Best deals? Or questionable squeals?

[Wazzapova]

I'm just going to get to the point. I respect EVERY Brickpicker on the site. But I want to know if you think the deals that members project are truly accurate. Do you think a deal someone had gotten is put of this world or legitimate? Or is there some embellishment?

[fuzzy_bricks]

If you're asking if someone would lie on the internet, I would say yes, there are people that would lie on the internet. 

As far as some of the deals go, there are some great deals, but you may have to get creative with coupon stacking, rewards, giftcards, etc.  People tend to count rewards differently so that factors in too.

 

Why do you ask?

[legoman12323123]

There would be no benefit in lying to other members the deals you got. So Yes I think all the deals reported or 90% true

[MartinP]

I would say that 99% of the deals posted by members are legit. But to get some of those deals, you have to be extremely lucky and creative.

[exciter1]

I'm not into LEGO at all, I just come here to post news about false deals.

[Wazzapova]

Again, I'm not questioning the deals we get on here. But I think that some seem so out of this world! The deals are legitimate but don't some deals look so good? If I got a Pet Shop for 129.99, would you believe it?

[fuzzy_bricks]

There could be several reasons for something like that, some legit and some not so much.

Have you read about drop shipping?

http://blog.brickpicker.com/?s=drop+shipping

[redghostx]

It is probable that a small percentage exaggerate but there is no benefit. I personally post great deals that either I bought or for others to buy (my recent craigslist find though is remarkable and bordering unbelievable)

I would believe you if bought a UB$130 pet shop. Information like that helps focus my search for Lego.

Ex astris, scientia.

[@rtisan]

Some people like to look all "macho" and such. "I just scored set #xxxxx for $__!!!" Really? You did? For real?

 

It`s pathetic at best and disgustingly narcissistic at worst. If you get a great find legitimently, great, myself and most people will be very happy for you. But there is no need to lie and act like you`re the best/luckiest deal hunter out there. If that`s the case, I`d say whomever bahaves like that has way too much time on their hands.

[MartinP]

Again, I'm not questioning the deals we get on here. But I think that some seem so out of this world! The deals are legitimate but don't some deals look so good? If I got a Pet Shop for 129.99, would you believe it?

Yes. There are many ways to get a Pet Shop for about $130. There are many sellers on eBay that drop ship these types of sets for around that price.

[j.hermit]

You never know, sometimes people find outstanding deals.  I got a mint Helm's Deep in late Feb for $60, is that believable?  Of course there are drop shippers and plenty of other scams, but there are still plenty of legit methods to get some discounts, even on those sets that Lego Corporate doesn't want discounted.

 

I do think most folks are telling the truth, but it's a definite that there's some embellishment going on- it's human nature.  I could say, "Back in December, I bought an Architecture Studio for $135 and sold it two hours later for $300.  Easy $165 profit."  Or, I could say "Back I December, I bought an AS for $135 and flipped it for $300.  After sales tax, fees, and shipping, I had a net profit of $85."  Both of these would be true, but that first example sounds a lot more impressive, doesn't it?

[justafrog]

I get what you're saying, Wazza.

 

As a former supermodel and Nobel Prize winner in the "Fabulous" category, the exaggerations or outright fabrications of others makes me smile a little, too. As I sit here in my home (well, I say "home" but of course it's a replica of a Scottish Castle) I think to myself - hold on just one moment -Yes, Jeeves, please tell Lady Wimbletonion-Von Snootipants that I'll 'phone her back later about the charity ball" - yes, where was I?

 

Oh, right, LEGO falsehoods. Well, I don't like to brag, but with the First Lady owing me SEVERAL important favors and of course all I did for dear Bill Gates' eldest niece Hortensia upon the occasion of her debut, all I can say is if you have CONNECTIONS, if you see what I'm getting at, getting a few LEGO deals here and there isn't difficult. For people like ME, of course.

 

Everyone else is just making things up.

[MartinP]

You never know, sometimes people find outstanding deals.  I got a mint Helm's Deep in late Feb for $60, is that believable?  Of course there are drop shippers and plenty of other scams, but there are still plenty of legit methods to get some discounts, even on those sets that Lego Corporate doesn't want discounted.

 

I do think most folks are telling the truth, but it's a definite that there's some embellishment going on- it's human nature.  I could say, "Back in December, I bought an Architecture Studio for $135 and sold it two hours later for $300.  Easy $165 profit."  Or, I could say "Back I December, I bought an AS for $135 and flipped it for $300.  After sales tax, fees, and shipping, I had a net profit of $85."  Both of these would be true, but that first example sounds a lot more impressive, doesn't it?

The first one does sound a lot better because they didn't take into account all the fees and other expenses related to Lego investing. That is what many people over look when they see these types of deals. Without fees and expenses you could flip a set and make $100 off it, but if you calculate all the fees, it doesn't look as good. That is one of the main reasons that I don't like flipping sets. It may sound like a great deal at first, but them all the fees and other expenses bring down your profit to sometimes just a few dollars.

[exciter1]

Again, I'm not questioning the deals we get on here. But I think that some seem so out of this world! The deals are legitimate but don't some deals look so good? If I got a Pet Shop for 129.99, would you believe it?

 

I got one for less than that, thanks to Bold-Arrow or DNIM from an Amazon Warehouse deal they posted a couple months back.

[exciter1]

I get what you're saying, Wazza.

 

As a former supermodel and Nobel Prize winner in the "Fabulous" category, the exaggerations or outright fabrications of others makes me smile a little, too. As I sit here in my home (well, I say "home" but of course it's a replica of a Scottish Castle) I think to myself - hold on just one moment -Yes, Jeeves, please tell Lady Wimbletonion-Von Snootipants that I'll 'phone her back later about the charity ball" - yes, where was I?

 

Oh, right, LEGO falsehoods. Well, I don't like to brag, but with the First Lady owing me SEVERAL important favors and of course all I did for dear Bill Gates' eldest niece Hortensia upon the occasion of her debut, all I can say is if you have CONNECTIONS, if you see what I'm getting at, getting a few LEGO deals here and there isn't difficult. For people like ME, of course.

 

Everyone else is just making things up.

 

Not only a frog, but a hot frog?  I can't take it!

[justafrog]

Not only a frog, but a hot frog?  I can't take it!

 

"She had the sort of face that launched a thousand ships... the splinters and oar marks were still present." - Can't remember who said it

[justafrog]

Back to the OP, great deals can be and are found , including $139.99 and better Pet Shops (heck, I managed three at 10% off, just a few dollars shy of getting them for $139.99, simply by taking advantage of double VIP the past couple of weeks).

 

I am sure that, like most corners of life, there are folks who put on airs to be interesting (heaven knows I do, but I usually try to indicate when I'm being satirical and hilarious rather than serious) and folks who suffer from gambler's disease (don't own a calculator, don't keep records, and only remember their wins and not their losses).

 

So long as you're not trying to measure your own success as a bargain hunter against anyone else's, it doesn't matter much. I keep a spreadsheet of purchases, discounts, MSRP, and what my average "discount" (across the board of all purchases) is for a given month, and that gives me a feel for what I'm personally able to accomplish given my available dollars, geographic location, desired set accumulation, etc.

 

Whether anyone is lying about the size of their... um, discounts or collection or whatever... is of little interest or concern to me.

[terrymc4677]

The next thing you know, people will begin to claim that they bought 100 vampire hearses for $9 each...oh wait.

Sent from my iPad using Brickpicker

[exciter1]

This might have been better posted in here, not me!

 

[DoNotInsertIntoMouth]

Definitely there are some who may not lie, but just embellish. Think about if you are about to post that you got an MHC for 20$ and then everyone else is posting $16. But no more than that normally.

[njseale]

It would be a weird person who lied about deals they got in a forum like this. I doubt there are very many here who are doing that. You probably do however have some embellishment on I flipped this set for X in 25 minutes or I did 10k of sales this month, stuff like that.

[redghostx]

...flipped this set for X in 25 minutes or I did 10k of sales this month, stuff like that.

Correct - the precise terminology is "I flipped this set in the parking lot of TRU."

[Grolim]

As others have pointed out, there are many things that can make a deal look better than it really is: rewards points, exchange rates, dodgy sellers etc.  I think most people post deals with the best of intentions.  Sure there may be a little ego stroking going on, but from a pure money making point of view you'd be better off making people think sets are worth more, not less, if you want to pump up the secondary market a fraction.

 

If something really does look too good to be true a polite request to see a pic of the invoice or sets or to explain the deal better should clear things up.

[CNH1974]

Back to the OP, great deals can be and are found , including $139.99 and better Pet Shops (heck, I managed three at 10% off, just a few dollars shy of getting them for $139.99, simply by taking advantage of double VIP the past couple of weeks).

 

I am sure that, like most corners of life, there are folks who put on airs to be interesting (heaven knows I do, but I usually try to indicate when I'm being satirical and hilarious rather than serious) and folks who suffer from gambler's disease (don't own a calculator, don't keep records, and only remember their wins and not their losses).

 

So long as you're not trying to measure your own success as a bargain hunter against anyone else's, it doesn't matter much. I keep a spreadsheet of purchases, discounts, MSRP, and what my average "discount" (across the board of all purchases) is for a given month, and that gives me a feel for what I'm personally able to accomplish given my available dollars, geographic location, desired set accumulation, etc.

 

Whether anyone is lying about the size of their... um, discounts or collection or whatever... is of little interest or concern to me.

 

I don't see the point of lying, but I bet some people have.... cough Supraboy... cough

 

What is surprising me is the price of the Pet Shop in the US. BP price $186, RRP $150. Is it a hard set to find over there. UK BP price

[mudcatsfan]

I've found a few deals that i wouldnt believe if i hadnt found them myself.

 

1 Rancor for 10.00 at a Walmart?

 

1 Millennium Falcon at 70% clearance at Target ?

 

2 Umbaran Tanks for 16.79 (70% clearance) at Target (BEFORE the big online/store pickup sale last week) Now that price seems pedestrian