Virginia_Bricks

My solution is to regularly disassemble sets. Most non-D2C sets in my collection only stay built for 2-3 years before being disassembled and bagged. It also helps scratch the itch to build a set without buying a new one, but building a set I already own. Beginning to disassemble the recent Hagrid's Hut to open up room for the Lovegood house and Hospital Wing sets. Maybe one day I will have a larger Lego room and can have most everything built at once, but for now I'm content. Though it hurts your fingers way more to disassemble than to assemble.

The Mandrake also had a high price per piece point without a light or sound brick. Same thing with the Thestrals. So I'd guess some form of cloth piece for Norbert and the botanical set will just be expensive from some large pieces like the Fish Tank was. Really hoping the other rumored set is true because all these non-play sets, while I'm sure they will look good, aren't worth it to reallocate the limited budget I have for Lego each year.

Not to continue almost a page of discussion on just GWP practices, but I wonder what having a new distribution facility and production facility in North America allows Lego to do. Its only the second distribution center in the US so adding 2,000,000 sqft of space is significant. Don't think it would be used to store more GWPs, rather growing existing product lines and maybe new product lines (Smart Brick).

Any chance we get another Insiders Reward Mario Kart item? So many options: Red or Green Shell, Banana Peel, Mushroom, etc... Lego has to be seeing the crazy prices that is getting on the secondary market and thinking another one might do well.

There has to be a production run limit. Like they can only run 2,000 copies per production run. So increasing the # of copies would require it be stepped (10,000 to 12,000 to 14,000). Also these decisions have to be done before the set is "released" so they aren't always sure on reception. Last year the Shire GWP lasted forever because the set had a mixed reception. This accidental leak might give them a chance to prepare better because they can tell general sentiment on the set. Also fair to note, that the Fell Beast GWP was the first true LOTR GWP so they were still figuring out how many copies to produce. It ran out fast, but they prepared better for the Shire. I think the only GWP in the US that sold out on Day 1 was the Star Trek Shuttlepod. So a theme debuting and therefore difficult to predict demand.

For like 10-20 minutes. Lion Knight's Castle went quicker, but Gringotts was the second set to sell out in the US for Insiders Weekend.

That wouldn't accomplish their goal: Incentivize day 1 full retail sales. If I knew I could get the GWP later, I would just wait for a good sale or at least 2 VIP. If they made the GWPs more substantial for these large sets it might still work. You would need roughly a $35 GWP to make up for not getting 2x points and honestly probably $50-60 because during Insiders Weekend you can get 2x points and a GWP or two. Personally I think all the large LOTR releases since Rivendell have been on the same par as far as design goes. A lot of people judge the Shire because of its price, but is a really well designed set for its budget limitations. You can't clearly add more interior without increasing the price substantially or evening fixing the trees would cost a decent bit of budget.

Really happy I bought Gringotts last night. The seller I purchased from raised prices 10% this morning after 45 sold yesterday (of their 75 in stock). With a lot of the first round of D2Cs from the reboot going end of life, it is interesting to see secondary market prices. I always thought Harry Potter was pretty affordable to buy used and after retirement, but the current average Bricklink listings for NIB retired D2Cs are: Diagon Alley: $520 (one seller has 490 of them at $460) Gringotts: $390 (one seller has 480 of them at $385) Hogwarts Express: $600

But for some people the hobby is Lego being a toy and a collectible, not just a toy. You might not interact with it that way, but plenty of people do. I mean look at Funko Pops, Pokemon Cards, Hot Wheels, and so many more toy brands. Be thankful grading and protective sleeves have so far stayed away from Lego. For some people the collecting brings as much as joy as the building. Or as a hobby it could be even worse like concert tickets or other limited release drops where you have to be on at that time and the secondary market is even more insane. Sure Lego and their marketing tactics take a little while to learn if you are trying to maximize your budget, but they are predictable. I prefer to buy directly from Lego because in the US its not uncommon for someone to return a set with the mini-figures or key pieces missing. Therefore, I know to save my Star Wars purchases for May and its promo season, Harry Potter for September, and most everything else for a 2x points event which happen 4 times a year unless I'm buy a D2C on release. I'm a planner by default so this is the way I would handle it even without the promos. I also just accept I can't buy every set I want so if I miss a promo I like, I'm confident down the road another one I will like will show up.

Really rough estimate is: Width: 64 studs, Height 60 bricks/72 studs, Depth 32 studs. Used the gate which is about 8 by 12 studs to do the width and height.

I should have just bought Gringotts during Back to Hogwarts. I had budgeted for it but was buying other sets during that time and told myself to wait till Insiders Weekend and 2x points. But I stopped staying up to midnight to buy sets on release (though I might now with Minas Tirith not to risk it) because typically GWPs don't sell out that quick. I've learned my lesson on D2C sales though typically I don't wait till they are near EOL. Last year was just my second back as an AFOL so wasn't even thinking about Gringotts when it released.

Since the consensus is these are still preliminary mini-figs, what are the odds Arwen ends up with skirt printing? Just feels odd to have arm printing and cheap out on skirt printing.

Finally heard back from Lego on Gringotts. In the US, the set is officially sold out and retired. I believe they are going through final inventory and seeing what backorders they can fulfill with inventory left, but there are no future production runs. I don't think they expected the # of purchases on Insiders Weekend and it would last longer.

Can they do Erebor under the current license? Sure you could do Khazad-dum, but during the timeline of the LOTR it really isn't the home of the dwarves.

One of my favorite things Lego has started doing in the design of all their large sets is modularity. Not in the sense that you can swap things out, but so when building it is easier to combine a large set together. Barad-Dur did this, the new Death Star did, and Minas Tirith does. Even Rivendell does to a point where the three sections are separable.