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LEGO Brick Friday 2017 shopping guide

by on November 24, 2017
in LEGO Sales & Deals

Today is the official day when the holiday shopping season begins (at least in the USA), which of course means that retailers are all competing for your attention and wallet. From a LEGO fan’s perspective, this is an excellent time to pick up LEGO sets as gifts for kids, relatives, friends, and even yourself. Below, 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. 🙂

➡ 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 the free exclusive LEGO Nutcracker figure with orders of $99 or more, and a free exclusive LEGO Canvas Tote Bag with orders of $199 or more. If you don’t feel like fighting the crowds, or you don’t have a LEGO store near you, the Online LEGO Shop carries an even larger selection, free shipping on all orders this weekend, and lots of items on clearance sale. And of course, if you are a LEGO VIP member you will earn points on all of your purchases, or you can redeem your VIP Points you have been collecting through the year. Below are some important links:

In addition to all the 2017 LEGO sets already available, there are also two new sets released during the Black Friday/Cyber Monday weekend; the #70922 LEGO Batman Movie The Joker Manor is available today, November 24th under the LEGO Batman Movie section of the Online LEGO Shop, and the #10256 LEGO Creator Taj Mahal is going to be available on Monday, November 27th at the LEGO Creator section of the Online LEGO Shop.

➡ 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 marked up prices, those so-called sales end up being worse than 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 standard retail prices sets should be selling for. Take a calculator and do the math before being swept away in the shopping excitement.

Shop LEGO ToysRUs

➡ Wal-Mart, Target & Other Retailers: These are the generic big-box retail stores. They usually have a good LEGO selection, their prices aren’t 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 and Target often have steep discounts somewhere in the 25-50% off range.

➡ Amazon.com: One of the best places to shop for LEGO in general, and definitely around the holidays, is Amazon.com. Their prices are excellent, as they like to undercut – or at least match – everyone else. And they also offer free shipping on all orders of $25 or more. 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.) Amazon has dedicated LEGO store section, with all the currently available sets: VISIT THE AMAZON LEGO STORE

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➡ Other Online Shops: Toys’R’Us, Target, Wal-Mart, etc. all have online shops as well. During the holidays they usually offer free shipping and the same or larger selection than 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. Amazon, Toys’R’Us and Target tend to go into a price-war with each other during the holiday season, which is of course good for shoppers.

➡ 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.

And that pretty much sums up where to go LEGO shopping. If you already know what you want to get, shopping online is the usually best and most convenient option. Most retailers will offer free shipping, or a very low shipping threshold, during the holiday season to encourage online orders, and they usually offer the same 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. Having said that, it is worth checking out stores with LEGO displays (official LEGO stores, Toys’R’Us, Target, etc.), because even with seeing pictures online, there is nothing like seeing a LEGO set in person. Sometimes you may not be interested in a set you see pictures of, but you fall in love with it after seeing it in person. Other times it is just the opposite, and you decide not to buy a set once seeing it on display. However, it is best to window-shop for LEGO at retail stores during quieter times.

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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Best LEGO sets 2017 Christmas shopping guide

by on November 23, 2017
in LEGO Sales & Deals

Happy holidays! This is a wonderful time to be thankful for friends, family, and all the blessings in our lives, as well as for the hardships that make us stronger and bring us closer with others. This weekend is also the official beginning of the holiday shopping season, which can sound stressful and commercial, or could be an opportunity to really connect with people and understand what makes them happy. For LEGO fans the answer to that question is very easy; more LEGO. And the good thing is that even if you are not exactly sure which LEGO set they would like, you can’t go wrong with any of them. There is really no such thing as a LEGO set that doesn’t fit, as the parts are always useful. So now that you can relax and know that all LEGO is good LEGO (as long as it is official LEGO brand and not some imitator), let’s look at what’s available and what might be a good fit for your LEGO-crazed family and friends. 🙂

➡ THE BEST LEGO SETS FOR FAMILIES: “The family that builds together stays together.” For many people LEGO is a family affair. This is especially true when the parents also grew up with LEGO and they appreciate the educational and creative aspects of the hobby, along with the family bonding experience. If you are Christmas shopping for a family like this, you probably already know what kind of LEGO sets they are into; perhaps they have a LEGO City layout in their basement, or LEGO Star Wars sets all over the living room, or they are into building castles, or robots, or trains. If your budget allows it, I would recommend getting a larger LEGO set for this family that they can build together, or a LEGO bucket with loose bricks that everyone can enjoy. Good candidates are:

➡ THE BEST LEGO SETS FOR BOYS: If you know their wish-list, or the LEGO themes they like to build, get something from those categories. For a lot of boys LEGO Star Wars, LEGO Ninjago, LEGO Minecraft and LEGO Nexo Knights are the rage, so anything from these themes would make a great Christmas gift. Also, the LEGO Creator line is excellent for kids who like to build their own designs. These sets are mostly priced in the $10-$50 range, so are quite affordable:

➡ THE BEST LEGO SETS FOR GIRLS: If you are Christmas shopping for a girl who is already into LEGO Friends, you can’t go wrong with any of the currently available sets. There is a great selection in the $10-$50 range, and there are also larger sets for special occasions. LEGO Elves and LEGO Disney Princess are two other themes that use mini-dolls instead of regular LEGO minifigures. Girls also tend to like the LEGO Creator houses and other sets that are not centered on conflict:

➡ THE BEST LEGO SETS FOR TEENS: LEGO shopping for teens is a bit more challenging (I guess shopping for anything for teenagers is challenging). First of all, make sure they are still into LEGO. Even kids who have been building with LEGO all their life may put the hobby on pause once they hit their teen years. However, this is not true for all teens; many of them will continue the LEGO hobby, and in fact take it much more seriously, as they start designing their own LEGO models with astounding skill and creativity. This can lead them to a future career in architecture, engineering, design, robotics, art, programming, or even landing a job at LEGO. If the teen you are shopping for is on their way out of the LEGO hobby you might still consider one of the excellent LEGO books from No Starch Press that may rekindle their interest, or if they are still deeply involved with LEGO there are many LEGO sets specifically designed for teens. Good candidates are:

➡ THE BEST LEGO SETS FOR ADULTS: LEGO is not just a childhood toy, but also a lifetime hobby for many adults. The large number of LEGO clubs, blogs, forums, and conventions geared towards adult LEGO fans are a testimony of the thriving adult LEGO fan community. LEGO responded to their adult fan-base by releasing LEGO sets specifically targeting older LEGO fans. These are usually very large sets with complex building techniques and intricate details, taking many hours – even days – to put together. They are basically modeling kits with LEGO bricks. Adult-oriented LEGO sets are usually expensive too, in the 100+ range, however there are also smaller sets that adults would appreciate:

➡ THE BEST LEGO SETS FOR GRANDPARENTS: LEGO has been around long enough that there are fans of the brand who are now grandparents. And grandparents deserve gifts too – especially if they are fun grandparents who are into LEGO! They would likely appreciate the same LEGO sets as all adults, but there is also something else I would recommend for them; LEGO books. Older LEGO fans have likely seen it all, built it all, even have it all, but they can still get inspiration from LEGO books with amazing creations or interesting historical details about the hobby:

➡ THE BEST LEGO SETS FOR CO-WORKERS: You may be working with someone who is a LEGO-nut. Perhaps you have not seen their whole LEGO collection, or know exactly what LEGO themes they are into, but you can get them something funny and LEGO-related that fits in the office:

➡ THE BEST LEGO SETS FOR YOUR BOSS: Yes, your boss may be into LEGO too! Or, perhaps you are the one who is known as the LEGO geek, and you want to surprise your boss with something from your hobby:

➡ THE BEST SMALL LEGO SETS (UNDER $20): If your budget is small, but you would still like to surprise a LEGO fan, or you are just looking for LEGO stocking-stuffers here are some ideas:

➡ THE BEST LARGE LEGO SETS (OVER $100): These are the best of the best LEGO sets, mostly recommended for teen and adult builders, although some younger kids may like them too. If money is not an issue, any LEGO fan would be very happy with these sets. Here are the best of the currently available large LEGO sets:

Again, as I have mentioned, there is no such thing as a bad LEGO set, and LEGO fans would appreciate any gift that is related to their hobby. These are just some guidelines, in case you don’t know where to start. I hope it helps in your Christmas LEGO shopping! Also, if you have your own suggestions, feel free to share them in the comment section below! 😉

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

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