Lego likes to take its orders early in the year so they can project how many to produce.   Many retailers put their orders in at Toy Fair in February to guarantee their stock.

Actually the mega retailers, Wal-Mart, Target, TRU, will place there orders well before Toy Fair. In fact, if one of yhe big guys doesn't like an item they are shown at a pre Toy Fair viewing it won't be made.

Here's my two cents.

If you're going to make the argument that the deal is always out there, I'm going to flat out tell you that you are wrong. Some of the members live in very affluent, upscale towns and cities. Places LEGO either sells strong or sells out. To say you just have to drive around harder is ignorance.

I have gotten some insane deals, and I mean insane. 60 percent or more off is an easy thing to hit here come clearance time. I work hard at it, yes. I hit every Walmart, Target and Kmart within 45 minutes of me roughly every week or two. I like the thrill of finding an epic haul. Sometimes I'm at my 24hr Walmarts at 1 or 2 in the morning.

But don't confuse things. My hard work only pays off because I live in a poor area of the U.S., one of THE poorest actually, and most people down here who are struggling to make gas, food, or rent money can't afford the high MSRPs of LEGO. So, they sit on the shelf until they have to move in the next line, and in comes the clearance deals. If I tried to replicate this back home in Atlanta, I can assure you my success wouldn't be anywhere near what I'm used to, even with more effort put in on my part.

The fact is, some people will get lucky, some will get more out if they put more work in, but the true deciding factor determining your LEGO profitability aside from working captial is going to be the place, and thus the market, you live in.

 

 

 

You pretty much explained in one post what I had been trying to explain in about 10 and still never completely got across. Lol good job. 

I just felt the need to summarize my thoughts on the issue because it seems to keep coming up across different threads.

What I have recently done, and would like to keep doing, is act as a proxy to let some people in on the deals I find, but either can't or don't want to take advantage of.

As long as I can get a small finders fee to cover gas and time and still make it worthwhile on the buyer after shipping, I am more than happy to share in the deals that would otherwise go unclaimed.

I mean, we are all here to make money, right?

They did this with 10184. It went EOL in EU 3-4 months before the US.

This led to a large price difference.

I wonder if this the case due since the Euro markets usually get the sets later than the US?   Since they get it later, maybe they have access to it after the US does?

 

we'll prob be able to tell with The Mine (4204)

http://www.brickset.com/detail/?set=4204-1

I just felt the need to summarize my thoughts on the issue because it seems to keep coming up across different threads.

What I have recently done, and would like to keep doing, is act as a proxy to let some people in on the deals I find, but either can't or don't want to take advantage of.

As long as I can get a small finders fee to cover gas and time and still make it worthwhile on the buyer after shipping, I am more than happy to share in the deals that would otherwise go unclaimed.

I mean, we are all here to make money, right?

 

If you are not willing to send stuff as ''gifts'' such work is kinda ''worthless'' ot many who get charged import taxes on stuff above certain value... (for me this value already starts at 28$!!!)

If you are not willing to send stuff as ''gifts'' such work is kinda ''worthless'' ot many who get charged import taxes on stuff above certain value... (for me this value already starts at 28$!!!)

The "gift' can go both ways, I imagine? A "gift" for a "gift"? I see no problem here...

If you are not willing to send stuff as ''gifts'' such work is kinda ''worthless'' ot many who get charged import taxes on stuff above certain value... (for me this value already starts at 28$!!!)

 

Or maybe he will just choose to not deal with people overseas for this sort of thing. Nobody said you were entitled. 

I just felt the need to summarize my thoughts on the issue because it seems to keep coming up across different threads.

What I have recently done, and would like to keep doing, is act as a proxy to let some people in on the deals I find, but either can't or don't want to take advantage of.

As long as I can get a small finders fee to cover gas and time and still make it worthwhile on the buyer after shipping, I am more than happy to share in the deals that would otherwise go unclaimed.

I mean, we are all here to make money, right?

I think in theory this is a great idea. You make a little bit for your efforts, the other person benefits by being to purchase a set they would not be able to find in their area. Think about it, I could never have to leave the house! The only downside that I can see is that if I were a "buyer", I would want first crack at any and all deals. I wouldn't want to worry about being the third person down on a list and therefore only getting deals that others had passed on.

Well I only have one of these 'dealshares' in progress at the moment. It's a lot of trust that has to be put out there, but I think it's worth it. I can make some extra cash with which to invest in the things I want, and the buyers interested in stuff I don't want can get in on a good deal they'd otherwise not have access to, and will make them money down the road.

 

Hopefully Jayjay will vouch for me once our deal is complete.

I am willing to do the same thing.  I don't get that many deals locally however--but whatever I see online will be posted here--after I place my order.  I constantly scour the internet at all times of the day/night/morning as I work odd hours--and have internet access even at work.  I can also send out things to people that are available to me locally for cheap---if person covers shipping and $10 for my trip to post office and packaging.  Unfortunately---I haven't seen anything yet--worth offering.  There are about 10 ghost trains for $49 at East Walpole MA Walmart that I left when I grabbed my 2.  If they drop to 30 I can buy the rest if anyone wants them. 

 

Really think we need to cut the forum count in half though--my head is spinning trying to follow the same discussions in 3 different threads.  We need to have one deals forum--and have it restricted to members.  We should also have a text message list for the serious investors to get online deals.  I am more than willing to help in anyway I can.

 

This would work great for Craigslist finds as well.  There is someone selling an old lego train set for half of BP est. value--but I have no interest.  If someone were interested, I could negotiate the guy down, and send it to you.  That kind of thing would take this site to the next level.  Maybe a serious investor forum only could be set up for these type of deals--where we can trust sending hundreds of dollars of merch and cash back and forth.  Maybe the price of admission is a picture of you, your screen name you home address in front of thousands of dollars of lego boxes would do it?  

 

Lego -> 

I'm in.

I know there's alot of people on here from Texas. I'd be willing to try some sort of system like this or even something where semi-locals could meet halfway and exchange purchases made for others. I don't find much in my area on clearance, but CL is pretty active and we have a lego store here where I could grab exclusives or whatever. I think its a good idea but alot of it will probably be covered once the brick classifieds start.

I too am interested in this. In Northern NJ there aren't always crazy deals, but there are a TON of stores. When I find good stuff, it's really good. Plus I would like to meet some of you other BrickPickers in real life!

Maybe the Brick Classifieds will have a local section, where you could search for deals and trades within driving distance. Like a specialized Craigslist.

Maybe the Brick Classifieds will have a local section, where you could search for deals and trades within driving distance. Like a specialized Craigslist.

This would be great. I was in a car forum for years and we had a southern Cali sub section where I could buy/sell/trade with others within driving distance. It was a great tool to have and helped me get a lot of good parts.

Great ideas---I'll cover the S.E. MA/RI area.  I am always stopping at walmarts/Kmarts, and targets every week scouring deals.  Haven't found much yet--but I am always hunting.   Tons of each store in my area---but as mentioned--this is a huge lego area---they move a lot at retails or regular sales.  I also have 4 lego store in my area---so can get any exclusives if they are hard to find for others.

Was going to say, isn't this pretty much exactly what the Brick Classified are for?

Was going to say, isn't this pretty much exactly what the Brick Classified are for?

Yeah, what's being discussed feels like some sort of prequel to what will inevitably be the Brick Classifieds. I guess the one exception being meet-and-exchange style gathering of local area pickers. That could be an interesting possibility if it were to materialize anywhere. I'd be interested in hearing how it turns out for any involved.

 

Off topic edit of randomness: That punk attacking Nolan Ryan in your avatar, Robin Ventura, is from a town in California that I lived in for several years and went to the same high school. Needless to say, his local popularity waned a bit after he got tooled by the old man.   

Or maybe he will just choose to not deal with people overseas for this sort of thing. Nobody said you were entitled. 

 

Or maybe you could restrain yourself from posting a smart ass comment if you had nothing to add except useless words. If you would be older you'd see '' '' usage and understood them.

 

 

Well I only have one of these 'dealshares' in progress at the moment. It's a lot of trust that has to be put out there, but I think it's worth it. I can make some extra cash with which to invest in the things I want, and the buyers interested in stuff I don't want can get in on a good deal they'd otherwise not have access to, and will make them money down the road.

 

 

Thats good... I have 1 in US also to discuss stuff. Its nice if people are willing to help. But I mostly want US clearanced sets to build not to invest. You guys are so lucky with clearances... if my Amazon would sell sets on US prices I'd have triple the amount of LEGOs already

Maybe if anyone wants 20% off any Lego I can go to the Lego store in Florida and maybe they could do a ship to home thing where you could give me your home address and I could have them ship it to you. But idk if they do a ship to home.

not sure if its been said but the monster house is having delays in shipping on LEGO Shop at Home might be getting near EOL

not sure if its been said but the monster house is having delays in shipping on S@H might be getting near EOL

 

I see all sets (except the Haunted House = Out of stock, expected ship date 23 Jun 2013)  in-stock.