Are POTC sets too expensive?

[Swashbuckling buccaneer]

I picked up my first pirates of the Caribbean set today and i was quite shocked at how expensive it was. IT was set 4181" Isla De Muerta" and it is a very small set with limited playability.I paid the retail price of £20.00! Is it because it is a licensed set? I have to say, i prefer the classic pirates!

POLL added 05/16/11 by Big Cam

Edited May 16, 2011 by Big Cam
Added poll

[jacob_uno]

Yes they are very expensive. I was planning on buying the smallest set, but decided that it was too expensive. I'll wait for a discounted price.

[badboytje88]

Yes. Just as simple as that. Yes.

[frogstudio]

Expensive??? Noooo... just your impression... :) (read with irony)

[Big Cam]

As with all licensed sets you are immediately paying a premium because TLG has to pay for the license. You can bet Disney is getting a cut out of every set you buy. Plus as is often found in licensed sets, you have new molds for exclusive pieces, molds are very expensive and some of that cost has to be passed to the consumer.

So in short yes they are more expensive, and there isn't a way around it.

[lightningtiger]

Ah, you see wait until two things come along, one is %off sales and second, dumb retail chains making huge boo-boo's !

I brought four sets last week, 4181 and 4191 at Target with 20% then 4183 and 4193 at TRU....they also had 20% Lego but it was off the marked price on the shelf....wrong tags there they were already the marked down price...so instead of 20% I got 36% off RRP. Now that's how you buy expensive sets !

[Dr.Cogg]

I think they should get rid of the cards and posters,and add to the set or lower the price.

[prateek]

Compared to City sets and SW, no, but compared to other themes, yes.

Edited May 15, 2011 by prateek

[Blondie-Wan]

"Too expensive" is partly a matter of personal opinion, but I should note I almost never see anyone say any LEGO set is underpriced, while I routinely see the opposite said of sets from pretty much every theme except Creator.

I will note I just got three copies of the promotional set 30132, the (zombie? dummy?) Jack Sparrow minifigure, for US $0.01 each - yes, that's one penny apiece (and from Toys 'R Us, no less!), so in my initial LEGO PotC experience I certainly can't complain that they're too expensive!

[Donut]

I will note I just got three copies of the promotional set 30132, the (zombie? dummy?) Jack Sparrow minifigure, for US $0.01 each - yes, that's one penny apiece (and from Toys 'R Us, no less!), so in my initial LEGO PotC experience I certainly can't complain that they're too expensive!

How did you get them for so cheap?

[Gryphon Ink]

I picked up my first pirates of the Caribbean set today and i was quite shocked at how expensive it was... Is it because it is a licensed set? I have to say, i prefer the classic pirates!

First of all, I want to say that I think Lego prices in every country that's not the US are rather unfair. You have my sympathy for that. However, if the question is "have TLG raised the prices because of the 'Depp Tax'"? the answer is actually no. Everyone seems to think that Lego prices have increased rapidly in the last couple of years. A look at the cost of sets over the years shows that this is really not true.

In 1991, Lagoon Lockup, 191 pieces, cost $29 - 15 cents per piece.

In 1997, Pirates Ambush, 156 pieces, cost $22 - 14 c/p.

In 2009, Loot Island, 142 pieces, cost $20 - 14 c/p.

In 2011, Isla de Muerta, 152 pieces, cost $20 - 13 c/p.

There are some differences between the sets, such as Loot Island containing a molded baseplate and a crocodile, while the POTC set contains 3 totally new minifigs with back printing and a few new accessories, but overall these are pretty comparable sets. They are all 3-minifig sets with one rowboat. And the prices have gone (ever so slightly) down, not up.

Granted, 150 pieces in 1991 is not the same as 150 pieces in 2011. The average piece in the older sets was bigger, so that your final model ended up being bigger. But they were also far less detailed and a heck of a lot blockier. The POTC sets have more natural colors, more nuanced building, and vastly superior detailing on the minifigs. I really think it's an even trade.

For comparison, the average US price of a movie ticket in 1991 was $4.21. In 2010 it was $7.89. In 1991, a mass market paperback book cost $4.99. In 2010, it was $7.99. The cost of gas went from $1.14 in 1991 to $4.15 at the pump yesterday. If TLG had increased their prices according to the cost of gas, Isla de Muerta would cost $72!

[Blondie-Wan]

How did you get them for so cheap?

They had a few of the polybags out in the racks with some other polybag sets today, and this one scanned at the price scanner as being just $0.01. That's the same price it was listed at when I checked it out a few days ago at the videogame section, but they weren't offering it on its own at that time; the set was meant to be a free promotional item for preorders of the LEGO Pirates of the Caribbean videogame, and I believe the one-penny price was in the system as sort of a "placeholder" price, just so the item could be included in their computer system at all. Today, though, they had them out with the other LEGO sets, and let me just buy them on their own (well, I did actually buy two other small sets, but not the videogame, and the other two sets combined cost less than one copy of the game, much less three, and weren't required to get these anyway).

[chongcheng]

Prices of POTC are too steep in my country, in my opinion. But at least not yet at SW level. So to put it in another way, I find POTC cheaper compared to SW...but that is not really saying much.

No point in arguing. Prices are where they are and no matter how many valid arguments there are, it won't change a thing. And for every point that say prices are downright outrageous, there will be a counter point trying to do a statistic comparison and using inflation to justify prices are actually reasonable, in fact a bargain or other reasoning, such as that business need to maintain healthy profits to survive, or maybe even it is still better compared to SW...

End of the day, if you are willing to open your wallet and pay for it, the price is worth it to you.

[Cwetqo]

First of all, I want to say that I think Lego prices in every country that's not the US are rather unfair. You have my sympathy for that. However, if the question is "have TLG raised the prices because of the 'Depp Tax'"? the answer is actually no. Everyone seems to think that Lego prices have increased rapidly in the last couple of years. A look at the cost of sets over the years shows that this is really not true.

In 1991, Lagoon Lockup, 191 pieces, cost $29 - 15 cents per piece.

In 1997, Pirates Ambush, 156 pieces, cost $22 - 14 c/p.

In 2009, Loot Island, 142 pieces, cost $20 - 14 c/p.

In 2011, Isla de Muerta, 152 pieces, cost $20 - 13 c/p.

There are some differences between the sets, such as Loot Island containing a molded baseplate and a crocodile, while the POTC set contains 3 totally new minifigs with back printing and a few new accessories, but overall these are pretty comparable sets. They are all 3-minifig sets with one rowboat. And the prices have gone (ever so slightly) down, not up.

Granted, 150 pieces in 1991 is not the same as 150 pieces in 2011. The average piece in the older sets was bigger, so that your final model ended up being bigger. But they were also far less detailed and a heck of a lot blockier. The POTC sets have more natural colors, more nuanced building, and vastly superior detailing on the minifigs. I really think it's an even trade.

For comparison, the average US price of a movie ticket in 1991 was $4.21. In 2010 it was $7.89. In 1991, a mass market paperback book cost $4.99. In 2010, it was $7.99. The cost of gas went from $1.14 in 1991 to $4.15 at the pump yesterday. If TLG had increased their prices according to the cost of gas, Isla de Muerta would cost $72!

What bothers me is not difference between US and european prices (we'v learned to live with it), but smaller premium for licensed sets.

Example.

Satellite Launch pad, 165pcs

US: 20 usd

Europe: 17 euro (24 usd)

Isla Muerta, 152pcs

US: 20 usd

Europe: 27 euro (38 usd)

So, in US there is virtually no price premium for this set over comparable city set, but in europe we pay 37% more (and nearly 100% more than they pay in US).

Please know that when discussing price premiums and "disney" tax.

(I also checked prices for other themes and it's almost always 1usd=1euro, except SW and Harry Potter, which show the same steep price increase as PoTC).

[Mister Phes]

It would be interesting to visually represent people's opinions - how about we add poll?

[Cwetqo]

That would be cool. However, I think that we will just get europe/us ratio of posters. :) Just look at this topic: all which have countr set to eurpo think that they are too expensive, and all which are from US say that they are not.

Up until now I didnt even know that those are so cheap in US. If there is near 1:1 brick per dollar ratio between PoTC and City, Castle and other "ordinary" sets, then PoTC are of course reall y great value. Cool minifigs, rare colours and a lot of useful new parts: it beats the hell out of any new City sets with its basic colours, bland minifogs and common parts (for example: marina).

Edited May 16, 2011 by Cwetqo

[Gryphon Ink]

This would be one of those I DID NOT NO THAT moments, preferably with a picture of a silly cat. I thought the US-Europe difference was the same for all themes. Now you REALLY have my sympathy.

[lego king]

I dont think they are too expensive and if you think they are dont buy them.

[lightningtiger]

Is POTC worth more than SW, now thats a question we won't be able to answer for a year or so after POTC is finished with ?

It's possible the cost factor is to do with the special custom parts for Jack and gang...the headgear and printed legs/torso's !

[Horry]

I dont think they are too expensive and if you think they are dont buy them.

This is a thread about the value and the reasons for the pricing of the POTC sets. I think it does not make much sense to post something like this here. It's a little bit like posting "If you don't know how to rigg then don't build a ship" in a thread that asks for help with the rigging of a ship.

On the topic:

I am trying to be firm and not buying any of the sets as they are really a bit expensive (that being understandable as it IS licensed). But there are so many interesting great little parts...

Edited May 16, 2011 by Horry

[lego king]

Sorry about that.

I suppose they are a bit overpriced.

[Swashbuckling buccaneer]

i agree with most of these comments.For me i find them expensive.i was rather shocked at how small the set was for £20.00 pounds! The could have at least give us a island template ! After all it is a island based set!

[Final Exit]

I've always loved the pirates theme and having missed out on the pirate ships I made sure I got one once I had money of my own seeing that Lego had Pirates Of The Caribbean licence I was really looking forward to the sets, but now I've seen the sets and more importantly the prices I'm less than happy, money isn't really a problem but these sets feel very much like a massive rip off, skipped them all so far and bought the whole Alien Conquest theme instead.

[Swashbuckling buccaneer]

Fair enough!

[rriggs]

The sets do seem expensive even compared to the SW sets. It's disappointing to find they are cheaper in the US too. I understand that the custom moulds must cost a lot to make but surely the licensing shouldn't be such a large cost. For Disney I would have thought that part of the exercise was publicising the new film? Making a lot of money from licensing something that's advertising sounds like having your cake and eating it!

As Jack Sparrow was the only minifig I really wanted I spent £1 on the News of the World and got my free set from TRU yesterday. I can ignore the rest of the overpriced sets now.....

Cheers

Rog