List of Exclusive Sets By Retailer

[Spacewalker95]

Anyone know of a resource that lists Exclusive Sets by Retailer? All Wal-Mart exclusives, all Target exclusives, all Toys R Us exclusives, etc.? I recently passed on a City set that was 30% off at Target thinking that I might find it at Wal-Mart or somewhere else and not realizing that it was a Target exclusive. When I went back to get it, of course, it was gone. Possible Brickpicker.com future addition?

[Jeff Mack]

Seems like it is something that can be included. Are you volunteering to help put the list together? :)

[Spacewalker95]

Well, If no one knows of such a resource, I'll see what I can find. Key will be the updates.

[Spacewalker95]

Well, TRU was easy: http://www.toysrus.com/family/index.jsp?categoryId=10971509 Working on the others and then a compilation.

[kutaone]

Am new and curious...but even though the sets are "exclusive" to a specific retailer, they can still be purchased through the Lego website? Or no?

[tormentalous]

Am new and curious...but even though the sets are "exclusive" to a specific retailer, they can still be purchased through the Lego website? Or no?

All exclusive LEGO sets should be available on Shop at Home.

[Ed Mack]

The "exclusive" moniker is a term used that is not quite accurate. Many sets that are listed as "exclusive" can be found at multiple retailers. I really think it makes very little difference on most sets. There might be a rare set here or there that has special markings or is only truly released by one retailer which possibly increases the value, but for the most part, it's a marketing scheme that has very little effect on the price of sets.

[Spacewalker95]

Well, for me - I rarely order from Lego.com as I simply have to get deals when I buy (or my sweet and understanding wife becomes not so sweet and not so understanding - "You spent how much!") and the prices there rarely seem to be better than I can get elsewhere. So, when I'm after say 6857 (which I've been wanting badly), it helps to know that either TRU, Lego.com, or eBay are my only real options - that I'm not going to find that one at Target or Wal-Mart. But I think you're right, Ed, in that it doesn't seem to affect investment potential.

[Ed Mack]

Well, for me - I rarely order from Lego.com as I simply have to get deals when I buy (or my sweet and understanding wife becomes not so sweet and not so understanding - "You spent how much!") and the prices there rarely seem to be better than I can get elsewhere. So, when I'm after say 6857 (which I've been wanting badly), it helps to know that either TRU, Lego.com, or eBay are my only real options - that I'm not going to find that one at Target or Wal-Mart. But I think you're right, Ed, in that it doesn't seem to affect investment potential.

We are working on an affiliate program with TRU so it might make it easier one day to see those sets available there. Most of the time, the Price/Set Guide page will show what retailers have what. It's unfortunate that retailer feeds are messed up, but that is usually their issue and we have to correct it.

As for the exclusive term, I didn't mean to sound like a jerk, but I find that it is a term that all retailers throw around without really backing up their claim, so just from personal experience, I find very little use for it. But feel free to post the info here and maybe we can do something with it if it is helpful. Thanks.

[TheOrcKing]

I don't know of any site that lists sets that are 'exclusive' specifically, but I do know that Brickset and Brickipedia do mention these tidbits when you click on a set on their site. Not always, but almost.

In reality, there is only a couple of sets here and there that were actually 'exclusive' to one store. Like how Target was the only place to get the MONSTER FIGHTERS "The Zombies" set, or the DINO "Dino Explorer" was only available from Toys R Us. Or more current, THE HOBBIT "The Barrel Escape" set can only be bought from Toys R Us. The one main thing to remember is even if a set is a 'store exclusive', they can still be bought online from LEGO Shop-at-Home. I'm not sure if you can buy any of them at a physical LEGO store. I'm guessing you can.

Now that I think of it, the polybags could be considered the true store exclusives. For the most part atleast.

Like this one, CITY "Police Buggy" (set 30013) was only available at Target. (At mine it still is. There's just a ton of these sitting around!) But then again, the CITY "Mining Quad" (set 30152) was a Toys R Us exclusive, but just the other day my Target had a bunch of these. And they actually were with the other LEGO!

In general, a store exclusive can only be bought from that store or (thankfully) ordered online from LEGO Shop-at-Home.