Brick Friday Freebies

Bosstone100

Does anyone know if the freebies are cumulative? Meaning, if I buy over $100 worth of stuff, do I get the PAB box AND the second holiday giveaway set?

Thanks!

kbenjes

I believe so

llanowarsoldier

Yes you do, but remember they have the scratch off's too. So you may have to pick up something extra to make sure you hit that $100 mark after the discount.

Bosstone100

Good point. Thanks for the info.

Bosstone100

Here's another question. It's going to be a madhouse there Thursday night. Say I get the card (and hopefully a decent discount)... do I need to use it right away? Depending on how crowded it is, I may want to go home, go to sleep and head back in the morning. Also, would this be a bad strategy? Will anything be discounted beyond the 10-50% for VIP members? Any thoughts?

BTHodgeman

As I understand it, you're not likely to get the card until you get to check out and they've already scanned all your items into the register.

Plus, if you're already there to get the card, you may as well just tough it out and pick out your stuff too :)

brent

Yellowcastle

They actually scratch/pick your card for you so you don't even really get it. I've been able to convince them to allow me to go back and look for some more after getting a 20% but I don't think that always works.

starfire2

Last year at our Lego store, they gave it too us at the register and if you got a "really good one" they let you hold onto the scratcher and get more stuff. Although by 1:00am, they had given out 3 50% off scratchers. Me, my husband and son only got a 10% off scratcher each. We had received $10 gift cards at the mall for being one of the first 500 guests, we went to the Lego store, where we had to wait in a line by the front doors until 12:40am. Then we each picked a $10 Lego so that if one of us got a good we would get more stuff. We only got 10% off but at least our set(s) were free with the 10% scratcher and $10 gift card.

Bosstone100

I wonder how early I should get in line.

legoDad

At the early Black Friday, they let you get more stuff if you get a 20% or 50% card (they're not scratchers anymore but a peel away sticker thingie). Plus like others say, you can get the PaB Box and Holiday set when you hit the $100 plateau.
You can't go home though and use the discount later. You get the card at check out so as long as you stay in the shop to get more stuff, you get the discount.

Also, bring any other discounts you have. Like if you got the Lego catalogue with the 10% coupon on the back of it. Some shop might let you use it. Plus any $5.00 Lego Club coupons too if you have 'em. You never know.

Bosstone100

I'll have to look for those. I think I'll get the big Dino set to hit $100. I'll probably get most of the rest of them for Xmas. If I get a 50% card, I don't know what I'd do. I like the modulars.. might pick them all up but the fact that the Cafe Corner is over $1000 and me having the collector gene, I think that'd be a bad idea. Maybe I'd just pick up a Death Star. I don't do SW anymore but that's a great set.

Thanks for the info guys.

madforLEGO

Does anyone know if the freebies are cumulative? Meaning, if I buy over $100 worth of stuff, do I get the PAB box AND the second holiday giveaway set?

Thanks!

You get PAB boxes for ever 75 dollars you spend. Meaning if you hit 150 you get 2.
The Holiday gift set #2 is a 'separate' deal, meaning you will get that too.
At least that how it was at the pre brick friday sale on Saturday and I doubt that will change.

LegoFanTexas

Do they have a spending limit if you get the 50% off card?

I'd buy every SSD and DS in the store if they don't have a spending limit. ;) Shoot, at that discount, I would need a pallet to take it all out.

Hmm, what else would I take?

Just about every 10xxx set they had in the store. They MUST have a spending limit?

legoDad

^It's 5 G's homey.

LegoFanTexas

Five thousand? Really?

At 50% off, that would not be hard to do. 25 Death Stars would be enough.

Doubt they have that many sitting in the back, but who knows?

streeker

25 Death Stars would be enough.

I had to read that a couple of times to let it sink in.
I know Texas is big, but is it really THAT big? LOL

LegoFanTexas

@streeker - :)

Yes, Texas is really that big... I would keep one of them to part out for myself, and the other 24 would end up on eBay after it retires. Then that would fund my Lego addiction for the next year or two.

Actually, in all seriousness, I would probably buy 10 or 15 Death Stars, the rest of the budget would go to filling out the rest of the collection, buying whatever else I didn't have.

Either way, with 50% off at the Lego store, plus VIP points, are you kidding? I'd spend every dime of that $5K for sure. :)

andystar

@LegoFanTexas I also believe there is a limit, such that you can only purchase 5 of any set.

madforLEGO

Ummm, hate to be the killjoy here, but there is also a limit of 5 per set....
LEGO knows full well that resellers populate their stores as well.

BTHodgeman

You could still get pretty close to $5K in Modulars, big sets (Tower Bridge, Death Star), holiday, etc.

I believe that all of the above will someday be valuable.

vanhan

So I was at the exclusive event on Saturday and I was the lucky person to get the 50% off. However they would not let me add to my purchase. Whatever I had brought up to the counter was what I could buy, I couldnt add to it. I couldn't even add one small item to hit $100 which i thought was a load of bull. I think the guy helping was not very nice. Additionally he wouldnt give me two PAB if I had a purchase of 150. He said its one PAB per purchase.

I think I will be contacted lego regarding this because I noticed the same cashier gave multiple PAB to another customer.

Has anyone else only gotten one PAB for a purchase or was anyone else able to add to their puchase after the scratch off.

vanhan

After reading the posts on here, I notice a few people said that they were able to add to their order. Does anyone know who I can contact about this because I think its not fair that I was not able to add to my purchase

legoDad

^I guess it all depends on the store. Last year, they were strict about it at my store, BUT even then if you got the 20% or 50% scratcher, you could add on but only use the larger discount for one item, not the entire order.

This year, they let you use any of the discounts for the entire order plus my local store and many I've read here let customers add on. It just raises sales so whomever was strict with you lost out on sales. If I'm a manager, having customers add on is the smart move. More product out of the store, more room for new sets at full retail.

I'd contact Lego customer service. Let them know the details and see if they can get you another PaB or Holiday set. Never hurts to ask...Lego has the best customer service I've seen.

vanhan

Thanks LegoDad..

I may contact customer service tonight. - thx

Yeah - I personally didn't have a great experience at my visit during the exclusive sale. I think the cashier that assisted me really didnt know what he was doing. I think associates should be versed it what the policies are. At least I got a PAB box. The first few people didnt even get a PAB box.

coolpix

I have a question about the free PAB box: Do you get the empty box right after you pay for your purchase and fill it out afterwards, or, knowing you'd have more than $75 in your purchase, you can grab an empty box, fill it out and bring to the cashier when it's time to checkout, with all your stuff together? How does this really works?

I remember coming back to the LEGO store in January 2011 and there were guys filling out those boxes they've got during Black Friday, I think. Never understood the reason.

legoDad

^You get the box at the register once you've hit the $75.00 plateau. Not before you check out.
Some stores (like mine in Queens) give you another PaB box every interval of $75 bucks. I've heard some stores are strict and only give you one PaB per order at checkout.

You get a flattend, decorative empty box in an envelope. It says you can start filling it up Dec. 26th till March 31st. BUT, again...some stores are cool about it and you can start filling it up once you've checked out (don't have to wait till Dec. 26th). All depends on the store.

For packing and getting the most out of your PaB box or cups, contact my home boy bmwlego.
He's got some good suggestions to get the most out of PaB packin'!

bluemoose

^^ i haven't checked this years rules, but previous years you had to go back to the store after Xmas to fill the box ( and before the end of March ). You could not fill the box on the day you got it. The point of the promotion is to encourage you to visit the store after Xmas and, hopefully, spend more money. Lego aren't a charity, they aren't 'rewarding' you, they just want more of your money, and they think this is a way to help achieve that :-)

Edit - Ninja'd :-)

LegoFanTexas

@bluemoose - you are of course correct... But if they can see in your VIP account that you spend ten+ thousand dollars in the store every year, then REALLY does it matter? ;)

I mean, it isn't like you're NEVER coming back! :)

bluemoose

It isn't targeted specifically at AFOLs though, it's really about getting the 'normal' people back in the store after Xmas. AFOLs still account for a small amount of their total business. They aren't going to say at the checkout "according to your profile we already own your soul, so no shiny, shiny box for you" ;-)

krklint

The rules from store to store do seem to change. Nicest rules "adjustment" I experienced was when an acquaintance of mine from Australia was given a box at the Mall of America store, they let her fill the cup up right then, because she would be flying back to Australia. The Lego bricks were for her son, and the store employee told her they make special exceptions for world travellers!

@Bluemoose, though not scientifically proven, I was told by the M.O.A. staff that 25% of their sales were AFOLers. In the physical stores, the weight of the AFOL community does seem to carry purchase weight. Still, the joy of receiving the boxes, then heading to the store later in the winter months to collect free LEGO!!! Woot! no need to collect right away :)

BTHodgeman

@krklint - I agree. The "destination" stores (MOA, Disney, etc.) are more lenient with those sorts of things.

Also, just my commentary... if AFOL sales are 25% at MOA, they are probably a higher percentage at other stores, just due to the fact that the MOA store gets crazy busy and full of tourists, most if whom are unlikely to make s return visit/purchase.

I'm curious to see how busy it is at midnight tonight. Ill be there around 11 waiting in line...

Brent

coolpix

I believe everyone underestimates the weight of the AFOL community. I dare to say it's something between 30% and 40% at local LEGO stores. Regular customers tend to buy LEGO at Wal-mart, Target and Toys R Us, specially because of the prices and promotions, but AFOLs love the LEGO store because it's where we can get the exclusives, magnets, PAB, and it's a "LEGO Experience" kind of thing. Personally, I've been to quite a few LEGO stores, and I always have that cool feeling when I enter one. It's like a hobby store to me.

I've spotted AFOLs with their kids at numerous occasions, where they buy the larger exclusive sets for themselves, and get Bricks and More things for the kids.

madforLEGO

^^ i haven't checked this years rules, but previous years you had to go back to the store after Xmas to fill the box ( and before the end of March ). You could not fill the box on the day you got it.
Edit - Ninja'd :-)

This year, depending on the store, you could fill up the box that morning of the VIP pre-brick friday sale. So I filled mine.

So I was at the exclusive event on Saturday and I was the lucky person to get the 50% off. However they would not let me add to my purchase. Whatever I had brought up to the counter was what I could buy, I couldnt add to it. I couldn't even add one small item to hit $100 which i thought was a load of bull. I think the guy helping was not very nice. Additionally he wouldnt give me two PAB if I had a purchase of 150. He said its one PAB per purchase.

I think I will be contacted lego regarding this because I noticed the same cashier gave multiple PAB to another customer.

Has anyone else only gotten one PAB for a purchase or was anyone else able to add to their puchase after the scratch off.

I also was told that due to it being a special sale that you could add on to the checkout if you got a big discount (like 50%) even though I believe the letter of the law, so to speak, is once you scratch the card (or pull the tab as the new cards are) you cannot add (which is crazy to begin with) so not sure how much LEGO is going to help out with that.

Also you are supposed to get a PAB box for every 75 you spend, at least it has always been that way by the LEGO store I go to.
I'd say what happened was you did not talk to a manager or assistant manager at the LEGO store, which is maybe should have done to have them confirm.

One thing that I found immensely valuable is to know the managers and be friendly as they will be more willing to help out those they know are regular customers.
Also you may be able to go back with your receipt to the store, talk to the manager and tell them what happened.. While they probably cannot do something like give you 50% off of a bunch more stuff (although by the receipt they could know you were not lying BUT it depends on how strict the store policy was that day.. maybe they said that to everyone to begin with again that it was not allowed to add on) They may at least be able to give you additional PAB boxes for your trouble (again depending on how friendly the manager is).
I'm guessing LEGO corporate may tell you the same.
Not sure how a manager will respond if you sick the Corp hounds on them though.
I would almost say go back to the store, speak to a manager.. if they don't help you, then go to corporate and report it to them.

llanowarsoldier

When I came out of my dark age I went to the Lego store during Brick Friday Weekend and spent close to $300 so I got 3 PaB boxes. So yes you should get one for every $75 mark you make. So if you spend $600 you should end up with 8. Also, with the scratch off's, the store I go to is really cool, and they also know me there, if someone gets a 50% off they will let that person add to their order. So if I get one(fat chance) I'm going to grab the VW Van.