TRU Ninjago release event

[MikeyB]

Hmm... so in that picture the sword is the octagonal-hilt style, even though on the poster in the first post it is square. Can anybody else who went to the event and got a sword holder say if they got square or octagonal hilts?

The ones I got definately have octagonal hilts.

[Darth Jar Jar]

Its pretty cool that it was a pollybag it would have made a nice addition to my pollybag collection.

[Blondie-Wan]

I went to the demo at my own local TRU, but it was somewhat disorganized; the TRU employees didn't seem to know much about it (as opposed to the Bricktober racing promo a couple months ago, when they were actively engaged). A nice woman from some promotion agency hired by TLG was there to do the demo, but she got only one small-ish table to use from the store, and it was just large enough to hold the materials - there wasn't any place to actually do the demo, so I never saw any NinjaGo ninjas in action (or even out of the package). Only a limited number of customers seemed to notice her and the table, so a lot of the promo materials went unclaimed.

That said, TRU did have some copies of a NinjaGo starter set out on the shelves in the LEGO section in addition to a few copies of the same plus some single packs on the demo table, so I was able to check out the packages, at least. I took some over to the customer service desk and got a price check - $19.99 and $9.99 - but later the demo person and I learned they apparently weren't supposed to actually be sold until next month. However, one of the people who stopped by did wind up taking a single and a starter pack to purchase, and as far as I know she was able to do so; I didn't see those two sets make their way back to the table. Oops. At least one lucky young fan of LEGO ninjas is sure to be pleased this Christmas.

As for the promo materials, the demo person was only too happy to give me several copies of each item, possibly because the general turnout wasn't as hoped-for / expected; I got four complete "sets" of the promo items (sword holder polybag set, headband, decal, and promo code paper for a free NinjaGo card if one returns to TRU with it in January) - one of each of the four items for myself, one of each for my girlfriend, and two of each for her niece and nephew, plus two more copies of just the polybagged set for myself. Perhaps I was greedy, but she wasn't about to run out; I'm afraid half or more of her supply might've wound up just getting thrown away, though I really don't know what happened to those leftovers. At any rate, I was certainly glad to score some free sets, even just tiny 11-piece promos such as these.

I put together one of my three copies of the set, and it's a pretty neat freebie, though of course there isn't much to it. As noted, the decoration on the 4x6 tile with studs on three edges is a sticker, not a print, but it's pre-applied, something I'm not sure I've ever seen in a LEGO set before. This is also the first set I can remember getting that uses the ubiquitous 1x1 round plates and doesn't include an extra one (I've noted a lack of extra pieces is common with promo sets; the LEGO Universe astronaut minifigure offered for preorders of the game didn't come with an extra visor, for example, even though most sets with helmet visors include extra ones). Still, though, it was free, so I'm not complaining! I do plan to find ways to use it (and the extra copies)...

Edited December 13, 2010 by Blondie-Wan

[shutinc]

Ah, I wish we had events like this in Norway. Always nice to get an introduction to new lines of sets. I'm so jelous

[shadowreaperx]

Definitely pre-applied sticker, definitely octagonal hilt, definitely different color than on the ad...sigh...