LEGO VIP Black Friday Early Shopping Pass

dougts

She probably is new or doesn't know. In the past it's always been all locations (USA at least)

Gooker1

If you're store is fairly new, then they probably won't do it. The Topanga, CA store opened in Sept of last year, and last year they did not participate in the holiday event.

madforLEGO

If the store is less than a year old I may see it as they may not have enough data to see who to invite (whatever LEGOs parameters are for determining who gets an invite)
But if the store is at least a year old it is a bit hard to fathom that LEGO would not offer that to that store. OR the manager is coy and does not want to admit it because they do not want people asking to get an invite.

1265

I've been to two VIP events. Nothing too special.

matticus_bricks

Hmm I think the store opened about 2 years ago, but I'm not sure. I would imagine it's something they try to keep most people unaware of. Ah well, maybe next year.

Billybrown

1265 said:

I've been to two VIP events. Nothing too special.

I went to 1 around 2 years ago, was a bit disapointed as I was imagining:

1/ Red carpet treatment for the adults including a brew
2/ Snacks for the kids
2/ Party poppers
3/ Lolly pop girls
4/ A clown juggling lego Christmas baubles. :-)

madforLEGO

I like going. I have been to 3. It is a nice little special event.
Last year they gave everyone a PaB box to fill that morning and then I bought enough to get another, and I think they had the scratch cards as well. Will it be as good as when they allowed the exclusives to be on sale and whatnot? No, but I think while 'nothing special' it is a neat little gift from LEGO (the few that are left).

Are they giving away LEGO or handing out bars of gold? No, but I like getting BF deals without having to go to the mall on BF. Plus i have to admin I was intrigued when the store employee I talked to said there are supposed to be some nice giveaways for the store. As to what those are, not sure. I'm guessing it is nothing momentous, but yeah if it is free Ill take it.

Farmer_John

Anyone receive an invitation yet?

I am hopeful that TLG will still have these pre-BF events even if I don't get invited this year. I don't think it costs TLG that much and it's a great way for them to say thank you to the people who really support their company. It's also a nice, quiet time for customers to visit with the store manager, employees, and other AFOLs.

madforLEGO

I'm resuscitating this thread. Has anyone heard about any pre black Friday LEGO store event invites this year(either getting one, or if it has been cancelled)?

TheLoneTensor

Ask the guy that works at the nearby Taco Bell while you're at it.  Let's hear what he thinks ;)

gmonkey76

Russell844 said:

I have never gotten a pre-BF invite but I did get the keychain.

Same with me.  Got the key chain, but can't remember ever getting an invite.

SirBen

I'm hoping they've done away with invitations and opened the fun to all VIPs. The November calendar has a note about VIPs visiting on the 21st, for special holiday offers, see stores.lego.com for details. I'm not seeing details posted there yet. Hopefully we'll see details posted Nov 1. I'm expecting that if nothing is posted by then I'll have my family ask when they visit the store for the MMMB on Tuesday.

dougts

I asked the store a few weeks back and they didn't seem to recall seeing anything about it. After gutting the benefits the past couple years, they may as well just end it 

HokieJoe99

They'll probably offer 10% of all Chima, Juniors, and Duplo for the VIP event. I wouldn't hold out much hope for >27% off anything. 

DoubleD

Last year every time I ask they looked at me like I was from another country. Never got a answer if they had one or not.

Sethro3

Why would LEGO need sales? People are eating this product up these days...

Pumpkin_3CK5

I've been to two BF and there weren't really any sales. There's an off chance they'll have new sets out though. Mostly went for the holiday set. I got a $20 scratch card one year and last year it was that buildable Santa which looked silly. It would be fun to get an invite for the pre-BF event.

Bumblepants

I think they will put the last little bit of Ultra Agents back for a sale (in the US at least). They took the whole line off the site awhile back without most of them ever going OOS. Just a guess though. Last of the Chima also seems like a good bet.

madforLEGO

Actually I managed to get up to the LEGO store and they are saying something is going on and invites should be going out, though it seems kind of at the last minute as I thought these used to go out in late October, not 1st week of November.

gmonkey76

Best black Friday? Sale I got was the UCS B-wing for 50% off.

gmonkey76

^ or was that the UCS  Jedi Starfighter it's been so long I don't remember which on it was.

brickupdate

2011 is the last big year for Black Friday sales that I remember personally. I got:

• Star Wars Republic Dropship with AT-OT Walker ($180.75 from LEGO Store)
• Imperial Flagship ($130 from LEGO Store)
• Public Transport ($72.23 from LEGO Store)

And that year Barns & Noble had this crazy 50% off deal. I got a bunch of stuff (photos):
http://brickupdate.com/lego-black-friday/

Since then, my memory is that LEGO has offered minor discounts on largely unpopular sets and keychains. 

goshe7

It's amazing how times or perspectives change...  I wouldn't hesitate to buy imperial flagship at that price, even if it was still in production.  Yet somehow I passed. D'oh!

binaryeye

gmonkey76 said:

^ or was that the UCS  Jedi Starfighter it's been so long I don't remember which on it was.

It must have been the Starfighter because the B-Wing was on May 4th.

dougts

2011 was the last good year.  $75 emerald night and $130 imperial flagship.   Plus additional discount of 10%, 20%, or 50% based on your luck.  

madforLEGO

I think the invites would have/should have been sent out this past week. Anyone get one?

Prin12s

I'm still new to all the fun, but I'm in the store almost weekly and know most the brick specialist by name. I would love to go to the event, but I'm not sure I've been a VIP member long enough. I'll run up there tomorrow and ask. 

Jenni

@Prin12sthat's your best bet. Store managers have a lot of leeway in adding people. I've never made the cut based on the algorithm but my store manager has invited me each year. Now he's left and we have a new manager so I don't know this time.

TheLoneTensor

dougts said:

2011 was the last good year.  $75 emerald night and $130 imperial flagship.   Plus additional discount of 10%, 20%, or 50% based on your luck.  

You're also forgetting $45 Winter Toy Shops, which were really good up until about a month ago.

dougts

TheLoneTensor said:

dougts said:

2011 was the last good year.  $75 emerald night and $130 imperial flagship.   Plus additional discount of 10%, 20%, or 50% based on your luck.  

You're also forgetting $45 Winter Toy Shops, which were really good up until about a month ago.

well, except they had sold out in my local store a couple weeks before that BF shopping day, so I wasn't exactly forgetting

TheLoneTensor

I remember heading in for the 12/26/11 sale (another last of its kind) and seeing stacks of these.  It was a beautiful sight.

gmonkey76

Just got my invite in the mail  for a special vip shopping event on November 21st.

double points
gingerbread house over $99
select items on sale.

monkeyhanger

Any of these invite cards making their way around the UK yet?

Pumpkin_3CK5

gmonkey76 said:

Just got my invite in the mail  for a special vip shopping event on November 21st.

double points
gingerbread house over $99
select items on sale.

 Do you fill out the surveys after each visit to the store? Did you spend xxx amount or like spoke to the manager about it? Just wanna know what the qualifications could be.

gmonkey76

^ stop in store maybe once a month. Hardly ever fill out the survey, couldn't tell you who the manager is. Only thing I can think of is that I have close to 50,000 life time points. (couldn't find exact number)

Pumpkin_3CK5

^Thanks!

Ma1234

I got my invite today. First time I've been invited, but I didn't even spend $1,000 at the LEGO Store this year. My lifetime point balance is ~15,000 or so.  

maniac

monkeyhanger said:

Any of these invite cards making their way around the UK yet?

A staff member over at BrickFanatics got one. 

DNA

I received one in the mail yesterday. I have to skip this one though since I'll be out of town at a wedding that day.  

CapnRex101

@monkeyhanger- I received an invitation for the MetroCentre store in the UK yesterday.

brickedin

^ I have one for the uk also. Different offers to the us.

brickedin

I called the store and they think the discount is 5%, no info on sale sets. Probably a pass for me. 

TheLoneTensor

I read from this that Brick Friday 2015, for both the preview and the normal, is turning out to be a bust, check.

Lego has been consistent with at least one thing for the last 4 years.

theLEGOman

Was it 10% last year?

It's a shame in the UK we seem to get multiple small discounts rather than one or 2 big ones.

prevere

Pretty sad when dedicated fans of your company turn down a special invitation like that.

madforLEGO

Yeah, well last year LEGO was alertnating their gifts in the pre BF sales and I got an ornament which was kinda nice. but if these 'deals' can be had online on BF Im not thrilled.. A shame. Still would not mind going to the pre BF salethough, only if for 'tradition'

monkeyhanger

CapnRex101 said:

@monkeyhanger- I received an invitation for the MetroCentre store in the UK yesterday.

Looks like i'll not be getting one this year if I haven't got mine yet. Last few purchases i've made, I haven't had a prompt to fill a survey in - I think my VIP email address is tied to my old works email address, and I was made redundant in June.

I'm sure the key to getting those invites is filling in those surveys after every visit.

monkeyhanger

Just updated my account to my home email address.

Ma1234

monkeyhanger said:

CapnRex101 said:

@monkeyhanger- I received an invitation for the MetroCentre store in the UK yesterday.

Looks like i'll not be getting one this year if I haven't got mine yet. Last few purchases i've made, I haven't had a prompt to fill a survey in - I think my VIP email address is tied to my old works email address, and I was made redundant in June.

I'm sure the key to getting those invites is filling in those surveys after every visit.

I received an invite and have never filled out a store survey.

Pumpkin_3CK5

^How do you find out this lifetime point bit? That seems to affect the invites.