Bricks & Minifigs Herndon — Local services in Herndon

Our family just recently got interested in Legos. My husband heard of this store and we traveled from Frederick County, MD to check it out hoping to find sets we couldn't find anywhere else. We honestly were disappointed in our experience. When we came in the store no one greeted us, several times workers would pass us but never checked in with us to see if we needed help, and if we had questions we had to seek them out for help. I wanted to get a few mini figures from the display cabinet and stood in front of several workers for at least three minutes before someone finally asked if I needed anything. My son picked a set from the area that was supposedly new and unopened sets. After we paid we realized his set was actually open and used, when we questioned the employees they said if we got home and it was missing parts or the instruction book we could bring it back for trade in value. What was most astonishing was that the set was priced about $10 over what we could have paid to get the set brand new and unopened from any other store. We could not believe that they charged us over market value for a used set that is still available in all stores. Shame on us for not doing our own research before buying, but again this set was in the section with the new sets not used sets. Make sure you check all packages before buying anything if you only want to buy something new, also be sure of all pricing before buying anything to ensure you aren't being overcharged. We definitely will not be back...

Seller beware. Before you go to the trouble of hauling your big or delicate sets into the store to try to sell them, they only give 10-20% of retail. Not worth the trouble AND they aren't up front about it. They just say they give " a percentage" until you get there with them and then they make a subpar offer. Meaning they would make 75% or more off your item and you get next to nothing.

Also, the staff recommended I put hundreds of dollars of big fragile Legos sets on the floor when there were kids all around the store. That should have clued me into their perceived value of my items.

Responding to their reply:

Per our subsequent email exchange. My issue isn't with your estimate (although your "average" did not take into account having the boxes and instructions), but with your overall lack of transparency about your process up front. My review is intended to warn people before they bother with coming in to sell things since you are not up front about how you assess value and what you pay. It's obvious from my interaction at the trade in desk that you have a formula you use, so why not be up front about that in your emails or on...

They got great sets and said sets are priced well (except the minifigs), but trading in sets isn’t recommended; they low-ball hard and were very very avoidant at telling me what they were giving me for specific sets when I asked. Might as well have given half my lot to them for free

Edit for the owner: When I went in to trade, I asked"what price are you giving me for this set" and their response was "normally it's $100 but we reduce that to make a profit" which is fine, but not what I asked. And they said that, three times, being very avoidant of giving me a price.

and Thinking the price is fair versus acknowledging it is underpriced, but accepting it anyways are different things. I did negotiate some, but didn't get too far. I should have tried more, and I accept that is my fault, not theirs. But even then, when I look at prices from other sites like bricklink, and what I am being offered is a fraction of what is listed, I think it is fair to say 'lowballing'...