Question 1

What is a Mystery Side Dish box?

Accepted Answer

A Mystery Side Dish box is a small bundle of surplus finds selected from the current shelf. You will not know every exact object before opening it, but you will know the box title, price, quantity range, category, condition grade, testing status, and disclosure notes before you request it.

Question 2

What do I know before buying a mystery box?

Accepted Answer

The mystery is about the exact contents, not about hiding the important context. Before you request a box, you can read its price, expected category, quantity range, grade, testing status, and notes about missing parts, imperfections, and shipping. We keep the surprise in the objects, not in the fine print.

Question 3

How do the A–D grades and Tested/Untested labels work?

Accepted Answer

A is the cleanest and least-worn tier, B is good used condition, C is visibly worn but still useful, and D is the roughest project-or-parts tier. Tested means we checked the key functions we could reasonably check; Untested means we did not function-check it. A grade is a helpful shorthand, not a warranty, so the listing notes and photos get the final word.

Question 4

Where do the Mystery Side Dish boxes come from?

Accepted Answer

Our boxes are built from the same odd little ecosystem as the rest of the shelf: liquidation, surplus, and customer-return stock. A customer return is not automatically broken, and surplus is not automatically pristine. We sort what we can, test what we reasonably can, and disclose what matters before it leaves the picnic.

Question 5

What does “transparent” mean for a mystery box?

Accepted Answer

Transparent means we tell you what is known before you decide: the price, category, expected quantity, grade, test status, and practical notes about missing parts, imperfections, and shipping. If a field has no note, do not translate that into a promise of perfection. The unknown is the exact mix inside, not a hidden defect we already know about.

Question 6

How long does shipping take?

Accepted Answer

There is no single delivery timetable for every box. Size, shape, fragility, and packing needs can change the handling time, so each listing’s shipping notes are the source of truth. We use standard tracked shipping when the listing says so, but we do not promise a blanket number of days where the box itself does not support one.

Question 7

What is the returns or refunds policy?

Accepted Answer

We do not publish a blanket return window or automatic refund promise for every surprise item. Please read the listing disclosures before requesting, and if something arrives materially different from what was described, email rummage-picnic@polsia.app with the order details and a few photos so we can review the picnic-table evidence with you.

Question 8

Can I choose the exact contents of a Mystery Side Dish box?

Accepted Answer

Not exactly—that would turn the mystery into a very small shopping list. You can choose whether the box’s category, grade, testing status, quantity range, and disclosures fit your appetite. If you need one specific object, browse the individual finds instead.

Questions, answered plainly.

Honest labels make better surprises.