Happy 2016!

It's been a bit since I've posted.  You saw a lot of posts around the holiday period because I took some time off from my day job and got to spend more time with my fun job.  I've finished off most of my building backlog minus one set.  I'm working on the Simpson's Kwik-e-Mart set.  It's taken me longer to build since it's a larger set and I've been busy.  I'm taking notes and pictures and will post a review once I'm done.  There are 17 bags and I'm only through around 4 at this point.  A good build so far though.

For those of you that follow the LEGO company and their sales, one big event for them is the day after Christmas.  They put a lot of sets on sale.  You can find some good deals although you have to act fast.  Often times I'll check in the morning on 26 December and most of the sets they had listed are sold out already.  I was able to pick up some Simpson's Series 2 minifigures and a LEGO Movie set at half off.  I also picked up another Rey's Speeder set which means some additional inventory for the store.  

LEGO also released some new sets on 1 January.  There are some new Star Wars - The Force Awakens sets, the new LEGO Nexo Knights, and a few others ones so check them out.  I haven't bought any yet, but will let you know if I do.

I also managed to catch the LEGO Ideas - The Big Bang Theory set on sale at Amazon to add some minifigures to the store inventory.

Were you able to catch any of the sales after Christmas or in the New Year?  Have you purchased any of the new 2016 sets?  Let me know in the comments!

Where to buy LEGO (Part 1)

There are a lot of places you can buy LEGO sets and items these days.  It seems like they are everywhere from drug stores to supermarkets to online stores to well the secondhand market (we'll get into that later).  For the next few posts I will give some thoughts on where to get LEGO and some things to consider based on the items you are looking for.

So let's start at the most obvious place... buying LEGO from the LEGO company itself.  To buy from LEGO itself, you can purchase from LEGO Shop at Home via their web site or over the phone with their catalog.  If you happen to live next to a LEGO brand store, you can purchase there too.  

Price: LEGO controls pricing on its sets.  While they often run sales or have discounts, you are at the mercy of LEGO's pricing plans.  Can you get "cheap" LEGO sets from LEGO?  That's a matter of opinion... especially since they control the initial pricing which is the basis for all other sales.  The LEGO VIP program can help you save money (for more LEGO purchases in the future) or at least give you some benefits to shopping straight from the source.

Product Availability: LEGO controls production.  For the majority of items, they have large supplies.  However, as has been seen with some limited running sets or very popular sets, LEGO does run out on occasion.  If the set is still in production, they will put it on back order  for you.  LEGO brand stores are usually pretty good at that as well.  I'd be curious to know if anyone has experience with LEGO brand stores and back ordered items.

Set Selection: YES.  What else can you say about the company that makes the product itself.  They have everything.  LEGO stores may not carry everything or may run out, but they can order items for you or in the past I have seen them hand out discounted shipping coupons.

Shipping: There is no shipping at the LEGO branded stores, but obviously Shop at Home has shipping cost.  Thankfully now you can get free shipping with purchases of $75 or more.  However if you plan to spend less than $75, you can expect to pay for shipping.

Customer Service: From personal experience, I've found LEGO Store employees to be helpful and good to work with.  I'm sure there are employees that don't represent the brand well, but I have yet to be proven wrong.  Any horror stories out there?  I have never called LEGO Shop at Home, but have e-mailed.  They are quick to correspond and very pleasant with responses.  Again, that is my experience only.

Overall: LEGO is a great place to buy LEGO. Sorry, had to say it.  They control their brand and obviously they are the place to get things first or to get some sets that are not available elsewhere.  In terms of price they have you cornered on some items, but for other items there are better places to look if you'd like to save some money.  LEGO has proven to me that they have good customer service and that they care about the customer.  I hope they continue to focus on their fans to keep the product top notch among toy brands well into the future.