Looks like Toys R Us finally cracked. Check out their new exclusive prices like $539 SSD.

[legomaniac81]

Those prices make me sick to my stomach 

[rcdb1984]

I get deals on non-lego toys that are exclusives to TRU and the price doesn't change.  Then when it goes on sale, I get a 25% off or something.

[Sandwraith]

You know it's bad when the Death Star is cheaper in TRU Canada (still MSRP of 499 here)... especially since our dollar has been steadily declining since late 2013.

 

I know! crazy....

[Guest TabbyBoy]

Still cheaper than airport and WH Smith prices!

[mudcatsfan]

Deals at TRU have been amazing for several months now. People complaining about TRU prices are you forgetting:

 

- $25 hobbit barrel escape (and then tack on $20 off 100, or $10 gift card when you spend 50?)

- Baxter's revenge (and then tack on $20 off 100, or $10 gift card when you spend 50?)

- Y-Wing on clearance

- Palatine's arrest down to 60

- Technic sets for 20% off

- FREE $60 Highway pickup when you buy a hard to find exclusive set (some as cheap as 119.99) over the holidays, 

 

And many more including the wendy's gift card 10 after 40 spend, several bogo 50's, etc.

 

If TRU goes away, other stores wont just get all those exclusives. We LOSE a company that pays to get those exclusives. They just wont be made.

 

How many times have you seen a set online, not quite sure how you feel about it, but when you find it in store on the shelf, you get a real feel for what the set is. perhaps they even have an awesome display that gives you the sense of scale and what you're actually getting in the box. Can you always find what you're looking for at Walmart, Target, etc? Do they often have barren shelves, messy shelves, items all over the place? You can almost always find what you're looking for at TRU. yes because their prices are higher if you're an impatient buyer, but its there.

 

If TRU wants to try to get 500 for a death star or 530 for a Super Star Destroyer for a few months (or maybe even just weeks),,,,,,,,,,THAT"S GREAT. Take a break and don't buy from them this month, Enjoy the potential expansion of price on Death Stars so that folks won't be so freaked out when they eventually hit 600 and 700 on amazon (if they ever retire). The patient and educated buyer should WELCOME others in the same market getting higher prices for their goods ESPECIALLY if you ever want the value of your goods to increase.

 

TRU hate is misguided, and you'll be sorry when they're gone.

[zskid00]

The real question is who will retire first - TRU or the Death Star? 

[exciter1]

Really you've gotten deals at TRU?The only solid deals are that you can price match with competitors and ocassional bogo. 

 

You must have been away from the Daily Deals forum for the last 6 months.  Nevermind, I see you only have 16 posts, so you may have missed those crazy good deals. Welcome!

 

Someone said it earlier, the price hike usually foreshadows an impending sale or BOGO.

[jaisonline]

Deals at TRU have been amazing for several months now. People complaining about TRU prices are you forgetting:

 

- $25 hobbit barrel escape (and then tack on $20 off 100, or $10 gift card when you spend 50?)

- Baxter's revenge (and then tack on $20 off 100, or $10 gift card when you spend 50?)

- Y-Wing on clearance

- Palatine's arrest down to 60

- Technic sets for 20% off

- FREE $60 Highway pickup when you buy a hard to find exclusive set (some as cheap as 119.99) over the holidays, 

 

And many more including the wendy's gift card 10 after 40 spend, several bogo 50's, etc.

 

not necessary a list of "popular"sets...   i bought the barrel escape since my son will like it.

 

the last great TRU sales were...

 

1.) late in 2013 or early 2014 when the Batplane was $24 or so (in-stores only). The Lone Ranger sets were always something like 40% off during that time but no one was really buying them anyway (except brickpickers).

   - and -

2) on May 4, 2013, they also priced 10227s at $99 (online only).

 

honestly, their stores seem to struggle outside of the Nov and Dec months. 

 

many of us also dislike having to collect complex coupons for savings, always needing to read the fine print, having store reps match TRU online prices only to find out current promotions / coupons no longer apply, etc...

[jaisonline]

Someone said it earlier, the price hike usually foreshadows an impending sale or BOGO.

 

I hope you're (they)  correct

[waddamon]

I wonder if we are about to see a bogo on those exclusives, that will actually save us some money on them.  Maybe bogo 70% or something stupid.

[Darth_Raichu]

many of us also dislike having to collect complex coupons for savings, always needing to read the fine print, having store reps match TRU online prices only to find out current promotions / coupons no longer apply, etc...

Believe it or not TRU.com is still much better than the crapfest called Kmart.com At the very least TRU never sent me lotr sets when I ordered ninjago

If you do not like it that much then just do not buy from tru.com, just like I avoid kmart.com like the plague :D :D

[jaisonline]

Believe it or not TRU.com is still much better than the crapfest called Kmart.com At the very least TRU never sent me lotr sets when I ordered ninjago

If you do not like it that much then just do not buy from tru.com, just like I avoid kmart.com like the plague :D

 

well, comparing TRU to Kmart isn't doing either company much help.    talk about not raising the bar... 

 

note: i never mentioned not buying from TRU or disliking it.

[pickleboy]

TRU has recently started marking up items which are soon retired/already retired or are no longer being sold by lego to retailers.  They have been taking advantage of "retired" set prices.  I think this is the first sign that the SSD is a goner...soon.

[exciter1]

well, comparing TRU to Kmart isn't doing either company much help.    talk about not raising the bar... 

 

note: i never mentioned not buying from TRU or disliking it.

 

Well, I'd hate to see them go.  They're like the last big specialty toy dealer around in the US.  My son gets excited when he gets to go there, as do I.  Another chapter in my pseudo childhood book would be closed.

 

I've participated in many nostalgia threads over the years talking about the heyday in the 70's and 80's.  Those days can never be recaptured.

[jaisonline]

Well, I'd hate to see them go.  They're like the last big specialty toy dealer around in the US.  My son gets excited when he gets to go there, as do I.  Another chapter in my pseudo childhood book would be closed.

 

I've participated in many nostalgia threads over the years talking about the heyday in the 70's and 80's.  Those days can never be recaptured.

 

 

agreed.  i also have many memories of kiddie city and toys r us "runs" during the early to mid-1980s.  star wars potf han solo carbonite, gi joe, mask, g1 transformers, nintendo games, etc...

[Darth_Raichu]

well, comparing TRU to Kmart isn't doing either company much help.    talk about not raising the bar... 

 

note: i never mentioned not buying from TRU or disliking it.

Ah ok, you just did not like the complex couponing. To be honest though, TRU always uses coupons and they are always, should I say peculiar. For example, right now they have 20% off regular priced item while discounting a lot of their items rendering the coupon rather useless. :D :D

[Brickshopper]

TRU has recently started marking up items which are soon retired/already retired or are no longer being sold by lego to retailers.  They have been taking advantage of "retired" set prices.  I think this is the first sign that the SSD is a goner...soon.

Maybe, if they did not raise the prices on almost all the expensive hard to find items...I would wager that this is some creative accounting to bolster their inventory value report or something. Or they ran out of Large boxes temporarily...Perhaps you guys would like to tell them where to set their prices...

[emazers]

I talked to somebody and Toys R US and Lego about these Prices and both said they would get back to me, Its a waste of time but just can't wait to see what story they give me, will post replies if I get any. Ed

[redeemed763]

I saw this a couple days ago, at first I thought it was a way to allow the 20% off coupon but then I realized that these were their "HOT PRICES!" So there is now no way for them to sell these sets anywhere near retail.

[rcdb1984]

I want to know who sits behind their desk thinking this is a good price point.  Or is it computer generated? I also want to know what idiot would pay that? Unless u want to PM it the next week because u know it will be OOS and it's probably going to go on sale. But then again you aren't really paying that redic price.

[binici]

TRU is a mystery, but it is unfair to wish for a company to go under.

Hey, you don't like the price then don't buy from them!

Not like any of you can run a huge company, right? j/k

Seriously though, we've seen some deals from TRU and we leaped on them, so don't be a hypocrite.

I walked in yesterday to a store and found a decent deal on JP (MSRP!) and the cashiers were willing to  stack coupons and give me the best deal, but was only able to use the 20% coupon.

 

The point is, we need competition, otherwise, in the future we'll have to only shop at the likes of Wally World and they will run up the prices, since they will most likely outlast all others...

[cissi]

Deals at TRU have been amazing for several months now. People complaining about TRU prices are you forgetting:

 

- $25 hobbit barrel escape (and then tack on $20 off 100, or $10 gift card when you spend 50?)

- Baxter's revenge (and then tack on $20 off 100, or $10 gift card when you spend 50?)

- Y-Wing on clearance

- Palatine's arrest down to 60

- Technic sets for 20% off

- FREE $60 Highway pickup when you buy a hard to find exclusive set (some as cheap as 119.99) over the holidays, 

 

Thanks for pointing them out!

I did get the barrel, baxter, and highway pickups!

Their pricing is a trap. That's an undeniable truth but only to those careless/lazy customers with a lot of money to spend.

[mudcatsfan]

That's a fact. But I find it is that anyone here would have a issue with it since we go that extra mile to shop savvy. If you pay attention to sales and deals, Tru is a great shopping option

Further, if you want to walk into a store before a birthday party and buy a certain lego set, you should pay a premium for that.

If you have time to ship around and don't need something right away you can get free shipping via Amazon.

It's then unfair for brick and mortar stores to have to price match online stores when they carry the extra overhead of sales people, store fronts, decentralized inventory on hand, etc

Thanks for pointing them out!

I did get the barrel, baxter, and highway pickups!

Their pricing is a trap. That's an undeniable truth but only to those careless/lazy customers with a lot of money to spend.

[supergman]

Clearly some of TRU's pricing makes little sense, but I must ask why so many folks on Ebay have listings at prices that just make no sense whatsoever, like a $30 set marked up to $99.

[mcortez]

Clearly some of TRU's pricing makes little sense, but I must ask why so many folks on Ebay have listings at prices that just make no sense whatsoever, like a $30 set marked up to $99.

 

This has been mentioned before, sometimes it's because they're just keeping the listing live so they don't have to re-create it later (and may not actually have the product) -- or they're setting up the listing now and they don't care if it has to be there a few years until demand pushes the price up to their desired sell point.  

 

Also never discount the fact there are idiots out there with money that might buy at the inflated price even when any normal shopper would never buy from seller A when seller B (and half the known world's physical B&M stores) have it at less than half of A's asking price...

 

 

Edit: Previous discussion about high prices on some listings - http://community.brickpicker.com/topic/8451-are-people-expecting-to-get-these-sold/