Happy Thanksgiving! While this year has been unusual, to say the least, with people’s lives disrupted and thrown into uncertainty in so many ways, there are also things to be thankful for; family, friends, new ways to connect with people, new opportunities, and more time to spend on hobbies. Based on LEGO’s most recent financial report, more people are turning to LEGO as a hobby either to enjoy by themselves or with close family members. “Families that build together stay together” is a motto we have heard before, and it’s more relevant than ever.

LEGO is high on the Christmas wish list of both young and old LEGO fans, and with the holiday shopping season beginning this weekend, retailers are offering all kinds of incentives to assist shoppers. Below, we will take a look at where to find those elusive LEGO deals this holiday season.

➡ LEGO STORES & ONLINE LEGO SHOP: Traditionally official LEGO stores are one of the best places to shop for LEGO for the holiday season. However, with the pandemic still looming over us it’s better to restrict your shopping at the Online LEGO Shop. If you do plan to stop by at a nearby LEGO store, I suggest you call ahead for information about their current policies and restrictions. Both official LEGO stores and the Online LEGO Shop are offering several special promotions for this weekend.

With purchases of $150 or more November 27-30, you will get the #40410 LEGO Charles Dickens Tribute set. This is a nicely designed, quite substantial 333-piece set with exclusive minifigs. Notice on the box image below that the spine of the book has a hidden drawer for holding special items. Very cool! This offer is valid at official LEGO stores and the Online LEGO Shop.

With purchases of $40 or more November 27-30 you will get the #30576 LEGO Holiday Tree. This is a cute little set that would go well with the LEGO Winter Village series, or as a standalone holiday decoration. This offer is only available at official LEGO stores.

Yet another freebie this weekend is the exclusive #5006293 LEGO Chariot with purchases of the newly released and massive #10276 LEGO Colosseum. This is the largest LEGO set of all time with over nine thousand pieces! We talked about the set before (see: Massive LEGO Colosseum Coming Soon!) and you can check it out at the LEGO Creator Expert section of the Online LEGO Shop.

If you are not accustomed to using the Online LEGO Shop, or you have friends/relatives who are going to be purchasing LEGO for you, the online LEGO Gift Finder can be a big help. This is a special section of the Online LEGO Shop, which helps guide those who are purchasing gift items. It helps shoppers narrow down their selection by age range, price, and interests. Below are some quick links to help you get started.

➡ WAL-MART, TARGET & OTHER RETAILERS: These are the generic big-box retail stores. They usually have a good selection of LEGO sets, their prices aren’t inflated (although it’s always a good idea to double check), and they usually have great deals around the holiday season in the 20-50% off range. One tip I would give is that don’t take the shelf-prices for granted. There are often 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. Also, don’t forget to check the websites of these retailers, as they often have online-only deals during the holiday season, and with the current pandemic, it’s much safer to shop online anyway.

➡ SHOPPING FOR LEGO AT AMAZON.COM: One of the best places to shop for LEGO, especially around the holidays, is Amazon.com. Their prices are excellent, as they like to undercut – or at least match – everyone else. As a caveat, always look for the Eligible for Free Shipping icon in the item description. These are items shipped directly by Amazon. (Amazon also has affiliates and their shipping may not be free and/or their service may not be as reliable.) Amazon has a dedicated LEGO store section, with all the currently available sets. Below are some quick links to help you get started:

➡ 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 places to shop. Always check the seller’s feedback and if you’re not sure about something, 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 during their spare time. Also, there has been significant shipping delays due to the pandemic, so place your orders at least 2-3 weeks before Christmas to make sure the package arrives on time.

➡ RECENTLY RELEASED EXCLUSIVE SETS: Here is a list of all the most talked about sets that were released in the past couple of months you may consider for the holidays. The #10276 LEGO Colosseum, the #75290 LEGO Star Wars Mos Eisley Cantina, the #75978 LEGO Harry Potter Diagon Alley set, the #21323 LEGO Ideas Playable Piano, the #71374 LEGO Nintendo Entertainment System, the #43179 LEGO Mickey Mouse & Minnie Mouse Buildable Characters, the #21324 LEGO Ideas Sesame Street set, the #10274 LEGO Ghostbusters Ecto-1, the #76161 LEGO Batman Batwing, the four new LEGO Art mosaics, and many other new sets under LEGO Batman, LEGO City, LEGO Creator 3-in-1, LEGO Disney, LEGO Friends, LEGO Harry Potter, LEGO Hidden Side, LEGO Iron Man, LEGO Monkie Kid, LEGO Ninjago, LEGO Star Wars, LEGO Super Mario, LEGO Technic, and LEGO Trolls. To see the full list visit the new items section of the Online LEGO Shop.

If you already know what you want to get, shopping online is usually the best, most convenient, and safest option. Most retailers offer free shipping, or a very low shipping threshold, during the holiday season to encourage online orders, and they offer the same or even better specials online as in stores. Also, when shopping with online retailers like Amazon, you can pick up other non-LEGO items at the same time which is super convenient. Again, just keep in mind that there may be significant shipping delays.

I hope this guide helps you a little in your holiday LEGO shopping. We will talk more about what’s available at what we recommend in the following weeks. 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:

• LEGO MINDSTORMS Robot Inventor 5-in-1 Set Coming!
• LEGO Winter Village Elf Clubhouse Press-Release
• LEGO Star Wars Mos Eisley Cantina Press-Release
• LEGO Star Wars The Child Now Available for Pre-Order
• LEGO DC Batman 1989 Batwing Coming!
• LEGO and IKEA Storage Solution Press-Release
• LEGO x Levi’s Co-Branded Products Press-Release
• LEGO Harry Potter Diagon Alley Review – Part 1
• LEGO Harry Potter Diagon Alley Review – Part 2
• LEGO Ideas Gran Piano Press-Release
• LEGO Nintendo Entertainment System Press-Release