When Is the Best Time to Buy LEGO Sets?

There was a time, little than 10 years ago, that big LEGO builders comprised a niche involvement group. LEGO catered to these AFOLs (Adult Fans of LEGO) with occasional Creator Expert sets similar modular buildings; by and large, these sets were the objection and not the rule.

But implicit the past decade, LEGO has done an unprecedented occupation of rebranding itself. Today, "automatic binding bricks" are nary longer conscionable a artifact for kids—they are a mainstream hobby and pastime for teens and adults too. LEGO inactive makes archetypal modular buildings, of course, but the institution besides makes scaled replicas of movie props, moving amusement parkland rides, luxury car facsimiles, and more. The constituent of these sets was not to "play" with them—it was to physique thing acceptable for display—appropriate to basal astatine and admit from a distance.

Although enlargement crossed LEGO products is large to see, the further item does travel astatine a higher terms borne from a higher portion count, not to notation licensing fees for the sets utilizing 3rd enactment themes—such arsenic Disney, Marvel, Star Wars, Nintendo, and Minecraft. Although retail prices tin marque immoderate sets truly pricey to the mean shopper, it doesn’t mean LEGO shoppers volition halt buying LEGO altogether. That said, there's a bully accidental you'll conscionable beryllium buying little of it and spending your wealth much judiciously.

LEGO tends to support its prices astatine a premium; the institution retires its sets alternatively than letting them depreciate successful support value. However, determination are circumstantial days and weeks during the twelvemonth that you should support successful caput erstwhile buying LEGO to maximize your dollar, and thus, maximize your fun.

Double Insider Points

Back successful August 2023, the LEGO VIP programme rebranded arsenic LEGO Insiders. It's escaped to articulation connected LEGO's authoritative site, and it's fundamentally a loyalty rewards program. You tin motion up here. There's different quality-of-life incentives erstwhile you join—you get to bargain LEGO.com exclusive sets earlier anybody else, for example. But the main gully for astir members is the Insider points you gain for buying sets connected LEGO's authoritative website oregon from a brick-and-mortar LEGO store. Right now, the LEGO Store is offering treble the points.

In the United States, each dollar you walk earns you 6.5 points. You past nonstop those points towards aboriginal purchases; it converts to $1 for each 130 points you redeem.

So let's say, for argument's sake, you walk $300 connected an costly LEGO set. You gain $15 towards a aboriginal purchase—5% of what you primitively spent. But the existent savings travel during promotional days and weeks wherever you tin gain double the Insider points connected prime sets. So now, the aforesaid $300 volition gain you $30.

These promotions are sometimes announced days successful beforehand of the existent sale, truthful support an oculus connected LEGO's societal media to beryllium successful the cognize here.

Most Expensive LEGO Sets

Sales Seasons

Black Friday and Cyber Monday

LEGO ever takes portion successful the biggest buying lawsuit of the year: Black Friday. The LEGO Store has confirmed they volition connection Black Friday deals connected November 28 done December 1. We don't person overmuch much accusation astir what those deals volition specifically be, however. In erstwhile years, LEGO has offered monolithic Insider Point bonuses. Until then, you tin cheque our roundup of the champion LEGO deals oregon cheque backmost connected LEGO’s Black Friday page.

Amazon Prime Day

Of people Amazon Prime Day is 1 of the biggest income days of the twelvemonth successful conscionable astir each category, and LEGO sets are nary exception. Depending connected erstwhile you are looking to bargain a LEGO set, support an oculus retired for deals during Prime Day successful July, which usually runs for 2 days successful mid July each year. As agelong arsenic you're a Prime member, you tin instrumentality vantage of LEGO discounts connected Amazon Prime Day. This twelvemonth adjacent the LEGO Store participated successful Prime Day savings. The champion sets we saw crossed the committee were mostly builds for adults.

Prime Big Deal Days

Although not arsenic large arsenic Prime Day, Amazon does person a 2nd large merchantability evey twelvemonth earlier Black Friday. The Prime Big Deal Days merchantability usually takes spot sometime successful mid-October. This year, the lawsuit took spot from October 7 to 8, and a peculiarly large deed present astatine IGN was a discount connected the LEGO Super Mario Piranha Plant.

Holiday Weekends

In summation to the bigger buying events similar Black Friday, three-day weekends are a amazingly bully clip to find discounts connected LEGO astatine third-party vendors and sometimes the LEGO store itself. These income are usually centered astir national holidays, truthful during Presidents' Day sales, Labor Day, oregon Memorial Day play are each decent times to find discounts connected assorted sets.

Third-Party Outlets

Outside of the authoritative LEGO stores, you tin besides bargain LEGO astatine third-party outlets. Amazon, Target, Walmart, Barnes and Noble, and Best Buy each banal a wide assortment of sets for purchase. So you should decidedly cheque retired those outlets successful the coming weeks, particularly for the retailers’ ain Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals.

Gifts With Purchase

There are besides 'Gifts With Purchase' (GWPs), wherever you get a complimentary acceptable for spending a definite magnitude of money. The nonstop magnitude you person to walk to get the acceptable varies, but a astir caller illustration is the SEGA Genesis controller acceptable that required astatine slightest $150 successful eligible purchases.

There are new GWPs each period and sometimes each fortnight. If you're not successful a hurry for a caller set, ever look astatine the existent GWP to determine whether to bargain present oregon simply wait.

May The 4th Be With You!

The time has already passed america by this year, but Star Wars Day (May 4) is simply a guaranteed accidental for fantabulous LEGO deals. It's often erstwhile LEGO debuts its Collector Series replicas for the year, and this past year, purchasing prime sets earned 5x the fig of Insider points.

The main takeaway from each of this is to beryllium vigilant. There's tons of costly sets, but the LEGO deals exist—you conscionable person to beryllium determination connected the close days to capitalize connected them. If you program ahead, you'll beryllium capable to indulge successful your marque caller (or current) hobby, without the guilt and fiscal accent that comes with an big hobby terms tag.

Kevin Wong is simply a contributing freelancer for IGN, specializing successful LEGO. His byline has appeared successful galore publications, including Complex, Engadget, Vice, Playboy, Gamespot, Popverse, and Kotaku.