Why are so many Bricklink sellers from the Netherlands?

[Lego David]

I always found it weird that at almost any item I search on Bricklink, a lot of (if not most) of the stores selling it are from from Netherlands. Apparently, there are currently more than 760 individual stores located in the Netherlands, wich I find quite amazing, to be honest. This is something I always found interesting about Bricklink. Why are there so many Netherlands sellers compared to sellers from other European countries?

Edited July 8, 2019 by Lego David

[MAB]

The number is not that big, as a number of the stores have little to no stock, although that is true across most countries' statistics on BL.

But why NL? Because: (1) relatively wealthy county, across much of the population and (2) relatively technical mindset country, the Dutch are often over-represented (in terms of population) in science and engineering.

 

 

[TeriXeri]

The Netherlands also has no official LEGO stores (only online, so no physical Pick a Brick Walls)

Sure, relatively to the US or something its a small country, and Germany and Belgium LEGO stores are "next door" to them, but not everyone has a car and going by train isn't cheap or viable just for a LEGO store.

Also , most generic physical stores can be pretty expensive compared to buying online , I buy most my sets online because there are no Walmarts or Targets type stores anywhere near .

And while there are a few larger LEGO-focused shops, they have €5-€8 shipping so only really viable on big orders or good discounts. And again, not near my area.

That's just my perspective.

I figure people with cars have an easier time compared to people without, but even then, gasoline prices are still one of the highest of europe.

Edited July 8, 2019 by TeriXeri

[AmperZand]

Unless I can possibly avoid it, I don't buy from sellers in the Netherlands (BL and others). I haven't done for years.

The problem isn't with the sellers themselves. It's to do with the postal systems. Packets of small parts (LEGO and other small component collectibles) go 'missing' too often. I'm guessing that postal workers think the packets contain drugs.... I don't know. 50% of my LEGO/collectibles orders don't arrive. The ones that do take up to 6 weeks to the UK by airmail.

I have asked BL sellers in the Netherlands who are close to the Belgian border to send them from there. Never had a problem with orders from Belgium.    

[ks6349]

I would like to take this chance to ask a question. I have sources of getting very discounted LEGO, can I sell on bricklinks too?  What should I pay attention to when selling? I don't have a lot of experience selling on the internet

[coinoperator]

4 hours ago, ks6349 said:

What should I pay attention to when selling?

When paid with paypal make sure that you ship with tracking.
No matter what it costs, paypal will refund the customer if you can't show a tracking in case of problems.

[ks6349]

3 minutes ago, coinoperator said:

When paid with paypal make sure that you ship with tracking.
No matter what it costs, paypal will refund the customer if you can't show a tracking in case of problems.

I understand. It's the basic thing to prove you've shipped something. How about if I ship with tracking but the buyer tries to make trouble for example saying your real lego is fake, your box is damaged etc? How to prove those case?

[MAB]

6 hours ago, ks6349 said:

I would like to take this chance to ask a question. I have sources of getting very discounted LEGO, can I sell on bricklinks too?  What should I pay attention to when selling? I don't have a lot of experience selling on the internet

Make sure it is LEGO. Make sure you know what it is you have.

Even then, a lot of people on bricklink won't trust or buy you, as you are from a region where there are many fakes produced. Plus postage will be expensive to most BL buyers, which again cuts down on sales unless you have something not available elsewhere.

[ks6349]

4 hours ago, MAB said:

Make sure it is LEGO. Make sure you know what it is you have.

Even then, a lot of people on bricklink won't trust or buy you, as you are from a region where there are many fakes produced. Plus postage will be expensive to most BL buyers, which again cuts down on sales unless you have something not available elsewhere.

100% LEGO. I never purchase LEPIN

 

[ks6349]

On 7/10/2019 at 4:35 PM, MAB said:

Make sure it is LEGO. Make sure you know what it is you have.

Even then, a lot of people on bricklink won't trust or buy you, as you are from a region where there are many fakes produced. Plus postage will be expensive to most BL buyers, which again cuts down on sales unless you have something not available elsewhere.

and how did you know where I am from

[anothergol]

I live in Belgium, and I'd say that this country isn't a real one but 2 different countries stuck together, one part that is a twin sister of the Nederlands, the other that is a twin sister of France.

Lots of shops in Belgium as well, for a small country, but it looks like the majority are in the Dutch part. And that part happens to be (by far) the wealthiest. Little unemployment in that part, massive unemployment in my part. Maybe that's related?

But it's strange considering:
-I would more imagine BL stores in poor regions/countries, considering how little a BL shop must bring (well I may be wrong, but it looks more like a hobby/side job to me)

-most importantly, shipping from the Nederlands costs a lot, especially over 50 or 100g. More expensinve than from the neighbor countries

On 7/10/2019 at 10:35 AM, MAB said:

What should I pay attention to when selling? I don't have a lot of experience selling on the internet

I have too little experience buying sets on BL, but if you're selling parts, as long as they're new, you're good to go. Just pack transparent parts individually, that's all a buyer asks.

Used parts, that's another story..

[MAB]

11 hours ago, ks6349 said:

and how did you know where I am from

Underneath your name it says Country: Vietnam.

 

[ks6349]

2 hours ago, MAB said:

Underneath your name it says Country: Vietnam.

 

so far looks like there isn't any 1:1 fake LEGO we know in the world. Why did you say that I am from a country where there are many fake products produced? 

You can get Lepin no matter where you buy from, even if you buy from a very rich western country who can gurantee that they are not shipping Lepin to you? 

In Vietnam we don't have a lot of fake products as you imagine.

 

Edited July 12, 2019 by ks6349

[MAB]

6 hours ago, ks6349 said:

so far looks like there isn't any 1:1 fake LEGO we know in the world. Why did you say that I am from a country where there are many fake products produced?

 

I didn't. I said you were from a region where fake products are produced. Many fake LEGO items are made in South East Asia. They aren't branded as LEGO, but then quite a few LEGO parts are not branded either. People are wary of fakes on BL, if a seller from SE has many of a rare part, then many people will assume they are fake.

And there are fake LEGO *printed* parts. A huge load of fake Deapool minifigures printed on original parts originated in SE Asia. The parts are original, but were printed on by fakers.

[ks6349]

4 hours ago, MAB said:

I didn't. I said you were from a region where fake products are produced. Many fake LEGO items are made in South East Asia. They aren't branded as LEGO, but then quite a few LEGO parts are not branded either. People are wary of fakes on BL, if a seller from SE has many of a rare part, then many people will assume they are fake.

And there are fake LEGO *printed* parts. A huge load of fake Deapool minifigures printed on original parts originated in SE Asia. The parts are original, but were printed on by fakers.

It's now 2019, not 1979, shipping and travelling is getting cheaper and cheaper, easier and easier, anyone in ANY part of the world could get fake products and re-sell them, fake products are not exclusive in Asia. One typical example is that not too many years ago there were tons   of Americans and Europeans bringing extreme large quantities of pirated CDs out of the Vietnam and re-sold them in their countries.

Edited July 12, 2019 by ks6349

[ks6349]

I once paid the original price but got the pirated DVDs from an online shop shipped from the Netherlands. They then ignore my email. It was the only but the worst experience I had with anything about the Netherlands