Or are Lego taking the piss?

[trashcanjunkie]

Ds has asked for a medium sized Lego Star Wars set for one of his Christmas presents. It's not his 'main' present, just a stocking filler.... Except it looks like anything above a squiddly little thing is coming in around the forty quid mark. I mean.... it's plastic ffs! I wanted to spend around half that amount. There was a couple of things on the Smyths website for twenty quid - a Jedi interceptor - but they've sold out nationwide, and are on Amazon for twice the price. I'm aware that's not Lego's fault, but I feel a bit humped by the whole thing. Either I disappoint ds with no Lego, a small Lego thing, or shell out £25 for the next size up thing, which is already low stock.

Aargh. Rant over. I'll almost be grateful to be told aibu. Then it'll be me being a nobhead, and I'll wind my neck in.

You can't beat Lego for Quality of manufacture and design of the kits. However I too loved the open sets.

Am sitting on a huge box of lego with several sets through it and need to sell it, plus some silvanian stuff. The Lego was all new but the other stuff second hand so expensive new

I can remember getting the kitchen when I was a kid in the 70's, a few bits remain but very well played with - for nostalgia's sake I bought a set of ebay a while back. Its packed up in the loft so may get that out and sell it as well.

It is expensive but no other toy gets so well used by ds as lego. It also keeps some value if you want to sell it on when older. Although I can't see us getting rid of it anytime soon.

Do you have clubcard points? I've doubled up some tesco vouchers to buy lego this year.

Lego-mad DS just finished making this tonight, Durham Cathedral! DH is going to try adding some tiny led's inside.
Love lego

row It must be the boy's toy of choice this Christmas. DH has the same Merc Benz while I treated myself to the Dr Who set before it sold out.

I was lucky as my dsis lives in the us at the mo so got some when our parents went out to visit and they bought it back in their suitcase - got the 2 big sets and a medium for £70 that would have been twice that and the lego avengers tower for £35 when it's £60 here.

I have got an extra special set for ds' bday though - the ewok village is £200 in smyths at the mo - am so excited to give it to him - the box is massive and it comes with 16 figures eeeeeeeeekk!

ps the mini star wars vehicles/ships were reduced from £8.99 to £5.99 in sainsburys recently

Nice Vindscreen, dh (46) is currently building a scale model of Ewloe castle, its very therapeutic apparently. He gets bricks from Bricklink, but almost £100 in and still not enough to finish the main keep yet, mind you the final castle will probably completely fill the dining table
It's colonised with crocodiles and sharks at the moment -I'm going to have to have a word with DS...

Love Lego.

RB68 I had that kitchen set ...I loved it...just at a look on ebay and I could get one for £50ish - I have already bought my present from DP for myself -or I'd have it. Now trying to wriggle with DCs presents so I can get it 'for' one of them
(and the nice sensible chunky red bricks ....)

Oh maddening that's exciting. We have all admired the ewok village. Out of our price range unfortunately. Your DS will be so pleased.

We've got the Avengers Helicarrier in a box under our Christmas tree at the moment. $500 for plastic bricks was enough to make me cry but it's a family present that we were able to pay off in store over 3 months.

once its built it'll never be played with but will be sat on top of a (yet to be bought!) sideboard in the 'comic book room'.

Lego is great, in that it's for all ages, but damn it's expensive.

A big discount on a big expensive set for Batman fans:

www.smythstoys.com/uk/en-gb/toys/lego-bricks/c-868/lego-dc-comics-super-heroes/p-10691/lego-dc-comics-super-heroes-batman-the-tumbler-76023/

YANBU, it's very expensive considering how popular it is. The thing is, it wasn't meant to be a main present but perhaps it now needs to be. Lego is far too expensive as a stocking filler even though it's perfect. Maybe DS is a bit young to have to either go without or have a tiny present as his main gift - I liked the voucher idea though, you could make him a voucher and then he could put pocket money/Christmas money towards it to make up the cost. That way if its not a main present he won't miss it too much on the day and will have the anticipation of it, but you won't have the immediate issue of the cost to deal with.

needtobebetter you've hit the nail on the head exactly there. It is perfect as a stocking filler but too expensive.

I am sickened by the fact this thread is rapidly becoming a bloody Lego appreciation society.....

YABU.
Yes, the branded stuff is very expensive but Lego itself is great.
I buy my boy a mix of the little boxes of things like Lego creator plus little boxes of the Star Wars and ninjago stuff. He will follow the instructions once but then go and build all sorts of inventions of his own. It combines creative play and constructions. It's the only toy that gets consistently played with, everything else is just passing fads.

My 4yo wants the biggest jurassic world lego set he's mad on it he and his dad have been building all the other bits it's on the top of his Xmas list it's also £100!!!!! Of course it's sold out everywhere and has been for 6weeks plus and so we've had to get it off eBay for £120 at least with free postage.

It does have 1000+ pieces in it but still

You don't HAVE to buy it! My boy knows Santa only has so much room in his sleigh so is sensible about what he asks for!

Not rtft but if it makes you feel any better lego is one of the few toys that holds its value... the star wars sets in particular will generally increase in value if you keep the box (I say looking at the lego star destoryer in the corner that's now worth twice what we paid for it).

Another Lego loving household here for many of the reasons PPs have said.
DS 5 has become obsessed over the past few months and really adores it. He has joined a Lego club at school that I go along to with him (has to take a parent/grown up). His Christmas list consists of Lego Dimensions, a Star Wars toothbrush and a Lego Chima Gorrila Beast. Lego does have a big price tag attached but I have found some great bargains while shopping around and my sister works in a well known toy retailer so I get some great discounts and deals through her.
DS imagination runs wild with it and I'm genuinely impressed with some of the creations he comes up with.
We build the sets from instructions and then he'll swap and change and make alsorts.
I recently got him a Lego mixels pack for just £3 and I was really impressed, great as a stocking filler or small gift.
I used my club card boost for Lego dimensions too so I haven't had to shell out £80 for it although I would have done if I hadn't have had the boost vouchers as that's the main thing he really wants
And that saving has helped me to buy him some new sets as a surprise.
My bro loves to buy wonderful gifts for my two and this year has bought a Ninjago set that cost over an eye watering £100 mark. Now I could never afford to do that but I have bought sets up to the £40 mark but used discount on top.
The amount of time my son spends playing and how many years to come he'll love it makes it great value for me.
If you have a hunt round there are some deals to be found.
I hate the situation of demand hiking up prices though and the possibly of a disappointed child as demand is so high you can't get hold of the specific set your child wants.
My DS is keen on a lot of discontinued sets that are a fortune online. I always get outbid!
The only thing I dislike about Lego except the pain caused by standing in them is how the figures for Lego friends have been altered and are not true Lego mini figures, I found that really disappointing.

Lego lovers here. When my DS1 was 4 or 5 we got a load of Star Wars lego on eBay. Just waited until sets came up at the right price. We didn't need the boxes, and any missing bits can be bought easily, and some are even free directly from Lego. We didn't get all the star mini-figures with sets, but that made them a lot cheaper! I think we got about five sets for about £40, which was a LOT of lovely Lego.

I spent £160 on the Lego website this week.

It is amazing quality and will last forever, but it's eyewatering.