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 Some information may be outdated or incorrect.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