What does Lego mean by "Hard to find"?

[Oretreus]

Hi all,

I just received an email from Lego stating that the Townhall was now available. There's a link in the message to a list of "Hard to find" Lego sets. Among those are the Tower Bridge and the Super Star Destroyer. I wonder why they would call sets that are readily available from the Lego online shop and other places "Hard to find". Does anyone know which criteria leed to a rating as "Hard to find"?

[Brickdoctor]

It means that they're exclusive to certain retailers and/or S@H. In the US, that means sets that can only be found at S@H, Brand Retail Stores, TRU, Target, or Walmart.

[Oretreus]

I see, thanks. Seems to be a bit of an exaggeration then, I guess.

[LEGOman273]

It means that they're exclusive to certain retailers and/or S@H. In the US, that means sets that can only be found at S@H, Brand Retail Stores, TRU, Target, or Walmart.

Normally it is limited to S@H, TLG Brand stores, and one retail store (Wal-Mart, Target, TRU).

[Brickdoctor]

Normally it is limited to S@H, TLG Brand stores, and one retail store (Wal-Mart, Target, TRU).

...which is what I said.

[______]

I don't know, I've seen it in the past on some relatively easy to find sets.

Such as this set

[Brickdoctor]

I don't know, I've seen it in the past on some relatively easy to find sets.

Such as this set [snip]

Brickset says that that was a Walmart exclusive.

[LEGOman273]

...which is what I said.

I meant that it is limited to ONE retail store. What you said made it seem as though it were all of the retail stores.

[Piranha]

All it means is that it is limited to being sold at certain stores.

[meppers]

Hi all,

I just received an email from Lego stating that the Townhall was now available. There's a link in the message to a list of "Hard to find" Lego sets. Among those are the Tower Bridge and the Super Star Destroyer. I wonder why they would call sets that are readily available from the Lego online shop and other places "Hard to find". Does anyone know which criteria leed to a rating as "Hard to find"?

the Town hall is actually a lego exclusive, not a hard to find

exclusive: can only be purchased at S@H or a lego store (this EXCLUDES legoland and legoland discovery stores)

hard to find: same as above only one 3rd party retailer gets permission to sell the set (legoland stores still MIGHT not sell this)

[Dazmundo]

the Town hall is actually a lego exclusive, not a hard to find

exclusive: can only be purchased at S@H or a lego store (this EXCLUDES legoland and legoland discovery stores)

hard to find: same as above only one 3rd party retailer gets permission to sell the set (legoland stores still MIGHT not sell this)

Modular buildings are available at Legoland, I bought Grand Emporium in Windsor, which would make them 'Hard to Find'

D

[mrklaw]

Modular buildings are available at Legoland, I bought Grand Emporium in Windsor, which would make them 'Hard to Find'

D

thats fairly recent though - think they only started a 'hard to find' section late last year. Normally its full of dreck and not interesting at all.

Just a shame they are exempt from the 10% discount you normally get with an annual pass :/

[Black Llama]

I don't know, I've seen it in the past on some relatively easy to find sets.

Such as this set

I have 3 Wall-Marts within 20 minutes of me and never once found that set at Retail. So remember, what is common for some is not so for someone else :D

[purpleparadox]

I have 3 Wall-Marts within 20 minutes of me and never once found that set at Retail. So remember, what is common for some is not so for someone else :D

But this doesn't make it hard to find in the way we're discussing. It makes it hard to find in the same way most of my stores don't stock Collectible Minifigs.

[CP5670]

They have had this "hard to find" designation for a long time. I remember seeing it in the S@H catalogs in the 90s, with sets marked like this that were still widely available in any toy store I went to, even ones that were not major chains. It might be nothing more than a form of marketing. On the other hand, some of the largest sets were labeled "not available in any store!" back then and these were actually much harder to come by. I think you could get only get them through S@H or the Lego brand stores (which were less common back then).

[MetroiD]

It might be nothing more than a form of marketing.

Ding ding ding ding ding!!!

Stopped paying any attention to that stupid sign after noticing this set being labelled as "Hard to find" a couple of years ago.

Either way, hard or not, if you want it bad enough, you're always bound to find it anyway.

[Vindicare]

Ding ding ding ding ding!!!

Stopped paying any attention to that stupid sign after noticing this set being labelled as "Hard to find" a couple of years ago.

Either way, hard or not, if you want it bad enough, you're always bound to find it anyway.

It's exactly what the first post said, a certain retailer exclusive. Take Lukes Landspeeder(2010 or 2011). Those years, and still do, went to TRU 3-4 times a month, and I never once saw this set there. I went to Target occasionally, never saw it there. I did, however see Atlantis 8089 Undersea Explorer at Target, but not TRU. So, the 'Hard To Find' stamp isn't just a gimmick or marketing ploy.

[Miller]

I just use the 'hard to buy' section becuase it usually has the most awesome sets in there