At long last a LEGO store in Australia - what should i expect

[Mathu83]

Finally after a long absence a LEGO store is coming to Oz. Being built in QLD near some theme parks. My question is, what should i expect from this?

I see and hear things about wall of bricks/pick a brick, are the prices cheaper than the website?

is what that's for sale just what ever is on lego/shop or do they have special limited editions or polybag giveaways etc?

i foresee many a road trip there and back again.

[Cwetqo]

It's not pick-a-brick like on S@H. You can get just some (few dozens) bricks, depending on current selection. They sell it by the cup: you pay 15 dollars (or something like that) and fill the cup (they come in two sizes). It's great if they have what you want (especially for smaller parts), but most of the time bricks are not that useful.

You can also get pretty much all exclusive lego sets and the usualy have some assembled at store. There should also be build-a-minifig rack, where you can assemble custom mifing from available parts for ceertain fixed amount (few dollars). They will also have a lot of keychins, cups and other merchandise.

Prices should be same as on your S@H and discount will be rare, except for VIP points.

[AFOLguy1970]

The Pick-a-Brick wall also contains parts that are part of the current build-a-model selection. The parts required for the model are marked so you will know which bins they are. Lately, the Lego Store has been good about letting you choose those parts to place in the cups. Although the model itself will not stimulate a lot of interest, some of those parts that make up the model are highly useful. Being able to fill a cup with those is nice. In terms of cost, the price per part will most certainly be cheaper than if you had bought those parts online. Even if you just loosely fill the cup, it will probably be worth it if you find parts that you want. There is almost always at least something on that wall that I would find useful.

In the USA, the Build-a-minifigure section allows us to build one for $5, or three for $10. The selection of parts can sometimes seem quite random, but some nice heads, torsos, pants, or accessories are usually found in those bins somewhere. I am told you do not have to necessarily construct a minifig out of one head, torso, hairpiece, pants, and accessory. If you pay for three minifigs, you could simply choose 15 accessories, heads, torsos, etc. or a combination.

Expect friendly service and positive attention at the Lego Store. Glad to see you finally got one. Enjoy!

[Mathu83]

Thanks for the responses, it does sound like something to look forward to. Even if it is a 12 hour drive away. LEGO shop road trip anyone?

[Vorkosigan]

Ouch 12 hours away is quite a hike.

To your question about sales, they will have clearance sales that are sometimes better than is what is on the website (totally dependent on the individual store). There are also "monthly mini-build" events if you can go to the store on a weekday morning, where you build a small model in store and get to keep it.

[Artanis I]

All I know about it is on this page:

https://www.dreamworld.com.au/things-to-do/lego

So, PAB wall, exclusive items, lifesize models, accessible from inside & outside the park etc. Opens in November.

Not sure how similar it will be to typical North American & European Lego stores.