How does a limited release work in a global setting?

BooTheMightyHamster

I'm sure one or two of the regulars will have seen this sort of situation before...

I'm very keen to get my hands on the #41999 Technic Crawler variant that's being released at 00.01 on August 1st (at least I assume it's 00.01). It's a limited edition of 20,000 sets, and judging by the hype around the Lego community, it isn't going to be hanging around for too long.

My question is : is it made available on the Lego website at the same time everywhere? If it's a 'midnight' release, then potentially, other territories will have had access to it for hours before the clock rolls around and the UK gets a look in.

Or do they ringfence a quantity for each timezone?

Any ideas?

Cheers!

Boo

Legofanscott

I think most members here including myself would agree that this set will take alot longer to sell out then some people think.

Had it been a tradional Lego set im sure it wouldve been a whole different affair though, but its technic which has a much smaller market compared to lego.

BooTheMightyHamster

Ok - cheers.

I'm still going to be sitting there at midnight though, just in case...

;o)

Legofanscott

BooTheMightyHamster said:

Ok - cheers.

I'm still going to be sitting there at midnight though, just in case...

;o)

I wouldnt worry boo :P

Although id love it if we were all proven wrong and the thing sold out in a few weeks :D

However if that scenario did happen im sure the limited number of 20,000 would become alot bigger ;0

BooTheMightyHamster

Technic - it's the future.
That regular Lego? Just a passing fad. I give it a couple more months at most.
You heard it here first!

:oD

skeet318

I'm the seer not you...

skeet318

Perhaps, compelling suits you better.;)

Firedogg

Hey Boo, I'm with you. I really want this limited edition crawler and am also worried about missing out. Mind you, I worry about alot of things :)

BooTheMightyHamster

\o/

Jaffa cakes all round to the excellent staff at the Watford Store. Just spoken to Eamonn and he's going to put a Crawler aside for me to collect on Saturday.

carlq

Eamonn is a top banana, and all members of the Watford Store are deserving of the highest praise. :-)

caperberry

Legofanscott said:

However if that scenario did happen im sure the limited number of 20,000 would become alot bigger ;0

I don't see how they could get away with releasing more given the emphasis on the unique printed tiles that state it's a run of 20,000.

Aanchir

caperberry said:

Legofanscott said:

However if that scenario did happen im sure the limited number of 20,000 would become alot bigger ;0

I don't see how they could get away with releasing more given the emphasis on the unique printed tiles that state it's a run of 20,000.

That depends. Don't forget that the Santa Fe Super Chief also had a limited release of 10,000 copies initially, but more were later produced. And it, too, had uniquely-numbered tiles for the first 9,999 copies.

caperberry

Forget? I never knew :0)
So did the first batch of tiles say 1/10,000 etc and the second batch 10,001/20,000?

LegoMom1

BooTheMightyHamster said:

\o/

Jaffa cakes all round to the excellent staff at the Watford Store. Just spoken to Eamonn and he's going to put a Crawler aside for me to collect on Saturday.

Doesn't seem like you had to worry at all about getting this set even without the above help, but I do understand that when one really has to have something, one tends to panic a bit. Happy it all worked out for you. Now, what can be done to ease @Firedogg's mind?

Aanchir

caperberry said:

Forget? I never knew :0)
So did the first batch of tiles say 1/10,000 etc and the second batch 10,001/20,000?

No, the second batch of Santa Fe Super Chiefs didn't have any unique engraved tiles at all. That's why Bricklink lists the original "limited edition" run and the later "wide release" one as two separate items.

That's something I feel I ought to mention by the way: these unique "printed" elements are actually laser-engraved, which is more efficient for creating so many unique decorations than pantographic printing could ever be. Same goes for the "Exo-Code" tiles from 2007 Exo-Force sets, the decorated Rhotuka spinners from 2005 BIONICLE sets, and the current style of Hero Core from the Hero Factory sets.

The Brickset pages for these parts even describe them as "engraved". Only reason I'm linking to the Bricklink pages instead is because Bricklink somewhat conveniently conflates all varieties of these pieces under one name and ID number. Often, depending on the function of the codes, that isn't the case. Hero Cores, for instance, come in four varieties according to the size of the set they come in and thus the amount of "game points" they offer when entered online.

Aanchir

You can see a lot of examples of uniquely engraved parts with a search for "engraved" on the Brickset parts database! Some of the thumbnails are a bit buggy (possibly a result of someone failing to enter a valid color into the field in whatever rendering program LEGO Customer Service used to generate the thumbnails).

You can see how many of the engraved parts from Exo-Force, for instance, are specific to particular sets, while Hero Cores instead have four "tiers" which vary mostly according to the size of a set (but not entirely — 44009 Dragon Bolt, a $20 set, has the fourth tier, while 44000 Furno XL, a set at the same price point, has only the third). Interestingly, something I hadn't realized before I checked the Brickset database is that 44014 Jet Rocka introduces a fifth tier, since that set offers a higher number of game points than any set this year. It's somewhat of a curious decision.

BooTheMightyHamster

I wouldnt worry boo :P

Although id love it if we were all proven wrong and the thing sold out in a few weeks :D

*cough cough*

"Don't worry," they said. "Its only Technic," they said.
"Who's going to want to buy that?"

:oD

Glad I got in early...

Xefan

Well at least you got an answer to your question in the thread title as well Boo, that answer would seem to be "Badly.".