The One That Got Away: Biggest Non-Purchase Regret

Lobot

#10123 Cloud City....(sigh)

I have a slight obsession with the box, but maybe I need to get out more!

bricktuary

Definitely Taj Mahal for me. It just seemed so expensive at the time.
I expect in a few years I'll regret not grabbing an FB but not as much as the TM.

jediami65

Definitely UCS Millennium Falcon #10179... Had it in my hands to buy so many times and just kept talking my self out of it...stupid me why did I listen to you!!

luckie_reubs

Somehow, I feel like I missed out on the original Arkham Asylum set when it was on clearance at a TRU in a small town. We'd just had our first baby, and I was at my first job, so that wasn't a priority. I look at the awesome $160 current Arkham Asylum, and I still can't part with the money for it. I'm really hoping to be able to pick it up at some point.

Currently, I'm regretting not getting the Two-Face chase or Catwoman set. I'm not a huge collector by the standards of some of you here, but I'm looking forward to playing with our little boy when he gets a little older with some of these sets I'm buying now.

kor

Green Grocer and Cloud City.

I was still trying to resist the urge to collect Star Wars sets/minifigs when Cloud City was out so thats why it never came to be.

I still want to scream with frustration over the Green Groccer though. My wife and I were at the LEGO store and I had it in my hands! We had just went shopping and spent a lot of money so I decided to "hold off" for a while. Next time I checked it was retired :(

Cosworth3d

I regret buying the 10210 imperial flagship, got it now but payed 30% more over the original price and it was used instead of new.
It felt very quick that this set retiered.

Odindusk

Pretty much any Technic flagship set from the past decade. I say this because I'm just now discovering that I love Technic.

Yodalicious

I could list a number from my dark ages, but I didn't know they existed until I dove back into the LEGO world two years ago, so I'll limit it to those I could have had at retail price (OR LESS)...

The Black Pearl and Queen Anne's Revenge.

I write off sets I missed and don't buy them for their inflated post-retirement prices. Minifigs I want, sure, but not sets. I figured I missed them and so be it. But these two may break that rule of mine. There won't be remakes of them and they are gone from shelves. I still kick myself. I'm a fan of the movies, love the various pirate-related LEGO ships, and wanted them; I just never pulled the trigger.

I think what gets me the most was the Black Friday Target sale of The Black Pearl. I didn't find one, but the Target closest to my house miraculously had three the day after. They were retail, not on sale, but I had the opportunity and didn't take it. Went back the next day and they were gone. Sigh.

ThisIsMyCup

I saw a pristine Death Star at target for $270, it was right after christmas must've been an online return or something. If i hadn't just used all extra monies for moving expenses i would have it now. I tried to justify spending the money, but just couldn't do it. And the significant other holds the red card, went back with her...no dice. Still beat myself over it today.

mathew

^ ouch. I actually purchased and then returned a Queen Anne's Revenge to Target. It was on clearance for $69 I believe. I was going through a mini dark age and I couldn't justify the purchase. This was right before the set retired and skyrocketed in price Christmas 2012.

binaryeye

Yodalicious said:

The Black Pearl and Queen Anne's Revenge.

I write off sets I missed and don't buy them for their inflated post-retirement prices. Minifigs I want, sure, but not sets. I figured I missed them and so be it. But these two may break that rule of mine. There won't be remakes of them and they are gone from shelves. I still kick myself. I'm a fan of the movies, love the various pirate-related LEGO ships, and wanted them; I just never pulled the trigger.

Assuming there is another POTC film made, and LEGO gets the license and produces sets based on it, there is at least a chance the Black Pearl will be realized in some form again.

prof1515

I don't think there are many sets I regret not purchasing. Perhaps the #7418 Scorpion Palace and #7419 Dragon Fortress from the Adventurers' Orient Expedition line but they weren't to be found in any store near me (and I hadn't yet gotten fully in the spirit of online purchasing at that point).

I do have a considerable list of sets I *DO REGRET* purchasing starting with #6565 Construction Crew monstrosity which led me to stop collecting the Town/City line for the better part of a decade.

Bosstone100

Green Grocer. It was during my Dark Ages and I had it right in my hands. $120 for a Lego set? Not a chance! Whoops! Also saw the original Batman Lego sets in TRU and thought it was stupid. Batman? really? Whoops again!

VaderX

It's funny how most only regret sets that now have a high aftermarket value... you didn't buy it for a reason when you had the chance....

Dark ages I understand, but the million 10179's....shoulda, woulda, coulda's come on.

My 2 Cents

Drmnez

^^good point !
I only regret not buying stuff because it is too expensive to add it to my collection.

byolego

10182 - Cafe Corner
10185- Green Grocer
The first two years of Harry Potter series.

The dark age ... the dark age ...

zipsforbananas

VaderX said:

It's funny how most only regret sets that now have a high aftermarket value...

I guess that's because if you regretted not getting it and it's cheap on the aftermarket you'd just go ahead and get it! ;)

I'm regretting not getting the SSD (10221), but there's still time!

BuriedinBricks

@zipsforbananas has the right take on it. Most anything I regret missing is because I spent my available budget at the time on something else. Granted, in most of those cases, the something else I picked up was still well used and enjoyed. It's more from an "I could have had..." point of view.

If those other sets could still be had for at/around RRP, I would have them. I regret not getting them when the price was cheap and now I can't justify paying secondary market prices for seals I'm going to crack and bricks I'm going to build with.

ThisIsMyCup

i don't regret it because i couldn't afford it. I like being a responsible adult, even if i do like playing with children's toys. I just regret not having it at such a discounted price. I would never buy the death star at full retail. even with millions in the bank. $200 -$250 seems about my limit that im willing to pay for a set.

odueck

Aside from my dark ages, the set I regret not purchasing the most is #10219 Maersk Train. I'm regretting it now that I've built my first train (Horizon Express) even more.

I also regret not getting #10217 Diagon Alley for my girlfriend. I'm not a Harry Potter fan but even I can appreciate that set.

Yodalicious

^ I might stick Diagon Alley on my list too. I was out of my dark ages and had the opportunity, but just skipped it. Looked like such a great set, but was worried buying it would start the avalanche of scooping up all the HP I could before they disappeared.

beegeedee

Hog warts express. I saw it 25% off but it seemed like a lot of money at the time. Other than that I would have liked the modulars but equally some of the older creator houses. They are just too expensive to justify them when I have so many other things to pay for....sucks.

AFFOL_Shellz_Bellz

In spite of how poorly it operates I regret not having bought #10196, and am not willing to drop the amount it's currently selling for. Maybe I'll be lucky to find a reasonably priced one if I'm very patient . . . Yawn, what was that I was dreaming about?

Yodalicious

Well, it was my birthday earlier this week, so I spoiled myself. Just ordered The Black Pearl. Cross that off the regret list.

emmtwosix

Kinda surprised I haven't seen any 10173 Holiday Trains on here. It would look so great with the rest of the Winter Village sets, but I was still far from being out of my dark ages at that point, so not really a regret, I suppose.

I had 8038 purchased off ebay for about $55 a couple years ago, but the seller never delivered. Got my money back, but still wish I had received the set. It probably would have lead me to buying the IS, which I really regret not getting. So, I guess...

#3 - 10212 - Imperial Shuttle
#2 - 10193 - Medieval Market Village
#1 - 10194 - Emerald Night

Emerald Night is such a great looking set, I had it in my cart at [email protected] several times, but I always prioritized my "main collection" sets I needed to get to complete a theme. This was at a time where I really had never purchased a set above $80, so that $100 price was always a little daunting. I would gladly pay that and more today, but the price for that set has sadly gotten away from what I'm willing to shell out. I guess the Emerald Express will have to do :-)

Funny thing is, even at the time I knew I would regret not getting each one once it hit EOL.

Brinstar85

It goes without saying that both #10182 Cafe Corner, #10185 Green Grocer are big regrets considering the prohibitive prices they now sell for. Unfortunately, I only became interested in the modular building series after they had retired. It is unlikely I will ever get them now.

Another regret is #10213 Shuttle Adventure/ #10231 Shuttle Expedition. Unlike the aforementioned modulars, this set definitely was on my radar at the time as I've always been a big fan of the Space Shuttle and this is Lego's best interpretation of it. For whatever reason, Star Wars sets always seemed to take priority and I never got around to buying it. While the price hasn't skyrocketed in the same way that the modulars have, it still sells for up to and over £200 on eBay, which unfortunately no longer represents good value for money.

zipsforbananas

@emmtwosix‌ - 10212 Imperial Shuttle is still available to buy isn't it? I can't encourage you enough, it's an epic set! ;)
Aww, I just checked. You have my deepest sympathy! I'm quite relieved too, I must have bought mine just in time!

TheBigLegoski

Maybe kind of weird?! I am not a Harry Potter fan; never read any of the books, only saw two of the films, and not even in their entirety, as I stumbled upon them flicking through all the TV channels on some weekday in the evening. However this modular 'dolls-house design' type of castle: #4842 from 2010, the year I became an AFOL and purchased my first Lego set since childhood, I wanted to have so bad. But I just kept postponing buying it. I kept telling myself: 'I am not a Harry Potter fan, it is too expensive etc.' Though every time I visited Lego websites, or toy-stores, I ended up looking at it thinking to myself 'this set is actually really nice, I should get it'. The 10 minifigs look good, the castle is well designed, with lots of nice architectural details. I like the colour scheme. Lots of books, owls with prints, and above all lots interior details, a great hall with plenty of room for minifigs to sit down and enjoy cake and turkey and what not. The set stood out because contrary to most other castle sets the interior was not barren, but then it went EOL, and saw the price for this set increase rapidly, and I ever since have regretted not getting it new from Lego [email protected] all this time it was available.

Sethro3

I'd say the only regret I have (and it is just a small regret) is Emerald Night. I wasn't really into LEGO trains (and I'm still not really), but that set was beautiful looking. I didn't even consider buying it until after it was retired. I had too many other sets to catch up on by coming out of my Dark Ages that the EN just didn't make the cut. But at least I don't have bigger regrets missing out on Imperial Flagship.

muridae

Yodalicious said:

The Black Pearl and Queen Anne's Revenge.

I write off sets I missed and don't buy them for their inflated post-retirement prices. Minifigs I want, sure, but not sets. I figured I missed them and so be it. But these two may break that rule of mine. There won't be remakes of them and they are gone from shelves. I still kick myself. I'm a fan of the movies, love the various pirate-related LEGO ships, and wanted them; I just never pulled the trigger.

I think what gets me the most was the Black Friday Target sale of The Black Pearl. I didn't find one, but the Target closest to my house miraculously had three the day after. They were retail, not on sale, but I had the opportunity and didn't take it. Went back the next day and they were gone. Sigh.

I did something similar - looked at both ships in the Lego Store for a year and did nothing about it, then went in to buy the Pearl and discovered the concept of retirement of sets.

I did get the Black Pearl in the end, since I came across a box in TRU about a month after it went EOL, ground my teeth, and paid their £5 over RRP and considered it a penalty to me for being so lax. Never did get the Queen Anne's Revenge though, because while they also had one of those on the shelf, the box was open with bags spilling freely from it and I figured I didn't want it that badly.

I regret it most because I can't have ship to ship battles though, so hopefully at some point LEGO will release another pirate ship that doesn't look out of place alongside the Pearl and I can buy that.

rancorbait

For me its #10179, without a doubt. I really hope LEGO releases another!

Lego2012

#4842 for me as well, just because I must have looked at it so many times, decided it was too expensive and walked away. I know I'm going to cave at some point and buy one for far more money than I could have when I deemed it 'too expensive'!

FollowsClosely

emmtwosix said:

...

I had 8038 ...

...
#2 - 10193 - Medieval Market Village
...

@emmtwosix,
Those both are all still available at reasonable prices. $140 shipped new and around $100 used for MMV. The bunker is $135 shipped and $90 used. I bet you could find a seller here that would get you both together for $260 shipped.