Retiring Soon Label on Legoshop?

[Talon]

I noticed a Ninjago set, 9558, is labeled as "Retiring Soon" on the Legoshop site. This is new to me, has Lego been using this label before and I have just never noticed it?

[stephen_rockefeller]

I noticed a Ninjago set, 9558, is labeled as "Retiring Soon" on the Legoshop site. This is new to me, has Lego been using this label before and I have just never noticed it?

http://shop.lego.com/en-US/Training-Set-9558

This is MADDNESS!!!!!

[BuildIT]

'Retiring Soon' is new to me! I note that the UK LEGO Shop at Home site so far doesn't have this label. This little label could upset the applecart.....

[StarCityBrickCompany]

I just looked & there are 8 sets with the new label. What's great is that once these are labeled as retiring, they should disappear fast! I suppose that there will still be sets that will simply stop being produced, but we will see.

[stephen_rockefeller]

I just looked & there are 8 sets with the new label. What's great is that once these are labeled as retiring, they should disappear fast! I suppose that there will still be sets that will simply stop being produced, but we will see.

which sets were they? This should most likely take the guessing game away......I say most likely because who knows how long they could leave it for sale with that label. I am a conspiracy theorist so my initial reaction without seeing all the sets with this label is that TLG is trying to trick us collectors/investors into buying these labeled sets.

[Rich B]

which sets were they? This should most likely take the guessing game away......I say most likely because who knows how long they could leave it for sale with that label. I am a conspiracy theorist so my initial reaction without seeing all the sets with this label is that TLG is trying to trick us collectors/investors into buying these labeled sets.

This seems like a great feature and all on TLG's end, however I am very hesitant to follow it right now as I do not feel I can trust that. How many times have we seen a sets status go from 'Sold Out' to 'Back in stock' to 'Call to check availabilty' etc. The GE alone has gone from 'Sold Out' to 'available in Decemeber' at least 3 different times in the past month or so. I don't know, maybe this this feature will turn out to be accurate, and even if it is, and it's a good set that LEGO Shop at Home posts 'retiring soon' on you better be sitting by your computer waiting as they will sell extremely fast. I'm just not sure this feature can be trusted yet becuase I have a hard time trusting 'Sold Out' at LEGO Shop at Home unless it has been that status for a couple months. A set could be getting retired and then if everyone goes and buys them all right away Lego may say, "well those sold well, lets make more." Lego is probably just fooling us all and using this 'retiring soon' feature to manipulate the market LOL

[StarCityBrickCompany]

which sets were they? This should most likely take the guessing game away......I say most likely because who knows how long they could leave it for sale with that label. I am a conspiracy theorist so my initial reaction without seeing all the sets with this label is that TLG is trying to trick us collectors/investors into buying these labeled sets.

This seems like a great feature and all on TLG's end, however I am very hesitant to follow it right now as I do not feel I can trust that. How many times have we seen a sets status go from 'Sold Out' to 'Back in stock' to 'Call to check availabilty' etc. The GE alone has gone from 'Sold Out' to 'available in Decemeber' at least 3 different times in the past month or so. I don't know, maybe this this feature will turn out to be accurate, and even if it is, and it's a good set that LEGO Shop at Home posts 'retiring soon' on you better be sitting by your computer waiting as they will sell extremely fast. I'm just not sure this feature can be trusted yet becuase I have a hard time trusting 'Sold Out' at LEGO Shop at Home unless it has been that status for a couple months.

Sold out simply means sold out - In the past that might have meant gone forever, or that the return date was not yet determined. Unlike most retail today, Lego is very strong on their reputation (old school, integrity) - The Retiring soon label seems certain to be valid.

[Rich B]

which sets were they? This should most likely take the guessing game away......I say most likely because who knows how long they could leave it for sale with that label. I am a conspiracy theorist so my initial reaction without seeing all the sets with this label is that TLG is trying to trick us collectors/investors into buying these labeled sets.

This seems like a great feature and all on TLG's end, however I am very hesitant to follow it right now as I do not feel I can trust that. How many times have we seen a sets status go from 'Sold Out' to 'Back in stock' to 'Call to check availabilty' etc. The GE alone has gone from 'Sold Out' to 'available in Decemeber' at least 3 different times in the past month or so. I don't know, maybe this this feature will turn out to be accurate, and even if it is, and it's a good set that LEGO Shop at Home posts 'retiring soon' on you better be sitting by your computer waiting as they will sell extremely fast. I'm just not sure this feature can be trusted yet becuase I have a hard time trusting 'Sold Out' at LEGO Shop at Home unless it has been that status for a couple months.

Sold out simply means sold out - In the past that might have meant gone forever, or that the return date was not yet determined. Unlike most retail today, Lego is very strong on their reputation (old school, integrity) - The Retiring soon label seems certain to be valid.

Very true!!

[cvail8]

It's crazy town banana pants! I see 8 sets... 10193 MMV, 3178 Seaplane, 3661 Bank & Money Transfer, 3677 Red Cargo Train, 3856 Ninjago board game, 8043 Motorized Excavator, 9441 Kai's Blade Cycle, and 9558 Training Set. It will be interesting to see how long "soon" is in the eyes of Lego.

[Mos_Eisley]

I'm interested to see if every set will get this label at some point. I'm guessing that everything won't. Instead of putting lackluster (MMV is a great set, but its sales have to be slowing) sets on clearance, they'll just throw this label on them and accomplish the same same thing as a clearance without selling the sets for less.

[Ed Mack]

We now show these "retiring" sets on the homepage. Only those "in Stock" will display.

[Ed Mack]

Smart advertising. Maybe LEGO is starting to pay attention to the investor???

[TheOrcKing]

We now show these "retiring" sets on the homepage. Only those "in Stock" will display.

That was the first thing I noticed. Really good idea, thank you.

Smart advertising. Maybe LEGO is starting to pay attention to the investor???

Perhaps. LEGO needs to get rid of old inventory, and they need to do it FAST. People see that label and think, "Man I have to hurry and order this right now!" Collectors, like us, see that and think, "Should buy a couple more before it becomes discontinued." There's also the chance that those sets listed are on the 'low end' of the selling spectrum.

I know that "Bank & Money Transfer" has been sitting on the shelves of my Target for months now and, while the other NINJAGO sets do very well, that board game & "Training Set" are also ones that just sit there. I know at my Walmart they couldn't even give away the "Jay ZX Booster Pack" if they tried!

(Guess nobody likes the blue ninja. Where's the love?)

Either way is a win-win scenario for LEGO. They get rid of inventory that's collecting dust, earn some quick profits, and make room for the new. Of course that label is meant to stimulate sales. It's the same reason why stores have been recently sending out their own "Black Friday" ads, where before stores actually threatened people who gave that information out. It is meant to create sales in areas that are falling short, and stores are realizing that.

You may not believe this, but I think that I may have seen the "Retiring Soon" label before. I may be confusing it with something like "Limited Stock" or another moniker.

On a wierd note, has anybody every picked up a set that you've never seen at your local store, look at it's copyright date, and notice that it was supposed to be released the year before? There's been a good sized list of odd sets that I have seen like this. Like the "Bank & Money Transfer" or "Naboo Starfighter", these are both last year sets but Target only just got these around the middle of this year!

The heck's with that?!

[Doofy McGee]

I'm not sure how to feel about the Retiring Soon tag. I feel like it could be both helpful and hurtful at the same time. And then of course there is the question everyone has already been asking... How soon is "soon," and what does it all really mean? I guess this will be a good way for us to keep an eye on the situation and see how it plays out...

[TheOrcKing]

How soon is "soon," and what does it all really mean?

I would guess that 'soon' is by the end of this year. Meaning no more of these sets will be produced again after December. Heck, they may have already stopped production on these and are using the "Retired Soon" label to sell all of the stock that is just sitting there collecting dust. With the exception of the two NINJAGO of 2012 sets, each one of those are 'old'.

2011

Bank & Money Transfer

Ninjago Game

Red Cargo Train

2010

Seaplane

Motorized Excavator

2009

Medieval Market Street

Besides LEGO wanting to get rid of the current NINJAGO to make room for next years final wave, those three different sets are ones that have sat on shelves for quite a while now (just like all the others on that list). I know "Limited Stock" should not be confused with "Retired Soon", but each set with the "Retired Soon" label should be considered 'the last' of stock. Unless the sales of these are VERY good & VERY fast, they're just not making any more of them. Period.

In the end, how 'soon' is dependant on how 'quick' they sell out.

[Ed Mack]

As everyone knows, this is a new feature that LEGO has released. They haven't updated their data/feed yet so we can give up to date and notifications of all sets that have this designation. When and if they do, we will be able to list all the sets that are being "retired soon" on a daily basis. Right now, this is a manual situation. If people notice other sets with this designation, give us a heads up and we will list it.

[stephen_rockefeller]

The only way TLG could make it more obvious that they are attempting to manipulate the secondary market is if they labeled the tag "EOLing soon"

[Mos_Eisley]

EOL=retire=discontinued. It doesn't matter what they call it, they are the same thing. I've been buying and selling for many years and until this site came up, I never saw or heard anyone ever refer to the retirement of a LEGO set as the EOL. Of course, it means the same thing, but acting like people don't know what they are talking about if they don't throw EOL around is nonsense. More importantly, LEGO isn't trying to manipulate the secondary market. They are concerned with selling sets now. All they are trying to do is get rid of stagnant product without having to discount it. Any real impact on the secondary market doesn't show up until the set is gone so the only way they really effect that is by not retiring sets. I'm sure TLG takes notice when sets are selling for ridiculous amounts on ebay, Amazon and Bricklink, but the people buying those sets aren't their target audience anyway. If they wanted to produce every set forever, they could wipe out the secondary market entirely, but that wouldn't make much sense since the big retailers want fresh new products and producing small amounts of tons of different sets indefinitely doesn't make any sense.

[TheOrcKing]

EOL=retire=discontinued. It doesn't matter what they call it, they are the same thing. I've been buying and selling for many years and until this site came up, I never saw or heard anyone ever refer to the retirement of a LEGO set as the EOL. Of course, it means the same thing, but acting like people don't know what they are talking about if they don't throw EOL around is nonsense. More importantly, LEGO isn't trying to manipulate the secondary market. They are concerned with selling sets now. All they are trying to do is get rid of stagnant product without having to discount it. Any real impact on the secondary market doesn't show up until the set is gone so the only way they really effect that is by not retiring sets. I'm sure TLG takes notice when sets are selling for ridiculous amounts on ebay, Amazon and Bricklink, but the people buying those sets aren't their target audience anyway. If they wanted to produce every set forever, they could wipe out the secondary market entirely, but that wouldn't make much sense since the big retailers want fresh new products and producing small amounts of tons of different sets indefinitely doesn't make any sense.

Someone give this man a cookie, damn good post there!

[Jeff Mack]

Someone give this man a cookie, damn good post there!

Here is a cookie for Mos_Eisley. Very good post.

[stephen_rockefeller]

They know good and well what they are doing when they put that label on items and yes I know that EOL is a term coined here on this and similar websites........I was mistaken when I said "secondary market" I meant that when the put that label on a set, they are obviously targeting us.

[TheOrcKing]

Here is a cookie for Mos_Eisley. Very good post.

Mmm, mmm. Now that's a BIIIIG cookie! Heh heh.

[Ed Mack]

As stated earlier, this "retiring soon" designation is a rather clever marketing scheme. I do believe it is directed at the ever increasing LEGO secondary market and the investors and collectors out there. That being said, we are just a small portion of TLGs overall sales base and it is quite possible that some of these sets were overproduced or just not that popular as Mos Eisley said. I doubt a nine year old will pay much attention to the "retiring soon" notation, but the thousands of collectors and investors will, so this minor addition to the LEGO set page could be quite productive for LEGO in the long run.

[Chowrentoys.com]

I think Mos_Eisley hit the nail on the head with his post. They are just using that label to manipulate the market into buying old stock at full retail without having to discount it. The Retired Soon label is really meant for investors like us who will flock to LEGO to buy up all these sets before they are all gone. Many investors will be tempted to buy these thinking if they don't then they will miss the boat on making some money here.

[stephen_rockefeller]

I think Mos_Eisley hit the nail on the head with his post. They are just using that label to manipulate the market into buying old stock at full retail without having to discount it. The Retired Soon label is really meant for investors like us who will flock to LEGO to buy up all these sets before they are all gone. Many investors will be tempted to buy these thinking if they don't then they will miss the boat on making some money here.

thought that is what I said......