Anyone else saving up for the big deals this Fall?

[BrickUpdate]

Sorry if this is a bit off topic (please move or delete if it is), but is anyone else saving up for the big deals this Fall? I remember last year it seemed to kick off with TRU sales (B2G1 I think) and continued nearly nonstop through January, culminating in LEGO's own 50-75% off sales. It seemed like every few days was another amazing sale someplace or another, with Amazon having some great stuff too.

Making my list, checking it twice.

Also, salivating over the older posts in this forum showing Green Grocer on sale everywhere for $120 and similar deals. Thanks everyone!

[slacker]

actually I really can't wait until the Lego sale. Picked up some great stuff at 50% off last year. A few things I didn't find were GG and GC.

[BrickUpdate]

I didn't see Green Grocer or Grand Carousel on sale anywhere last year either. Though, I could have gotten to the LEGO Stores earlier than I did. Still tons of great stuff, and I was shocked how much product they had, and how it sort of just kept coming out as the weeks went by.

Definitely smart to focus on the items that are being retired.

[peanut]

I haven't been saving but I should be! I wish the LEGO store here was in a larger space at the mall, they really pack it in even without extra stock set up. To the point where I've given up completely on weekends 'cause it's just so crowded. I'm sure management isn't complaining about that though!

[Ice]

I haven't been saving but I should be! I wish the LEGO store here was in a larger space at the mall, they really pack it in even without extra stock set up. To the point where I've given up completely on weekends 'cause it's just so crowded. I'm sure management isn't complaining about that though!

Ya, the Belleville store is super small. There's barley even enough room for stock and displays, not to mention, people. Its probably the smallest LEGO Brand Store in terms of size.

[Zeya]

For me... I came out of my dark age almost one year ago, exactly. And so last holiday season I didn't quite know what I was doing/missing. Although I did observe the crazy Christmas sales season and took some mental notes.

Anyway, the only sets I have slated are:
- 2011 City Advent Calendar
- 2010 Kingdoms Advent Calendar (won't spend over MSRP on this though)
- Hillside House
- Queen Anne's Revenge
- Black Pearl
- Grand Emporium

I've been yelled at (whined at?) recently by my girlfriend to stop buying everything immediately, so that she has a chance to get me gifts. That's fair enough. (I find it hard to hold back when TRU had all those BOGO deals for like 2 months straight.) So hopefully she can get me some of those sets above as gifts (except the advent calendars). I have a birthday in mid December too.

I'm glad I've hit a point of saturation where I've got most of what I want and don't feel like I'm scrambling to buy things before they disappear. I had to buy some Pirates sets at over MSRP because of my dark age. :( Not this year.

Relatedly, I plan to avoid most Black Friday-ish deals. I was watching Target closest last year, in particular. Their Black Friday deal was for a large Castle set. They didn't move all their stock even by Christmas Day and that was at something like 60% off the set's original MSRP. They had that Black Friday price again in January and there was no rush at all. I had a similar vibe with that huge Space Police set - I saw it all the way until March or April, moving stock slowly. I'm not saying all deals will be like that. I have a feeling that we will see some Black Friday deals on the PoP sets this year... but I digress.

I swore last year that I would start my Christmas shopping in August. It's August. I need to get cracking or I'll be singing the blues in December with too much rushing and spending. *sigh*

[Legobrandon]

I haven't been saving but I should be! I wish the LEGO store here was in a larger space at the mall, they really pack it in even without extra stock set up. To the point where I've given up completely on weekends 'cause it's just so crowded. I'm sure management isn't complaining about that though!

Ya, the Belleville store is super small. There's barley even enough room for stock and displays, not to mention, people. Its probably the smallest LEGO Brand Store in terms of size.

The store is small, but I just love going there, the mall is great too. I actually really like the city of Bellevue. I just can't wait until they build a LEGO Store up here in British Columbia. And Richmond Centre is expanding, they removed the movie theatre and is planning to move all of the food court upstairs, and have more stores where the food court is now... ;)

[BrickUpdate]

I am lucky enough to live within driving distance of 4 LEGO Stores. I could add 2 or 3 more to the list if I felt like driving a bit farther. Last year I got good deals from 3 of them (the only 3 I went to), but I didn't stalk them or anything, I just sort of showed up over a 2 or 3 week period.

It was fun hearing the stories of the BrickLink dealers who go to the LEGO sale on the first morning and buy - literally - $30,000 worth of product. Can you imagine how long it takes to open all of that and part it out?

I ignored the TRU sales so far this year. Some big sets I want now though, so we'll see how the Fall goes.

[QuagsireQing]

I'm holding off on buying a few things in case Toys 'R' Us throws another Bricktober event this year. (Do they do that every year, or was it just last year? Last July marked the ending of my dark ages, so I wasn't paying attention in previous years). I've abstained from the new Technic and Creator sets this year, some of which I could get cheaper from BN than I could by getting 25% off at TRU, but if I'm made to spend $40 in order to get the Bricktober minifigs, I may as well pay that little extra to get them.

[atmail35]

QuagsireQing
There was a thread about Bricktober so it looks like it is happening. http://www.toysnbricks.com/forums/viewt ... bricktober" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

I will likely do Bricktober...I shouldn't but I get sucked in. I've way over bought the past few months between B&N, Target, Kmart, and TRU sales. I'm kind of regretting buying all these huge sets since I don't know where the heck we will store them when built.

I will be getting:
Series 5 Minifigs
City Advent Calendar/Star Wars Advent (maybe)
Winter Post Office
possibly a few AC or SW sets if I find them on sale.

I plan to do Black Friday (scratch off ticket at Lego Store, probably 10% off)
I also need to be smarter about the January clearance since I did not go the first day last year. Does that start December 26th? I missed all the on-line deals at midnight too.

The good news is that I have bought a number of Christmas gifts already. My nephew is done (too much Lego).

[dr_spock]

I'm trying to save up for 8110 Unimog. It's hard with so many other sets I'd want to get. I'll probably wait for double VIP points or a sale.

Black Friday is handy for buying Christmas presents. Too bad we don't have it Canada. We have Boxing Day which the day after Christmas.

[autobrick]

I'm glad I've hit a point of saturation where I've got most of what I want and don't feel like I'm scrambling to buy things before they disappear.

I am in the same situation; I've picked up almost every 2009-2010 set that interests me so I can ease up on the buying to give my wallet a much-needed rest. I have at least 1.5 years to pick up 2011 sets; no rush!

Like atmail35, this fall I only plan on buying sets with considerable discount (say 40% off or more Canadian MSRP) or limited-time sets (CMF5, Seasonal sets, store exclusives, etc).

Now that there is a Lego store (soon to be two) within driving distance, hopefully I will be able to score some great deals for the end-of-year Lego Store Boxing Day sales. Can anybody confirm that in-store sales are the same as the online sales, but better stocked?

[ncbarrett]

... I'm kind of regretting buying all these huge sets since I don't know where the heck we will store them when built....

Break them back down.
Put them away,
then you can build them again another day.

[pumbaugh]

I just hope lego follows through with the same aggressive clearance markdowns after christmas as last year. Seems like they have clearanced things out during the year much more slowly....

[condor]

I have only a couple sets that are on my list since they are probably getting discontinued soon:
Fire Brigade, HP 2010 Hogwarts, and HP Hagrid's Hut. Hopefully, TRU does a BOGO 50% or something like that.

[slacker]

I didn't see Green Grocer or Grand Carousel on sale anywhere last year either. Though, I could have gotten to the LEGO Stores earlier than I did. Still tons of great stuff, and I was shocked how much product they had, and how it sort of just kept coming out as the weeks went by.

Definitely smart to focus on the items that are being retired.

I take it back, I saw GC but didn't pull the trigger. Same with Taj. Within 2 days, things were gone. The Technic crane truck, which I saw plenty at $75, were gone. I was disappointed that I didn't pick up an extra motorized AT-AT walker. So yes, I agree with you that I need to focus on retired sets but I think the ones on sale are all retired sets.