Town Hall and Grand Emporium Retired!

rocao

^ Yes, I will bet that a GE or TH will be available for purchase from some retailer. I think you're talking about from this point forward, but I expect that you will expand the time coverage to include the previous 1.5 months.

Also, we shouldn't ignore all possible marketplaces and should allow for a single example to override the average experience for the purpose of settling the bet. (now I think we hit all the topics) :)

Faedian7

I can really only echo what others have said that if you like a set get it! I have a running list of items to purchase based on how much I like it and how old the set has been out. I came out of my dark ages about when Emerald Night was going EOL and that is really the only set that I really regret missing out on. I was fortunate enough that TH was next on my list when I bought early last month.

Legoboy

Retired? Like gone gone?

Dad

^Like....sort of......er.....deaded.....?

Legoboy

Proper deaded?

Dad

Just a bit deaded...

Legoboy

So the odd one to be found in store then. ;o)

Dad

Like a little bit undeaded?

Legoboy

Like Tower Bridge. For now.

wagnerml2

For anyone who has not gotten a TH or GE, I have had luck in the past calling LBR stores in high traffic tourist areas and asking if they have any in stock. They will ship it to you. In the past, I have had luck with the Downtown Disney location. They seem to have a larger stock and many people don't buy large sets there because they would have to then lug them home on a plane. EOLed sets seem to last a bit longer there than in other LBR stores. There are probably similar stores in other touristy areas that would work. If you are desperate it might be worth a shot.

Dad

Ssshh.......... It's the TH and GE thread....

rocao

If you're REALLY desperate, you could accept my bet, which would put you on the side of a guaranteed winner and you just freerolled your way into a Town Hall. Offer valid until Saturday or until Town Hall hits $500 BP value, whichever comes first.

Pitfall69

TheLoneTensor said:

Agreed, you (and there are many of you) need to get past the EOL regret syndrome. If you want a set for your personal collection, simply get it. TLG should certainly be bood for some things, but they are in no way deserving of booing for you not getting the TH (or for that matter, almost every other set that has ever been produced).

To reiterate the don't-wait-for-it-to-be-on-the-perfect-sale preaching, had you gotten it last month, you'd have gotten 2x VIP points plus the toy workshop, or roughly the equivalent of $160, which is 20% off. On an exclusive, that's basically a straight flush, and simply not beatable without incredible luck.

To repeat what so many have said here multiple times (and me twice in this same note!), if you want a set, get the set.

jasor said:

^ and ^^

To be fair....not everyone gets in at the same time, and many people budget their buying on what was thought as a linear succession line for the modulars. I missed out on TH fair and square (and I'm ok with it)....but it was on my list, albeit a bit farther down.

Also, I visited three different LBR stores last month while travelling, and they were already sold out of GE and TH.

I'm not filled with righteous indignation, though.....nor, can I fault TLG for EOL'ing a set that mismatched in price/production/demand until it's actually retired. hahaha

Collecting Lego is not a cheap hobby. One can go into debt real quick if not careful. As with any hobby dealing with collectibles, you will always miss out on past releases; just like any person getting into Lego today. You cannot blame Lego for this. I always seemed to miss out on sets because I wanted EVERYTHING. Now, I have a new collection model that should allow me to collect within my model and not miss out on anything :)

zipsforbananas

LegoFanTexas said:

With respect...

Is 2 years not long enough? TH has been out for 2 years... you've had plenty of time... FB was out far longer than anyone expected, 4 years is not normal for LEGO...

I think you've missed my point, it's not about how long it was available for, it's about how unexpectedly it was retired.
I'm not able to buy all the sets I want whenever I like (like many I imagine!), so how long I've got left to get hold of a set as expensive as this is important. When choosing which sets to buy, how likely it is that I'll be able to get it again if I pass on it now is a huge factor.

Hence I'm not at all annoyed at GE retiring, I should have known it was coming and I had had plenty long enough to get it; but I'm aggrieved at TH because even if I had been paying attention I'd still have missed it.

4 years may not be normal for LEGO, but it FB and GE have stretched to that, PS will reach it, so adding in that until now the sets have all been retired in the same order in which they were released I'd say it's reasonable to assume 4 years is now normal for modulars.

binaryeye

zipsforbananas said:

4 years may not be normal for LEGO, but it FB and GE have stretched to that, PS will reach it, so adding in that until now the sets have all been retired in the same order in which they were released I'd say it's reasonable to assume 4 years is now normal for modulars.

It's reasonable to assume four years was normal. That has obviously changed. Whether Town Hall was an outlier won't be known until PC and PR retire.

tamamahm

zipsforbananas said:

LegoFanTexas said:

With respect...

Is 2 years not long enough? TH has been out for 2 years... you've had plenty of time... FB was out far longer than anyone expected, 4 years is not normal for LEGO...

I think you've missed my point, it's not about how long it was available for, it's about how unexpectedly it was retired.
I'm not able to buy all the sets I want whenever I like (like many I imagine!), so how long I've got left to get hold of a set as expensive as this is important. When choosing which sets to buy, how likely it is that I'll be able to get it again if I pass on it now is a huge factor.

Hence I'm not at all annoyed at GE retiring, I should have known it was coming and I had had plenty long enough to get it; but I'm aggrieved at TH because even if I had been paying attention I'd still have missed it.

4 years may not be normal for LEGO, but it FB and GE have stretched to that, PS will reach it, so adding in that until now the sets have all been retired in the same order in which they were released I'd say it's reasonable to assume 4 years is now normal for modulars.

Was it really that unexpected, though? I guess I have presumed for a while that there was a current danger with any modular before PC. Town Hall is big, expensive and does not sell as well, so it takes up shelf space needed for newer items.

It is the same reason I bought R2-D2 in August. I asked the question back in May what folks thought of retirement and the general answer was not this year... But I still felt that it was on the danger zone, so I bought before October 2x points, since this was the top request from my son for Christmas. The risk of waiting seemed to great.

motor_ace123

I saw this thread last week. I went in to David Jones (Australia) on Sunday and saw a Town Hall sitting proudly on the shelf so took my cue to grab it straight away. They had 20%off city line lego but the lady didnt realise it wasnt part of it and gave me 20% off anyway! Gappy days :-)

zipsforbananas

binaryeye said:

It's reasonable to assume four years was normal. That has obviously changed. Whether Town Hall was an outlier won't be known until PC and PR retire.

Yeah, that's what I meant, thanks for saying it properly where I didn't! Before this happened I had been assuming that, but now we don't know whether it's 2 years +2 for good performers, or 4 year -2 for bad performers, or if it's just case by case with a few coincidences. :P

Basta

^ David Jones had a new shipment of all the larger sets (SOH, PS, PC & TH) a week or so ago. I managed to get another TH online on Tuesday at 20% off plus an extra $20 off with code "DJ20" (Code still works), I payed only $219.99 ($191.77USD). All sold out online, but still available for "Click & Collect" in a select few stores (Although no 20% off).

nivam

for those in EU:
http://www.gamescom.gr/index.php?dispatch=products.view&product_id=33001
http://www.gamescom.gr/index.php?dispatch=products.view&product_id=31149

He had 2 or 3 for each

LegoFanTexas

I would suggest assuming all sets are 1 year, and anything after that is nice...

Granted, most big sets are more than 1 year, but look at HH, it went after 2 years...

I think the 4 years of FB is abnormal, they can't keep that up, they'd have 50 skus of $150+ products...

If you like a set, buy it, some go away after 6 months after all...

jasor

with PR, and then DeA (DA?) coming out....why would TLG keep a large dark orange clocktower out?

wagnerml2

Cuz Dark Orange rocks?

jasor

^ and apparently, will be in bulk masonary bricks once DA is released :D

wagnerml2

To quote Billy Dee Williams, "FAN tastic"

pingonedown

Not sure if they're still there but when I visited Legoland in Florida a little over a week ago, they still had some Town Halls floating around towards the back of their main shop(the one close to the entrance).

zipsforbananas

jasor said:

with PR, and then DeA (DA?) coming out....why would TLG keep a large dark orange clocktower out?

They had FB, GE, PS, TH and PC all available at the same time last year, and PR replaced FB leaving 5 still available just a few months ago. I always thought FB and TH seemed quite similar too, were they available together for two years? Doesn't answer why they would, but it shows that they did.
Again, I'm only talking about what is reasonable to expect given TLG's behaviour, and I know I called it wrong, but for two years they had five out together with TH in the middle of them. Hindsight makes many things seem more obvious than they were.

And hey, I got a TH off eBay for a silly price, but not as silly as some and not as silly as it's likely to get, so I guess I'm happy in the end, if not a little poorer. :)

glendo

you snooze, you lose.

for those who missed out, next time you see a set you want simply buy it. IF TLG called your bluff, and retired TH early... you had 2 years.

still a few down here in Oz. I them in a few stores over the weekend.

yys4u

Managed to find these 2 beauties at my local store! Searched for 2 weeks to find them! So happy! Was seconds away from buying a townhall on ebay...

Jedijon

LegoFanTexas said:

I would suggest assuming all sets are 1 year, and anything after that is nice...

Granted, most big sets are more than 1 year, but look at HH, it went after 2 years...

I think the 4 years of FB is abnormal, they can't keep that up, they'd have 50 skus of $150+ products...

If you like a set, buy it, some go away after 6 months after all...

So you're saying that in a 4 yr period LEGO releases 50 SKUs...

Jedijon

In THAT pricerange

luckyruss

A quick query on the brickset database shows 49 items released since 2010 with a US retail price over $149 - a few of these don't really meet the spirit of discussion (product collections, education sets, some expensive "gear", etc), but that still leaves 40 odd over last four and a bit years.

And the number of releases in that range is generally rising year on year over that period.

sebfrogs

Got one TH in Hamleys Glasgow yesterday .Price was over the RRP but still better than ebay
May be other Hamlys shops still have it .Hopes it help someone

Farmer_John

LegoFanTexas said:

I would suggest assuming all sets are 1 year, and anything after that is nice...

If you like a set, buy it, some go away after 6 months after all...

Agreed...

The #10155 Maersk Line Container Ship is a perfect example of this as I can well attest. It came out in January 2011 (in the USA) and I wanted to purchase it; however, I decided to wait until double VIP points in October to get it. Alas, it was gone by July.

Mojoest

sebfrogs said:

Got one TH in Hamleys Glasgow yesterday .Price was over the RRP but still better than ebay
May be other Hamlys shops still have it .Hopes it help someone

I tried the Hamleys in the Trafford Centre (Manchester) a couple of weeks ago now and they didn't have any. Maybe others do though if you've managed to find one. And maybe one of the few times that shopping there saves you money, as they always seem to be 10% or more above RRP on all their Lego sets! I guess it's to pay for all the people they have standing around dressed up and playing with the toys.

zipsforbananas

If only life were as easy as "if you like a set, buy it," eh!

Billybrown

zipsforbananas said:

If only life were as easy as "if you like a set, buy it," eh!

It is.

Farmer_John

Well, for those holding out hope that the TH will continue to be produced, here is a link from @Huw showing the back of the #10246 Detective Agency box:

http://brickset.com/article/13057/10246-detective-s-office-back-of-box#comments

If you look closely, you will see that the only sets included in the picture on the back of the box are the #10232 Palace Cinema, #10243 Parisian Restaurant, and #10246 Detective Agency modulars. Maybe it's nothing or maybe it's another nail in TH's proverbial coffin.

zipsforbananas

Billybrown said:

It is.

*facepalm*

And @Farmer_John‌, TH's coffin is already fully nailed and buried.

Pitfall69

zipsforbananas said:

Billybrown said:

It is.

*facepalm*

And @Farmer_John‌, TH's coffin is already fully nailed and buried.

I think what he means is that; if you have the money, you shouldn't wait to buy a, set if you really want it. If you don't have the money; it isn't that easy and I am sure that is what you meant :)

zipsforbananas

^Indeed.
But as "if you have the money" is quite a significant condition to most people, and "if you really want it" is highly subjective and when combined with all the other things you may want becomes complicated, forgive me for not removing my palm from my face. :)

wagnerml2

^Yes, but if you don't have the money for it a RRP, then the rest is academic. People will have to make choices. This forum does a REALLY good job of guessing EOL dates. These two sets happened to sneak under the wire. I can kind of see people who missed out on TH, but no one that bought a $150+ set in the past 4 years (so they could afford it) has an excuse to have missed out on GE.

LegoFanTexas

zipsforbananas said:

^Indeed.
But as "if you have the money" is quite a significant condition to most people, and "if you really want it" is highly subjective and when combined with all the other things you may want becomes complicated, forgive me for not removing my palm from my face. :)

Yes, but if you don't have the money at RRP, then what difference does it make when it retires?

If you don't have the money, fine... But that isn't what the comments were aiming at. If you have the money, buy it. If you don't, then don't worry about it.

LegoFanTexas

A good example of this is The Simpsons House.

I actually can buy it. I have not done so because at $200 it doesn't interest me. Sure, if I could get one for less, I might want it, but as it stands, I likely won't get one, it will retire someday and go up in price.

I still won't want it at that new higher price, so I'm not missing out on anything.

Farmer_John

wagnerml2 said:

I can kind of see people who missed out on TH, but no one that bought a $150+ set in the past 4 years (so they could afford it) has an excuse to have missed out on GE.

Just to supplement your comment, the TH was several times for $160 or less and at least a couple times for $150 or less if a person was watching Amazon during the Christmas 2012 season. In fact, at least one of those times it was advertised well in advance as an Amazon Lightning Deal AND it stayed out there for 15-30 minutes as I recall. Everyone on Brickset during that period got the heads up on it too.

Here's just one link that I found doing a quick search on Brickset:
http://www.bricksetforum.com/discussion/8254/us-amazon-gold-box-town-hall-149-until-10-00-am-est

Now having the funds to purchase one of the larger sets is another discussion...

Farmer_John

LegoFanTexas said:

A good example of this is The Simpsons House.

I actually can buy it. I have not done so because at $200 it doesn't interest me. Sure, if I could get one for less, I might want it, but as it stands, I likely won't get one, it will retire someday and go up in price.

I still won't want it at that new higher price, so I'm not missing out on anything.

Ditto with the SSD for me. I was a casual observer when the end came and went. I still sleep like a baby (maybe an old baby) at night.

Pitfall69

Money is always going to be an issue, but you are gambling if you are only holding out just for a discount.

Here's proof that I got mine at a reasonable price. This was 2 years before TH started selling out everywhere.

mathew

I'm not sure why there are those on this forum that attack those that don't have unlimited funds to purchase sets at RRP. Lego really fudged up this year by EOL'ing a number of sets too soon for the holiday shopping season. Resellers gobbled up inventory and now Lego only has a handful of exclusives available for consumers this Christmas.

rocao

LegoFanTexas said:

Yes, but if you don't have the money at RRP, then what difference does it make when it retires?

If you don't have the money, fine... But that isn't what the comments were aiming at. If you have the money, buy it. If you don't, then don't worry about it.

Some people have limited disposable income to apportion to buying LEGO. It's common for the cost of want-lists to outstrip available funds at any given time. This is why many have adopted the practice of prioritizing want lists by retirement date, and that's what all the worrying is about. Retirement dates are more than just entry and exit triggers for investors.

That said, I echo that 2.5 years of general availability for Town Hall is quite standard. The belief that modulars are centerpiece sets with longer production runs or will retire in the order they were introduced are self-made constructs.

rocao

mathew said:

Lego really fudged up this year by EOL'ing a number of sets too soon for the holiday shopping season. Resellers gobbled up inventory and now Lego only has a handful of exclusives available for consumers this Christmas.

"Fudged up" is better than saying "heads will roll", but it seems like you still don't understand that it's better to sell all of one's discontinuing stock sooner rather than later. Also, you have an incomprehensibly large perception of hands if you think there are only a handful of exclusives still available.