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Where to shop for LEGO for Christmas?

by Thita (admin) on November 28, 2014

Today is the day when the holiday shopping season officially begins (at least in the USA), which of course also means LEGO shopping! Whether you are planning to get LEGO sets for kids, relatives, friends, or yourself, you can take advantage of the myriad of offers, as local retailers and online shops are vying to offer the best deals. Here we will look at some of the best places to shop for LEGO, as well as what to look out for during your LEGO shopping mission. So let’s dive right in! 🙂

➡ LEGO Stores & Online LEGO Shop: LEGO stores carry the full line of currently available LEGO sets, and if you have one near you, I would definitely recommend checking it out. There will be various promotions until Christmas, so keep an eye out for announcements. Right now LEGO is offering free shipping on all orders, you will get the second LEGO Holiday Set for free with orders over $99, and you will also get a free 2015 LEGO Calendar with coupons for next year with orders over $75. The added benefit of shopping at the Online LEGO Shop is the largest selection of items and no need to fight the crowds. Besides the deals mentioned above, sales tend to be moderate, but don’t forget that you also earn VIP points, which definitely makes those deals a lot sweeter! 🙄

➡ Toys’R’Us & Other Toy Shops: Toys’R’Us usually has the best selection of LEGO sets – not counting LEGO stores – and they often carry new releases early, not available anywhere else. The issue with Toys’R’Us and toy-shops in general is that they take advantage of unsuspecting customers by significantly inflating prices. They will advertise all kinds of sales, but with their inflated prices, those so-called sales end up being worse then just shopping at a generic retail store or directly at LEGO. Having said that, the numbers sometimes do work. The key with shopping at Toys’R’Us is knowing the original prices sets should be selling for. Take a calculator and do your math before being swept away in the shopping excitement. Here is an excellent video you might want to watch: The Myth of Toys’R’Us Deals

➡ Wal-Mart, K-Mart, Target & Other Retailers: These are the generic big-box retail stores. They have an excellent LEGO selection, their prices are not inflated, and they often have great deals around the holiday season. One tip I would give is that don’t take the shelf-prices for granted. They often have sales going on which are not yet marked on the shelves, especially around this time of the year when stores are so busy. Take items up to a price-checking station to get the most current price. Wal-Mart, K-Mart, and Target often have steep discounts somewhere in the 25-50% off range. Don’t miss them!

➡ Barnes&Noble, Sam’s Club & Other Retailers: These are some places where you might not think of looking for LEGO, but they are in fact great for finding hidden gems and great discounts. Barnes&Noble in particular tend to have great deals on LEGO sets before Christmas (also don’t forget about the excellent LEGO related books). Shopping clubs like Sam’s Club also carries LEGO around the holidays. The selection is usually very small, but you might find some good deals.

➡ Amazon.com: One of my most favorite place to shop for LEGO in general, and definitely around the holidays, is Amazon.com. Their free shipping over $35 and no tax in most states is a significant saving in itself. In addition their prices are excellent, as they like to undercut everyone else. Always look out for the Eligible for Free Super Saver Shipping icon in the item description. These are items shipped directly by Amazon. (Amazon also has affiliates and their shipping may not be free.) Besides Amazon having their own dedicated Amazon LEGO Shop, leading up to Christmas they also run Holiday Lightning Deals. These are items with a steep discount, but only available for a few hours. In the Holiday Toy Lightning Deals section you can often find amazing deals on some of the best LEGO sets. They don’t come up every day though, so bookmark this page and check back daily. Also, don’t forget that Amazon has an excellent selection of LEGO related books.

➡ Other Online Shops: Toys’R’Us, Target, Wal-Mart, Barnes&Noble, etc. all have online shops as well. During the holidays they usually offer free shipping and the same or larger selection then at their retail locations. Sometimes they also have online-only deals. You can sign up for email alerts to get updates on the latest offers.

➡ Shopping for Retired, Used & Bulk LEGO: If you have your eyes on a retired LEGO set, or just want to pick up some used or bulk LEGO, eBay.com and BrickLink.com are the best place to shop. Always check the seller’s feedback and ask questions before making a purchase. One thing to remember when shopping on eBay and BrickLink is that these are usually small hobby sellers who will need to pack and ship your order in their spare time. Place your order at least two weeks before Christmas to make sure the package arrives on time. You can read more at Shopping for LEGO on eBay and Shopping for LEGO on BrickLink.

And that pretty much sums up where to go LEGO shopping. I know it is a lot of places to keep a tab on, but I thought to give you an overall idea of where to look, and depending on your own location and situation, you can narrow down the list to what works best for you. Personally I almost always shop for LEGO at Amazon, not just because they have excellent prices, no shipping and no tax, but I can also pick up other, non-LEGO items in the same order (throw in some books, a couple of DVDs, some vitamins, or whatever else I need). Also, not having to spend gas and fight the traffic and crowds is a nice bonus.

Having said that, it is worth to check a LEGO Store (if you are lucky enough to have one near you) or Toys’R’Us to see LEGO sets displayed. I have found that no matter how many images I see online, there is nothing like seeing a LEGO set in person. It could actually be a really interesting experience! Sometimes you may not be interested in a set you see pictures of, but you fall in love with it after seeing it personally. Other times it is just the opposite. LEGO is full of surprises!

Hope this guide helps you a little in your holiday LEGO shopping. If you would like to add your own LEGO shopping tips feel free to share them in the comment section below, along with any great deals you run across between now and Christmas. Happy huntin’! 😉

And you might also like to check out the following related posts:

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Ultimate LEGO Gifts holiday shopping guide

by Thita (admin) on November 27, 2014

in LEGO Sales & Deals

For the holiday season LEGO put together an Ultimate LEGO Gifts list, and I actually find it quite accurate as far as what are the biggest, best and most sought-after LEGO sets this year. So let’s take a look. 🙂

Please note that this list contains some of the most expensive new releases of 2014 – the sets that LEGO fans like to dream about. They may not be for everyone’s budget, however if money is not an issue, this is an excellent place to start to look for gifts for a special someone or even yourself. If you would like a guide with more variety and options, please check out our Best LEGO Sets 2014 Christmas Shopping Guide that covers every interest and budget, and the LEGO Sets Retiring Soon & Sales Updates.

The Ultimate LEGO Gifts list includes fifteen sets, and it is a good mix of the best selections from different LEGO themes. Two of the sets on the list are from the LEGO Winter Village series; the #10235 LEGO Winter Village Market, and the #10245 LEGO Santa’s Workshop. This first one is actually from last year, but it remains a highly popular set in the LEGO Winter Village series. If you like to have a nice and kid-friendly display for the holidays, these are excellent choices. The LEGO Winter Village series is also highly collectible as LEGO releases a new set in the line every year. Previously released sets remain sought-after as people new to the hobby would like to complete their collection. So you may also consider getting them for investment purposes.

The #42009 LEGO Technic Mobile Crane MK II is an expensive specialized set geared towards technical minds, and includes Power Functions (meaning the set is motorized). Of course not all LEGO Technic sets are so expensive, but if you are looking for an ultimate gift, this is a great option. One thing about LEGO Technic though is that if you are buying this as a gift, make sure that the person receiving it is really into building machines. While LEGO Technic is fully compatible with other LEGO sets, and it is a wonderful and very complex line with impressive realistic vehicles, building constructions-vehicles is a specialized hobby that doesn’t appeal to everyone. Same thing goes for the #31313 LEGO MINDSTORMS EV3 (also on the list) which has been developed for those interesting in robotics.

There are two display sets on the Ultimate LEGO Gifts list; the #10242 LEGO Creator MINI Cooper and the #10234 LEGO Creator Sydney Opera House. Both are very impressive sets that look excellent in the collection of older teens and adults, or even showcased in an office setting. Note that these are display pieces. Meaning they are geared towards older LEGO fans, they are not minifigure-scale, and they are not really play-sets.

Then there are sets on the list that are excellent for play, while also look good on display. This includes the highly impressive and really fun #70810 MetalBeard’s Sea Cow, which is the largest set related to The LEGO Movie – just make sure you have enough room for this one as it is massive. The #71006 The Simpsons House is a wonderful set for fans of the TV series; it opens up like a doll-house with lots of fun play-features inside. Another set that looks very impressive on display, and also has great play-features is the #75059 LEGO Star Wars Sandcrawler. And for collectors of the LEGO Modular Buildings the #10243 LEGO Creator Parisian Restaurant is a must – to date this is my favorite set in the series and I highly recommend it. It also makes an excellent investment as new sets in the series get released, older ones retired, and people try to catch up to complete their collection.

Then there are pure play-sets on the list that are specifically made for fun. The #10244 LEGO Creator Fairground Mixer is a great option for LEGO City fans with tremendous amount of play-features. The #60052 LEGO City Cargo Train is fully motorized and include a full circular track to run your train on. The #41058 LEGO Friends Heartlake Mall is one of the largest sets currently offered for girls (or anyone who loves to have a collection of unique minifig accessories and nice pastel colors). The #70165 LEGO Ultra Agents Mission HQ is the ultimate high-tech crime-fighting unit jammed packed with play-features. And the #79117 LEGO TMNT Turtle Lair Invasion is just perfect of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles fans.

Of course there are many other LEGO sets you can choose from this holiday season, but the Ultimate LEGO Gift list provided by LEGO is a great place to start if you are not sure what to get. You can find the whole list at the Online LEGO Shop (just click on the link to take you there). Also, keep in mind that this weekend (November 28th to December 1st), LEGO offers free shipping and Double VIP Points on all orders, you will get the second LEGO Holiday Set for free with orders over $99, and you will also get a free 2015 LEGO Calendar with coupons for next year with orders over $75. You can get all these offers at official LEGO stores and the Online LEGO Shop.

So what do you think? What is the big LEGO sets you would like from Santa? Have you been good this year? Do you think he will bring it for you? Feel free to share and discuss in the comment section below! 😉

And you might also like to check out the following related posts:

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Where to shop for LEGO for Christmas?

Ultimate LEGO Gifts holiday shopping guide

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