Just for fun, I called Target to ask about availability, thinking maybe there was one in a warehouse somewhere or something.  I don't know.  Anyway, after a few minutes, the rep came back and said it's not available now, but they will be getting more in stock.  When I asked how she knew, she said if it was discontinued, it would be in a different status in the system.  But there is a note that said they will be receiving more in stock in the future.

 

Grain of salt, YMMV, and all that.  But interesting.

How come we can get inside unlimited amounts of information from government (un) officials about the inside deal on UFO penetration/infiltration over the decades but can't get a LEGO insider to spill the beans? Mr businessman really does run a tight ship. "No ones talkin and it's stayin that way, getit" (in a James Cagney "top of the world ma" gangster voice) 

Just for fun, I called Target to ask about availability, thinking maybe there was one in a warehouse somewhere or something.  I don't know.  Anyway, after a few minutes, the rep came back and said it's not available now, but they will be getting more in stock.  When I asked how she knew, she said if it was discontinued, it would be in a different status in the system.  But there is a note that said they will be receiving more in stock in the future.

 

Grain of salt, YMMV, and all that.  But interesting.

I bet they expect cargo trains back in stock as well:

http://www.target.com/p/lego-city-cargo-train-7939/-/A-13683215

 

 

they did erase Chi Temple though, which was marked as retired very recently

Removed....no selling in the forums.

Does anyone know if the physical Lego stores let you buy multiple hard-to-find items at once? I'm thinking about driving to a store that has the SSD in stock BUT it's a 2 hour drive each way.... not sure if it's worth the drive and trouble if they won't even let me buy more than one. Thanks.

Does anyone know if the physical Lego stores let you buy multiple hard-to-find items at once? I'm thinking about driving to a store that has the SSD in stock BUT it's a 2 hour drive each way.... not sure if it's worth the drive and trouble if they won't even let me buy more than one. Thanks.

I bought 3 GE and 2 AS on my VIP card in store a while back with no issues . I've heard that other members had limits imposed when an item is of limited availability .

Great, thanks. I don't even want to ask the store about this before I go because they are so wary of collectors...

Great, thanks. I don't even want to ask the store about this before I go because they are so wary of collectors...

You meant they are wary of investors, they don't care if you are a collector.

Great, thanks. I don't even want to ask the store about this before I go because they are so wary of collectors...

Just take a friend or family member with you. Buy one, walk to the car, change, and go buy more

I spoke to the lego store in concord mills, NC today and they confirmed retirement!!

I spoke to the lego store in concord mills, NC today and they confirmed retirement!!

TLC board members are working retail these days? Or they showed you The Memo?

 

Oh, I forgot to be civil...

 

General perception on this forum is that lego store clerks don't have access to any additional information. They might know that their store is not getting a set next month or further out (which has no effect on availability of the set in general) But they cannot know if decision to retire a set was made - it is above their pay grade.

I spoke to the lego store in concord mills, NC today and they confirmed retirement!!

Yeah no offence but lego store employees are very unreliable sources so I wouldn't get too excited.

Yeah no offence but lego store employees are very unreliable sources so I wouldn't get too excited.

What about LEGO Shop at Home employees (the folks who answer the phone when you call the number in the catalog)?  Since LEGO Shop at Home is tied in with national distribution, it seems like they might know the broader EOL (or not) picture for sets in the US.

What about LEGO Shop at Home employees (the folks who answer the phone when you call the number in the catalog)?  Since LEGO Shop at Home is tied in with national distribution, it seems like they might know the broader EOL (or not) picture for sets in the US.

No. They might know more about the overall stock situation on sets, but they don't know anything about retirement.

No. They might know more about the overall stock situation on sets, but they don't know anything about retirement.

Which certainly does not stop them from pretending like they might know something. Something along the lines of "oh, it is very old set, I am pretty sure it is retiring"

Thanks for the enlightenment.....I've got mine and plenty of time to wait

Which certainly does not stop them from pretending like they might know something. Something along the lines of "oh, it is very old set, I am pretty sure it is retiring"

Yeah exactly that's why alotta times a lego store employee will tell you it's retired or about to be retired even though they don't know for sure

No. They might know more about the overall stock situation on sets, but they don't know anything about retirement.

I would imagine the LEGO store manager has an idea if a set is retired or not.  It is probably policy to keep information like EOL to management only.  I'm sure they get some kind of listing of what to expect in the coming months so they can prepare the store's displays and shelf setup.  

I would imagine the LEGO store manager has an idea if a set is retired or not. It is probably policy to keep information like EOL to management only. I'm sure they get some kind of listing of what to expect in the coming months so they can prepare the store's displays and shelf setup.

Yeah that would make sense if it's all on a need to know basis because imagine the kinda power investors like us would have if we knew whenever a set would retire :p

Yeah that would make sense if it's all on a need to know basis because imagine the kinda power investors like us would have if we knew whenever a set would retire

Forget the investors. Imagine an unscrupulous store manager knowing when a set is due to retire, so hides sets in the back and makes an arrangement with a neighbor who comes in and buys them all. Woo! That could be the big bucks there...

Hoping the SSD is ready to crash into DS2 like in the movie. I have two MISB and another with a roughed-up open box but the inner boxes are sealed (other than the instruction booklet). Its siren call is pulling me to build it...

I spoke to the lego store in concord mills, NC today and they confirmed retirement!!

 

Ed Mack, wouldn't it make sense to pin a note with certain well-known facts about EOL and so on to the top of the forum - so new users don't have to be told over and over again what "older" users have heard hundreds of times already. This might save new AND older users a lot of time.

 

How about something like this:

 

Before joining discussions about EOL dates new users should please read the following EOL facts that can be seen as well-known among a majority of users and should be regarded when posting personally acquired news and opinions.

 

1. Lego Store employees below management level are very likely to have no access to any reliable information regarding EOL. Most of what they say is nothing more than (educated) guessing and should NOT be distributed as "facts" or real "news" in the forums.

2. ...

Ed Mack, wouldn't it make sense to pin a note with certain well-known facts about EOL and so on to the top of the forum - so new users don't have to be told over and over again what "older" users have heard hundreds of times already. This might save new AND older users a lot of time.

 

How about something like this:

 

Before joining discussions about EOL dates new users should please read the following EOL facts that can be seen as well-known among a majority of users and should be regarded when posting personally acquired news and opinions.

 

1. Lego Store employees below management level are very likely to have no access to any reliable information regarding EOL. Most of what they say is nothing more than (educated) guessing and should NOT be distributed as "facts" or real "news" in the forums.

2. ...

A strict interpretation of that standard (discouraging most personally acquired news and opinions) would mean that about 9/10 posts in this thread should never have been made.  Almost all the previous posts have been predictions of the SSD's EOL date and/or its post-retirement price gains.  Given the thread's title and current content, it seems like a reasonable place for such posts.  If only "definite" retirement dates were considered post-worthy, there wouldn't be much to read.  Given Lego's very haphazard application of the "retiring soon" and "retired" labels, conjecture may be the best anyone outside the company's higher ranks can come up with until it's too late to act on the information.

Ed Mack, wouldn't it make sense to pin a note with certain well-known facts about EOL and so on to the top of the forum - so new users don't have to be told over and over again what "older" users have heard hundreds of times already. This might save new AND older users a lot of time.

How about something like this:

Before joining discussions about EOL dates new users should please read the following EOL facts that can be seen as well-known among a majority of users and should be regarded when posting personally acquired news and opinions.

1. Lego Store employees below management level are very likely to have no access to any reliable information regarding EOL. Most of what they say is nothing more than (educated) guessing and should NOT be distributed as "facts" or real "news" in the forums.

2. ...

rfish, I have been working with the public since 1985. I deal with thousands of customers a week and have realized one thing...people don't pay attention to signs, notes or anything that requires people to follow directions and/or explains something. I can put notes all over the forums and many people won't read them. That is the nature of the internet.

As for EOL information, it's all just a guess isn't it? We can look at some telltale signs and make an educated guess, but it's still a guess until LEGO states it's retired. I believe there are some LEGO store employees that know what is going on. They care and pay attention to conversations, stock levels, and information like we do. Some might have access to official LEGO documents. The only way to really crack the EOL equation is to continue to discuss it and welcome new members that might have some useful information to share.

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As for EOL information, it's all just a guess isn't it? We can look at some telltale signs and make an educated guess, but it's still a guess until LEGO states it's retired. I believe there are some LEGO store employees that know what is going on. They care and pay attention to conversations, stock levels, and information like we do. Some might have access to official LEGO documents. The only way to really crack the EOL equation is to continue to discuss it and welcome new members that might have some useful information to share.

Most of the time, EOL info is a guess according to what is happening to the set at the time. Most of time, the guesses are educated and are backed up by some facts, like the set has been sold out for a while and it may EOL. Then there are other times when you know certain EOL is not true. For example, one member had a conversation with a Lego employee at a store, and told him/her that the Simpsons House is going to be retired soon, even though it has only been released to the VIPs, and not the general public.

 

I agree that the members should discuss EOL, as it may help some members in acquiring certain sets before they retire. Even though it's not always accurate, it has helped in some cases.

Legoland Florida is officially out of the SSD at this time. Hopefully this means it is over unless we get another Maersk ship full of them on the way.