Caveat: I'm in the Northeastern section of the United States so these tips will not apply to everyone.
Step One: Join the Toys'n'Bricks forum. These people are serious bargain hunters and they talk about sales and availability of Lego sets constantly. Don't be a leech! Contribute where you can and let people know your location when you post about finding a deal.
Step Two: Figure out which stores in your area carry discounted Lego sets. Target and Walmart are two stores in my area that put Lego on clearance on a regular basis. Marshalls and T.J. Maxx are two more in my area that both carry a limited amount of older/discontinued of Lego.
Step Three: Keep your eyes open. You have to visit stores on a fairly regular basis. Get to know their stock. Understand when things get rotated into clearance.
Step Four: Know when the big clearance "seasons" are. Just after Christmas is always good for getting deals, especially at the Lego store. Target has a summer clearance session.
Step Five: Watch out for stores that are moving locations or remodeling. Companies don't like to transport a lot of stock between locations when they move, they also like having room for remodeling so this leads to stock being discounted or clearanced to accomplish these goals.
Step Six: Be careful. A lot of stores initially put items on "clearance" at regular prices. Be willing to wait until the prices drop. Also, be willing to wait for prices to drop below the $0.10/piece "golden ratio".
Step Seven: I've found -- through personal experience -- that if something is a good deal, I want it, and I don't buy it, it will not be there when I go back later. Don't be afraid to pull the trigger on a purchase.
Good luck and good hunting!
Definitely Step Seven. Most of the big retailers will still let you return it later, EVEN IF IT'S CLEARANCE. I've lost out on some good sets because I waited to long.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the tips, I have far too many regrets for not buying a set the first time I saw it on clearance.
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