Pick-a-Brick Prices Going Up

[Boettner Builds]

ALWAYS get the large!

As for special California stuff, I don't know.

[legoman19892]

I have tried many times at my local store to buy a box only to be told I would be better off buying in cups. I was also told by an emplyee that the ordering process for the PAB wall pieces has changed. In the past there was a spreadsheet with the available pieces and each store would order their own boxes for stock. Some stores were more proactive with their ordering and always have a great selection, others like my local store in Pleasanton, have hardly any selection. Now TLG is auto shipping the boxes and the stores just get what they get. Might be better for my local store but maybe not so good for others.

I believe that is only for the cubbies with the new "new" and "Good for LEGO City/STAR WARS" tags on them. Apparently those bricks should be in stock for a 2 months or so befire the brick is replaced by another piece.

Edited April 15, 2014 by legoman19892

[Faefrost]

The selections have definitely changed, and seem more geared for a kid to be able to build something. A much wider variety of wheels and windshields. Plates etc. with suggestions for pieces that would be good for City or Star Wars type builds. The parts in the bins near me seemed a little more cohesive. More "unusual but useful" and less "exotic but cool types".

[Mister Phes]

i live in turkey and sadly narrow minded turkish people think lego is for babies so turkey doesn't have a Lego store..

Don't the Turkish LEGO boxes have the warning where it says LEGO is not suitable for children under 3 years of age because it might be a potential choking hazard?

[fred67]

I have tried many times at my local store to buy a box only to be told I would be better off buying in cups.

Only if you don't value your time. You could pack a box of 2x4s into 4 cups (if I'm not mistaken on the packing "record"), but how long do you need to stand there and put nearly 700 bricks together? All the while I'm being nagged by employees "can I help you?" and obnoxious kids running around, taking out handfuls of parts and just dropping them or putting them back into the wrong bins...

I guess $70 to $100 is a huge enough increase that packing cups is more worth it now... that's disappointing. I may get like an hour at the store at any given time... and that's maybe once a month. That's just not enough.

[talos]

I was at the Disneyland LEGO store last week, and wanted to fill a large cup, but could only find the small cups. I asked and they said they only had the smalls, but I would get a discount on two small cups, I think he said 50 cents off..or something. I didn't think that was a good deal, I think you can fit more into one large cup versus 2 smalls. I think because that store gets super packed with people, they decided to just have small cups. There were a lot of bricks on the floor. I went back a second time in the early morning and the crowds were not there yet, and it was a great store to visit.

[TheLegoDr]

^I thought two small cups would actually hold more than the large cup because they aren't tapered like the large cups. So by stacking two small cups on top of each other would actually hold more contents since it would be the same size at the top and bottom, unlike the large cup that is smaller at the bottom and tapers out on the way up...

[BirdOPrey5]

Someone needs to fill them with liquid and find out how the volume of two small cups compares to one large. I have neither.

[talos]

^ I took a photo of them together. I guess it would depend on how long the pieces you are buying and other variables, but you can see the comparison in the photo. That darn indentation on the bottom takes a chunk of space out of both sizes.... The tall cup is narrower at the bottom, but taller than two of the small cups stacked. There is also a fine art to packing them, if you want to get maximum value from your purchase....

[rockethead26]

Just measured the volumes of the two cups:

Large: 950 ml

Small: 500 ml

It's a bit deceiving, isn't it?

Edit: I should have stated that the volume measured does not include the lids.

Edited August 28, 2014 by rockethead26

[Modelmaker]

Does the stud not make up for the dimple?

[AKSamurai]

This is terrible. My local lego store has also increased in price.

[splatman]

At every L Store I've shopped*, the lid only needs to touch the cup's rim. That said, you get 2x the volume of 1 lid with 2 small cups. That makes 2 smalls a slightly better deal than 1 large. Even better if you pack those bricks in there like Pick-A-Brick. (My expression for stacking bricks to get the most brick for the buck. Instead of that Sardine expression.)

*Bellevue, Wa, Tigard, Oregon, and Downtown Disney Anaheim. Any exceptions?

Edited August 28, 2014 by splatman

[(1)Stein]

I guess the christmas pick-a-brick box has also been killed, used to get one with €55 purchase now no more. I got 24 last year and it took me 6 trips to the store to fill them all.

Guess TLG doesn't need to do much promotion anymore, thats ok I have taken up more expensive hobbies anyway!

[brickbuilder711]

It is a shame. Probably because the parts aren't all lousy anymore.

[brckgrl]

Anyone know which stores in US or CAN still offer by the box?