Discounts on LEGO Exclusives

y2josh

I typically get a coupon on every other catalog, though I had always assumed this was part of the 'distance factor' that's sometimes mentioned (the nearest LEGO Store is ~60 miles from me).

ColoradoBricks

If they were planning to stop issuing coupons all together, they could have avoided the discount on exclusive fiasco and let people use their last coupon on the set of their choice...

tamamahm

From what I recall last year there was not a coupon in their holiday catalogue.

I may be mistaken, though.
ETA: Hmmm. Looks like someone had a 10% in their catalog last year, though. I guess if I had one I did not use it.

hoyatables

I just had a thought: perhaps the 10% coupon policy chance was not really LEGO's choice. We've focused on it, but perhaps that is the tail wagging the dog. Perhaps what happened was this: LEGO went to Amazon and Walmart and told them to stop discounting exclusive sets. Amazon and Walmart agreed to do so but only if the playing field was leveled; that is, LEGO didn't offer the sets for a discount, either. So LEGO had to discontinue the 10% coupon as part of the deal to eliminate the deeper discounts at Amazon and Walmart that were undercutting LEGO's sales.

LegoMom1

^Sounds like someone's into conspiracy theories. :)

cheshirecat

^^ Yep that theory has been suggested plenty of times. And it's surely right, there's no way Lego could get other retailers to stop discounting if they didn't themselves.

Canuck26

^^^ Makes sense except that if my memory serves me well, the last 10% coupon specifically excluded several different types of sets. They could still give us the coupon and include the small print thus keeping the likes of Amazon on a level playing field.

Bumblepants

Anyone think the 10% off X$ purchase for Brick Friday purchase will carry exclusions or will it work with everything since it is not a specific discount applied directly to a specific set?

TheLoneTensor

I think it will be off everything, because they lost one of their previously big BF attributes, free shipping.

Most of that is of very little interest to me. I'm more interested in what sets are going to be discounted, and by how much.

Paperballpark

In the uk, brick friday sees 10% discount over £100, free set over £50 and free pab box over £25

tamamahm

I really do not see this as the 10% coupon going. I think they simply have removed it during the holiday catalog to maximize profit. Remember, the exclusions started what...8/1? This Lego catalog came out after that. Now, one could argue the catalog was in the works already. Really, if they removed the 10% coupon totally, that would be shooting themselves in the foot. I buy exclusives at the store, but standard sets I buy where the discount is. I can't be the only one.

Of course, I'm been seeing prices go up and rumored mark-ups for other toys I follow, so all of these changes Lego is making is in line with what the market is doing.

madforLEGO

I believe BF is replacing the discount offers with a chance for gift cards (shopping spree) only.
This stops the need to disappoint people that try to buy something that is not discountable.

cheshirecat

^^ we havent had discount coupons in the UK for a while now. instead we have coupons for other freebies (minifigs and chima for example) to encourage us into store.

margot

Lego club builds used to always give out $5 coupons but they've stopped that too. Did get a Hoth Han and Z-95 poly today which was nice.

Schwallex

cheshirecat said:

I dont mean to always bring it back to reselling but bare with me here... ;-)

Dear @cheshirecat, I share your visions and dreams and all, but I am not going to undress with you in this family-friendly forum. Especially not with the winky-smiley hint that it somehow mysteriously involves reselling...

Anyway. As indicated by the almost two months that have passed since the comment I am replying to was posted, I have been waiting for the dust to settle on this thread to just go and read it in one sitting. Alas, my wait was in vain. The dust just won't settle.

So I went ahead and caught up on it all tonight. And it was the highest dose of the most condensed déjà-vus I've ever had. Every single thought, idea, hope, and fear has been voiced four times over by now.

And the only thought I am really taking away from it all now, buried on page 14 out of 23 — and on page 15, and on page 16, and on page 17, and on pages 6 and 7 (no, really, go ahead and check, I'll wait) —, that only thought is "time will tell". Here I am on page 23, and I am still none the wiser. You are none the wiser. TLG, for that matter, are none the wiser. We're all just a bunch of fortune tellers telling fortune, or in fact lack thereof, back at one another.

Thus, leaving my first comment here in the hopes of it also being my last, I wish to bury this nugget of wisdom right here on page 23 out of 142:

Time will tell.

TheLoneTensor

^ Wait, a thread on the internet was primarily conjecture and irresponsible speculation, containing only a few bright spots of realization and actual progressive information? Inconceivable!

LegoFanTexas

tensor said:

^ Wait, a thread on the internet was primarily conjecture and irresponsible speculation, containing only a few bright spots of realization and actual progressive information? Inconceivable!

Yea, next you'll be telling me that Dogs and Cats are getting along! :)

Basta

LegoFanTexas said:

tensor said:

^ Wait, a thread on the internet was primarily conjecture and irresponsible speculation, containing only a few bright spots of realization and actual progressive information? Inconceivable!

Yea, next you'll be telling me that Dogs and Cats are getting along! :)

Sorry, just had to!

LegoFanTexas

^ Super cute! :)

I love cats and dogs, sadly I'm allergic to cats and I just don't have the time for dogs, perhaps when the kids are older...

tomasalp

Retailers still can discount if they want at MSRP. It wont show the discount price until it added to the cart. It would say see price in cart. Maybe Amazon might do it on exclusive sets wait and see. Amazon does this quite a bit. link about this topic
http://www.toolup.com/blog/internet-retailers-obscure-prices-phrases-add-cart-price/

cheshirecat

As it says in the article this happens when manufacturers allow it to happen. I wouldn't hold your breath.

dr_teng

I wouldn't expect it either. It could happen but I just don't see Amazon doing it for LEGO.

GIR3691

Margot just shared this.

TRU is offering a free #9495 Y-Wing when you buy a big Star Wars set. A free $50 set is better than nothing, which is what you'll get elsewhere right now.

R2 and the B-Wing are marked up, but the X-Wing, SSD, and Death Star are not.

Pitfall69

That is a very creative way to give a discount. Amazon should follow suit.

cloaked7

Gotta love it! :-)

Dougout

Thanks @Margot and @GIR3691 , that's essentially a 20% savings if you grab the X-wing.

madforLEGO

So please please please Amazon, start offering 25 dollar gift cards with a mod purchase :-)

cloaked7

^ That could very well happen, or some variation of it. I mean, LEGO does when they offer double reward points and a limited edition set with purchase. Not surprised that this is a way to get around the 'no discount' policy.

jasor

It was nice using the discount on the Mini Modulars and BTTF car, however I would have used on a full sized Modular if I could have.

jack_bricks

Hi, I would like your thoughts on this topic. Durring my x-mas shopping I browsed through a bunch of stores and could'nt find the 102333 Horizon Express at all. Till this day it hasn't appeared on amazon or similar online shops. Will this set stay totally of the grid or might it appear anytime soon?

As far as I know we were told that exclusive sets from 2013 and later won't go on sale. But we've seen already a bunch of them on sale lately at some particular store. Not necessesary amazon but others.

TheLoneTensor

Unless you're referring to a few pennies (i.e. $xxx.95 vs $xxx.99), no, we haven't seen them on sale anywhere lately, and unfortunately, you're not likely to either until Lego adjusts their policy.

Refer to http://www.bricksetforum.com/discussion/6868/discounts-on-lego-exclusives#latest for more.

piratemania7

We likely won't see any sort of discount on an exclusive for some time given the latest policy handed down by TLG, also, with this being a "newer" set there likely is little to no incentive to discount the price as the followers will continue to follow...

wrangler6915

I'd recommend checking at TRU periodically when they do a BOGO...I was able to snag two at the inflated $139.99 price, so they came out to $105 each. But I'm pretty sure that was an oversight on their part as the system was later blocking HE from that promotion. Still might be worth a shot...

ColoradoBricks

Also last month, TRU and FAO had it had RRP with a free #7347

Pitfall69

What do you mean it hasn't appeared on Amazon or other online shops? Off the grid?

I know it is probably semantics, but I consider TRIPLE VIP POINTS and a Holiday set to be "on sale".

madforLEGO

Pitfall69 said:

What do you mean it hasn't appeared on Amazon or other online shops? Off the grid?

I know it is probably semantics, but I consider TRIPLE VIP POINTS and a Holiday set to be "on sale".

At least that is likely the best you are going to find for exclusives.
I got a few HE before this lockdown from TRU during a BOG50, in hindsight I wish i would have bought a few more

Pitfall69

Hahahaha. "Hindsight". I guess you can use that word for almost every Lego set you wish you bought more of :)

Pitfall69

I just was wondering why he can't find any.

I got mine acouple of weeks ago.

TheLoneTensor

Pitfall69 said:

What do you mean it hasn't appeared on Amazon or other online shops? Off the grid?

I know it is probably semantics, but I consider TRIPLE VIP POINTS and a Holiday set to be "on sale".

You're right Pitfall, the 3X points were a tipping point for me in calling it a sale/discount, because in my view, the 15% does overcome the normal ickiness I feel with 1x or 2x Lego VIP points. I.e. I'd rather just save 5-10% and have that money freed up to spend at a place that does do deep discounting, which is like every other retailer out there right now besides [email protected]

That said, I just don't like the 2nd holiday set this year, which is probably why I haven't bought anything from Lego in the last month.

mathew

I think there's a good chance that Amazon will quit carrying Exclusives all together. They have been out of stock on a few of them for almost a year now (Grand Emporium to name one). I wouldn't be surprised if other retailers like Walmart and Target follow suit. And maybe Lego will be ok with that. After all, what's the point of something being exclusive if you can buy it everywhere else?

jack_bricks

Hi, well I'm located in Europe and here Toys R us, Amazon,... don't carry HE. And we also didn't get the tripple VIP points, only double. But here I've see almost every exclusive from 2013 (except the brand new ones) set on sale (20%-30%) at some point somewhere in the store. But I haven't seen the HE on the shelfs so far just at the [email protected]

So that's why I'm wondering. Though I assume that HE will stick around for another year and I hope to find it somewhere, so I'm just keep waiting.

TheLoneTensor

It would be interesting to see the exclusives actually only sold by Lego (and maybe one more retailer each). You know, to actually make them exclusive.

One of my problems with the exclusive nomiker is how the criteria is kinda arbitrary. For example, the Sopwith Camel is only $99, yet it's an exclusive. Helm's Deep is a more significant set at $129, yet it's not exclusive. But it's part of a theme you might say, but then we have Arkham in the DC theme, which is $149, and an exclusive.

madforLEGO

TheLoneTensor said:

It would be interesting to see the exclusives actually only sold by Lego (and maybe one more retailer each). You know, to actually make them exclusive.

One of my problems with the exclusive nomiker is how the criteria is kinda arbitrary. For example, the Sopwith Camel is only $99, yet it's an exclusive. Helm's Deep is a more significant set at $129, yet it's not exclusive. But it's part of a theme you might say, but then we have Arkham in the DC theme, which is $149, and an exclusive.

Yeah, I know it makes one of the LEGO B&M store managers irate when I bring up I used to see this set or that exclusive set on sale at another outlet. He used to shake his head and say 'then why are they 'exclusive' and that 'they were not supposed to do that'. This was also long before the crackdown on exclusive sales.
If they are not going to let anyone discount them then I have no issues with LEGO solely selling them

CCC

TheLoneTensor said:

It would be interesting to see the exclusives actually only sold by Lego (and maybe one more retailer each). You know, to actually make them exclusive.

One of my problems with the exclusive nomiker is how the criteria is kinda arbitrary. For example, the Sopwith Camel is only $99, yet it's an exclusive. Helm's Deep is a more significant set at $129, yet it's not exclusive. But it's part of a theme you might say, but then we have Arkham in the DC theme, which is $149, and an exclusive.

Why should exclusives all be expensive sets? Or why should expensive sets be exclusives?

Exclusive doesn't mean expensive. Barrel Escape was an exclusive.

CircleK

^ yeah but Barrel escape actually *is* exclusive - the only retail outlets that sell it are TRU and Lego.

The issue with most of the exclusives is that there is no rhyme or reason to what gets that label. It's not based on price, size, theme, or even actually being exclusive since most are sold by several retailers. The only thing that makes the exclusive sets exclusive is TLG saying they are - store exclusives being the exception.

TheLoneTensor

CCC said:

TheLoneTensor said:

It would be interesting to see the exclusives actually only sold by Lego (and maybe one more retailer each). You know, to actually make them exclusive.

One of my problems with the exclusive nomiker is how the criteria is kinda arbitrary. For example, the Sopwith Camel is only $99, yet it's an exclusive. Helm's Deep is a more significant set at $129, yet it's not exclusive. But it's part of a theme you might say, but then we have Arkham in the DC theme, which is $149, and an exclusive.

Why should exclusives all be expensive sets? Or why should expensive sets be exclusives?

Exclusive doesn't mean expensive. Barrel Escape was an exclusive.

Besides the fact that I didn't write, nor allude anything about "all exclusives should be expensive sets" or vice versa, we're actually talking about the "no, you can't have a discount on that" kind of exclusive as opposed to "only sold in one other store" exclusives.

Thanos75

Lets say that the exclusives go to being sold only by LEGO. Do you think LEGO will jack up the prices?

CircleK

I honestly think the "Exclusive" label really just means "Premium". We get hung up on the terminology at times bc it is a confusing use of the word. I think TLG is just saying "Hey - we no longer offer discounts on the top tier of our products". I don't know how it is decided which sets get the exclusive label, but I would like to think it goes to those products that incur more resources during the initial design and creation phase and has little to do with part count or price or theme.

Barrel escape is an exclusive set. Arkham asylum is premium set. We don't allow discounts on premium products. It's none of your business why this product is considered premium - it just is - so no discount for you! It sounds much better to me.

Paperballpark

Technically, barrel escape is probably what TLG classes as a 'hard to find' set. That is, one which is not sold widely.

FenrisAkashi

Truth is most of these sets are flagship sets.
The more eyes on them the more Lego sells sets of all sizes. Its in their best interest to have these as visible as possible. Unlikely they will ever pull these back to "Lego store only" by choice.