What becomes of polybags?

[ResIpsaLoquitur]

I'm musing over polybag sets. One of my regrets is that I didn't get more of the 30200 Monster Fighters Zombie Chaffuer Coffin Car. I got one--and believe me, I have four other copies of Renfield--but I'm kicking myself for not buying more of them for a cheap source of coffins and zombie heads. Unfortunately, the set seemed to disappear shortly after Halloween.

I notice that this happens with some, but not all, polybag sets. Also last year, I was looking for the Avengers polybag sets of Thor and Hawkeye. I passed on Thor once at a TRU, changed my mind a little later, but he was gone. I don't think it's a shortage of these sets--there seemed to be plenty of them (and the Coffin Car) last year, and the particular TRU I go to doesn't seem heavy on customers. The Lone Ranger Tonto Campfire set also vanished shortly after its release, and I'd wager THAT set wasn't selling out. Meanwhile, the Creator mini-Lighthouse seemed to be on the pegs forever.

At Target, it's different--polys sit by the cash register forever. For example, the Mining Quad Car was there in massive quantities for what I'd estimate to be six months. They just recently flipped it to the mini Fire Car. The Star Wars polys also seem to linger. I think the Z-95 Headhunter and the TIE Fighter were there for almost a year.

Sometimes polys seem to reappear after a year or less. The Store exclusive seasonal sets always seem to reappear at Target a year later. For example, last year's Witch head and Christmas Trains have reappeared at Target this year. Five Below (a chain that's all over the mid-Atlantic U.S.) seems to have picked up the Harry Potter polys in bulk, as the one near my house has a LOAD of the mini-Hogwarts Express which I think is 2-3 years old at this point. I even found the Atlantis Octopus at a Five Below, and how long has that one been out?

Other Store exclusives seem to be "First Dibs at the Lego Store, then elsewhere." A few examples are this year's Police Helicopter and the Iron Man Fighting Drone. These both first appeared as Shop exclusives--the whole "Spend $35, get a free poly" deal. They've recently reappeared at Wal-Mart (though I've also seen them on the shelves at the shop).

Finally, some are recycled multiple times. The best example I can think of is the Friends Emma's Ice Cream Stand. This set first appeard (to my knowledge) at Wal-Mart back in the spring. It recently appeared as a Shop exclusive--spend $35 or $50 on Friends, get it free. It's also reappeared as a book exclusive in one of those sets with three mini Friends books.

So, is there any consistency on the fate of polybags? How does Lego determine who gets them, how long they're available, and why they reappear later? And, most importantly, will Renfield and his Zombie Coffin Car reappear anytime soon so I can get more zombies on the cheap? Thanks.

[Legogal]

I, too, am a huge fan of polybags, and it appears that the US supply is random. Must depend on how many are made and how many are sold at each stage of the marketing. A few end at Five Below or Target after a year or more. There does not appear to be a pattern of how the process works and when to expect them in a particular store. It seems that the best approach is to buy all that you may possibly want when you first spot them because many don't seem to last long in the stores.

And they are a wonderful source of some parts and definitely worth collecting. It would be nice to have an idea of what is coming out and for how long, but they seem to be treated as afterthoughts.

[Chocolatecake]

I must say, you are lucky that you have a selection.

Here in DK I have only seen the lone ranger poly bag (came with a disneymagazine) an fireboat (also with a magazine) five different polybags(fire car, Gandalf, friends desk, SW minibuild and a creator build), that has been sold in a discount supermarked three times!! this year.

No Monster Fighters, no Tonto (Lone Ranger), no other friends polybags.

eBay or Bricklink should be your friend if you really want some more polybags.

[jonwil]

Lucky you, polybags are almost never found here in Australia :(

[meyerc13]

To answer the original question, the polybags at TRU are often given away as promos. So you see them on the shelf the week before the promo, the next week they are free with $25 purchase, and the next time you go back they are all gone. That's the pattern I've seen at my TRU again and again. If you don't buy them the first time you see them, you probably won't get another chance. TRU also seems to have distribution issues. Some polybags people are reporting at their TRUs never seem to make it to mine, so I suspect that there is no guarantee that every TRU will get every polybag.

Soon I suspect we'll see an abundance of polybags. I think Wal Mart had 4-6 last year, Target had at least two in the seasonal section along with those at the cash register. TRU rotated a few in and out as well. They make great stocking stuffers, so I'm hopeful we'll see a few that haven't been readily available in the US.

[Faefrost]

Part of the problem with Polybags is how erratic they are at making it onto the actual retail store shelves. The bags are often exclusive to a store chain. They are a high loss, hard to manage and stock item as one small box takes store clerks a bit more time to display and manage and they are instantly reduced to rubble as soon as customers hit them. In short while a highly desired product and a high margin item, they are a nuisance product for those actually working the store floors. So they will often get ignored, lost in the back stock room, placed in odd locations, etc. When they do get put out a store will often just pop one box of one type and not stock a full assortment. Resulting in an oversaturation of one and none of the other. Finally after seasonal inventory these often get sent back to the warehouse or sent to clearance etc. Even stores that prominantly display them, like Target, never ever rotate the stock. So they will not put out a new Polybag until all of those old unwanted ugly Tie Fighters sell. TRU actually seems to do the best job of putting them out in a timely manner. Which is not saying much. It gets a little better at Target around holidays that support small "stocking stuffer" type gifts or surprises. So Easter, Halloween and Christmas you will see some decent ones in the Seasonal Holiday bins.

[ResIpsaLoquitur]

Life would be easier if Lego just put the polys on the Shop@Home website...

[Phoxtane]

My complaint is that they've gone and printed white on the bags as a background for the images and things so I can't do a proper build-in-bag challenge.

[Modulex Guy]

My complaint is that they've gone and printed white on the bags as a background for the images and things so I can't do a proper build-in-bag challenge.

Oh sure you can! The printing just makes it harder to build! I've done a few polybags like this.

[TheLegoDr]

I agree, it'd be great if shop at home had them all the time to make it more fair for everyone. I rarely find them near me except the few in the Christmas aisle at Target. You'd think they'd be a great unlike purchase, but at the check out at Target they just dangle there with other items that never change.

[HawkLord]

I think it just depends on the license or series. Thor, Hawkeye, Zombie Car, and the Mirkwood Elf all went super fast around here. Thor was a good cheap way to get the character, Hawkeye was a good alternative from buying the set with Loki and Iron Man who both appear elsewhere, the Zombie Car was a cheap zombie compared to the CMF, and the Mirkwood Elf was a great army-builder type for LOTR/Hobbit and Castle fans. Meanwhile, the mini-ships like the TIE Fighter and Headhunter barely moved. And the orange Galaxy Squad walker that was free with purchase at the Lego store became a pegwarmer at Target a couple months later.

[Lego Otaku]

I've looked around at various Meijer stores (midwestern USA chain) and nearly all of the polys are in the checkout lane, at the impulse buy board. I found a few Atlantis bag, a huge number of republic attack cruiser and a lot of new lawnmower. There were a few Chima in the LEGO isle but all of them were empty (pilfered, probably by little kids who don't understand rules) I rarely saw anything else in decent number other than Friends which I almost always find 10 of each kind easily. Once in a blue moon I do find Hobbit bags (always missplaced) but rarely as they are usually sold.

Like other said, if you see a new one, get em fast because they do go fast and may be gone the next time you go looking for it.

[ResIpsaLoquitur]

Hmmmm...would it be worth it to start a "polybags sighting thread" in the Finds forum? If so, could we get a mod to sticky it?

[iradd]

I must say, you are lucky that you have a selection.

Here in DK I have only seen the lone ranger poly bag (came with a disneymagazine) an fireboat (also with a magazine) five different polybags(fire car, Gandalf, friends desk, SW minibuild and a creator build), that has been sold in a discount supermarked three times!! this year.

No Monster Fighters, no Tonto (Lone Ranger), no other friends polybags.

eBay or Bricklink should be your friend if you really want some more polybags.

Lone ranger polybag? i never seen tat one .. agree with polybags more efficient way to have the mfigs and several parts we could use form mocs