Shopping online just isn't the same

FireFox31

My goal is to get the best possible deals on Lego.  This is best achieved by shopping online which saves sales tax, gas, and time from shopping in store.  But shopping online also misses the fun experience of going to a store, seeing desirable sets everywhere, picking up the one you want, and gladly bringing it home.  I remember the thrill of buying my first three Modular Buildings in store, finding them on the shelf among other interesting sets, feeling the weight and size of their attractive boxes.  Today, I bought my fourth one online, yes with double points, GWP, and no tax or gas, but without the experience and physical connection to the product.

Do you feel like you miss some of the magic by shopping online even if you're getting a better deal?  Do you choose to pay more in store to get that experience, immediate gratification, or other benefit?

WesterBricks

I buy most of my Lego used, a mix of online and in person, so neither one is the same as walking into a store, finding the set you want, and holding it in your hands.

This is why I enjoy having a Lego brand store close to me.  The big important purchases like modular buildings, botanicals, or the BTTF DeLorean, give me that feeling of "Yes, this is finally mine".

Fizyx

I absolutely love getting packages, but after literally hundreds of them... well, there IS something about buying something you love in person that I can definitely see feeling nostalgic for.  Definitely agree with @WesterBricks about the LEGO brand store... I haven't been able to go in more than 2 years now, and I definitely miss it.  I wouldn't make EVERY purchase there (the extra 4% sales tax adds up!) but I would definitely make at least a few.  There is definitely something about walking out of a store with a bag that just hits different! :)

lowlead

FireFox31 said:

...Do you feel like you miss some of the magic by shopping online even if you're getting a better deal?....

Yes, most certainly.  It's the thrill of the hunt which was probably hard-wired into us long ago.  Whether we choose to acknowledge it or not, I'm pretty sure there's a measurable, physiological thing happening in our brains as we approach the LEGO aisle and round the corner in anticipation of our prey...er...purchase. =oD 

560Heliport

For me, buying online, then worrying about it getting lost or stolen is not worth it- but I live 12 miles from a LEGO store, so it's easy to go there (but the price of gasoline makes me think a little more). VIP points, GWP, PAB, BAM all add to the fun.

lowlead

...either that, or some tangential form of addiction after we get that little dopamine hit when that new set we seek is sitting there (glowing radiantly, accompanied by angelic harps and horns) on the shelf finally.

I'm no biologist, but I'll do a Holiday Inn Express on occasion. 

CCC

Online. You get free shipping boxes too.

The first line says it all though - if your goal is to get the best possible deal on LEGO, then online will nearly always be the best option. If you prefer the experience of visiting a physical store, then your goal should be to get a pleasurable experience when buying.

iwybs

Shopping online just isn't the same, to be sure, but with prices such that my car costs $0.50 per mile (round trip) just in gas costs alone, whenever I go to the store I'm effectively paying a hefty "shipping fee" ... ordering online it's free shipping and you get a cardboard box to keep for your next move.  I'm leaning towards buying everything I can online now that gas prices are over five bucks a gallon.

CCC

iwybs said:

I'm leaning towards buying everything I can online now that gas prices are over five bucks a gallon.

$5 a gallon is about 50% off our prices!

Switchfoot55

The cost of gas is what I contribute to most of the projected price increases that are being discussed. However, I certainly agree that I think twice about driving to my nearest Lego Store as it would be at least $10 in gas. It certainly makes things like x2 VIP points less valuable when buying in person. 

I buy a lot off Facebook Marketplace, OfferUp, and Craigslist. I've shrank the distance I'm willing to travel by quite a bit over the last few months for the same reason. 

I certainly love shopping in the store and having it in-hand the same day, but it's usually reserved for select purchases (Winter Village stuff, certain GWP buys, etc...)

FireFox31

At the very least, I love to visit Lego stores when I'm traveling to both get my Lego passport stamped and to buy a set which reminds me of the trip.  Well, once I travel again.  That's one experience I don't want to give up (but should really consider the gas usage more now; I've driven a bit out of my way to visit some stores).

lowlead said:

...either that, or some tangential form of addiction after we get that little dopamine hit when that new set we seek is sitting there (glowing radiantly, accompanied by angelic harps and horns) on the shelf finally.

It really does feel like that sometimes.  From across the store, you see the set on the shelf.  As you draw near, you're impressed by its size and presentation, looking much better than it did online.  It only adds to the experience that every adjacent set is similarly attractive.

WesterBricks said:

I buy most of my Lego used, a mix of online and in person, so neither one is the same as walking into a store, finding the set you want, and holding it in your hands.

I find buying used, especially bulk lots, is far more of a thrill than buying new.  The discount is intoxicating and digging through bulk is too much fun.

CCC said:

Online. You get free shipping boxes too.

Those Lego shipping boxes are great for storage.  Shallow yet wide, sturdy, unmarked.

Astrobricks

I miss the thrill of finding sets 50-70% off at Walmart. Of course I don’t have much more room, so it’s for the best :)

madforLEGO

FireFox31 said:

My goal is to get the best possible deals on Lego.  This is best achieved by shopping online which saves sales tax, gas, and time from shopping in store.  But shopping online also misses the fun experience of going to a store, seeing desirable sets everywhere, picking up the one you want, and gladly bringing it home.  I remember the thrill of buying my first three Modular Buildings in store, finding them on the shelf among other interesting sets, feeling the weight and size of their attractive boxes.  Today, I bought my fourth one online, yes with double points, GWP, and no tax or gas, but without the experience and physical connection to the product.

Do you feel like you miss some of the magic by shopping online even if you're getting a better deal?  Do you choose to pay more in store to get that experience, immediate gratification, or other benefit?

I did not buy much from the LEGO stores unless something is discounted and not discounted online. I still have fun another way though, by buying PaB or Build a minifigure at the LEGO store. It costs money for gas, and tax is a bit higher, but I make a run to the local LEGO store in Schaumburg, followed often by going to the LEGOLAND Discovery Center store, and then stopping over at the Asian fusion restaurant near the LDC and maybe stopping by a Walmart on the way home.. It makes for a nice Saturday morning store crawl. Plus while it costs 9.99 for 3 figures (I kinda of expect that to increase soon) its not bad, even buying multiples  of the figures or more than 1 PaB cup (though I tend to try to limit it to 1 large cup) considering how much I could spend if actually buying boxed sets at the store. Plus these are things I cannot get online as well

Astrobricks said:

I miss the thrill of finding sets 50-70% off at Walmart. Of course I don’t have much more room, so it’s for the best :)

I have a feeling, with the increased prices of LEGO sets, combined with the inflation, that you may see more stuff available for LEGO clearance. Maybe not the 'heyday' of 50-70% available but guessing 40-50% off of prices at Walmarts.