For any UK residents wanting the Batcave!

[ReZourceman]

I really wanted to let you all know, at Argos the Batcave is only

[xwingyoda]

Tks for the pointer, I'm sure our UK residents will be pleased ;-)

I shall move this to the BSTF ;-)

*yoda*

[sam89]

I was tempted to buy this, but I think I'll still buy it at full price at the LEGO Store in Bluewater.

I've got a loyalty card there which I can use to get a

[natelite]

if the incremental value that your batcave adds to the redemption value is GBP15 then it is as you said. but if the incremental value is less than GBP10, then you just ripped yourself of some money.

loyalty reward points should only be seen from incremental value not in absolute value because your previous purchase also added to the redemption value (as well as future purchase).

[JoeMI6]

Phew, lots of long words there Natelite. Thanks for the heads up on this. I may consider getting it, but I've probably spent enough on lego this year.

[natelite]

um, sorry if it was confusing...let's speak via examples.

if say the set was originally retailing for $100, and right now can be bought for $90, which is a $10 discount.

say you are $100 short of getting a rebate voucher for $15 (the rebate was after you spend $300, you will get a $15 rebate on your next purchase). you would think that buying the set from lego at $100 will get you $15 "discount" which is worth more than the instant $10. but this is wrong thinking. the reality is you already spent a good portion (in this example, $200) to get to that rebate. that means the $100 you now spend only get you $5 in reality. would i spend $100 to get $5 in the future? or do i spend $90 now for a $100 value? in this example, the former action is worth less than 5% discount (100/105 = 95.24%), while the latter is worth a 10% discount (90/100 = 90%).

if you are not careful, special offers can play mind tricks with your money. take the following example: which offer is better value? buy two get one free or buy one get one 50% off?

choices:

1. they are both the same since one is exactly half of the other

2. buy two get one free

3. buy one get one 50% off

the correct answer is 2. buy 2 get 1 free = 2/3 = 67% or 33% discount per set. buy 1 get 1 50% off = 1.5/2 = 75% or 25% discount per set.

[sam89]

um, sorry if it was confusing...let's speak via examples.

if say the set was originally retailing for $100, and right now can be bought for $90, which is a $10 discount.

say you are $100 short of getting a rebate voucher for $15 (the rebate was after you spend $300, you will get a $15 rebate on your next purchase). you would think that buying the set from lego at $100 will get you $15 "discount" which is worth more than the instant $10. but this is wrong thinking. the reality is you already spent a good portion (in this example, $200) to get to that rebate. that means the $100 you now spend only get you $5 in reality. would i spend $100 to get $5 in the future? or do i spend $90 now for a $100 value? in this example, the former action is worth less than 5% discount (100/105 = 95.24%), while the latter is worth a 10% discount (90/100 = 90%).

if you are not careful, special offers can play mind tricks with your money.

Well, if we look at it that way, I only need one more stamp (

[Hobbes]

if you are not careful, special offers can play mind tricks with your money. take the following example: which offer is better value? buy two get one free or buy one get one 50% off?

choices:

1. they are both the same since one is exactly half of the other

2. buy two get one free

3. buy one get one 50% off

the correct answer is 2. buy 2 get 1 free = 2/3 = 67% or 33% discount per set. buy 1 get 1 50% off = 1.5/2 = 75% or 25% discount per set.

I dare object...

Firstly, why would a brit want a $15 voucher?

SCNR ;-)

Secondly and more seriously, I think you can't compare it that way because the first offer gives you three sets while the second gives you "only" two. Your answer is correct if you only consider the per set price but you neglect the amount spent overall.

Example:

Set price $20

1. Buy two, get one free = $40 spent

2. Buy one, get one 50 % off = $ 30 spent

So, it depends on what you're looking for in the special. If you're out for a good per set price and don't mind having an extra set that you weren't looking for in the first place then 3 for 2 is a good offer for you. If you're out for saving money and not looking for that many sets the latter special suits you more.

Just my €0.016 ($0.02), retail.

PS: Yeah, I know, we all want sets, sets, sets, sets... kinda true, especially here in Austria where sales are pretty rare and I take any special ;-)

[ReZourceman]

Yeah, I have a loyalty card too, and planned on buyig it from Lego, but

A) It is far away and I rarely can get there

B) I know Ill buy other stuff from there, so I might aswell save a

[natelite]

@hobbes: that example was to highlight how to the common joe the two events are the same. the average human thinks in terms of savings absolutely neglecting the concept of time frame. eg, for the second offer most people think "if i pay for one, i will save 50%." for the first offer it's also the same thoughts "if i pay for two, i will save 1 and is the same as if i pay for one, i will save 50%." see how it plays mind tricks on you?

the smarter person will think of the second event as "if i pay for one now, i will save 50% in the future" and of the first event as "if i pay for one now, i will save 50% NOW". that IS the difference! ;-)

that is how reward cards trick you into thinking the reward is larger than it really is. the first trick is to provide you with milestones. spend this much and get rewarded for this much. most people "write off" the past spendings mentally and think of current spending will save you more than it really does. the second is that the reward is for a future period not for current period which diminishes the discount even further. the sale example was to highlight the concept of future savings vs current savings...in a more dramatic way. ;-)

edit: i'll stop my drivel now...don't want to bore peeps with my finance 101 classes. ;-)

[Hobbes]

edit: i'll stop my drivel now...don't want to bore peeps with my finance 101 classes. ;-)

That's ok ;-)

As for the reward cards: it depends on which ones you get. If you get one from a store where you shop frequently it really is a reward - in the future, that's true, but it'll save you money. If it's from a store where you went once because there was a sale or something and you have to go there again just to spend more money to get the reward, then it's money thrown out the window. I understand what you mean with "mind tricks" :-)

[kenji]

@hobbes: that example was to highlight how to the common joe the two events are the same. the average human thinks in terms of savings absolutely neglecting the concept of time frame. eg, for the second offer most people think "if i pay for one, i will save 50%." for the first offer it's also the same thoughts "if i pay for two, i will save 1 and is the same as if i pay for one, i will save 50%." see how it plays mind tricks on you?

the smarter person will think of the second event as "if i pay for one now, i will save 50% in the future" and of the first event as "if i pay for one now, i will save 50% NOW". that IS the difference! ;-)

that is how reward cards trick you into thinking the reward is larger than it really is. the first trick is to provide you with milestones. spend this much and get rewarded for this much. most people "write off" the past spendings mentally and think of current spending will save you more than it really does. the second is that the reward is for a future period not for current period which diminishes the discount even further. the sale example was to highlight the concept of future savings vs current savings...in a more dramatic way. ;-)

edit: i'll stop my drivel now...don't want to bore peeps with my finance 101 classes. ;-)

it is TOO complicated.

i don't understand

um, sorry if it was confusing...let's speak via examples.

if say the set was originally retailing for $100, and right now can be bought for $90, which is a $10 discount.

say you are $100 short of getting a rebate voucher for $15 (the rebate was after you spend $300, you will get a $15 rebate on your next purchase). you would think that buying the set from lego at $100 will get you $15 "discount" which is worth more than the instant $10. but this is wrong thinking. the reality is you already spent a good portion (in this example, $200) to get to that rebate. that means the $100 you now spend only get you $5 in reality. would i spend $100 to get $5 in the future? or do i spend $90 now for a $100 value? in this example, the former action is worth less than 5% discount (100/105 = 95.24%), while the latter is worth a 10% discount (90/100 = 90%).

if you are not careful, special offers can play mind tricks with your money. take the following example: which offer is better value? buy two get one free or buy one get one 50% off?

choices:

1. they are both the same since one is exactly half of the other

2. buy two get one free

3. buy one get one 50% off

the correct answer is 2. buy 2 get 1 free = 2/3 = 67% or 33% discount per set. buy 1 get 1 50% off = 1.5/2 = 75% or 25% discount per set.

i think most kids would rather ask their parents for more $$$$$$$ than work out these awfully difficult maths equation

i mean, if they want to be stingy and have a maths tutorial while going to Toysrus I teckon they won't be there in the first place because they would be in the MIT lecture hall.

but then, that's me.

[Zane]

Good, but Argos usually reduces their Lego sets to half price after the last catalogue of the year. 8877 was