Free Jor-El, Iron Man....and Legends of Chima?!

dustinmroberts

I just received my copy of 10240, and inside was the Jor-El and Iron Man set as expected. However, once I lifted the Red Five set out of the box, I noticed this set in there as well, along with a note thanking me for shopping with LEGO, and as a thanks, they were including this starter set.

I just wanted to share with you guys, and see if anyone else had gotten this.

Joseph

Yep, they've been doing this in the US for a while now, or at least since may the fourth.

dustinmroberts

Cool. I had no idea. I'll ask that this be taken down then, since this is old news :) thanks!

LegoFanTexas

No, it's fine... They were doing it on May the Fourth Be With you promo weekend, but the fact that they are STILL giving them away a month later should be very telling.

They produced these in huge numbers it seems.

dougts

^ they had regular supply problems on the Ninjago spinner starter sets. It seems they greatly overcompensated with this one

TheLoneTensor

Not for nothing, is there a reason you posted the pics upside down?

jon_k

^ yeah he lives in Australia :)

ecmo47

^Ha, that is funny!! I managed to place a couple orders during the "double promo" time period and was wondering more spiners were were going to show up. Should know today.

LegoFanTexas

dougts said:

^ they had regular supply problems on the Ninjago spinner starter sets. It seems they greatly overcompensated with this one

While I agree with you on the facts of your statement, I'll point out that TLG really has no excuse for that. By the time Lloyd ZX came out, it was clear and obvious that Ninjago was a huge hit, Lloyd ZX sold out almost overnight and was nearly impossible to find at RRP.

Ninjago was 20 months old at that point, it had passed Star Wars briefly in sales 6 months before, so there really was no excuse.

If they are just now compensating for that by over producing Chima (which is a bit odd since it is a new line), then that tells me that the decision making and planning abilities of TLG are not as good as they like to promote. Everyone else saw it, I ordered 300 Lloyd ZX before it was even released and tried to get more. It was plain as day obvious that it would be a winner.

If I could see it (and so could everyone else), why did TLG miss it? Unless of course it was intentional, which is another can of worms. :)

FoxyA19

Is it just with star wars sets, or is it with any big sets?

Pitfall69

That and more. I got one for free when they sent me my Han Solo. He didn't cine in either of my orders. They sent him out and another Chima.

dougts

Yeah, they've clearly just been throwing the free Chima set in with every box that goes out the door

Polynices

I had an order that LEGO split into two shipments for whatever reason (it wasn't that large) and they threw a Chima starter set into both boxes. I'm up to 4 of them now and it was the one that my kids already had!

Gooker1

The problem w/ Chima not catching on as quickly or not at all, is b/c the cartoon has been delayed for so long. Kids had nothing to tie Chima too. Ninjago had the cartoon to coincide with it and really push it home.

Once the Chima cartoon starts up next month, sales should increase.

TheOneVeyronian

We've got nothing like that in the UK, maybe the occassional free speedor set with a coupon or £50 Chima purchase, but not just shoving them in with every order. I imagine people who place lots of orders in the US are drowning in Starter sets!

Having said that, though, I remember a month ago receiving my Star Wars order. Took my Headhunter and AT-RT out, there sat the SW poster, Hoth Han... and a LoC poster! Weird, especially since the poster offer had ended about a week prior to my delivery!

Over here, we don't get the Chima cartoon at all, so maybe it's not doing so badly over here? I am quite a fan, I admit, I love the minifigs, the crystals (have about 100 of them!) and the unusual set designs. But that's my own opinion.

TinKnockerHimes

Do you get the Jor El promo if you go to the LEGO store in the states?
Planning on going to get Arkham Asylum with a coupon I have, but dont wanna make the 3 hour drive if I dont get Jor EL as well, will just order online instead

ColoradoBricks

@TinKnockerHimes, yes as long they still have some in stock. I would call them to put aside an AA+Jor-El before driving...

TinKnockerHimes

Cool. Thank you!

Pitfall69

Just got another Chima set. This is my fourth one.

ecmo47

2 more Chimas for me!

Pitfall69

I need to get another Jor-El though.

iancam33

I have 3 of the chima sets as a result of [email protected] orders......I might have a fourth when my next order comes this week.

legomatt

Sooo, the next logical step is we all collectively agree to NOT buy anymore Star Wars sets, so that within a month or two, [email protected] throw a free ewok village into our parcels. :oP We can dream!
LOL

On a serious note:

Is it possible there's too much of a good thing going on perhaps?

I've said before, with so many great themes released AND lots of high priced/highly prized sets on the horizon, that at some point one or more sets/themes is going to suffer a lack of sales due to some form of cannibalism effect. At that point, it's no good TLG producing a mountain of goodness if the average fan is clean out of money. People only have so much disposable income to spend. TLG have after all been steadily increasing their production capacity these past few years, perhaps there is a tipping point where they can actually overproduce on too many themes and sets beyond their customers spending power.

OR It's just a really crummy theme that doesn't cut the mustard. < This, i should think... . :o)

LegoFanTexas

^ This is a key point worth considering... at some point the average customer throws up their hands and says, "no way to have it all, maybe we don't need another set".

Disposable income isn't always the problem either, there is no way to display or play with all the LEGO sets that are produced. I'd have to buy another house to put them all in.

That is nuts... at some point people run out of space, even if they don't run out of money.

I have limited it to certain themes:

Star Wars
City
Ninjago
Super Heroes
Creator
Friends

Everything else has been moved to the sell pile, including all the LOTR sets (as much as I like them), all the Castle/Kingdoms sets, all the Harry Potter sets (I had one of each for my daughter to build), all the PotC sets (I actually liked them!), etc.

All gone, no space for them at all.

As it is, I was buying everything made in the above themes, but with a closet stuffed full of sets, my wife correctly pointed out that we would never build them all, and even if we did, we had no room for them.

So now I have figured out I need to be picky about what sets within a given theme we buy. I might have to pare the list down further, removing... I don't know what... something...

It is nuts, LEGO is amazing, I love the product, but it takes up so much space!

*ugh*

Maybe that rental idea isn't so half-baked! :) (actually, yes it is, there is no way they will clean those bricks enough for my taste)

Pitfall69

^I am with you buddy. I started this a long time ago with sports cards. I stuck to just Football cards. When I started collecting Star Wars figures I had enough and I limited my collection to OT, now it is ONLY Cantina Patrons. Lego is the same thing, I had to limit my themes.

Vaio

When I first started a few year back, I just purchased anything that I thought was a good deal...I eventually lost interest in them and never got to building them.

I tried limiting myself to themes but couldn't stick to it...almost every theme has at least one really cool set right?

I had to new create categories...

#1 "Omg I want to open it right now and build it!"
(I only buy from this category)

#2 "Hey that looks neat...but I dont need to have it..."

#3 "I think this set would be a good investment... "


My problem now...everything keeps going into category #1... Sigh...lol

TheOneVeyronian

There is so many of the large sets that I would like to have, but for me I can only display them in one room - my bedroom. even then Lego models have to compete for shelf space with both my rock collection and my model car collection. It's actually annoying having to rearrange my whole room every time I get in something new to display. But on foresight, I have reserved a space by the wall for the next arrival, Tower of Orthanc.
But even in my world, all my models have to compete with each other to get prime display locations in the chaotic world of my bedroom :-P

iancam33

@legofantexas: Instead of selling them off why not just take them all apart so you have the surplus of pieces for MOC's and or at a later time to rebuild the set. Or is it that you just don't have ANY storage even for sorting bins, trays, cabinets, etc?

LegoFanTexas

^ I just don't do MOCs, won't do MOCs, don't have the skills or time for MOCs.

My kids of course free build, but they have plenty of bricks, there comes a point where young kids have plenty of bricks and just don't need more.

As for rebuilding the set, why? There are too many new interesting sets to build, and once I've built a set, I remember it far too well, it won't be interesting the second time around.

I did this with a few sets about a year ago, there they sit in plastic tubs, never to be touched again. Why, it is just sad...

Better to send them on to homes that will love them. :)

kwkw

^create scenes with your old sets. For example, do a Star Wars Hoth layout using all the Hoth sets that Lego has put out over the last few years. I'm working on a few layouts myself. I'm currently working on a big crazy city (with alien invaders, super heroes and a Jurassic Park). Also working on a Battle of Hoth, Battle of Endor and Battle of Helms Deep :) But since I'm quickly running out of Lego room, I've been selling off the parts or minifigs to sets that don't interest me or are doubles of something I don't need, which not only clears out some room for other sets/minifigs but also gets me a little bit of extra $$ to spend on what I want and need for my theme layouts.

iancam33

@legofantexas: I see your point seeing as you don't do MOCs. As far as the kids go, yes, there is a point when they have enough......wow did I just say that.

samiam391

Vaio said:

When I first started a few year back, I just purchased anything that I thought was a good deal...I eventually lost interest in them and never got to building them.

I tried limiting myself to themes but couldn't stick to it...almost every theme has at least one really cool set right?

I had to new create categories...

#1 "Omg I want to open it right now and build it!"
(I only buy from this category)

#2 "Hey that looks neat...but I dont need to have it..."

#3 "I think this set would be a good investment... "


My problem now...everything keeps going into category #1... Sigh...lol

I see nothing wrong with #1, except for the damage it does upon your wallet. I don't hate LEGO re-selling by any means, and do it on a very, very small time basis myself...

However if there is a choice to make between opening and building versus keeping and investing, I always choose and highly encourage the former.

I'd much rather stare at a LEGO set, then a cardboard box :o)

Pitfall69

^For sure

Pitfall69

I am staring at acouple of Classic Castle sets for way too long I need to probably need to get rid of them.

Pitfall69

To stay on topic. I just placed another order through. [email protected] My brother n law is losing his job and I got him and my nephew a couple of Lego sets. I wonder if I will get another Chima Speedorz?

Vaio

Just got my Chima Speedorz free from [email protected] of got excited....

Spicy

I might have to place an order and see if I can get one. That's a nice thing for me as one of the five Chima fans out there (j/k). :D

legomatt

^ There are Five Chima fans? You know the rule, photos or they don't exist! LOL

Pitfall69

Five seems alittle high.

carlq

I'm a fan of the wings available in Chima, does that count? ;-)

TheOneVeyronian

Well, I like the set and minifig designs from the Chima range, and that's the only reason I buy them. I find the storyline very derivative and sort of 'seen it all before' kind of feeling. Overall, it's a very average theme. Designs great, story not so, in my opinion. And the characters the minifigs portray? Just too difficult to personify with, them being animals and all.

CircleK

The thing I like about Chima the most is that I don't like it at all. The last thing I need right now is one more theme to keep up with. Chima gave my wallet a much needed breather and for that - I'm thankful.

I also got the freebie with my last order along with the Jor-El and Iron Man polys. I promptly sold it on Craigslist for 10 bucks.

murphquake

Hey! I'm a Chima Fan! So i guess at least 40% of us admit it?

TheOneVeyronian

Well, I like Chima, my only problem is that they're releasing too many Speedor sets too quickly (we've had 15 this year) and not releasing the more interesting big sets quickly enough. They should have released the rest of the big sets in June, like they did last year with, dare I say it, Ninjago?
That said, I don't own all the Chima sets, only the ones I need for a full minifig collection with the least doubles possible.

CCC

Didn't they do the same with Ninjago in it's infancy - that is, release a lot of the "toys" (here the spinner sets) quickly, then the larger sets more slowly. I seem to remember there being a dozen or so spinners all available at the same time early on, after the initial wave of six.

TheOneVeyronian

Unfortunately I wasn't a hardcore collector when Ninjago first come out, and never really kept tabs on what was being released when or the release pattern. But yes, the first year of Ninjago had a big gap between first and second wave release (August for the first Ninjago summer wave I guess?).
Then capitalising on the success of Ninjago in the first year in the UK, the second year's summer wave came two months earlier compared to the first year.
Maybe Chima is following this exact pattern, if it is a hit (which judging by reactions I've seen it's a bit hit and miss), the same pattern will emerge. Except Chima's first year has shown to have every type of subtheme group imaginable, with regular sets, Speedorz and Constraction. Seems Lego are really determined to try and appeal to everyone with Chima.
And judging that they're now giving away the Speedorz, it's not completely working IMO.

CCC

Ninjago wasn't much of a hit at the start though. And now Chima has to almost fight the reputation of Ninjago to be popular.

legogregors

Have the free Speedorz stopped shipping with orders or are people still getting them?

TheOneVeyronian

^^ I agree, the smaller first wave dragon sets are really desirable now the theme is incredibly popular. An Earth Dragon, sealed, has been selling on auctions for £60.
But I think Ninjago's success was partly in the cartoon series, which I believe was properly kick-started summer 2011 and really popular in 2012. Mind you, this wasn't done in the UK, so for the UK anyway, Ninjago couldn't have thrived on the cartoon alone. There must be other factors.
They're not as readily distributing free Chima starter packs in the UK (a voucher for VIP's and a couple of other online offers), but it doesn't mean that the theme is doing well here either.
And one of the problems of Chima is, well, it's premise is too similar to Ninjago, with the interactive game packs (spinners and Speedorz). It's trying too hard to be the next Ninjago, and that's where it's failing. Shame though because the sets are stunning display pieces and they're quirky, they look like animals, I like that. :-)
Which is exactly why I liked the Ninjago Serpentine line too. Spot the striking similarity. Both have animal inspired vehicles, Chima diversifies the concept which originated in Ninjago.
Who knows? Chima could do really well in a couple of years. Only time will tell.
That's all my opinion anyway, you may think differently. That's all I've got to say on the matter :-)

geographybee2012

With Chima, I feel like Lego is relying too much on the cartoon to boost sales (unlike Ninjago, where the show was new). However, my younger brother, who really liked Ninjago, couldn't get through the first 15 minutes of an episode, and I couldn't even get through the advertisement. They've made Chima too much like Ninjago (hoping to experience the same success, maybe?) for it to really sell well IMO.