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Wednesday, June 29, 2016

Rek's Guide to LEGO Buying (SG) 2016 - 20160630

Disclaimer: Do note that this guide is meant mainly for buyers within singapore. Some information may be outdated or incorrect. Do alert me if you have spotted such discrepencies.


Date: Jun 2016


Basic Jargons
RRP - Recommended Retail Price (can also be SRP - Singapore Retail Price)
MOC - My Own Creation: a LEGO structure not in any set. usually fan designed.
LCS - LEGO Certified Store
LCP - LEGO Certified Professional

Timeline of a LEGO set

The trick to buying a LEGO set at a good price depends largely on when do you buy it. Some of you may have already noticed that there is a pattern to it.


Period
Production
Initial Launch
Waves
EOL
Off Shelf
Stock
NA
Low
High
High
NA
Price (secondary market)
NA
Up
Down
Down
UP
Comments
During this time, Parts are being produced. Factory Leaks are possible.
Low Stock as everyone are rushing to get thier own set. Scalpers will go in during this period to create a further perception of limited stock and drive prices higher.
This will last for at least 6 months as more sets flow into the market.
Due to abundance stock, ppl will stop buying high from secondary market and prices will go down.
Items has stopped production. However, stock level is still high on retail outlets.
Items are no longer sold in retail store. Prices are decided by secondary market.


This is a basic timeline of a LEGO set’s life span. so, as a consumer, you get to pick WHEN you buy. :)


Types of LEGO



Regular
Common LEGO sets that you see in almost every shop
Monostore Exclusives
Exclusive sets that are only found in LEGO Monostore. They used to be called 5-digit sets until recently LEGO changed the numbers system. However, Exclusive sets still retain the starting number of 1. example, for 2015, 10246: Detective's Office , 10247: Ferris Wheel.
71006: Simpson house has proven not to be an exclusive. so….
76023: The Tumbler is a ? only time will tell.
White Tags
These sets usually comes prediscounted. They do have a RRP, but they were never released at that price. These sets have a very good price/part ratio. examples will be 60026: Town Square and Advent Calendars
Robinson will indicate these sets with a price cancellation.
Metro indicate by white tags.
Some places never indicate at all, but will sell at the discounted price.
Lifestyle
LEGO Related products - Keychains, KeyLights, Lamps, etc, etc
TRU/ Target/ Walmart Exclusives
As the name implies, these sets are exclusive to these stores.
Clearance
Sets that has gone off the shelf in order to make space for new sets and has returned with a high discount in order to encourage clearance.

Recently examples are Lone Ranger, Galaxy Squad, Ninjao Final battle Arc, Chima Insect Arc.

Latest clearance as of apr 2015 is TMNT at bricksworld.


White Tags
2014
41056

44.9
34.9
2015
60070

49.9
39.9
60071

74.9
59.9
70228

74.9
59.9
2016
41133

59.9
74.9
60111

49.9
59.9
60131

39.9
49.9
70324

34.9
44.9
70327

44.9
59.9
75141

39.9
54.9
76056

49.9
64.9


Where to buy



LEGO Mono - Shops that are authorised by LEGO to use thier Brand name as signboard. these shops are only allowed to sell LEGO Products
Chapalang - They sell LEGO and a whole range of other stuff
Dept Store - Department Store that carries LEGO. LEGO usually do not give 20% discounts. However, during these store’s storewide sales, MIRACLES happen.

Name
Type
Location
PAB
Discount / Membership
Comments

Bricksworld

LCS
Ngee Ann City (Flagship)
LEGO PAB
$300 in a single reciept / $25 for 3 years.
10% Discount.


RWS
LEGO PAB
Vivo City
LEGO PAB
Suntec
LEGO PAB
LEGO Mono
JEMS
NIL
Plaza Sing
NIL

Toyshunt

LEGO Mono
Great World City
PAB
$300 in accumulated reciepts / $30 for 1 years.
10% Discount.

Novena Square
PAB
Century Square
PAB

Secret Chamber

LEGO Mono
Thomson Plaza
PAB


Holland Village Shopping Center
PAB
Causeway Point
PAB

The Brick Shop
LCS
Jurong Point
PAB


LEGO Mono
NEX
NIL


Bedok Point
NIL


Brick Station
General Toys & Games Boutique
Serene Center
ONLINE PAB
No Membership. 15% Discount all year round.

MLBS
Chapalang
Bugis Junction
Standard PAB
$300 in a single reciept.
10% Discount. 20% off one receipt birthday month.


Gift Greetings

Chapalang
GWC

NIL
$10.
5% discount
Tanglin Mall Outlet does not carry LEGO
NEX
Toys’R’us
Toy Store
Forum
Paragon
Vivo City
City Square Mall
The Centrepoint
Tampines Mall
United Square
Suntec City
NIL


Metro
Dept Store
Paragon
The Centrepoint
Causeway Point
NIL


Robinson
Dept Store
Raffles City
Hereen
JEMS
NIL


Isetan
Dept Store
Shaw House
Wisma Atria
Parkway Parade
Tampines Mall
Nex
Westgate
NIL
Do note, some of these store carry little to no LEGO

Takashimaya
Dept Store
Ngee Ann City
NIL


Hamley’s
Toy Store
Plaza Singapura
NIL


Simply Toys
Toy Store
Plaza Singapura
Bugis Junction





This is a guide to LEGO buying, not a street directory. go use your google map or whatever.

Ebay, Carousell should always be used only as a last resort. otherwise, you are just feeding scalpers.



What kind of Fan you are

Knowing yourself will enable you to better plan for how you would like to purchase. I for one, have spent years to figure out my own pattern. I do hope this will shorten yours.


Buyers
Set / Box Collector
Buyers who just collects for personal reasons but never build due to various reasons.
Opportunist
Buyers who only buys when there is a good sale or clearance.
Scalper
Buyers who intentionally buy out items on the shelf in order to create demand.
Investor
Buyers who buys for investment.
Builders
MOCer
Purist
MOCer who only use pure LEGO parts. Even if they have to stick to the very dim light brick. However, these ppl are usually very creative with LEGO elements and different methods to work ard.
Creator
MOCer who are open to any options to make thier lego creation look better. Wireless lightning, LED strips.
Digitizer
MOCers who first do thier designs on software and proceed to procure the parts to bring them into the physical world. Advantage: unlimited parts/colours at your disposal to create your design
Instruction Builder
Builders that only build according to instructions and wont take the step further into MOC. Why? from my understanding, these ppl finds building LEGO sets very therapeutic, relieving thier stress as the pieces goes into its proper place without fault. MOCing will take up time and create un-neccessary brain activity which neutralise the stress-reliving effect.


Additional Bonus


https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1ETc28u1LBhUIgBd63ija_RRPLQ2nRqQ-KlPdulKw57g/edit?usp=sharing


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