LEGO box seal damage grading.
AI seal-integrity grading for sealed LEGO boxes.
How the AI sees it.
Seal damage covers anything that compromises the factory adhesive sticker on the top or bottom flap: tears, peel attempts, partial lift, adhesive bleed beyond the printed boundary, double-pass marks from reseal attempts, or rotation off the LEGO factory tooling axis.
The grader perspective.
Seal integrity is the single biggest grade driver — worth 25% of the overall score. If seal integrity drops below 5.0 / 10, the verdict softens to MAYBE or SKIP regardless of how good the corners, edges, surface, and print look. Buyers won't pay collector premium for a box with a compromised seal.
↦ Scored on the BrickGauge seal axis.
Seal damage by tier.
Each tier maps to a defect signal and the grade ceiling it forces. Pre-grade your box with BrickGauge to see which tier yours lands in.
| Tier | Signal | Grade cap |
|---|---|---|
| MINT seal | Pristine factory adhesive, single-pass, on-axis | AFA 90+ |
| NM seal | Trace wear at sticker edge, no adhesive bleed | AFA 85 |
| Damaged seal | Partial lift, tear, or visible adhesive bleed | AFA 75 or below |
| Reseal flag | Double-pass marks, rotation, fiber disturbance | Skip — reject expected |
Don’t create the damage.
- 01Never test the seal by lifting it 'a little' — the adhesive doesn't survive a single removal cleanly.
- 02Don't shrinkwrap a sealed box yourself — the heat can deform the seal sticker and trigger reseal flags.
- 03When buying, demand close-up photos of both seals under raking light. If the seller refuses, walk.
- 04Store in stable humidity (40–55%). High humidity weakens factory adhesive; low humidity makes it brittle.
Browse the rest.
See your seal damage scored.
Upload six photos and BrickGauge measures the seal damage on your specific box, scores it on the seal axis, and rolls it into an overall verdict. Two free inspections on signup — credits never expire.