All Random Lego chatter!

Some GWP promo's coming along until December. The set below is from 16th September not sure price point or if just with lego City sets.

Already out before but been reused 5th to 11th September 120 spend. In Europe only.

Next is October GWP.

Be 2 GWP IN NOVEMBER. 1 XMAS themed one and one about lego House.

Plus double VIP in November it seems and in December another Xmas GWP set.

Heading in for 9 tomorrow with the kids. I am hoping with school starting next week that a lot less people around town tomorrow. Was 5 the time you were allocated for going in at 11.30?

Just out of the lego store so they still have a good few of the GWP TRUCKS if you spend 75 in store none of the pirate polybags left. Its cool now but I thought the pick a brick was v small. Credit card machines were not working so cash only. Print a minifigures was not working but was getting fixed when about to leave. Kids didn't want 1 so they didn't bother. Spent 80 to get the free gift with purchase. But yeah a lot of stock not in. So some random sets on shelves to fill in the gaps. Busy but got in at 9 slot

Not sure why everyone going to shop so quick it sounds like a shambles. I'll head in on a quiet midweek morning in October at some point and have a browse.

There some cool sets you picked out. The space sets you are thinking of getting are cool. Was going to pick up the space station in argos today but I got 2 star wars sets instead so I couldn't afford any more.

Yeah the star wars helmets I have got a few nothing major like you I wasn't going to bother collecting them but have started to now. Silly me had the tie fighter pilot and stormtrooper helmet before in argos on special offer but didn't bother getting them. Raging now as mad prices for them so won't ever get them but I might pick the rest of them up. I need to get the bobba fett helmet soon as that is due to retire this year I believe.

But yeah space is definitely the problem, money always and for both reasons I will be cutting down drastically going forward.

That's a hefty price tag for the rent but I say will do fine come the end of the day there. Just people should look at prices in smyths and argos before buying in lego store there as some sets could have big difference in price between the 2 places and save you a nice amount.

I'm a bit like yourself: wouldn't be mad to spend a load but I do enjoy collecting, especially when you can get a bargain (especially anything around €0.05 per piece). In fact the hunt for a good discount is part of the fun for me. I only got into Lego during lockdown and gave myself €10 a week to dip my toe back in the waters. I stuck to that for 2 years, but have gone a bit mad in recent times buying the retired set Pirates of Barracuda Bay for €295 (inc postage), Medieval Blacksmith, Sesame Street, and today the Viking ship. Also some smaller sets - the halloween one for this year; the lovebirds, the small batman tumbler. Got a few free sets too (GWPs) but I'm going to have to calm down a bit as I have blown more than my budget for the year in the six months March-September. I have most of the sets I want though - mostly Ideas sets, 3 in 1s, and a few small random ones. Won't be going near anything over €200 on principle and I'm kicking myself that I didn't get Barracuda Bay for €200 or cheaper when it was out, but it's a lesson learned. Would love to get into a bit of lego investing myself to offset some of the prices, but I'm wary of buying stock and not being able to sell it in Ireland because of lack of demand. I think long and hard before I buy a set, and watch a lot youtube and other reviews. It's part of the fun though. It's a great hobby all in all :)

ps the one Lego set that got away, the one that I want above all else is the old fishing store, but alas it shall not be. Too expensive.

Most of the Irish ones are hobby stores, not doing it as a full-time job; or are appended to other businesses.

Shipping out of here is relatively dear due to being on an island, so that will impact total margins significantly. Buyers will want cheaper elements to make up for higher shipping

There are a few, and I suppose it would depend on what you plan on doing. Parting out sets for individual pieces, or doing whole sets, or minifigs. I'd always do the filter by stores in Ireland button first when I've got a list of pieces. And then see what percentage they can fill, if there is a minimum order,. Generally the postage is reasonable enough, and there is a minimal if any handling charge.

Using this as an example. 8068 - Technic Rescue Helicopter

There is 1 Irish seller doing it for 25 + 9 Postage (which is at cost, based on a 1kg standard package ). There are cheaper options in the EU, but they have damaged stickers, or no instructions, or a minimum buy, or something. there is a set in Belgium with a substition of 2 black pieces instead of 2 red pieces which is grand but you have to wait for an invoice to see how much the shipping is going to be. The same in Germany, two sellers with the set for €20 everything complete but Shipping TBD so I'd probably go with the Irish guy, and if I bought it now, I'd probably have it on Thursday or Friday instead of waiting for it to come from the continent.

For bits and pieces though, yeah it just comes down to playing around and seeing what combination of shops will get me the most bits for the lowest cost, without there being too many different shops to have to pay postage multiple times. My ramblings may not be very helpful but yeah I'd always hit the Filter buy Stores in Ireland button first to check that but I really don't know if you'd be able to live off of it or make a job out of it.

Those price hikes are shocking! I’m so glad I got what I wanted before they happened… I questioned a member of staff in the Lego shop and he said there were no further hikes coming… thankfully I thought I’d still get the home alone incase…

Yeah some sets still cheaper in smyths then lego store but I say they will go up soon especially if smyths have to buy the set in at the more expensive price. Might be OK until they sell their allocation of stock before hand but you just don't know.

So what actually went up and by how much?

I've been able to justify the prices of a lot of the larger sets to myself, but these latest increases are just crazy. Home Alone house/Haunted house for 300, Treehouse for 250. GTFO of here. I'm just finishing Boutique Hotel at the moment, and while lovely it's incredibly hard to justify at 230. In my head they're still 160 euro sets. I've close to over 200 euro in Lego points and when I cash them in, I'm done with their website.

I'm incredibly reticent to call a company greedy. They exist to make profit. I get it. People also tend to ignore various macro issues etc, but this coupled with the weekly super high priced releases (Tempted to do a list of what it'd cost to buy all the sets over 150euro in given year, over the last decade) is hard to read as anything else. My fear is that they'll burn out their customers, and deny poorer kids a chance to get in at all. It's a bad sign when I'm cutting back.

It baffles me often when price increase is necessary. Or when lay offs are necessary. But what does it mean exactly. If company doesn’t increase price or fire some % of workforce will it go bankrupt or will they be making 5% less profit and thats the actual reason. Keeping the shareholders happy first and foremost is my bet. Just bit tired of the PR bs..

I didn’t think it would piss me off as it did. Glad I cashed in some points and pulled the trigger on ninjago gardens before it went up €50.

Lego really is now a toy for rich boys. But as long as I can afford it I’d be getting robbed every month 😎

Any word on what advent calendars will

be for sale this year?

Advent calendars are on the site now. Lego Star wars, guardians of the galaxy, city, friends and Harry potter.

https://www.lego.com/en-ie/holiday-gifts/advent-calendars