Not sure if there's a thread for this yet or not. But I saw this ridiculous mark up at TRU the other day. It was so unbelievable that I had to share this. Has anyone one else seen a markup at TRU or anywhere else that has just surprised you?

loneranger1 by RidgeMontante, on Flickr

That seems familiar. I saw a $200 lego set for $280 there. That's why I hate TRU.

They try to justify it with their clearances or buy 1 get one x% off.

Edited March 28, 201410 yr by legoman19892

Yea, I just remember when they came out and they were selling these for around $80. So I thought this was a little higher than usual.

Edited March 28, 201410 yr by Ridge Montante

I'm not sure that's what you're after with this, but there are a few stores that sell retired sets. Sometimes their markup is reflecting the market, but every now and then they get it terribly wrong. I think this was probably such an instance:

That's 1,450 Norwegian kroner. That equals about 174 €, £145 or 240 US dollars. Now, this might be a rare set - but that desirable? Really?

Ooh, 57 pieces for that price? What a deal!

A couple years ago, TRU had 4737 Quidditch Match, a Harry Potter set with a list price of $19.99, for $39.99, fully twice the MSRP (and a penny more, just for good measure).

I saw that at TRU today and was not shocked because they are known for such high prices. Last time I saw this set for $100. at TRU, the nearby Target had it for $40. less. It pays to show the TRU cashier their price online because it often is cheaper online at TRU.

Our TRU in Cary, NC, no longer has Architecture or MBA sets, which were stocked in the Asheville TRU today. This could be because we have a LEGO store in Raleigh while there is not one in Asheville.

I went on a trip to the Philippines and (sorry no pics) saw a 2008 AT-TE for about $500 USD!

I tend to shop at TRU only for polybags, CMFs, and the rare sale. The markup is typically enough to keep me away otherwise. You'd think that with Wal-Mart and Target near most TRUs, they'd want to stay competitive....

A couple of months ago I was surprised to find out that my nearest grocery store (independent) started selling some battle packs and $20 sets!

I went over to see what they had and to my dismay, discovered they had everything 5 - 10 Canadian Dollars overpriced! I thought this was quite unfortunate as this store is within walking distance of my house.

I tend to shop at TRU only for polybags, CMFs, and the rare sale. The markup is typically enough to keep me away otherwise. You'd think that with Wal-Mart and Target near most TRUs, they'd want to stay competitive....

I know my area, TRU has, by far, the biggest section & selection out of the three. I can only assume that's how they justify the markup. I don't mind paying a few dollars, since if I bought from LEGO I'd have to pay for shipping. But, with 9516 Jabbas Palace for example, they had a $20 mark up on it.

I saw that at TRU today and was not shocked because they are known for such high prices. Last time I saw this set for $100. at TRU, the nearby Target had it for $40. less. It pays to show the TRU cashier their price online because it often is cheaper online at TRU.

Our TRU in Cary, NC, no longer has Architecture or MBA sets, which were stocked in the Asheville TRU today. This could be because we have a LEGO store in Raleigh while there is not one in Asheville.

Thank you for bringing back wonderful memories ... I lived in Charlotte for a couple of years ... Loved it! Now in cold/miserable/expensive Cihcago :(

Edited March 28, 201410 yr by DrJB

I know my area, TRU has, by far, the biggest section & selection out of the three. I can only assume that's how they justify the markup. I don't mind paying a few dollars, since if I bought from LEGO I'd have to pay for shipping. But, with 9516 Jabbas Palace for example, they had a $20 mark up on it.

Huh, that's strange. I thought TRU's insane prices were at least standardized across the chain, so that you'd pay the same inflated price at one store as at another, but I actually just got that same set myself one week ago today, and my markup on it was "only" $10.

(I actually hadn't realized that until looking it up just now; I'd somehow gotten it into my head that the normal price was in fact $129.99, so that it was a rare example of TRU actually having a normal price on a Star Wars set for once; I obviously should have known better. I don't normally get prices mixed up like that, but after so many years and so many prices on so many sets, I'm bound to slip a bit from time to time. I don't regret it too much, since this was a set I really wanted and it's disappearing from stores everywhere now after having been out a couple years, and a $10 markup - less than 10% the usual price of the set - is negligible compared to the premiums we might see it commanding on eBay in the very near future).

Now in cold/miserable/expensive Cihcago :(

Yes...yes it is.

(I'm an East Coast transplant as well.)

I've noticed the prices at TRU fluctuating a lot lately. Some things are overpriced by $5-25, but then others are at normal retail. Deals can be had when things are on sale, but you really have to keep on top of it. The biggest reason I go there is because it's close to where I work, and it's nice to be able to actually pick up a box and check out a set.

Oh, also, TRU now will price match LEGO.com. If there's a sale, you'll get whichever saves you more money, but if you have to have something right away, this might be the way to go.

I do not remember the exact name of the toy store (It was a fairly unknown brand to me in the UK) but they were selling in an outlet shopping mall sets that were damaged well above RRP. I was astonished to see Jabba's palace in a very damaged box for £150. The worse was that they were showing these sets as if they were at a massive discount.

So I thought this was a little higher than usual.

I don't shop at tru because of the high prices. Unless they have an exclusive polybag. Although last Christmas they had a sale on the sail barge for $75, so I had to jump on that side it retails at $119. That's the only time over ever seen a decent savings.

I used to do toys r us for the sales, but I've stopped going.

Last time i went, the prices definatly seemed a bit more marked up then normal. I tried to buy 2 mixels and a orange mega blocks moshi moshiling that had a 2.49 tag on the shelf(i am not a lego purist and that would of been the cheapest way for me to get orange) . I tried to price match the mixels and the guy at CS didnt seem to know his head from his rump doing it, the moshi rang up at the wrong price(3.99) and the woman checking me out seemed clueless. I wound up just leaving the stuff at the register and getting out of there.

Not a markup but crazy price. One local Walmart had NXT ser 8547 on "clearance" sale of $279.00. A whopping 99 cents off most store price and they still had it for about 2 years before it finally went away. I never knew what happened to that set but I guess they marked it off as loss and threw it away because they were to dumb to consider marking it down some more.

You are all aware that Toys-R-Us will usually do price match if you can find it cheaper elsewhere (Providing it's not reduced due to an offer or clearance) if you provide proof? They don't advertise the fact which is why not a lot of people are aware of it but here are the guidelines:

http://www.toysrus.com/shop/index.jsp?categoryId=11949070

In the UK, Hamleys & WHSmith are notorious at marking up sets, even Tesco these days are marking them above RRP, albeit only by a penny

I'm not sure that's what you're after with this, but there are a few stores that sell retired sets. Sometimes their markup is reflecting the market, but every now and then they get it terribly wrong. I think this was probably such an instance:

That's 1,450 Norwegian kroner. That equals about 174 €, £145 or 240 US dollars. Now, this might be a rare set - but that desirable? Really?

That's one of those rather unusual Spider-Man Juniors sets. Back from when Lego briefly had the Spider-man movie license from Sony. It would be viewed more as a collectable than as a regular set I would think?

Anything sold at Hamleys in London is outrageously marked up. £49.99 normally converts to £63.99... That kind of mark up on EVERY item just for the pleasure of buying from Hamleys!