76023 - The Tumbler

[No More Monkeys]

it could be just that they are trying to force people to visit their B&M.

 

may be their ultimate goal is to sell most of their items via their stores only which will give them better margin.

 

...

Would be a nice plan if they had sufficient retail network. I believe some states don't have them at all? And in some states you have to endure 2+hour one way trip even from big cities in those states?

[Bold-Arrow]

Just got a Tumbler from my store .. Involved a load of stalking and hounding . People were lined up at opening.

No TH (not even a shelf tag), no HH, no GE . Plenty of ToO

[mscheaf]

I never recall seeing piles of anything in a LEGO store.  Everything is neatly on a shelf.  Maybe it's just me.  

 

Lol, yes it was hyperbole. Sort of. These were never on the shelf at my store, they were stacked neatly (not piles) on the floor up by the registers. At the beginning of August they had a stack/pile/pyramid on each end of the counter of 10-12 each. THey also breifly had a display up with the sets stacked around it, but still on the floor or a really low shelf.

 

My point is they had a bunch of them all the time. They didn't seem to be moving them. Then suddenly the great panic of Sept 2014 started and now they go through the 12 a week they get as fast as they get them. The manager told me they were moving only a couple a week until the nonsense started.

Edited October 7, 2014 by mscheaf

[Ed Mack]

Lol, yes it was hyperbole. Sort of. These were never on the shelf at my store, they were stacked neatly (not piles) on the floor up by the registers. At the beginning of August they had a stack/pile/pyramid on each end of the counter of 10-12 each. THey also breifly had a display up with the sets stacked around it, but still on the floor or a really low shelf.

I'm not doubting you.  I have two local B&M stores(Freehold, NJ...Prince of Persia Mall, PA) and they are usually pretty neat, with only a few of each set on the shelves.  

[ravenb99]

In stores. Before the most recent panic there were piles and piles of the same ones in B&M stores for weeks at a time.

On the 23rd you said you went to your store and they had 4, now they had piles and piles.  It didn't get VIP released until Aug 18th so they couldn't of had them out at the beginning of August.  Are we still talking about the tumbler or other sets??  My statement was at what point was no one buying the tumbler.   

 

"Went to Lego B&M St Louis today. They had 4 Tumblers. I walked out with one I got for $94 after cashing in my $110 in VIP points. The guy even said "good thing you got it when you did, it's going to be $800 on ebay at christmas." I just laughed and pretended like "who would do such a thing?!"

[mscheaf]

On the 23rd you said you went to your store and they had 4, now they had piles and piles.  It didn't get VIP released until Aug 18th so they couldn't of had them out at the beginning of August.  Are we still talking about the tumbler or other sets??  My statement was at what point was no one buying the tumbler.   

 

"Went to Lego B&M St Louis today. They had 4 Tumblers. I walked out with one I got for $94 after cashing in my $110 in VIP points. The guy even said "good thing you got it when you did, it's going to be $800 on ebay at christmas." I just laughed and pretended like "who would do such a thing?!"

 

You caught me! Lol. Yes on Sept 23rd. Over a month after they released it. When the panic started. Before that they had plenty. As in mid-August to the panic. I went in on the 23rd after the panic started and got one. They had 4 at that point. Before that, the 3 times I was in betweeen the set release and the 23rd they had a ton of them. Try to keep up man.

[ravenb99]

You caught me! Lol. Yes on Sept 23rd. Over a month after they released it. When the panic started. Before that they had plenty. As in mid-August to the panic. I went in on the 23rd after the panic started and got one. They had 4 at that point. Before that, the 3 times I was in betweeen the set release and the 23rd they had a ton of them. Try to keep up man.

Apparently from Aug 18th to Sept 23rd you were not "keeping up" with ebay sales as they were selling that whole time.  With the honey hole you appear to have you could of made some good money buying 1 or 2 at a time and replenishing as they sold.

 

Especially with Cooper and Spaceman during those times. My intent was not trying to get you just trying to see when this was not hot from day 1 and if it wasn't hot at your store why you weren't the lucky guy cleaning them out and selling them daily.

[Alpinemaps]

Picked up one today in San Diego.  It was the only one on the shelf.  Moments after I picked it up off the shelf, another one magically appeared.

[oneknightr]

Alright everyone. Here's a little insight on the availability of the Tumbler. Found this on another forum. As always, take it with a grain of salt.

 

"Just wanted to give an update on the Tumbler situation to try and ease people's concerns.

Today at work a customer asked one of the supervisors about the Tumbler and brought up that online, it says that it's sold out for the rest of 2014.

The reason my super gave them, was that Lego has been having a lot of trouble with monitoring the online orders, and resellers have been taking advantage and ordering multiple sets either under the same name or making multiple accounts and placing the orders that way. This, of course, totally screws over people that actually want them.

In an effort to prevent this from happening as much, Lego is apparently allocating their inventory just to Lego Stores for the remainder of the year. That way, they can have a little more control over who's buying them, limiting them to one per household or customer if necessary, etc.

I'm sure this is less than ideal for people that aren't near a Lego store, but the situation should hopefully be back to normal by the beginning of next year. I have no idea if this is something Lego will do with all USC / special sets going forward (Slave 1) or not, just that it's become such a problem with the Tumbler that it's something they're trying out."

 

If this was true, it would definitely explain why these are showing up in the Lego stores as opposed to online; however, I'm not sure if I believe TLG would go to the extreme of preventing their customers who don't live close to a Lego store from being able to buy a Tumbler just to spite resellers. Believe what you will. 

Edited October 8, 2014 by oneknightr

[No More Monkeys]

I thought that it is actually easier for resellers to acquire multiples via stores, especially if there multiple stores in a city. And i don't think they can actually refuse to sell you a set if you appear next day even if they recognize you.

 

It totally boggles my mind that TLC cannot implement even most rudimentary order limit enforcement even within single account (I guess it would be a bit more effort to do it across multiple accounts based on shipping addresses and billing addresses). 

[newbie77]

It would depend no? If they are lazy like me, who don't go to store then tumbler alone is not going to force me to lift my a$$ and go to the store.

If it was available online I would have bought 1 from TLG for personal use. For me it don't make a difference since I am able to acquire what I want for reselling from other source.

Since it's not available online On LEGO Shop at Home I am not going to drive to the store, face the gawky eyes of parents and lego employee and buy a single $200 set and walk out. Not worth the time, and effort for a single set.

Now if I could buy 10 from the store in a single trip then it's a completely different story. I would face the gawky or vulturous stare who cares :D

Edited October 8, 2014 by newbie77

[mscheaf]

I thought that it is actually easier for resellers to acquire multiples via stores, especially if there multiple stores in a city. And i don't think they can actually refuse to sell you a set if you appear next day even if they recognize you.

 

It totally boggles my mind that TLC cannot implement even most rudimentary order limit enforcement even within single account (I guess it would be a bit more effort to do it across multiple accounts based on shipping addresses and billing addresses). 

 

Agreed that it is easier to get around limits in store than online. Whatever "supervisor" said this was talking out his a**

[No More Monkeys]

...

Since it's not available online On LEGO Shop at Home I am not going to drive to the store, face the gawky eyes of parents and lego employee and buy a single $200 set and walk out. Not worth the time, and effort for a single set.

...

it says "16+" on box in giant letters. What would be the reason for gawkiness? If you did that 10 days in a row, I could see employees getting gawky...

Edited October 8, 2014 by No More Monkeys

[oneknightr]

Agreed that it is easier to get around limits in store than online. Whatever "supervisor" said this was talking out his a**

 

There's no systematic way in store for them to know that you just bought a tumbler that same day or the other day. They only rely on recognizing a person's face. I think if they do recognize you, it would then be up to the employee or manager to decide if they are willing to let you buy another or not. 

[mscheaf]

All it is doing is helping resellers anyway. Has TLG not checked the amazon and ebay prices? If this was available on SAH, it would be MSRP on Ebay. No one would be hoarding it either since it is years away from EOL. If Lego really did this on purpose with the intention of hurting resellers it is stupid. It's like putting out a fire by dumping gasoline on it.

Edited October 8, 2014 by mscheaf

[No More Monkeys]

All it is doing is helping resellers anyway. Has TLG not checked the amazon and ebay prices? If this was available on SAH, it would be MSRP on Ebay. No one would be hoarding it either since it is years away from EOL. If Lego really did this on purpose with the intention of hurting resellers it is stupid. It's like putting out a fire by dumping gasoline on it.

My thought exactly. whoever came up with this brilliant strategy upstairs in TLC should be sent to work the floor in one of the Lego stores, and preferably in not-so-posh neighborhood..

[njseale]

I think it was obvious this was their strategy and it makes perfect sense. I guarantee lego sells more tumblers direct to end consumers this way than if they just posted on online free for all for resellers to attack.

[No More Monkeys]

I think it was obvious this was their strategy and it makes perfect sense. I guarantee lego sells more tumblers direct to end consumers this way than if they just posted on online free for all for resellers to attack.

Then we can call this win-win  

[njseale]

Then we can call this win-win  

It is for resellers and consumers who have 1+ lego stores in their vicinity. It's a lose/lose for resellers/consumers who live 100+ miles away from their nearest one. 

 

For those traveling to multiple lego stores and buying tumblers. Check out with VIP card or is it asking for the ban hammer. 

[Bold-Arrow]

It has been mentioned before but it all falls back on TLG. The fact they underestimated the demand for a set like this so close to the holidays is a head scratcher.

[No More Monkeys]

It has been mentioned before but it all falls back on TLG. The fact they underestimated the demand for a set like this so close to the holidays is a head scratcher.

maybe they had shortage of black pigment for ABS

 

Or batman capes...  part 4652745 is out of stock

ROFL... maybe that is why Batcave is OOS...

Edited October 8, 2014 by No More Monkeys

[thlien]

San Jose Valley Fair store had 5 this morning behind register.

Got there 5min before opening, no one in line.

 

At opening 2 others beside myself.

 

Guy behind me was a bit anxious, so the sales person mentioned don't worry we have plenty.

Within 10min of opening 4 of the Tumblers were gone.

One guy from seattle, another from Brazil.

 

My new theory, this store gets a big delivery.  Then rations it out 5-6 a day and when the run out for the day they run out.

[rcdb1984]

do we know if they are gone after these last few in the stores?

[mscheaf]

I think it was obvious this was their strategy and it makes perfect sense. I guarantee lego sells more tumblers direct to end consumers this way than if they just posted on online free for all for resellers to attack.

 

But if it was widely available online not as many resellers would be attacking it. In my estimation over half the reseller purchases right now are hoping for a quick flip. he only reason the quick flip opportunity exists is because of Lego's policy.

 

Again this is all assuming that this was a ploy by Lego as stated earlier. Which I don't believe. Because I thinks it would be stupid. And I refuse to believe that Lego is stupid. I believe they can underestimate and overestimate. But I don't believe they are straight up stupid.

Edited October 8, 2014 by mscheaf

[njseale]

But if it was widely available online not as many resellers would be attacking it. In my estimation over half the reseller purchases right now are hoping for a quick flip. he only reason the quick flip opportunity exists is because of Lego's policy.

 

They don't have enough to make it widely available online. That's the problem. They simply can't produce enough of these right now to account for demand.