit apart" ones --- you may either wrap in saran wrap or place them in ziplock baggies. It helps if he's saved instruction booklets, but you can look most instructions up on-line if not. Take them down to as few parts as necessary; i.e., disassemble them slowly, carefully, leaving as much in tact as possible so that they are packable shapes. Place those shapes into baggies as mentioned, and label each baggy with name/description of set, and #x/y as far as how many baggies (i.,e, 1 of 2, 2 of 2, etc.) Then lay them flat (ish) in a box or suitcase, with bubble wrap between each layer of baggies (including on bottom) (or towels, blankets, etc. to cushion) and pack. If you don't have super far to go, you can try layering them in w/o disassembling, but even the most careful packing still results in some breakage, really. We just encourage the boys that it is fun to rebuild the legos while waiting for everything else to be unpacked :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cosmos Posted March 14, 2013 Share Posted March 14, 2013 I would take them apart. We have strongly encouraged the idea that Lego is for building and unbuilding and rebuilding and so on. They are too expensive to be used just once and then gather dust forever. Periodically in our house all the built sets are taken apart. It's like getting new Lego sets all over again! If there's one super special piece of art, I would follow TheReader's suggestions. But I would not be transporting dozens of Lego creations. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Little Nyssa Posted March 14, 2013 Share Posted March 14, 2013 DS8 wants me to recommend you find a way to glue or stick them together. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Starr Posted March 14, 2013 Share Posted March 14, 2013 Could they be wrapped in mega amounts of bubble wrap? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luckymama Posted March 14, 2013 Share Posted March 14, 2013 I would take them apart. We have strongly encouraged the idea that Lego is for building and unbuilding and rebuilding and so on. They are too expensive to be used just once and then gather dust forever. Periodically in our house all the built sets are taken apart. It's like getting new Lego sets all over again! If there's one super special piece of art, I would follow TheReader's suggestions. But I would not be transporting dozens of Lego creations. Absolutely this. We've moved twice since Legos took over. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Night Elf Posted March 14, 2013 Share Posted March 14, 2013 Our move wasn't far so we put them in boxes with towels packed between them and carried them in the car, not the moving truck. They arrived intact and with no pieces missing. If you are moving far or simply won't have the room to put them in the temporary home, give him large baggies and help him break down his pieces very carefully, insuring that each piece makes it into the bag. Hopefully he saved the instructions so he could build them again. Not everyone plays with lego the same way. My son has a 6 ft table with a city layout that he built years ago and makes occasional modifications to. He believes lego sets are meant to be looked at and enjoyed, not always taken apart. Because he has so many, he rotates some of the city buildings and vehicles. He does take them apart for storage but packs them in large baggies with the instructions in the bag. My son is very meticulous about his Lego collection. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
amo_mea_filiis. Posted March 14, 2013 Share Posted March 14, 2013 I'm terrified of moving MY lego sets! Lol. I know I'll have to strip down the Black Pearl because there's no way to pack it. I also have a Haunted House and some Kingdom sets. Most of them I can just take off the decorations (window shutters, plants, flags) and wrap up the main parts in a box. My lego sets are built and displayed. The kids' sets are always rebuilt, so theirs will just be boxed up and wrapped to keep them safe. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lynn Posted March 14, 2013 Share Posted March 14, 2013 If she put them together tightly they really won't come apart as easy as you may think.get a large bin/box and wrap each one, don't let them be crushed in the box use several boxes with a few in each one if you need to. Unpack one at a time so she can put on whatever pieces fell off. We moved several time and I told the packers that I will pack the legos and they left me supplies. They all arrived fairly intact. We even ebayed a rather large starwars ship, we had to take off the wings to fit it in the box to mail it, the buyer was happy with it when it arrived. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CAMom Posted March 14, 2013 Author Share Posted March 14, 2013 Okay, I have experience with this. Lots. Unfortunately, the only way to get them 100% in tact is like you say, in his lap, in a box. Or, on the floor board in a box, etc. However many you have room to transport that way, tell him he may choose that number to ride safely, but the rest really have to come a little bit apart. For the "a little bit apart" ones --- you may either wrap in saran wrap or place them in ziplock baggies. It helps if he's saved instruction booklets, but you can look most instructions up on-line if not. Take them down to as few parts as necessary; i.e., disassemble them slowly, carefully, leaving as much in tact as possible so that they are packable shapes. Place those shapes into baggies as mentioned, and label each baggy with name/description of set, and #x/y as far as how many baggies (i.,e, 1 of 2, 2 of 2, etc.) Then lay them flat (ish) in a box or suitcase, with bubble wrap between each layer of baggies (including on bottom) (or towels, blankets, etc. to cushion) and pack. If you don't have super far to go, you can try layering them in w/o disassembling, but even the most careful packing still results in some breakage, really. We just encourage the boys that it is fun to rebuild the legos while waiting for everything else to be unpacked :) THANK YOU!! Great suggestions! Our first move is only 3 miles from where we are right now. Our second move will be 1000 miles. I would take them apart. We have strongly encouraged the idea that Lego is for building and unbuilding and rebuilding and so on. They are too expensive to be used just once and then gather dust forever. Periodically in our house all the built sets are taken apart. It's like getting new Lego sets all over again! If there's one super special piece of art, I would follow TheReader's suggestions. But I would not be transporting dozens of Lego creations. :scared: Do you have an OCD type kid? :lol: The thought of taking them all apart makes him hyperventilate. He does take things apart and rebuild them but on his terms and when he's ready. He doesn't just look at his creations. He plays with them. Currently he's built some sort of space set as a result of watching "Deadliest Space Weather" on The Weather Channel. They definitely aren't dust gatherers. DS8 wants me to recommend you find a way to glue or stick them together. :) :) That would be a great idea for ones he never wants to change. I'll ask him about that. Most of his creations last for a time and then he makes something new but there may be some he would want to glue together. Our move wasn't far so we put them in boxes with towels packed between them and carried them in the car, not the moving truck. They arrived intact and with no pieces missing. If you are moving far or simply won't have the room to put them in the temporary home, give him large baggies and help him break down his pieces very carefully, insuring that each piece makes it into the bag. Hopefully he saved the instructions so he could build them again. Not everyone plays with lego the same way. My son has a 6 ft table with a city layout that he built years ago and makes occasional modifications to. He believes lego sets are meant to be looked at and enjoyed, not always taken apart. Because he has so many, he rotates some of the city buildings and vehicles. He does take them apart for storage but packs them in large baggies with the instructions in the bag. My son is very meticulous about his Lego collection. The baggie suggestion from you and the others is perfect for our 1000 mile move! I think I may be able to talk him into that one. We have all of the instructions and I can have him take photos of the ones that were his own artwork and not a set. Thanks for understanding that everyone plays with Legos differently! :) I'm terrified of moving MY lego sets! Lol. :lol: A mom after my kid's own heart! Moving definitely is stressful and I'm trying to respect his feelings as much as is reasonable. For a kid who has some OCD type tendencies, I think it's important and worth it. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dmmetler Posted March 14, 2013 Share Posted March 14, 2013 Rubbermaid boxes and bubble wrap. DD's entered a few of hers in shows/contests, some several hours away. Remove sticking up parts and wrap separately, and expect to have to rebuild, but the big sections should be intact. Take photos, too. It's typical for lego builder events to have nothing scheduled the first day but arriving, unpacking, and rebuilding for a reason-and in many cases, the creations displayed end up slightly different than those in the exhibitor photos in the book because the creator got hit by a creative idea once they were there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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