Worthy Note When Shopping for LEGO for Christmas in Canada

 

  • Worthy Note When Shopping for LEGO for Christmas in Canada

    Posted by fuelbreak, 18 Nov 2012 22:48. Filed under Shopping (Canada).

    9473: The Mines of Moria
    Lord of the Rings/The Fellowship of the Ring, 2012
    More details...
    ©2012 LEGO Group

    We all know that Toys R Us tend to mark-up their LEGO a bit higher than MSRP. We also know that Walmart Canada tend to sell their LEGO just a bit below MSRP. This bit however, seems a little bigger and is worth noting again when shopping for Christmas.

    I could not believe the discrepancy between prices when I looked up The Mines of Moria (9473) at these three locations; I was shocked.

    Walmart Canada $84.88 << shop.lego.ca $99.99 << Toys R Us, Canada $109.99

    As much as I don't like supporting Walmart (unfair wages, etc.), the price difference between some sets is ridiculous.

    If Walmart continues this trend with other sets, I don't think any of us can afford not to shop there.


    27 comments, latest one posted 6 months ago. (Commenting has ended on this article)
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Comments

Posted by rnsrobot in Canada, 18 Nov 2012 23:30

The frustrating part is that up until recently, TRU Canada DIDN'T mark up their sets the way I continually read TRU USA did. They were MSRP with Lego, and their regular 20% sales were amazing. It was right around the release of Lord of the Rings when they started marking up a good chunk of the sets. I literally walked in and saw the increased price tags going on from the ones on the day earlier. The Monster Fighters Vampyre Castle threw me right off. "Wasn't that ten bucks less yesterday?" Every LOTR, half the Monster Fighters, Superheroes went up, some City and Star Wars. Anywhere from $2, $5, $10. Considering how much more we pay already it's insanely frustrating.

Depending on the set/markup, TRU on sale can still be the best value. Helm's Deep was $179.99, it was a good deal at 20% off despite the $10 markup. But Moria is far less good of a deal when you add in an extra 10%. The worst offender? The Batwing set is marked up $10 to $54.99! "On sale" at 20% off it's just under MSPR. Meanwhile Wal-Mart has it for $38.

TRU has better regular selection than WalMart, and obviously gets a more diverse crop of sets, and has regular sales. WalMart is pretty up on the main themes. Their sales are just so random, and unadvertised. I'm trying to buy more shop.lego.ca on double VIP sales, but it's hard to buy so many sets at full price.

I don't blame LEGO but it's brutal that TRU does this. What's worse is that it really only seems to apply to LEGO. Transformers are MSRP. Almost every 'action figure' line as far as I can tell is MSRP. Toddler toys, Fisher-Price, whatever. They nail the LEGO.

Posted by Isabella and Lego Liker in United States, 18 Nov 2012 23:32

I smell profanity in the comment above.

Posted by rnsrobot in Canada, 18 Nov 2012 23:39

*eyeroll*

What the fudge. TRU is world's toystore of frustration.

Posted by fuelbreak in Canada, 18 Nov 2012 23:43

If these were sale prices I would understand, regular however ....

Posted by lostnewf26 in Canada, 19 Nov 2012 00:01

I find it fustrating living in a rural area of Alberta that Wal-Mart can carry so much different varieties from store to store, especialy when the one here doesn't stock Wal-Mart Exclusives. I had to wait til my Thanksgiving trip to Calgary, to pick-up 4429 - Helicopter Rescue.

On a happier note, if your lucky enough to live near a Zellers store which wasn't bought by Target. It will be more then likely in clearance mode in the final week of December and closing forever in mid February. The one here is continiously getting new stock of Lego.

Posted by rnsrobot in Canada, 19 Nov 2012 00:14

@lostnewf26 - it will be interesting when Target does open up next year around Canada. It'll give us another major option for purchasing, and hopefully they run decent sales...

Posted by lostnewf26 in Canada, 19 Nov 2012 00:21

@rnsrobot - the only thing I will miss is the BOGO 50% off at Zellers. I have picked up a couple sets this year at a Target in Florida. MSRP seemed to be Target's thing for Lego. So hopefully it will be the same.

Posted by Kulturkampf in United States, 19 Nov 2012 00:39

The Wal-Mart near my house also has many sets below MSRP. 9492 Tie Fighter is only $35. 9493 X-Wing is 50. I love shopping there.

Posted by TH3_L3G0_G3N1U5 in Canada, 19 Nov 2012 01:58

The only reason Wal-Mart has this set for 85$ is because it is on rollback. It's not a permanent reduction. It normally is 99.98 or something like that.

Posted by bogdanst in Yugoslavia, 19 Nov 2012 02:08

Well, in Austria, Moria was 70euros, while in a lego store in same country it was 80euros... no rules

Posted by goldfish in United Kingdom, 19 Nov 2012 04:48

This re-emphasises the point that here in the UK we are starting to get deals as good as the US, if not better. Last week in the UK, Moria was widely available (if you were willing to pick up 3 or batch with similar priced items), for just £32 / $51.

Posted by Martin_izy in Canada, 19 Nov 2012 07:08

Hi, every time i log to www.toysrus.ca the welcomimg page is saying about TRU is price matching + 10%
On any advertised price. It might be interresting
Martin

Posted by TekkamanRaiden in Canada, 19 Nov 2012 08:13

This is why I look forward to Target opening in the new year.

Posted by rnsrobot in Canada, 19 Nov 2012 08:30

@Martin_izy it's 10% of the difference, not a full 10% reduction IIRC. So it's not really worth the effort of getting TRU to lower to proper MSRP when the set is on-shelf at Wal-Mart. Plus then you have to prove the difference w/receipt or flyer...

Posted by joee in Canada, 19 Nov 2012 10:32

I noticed that this week too. The Moria set is one the item my son wants for Christmas. I was shocked it was $109.99. I'm happy we have a local toy shop chain here in Ottawa (miss tiggy winkles) with a customer loyalty coupons given out each month. I'm going to buy it there with a one item only 30% discount.

Posted by Darth Nader in United States, 19 Nov 2012 10:55

Yeah dude, Walmart has amazing prices, in the U.S, I got my 2012 tie fighter for only $35. $20 less than the regular price!!!

Posted by Dodge in Canada, 19 Nov 2012 13:00

I am continually surprised by the markup at TRU. I was there yesterday and saw the Catwoman Chase set for $17.99. I literally laughed out loud when I saw that. The only benefit to the store is it's selection, if just carries more lines than other places.

Our local WM has been good on price, especially when there's only one or two copies of a set kicking around and marked down to 5 or 10 bucks.

I have started resisting the regular price as much as I can, or support the local shops who carry it at the MSRP.

Posted by fuelbreak in Canada, 19 Nov 2012 13:14

@ TH3_L3G0_G3N1U5 I just checked walmart.ca and spider man vs doc oc is the only lego set on roll back. As far as i can tell moria is regularly priced.

speaking of which, saving 5 bucks off the spider man set is not a bad deal considering its a bit more rare.

Posted by suckerpunch83 in Canada, 19 Nov 2012 17:26

Unfair wages give me a break.

Posted by Isabella and Lego Liker in United States, 19 Nov 2012 17:43

This isn't the first time Wal-Mart or Target have had sets under MSRP for their regular price anywhere. They did have the biggest LOTR set for $115 for my Target (still $114.99 online, price cut to $109.99 as of now), but they marked that up to $135, the Mine is $90, and 4436 is $10.97 at Walmart.

Posted by jonbuddy in United States, 19 Nov 2012 21:20

The only thing with Walmart though, they don't have very many sets. At least, they don't when I actually go into that aisle.

Posted by BlackRabbit in Canada, 19 Nov 2012 23:58

I'm going to stick with London drugs for now. The location near my house has all lego for 20% off up until Christmas. Usually when i go to Walmart I don't notice any good sales and in many cases they are actually more expensive.

Posted by petitetoilonrouge in Canada, 20 Nov 2012 09:16

The differences between prices at WM, TrU and Lego online might be shocking, but what is even more so is the difference between American and Canadian MSRP. I end up ordering almost all of my sets from the US (or going on shopping sprees on the other side if the border) and even with shipping, I end up saving. Silly.

Posted by The_Creator in United States, 20 Nov 2012 11:13

I no longer shop at WM because I bought Gandalf Arrives there and all the pieces were lighter shads than the rest of my pieces...
I talk to a friend of mine who has Solider torsos from WM and TRU and the WM ones arent as good.
So I either shop at Target or pay a little extra at TRU, I did get my second Gandalf Arrives at TRU for MSRP price along with The Hobbit board game that was discounted by almost $10 which was a very good deal.
Also TRU usually gets all the good polys...

Posted by Odeinoichus in Canada, 20 Nov 2012 16:43

Up here in Canada TRU is the only store to carry Polybagged Sets, in fact, with exception to London Drugs which I beleive just got the left over cases of a bunch of polybags TRU couldn't give away, they are literally it for Polybags and often you'll find some decent sales that mark them down to a fairly impressive and good amount.

@The_Creator: I'm a little confused by your comments, are you saying the quality and color of set pieces from Wal-Mart are different than TRU? How is that possible? Are they not all manufactured and packaged at the same factories?

Posted by TH3_L3G0_G3N1U5 in Canada, 20 Nov 2012 23:04

@fuelbreak: My walmart has quite a few in store that are on rollback right now. Maybe it is different between online and instore?

Posted by rnsrobot in Canada, 21 Nov 2012 15:48

^^I saw more walmart rollbacks instore than online, so you may be right.

@blackrabbit - I just checked out London Drugs after reading your comment, and wow, it *is* a blanket 20% off all LEGO sales, until January. Obviously not huge selection but they had decent amounts of LOTR, newer City, etc. Worth paying a visit...

Hobbit sets are out. My TRU (South Edmonton) had Riddles, Spiders and Warg Attack.

@Odeinoichus - yeah, what? That doesn't sound possible.

Commenting has ended on this article.