LEGO Ideas: 21110 Research Institute/Female Minifigure Set

[SeanJFry]

It's strange that it's 'sold out' in the U.S. Our OZ Lego store has it has on back order. I bought two on day of release and they'll arrive next week hopefully. A little overpriced for what you get but since coming out of the dark ages I've developed a liking to minifigs! and the Research set figs look cool, and of course the dinosaur skeleton! I am jealous of the people that can just walk into a Lego store. For new release sets we have to order online and wait for our orders to ship from Europe.

[Faefrost]

It's strange that it's 'sold out' in the U.S. Our OZ Lego store has it has on back order. I bought two on day of release and they'll arrive next week hopefully. A little overpriced for what you get but since coming out of the dark ages I've developed a liking to minifigs! and the Research set figs look cool, and of course the dinosaur skeleton! I am jealous of the people that can just walk into a Lego store. For new release sets we have to order online and wait for our orders to ship from Europe.

I think the trigger between Sold Out and Out of Stock is how far into the future they can predict stock. The US store is sold out because it has far more back orders than NZ or EU. It may be once the anticipated back orders cross 45 or 90 days the system automatically goes to sold out. Or that past a certain number they can no longer guarantee product.

[m0dulo]

eurobricks 21110 thread before post #207: "Pass. Not for me. I don't want it."

eurobricks 21110 thread after post #207: "Dang! I missed out. I really wanted it."

[fred67]

So, when I ordered mine is was "will ship in 30 days," but I got it with the rest of my order. The exosuit, on the other hand, said "will ship in 30 days" and hasn't arrived. All ordered on 8/1 (actually arrived yesterday... so just shy of one week).

[FishHead]

Lego says:

It's great to hear you like the LEGO® Research Institute set 21110. A lot of other builders like it to and the response to this new set was overwhelming. I'm upset I didn't even get a chance to purchase one.

It’s a very popular set and we’ve had a lot more orders than we expected. We don’t have any in stock at the moment, and we’re working hard to make more. However, inventory being made is already allocated to the backorders in our system. As of today, Jonathan, we don't expect to receive additional inventory for sale which is why the status is 'Sold out'.

bummer, no?

Wouldn't it be neat to become a series like Minecraft? She had more than 3 vignettes in her original idea!

I agree. I don't normally get into the whole Lego/Gender thing. And, I have a daughter who is happy to spend time building with us. it's all about Family Time, really. That said, I would like to see more of this set and/or more like it.

[Bacon Potatoes]

Personally I can't wait to get this set because of the different scientific instruments I can reincorporate into a laboratory moc at some point in the future. Plus another lab coat torso in my collection wouldn't hurt.

[VintageLegoEra]

I jist hate how sellers are charging these high already...

[fred67]

I jist hate how sellers are charging these high already...

They're on backorder, not completely sold out. If someone can't wait, that's their problem. I ordered this and the exosuit, expecting to not get them until September. It's like the idiots paying twice as much for a new video game console just so they don't have to wait. Don't blame the sellers, blame the idiot buyers.

[The Jersey Brick Guy]

I jist hate how sellers are charging these high already...

Supply and demand. I am hoping TLG does a second run.

[VintageLegoEra]

Supply and demand. I am hoping TLG does a second run.

Yes..I hope too but I heard that the lego idea series are always limited. Is that right?

They're on backorder, not completely sold out. If someone can't wait, that's their problem. I ordered this and the exosuit, expecting to not get them until September. It's like the idiots paying twice as much for a new video game console just so they don't have to wait. Don't blame the sellers, blame the idiot buyers.

The seller has to be blamed as I feel it is not a good way to do this using people.

Buyers are always the victims behind this

[Lyichir]

Yes..I hope too but I heard that the lego idea series are always limited. Is that right?

The Lego Ideas sets always START with a limited run but additional production runs are typically made based on demand. For example, the initial Minecraft set has been produced many, many times and is still available, whereas the Curiosity Rover only secured a single production run to my knowledge. Given the success of this set and the hype around, I imagine Lego will continue to produce it at least for the near future.

[FishHead]

According to the email I received from Lego Customer Support, they are not on backorder. To repeat what they told me as of yesterday, emphasis mine:

Thanks for getting in touch with us.

It's great to hear you like the LEGO® Research Institute set 21110. A lot of other builders like it to and the response to this new set was overwhelming. I'm upset I didn't even get a chance to purchase one.

It’s a very popular set and we’ve had a lot more orders than we expected. We don’t have any in stock at the moment, and we’re working hard to make more. However, inventory being made is already allocated to the backorders in our system. As of today, Jonathan, we don't expect to receive additional inventory for sale which is why the status is 'Sold out'.

[Faefrost]

According to the email I received from Lego Customer Support, they are not on backorder. To repeat what they told me as of yesterday, emphasis mine:

Don't read too much into that. It means the allotment that is currently placed or in progress in the production chain has already been committed to orders. It does not necessarily mean that no more will be made, just that another production order for the factory has not yet been placed. We have seen this with other things in the past. CS and sales cannot commit to product that has not yet been ordered made in the system. It is also possible and even likely that they can't put another order in until this one is clear. Systems can be funny that way. Granted it can also mean that they don't have the resources or factory time to do another cycle of them or product management may not see enough demand for another run. But the point is don't give up hope. Check back periodically chances are more will become available. They got way too much unanticipated free publicity and mainstream press attention on this one.

[Missing Brick]

Got mine today from the Lego store in Bluewater - they had a shelf full - at least 40 sets. Not much consolation for you guys in the States - but still plenty for us Brits if you can make it to a Lego store. I must say it's an excellent little set. It was fun to put together from the box art without refering to the instructions. I really like the dinosaur, and was impressed with the printed star chart (no pesky stickers). Also make a great parts pack - lots of useful small pieces.

[FishHead]

So....does anyone have a Research Institute they'd like to unload? For a decent price, that is? If not, oh, well.... :)

[craiggrannell]

Sold out in the UK online store now, it seems, as is the Exo Suit. You'd think with all the support and press, Lego'd be clamouring to do at least another run of 21110. Instead, it's now a 'collectors' piece, commanding insane prices on eBay. Bizarre.

[m0dulo]

Yes..I hope too but I heard that the lego idea series are always limited. Is that right?

Some are limited but not all. And some are limited not just in quantity but in region, too. I'd love a Shinkai set but they appear to be over $600 at the moment. Sometimes they do more runs, like with the Minecraft set I picked up a few weeks ago.

The seller has to be blamed as I feel it is not a good way to do this using people.

I'm sorry if I missed this earlier. What would you propose?

Buyers are always the victims behind this

Please elaborate on who and in which way someone was victimized. I'm honestly trying to understand why someone feels this way. I did what I needed to do to get these recent Ideas sets. If I didn't, I wouldn't have them. I could try to buy them online, from local stores, and I could always call up friends in other cities or maybe even in a different country to see if they could help. I'd even strike a deal to make it worth their time. :)

Edited August 11, 2014 by m0dulo

[Faefrost]

Sold out in the UK online store now, it seems, as is the Exo Suit. You'd think with all the support and press, Lego'd be clamouring to do at least another run of 21110. Instead, it's now a 'collectors' piece, commanding insane prices on eBay. Bizarre.

They have outright said that the Exosuit is getting another run. Chances are so is the RI.

[rollermonkey]

Please elaborate on who and in which way someone was victimized. I'm honestly trying to understand why someone feels this way. I did what I needed to do to get these recent Ideas sets. If I didn't, I wouldn't have them. I could try to buy them online, from local stores, and I could always call up friends in other cities or maybe even in a different country to see if they could help. I'd even strike a deal to make it worth their time. :)

I'm sorry, but are you completely unaware that there are individuals who purchase large quantities of sets with expected high demand but relatively low production quantities through deceptive means for the sole purpose of profiting off those who weren't online at midnight of the release date and perhaps not immediately aware of the set's existence, despite being the intended target audience?

Research Institute is targeted at young females to help improve the visibility of STEM fields as viable employment tracks for females. Moms and dads should be buying it for their daughters, not cretins who raid a local Lego store at 10 AM on release day for as many sets as they can get away solely for hoarding until the resale value on eBay gets high enough to assuage their greed.

[craiggrannell]

Quite. The contrast yesterday between seeing someone boasting on a Lego investor thread that they had another 30 RIs on the way and were selling them all so far at "at least 200% profit" versus the upset women in STEM/parents/daughters I saw on Twitter was stark. Here's hoping it gets at least another run, because lots of people were excited about this set, but the vast majority had no idea it might sell out for good in just a few days.

[m0dulo]

No need to apologize, rollermonkey. I understand scalping but I didn't understand the consumer as victim comment made earlier in this thread. I need to thank craiggrannell for the context when he mentioned the people boasting about 30 RIs. That was what I didn't know.

How did they get those quantities? Customers at LEGO Stores were being (or supposed to be) politely denied the ability to buy more than the max per household (max started at two then was reduced to one).

I know people can bend rules and use workarounds to get one or two extras over the max one or two per household limit. Yet If anyone had to work with the same limits and still managed to get 30, that must be a huge hassle unloading all of them, especially with that kind of profit. Just imagine being the guy who can't unload 30 $20 sets because they end up being manufactured and available for a few years. :)

Edited August 12, 2014 by m0dulo

[MAB]

Research Institute is targeted at young females to help improve the visibility of STEM fields as viable employment tracks for females. Moms and dads should be buying it for their daughters

If that is Lego's stance on who this product is for, then they should simply refuse to sell it to anyone that doesn't have a young female with them in store.

However, I don't believe that is their view. I also don't think it is aimed exclusively at young females. I have also heard many are going to older females in science.

[FishHead]

Exactly - how does one acquire more than a couple copies of a limited set? Something is wrong with this picture. The Lego store nearest me had a sign that explicitly stated "limit one per household". I asked the salesperson what I should do if I were buying sets for two females in my family. She politely told me that the rule was one per family because of the limited number available and that Lego was trying to be "fair" to everyone. So.....how is someone able to get their hands on so many sets?

I can get on board with "I need two because I have two daughters, friends, whatever..." But, I also find it disgusting that adults would buy 30 (or whatever the number) of the sets for the sake of hawking them at exorbitant prices. I will admit, I have purchased two of the same modular building in the past with the intent of either selling the second, or saving it until I think of something else to build with it. But in this case, it's just plain wrong. Like m0dulo, I think it'd be funny if that person holding 30 sets finds they are only worth $20 - $25 in the near future; instead of the 3x,4x,5x prices the set is currently commanding on the second-market.

Anyway, I'm hoping like many of you that another run is made. But, for some reason, I kind of doubt it happens this time. I'm not sure why....

ok, rant mode off. :)

[craiggrannell]

Some investors managed to use loopholes of various kinds. Lego online's limits were higher at one point. Others found they could put huge orders through Toys R Us. Personally, I'm certainly not keen on the notion of restricting purchases to one per household (absurd if you've two kids, say) nor specific genders, but some limitations work. That said, a bigger production run (or a second run) would make more sense. Just make the set readily available, not something you'd hear about, go "that sounds great" and then be disappointed to discover you can't own one because you weren't there to click 'Buy' on day one.

I think it'd be funny if that person holding 30 sets finds they are only worth $20 - $25 in the near future; instead of the 3x,4x,5x prices the set is currently commanding on the second-market.

Won't happen. These people are savvy and recognise this could be a short-run bubble. They're burning through stock as fast as they can.

[Sarah]

If that is Lego's stance on who this product is for, then they should simply refuse to sell it to anyone that doesn't have a young female with them in store.

However, I don't believe that is their view. I also don't think it is aimed exclusively at young females. I have also heard many are going to older females in science.

That kind of rubbed me the wrong way too. Why is it only for daughters? Why not get it for our sons and ourselves? Why can't our sons enjoy the dinosaur skeleton? I certainly expect sets with male minifigures to be played with by my daughter so don't see the inclusion of female minifigures as a reason the set must be played with by girls alone.