10188 - UCS: Death Star

[duckyruiz]

Any idea when the Death Star will be discontinued? It's been around about 4 years...way past normal set lifespans in stores. Thoughts?

[legotrader]

Any idea when the Death Star will be discontinued? It's been around about 4 years...way past normal set lifespans in stores. Thoughts?

Educated guess? Soon. Four years is a long time in the Lego world to be sold on the primary market. It is a very popular set, even at $399. I'm curious to see how it appreciates when it is discontinued.

[MaximusLegous]

Educated guess? Soon. Four years is a long time in the Lego world to be sold on the primary market. It is a very popular set, even at $399. I'm curious to see how it appreciates when it is discontinued.I agree that the 10188 will be discontinued shortly, maybe this fall. Longest run for a Lego set that I know of.

[LegoPodcaster]

I will be very surprised if they keep making them past the end of the year.

[plasticbrix]

I will be very surprised if they keep making them past the end of the year.

You might be right, but on the other hand, Set 10188 is a cash cow for Lego. Might be one of their most popular sets ever. Tons of pieces and minifigs. I'm not so sure they will be stopping it. Lego doesn't think like a collector. They think about making money and if the set is still selling well, then why stop production?

[LegoPodcaster]

Yes, but pretty soon all the investors will have gotten their sets, so how many people does that leave that want to buy a $400 Lego set that don't already have it? I think the Super Star Destroyer is kind of like the replacement for the Death Star.

[plasticbrix]

Yes, but pretty soon all the investors will have gotten their sets, so how many people does that leave that want to buy a $400 Lego set that don't already have it?

I think the Super Star Destroyer is kind of like the replacement for the Death Star.

I agree with that. I'm very surprised that the Death Star has lasted this long. I'm always amazed at what certain Lego sets sell for. They talk about a world wide recession, yet people are paying thousands for a Millennium Falcon? There is a lot of money out there.

[Ed Mack]

I agree with that. I'm very surprised that the Death Star has lasted this long. I'm always amazed at what certain Lego sets sell for. They talk about a world wide recession, yet people are paying thousands for a Millennium Falcon? There is a lot of money out there.The one thing you have to remember with the Star Wars theme is that George Lucas is very adept at 're'introducing the younger generation to the Star Wars movies, characters and vehicles. Every couple of years, a new, redone Star Wars movie comes out or some new CD package is released, like the new 3D movies.

So when each new generation sees a new(yet old...LOL)Star Wars movie each year and it thinks it's a new movie, Lego can re-releases these sets over and over again. The Death Star is maybe one set that will buck all Lego trends and continue for years to come.

[fizzer]

Hi - The Amazon prime cost for that set is over 500 bucks now - does that mean it's on the way out? I've been hemming & hawing over whether to grab it...now might be the time? Especially if I can find it for 399?

[Jeff Mack]

As far as I can tell, you can still get the 10188 Death Star directly from LEGO for $399. I think you would get free shipping right now as well since it's well above their $75 requirement. It's a great set, go for it. I have two fo them!

[Ed Mack]

Hi -

The Amazon prime cost for that set is over 500 bucks now - does that mean it's on the way out? I've been hemming & hawing over whether to grab it...now might be the time? Especially if I can find it for 399?

The 10188 is still in the LEGO catalog, so I'm expecting it will still be around for awhile. Like Jeff stated earlier, LEGO is still selling it for $399.99.

[Ed Mack]

Just got my Summer 2012 LEGO Catalog and the 10188 Death Star is still in it. Will this set ever go into retirement?

[apt_get]

Don't hold your breath. I understand Lego's view of the situation is very different than that of a collector who wants to see their sets appreciate in value, but I'm a little irritated they have milked it for so long. It also seems a little shady that Lego has continually labeled this set as "hard to find" on their website as if they had already ceased production or were planning to. I speculated that this set was near end-of-life nearly 2 years ago when I bought it. I figured Lego would probably ride it through 1 more Christmas season and that would be it. I was way off on that assumption. There probably hasn't been a day since then I couldn't have ordered another one. I was honestly hoping 10188 might be the next Millennium Falcon, but since the market is flooded with them, that won't happen. I have no doubt I'll be able to make a profit at some point in the future. It's a very cool set and makes a great addition to any collection. To see any huge returns though, I'll likely have to sit on it until the glut of new in box sets has worked its way through the market.

[Ed Mack]

Don't hold your breath. I understand Lego's view of the situation is very different than that of a collector who wants to see their sets appreciate in value, but I'm a little irritated they have milked it for so long. It also seems a little shady that Lego has continually labeled this set as "hard to find" on their website as if they had already ceased production or were planning to. I speculated that this set was near end-of-life nearly 2 years ago when I bought it. I figured Lego would probably ride it through 1 more Christmas season and that would be it. I was way off on that assumption. There probably hasn't been a day since then I couldn't have ordered another one. I was honestly hoping 10188 might be the next Millennium Falcon, but since the market is flooded with them, that won't happen. I have no doubt I'll be able to make a profit at some point in the future. It's a very cool set and makes a great addition to any collection. To see any huge returns though, I'll likely have to sit on it until the glut of new in box sets has worked its way through the market.

I agree with you. This set will never reach the levels of the 10179 Millennium Falcon, just from the amount of sets in existence. I love the set and have 3 of them, but as time rolls on and with each passing sale on the primary market, those 3 Death Stars I have become less valuable.

[timinchicago]

It also seems a little shady that Lego has continually labeled this set as "hard to find" on their website as if they had already ceased production or were planning to.

You have to take the "Hard to Find" moniker with a grain of salt as it does not mean much of anything. The wording makes it seem like supplies might be dwindling, but that is just the LEGO way of saying some store chains are not allowed to carry it. I suppose if you were a casual fan of LEGO it might be hard to find, but for anyone that has some knowledge of LEGO it means almost nothing!

According to the LEGO catalog the definition of "Hard to Find" is: "Available only through shop.LEGO.com, the LEGO catalog, LEGO stores, and select retial stores."

[Ed Mack]

You have to take the "Hard to Find" moniker with a grain of salt as it does not mean much of anything. The wording makes it seem like supplies might be dwindling, but that is just the LEGO way of saying some store chains are not allowed to carry it. I suppose if you were a casual fan of LEGO it might be hard to find, but for anyone that has some knowledge of LEGO it means almost nothing!

According to the LEGO catalog the definition of "Hard to Find" is: "Available only through shop.LEGO.com, the LEGO catalog, LEGO stores, and select retial stores."

Excellent point...never knew that.

[forthofer]

I was at the LEGO store the other day and asked this question to them. They told me it's still their top seller (by $ not units sold). That would leave me to believe that it's not going anywhere soon.

[Ed Mack]

I was at the LEGO store the other day and asked this question to them. They told me it's still their top seller (by $ not units sold). That would leave me to believe that it's not going anywhere soon.

I agree. As apt_get stated earlier, LEGO does not care about investors or the secondary market. They will sell the 10188 until it becomes unprofitable to do so...or until every last STAR WARS fan is dead, which knowing George Lucas and his propensity for STAR WARS sequels, will be around the year 2067. LOL

[JesusLovesLegos]

I agree. As apt_get stated earlier, LEGO does not care about investors or the secondary market. They will sell the 10188 until it becomes unprofitable to do so...or until every last STAR WARS fan is dead, which knowing George Lucas and his propensity for STAR WARS sequels, will be around the year 2067. LOL So true. Lucas will keep remaking STAR WARS movies until he drops dead. Even then, he probably will have it in his will to remake them one more time with his image next to Yoda, Obi-wan and Anakin in Revenge of the Jedis last scene.

[BuildIT]

This set just hangs around like its some 'Live Star', not Death Star. What amazes me is that people on ebay.co.uk are bidding GBP310 without shipping, when you can buy the item off the LEGO shop for GBP275 with free shipping or some exclusive model. The mind just boggles....LOL. However, its still a rather attractive set with 24 minifigs too. Best I buy one just to be on the safe side.

[stackables]

I think the set is a must buy if you can afford. Truly a great set with a ton of minifigs.

[Ed Mack]

This set just hangs around like its some 'Live Star', not Death Star. What amazes me is that people on ebay.co.uk are bidding GBP310 without shipping, when you can buy the item off the LEGO shop for GBP275 with free shipping or some exclusive model. The mind just boggles....LOL.

However, its still a rather attractive set with 24 minifigs too. Best I buy one just to be on the safe side.

It amazes me to this day when people pay more on EBAY, when the set is available at LEGO S@H and/or Amazon. I love EBAY, but sometimes, the prices are higher.

[Mandarine]

It amazes me to this day when people pay more on EBAY, when the set is available at LEGO LEGO Shop at Home and/or Amazon. I love EBAY, but sometimes, the prices are higher.^^ It retails for $699 AUD from the official Lego shop@home, here in Australia. Now, as you may know, we in Australia can't order direct from other countries' LEGO Shop at Home sites, only from the Australian site.

Now do a quick direct currency conversion: that is $737 US; GBP 471 ; EU 596. Now ask yourself the question again: who in their right mind would pay THAT for a set you can get off ebay for far less?! :-)

So, while it may seem absurd to locals to pay more than the item retails for at your local LEGO Shop at Home, it's sure not for us. Ebay, Amazon (when they ship to us), are the best thing to have happened to the Australian AFOL. :-)

[Ed Mack]

It amazes me to this day when people pay more on EBAY, when the set is available at LEGO S@H and/or Amazon. I love EBAY, but sometimes, the prices are higher.^^ It retails for $699 AUD from the official Lego shop@home, here in Australia. Now, as you may know, we in Australia can't order direct from other countries' s@h sites, only from the Australian site.

Now do a quick direct currency conversion: that is $737 US; GBP 471 ; EU 596. Now ask yourself the question again: who in their right mind would pay THAT for a set you can get off ebay for far less?! :-)

So, while it may seem absurd to locals to pay more than the item retails for at your local s@h, it's sure not for us. Ebay, Amazon (when they ship to us), are the best thing to have happened to the Australian AFOL. :-)

Yes, I see your point. I am becoming more and more familiar with the issues that various AFOLs from around the world have obtaining LEGO sets at a fair price. Call me inexperienced when dealing with this sort of issue, but I am learning quickly. I realize now that EBAY is a savior for many non-American AFOLs and might be your best deal, even if it is dramatically higher than the US.

We are spoiled here in the US with very fair prices for LEGO sets. As Jeff and I become more familiar with such issues, we might be able to help people in various countries find better deals. The site is a work in progress and we are adding new features all the time. We are looking to add stores from around the world that sell LEGO sets. What stores in Australia would you recommend? Thanks.

[BuildIT]

It amazes me to this day when people pay more on EBAY, when the set is available at LEGO LEGO Shop at Home and/or Amazon. I love EBAY, but sometimes, the prices are higher.^^ It retails for $699 AUD from the official Lego shop@home, here in Australia. Now, as you may know, we in Australia can't order direct from other countries' LEGO Shop at Home sites, only from the Australian site.

Now do a quick direct currency conversion: that is $737 US; GBP 471 ; EU 596. Now ask yourself the question again: who in their right mind would pay THAT for a set you can get off ebay for far less?! :-)

So, while it may seem absurd to locals to pay more than the item retails for at your local LEGO Shop at Home, it's sure not for us. Ebay, Amazon (when they ship to us), are the best thing to have happened to the Australian AFOL. :-)

Yes, I see your point. I am becoming more and more familiar with the issues that various AFOLs from around the world have obtaining LEGO sets at a fair price. Call me inexperienced when dealing with this sort of issue, but I am learning quickly. I realize now that EBAY is a savior for many non-American AFOLs and might be your best deal, even if it is dramatically higher than the US.

We are spoiled here in the US with very fair prices for LEGO sets. As Jeff and I become more familiar with such issues, we might be able to help people in various countries find better deals. The site is a work in progress and we are adding new features all the time. We are looking to add stores from around the world that sell LEGO sets. What stores in Australia would you recommend? Thanks.

I fully take on board the comment by Mandarine...and I thought that South Africa was astronomical in LEGO prices! Taking today's excahnge rates, I can buy locally the 10188 for US$586, GBP376 or EU473. In terms of GBP and the UK LEGO Shop at Home site I'm being charged a premium of some GBP100 for this set to make it to my shores fully imported by reputable dealers.

In some ways I am fortunate to have family throughout the world, and have on occasion used US-based relatives to buy for me, then deliver to other family in the UK. When anyone pops down for some sunshine in Africa they bring me a couple of my sets. A bit long winded, but saves HUGE amounts on postage. And in the meantime if I sell, then quite often my sets are resident in the correct market place (Europe/US).

I must mention one of the benefits of being in SA - we usually have our sets released some considerable time after you guys in the US and Europe. For instance 10225 R2-D2 was released about 2 weeks ago. I've had the benefit of watching this item for a while now and to see how the world market reacts to it. Whilst I acknowledge that I will pay a premium on this item (in this example only some GBP15 over UK LEGO price) it can in some instances already be nullified if prices are going up elsewhere.