Pick-A-Brick & Pick-A-Model

[ACPin]

Starting today all US stores will have these...

AC

[samurai-turtle]

About time, I needed more models.

[brickbuilder711]

Congratulations, LEGO now has an excuse to stop remarking about money losses from PAB. Because most of the target will be predisposed to those cute little models, they'll settle for the $.11-.15/part margins rather than for the obvious and viable <$.08/part margin. Thus a lot more to be made if it works. Meanwhile, there go 6-12 bins and the supposed freedom to choose from those bins for bulk. But I'm sure the regulars will find their way "around" . And as a matter of consequence, everyone will "follow" instructions just like Emmet. It would surprise me a lot less if they do away with PAB cups completely.

Edited April 2, 2015 by brickbuilder711

[glendo]

that's what i would call 'portion control'.

set pieces for a set price.... but they make you think you choose.

PaB is probably on the endangered species list as a free-for-all.

[AFOLguy1970]

It looks like a polybag build without the actual bag. At the Dallas Store, the PAB wall is not that big, so that will sacrifice some precious space. The cups are typically behind the counter, so hopefully they will not use another 6 slots to move the cups to the wall.

[Captain Braunsfeld]

Interesting - I will need to check whether this has also started in Germany.

[HawkLord]

I don't know what to make of this until I see the PaM sets. As someone who tends to buy a lot of the same color family of bricks, limiting the number of bins available hurts my chances.

[dr_spock]

It seems a bit like Build A Minifig. Kids get to pick the pieces with some guidance. I guess I'll see next time I hit a Store.

[brickbuilder711]

Something tells me this will fail ultimately. Anyone with an eye in budgeting can tell that they're getting ripped just by looking at the volumes of the containers vs what they're being told to put in.

Edited April 2, 2015 by brickbuilder711

[Iria]

You mean this wasn't an April Fools post? Those prices are terrible for parts that aren't particularly special. If you are packing the parts yourself, why not just put the ones intended for the model into a PAB container and fill up the rest of the space for only a few dollars more (but I guess you won't acquire the model instructions that way.)

Edited April 2, 2015 by Iria

[brickbuilder711]

^ Apparently they won't let you do that. But how can they enforce it goes beyond me. Many people won't tell the difference.

[AFOLguy1970]

So it looks like they are going to have to allocate quite a bit of the remaining PAB space for the parts needed for the model. The models do not look exciting at all (at least compared to everything else in the store) , nor do they look like they are worth $5, and the ones shown use very basic bricks and colors. So what happens when one of the parts runs out in the bin and you are unable to complete the model? Would the store pull the remaining containers until they could restock? Or are they going to order large quantities of the model parts at the expense of the other bins? It seems like the whole purpose of PAB was to allow for creativity and allow customers to choose from a variety of parts to create their own models. Perhaps Lord Business has reverted back to his old ways and now runs TLG. PAB has for me been the most desirable quality of the Lego Store, because that is the only place I can select loose parts in person. I could always order the other stuff online. If the selection available is going to go further downhill with this, I may be doing most of my purchases online and using Bricklink for other projects.

On another note, the original post revealing this was posted late yesterday, which is still in the realm of April 1. I can only hope........

Edited April 2, 2015 by AFOLguy1970

[peedeejay]

Ugh.... if this hits Germany it means even less boxes in my local LEGO store in Hamburg... :/

[Sven F]

What exactly is the problem here? I still see the cups there so why would this interfere with your regular PaB purchases? Or are they going to use separate tubs for the models and use up existing PaB space?

[HawkLord]

What exactly is the problem here? I still see the cups there so why would this interfere with your regular PaB purchases? Or are they going to use separate tubs for the models and use up existing PaB space?

The problems appears to be that the PaM space will occupy some the PaB wall. If it's anything like the two Lego stores I go to, the wall doesn't have any extra space on either side to add the PaM stuff, so it would have to be a replacement item.

[Sven F]

That doesn't sound so terrible, I thought they were limiting purchases. Maybe they'll compensate the lost space by not putting so many basic bricks in the PaB tubs since they'll obviously need those for the models.

Our PaB, doesn't use cups and so doesn't use any space on the wall to store them in the first place.

I do sense a slight disturbance in TLG's support for AFOL's recently though.

[dr_spock]

http://stores.lego.com/en-us/worldwide-news/pick-a-model

I guess it is ok if you can use the PAM bricks to fill your PAB too. That's assuming the PAM pieces are useful to you.

[Phoxtane]

Ugghhhh. Why? Literally nobody asked for models on the PaB wall - that's what the rest of the store is for. I'm sure little Timmy would just love the basic blocky airplane when he's seen the strategically placed Ninjago sets on his way towards the back wall. And, if for whatever reason little Timmy or Mr. and Mrs. Timmy's Parents don't grab enough of the right part, or grab the wrong parts all together, then the whole thing's ruined.

Unless, they're going to make the people working the registers check each one of these that comes through. I doubt this is the case, given that it'd add far too much time for a purchase to go through and keep the lines stupidly long...

[legoman19892]

Ugghhhh. Why? Literally nobody asked for models on the PaB wall - that's what the rest of the store is for.

You'd be surprised how often I hear, "What can I build with these?", when people look at the PaB wall.

I assume these are the non AFOL types.

My store has 180 bubbles on the PaB. It doesn't affect that store much.

[Phoxtane]

You'd be surprised how often I hear, "What can I build with these?", when people look at the PaB wall.

...

My store has 180 bubbles on the PaB. It doesn't affect that store much.

Fair point; I only ever see two kids and one beleaguered parent who grabs a small cup and helps the toddlers pack it with about half random basic bricks and half (empty) window frames. The kids love it though and actively select parts that they want in the cup.

My store is a two hour drive away over relatively boring terrain (Wyoming!) and has a relatively small wall, maybe 90 bubbles. So it's kind of a big issue for me when I can only go three or four times a year, max!

[Vorkosigan]

My closest store only has 60 spots so losing 12 just for the display, plus more for the parts is a pretty big chunk of whats there. Sadly there is probably a market for this. You can lead a horse to water, but you can't make it build its own creations!

I just thought of one advantage to this. Since they show new models on the website it means you have a very good chance of getting the parts in that model. At least for my local store no one ever updates the wall of bricks website (I did once 6 months ago and that is the latest), so its nice to have at least some indication. For example the giraffe has 1x2 brown bricks and what looks like 2x2x3 brown 75 degree slopes which are parts I might get.

Edited April 3, 2015 by Vorkosigan

[TheOneVeyronian]

I wonder if stores in the UK will follow this? My local store, London Westfield, is quite small (understandable given that retail space in White City / Shepherd's Bush is pretty premium), however since they have the PaB cup vending place built into a bench behind the tills (instead of into the PaB wall itself), then I can't see PaM taking up space in the wall either, and the boxes for it will also be put on the bench (with the hanger part going through a pole of course). I think PaB bins in my local store should be relatively safe, given that they don't completely oust out the desirable bricks that my store gets rarely and rather replace some of the common bricks that nobody really gets.

But in all honesty? I hope this doesn't come to the UK for a variety of reasons, all of which people have already gone over in this thread.

[AFOLguy1970]

My closest store only has 60 spots so losing 12 just for the display, plus more for the parts is a pretty big chunk of whats there. Sadly there is probably a market for this. You can lead a horse to water, but you can't make it build its own creations!

I just thought of one advantage to this. Since they show new models on the website it means you have a very good chance of getting the parts in that model. At least for my local store no one ever updates the wall of bricks website (I did once 6 months ago and that is the latest), so its nice to have at least some indication. For example the giraffe has 1x2 brown bricks and what looks like 2x2x3 brown 75 degree slopes which are parts I might get.

I agree that the 2x1 browns would be useful as well as the 75 degree slopes depending on your project. So what would happen when some AFOL like me comes in and buys a hoard of these parts? Those parts would run out first, leaving everyone else with an excess of everything else and no way of completing the model..

Another thought: Why would anyone want the airplane model for $5 when they can have the Creator Sea Plane for the same price? Not to mention, it is a 3 in 1 build. My 6 and 8 year olds would certainly turn up their nose at this in favor of Ninjago, BAM, or maybe a creator set.

It is extremely rare for me to say this, but I hope this fails. It seems to target too narrow an audience, and it takes up valuable space from something to appeals to multiple age groups.

[Taiphun]

It is a Lego brand retail change. If you have comments about the change (Note you are not to take parts from the PAM sections to fill your PAB cup) please contact consumer services in Enfield

(1 800 835 4386

) and voice your opinions.

[Vedauwoo]

.... Meanwhile, there go 6-12 bins and the supposed freedom to choose from those bins for bulk.

For my store, the movement of PaB cups to the wall and the Pick-a-model have taken 38 bins out of the mix....