Welp, I finally did it. As much as it pains me, I had to sell my LEGO sets at B&M the other day.
They were just sitting at my friend’s place collecting dust until I was able to get an apartment, and I don’t see that coming to fruition any time soon. 🤷
To preface, I’m not looking for any sympathy, I’m just trying to post this around in hopes that someone in my situation sees this and doesn’t make the same mistake I did out of desperation.
I’m 25 and homeless at the moment, working at the Dollar store and trying to save up some money for an apartment, so my friend let me keep my One Piece and Star Wars sets at his. In the meantime I’ve been couch surfing or just sleeping in the park bathroom so I’m able to be close enough to work. My welcome had worn out with my friend and his mother, and pretty much everyone else I know either don’t have an extra couch, live too far of a commute, or need rent money I don’t have.
So, that brings us to the other day. I had work the next morning, it was way too cold to walk 2 hours, and I hadn’t showered (which I desperately needed lol) and so I weighed my options. My friend picked me up and took me to B&M to sell the sets I had, plus 12lbs of bulk, mostly from City and Sonic. (Going Merry, Arlong Park, and Windmill Village from One Piece, and the Sith Infiltrator, 2 Windu Fighter tanks (one sealed) the AT-TE and the playscale Jango Slave I from SW) so that I could have enough money to get a hotel room for the night and to uber to work the next day.
I started speaking to the owner about my situation after he gave me an offer of $175, and I asked him if there was anything else he could do, to which he added an extra $5 to what he gave me, adding that “You’re the second person today I’ve given more money than what their collection was worth.” I thanked him profusely, paid my friend some gas money, and proceeded to get dropped off at the Motel 6. Then, it started to hit me.
Over the past 2-3 years, I spent $500 on those sets, not even counting the bulk bins (the second pic is a screenshot of the LEGO Builder app so you can get an idea of what sets the pieces came from) and I’m just… I don’t know, I regret letting go of them, but after it took him 3 hours of sorting through everything and making my friend wait with me, I just ripped the bandaid off. Didn’t want it to be for nothing.
Thing is, I’m starting to feel taken advantage of because of my desperation. I thought being an older gentleman in the hobby he would maybe have some understanding. I understand he’s trying to run a business with overhead, but I’m already back in the same position I started in, a week away from payday, and in all honesty…I want nothing more than to just sit here at the library and play with my bricks 😭 The prices he listed for some of them really hurts… $110 for a used ATTE? You gave me $40…
What do y’all think? Is the $180 really not that bad in retrospect considering my situation, did he take advantage of me needing money? Idk, I guess I’m just trying to feel better about this whole thing.
My DMs are open if anyone has any advice or words of encouragement 🖤