VIP Event - What to expect?

[Captain Nemo]

While I didn't get an invite to a store, (Because when a store finally opens in my area, a few months later I end up moving, so yeah) anyways, I'm a VIP so I got the "online" invite. Triple VIP points is nice, but I don't think I'll end up buying anything, since the only sets I really want right now are the new Hobbit ones, which of course are not being released by Lego till December 1st...convinient.

Just seems kind of meh when there's no actual deals other than, "hey come back later and spend 5 dollars less".

[jaysapathy]

And here we go!

[fred67]

Yes... online promised exclusive deals for VIP members, but the only real bonus on is triple points. Since it's still cheaper to get non-exclusives at Amazon (more so with prime and free two day shipping), and the holiday set bound to be free next week (on large enough purchases), and you'd get free shipping on $75 or more anyway, I did the only logical thing... Palace Cinema.

There are others I want, but I'm a patient man... I want a real deal, not a carrot. 450 VIP points, though, and I was able to use $10 I already had. so it was OK, but nothing to get too excited about. While other companies are scrambling to give us great deals, TLG shows the problem with lack of any real competition.

[Off the wall]

There are others I want, but I'm a patient man... I want a real deal, not a carrot. 450 VIP points, though, and I was able to use $10 I already had. so it was OK, but nothing to get too excited about. While other companies are scrambling to give us great deals, TLG shows the problem with lack of any real competition.

Yep, you are so right.

I just ordered my fourth GE from Lego.com store......got the triple points and the holiday promotional item. Waiting for Amazon deals on stuff that I want. Thanks to TLG for the in store event, but it just didn't offer enough to override the convenience of online shopping. Unfortunately, the experience was tarnished by that dirtbag Suarez scoring a beautiful goal against Everton. I just hate Liverpool!

[AFOLguy1970]

How far are you from a Lego store? This sort of thing seems to have a certain radius around the store or just local zip codes.

I am 30 miles from the one in Dallas. Therefore, instead of making small multiple purchases, I tend to make larger purchases with fewer trips.

After seeing the posts about the store events and discovering triple VIP points, I decided that the online deal meets my needs. I was going to spend half online, and then half at the Lego store to get the PAB box, but the points have convinced me to make one large purchase today. In addition to some online PAB for an upcoming MOC, I will be building the Pet Shop and Grand Emporium for Christmas. The only extra money left now is to buy my wife's Christmas stuff, and that cannot be touched

[Infernum]

Wow! Just got back from the event. . 2 free (beautiful) Hobbit poster, a peel-off card (my guest got a free $20 set, and I got a key chain), two free P-a-B boxes for waking in! Also EVERY newest was available, including the Hobbit sets! Bought all but the biggest one. Met tons of AFOLs and had an incredible time! Triple VIP points, free holiday set, and another P-a-B box to use later just put icing on the cake. The Alpharetta VIP even was incredible! :wub:

Edited November 23, 2013 by Infernum

[starstreak]

I got my invite here in Hawaii. 3-repeater myself. I don't think it's how much you spend. This year I didn't buy as much in the store as I did last year. Heck, my friend got the special valentines minifig and he might have bought about 2-3 sets. I didn't get a minifig and I bought way more than him. I was sad but if it makes him a afol I'm happy.

I traded work days for this. I hope it's something interesting as our store is always 10% markup from the online price.

[Brandon Miller]

Well the website is down.

[Off the wall]

Well the website is down.

Yep, the situation is pretty dire when healthcare.gov is working and the Lego website is down...

[Andy D]

Well the website is down.

Phones overloaded also. I got my order in before the website went down, but it did not finish processing. Got an order number and message to call customer service and I got an "all circuits busy, try later message"

Oh, well...

Andy D

Edited November 23, 2013 by Andy D

[Off the wall]

For what it's worth, after I decided to blow off the event that's within walking distance of my house, I went on line and ordered. I received an email confirmation of my order a few hours later, at 11:38 am eastern standard time. Since about that time, accessing the site has been like trying to sign up for health care.

[Drachmyre]

For what it's worth, after I decided to blow off the event that's within walking distance of my house, I went on line and ordered. I received an email confirmation of my order a few hours later, at 11:38 am eastern standard time. Since about that time, accessing the site has been like trying to sign up for health care.

Except more people want the LEGO site. Oops did I go there?

[Off the wall]

Looks like it's working again. Oh, well, now if I could just get that other website to work....

[Wodanis]

I still haven't had my email order confirmation yet and I ordered this morning. However my order does show it is being processed. Website was down for an hour or so but its working again. Guess they got overloaded. Can you imagine the chaos on 'Black Friday'?

Edited November 23, 2013 by Wodanis

[Andy D]

My order finally went through. I checked and they have charged (or pre-charged) my credit card. Maybe the mad rush on he S@H site has settled down.

I just ordered a few Architecture sets. Now besides the modulars, and Winter Village I'm starting to get involved with the architecture sets.

LEGO got me yet again....

Andy D

[starstreak]

Just got back. Yup. Wrist strap,poster,PAB Box, random card for a gift. Nothing really on sale.

[kermit]

It is strange for the European website of lego several sets are offered at discount prices where as for the US it is only triple VIP points.

[jaysapathy]

Wow! Just got back from the event. . 2 free (beautiful) Hobbit poster, a peel-off card (my guest got a free $20 set, and I got a key chain), two free P-a-B boxes for waking in! Also EVERY newest was available, including the Hobbit sets! Bought all but the biggest one. Met tons of AFOLs and had an incredible time! Triple VIP points, free holiday set, and another P-a-B box to use later just put icing on the cake. The Alpharetta VIP even was incredible! :wub:

At my store as well. I seem to recall someone posting a page or two back that this was what was going to happen..

Hmm...

They also had a discount table. 10% and 20% off, superheroes and Architecture stuff.

But the big surprise was that they had the Cafe in stock. Oh yes.

Edited November 23, 2013 by jaysapathy

[Legogal]

Wow! What store had the Cafe in stock? Did they let you buy it? Sometimes they have it in the back but can't sell it yet. Raleigh said they did not have it.

I did come away with the small free PAB box, a free keychain, a Hobbit poster, 200US of small sets at full price, two more free PAB boxes, the free second in the series holiday set (truck for tree delivery) and triple points, so it was fine. Very few people showed up the first 30 minutes of the one hour before regular store opening time.

[BimmerBoy]

Went to the event. My store only had damaged boxes on sale, 10 or 20% depending on the damage. The sets were a few smaller Marvel Superheros, Chima, Architecture and one Cars set and some Power Function kits. Disappointed with that part, but the PAB box was nice. I bought enough to get the Hobbit poster (nice poster, better quality than the posters that show up in some sets) and the free holiday set. Triple VIP points is nice. I got the ticket for a free key chain, my guest got one for a free set up to $16.99 in value. For what its worth, I dumped the full PAB box into a large PAB cup I have at home. The box filled the cup approximately 90%, so that was a decent gift, especially considering the PAB wall had some pieces we needed for projects!

[deraven]

At my store as well. I seem to recall someone posting a page or two back that this was what was going to happen..

I think that was me, and my only disappointment was that my store didn't really seem to have anything on sale either when the manager had said that "most" things should be. Wasn't expecting the triple VIP points to happen for sure, and I guess that means we get 15% "cash back" on purchases, but still would have bought a lot more if there were some actual sales that, as others have said, at least put them in the same league as other retailers.

For the record: Free PAB box for coming in, wristband, Hobbit poster, peel-off card (I got the free 16.99 set - lame that they couldn't apply it to the cost of another set, but clearly a strategy there as I had to settle for a $12 set for free rather than paying the $3 difference for a $20 set... but free is still free!), access to the 2nd holiday set with purchase, and the triple VIP points.

They had a couple of the new Hobbit sets out, but not the Parisian Cafe or anything else early (but they had said they thought they weren't likely going to have things on-hand in time so I wasn't really surprised there).

Still worth going and seeing some other local AFOLs (was fun seeing the kids table full of AFOLs feeling up CMF bags to help quickly find a specific minifig for someone), but at this point I don't think I'd be particularly disappointed if I didn't get an invite again next year (especially if they make some of the bonuses available to VIPs online again as well).

[badbob001]

All this talk about the Cafe got me confused until I realized you guys were talking about the Parisian Restaurant. Or is it named differently in different countries? I suspect not since the first modular had Cafe in its name.

[cyng99]

All this talk about the Cafe got me confused until I realized you guys were talking about the Parisian Restaurant. Or is it named differently in different countries? I suspect not since the first modular had Cafe in its name.

Awww... I was really hoping it was the actual cafe. Oh well, back to paying ridiculous prices on ebay...

[Herky]

Was so thrilled to get an invite from someone who wasn't going to use theirs, great lady, gave her a big hug and I think she got a lot of joy out of letting me take it...here was the qualifications for our store, top 35 people in sales dollars, the low (which tells me how much she spent) was $7500, and the high was $22,000...sheesh, I didn't have a chance at my piddly $2000 I spent. In any case, we were running a bit late and got there at 9:10 and were the last ones there.

We got a PAB box each, a wristband each, the peel off (both of us got a keychain, but the guy in front of us got a free $69.99) and that was it. Nothing new at all in the store although they did have the Back to Future sets which I hadn't seen in there before...so I got the Winter Village carousel one and my daughter got a master builder's academy. No hobbit poster for anyone that I saw.

I got a couple of smaller sets for my daughter (friends ones) but we didn't even fill our PAB boxes yet cause there were so many folks at the wall it was hard to get in there. Checking out we received another PAB box and the other holiday set. I am not even sure I got triple points...so to be honest, it was disappointing due to the build up on here I thought we might get % off on sets or the peel off might be for more than a key chain.

Don't get me wrong, was thrilled and pleased to go, but wasn't what I had thought based on previous comments. The worst thing is I put off ordering a couple sets on Amazon due to this and came home to find they were sold out. Ugh.

Still, I have 3 PAB boxes to fill in the next couple of months so I would value that around $45 free, the issue is I am not a MOCer and other than missing pieces, I am not sure what I would get as I just got a box of leftover Lego's from my nephews that is the equivalent of 8 PAB boxes and not sure what to do with it. Overall I have to say, glad I got to go.

Edited November 24, 2013 by Herky

[Si-MOCs]

For those wondering this is what the wrist band was: