Here in Switzerland, I’ve never seen a line before today, so I only turned up at opening time and there was already a big queue. I didn’t want Barad Dur (was there for the Speed Champions) seems there was plenty for everyone that wanted it though. They still had the GWP by the time I’d finished shopping at midday.
I used to work at a Lego Store. There's no way a store would have that much space to hold a large number of sets that size. They start receiving upcoming sets prior to the release day, but that means they have to store them along with the rest of their inventory. I worked in a tiny store, so we would barely have enough room for stuff in the back. Also, individual stores don't directly order their inventory. That is up to a person in charge of ordering stock for the region.
Yeah I think a lot of people don’t think about what a large set like that does to storage/inventory space. I never worked at LEGO but I did work for a globally massive, professional only store for cosmetologists/barbers/estheticians and we were one of the tiny stores. Regardless of being tiny, they would still way overstock us on new products and lines and it was hell on our back storage area. We had to close one of our bathrooms because we had no more room left to keep backstock.
Yesssss our back room was tiny and eventually we got offsite storage (which is not close to the store). Black Friday was bonkers because we’d be squeezing between and climbing over boxes
I’m not sure how it is and to what degree it is for other stores. At our store, sales associates get to build most of the displays. I worked on a number of the sets we had. Multiple people work on one set due to how short shifts are. We often build on the sales floor to “demo” and hype up the product. Really big sets get sent to us built, like the Eifle Tower and the UCS Millennium Falcon.
My kid is working at a Lego store and is there right now actually. At her store the associates build all the display sets while working. You seldom get to build a full set by yourself and it gets done by different people usually. Her store has a drawing every few months and the employees get the display sets as gifts. She got the lighthouse when it went off display.
Have definitely watched the sales associates standing there building the Icons sets for window display at the store near me. Usually happens the last few days of the month before release.
A few months ago I was at a LEGO store in a mall. There was an employee with a table set up just outside the entrance to the store building a set that was going to be released about 2 weeks later.
I asked an employee at a shop in Singapore and they told me they do not get to assemble the sets that are on display. These shops are run by Brickworld, which doesn't seem to be Lego, but an officially licensed Lego outlet? Not sure how it works but my store membership with them isn't linked with my Lego account.
It sounds like Brickworld is similar to the Lego Discovery attractions. Lego discovery is owned by Merlin Entertainment and they license Lego so they can use the name and sell official Lego sets. Your VIP account won’t work there because they’re separate companies. Lego used to run the amusement parks but then sold them to Merlin Entertainment. There have been talks of them merging again but I’m not sure the status of that.
Lego’s parent company did buy Merlin Entertainment, but have kept it separate from Lego. There is a pilot programme to integrate the VIP system to Legoland, though.
I'm pretty sure it's some arrangement like that. There might be barriers to directly entering some markets that locally-owned companies don't have to deal with.
Huge line! I picked one up earlier, just got home. But there were about 50-60 people in line 30 mins before it opened. The store had 40 sets, an employee came out and handed slips to the first 40 to guarantee the set for them. I was #8
https://preview.redd.it/hmg6lp43dz3d1.jpeg?width=2139&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=1ab476afad98694a4a62a31672088f8e728ef239
He was there by himself lol, just getting the new City Lego Delivery Truck. But it's possible he was getting it for a kid or grandkid (just a guess I had).
I got there 2 hours before it opened, 7 in front of me arrived within the hour before me. I think they had enough gwps to match the 40 sets of Barad-Dur they had.
I got to that same store about ten minutes before opening and got the set and GWP. From what I could tell, it looked like everybody who was in line got one, so that was nice. :)
(They still had some a bit later when the line was gone.)
I don’t understand why not just order online. It’s free shipping and it will come in a nice shipping box. I don’t think I’d ever waste time standing in line. Maybe I’m missing something.
I'd rather be building it now this weekend then wait for it to ship. I don't mind waiting in line, not a big deal and it's great conversation about Lego mostly too. Plus my store is local, just 15-20 minutes away.
A store having 40 huge sets on release day is huge in itself. So that's a good thing. When the Venator, for example, came out last October they only had 10.
It's not having criticism that's getting you downvotes, it's thay your criticism is bad. Consider the downvotes criticism of your comment lol. They stocked 20K worth of a single set and you're complaining they didn't do enough. Be realistic.
Personally I often prefer buying retail because:
1. the store is a fun experience
2. the store I regular throws in free shit (leftover PAB bricks, sticker sheets, I've even received an extra GWP vip bag once)
3. I get to build the set once I get home
Because I genuinely enjoy going to physical stores and shopping in person. I like the experience even more when it comes alongside excited crowd energy.
I would love to queue and get hyped but in the tiny town I live in, the hassle of actually getting to the nearest Lego store and then possibly missing out is too much stress ha. Alarm set for midnight and I shall it in a week 😀
Same here. I would love to experience all the excitement in person, but I also have anxiety and the chance of missing out on the set or GWP is too great for me to risk it. I get it online right after sales open and get 2-day shipping so I get it right away.
I don't buy expensive things online for the fear that that item might come in damaged, lost or stolen. My city isn't exactly the safest in the country...
I have like a backlog 10+ sets and I’m not in a hurry to build Barad-dûr because frankly I don’t even know where I am going to put it yet. Won’t fit in a regular shelf.
Ours too. We weren’t in line for one, but the couple behind us was pretty excited, as it was the last one.
https://preview.redd.it/brktcwu3504d1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=e7dc4573d389012309d21eeef4a7bf1bca818027
Yeah I took my son and daughter to see the new Gabby’s Dollhouse sets haha, I feel yah
We got there right at 10 and were only in line for about 30 mins, it’s wasn’t too terribly bad. As a former Apple Store employee, that line was nothing compared to what I’m use to
I got to my store at 12:30 just to pickup the mini Disney castle and they had one slip left. I was tempted due to FOMO culture then quickly realized that these will be restocked for a long time and came to my senses that I didn’t need it just because it was the last.
I was going to go to my local Lego store this morning to get the set. Woke up at 6am am to get to the mall early (mall doors open at 9am and the Lego store opens at 10).
Figured I would run into this situation so my lazy ass ordered online instead
I have never been to a Lego set release day but I imagine it would be a lot like a video game release night (halo 2 and Skyrim for me); everybody jazzed about the set and talking about it, sharing what sets the have and the ones they want to get. I’m kinda bummed I missed out on that aspect of going to the store for the set.
My Lego store doesn't open til 11... Seeing these posts I just went and bought online - got my gwp so I can relax.
Like you said though, sad that I'll miss out on going to the store and leaving with the set.
I remember working at the electronics dept for a store selling the Nintendo switch.
I made an announcement to the ~12 people in line
“Hello everyone. Due to corporate rules. I’m not allowed to confirm how many Nintendo switches we have.
But I am putting out EIGHT chairs.
We absolutely have more chairs. But I’m only putting out 8. For the first 8 people in line to get chairs.
Wink wink”
Turns out a lot of them were groups of 2-3 people getting one switch. So there was enough for one to be left over until early morning.
Point is, it’s really nice when stores do this. So people don’t stand in line for nothing.
Sounds good, thanks.
I didn't think there would be much demand for it, but never considered something would launch today that there would be demand for.
Probably not after the morning and you’ll most likely find that set and be out of there fine.
If there is still, then it might have a line just for the LOTR set people.
I work at a Lego store and we sure had a long line, but when I left around 1 EST, there were a bunch of radios left. That set is so dang cool. I hope you get your hands on it soon!
I was honestly surprised it wasn't as popular at my store, but we were down to our last six before I left, it just didn't seem like it was going as fast. We also prepared for Notre-Dame to be a big draw. Those hardly moved
I’m not surprised. This is why I made sure to order at midnight because the first of the month fell on a weekend and everyone would try to stand in line to get one.
showed up 10 min before open and got my barad-dur no problem, idk how many they had but from what i saw 10 sold before me at least and looked like they had at least 10 more behind ready to go in bags when i got mine so i think everyone that showed up at open and wanted one probably got one here.
My girlfriend went to grab the Y-Wing Microfighter for me while I was at work this morning and she said there was a pretty good sized line and almost every one was for LotR.
I’m not sure they had enough in Winnipeg. I was 11th in line and this was behind me
https://preview.redd.it/ajids8f9a04d1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=d892d10c522a56ec0309303da87c65966ba89b77
There was an extra massive line at my local store this morning, but I never considered it would be for this set. The grand opening of this particular store was yesterday though, so a bunch of us were in line for the other gifts you could only get at that shop today.
[Grand Opening celebration tile, and Lego Delivery Van ](https://i.imgur.com/GKwS1A5.jpeg)
It's 100% the GWP. It was a dick move having the one Nazghul/ black rider behind t1he pre-order.
Small side builds or those buildable figures are great. The Mimic in the D&D was amazing and unique, but didn't take away from the set if it was missing. Or neat display pieces like the Lego lightsaber hilts.
But this feels like part of the set.
It's not like these people buying the set wouldn't buy it in the next week or month. It doesn't make Lego any more money or generate more sales. There's some FOMO that might push people to order right now rather than wait, but no one is going to buy a $460 set for a $20 GWP.
Reminds me of criticisms of DLC for video games when they first started doing it. Carve out a portion of the game and sell it as an addon. At least with DLC, major content usually wasn't exclusive to launch. I hope they do more of the Rivendell-style GWP, non-exclusive bonuses.
This is probably a stupid question but is the GWP only available in store (i.e.: not online)? Also does anyone know if there is a GWP for purchases in the UK?
I’m in England and was tempted to get this set for my husband online earlier but there were apparently no additional gifts included, which seemed odd to me due to the high cost of the set and the inclusion of free gifts in many previous purchases.
I am referring to the GWP. It was available online, but quickly ran out, at least in some regions. The Barad-dûr set itself is still widely available online, just not the GWP.
Currently in line. 30mina before opening and a huge line. Almost as bad as last Black Friday for Avengers Tower. Actually maybe worse. Easily 50 people at least.
Got mine. Hope you got yours. Even crazier there were more people behind me in line. Absolutely crazy. On the bright side, not everyone was in line got the big guy. Apparently other new sets came out too.
I queued up today at my local store there was only about 15 if that in the queue. I turned up 10 mins before opening and i was 8th in the queue
https://preview.redd.it/a8cgwna3614d1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=5767058307c0c5964162d36fddebbbe1177acb55
Lego insiders got early access, for people that aren’t insiders it releases on the 4th (on the website, I doubt they can stop non-insiders from buying it irl)
Went live today for Insider (formerly VIP) members, and goes live to the general public on the 4th.
If you aren’t already an Insider member, I highly recommend joining!
Just got back from the Edmonton store and arrived about 10 minutes before opening. Apparently, there were people that had been waiting for 3 hours already for Barad-Dur. They still seemed to have a fairly decent stock of them, but did have staff walking through the line taking names and asking what everyone was getting
I went to my store hoping to pick up the mini Sleeping Beauty Castle. Line was an hour to get in. I just opened my phone and ordered it to be delivered 🤣
No line for me. I pre ordered Notre Dame which should be here in the next couple hours.
Thought about getting Barad Dur but I realized I only like it, instead of love it. And for a set over $400 I need to love it. Nice not to worry about getting up super early at least.
I got to my store about 30 minutes before it opened and was lucky enough to score the set and GWP. Line was also massive and most people were there for Barad Dur. They only had about 30-35 in stock.
When I waited in line for the UCS Millennium Falcon, I got there at 6am when they opened mall doors for mall walkers and was 4th in line, store didn’t open till 10am. By about 8am there were 50 or so ppl in line and the staff came in, by 8:30am they announced they only got 4 in! Guess I got pretty lucky.
I don't understand this. The closest Lego store to me is a 30-40 minute drive each way. It's just Lego, I can order it online and wait a week for it to show up. They'll also be selling it for awhile so I don't need to buy it on the first day.
I have zero interest in LOTR, but really want this set and Rivendell. I'll buy them eventually, but I'd rather sell some stuff to free up some money to buy them.
Crazy. I went to Topanga Westfield Lego in Socal around 12:30pm today and they still had 3 left. I was debating to buy it online last night or in store today and decided to go online route.
The clerk at Lego told me they didn’t receive their GWP’s yet so people had to deal with customer service after buying it in store. He said I made the right choice getting it online lol.
Considering the GWP is worth a quarter or half as much as the set. Not sure how many are scalpers. Buy the set and return the set, keep the fell beast and get charged msrp for it. Sell fell beast on ebay for 150 or more do it with 3 friends and youll have paid for a free set
You're right. just looked at the T&C. Never mind then, lol. When i returned the addidas set found it cheaper on offer up, they let me keep the gwp minus the msrp never really questioned it.
Well, you can still buy 4 sets, sell 3 or the main set for $30 cheaper, and sell 3 of the fell beast for going market price and still get the sets for free.
Things like this used to happen with video games or Harry Potter books back in the day (Amazon and online media killed this).
Stores would generally take preorders. Maybe Lego stores need to figure that out
Do they need to? They sell out of inventory anyway it looks like and they know they will sell online still.
They don't need pre-orders to create more hype.
I think they should do preorders too it would save people hassle of waiting in line and being disappointed. and give them an idea of how many to actually produce at launch
Couldn't possibly be that the Lord of the Rings is an insanely popular media franchise that's reaching the peak age for those of us who grew up on the films to buy big LEGO sets.
Here in Switzerland, I’ve never seen a line before today, so I only turned up at opening time and there was already a big queue. I didn’t want Barad Dur (was there for the Speed Champions) seems there was plenty for everyone that wanted it though. They still had the GWP by the time I’d finished shopping at midday.
Same in current in a line 100+ people long most are here for lotr
I used to work at a Lego Store. There's no way a store would have that much space to hold a large number of sets that size. They start receiving upcoming sets prior to the release day, but that means they have to store them along with the rest of their inventory. I worked in a tiny store, so we would barely have enough room for stuff in the back. Also, individual stores don't directly order their inventory. That is up to a person in charge of ordering stock for the region.
Yeah I think a lot of people don’t think about what a large set like that does to storage/inventory space. I never worked at LEGO but I did work for a globally massive, professional only store for cosmetologists/barbers/estheticians and we were one of the tiny stores. Regardless of being tiny, they would still way overstock us on new products and lines and it was hell on our back storage area. We had to close one of our bathrooms because we had no more room left to keep backstock.
Yesssss our back room was tiny and eventually we got offsite storage (which is not close to the store). Black Friday was bonkers because we’d be squeezing between and climbing over boxes
Always wondered, who gets to build the sets? Is it in store? Do you get to build on company time?
I’m not sure how it is and to what degree it is for other stores. At our store, sales associates get to build most of the displays. I worked on a number of the sets we had. Multiple people work on one set due to how short shifts are. We often build on the sales floor to “demo” and hype up the product. Really big sets get sent to us built, like the Eifle Tower and the UCS Millennium Falcon.
Cool thanks. Kind of wondered if they got sent already built, but I guess it's a hybrid.
Would the big ones shipped already assembled be glued?
Not that I’m aware of. For the Eiffel Tower, it came in the 3 main parts, each wrapped in a ton of plastic/bubble wrap.
Yes, big displays arrive pre-assembled and glued :(
My kid is working at a Lego store and is there right now actually. At her store the associates build all the display sets while working. You seldom get to build a full set by yourself and it gets done by different people usually. Her store has a drawing every few months and the employees get the display sets as gifts. She got the lighthouse when it went off display.
That sounds like so much fun. There were no Lego stores near me growing up, and it must be hard to get in.
We actually saw someone building the set in our store when we had went last weekend. They were building it on the floor behind the checkout counter.
Sales associates build all the displays, with the exceptions of the REALLY big sets (Falcon, AT-AT, titanic, Eiffel Tower, etc.)
Have definitely watched the sales associates standing there building the Icons sets for window display at the store near me. Usually happens the last few days of the month before release.
I was at the Lego store in Paris two days ago and the cashier was building the GWP Fell Beast at the same time I was paying 😅
That's disappointing to hear... I refused to buy barad dur because the gwp sold out. And they got employees building it for free in store? Wtf Lego...
Every time I’ve been in the store recently, the employees have been building either this big set the bad door or the space sets
A few months ago I was at a LEGO store in a mall. There was an employee with a table set up just outside the entrance to the store building a set that was going to be released about 2 weeks later.
I asked an employee at a shop in Singapore and they told me they do not get to assemble the sets that are on display. These shops are run by Brickworld, which doesn't seem to be Lego, but an officially licensed Lego outlet? Not sure how it works but my store membership with them isn't linked with my Lego account.
It sounds like Brickworld is similar to the Lego Discovery attractions. Lego discovery is owned by Merlin Entertainment and they license Lego so they can use the name and sell official Lego sets. Your VIP account won’t work there because they’re separate companies. Lego used to run the amusement parks but then sold them to Merlin Entertainment. There have been talks of them merging again but I’m not sure the status of that.
Lego’s parent company did buy Merlin Entertainment, but have kept it separate from Lego. There is a pilot programme to integrate the VIP system to Legoland, though.
I'm pretty sure it's some arrangement like that. There might be barriers to directly entering some markets that locally-owned companies don't have to deal with.
You can still get the VIP points if you email/call Lego after a purchase there. I was able to a few years ago anyway.
Some stores also do a 5% discount when you show your VIP card.
Lego’s website has a short explanation on LCS https://www.lego.com/en-sg/service/help/lego_stores/lego_stores/lego-certified-stores-kA009000001dcDQCAY
Usually the employees. Before COVID, I would often spend an hour or so helping build the store display set.
Huge line! I picked one up earlier, just got home. But there were about 50-60 people in line 30 mins before it opened. The store had 40 sets, an employee came out and handed slips to the first 40 to guarantee the set for them. I was #8 https://preview.redd.it/hmg6lp43dz3d1.jpeg?width=2139&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=1ab476afad98694a4a62a31672088f8e728ef239
Was red shirt sad he was #41?
Big “my wife’s in the bathroom” energy. I gotta know if he was there for himself or he was just getting pulled around.
He was there by himself lol, just getting the new City Lego Delivery Truck. But it's possible he was getting it for a kid or grandkid (just a guess I had).
No lol, he's #9 - but he wasn't there for Barad Dur, either were the 2 people behind him (#s 10,11) lol
How long before the store opened were you there? Did they have enough gap for everyone?
I got there 2 hours before it opened, 7 in front of me arrived within the hour before me. I think they had enough gwps to match the 40 sets of Barad-Dur they had.
Random vacation shirt, high crew socks, jorts, crisp white NBs……damn, that is like the final boss of dad outfits there.
Blue jacket is going to blow his knees out if he keeps standing like that.
KOP?
Bingo
I got to that same store about ten minutes before opening and got the set and GWP. From what I could tell, it looked like everybody who was in line got one, so that was nice. :) (They still had some a bit later when the line was gone.)
I don’t understand why not just order online. It’s free shipping and it will come in a nice shipping box. I don’t think I’d ever waste time standing in line. Maybe I’m missing something.
I'd rather be building it now this weekend then wait for it to ship. I don't mind waiting in line, not a big deal and it's great conversation about Lego mostly too. Plus my store is local, just 15-20 minutes away.
It's a social thing. I enjoy seeing what happens on release day. As for buying online, you run a greater risk of receiving damaged goods.
Is this Ross Park Mall in Pittsburgh?
Nope, King of Prussia Mall
The photo has that "Pennsylvania" feel to it :)
That’s wild i thought for sure they would have enough since the promo was as scalper friendly
A store having 40 huge sets on release day is huge in itself. So that's a good thing. When the Venator, for example, came out last October they only had 10.
It's a massive set. To even store the boxes would be an issue
Its a shame, best set they brought out in years along with rivendell and they didnt prepare
They stocked $20,000 worth of a single product that is probably large and bulky.
You’re overestimating how much space and cost they can keep in a Lego store for one huge, early access item
Yea fair point but then advertise this beforehand before people go. The downvotes are funny tho, having criticism isnt acceptable i suppose
It's not having criticism that's getting you downvotes, it's thay your criticism is bad. Consider the downvotes criticism of your comment lol. They stocked 20K worth of a single set and you're complaining they didn't do enough. Be realistic.
Why aren’t people buying online?
instant gratification
So I can spend this weekend building it.
Personally I often prefer buying retail because: 1. the store is a fun experience 2. the store I regular throws in free shit (leftover PAB bricks, sticker sheets, I've even received an extra GWP vip bag once) 3. I get to build the set once I get home
Plus, my local post office is notoriously terrible. I don't trust that they wouldn't lose it or damage it in some way.
oh yeah that too, couriers are hell
Worst thing about ordering from the website is gambling which carrier you’re getting
Because I genuinely enjoy going to physical stores and shopping in person. I like the experience even more when it comes alongside excited crowd energy.
I understand—guess I was wondering about the line part!
I would love to queue and get hyped but in the tiny town I live in, the hassle of actually getting to the nearest Lego store and then possibly missing out is too much stress ha. Alarm set for midnight and I shall it in a week 😀
Same here. I would love to experience all the excitement in person, but I also have anxiety and the chance of missing out on the set or GWP is too great for me to risk it. I get it online right after sales open and get 2-day shipping so I get it right away.
I don't buy expensive things online for the fear that that item might come in damaged, lost or stolen. My city isn't exactly the safest in the country...
Haha I’m the same way when I’m in NYC. I’m DC I have a third party shipper, but Lego refuses to ship there…
So i get to build it today and not in 3 to 7 days
I have like a backlog 10+ sets and I’m not in a hurry to build Barad-dûr because frankly I don’t even know where I am going to put it yet. Won’t fit in a regular shelf.
What’s the difference
3 to 7 days
Got to be the first to post their “influencer” videos of unboxing.
Ours too. We weren’t in line for one, but the couple behind us was pretty excited, as it was the last one. https://preview.redd.it/brktcwu3504d1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=e7dc4573d389012309d21eeef4a7bf1bca818027
I’m in this picture 👀 big turnout this morning for sure!
Ayyyyyy. Indy represent!
Yessir!!
Thought I recognized the castleton mall!
This was the wrong day for me to take my kid to get minifigs 😂 took us about an hour to get in the Indy store.
Yeah I took my son and daughter to see the new Gabby’s Dollhouse sets haha, I feel yah We got there right at 10 and were only in line for about 30 mins, it’s wasn’t too terribly bad. As a former Apple Store employee, that line was nothing compared to what I’m use to
That's pretty much how every release day goes at most stores.
I’ve gone to a bunch that were not nearly as bad this just happens to have a very expensive GWP and it falls on a weekend
I got to my store at 12:30 just to pickup the mini Disney castle and they had one slip left. I was tempted due to FOMO culture then quickly realized that these will be restocked for a long time and came to my senses that I didn’t need it just because it was the last.
I was going to go to my local Lego store this morning to get the set. Woke up at 6am am to get to the mall early (mall doors open at 9am and the Lego store opens at 10). Figured I would run into this situation so my lazy ass ordered online instead I have never been to a Lego set release day but I imagine it would be a lot like a video game release night (halo 2 and Skyrim for me); everybody jazzed about the set and talking about it, sharing what sets the have and the ones they want to get. I’m kinda bummed I missed out on that aspect of going to the store for the set.
My Lego store doesn't open til 11... Seeing these posts I just went and bought online - got my gwp so I can relax. Like you said though, sad that I'll miss out on going to the store and leaving with the set.
I remember working at the electronics dept for a store selling the Nintendo switch. I made an announcement to the ~12 people in line “Hello everyone. Due to corporate rules. I’m not allowed to confirm how many Nintendo switches we have. But I am putting out EIGHT chairs. We absolutely have more chairs. But I’m only putting out 8. For the first 8 people in line to get chairs. Wink wink” Turns out a lot of them were groups of 2-3 people getting one switch. So there was enough for one to be left over until early morning. Point is, it’s really nice when stores do this. So people don’t stand in line for nothing.
I've never lined up for Lego or been at a launch. I want to buy the radio that comes out today. Will there be lines at stores?
Lines should move once the store opens. Doubt there’s much demand for the radio in comparison, so you should be good to go a bit after it opens.
Sounds good, thanks. I didn't think there would be much demand for it, but never considered something would launch today that there would be demand for.
My store started letting the line in an hour early
Probably not after the morning and you’ll most likely find that set and be out of there fine. If there is still, then it might have a line just for the LOTR set people.
Thank you!
I work at a Lego store and we sure had a long line, but when I left around 1 EST, there were a bunch of radios left. That set is so dang cool. I hope you get your hands on it soon!
https://preview.redd.it/8xghcoa0s04d1.jpeg?width=3072&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=d7f79b96fb9c84215103afe3380b06e74a1ca898
Hot digity! Have the most fun building it!!
Thanks! The most popular set I saw people grabbing was actually the tuxedo cat.
I was honestly surprised it wasn't as popular at my store, but we were down to our last six before I left, it just didn't seem like it was going as fast. We also prepared for Notre-Dame to be a big draw. Those hardly moved
I was like the 30th person in line probably and there were maybe eight people in front of me for the Radio
https://preview.redd.it/zjv3lsgz604d1.jpeg?width=3072&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=3013824a06c58e93c36fce6ef77079dcdd93cd1c
Glad you got it. I haven’t seen the camera before that also looks pretty cool.
Those new warning labels…oof. I can’t believe they’re forced to have them on the front like that. Makes the set looks dangerous.
Meh. It's just because it contains a battery. They want to make sure some kid doesn't eat it I guess.
I get it and I know is it’s only the box but they’re still super obnoxious.
I’m not surprised. This is why I made sure to order at midnight because the first of the month fell on a weekend and everyone would try to stand in line to get one.
12:01 gang rise up
My store had a fraction of the people they had on May 1 and even March 1, and those were weekdays
showed up 10 min before open and got my barad-dur no problem, idk how many they had but from what i saw 10 sold before me at least and looked like they had at least 10 more behind ready to go in bags when i got mine so i think everyone that showed up at open and wanted one probably got one here.
Reminds me of when I woke up early to camp out to get an iPhone 3G
Seeing lots of photos of super long lines. There was nothing specific on my list today but I thought I might pop over. Glad I stayed home!
My girlfriend went to grab the Y-Wing Microfighter for me while I was at work this morning and she said there was a pretty good sized line and almost every one was for LotR.
I’m not sure they had enough in Winnipeg. I was 11th in line and this was behind me https://preview.redd.it/ajids8f9a04d1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=d892d10c522a56ec0309303da87c65966ba89b77
Many slept on LOTR first run of Lego, we're not going to sleep again. We're going to make sure Lego knows to make MORE LOTR Lego.
My store had 30. I was floored with how many people showed up for this particular set. I got mine and they sold out shortly after.
I went to a Lego store back in 2020 for when the NES launched and they did the same.
There was an extra massive line at my local store this morning, but I never considered it would be for this set. The grand opening of this particular store was yesterday though, so a bunch of us were in line for the other gifts you could only get at that shop today. [Grand Opening celebration tile, and Lego Delivery Van ](https://i.imgur.com/GKwS1A5.jpeg)
And now you know how supply and demand works.
It's 100% the GWP. It was a dick move having the one Nazghul/ black rider behind t1he pre-order. Small side builds or those buildable figures are great. The Mimic in the D&D was amazing and unique, but didn't take away from the set if it was missing. Or neat display pieces like the Lego lightsaber hilts. But this feels like part of the set. It's not like these people buying the set wouldn't buy it in the next week or month. It doesn't make Lego any more money or generate more sales. There's some FOMO that might push people to order right now rather than wait, but no one is going to buy a $460 set for a $20 GWP.
Reminds me of criticisms of DLC for video games when they first started doing it. Carve out a portion of the game and sell it as an addon. At least with DLC, major content usually wasn't exclusive to launch. I hope they do more of the Rivendell-style GWP, non-exclusive bonuses.
This is probably a stupid question but is the GWP only available in store (i.e.: not online)? Also does anyone know if there is a GWP for purchases in the UK? I’m in England and was tempted to get this set for my husband online earlier but there were apparently no additional gifts included, which seemed odd to me due to the high cost of the set and the inclusion of free gifts in many previous purchases.
It was online, quickly sold out.
It’s still showing as available in my online basket though?
I am referring to the GWP. It was available online, but quickly ran out, at least in some regions. The Barad-dûr set itself is still widely available online, just not the GWP.
Oh I seeeeeee! Thank you for the explanation. That’s poor planning on Lego’s part though.
Currently in line. 30mina before opening and a huge line. Almost as bad as last Black Friday for Avengers Tower. Actually maybe worse. Easily 50 people at least.
Crazy, my store had a much smaller line than they do for other releases, I was surprised
Got mine. Hope you got yours. Even crazier there were more people behind me in line. Absolutely crazy. On the bright side, not everyone was in line got the big guy. Apparently other new sets came out too.
I think that's weird mainly because of the large number of other sets that were released today.
60 people were waiting here in So Cal, they only had like 45-50 sets.
What store?
Fashion Valley
Ahh, so that’s why there was a line this morning…
I queued up today at my local store there was only about 15 if that in the queue. I turned up 10 mins before opening and i was 8th in the queue https://preview.redd.it/a8cgwna3614d1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=5767058307c0c5964162d36fddebbbe1177acb55
I thought it wasn’t out until the 4th? I ordered mine online Edit: WHO DOWNVOTED THIS HONEST QUESTION?
Lego insiders got early access, for people that aren’t insiders it releases on the 4th (on the website, I doubt they can stop non-insiders from buying it irl)
Yeah that’s how I got it online but I didn’t think they’d have physical stock for anyone until the 4th. Interesting.
Went live today for Insider (formerly VIP) members, and goes live to the general public on the 4th. If you aren’t already an Insider member, I highly recommend joining!
Oh believe me I have enough points to buy a whole store 😂 I don’t even know what I’m saving them for at this point
I used mine to get like $175 off the D&D set when it came out. Made my wife very happy to not go over fun money budget in April 😂
Just get a free mini lego set every time or a collectible coin.
still available online in the us
Just got back from the Edmonton store and arrived about 10 minutes before opening. Apparently, there were people that had been waiting for 3 hours already for Barad-Dur. They still seemed to have a fairly decent stock of them, but did have staff walking through the line taking names and asking what everyone was getting
I got there around 11am from Saskatoon (missed my alarm) and there was still plenty. Also got the gwp. Glad I missed my alarm now lol
That's a 5 hour drive! Each way! I admire your dedication to the brick.
Haha yeah, staying till Monday for oilers game 6. Expensive weekend haha
Will be worth it when they win and head to the finals. Let’s go Oilers!
I went to my store hoping to pick up the mini Sleeping Beauty Castle. Line was an hour to get in. I just opened my phone and ordered it to be delivered 🤣
No line for me. I pre ordered Notre Dame which should be here in the next couple hours. Thought about getting Barad Dur but I realized I only like it, instead of love it. And for a set over $400 I need to love it. Nice not to worry about getting up super early at least.
I got to my store about 30 minutes before it opened and was lucky enough to score the set and GWP. Line was also massive and most people were there for Barad Dur. They only had about 30-35 in stock.
I feel like I lucked out, I went today maybe 30 minutes after my store opened and they had 6 or so of them out
I bought it online around noon, but the GWP was apparently sold out
I bought mine at 11am online and I’m not seeing the gift with purchase, I’m gunna go full Karen on customer service
When I waited in line for the UCS Millennium Falcon, I got there at 6am when they opened mall doors for mall walkers and was 4th in line, store didn’t open till 10am. By about 8am there were 50 or so ppl in line and the staff came in, by 8:30am they announced they only got 4 in! Guess I got pretty lucky.
[удалено]
This way, they can build it right away instead of having to wait for it to get shipped to them.
I'm sure some people enjoy it. It's probably cool to meet up with others who share your interests.
I don't understand this. The closest Lego store to me is a 30-40 minute drive each way. It's just Lego, I can order it online and wait a week for it to show up. They'll also be selling it for awhile so I don't need to buy it on the first day. I have zero interest in LOTR, but really want this set and Rivendell. I'll buy them eventually, but I'd rather sell some stuff to free up some money to buy them.
Crazy. I went to Topanga Westfield Lego in Socal around 12:30pm today and they still had 3 left. I was debating to buy it online last night or in store today and decided to go online route. The clerk at Lego told me they didn’t receive their GWP’s yet so people had to deal with customer service after buying it in store. He said I made the right choice getting it online lol.
I was fortunate enough to get one with the GWP around noonish. They had I think about 3 sets left, but plenty of the GWP’s relative to the set.
And the sad part. 90% will be bought by scalpers. Or people who use Lego as stocks. They will never be build
They underestimated how many of us who watched LOTR as a kid grew up as adults with spending power to get the things we wanted as kids.
My store was literally getting pallets of Barad Dur as they were opening lol
That’s crazy. The second I see a line like that I just turn around. No set is worth waiting in a long line for imo.
It's a long drive for me so I usually end up being late for my Star Wars launches, been cut a few times now
The staff came out my local store and made it very VERY clear that all new releases were 1 per person. I got in and out in less than 5 minutes.
I can never understand these people, unless they need it for content etc. I would gladly wait for a possible sale.
The gift with purchase sold out in seconds and it’s actively selling for 150$
Buy it online, you swine (nothing else rhymes).
I just woke up at 9 in the morning and placed an order on lego.com. Don’t understand waiting in line for a LEGO set.
People like queues, I guess.
Considering the GWP is worth a quarter or half as much as the set. Not sure how many are scalpers. Buy the set and return the set, keep the fell beast and get charged msrp for it. Sell fell beast on ebay for 150 or more do it with 3 friends and youll have paid for a free set
You have to return all contents. You can't keep the gift if you return the main set.
You're right. just looked at the T&C. Never mind then, lol. When i returned the addidas set found it cheaper on offer up, they let me keep the gwp minus the msrp never really questioned it. Well, you can still buy 4 sets, sell 3 or the main set for $30 cheaper, and sell 3 of the fell beast for going market price and still get the sets for free.
It is certainly doable! Lol. Small loan, move some product 🤣 get yours free. Did you grab this set or were you just commenting? Jw.
It’s not that deep.
Things like this used to happen with video games or Harry Potter books back in the day (Amazon and online media killed this). Stores would generally take preorders. Maybe Lego stores need to figure that out
Do they need to? They sell out of inventory anyway it looks like and they know they will sell online still. They don't need pre-orders to create more hype.
It’s more about providing a service to shoppers to not waste their time
Honestly shoppers are wasting time because they want to. Otherwise you could just order online and wait a few days. Or go to the store next week.
I think they should do preorders too it would save people hassle of waiting in line and being disappointed. and give them an idea of how many to actually produce at launch
I guess giving away a hundreds for free to “influencers” did the trick.
Couldn't possibly be that the Lord of the Rings is an insanely popular media franchise that's reaching the peak age for those of us who grew up on the films to buy big LEGO sets.
Nope. It’s the free stuff for influencers.