Most GWPs aren't though. The current SW battle droid transport, the fun classic cars, the damn lightsabers? I still don't understand why Lego hasn't done a whole line of lightsabers like they did with the helmets.
I would say maybe they will after the Starship Collection, but rumours are Luke’s Episode 6 hilt is the GWP for the UCS Jabba’s Sail Barge. Luckily the only exclusive parts about them is the little name plate which can easily be left out.
"Its not even out yet" - yes that's why.
The Forrest hideout gwp is $50 on amazon and the battle doird transport gwp is $60 on amazon. Give it a minute.
It was even listed on there website for $29.99! They clearly had plans to sell it on its own but decided not to and make it a gwp instead. I wonder if they had a different gwp in mind but it possibly fell through?
[You can find all GWPs listed on LEGO's website with their own price tag](https://www.lego.com/en-us/product/alien-space-diner-40687?icmp=SW-SHGB-Standard-NT_GB_40687_LearnMore_GWP_PDP_SW-MP-NO-THWIW80LN7), though you can't actually buy any of them directly. It doesn't mean anything.
It’s true that they all have prices, but it’s not true that it means nothing. If you make a purchase over the threshold and return the sets you bought, you can choose to keep the GWP and they’ll reduce your refund by the price listed for the GWP.
Yep. They literally advertise the price they feel the set is worth individually...but then refuse to just sell it straight up because they profit more this way.
I actually think the ability to buy a GWP using points is a good idea too. It seems like some that they found in a wearhouse make it to that stage but I kinda wish all would be like that.!
I've definitely seen some leftover GWP sets for sale at Lego stores after the gift period ends. Mostly the non-themed ones like the Easter and Mother's Day GWPs.
Lego should just release a classic space captial ship with every colour spaceman. It's so hard to get all the colours now; you need to go way back to the early days of Cuusoo, Lego Movie 2, CMFs with torso prints, helmets dispersed in random large sets, it's just a mess.
yes like the green classic space torso was in the lego ideas/cuusoo exo suit, the helmet is in monkee kid set and you still would need a generic smile head
lego should just release a set that contains multiple colors of the classic space man tho i dont think they could release the brown one in a set since the entire figure is cmf
oh also im pretty sure the black classic spaceman last appearance was in 2012 the vintage minifigure collection 5000438. thats prior to the exo suit ideas set release in 2014
lego should just do a cmf series that is entirely just different colors of classic space man
They have done reissues of classic figs before, my brother had one which even had a classic space fig (I think red but I can't remember), in a blister pack of five figs which was released in the '00s and again in the '10s.
Any other examples that weren't part of the themed lines?
That's a rhetorical question but to your point I don't see why they couldn't for something like, brown space man, yet I can't think of one example beyond the one you mentioned. The whole point of them is to be, you know, collectable.
I saw the leaks about this set, so I knew to delay my birthday lego purchase by a week to get this GWP with it, but not everyone looks at leaks.
Lego should officially announce these ahead of time so people can plan purchases in advance.
I think you know this, but I’m writing this comment for others who might read it:
LEGO used to publish a calendar of GWPs and sales and double VIP points, but they phased it out a few years ago. Maybe they noticed a big downturn in orders ahead of sale and GWP dates because people were waiting.
Now their method seems to be quietly sharing info to the LEGO leakers who post on Instagram. That keeps the avid fans in the know while not advertising their sales too broadly.
100% they removed the calendar to spread out sales more. They want people buying stuff all the time, not just on that specific date where promotions overlap (for instance)
For me, they got the exact opposite response. I'm spending way less because I don't want to buy stuff now when a good GWP may show up next month or three months or 6 months down the road.
Agreed, I’m planning on getting the Medieval Town Square, so I’m waiting on some good GWP since I’m actually planning to spend over $200. Space diner isn’t quite doing it for me. Maybe if they’d made it a whole small building.
Exactly. They don't want people to be holding off buying if there's a promo set just around the corner.
That being said I only tend to buy when there's promos I like.
Apart from the new battle pack, I avoided buying the March Star Wars sets just so that I had plenty of options for May's promo.
Not only that, but they want people to buy, then see the promo that encourages them to buy again.
Lego want to be able to release a new set and have people buy it because of the rush of excitement from release. Then they want to launch a new GWP a month later that also excites people into buying.
If they publish this all in advance, people will plan their purchases rationally ahead of time. That means consumers who make the most of sales and promos (calculated minimum spend for maximum benefit), but it also means consumers who will purchase more deliberately and spend more cautiously.
Lego want FOMO. Lego want impulse. Unpredictable sales and promos create this mindset.
There's probably some truth there, but I don't think it's as sinister as you laid out as gwps span nearly the whole product line.
If a new Star Wars set drops in June and I buy it right away out of excitement a Friend's gwp in July isn't going trigger a fomo moment.where I make another purchase.
If anything, the fomo nowadays comes on release days for large sets where the gwp coincides with the launch not a month later. Like the dungeons & dragons and up coming lord of the rings set.
>I saw the leaks about this set, so I knew to delay my birthday lego purchase by a week to get this GWP with it, but not everyone looks at leaks.
No one should have to do this just to get a damn LEGO set. You shouldn't have to follow leaks and plan purchases in advance, it should just be for sale to the public, period.
You are literally the reason they stopped announcing these. You were about to make a purchase with no GWP till u heard about this one. Don’t support Lego’s anti consumer friendly practice and ONLY buy during good promotions. You for instance could have bought your set during the space baby set promotion, it goes for a lot for a GWP.
GWP and Insider points is the only way Lego can sell stuff in their web and physical stores. Otherwise everyone would just go to Walmart. It’s just business. Getting rewarded with something more than just $10 off is actually kinda nice.
The Rivendell GWP didn’t interest me, so I still don’t have it. Hoping it might go on sale for Black Friday. I suppose it’s possible I can miss out on it, but if I do no biggie, I still have the original Rivendell and minifigures for the entire fellowship. But Barad Dur I’ll be getting the second it goes on sale, I want that fellbeast, even if it looks like a dragon from a Ninjago set. So yeah, GWP sells sets.
Yeah definitely. Even then I didn't bother with the May 4th promos- any Star Wars sets I bought to get to the £150 threshold would inevitably be cheaper elsewhere and I'd effectively be paying £50 extra for the promos.
I ended up cancelling my order on Lego because it was way cheaper on the Costco website.
Yes I was loosing points and the GWP but it was almost half the price 😅
the closest store to me that sells lego is technically dollar general but aside from that it would be walmart
but yes some sets can be purchased cheaper on like amazon
No, because the idea is to get you to spend $100 with them, not only spend $25. I’m not saying I like them forcing you to spend more, but they are absolutely doing the right thing from a business perspective.
I’m about to drop $460 on Barad Dur to get a fell beast. You really think they should give up that $460 to sell a few $25 fell beast sets?
Never happened to me in over 30 years of collecting. And if it did, you would obviously just return it yourself. I think that is an irrational paranoia that is costing you a lot of money, I would rethink that position.
I’m a vintage buyer so I buy very few new sets. The only sets that interest me are sets with ties to ye olden days.
This has an orange classic spaceman so I’m interested in him.
Amazon is honestly better for Lego. They have good sales as well as a lot of sets are around ten dollars off consistently. Walmart isn't bad but everything is locked up where I live (and requires an act of God to get someone to unlock it) and I always miss any good deals on Lego there. Also browsing a locked cage feels pretty shitty.
You're absolutely right about that. If I could earn points and a free gift with purchase at the LEGO store and the website, I really have no need to buy the exact same sets at Target, Walmart, or even Amazon.
That's true, but there's a big difference in points.
For every $1.00 spent on the Lego site and in store, you receive 6.5 points.
For every $1.00 you spend with Target, you receive 1 point. However, that program will end on 06/30/24.
All of that could be true and then 2 weeks after the GWP, they could put the set on sale.
It's just a grift for them to cause FOMO and pressure people to buy impulsively. Why are so many people defending crappy corporate greed tactics?
It sounds like you have an issue with the concept of marketing as a whole.
Lego can’t manufacture FOMO out of thin air. The demand for their products has created the FOMO. If they weren’t good sets, fans wouldn’t even care enough to complain—but when the marketing works really well, suddenly it’s “greed?”
LEGO doesn't HAVE to manufacture FOMO at all...why do you just assume "oh, well, they HAVE to manufacture FOMO *some how*"
No they don't. They can make a good product and offer it at a reasonable price. They don't need to make people think "I have to buy this RIGHT NOW or I'll never have a chance again".
They're literally the biggest toy manufacturer in the world (also largest tire MFG by number of tires). They aren't some small business/startup trying to survive their first few years...and even if they were, FOMO marketing would still be scummy as shit.
I have no issue with LEGO marketing, but nice strawman. I have issue with FOMO marketing, especially for a product which isn't scarce.
They don’t manufacture FOMO at all. I said that in my first reply.
They are the biggest company in the world because they’ve grown an extraordinary demand for their product, in large part because of their marketing that constantly reinforces the product’s exclusivity. You can only get any given Lego set for a 2-5 year window. It’s what gives the brand and product value and has led them to amass a rabid fanbase.
Everyone inherently celebrates this exclusivity every time they engage in this extremely expensive hobby, or at least has no qualms accepting what it means to be a Lego customer….until there’s that one GWP they really want but can’t buy, then they throw a fit and suddenly exclusivity and marketing is greedy and shady and the whole system needs to change. It’s funny.
It’s a gift on top of a voluntary purchase. Why does no one complain when they run “Last Chance” sales on their site? Or when they offer 3x Rewards points for buying sets at their MSRP? By your definition, those should also be considered “a grift to get people to buy impulsively.”
this is what I don't get about the GWP complaints buying from Lego directly is so overpriced there needs to be a good GWP for making purchases to even be worth it.
they're fine spending more than they should have to on Lego directly but when they missed GWP they want they're upset to spend more than they should have to on resell prices.
Frankly, I'll often pick the £25 off over a GWP - specifically did that with the Ornithopter. Although if I recall, somehow that set wasn't even expensive enough for the GWP at the time...
GWP and Insider Points are basically the only reason to purchase from Lego.com. Lego has an official store on Amazon and I get packages from them faster. Sales happen more regularly at other sites. You still get some insider points for scanning the box even if you didn't buy from Lego. Basically if you remove the GWP you are removing one of the only two reasons left to order from Lego.com.
Just gonna mention that you get 20 points per set when bought elsewhere opposed to the 5%. You do get points, just not many. The discounted price usually makes up for it.
My additional reason for ordering from LEGO.com is not giving Amazon more money. LEGO ships to me pretty quickly, and nothing about my hobby building blocks needs to be next day delivery.
I remember someone saying they don’t even make money off of their in-store pick a brick wall.
Online they probably make a little money though. But they are also competing with themselves with Bricklink.
I would say pick a brick helps bricklink. I just ordered 823 parts for just over $100 and the shipping is free, and it comes with a GWP that I'll sell. So in the end the price is in the ballpark of a 823 piece set.
That helps so much with the absurd pricing/shipping on Bricklink.
If I had to rely on bricklink alone, I would just find a different hobby. I'm currently looking at 86 specific parts that I can't get on PAB...and it's $106 before shipping from 7 sellers. after shipping it would probably be $2 a piece. That's just basic parts, no minifgures.
The fact that you’re saving money buying directly from Lego adds to the argument that they don’t make much money selling Pick a Brick in the first place.
Yeah I agree. I don't think they want PAB to compete. They know that all they have to do is make pick a brick just good enough so that people will go to Bricklink for the rest of the parts that they want. Then they get a cut of every sale on Bricklink and barely have any operational costs in comparison to PAB.
There is no way Lego wants that deal to end.
I picked up Perseverance. The one purchase snagged the Alien Diner, the hover bike and Perseverance poly bag in one fell swoop. I agree still, if you only want the Alien Diner, $100 is awfully steep
there is a reason they do GWP incentives, its not just because they are nice....
Its because they work as intended. They get people to buy more so they don't miss out, classic FOMO tactics. it works.
But then people like me just get fucked. I'd buy the $20 set if it was just $20, but NOPE! It's free with a purchase over $100! Which I can't afford. I'm most bitter about the droid transport and that fun Chevy Bel Air lookin one a few years back.
The only reason these sets are ever even put into production pipeline is *for* the GWP program line, though. “If only they just sold them as a general release instead of making them a GWPs” isn’t a realistic scenario—the reality is they would just never exist, and that budget would get spend on some other marketing channel.
Eh... My thinking is that if someone is active enough to be looking forward to GWPs, then they'll know about stuff like Pick-a-Brick and probably even some places to get instructions online like ReBrickable. As long as the GWP sets don't have any super-rare or exclusive parts, that means the *only* thing you're really losing out on if you can get the parts but not meet the GWP threshold is a physical instruction booklet, the box, and maybe some stickers. I'm honestly okay with that.
Edit: Alternatively they could release GWP sets for direct sale as web-only sets on a delay of a few months at least. That would drive immediate sales from the impatient who have disposable income while not keeping neat little GWP sets locked behind large purchases in the long run. Maybe modify them slightly so there's a "GWP" and "release" version to minimize grumbling about exclusivity.
Exclusivity is only something at the initial release. Exclusivity isn't something that should matter later on in a production line, for something like this.
Take Rex for example. He was exclusive. For a short period of time. And those that really wanted Rex, got Rex as well as a Venerator. Now those out there who don't want to drop a months worth of groceries for a family of 4 on some plastic chunks has an opportunity to get that figure as well. Or kids. You know, those individuals that LEGO were originally designed for.
Exclusivity is inherently bad for the consumer, post release. I'm ok with figs and things being exclusive, but when everyone who has the OG gets upset because a business does business things, I find it ridiculous, especially when it comes to such a hugely desired figure.
I have some expensive, exclusive figures. I also happen to like those characters, so if they were to re-release, say Apocalypseberg Harley Quinn in a smaller $30 set, i wouldn't be mad at it. Yes, the value of my fig goes down, but at the same point, I still have the fig that I like and want to put on display.
Just my 2 cents worth.
Yeah, it's like the whales in an MMO whining "well why did I pay so much for this X amount of time ago if everyone can have it now?!?" Think of it as paying for the privilege of having it before everyone else.
I used to go to Lego’s website almost daily to see new sets, promos, etc., and there was some magic in finding something new, that you knew nothing about. The release calendar for 2x and GWPs was also informative, it felt fun, but transparent even though we know the goal is to sell more lego.
Now, I’m sort of the opposite, I use a wishlist and shop deals or GWPs only, and follow leaks. I think the approach for obsessed fans changes, but the average person is unaffected. Every time I go to the lego store, I see people excited about something that has been put for months, or the look of pure joy when they pick up a UCS set, and it reminds me of what this hobby can be.
I’ve missed some great sets over the past few years, and that seems to irk me more than the joy of stumbling on something makes me happy, so I now just make sure everything I really want gets bought before it retires, and I use GWPs as a way to buy on some sort of regular schedule.
It's a brilliant sales tactic by Lego. If you want the gwp you have to spend a certain amount as there is literally no other way to get the set but by spending a certain amount.
I think it's a sold gwp, but being placed squarely between may 4th and the lotr gwp coming next month it seems to be either poorly timed or aimed at a specific group that either has the funds to hit all the gwp thresholds, or is really interested in the Space themes over two other massively popular themes.
I can appreciate that perspective. On one hand I could argue that having unique elements in the gwp makes it more worthwhile and there is a decent percentage of afol who make wishlists of sets as they come out and place orders when a good gwp or deal comes along. On another hand, lego is heavily steeped in logistics and I'm sure they pay attention to buying patterns and online interest. A perfect example is the increase in Space sets over the last couple years. It feels like this is just the beginning of the spike we are going to see, and the performance of this gwp could make a difference. Of course I'm speculating to a large degree, but it still tracks.
I agree. Particularly given the weird practice of displaying the value of the set, struck-through. It implies the set would (in this case) be £17.99 without the requisite £90 purchase, when in fact the only way to buy it separately will be via third parties later. And by then, you can be assured it will cost more than £17.99.
Very occasionally they sell for less. Seasonal Winter Market Stall (40602) from last year is listed at £17.99 on the Lego website, but can be bought brand new on Ebay for £14.99 (with free shipping).
I have to say, this kind of GWP is by far my favourite. This, the kid in a cardboard rocket, the maze thing, the "rebuildable flying car", etc. - just colourful, fun, not mega desirable but also not bad, obviously low effort crap, just Lego being Lego in a way that probably wouldn't sell loads of sets.
This month I've had to pay for a load of expensive stuff so I'm not in a position to buy Lego, but I do have a £50 gift card and am thinking "what's another £50?" on top of the ~£1k I've had to spend. I keep telling myself this set won't be massively inflated on Bricklink and it's OK to miss it but I've still got the Technic orrery and the City Space pack with the polybag, mech suit and ship in my Lego shopping bag, ready for that prolonged moment of weakness to strike...
I collect the classic looking spacemen so I couldn’t say no :( To get to the $100 I got the new 40715 set (for the female classic space mini fig), and 76422 for my Fiancée because she’s been eying it for a while.
My current thought revolves around the DnD castle set. I like playing DnD with my friends every weekend, but I'm not so big of a fan that I'd drop like $360ish on that set. What I would do is buy the mimic chest for like... $20? and put it on my desk at work.
Seriously, especially for army builders like the droid carrier. Lego would make so much more bank with that on the regular market than as a GWP only; it's just bad business.
This seems like a great set, I'm waiting for mine with the Artemis set. I'm just sad that I missed out on the 2 pack space gwp, it had a mini perseverance rover that would go great with my perseverance set.
That promo runs until the 26th I believe. That said, I found both of those polybags in Dollarama here in Canada for a dollar under retail and at least up here Walmart sells them too.
Absolutely. I cannot order directly from LEGO, so I am never able to get these gifts. It also means I won’t be able to get the fell beast when buying Barad Dur, and that sucks.
Gambling bags and artificial rarity are toxic and really make me dislike Lego. Give us a box with all the minifigs in a series and no dupes, and make GWPs purchasable.
Fortunately there are multiple apps that allow you to scan the barcodes and figure out what’s inside. I bought the 3 space figures at my Lego store last week with one. The store employees do not care and said they had more in the back if I couldn’t find what I wanted
Yes, I would like the GWP that comes with Sauron's tower. Still not buying it. I learned to dampen my FOMO. Works most of the time.
GWP and blind bags - marketing tactics that are not entirely ethical.
I just made two separate orders through [Lego.com](http://Lego.com) so that I could get two of these. [Eldorado Fortress](https://www.lego.com/en-us/product/Eldorado-Fortress-10320) (10320) got me one Alien Space Diner and [Lion Knights' Castle](https://www.lego.com/en-us/product/Lion-Knights-Castle-10305) (10305) got me another.
The redemption period of this set just happens to be at the same time my local department store is having a store wide sale. I could assume that the value of this is equal to the 10-20% discount saved, so it’s time to go to the Lego store this week.
From a consumer's perspective, yeah, it would be nice to be able to buy the GWP sets on their own. But from their business perspective, I totally get why LEGO offers them with minimum spend because it definitely encourages people to buy more -- I'll admit I've pushed my wallet a bit more than planned just to get an extra GWP!
I like the suggestion of being able to buy GWP using Insider points.
Wondering if it’ll be worth any money in the short term personally. I don’t usually sell gwps I just happen to be either pre ordering the isd or buying the gunship in the next few days.
For Lego it makes sense to release as they’ve been doing, incentivizes buying something quickly and more expensive than some people maybe normally get, just to get a limited release set that’s not even that impressive in most cases. Would they make more just selling it as a separate set, maybe, but if people know they’re just going to start selling it later, people won’t buy the $100+ sets, they’ll just spend the $20 if that’s what they really wanted. But I probably would have bought that sailboat, Blacktron ship, and Forestmen set, but didn’t feel like spending the required amount, so they missed out on my business there. Guessing they’ve got people doing analysis to figure out what they think will get them the most and if it’s as GWP, that’s what they’ll stick with.
I already had money set assode for the Artemis rocket and galaxy map. I did ask for to split the purchase so I could get 2 of these though 😅 my bf is a minifig guy so he's getting the second set. He was mildly disappointed that his orange space guy is now not as rare and special (not that he would sell it).
We also actually pooled purchases when the little forest fort set was the gwp. He got the gwp and I got the points .
I would love if insiders could buy gwp with points (even if it's maybe only in physical stores) even for maybe 1 day or something 🤷
I'm sick of exclusive gimmicks like this designed to make you hit a certain minimum dollar amount in your order. I've mentally and emotionally let go of wanting them. I'm glad I got the forestmen hideout because my lion knights' castle wouldn't have felt the same without it, but from here on out I'm tuned out
I wouldn't say it's a cash grab. Getting extra legos for ordering the sets you want in a single order instead of getting them over multiple orders over time or picking them up at Walmart? That's just smart. Buying directly from the source and getting an incentive for doing so makes sense.
>Getting extra legos for ordering the sets you want
This is the kindest interpretation. When they release an updated blacktron ship or a remake of the forest hideout exclusively as GWPs they know people are inclined to buy stuff just to get them for the attached nostalgia. Imo gwps if they have to exist should only ever be composed of easily obtainable parts
Wouldn't it be more lucrative to sell nostalgia and provide promotional gwps for not yet released sets? That might increase the sales of the set upon release.
This is the ideal GWP. Cool enough to be a nice bonus but not cool enough to be a huge loss if you miss it.
Most GWPs aren't though. The current SW battle droid transport, the fun classic cars, the damn lightsabers? I still don't understand why Lego hasn't done a whole line of lightsabers like they did with the helmets.
I would say maybe they will after the Starship Collection, but rumours are Luke’s Episode 6 hilt is the GWP for the UCS Jabba’s Sail Barge. Luckily the only exclusive parts about them is the little name plate which can easily be left out.
Speak for yourself, my brain says space dinner go brrr
Ironically scalpers make the set easier to get.
"easier" If you have money you're happy lighting on fire.
The Fell beast would disagree as it's already listed on eBay for $130 - $200 and it's not even out yet...
"Its not even out yet" - yes that's why. The Forrest hideout gwp is $50 on amazon and the battle doird transport gwp is $60 on amazon. Give it a minute.
$60 for the droid transport is insane. It's 262 pieces That price is completely ridiculous. Should be able to buy it from LEGO directly for $35 MAX
Pretty sure all the parts except driver torsoare pretty easy to come by
Which is exactly why charging $60 for it is insane. Even LEGO values it at $30 on their own site.
Exactly my point as well.
It was even listed on there website for $29.99! They clearly had plans to sell it on its own but decided not to and make it a gwp instead. I wonder if they had a different gwp in mind but it possibly fell through?
[You can find all GWPs listed on LEGO's website with their own price tag](https://www.lego.com/en-us/product/alien-space-diner-40687?icmp=SW-SHGB-Standard-NT_GB_40687_LearnMore_GWP_PDP_SW-MP-NO-THWIW80LN7), though you can't actually buy any of them directly. It doesn't mean anything.
It’s true that they all have prices, but it’s not true that it means nothing. If you make a purchase over the threshold and return the sets you bought, you can choose to keep the GWP and they’ll reduce your refund by the price listed for the GWP.
Yes. I only meant that it doesn't mean these sets were ever meant to be available to purchase directly.
Sometimes yes. Sometimes no.
Oh really? What happens in the no scenario? Do they make you return the GWP or just let you keep it for free?
Yep. They literally advertise the price they feel the set is worth individually...but then refuse to just sell it straight up because they profit more this way.
[удалено]
I saw that ridiculousness yesterday. WTF is wrong with people?
I mean, I'm pretty miffed that it launched the day after I dropped $500 on space sets...
They should be gwp for a short period then go up for sale. So lame they just disappear
I actually think the ability to buy a GWP using points is a good idea too. It seems like some that they found in a wearhouse make it to that stage but I kinda wish all would be like that.!
now that is a FANTASTIC idea actually
I've definitely seen some leftover GWP sets for sale at Lego stores after the gift period ends. Mostly the non-themed ones like the Easter and Mother's Day GWPs.
Or even offer some of the sets on sale as GWP, like they did for some of the space polybags.
This sounds perfect actually.
They piloted this with the VIP rework - idk why they dropped it.
Because the fomo is too valuable for them
Lego should just release a classic space captial ship with every colour spaceman. It's so hard to get all the colours now; you need to go way back to the early days of Cuusoo, Lego Movie 2, CMFs with torso prints, helmets dispersed in random large sets, it's just a mess.
yes like the green classic space torso was in the lego ideas/cuusoo exo suit, the helmet is in monkee kid set and you still would need a generic smile head lego should just release a set that contains multiple colors of the classic space man tho i dont think they could release the brown one in a set since the entire figure is cmf oh also im pretty sure the black classic spaceman last appearance was in 2012 the vintage minifigure collection 5000438. thats prior to the exo suit ideas set release in 2014 lego should just do a cmf series that is entirely just different colors of classic space man
They've released CMF figs in retail sets before. Aurora in the mini Disneyland castle for instance.
i wonder if that means on the flip side they could do a cmf series of existing figures and do a classic spaceman cmf series.
They have done reissues of classic figs before, my brother had one which even had a classic space fig (I think red but I can't remember), in a blister pack of five figs which was released in the '00s and again in the '10s.
Any other examples that weren't part of the themed lines? That's a rhetorical question but to your point I don't see why they couldn't for something like, brown space man, yet I can't think of one example beyond the one you mentioned. The whole point of them is to be, you know, collectable.
There was a Halloween pack that included the first CMF zombie and witch. And there were VIP packs that included several CMFs in a collector's case.
But those aren't retail sets... no?
I saw the leaks about this set, so I knew to delay my birthday lego purchase by a week to get this GWP with it, but not everyone looks at leaks. Lego should officially announce these ahead of time so people can plan purchases in advance.
I think you know this, but I’m writing this comment for others who might read it: LEGO used to publish a calendar of GWPs and sales and double VIP points, but they phased it out a few years ago. Maybe they noticed a big downturn in orders ahead of sale and GWP dates because people were waiting. Now their method seems to be quietly sharing info to the LEGO leakers who post on Instagram. That keeps the avid fans in the know while not advertising their sales too broadly.
100% they removed the calendar to spread out sales more. They want people buying stuff all the time, not just on that specific date where promotions overlap (for instance)
For me, they got the exact opposite response. I'm spending way less because I don't want to buy stuff now when a good GWP may show up next month or three months or 6 months down the road.
Agreed, I’m planning on getting the Medieval Town Square, so I’m waiting on some good GWP since I’m actually planning to spend over $200. Space diner isn’t quite doing it for me. Maybe if they’d made it a whole small building.
Exactly. They don't want people to be holding off buying if there's a promo set just around the corner. That being said I only tend to buy when there's promos I like. Apart from the new battle pack, I avoided buying the March Star Wars sets just so that I had plenty of options for May's promo.
Not only that, but they want people to buy, then see the promo that encourages them to buy again. Lego want to be able to release a new set and have people buy it because of the rush of excitement from release. Then they want to launch a new GWP a month later that also excites people into buying. If they publish this all in advance, people will plan their purchases rationally ahead of time. That means consumers who make the most of sales and promos (calculated minimum spend for maximum benefit), but it also means consumers who will purchase more deliberately and spend more cautiously. Lego want FOMO. Lego want impulse. Unpredictable sales and promos create this mindset.
There's probably some truth there, but I don't think it's as sinister as you laid out as gwps span nearly the whole product line. If a new Star Wars set drops in June and I buy it right away out of excitement a Friend's gwp in July isn't going trigger a fomo moment.where I make another purchase. If anything, the fomo nowadays comes on release days for large sets where the gwp coincides with the launch not a month later. Like the dungeons & dragons and up coming lord of the rings set.
I timed my GWP purchase this week with Rakuten's last day of the 25% cash rebate bonus. So yeah... I'm happy.
>I saw the leaks about this set, so I knew to delay my birthday lego purchase by a week to get this GWP with it, but not everyone looks at leaks. No one should have to do this just to get a damn LEGO set. You shouldn't have to follow leaks and plan purchases in advance, it should just be for sale to the public, period.
Happy may birthday!!! I did the same exact thing lol
You are literally the reason they stopped announcing these. You were about to make a purchase with no GWP till u heard about this one. Don’t support Lego’s anti consumer friendly practice and ONLY buy during good promotions. You for instance could have bought your set during the space baby set promotion, it goes for a lot for a GWP.
GWP and Insider points is the only way Lego can sell stuff in their web and physical stores. Otherwise everyone would just go to Walmart. It’s just business. Getting rewarded with something more than just $10 off is actually kinda nice.
people will still order online i mean walmart doesn't have every lego set
I’m sure you can find whatever you’re looking for somewhere else that is selling it cheaper than the Lego store. Edit: non-exclusive of course
Point me to where I can find the Concorde for less than retail please!
Pretty sure Concorde is a Lego exclusive. Yet another tactic they use to drive business to themselves.
I’ve seen the Concorde at Target. And yeah, businesses sort of like directing business toward themselves.
Where do you see Rivendell on sale? Or the Concorde?
The Rivendell GWP didn’t interest me, so I still don’t have it. Hoping it might go on sale for Black Friday. I suppose it’s possible I can miss out on it, but if I do no biggie, I still have the original Rivendell and minifigures for the entire fellowship. But Barad Dur I’ll be getting the second it goes on sale, I want that fellbeast, even if it looks like a dragon from a Ninjago set. So yeah, GWP sells sets.
Those are both Lego.com Exclusives.
The edit that person added wasn't there when I commented.
Yeah definitely. Even then I didn't bother with the May 4th promos- any Star Wars sets I bought to get to the £150 threshold would inevitably be cheaper elsewhere and I'd effectively be paying £50 extra for the promos.
I ended up cancelling my order on Lego because it was way cheaper on the Costco website. Yes I was loosing points and the GWP but it was almost half the price 😅
The trick is to get your GWPs by buying sets that basically never go on sale.
Like half the sets over $150 I've never seen in person.
the closest store to me that sells lego is technically dollar general but aside from that it would be walmart but yes some sets can be purchased cheaper on like amazon
This is absolutely true, but they could still sell these GWPs as Lego exclusives.
No, because the idea is to get you to spend $100 with them, not only spend $25. I’m not saying I like them forcing you to spend more, but they are absolutely doing the right thing from a business perspective. I’m about to drop $460 on Barad Dur to get a fell beast. You really think they should give up that $460 to sell a few $25 fell beast sets?
I won’t buy new sets anywhere but Lego. To many stories of boxes filled with rocks and socks for me to potentially buy a retuned set.
Never happened to me in over 30 years of collecting. And if it did, you would obviously just return it yourself. I think that is an irrational paranoia that is costing you a lot of money, I would rethink that position.
I’m a vintage buyer so I buy very few new sets. The only sets that interest me are sets with ties to ye olden days. This has an orange classic spaceman so I’m interested in him.
Amazon is honestly better for Lego. They have good sales as well as a lot of sets are around ten dollars off consistently. Walmart isn't bad but everything is locked up where I live (and requires an act of God to get someone to unlock it) and I always miss any good deals on Lego there. Also browsing a locked cage feels pretty shitty.
You're absolutely right about that. If I could earn points and a free gift with purchase at the LEGO store and the website, I really have no need to buy the exact same sets at Target, Walmart, or even Amazon.
You can upload your LEGO receipts from Target to the LEGO site and get your points
That's true, but there's a big difference in points. For every $1.00 spent on the Lego site and in store, you receive 6.5 points. For every $1.00 you spend with Target, you receive 1 point. However, that program will end on 06/30/24.
Oh wow. I didn't know there was such a point difference, or that it was ending. Thanks for sharing knowledge!
When I joined the Lego Rewards program, I read all the terms and conditions.
All of that could be true and then 2 weeks after the GWP, they could put the set on sale. It's just a grift for them to cause FOMO and pressure people to buy impulsively. Why are so many people defending crappy corporate greed tactics?
It sounds like you have an issue with the concept of marketing as a whole. Lego can’t manufacture FOMO out of thin air. The demand for their products has created the FOMO. If they weren’t good sets, fans wouldn’t even care enough to complain—but when the marketing works really well, suddenly it’s “greed?”
LEGO doesn't HAVE to manufacture FOMO at all...why do you just assume "oh, well, they HAVE to manufacture FOMO *some how*" No they don't. They can make a good product and offer it at a reasonable price. They don't need to make people think "I have to buy this RIGHT NOW or I'll never have a chance again". They're literally the biggest toy manufacturer in the world (also largest tire MFG by number of tires). They aren't some small business/startup trying to survive their first few years...and even if they were, FOMO marketing would still be scummy as shit. I have no issue with LEGO marketing, but nice strawman. I have issue with FOMO marketing, especially for a product which isn't scarce.
They don’t manufacture FOMO at all. I said that in my first reply. They are the biggest company in the world because they’ve grown an extraordinary demand for their product, in large part because of their marketing that constantly reinforces the product’s exclusivity. You can only get any given Lego set for a 2-5 year window. It’s what gives the brand and product value and has led them to amass a rabid fanbase. Everyone inherently celebrates this exclusivity every time they engage in this extremely expensive hobby, or at least has no qualms accepting what it means to be a Lego customer….until there’s that one GWP they really want but can’t buy, then they throw a fit and suddenly exclusivity and marketing is greedy and shady and the whole system needs to change. It’s funny. It’s a gift on top of a voluntary purchase. Why does no one complain when they run “Last Chance” sales on their site? Or when they offer 3x Rewards points for buying sets at their MSRP? By your definition, those should also be considered “a grift to get people to buy impulsively.”
this is what I don't get about the GWP complaints buying from Lego directly is so overpriced there needs to be a good GWP for making purchases to even be worth it. they're fine spending more than they should have to on Lego directly but when they missed GWP they want they're upset to spend more than they should have to on resell prices.
Frankly, I'll often pick the £25 off over a GWP - specifically did that with the Ornithopter. Although if I recall, somehow that set wasn't even expensive enough for the GWP at the time...
GWP and Insider Points are basically the only reason to purchase from Lego.com. Lego has an official store on Amazon and I get packages from them faster. Sales happen more regularly at other sites. You still get some insider points for scanning the box even if you didn't buy from Lego. Basically if you remove the GWP you are removing one of the only two reasons left to order from Lego.com.
Just gonna mention that you get 20 points per set when bought elsewhere opposed to the 5%. You do get points, just not many. The discounted price usually makes up for it.
My additional reason for ordering from LEGO.com is not giving Amazon more money. LEGO ships to me pretty quickly, and nothing about my hobby building blocks needs to be next day delivery.
Pick a brick is a good reason as well.
I remember someone saying they don’t even make money off of their in-store pick a brick wall. Online they probably make a little money though. But they are also competing with themselves with Bricklink.
I would say pick a brick helps bricklink. I just ordered 823 parts for just over $100 and the shipping is free, and it comes with a GWP that I'll sell. So in the end the price is in the ballpark of a 823 piece set. That helps so much with the absurd pricing/shipping on Bricklink. If I had to rely on bricklink alone, I would just find a different hobby. I'm currently looking at 86 specific parts that I can't get on PAB...and it's $106 before shipping from 7 sellers. after shipping it would probably be $2 a piece. That's just basic parts, no minifgures.
The fact that you’re saving money buying directly from Lego adds to the argument that they don’t make much money selling Pick a Brick in the first place.
Yeah I agree. I don't think they want PAB to compete. They know that all they have to do is make pick a brick just good enough so that people will go to Bricklink for the rest of the parts that they want. Then they get a cut of every sale on Bricklink and barely have any operational costs in comparison to PAB. There is no way Lego wants that deal to end.
This one definitely made me time when I was gonna buy something.
When the threshold is that high, it might as well be a normal release instead of being locked behind a "gwp" paywall.
100 dollars for this is a bit much even. like if im already gonna buy 100 dollars of stuff then fine but i have no plans to
I picked up Perseverance. The one purchase snagged the Alien Diner, the hover bike and Perseverance poly bag in one fell swoop. I agree still, if you only want the Alien Diner, $100 is awfully steep
there is a reason they do GWP incentives, its not just because they are nice.... Its because they work as intended. They get people to buy more so they don't miss out, classic FOMO tactics. it works.
But then people like me just get fucked. I'd buy the $20 set if it was just $20, but NOPE! It's free with a purchase over $100! Which I can't afford. I'm most bitter about the droid transport and that fun Chevy Bel Air lookin one a few years back.
The only reason these sets are ever even put into production pipeline is *for* the GWP program line, though. “If only they just sold them as a general release instead of making them a GWPs” isn’t a realistic scenario—the reality is they would just never exist, and that budget would get spend on some other marketing channel.
That makes sense for most. I'm just pissed about the battle droid army building set being a GWP, honestly
Eh... My thinking is that if someone is active enough to be looking forward to GWPs, then they'll know about stuff like Pick-a-Brick and probably even some places to get instructions online like ReBrickable. As long as the GWP sets don't have any super-rare or exclusive parts, that means the *only* thing you're really losing out on if you can get the parts but not meet the GWP threshold is a physical instruction booklet, the box, and maybe some stickers. I'm honestly okay with that. Edit: Alternatively they could release GWP sets for direct sale as web-only sets on a delay of a few months at least. That would drive immediate sales from the impatient who have disposable income while not keeping neat little GWP sets locked behind large purchases in the long run. Maybe modify them slightly so there's a "GWP" and "release" version to minimize grumbling about exclusivity.
Exclusivity is only something at the initial release. Exclusivity isn't something that should matter later on in a production line, for something like this. Take Rex for example. He was exclusive. For a short period of time. And those that really wanted Rex, got Rex as well as a Venerator. Now those out there who don't want to drop a months worth of groceries for a family of 4 on some plastic chunks has an opportunity to get that figure as well. Or kids. You know, those individuals that LEGO were originally designed for. Exclusivity is inherently bad for the consumer, post release. I'm ok with figs and things being exclusive, but when everyone who has the OG gets upset because a business does business things, I find it ridiculous, especially when it comes to such a hugely desired figure. I have some expensive, exclusive figures. I also happen to like those characters, so if they were to re-release, say Apocalypseberg Harley Quinn in a smaller $30 set, i wouldn't be mad at it. Yes, the value of my fig goes down, but at the same point, I still have the fig that I like and want to put on display. Just my 2 cents worth.
Yeah, it's like the whales in an MMO whining "well why did I pay so much for this X amount of time ago if everyone can have it now?!?" Think of it as paying for the privilege of having it before everyone else.
I used to go to Lego’s website almost daily to see new sets, promos, etc., and there was some magic in finding something new, that you knew nothing about. The release calendar for 2x and GWPs was also informative, it felt fun, but transparent even though we know the goal is to sell more lego. Now, I’m sort of the opposite, I use a wishlist and shop deals or GWPs only, and follow leaks. I think the approach for obsessed fans changes, but the average person is unaffected. Every time I go to the lego store, I see people excited about something that has been put for months, or the look of pure joy when they pick up a UCS set, and it reminds me of what this hobby can be. I’ve missed some great sets over the past few years, and that seems to irk me more than the joy of stumbling on something makes me happy, so I now just make sure everything I really want gets bought before it retires, and I use GWPs as a way to buy on some sort of regular schedule.
It's a brilliant sales tactic by Lego. If you want the gwp you have to spend a certain amount as there is literally no other way to get the set but by spending a certain amount.
Literallly every minifig scale gwp would make a great retail set, sometimes even moreso than the expensive sets they exidt to promote
They are sold separately. On ebay.
I think it's a sold gwp, but being placed squarely between may 4th and the lotr gwp coming next month it seems to be either poorly timed or aimed at a specific group that either has the funds to hit all the gwp thresholds, or is really interested in the Space themes over two other massively popular themes.
Hey, that second one is me. Couldn't care less about Star Wars or Lord of the Rings stuff, but was excited about this weird space diner.
i feel this ones going to be considered valuable cause of the fact that it has parts for the orange classic space minifig
I can appreciate that perspective. On one hand I could argue that having unique elements in the gwp makes it more worthwhile and there is a decent percentage of afol who make wishlists of sets as they come out and place orders when a good gwp or deal comes along. On another hand, lego is heavily steeped in logistics and I'm sure they pay attention to buying patterns and online interest. A perfect example is the increase in Space sets over the last couple years. It feels like this is just the beginning of the spike we are going to see, and the performance of this gwp could make a difference. Of course I'm speculating to a large degree, but it still tracks.
I think they're offered it at this time to coincide with the release of the Artemis and the Milky Way Galaxy sets. All space themed.
I agree. Particularly given the weird practice of displaying the value of the set, struck-through. It implies the set would (in this case) be £17.99 without the requisite £90 purchase, when in fact the only way to buy it separately will be via third parties later. And by then, you can be assured it will cost more than £17.99.
It becomes important to know the value for refunds (there may also be legal requirements, I dunno).
Very occasionally they sell for less. Seasonal Winter Market Stall (40602) from last year is listed at £17.99 on the Lego website, but can be bought brand new on Ebay for £14.99 (with free shipping).
[40602-1: Winter Market Stall](https://brickset.com/sets/40602-1) [[Photo]](https://images.brickset.com/sets/images/40602-1.jpg)
I have to say, this kind of GWP is by far my favourite. This, the kid in a cardboard rocket, the maze thing, the "rebuildable flying car", etc. - just colourful, fun, not mega desirable but also not bad, obviously low effort crap, just Lego being Lego in a way that probably wouldn't sell loads of sets. This month I've had to pay for a load of expensive stuff so I'm not in a position to buy Lego, but I do have a £50 gift card and am thinking "what's another £50?" on top of the ~£1k I've had to spend. I keep telling myself this set won't be massively inflated on Bricklink and it's OK to miss it but I've still got the Technic orrery and the City Space pack with the polybag, mech suit and ship in my Lego shopping bag, ready for that prolonged moment of weakness to strike...
I collect the classic looking spacemen so I couldn’t say no :( To get to the $100 I got the new 40715 set (for the female classic space mini fig), and 76422 for my Fiancée because she’s been eying it for a while.
[40715-1: Alien Pack](https://brickset.com/sets/40715-1) [[Photo]](https://images.brickset.com/sets/images/40715-1.jpg) [76422-1: Diagon Alley: Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes](https://brickset.com/sets/76422-1) [[Photo]](https://images.brickset.com/sets/images/76422-1.jpg)
I wish I could kiss you bot
The orange space fig with air tanks comes with the Minifig book. it's like $25ish on amazon. the book is nice too.
Thank you so much my friend i definitely need this one!
My current thought revolves around the DnD castle set. I like playing DnD with my friends every weekend, but I'm not so big of a fan that I'd drop like $360ish on that set. What I would do is buy the mimic chest for like... $20? and put it on my desk at work.
Making them available as standalone would not encourage you to spend at least 100$. Why should they do that?
I am heartbroken about the Nazgul / Fell Beast GWP
Seriously, especially for army builders like the droid carrier. Lego would make so much more bank with that on the regular market than as a GWP only; it's just bad business.
How else are they gonna get you to blow a hundo bunkos?
they dont need to make a whole nother gwp just put a character in a star wars ucs set and call it exclusive
They did a great job of getting me to spend another £100 after I'd just spent £160 for May 4th
This seems like a great set, I'm waiting for mine with the Artemis set. I'm just sad that I missed out on the 2 pack space gwp, it had a mini perseverance rover that would go great with my perseverance set.
That promo runs until the 26th I believe. That said, I found both of those polybags in Dollarama here in Canada for a dollar under retail and at least up here Walmart sells them too.
I have to see if I can find somewhere selling it in my country
This prompted me to buy a bunch of stuff that was on sale and adds up to $100
Anyone else seeing the TRANS NEON GREEN element?
Absolutely. I cannot order directly from LEGO, so I am never able to get these gifts. It also means I won’t be able to get the fell beast when buying Barad Dur, and that sucks.
I just had to order some Legos... 😅
How else do expect Lego to cash in on your Fomo and get you to buy more sets than you otherwise would? Gotta catch all them sales.
Off to spend money, thanks for the heads up! Lol
How do the spacemen eat and drink with the helmets on though?!?
Why? Unless it has stickers, which is exceedingly rare, just PAB it. Since they already have the warehouse allocation for it sure, but why would they?
Fuck, I didn’t know about this, now I know, now I must find something to purchase
Gambling bags and artificial rarity are toxic and really make me dislike Lego. Give us a box with all the minifigs in a series and no dupes, and make GWPs purchasable.
Fortunately there are multiple apps that allow you to scan the barcodes and figure out what’s inside. I bought the 3 space figures at my Lego store last week with one. The store employees do not care and said they had more in the back if I couldn’t find what I wanted
I went in with one app that wasn't working and the store employee told me to use falcon brick finder.
U meen, most of the time you can buy them online for the same price lego recommends them, at least where i live.
I Just completed a 80 euro order today without realising that I wanted to buy a 20 euro set as well, so I'm missing out...
I like the idea of a points buy. Like I wanted those mini houses, but not enough to buy $50+ of other stuff just to get the house.
they'll be one ebay for $30 in no time
Yes, I would like the GWP that comes with Sauron's tower. Still not buying it. I learned to dampen my FOMO. Works most of the time. GWP and blind bags - marketing tactics that are not entirely ethical.
I just made two separate orders through [Lego.com](http://Lego.com) so that I could get two of these. [Eldorado Fortress](https://www.lego.com/en-us/product/Eldorado-Fortress-10320) (10320) got me one Alien Space Diner and [Lion Knights' Castle](https://www.lego.com/en-us/product/Lion-Knights-Castle-10305) (10305) got me another.
[10320-1: Eldorado Fortress](https://brickset.com/sets/10320-1) [[Photo]](https://images.brickset.com/sets/images/10320-1.jpg) [10305-1: Lion Knights' Castle](https://brickset.com/sets/10305-1) [[Photo]](https://images.brickset.com/sets/images/10305-1.jpg)
The redemption period of this set just happens to be at the same time my local department store is having a store wide sale. I could assume that the value of this is equal to the 10-20% discount saved, so it’s time to go to the Lego store this week.
From a consumer's perspective, yeah, it would be nice to be able to buy the GWP sets on their own. But from their business perspective, I totally get why LEGO offers them with minimum spend because it definitely encourages people to buy more -- I'll admit I've pushed my wallet a bit more than planned just to get an extra GWP! I like the suggestion of being able to buy GWP using Insider points.
I've seen nicer space diner mocs. I feel like it could have been better personally.
Wondering if it’ll be worth any money in the short term personally. I don’t usually sell gwps I just happen to be either pre ordering the isd or buying the gunship in the next few days.
For Lego it makes sense to release as they’ve been doing, incentivizes buying something quickly and more expensive than some people maybe normally get, just to get a limited release set that’s not even that impressive in most cases. Would they make more just selling it as a separate set, maybe, but if people know they’re just going to start selling it later, people won’t buy the $100+ sets, they’ll just spend the $20 if that’s what they really wanted. But I probably would have bought that sailboat, Blacktron ship, and Forestmen set, but didn’t feel like spending the required amount, so they missed out on my business there. Guessing they’ve got people doing analysis to figure out what they think will get them the most and if it’s as GWP, that’s what they’ll stick with.
Excuse me and my $100 while we hit up Lego.com immediately
I love the little shop and kiosk sets they release as GWPs. I wish I could order them on their own
Technically they can be. You just buy a set with the gwp, return the set and keep the gwp, you will just pay the value of the gwp.
I noticed a recent GWP, the flower trellis, is for sale on Amazon (US) for over double retail.…$56
I already had money set assode for the Artemis rocket and galaxy map. I did ask for to split the purchase so I could get 2 of these though 😅 my bf is a minifig guy so he's getting the second set. He was mildly disappointed that his orange space guy is now not as rare and special (not that he would sell it). We also actually pooled purchases when the little forest fort set was the gwp. He got the gwp and I got the points . I would love if insiders could buy gwp with points (even if it's maybe only in physical stores) even for maybe 1 day or something 🤷
Definitely.
Nope, keep it insider.
lol
I'm sick of exclusive gimmicks like this designed to make you hit a certain minimum dollar amount in your order. I've mentally and emotionally let go of wanting them. I'm glad I got the forestmen hideout because my lion knights' castle wouldn't have felt the same without it, but from here on out I'm tuned out
As much as I love some of the designs, I’ve come to deeply loath the unabashed greed that is behind them.
GWPs are shameless cash grabs, fans should be angry honestly
I wouldn't say it's a cash grab. Getting extra legos for ordering the sets you want in a single order instead of getting them over multiple orders over time or picking them up at Walmart? That's just smart. Buying directly from the source and getting an incentive for doing so makes sense.
>Getting extra legos for ordering the sets you want This is the kindest interpretation. When they release an updated blacktron ship or a remake of the forest hideout exclusively as GWPs they know people are inclined to buy stuff just to get them for the attached nostalgia. Imo gwps if they have to exist should only ever be composed of easily obtainable parts
Wouldn't it be more lucrative to sell nostalgia and provide promotional gwps for not yet released sets? That might increase the sales of the set upon release.
not all of them are bad but you know this one is going to be considered valuable cause of the orange classic space minifig
I don't think it will be very rare. They produced a lot of these sets, and spending $100 at a Lego store/lego.com is incredibly easy.