@MisterBrickster said:
" @Belboz said:
"I'm still new to this but why does TLG issue these GWPs so often? For me to hit the likely thresholds, I need to be looking to buy one of the bigger sets but I am getting to the stage where I am ahead of the releases and the bigger sets I'd like to buy haven't been issued by the time these GWPs are offered.

"

To get people to buy more and more often. They presumably work. If you're already planning to buy the bigger sets, they don't need to incentivise your purchase.

My advice is don't panic, if there's one you like, pick it up on eBay, the prices are usually pretty reasonable if you consider that it's limited availability. Much cheaper than buying sets you don't want just for a GWP."

I get the fact that they are there to make money but surely it would make more sense to issue a couple of bigger sets alongside new GWP offerings thereby enabling customers to reach the thresholds. I won't be buying any sets I don't want just to get this GWP but I am somewhat frustrated at the lack of releases when there are numerous sets I want to buy which are not due for release until later in the year.

Oh no, we couldn’t possibly print a tile with Fruit written on it. Oh no, we couldn’t possibly have stickers of fruit on tiles.

For me, too many GWPs don't entice me or even lead to FOMO, but on the contrary lead to oversaturation. Plus I don't have soo many expensive sets on my wanted list anyway.
The very few GWPs that actually do interest me I simply buy later via ebay or Bricklink. Since there are so many available the prices tend to be very reasonable.

@lost_scotsman said:
"Another excellent mini build that should be a standalone purchase. Please TLG, make these a line, not all of us can afford modular building after modular building but these would sell like hot cakes!"

I don't think these would sell like hot cakes. This would presumably be about £25 given the part count (making it about 7.5p per part). It is presumably easier to convince someone that they are getting a "free" item "worth £25" when spending full RRP on a larger purchase than it is to get someone to spend £25 on one of these.

@Belboz said:
"I'm still new to this but why does TLG issue these GWPs so often? For me to hit the likely thresholds, I need to be looking to buy one of the bigger sets but I am getting to the stage where I am ahead of the releases and the bigger sets I'd like to buy haven't been issued by the time these GWPs are offered.

"

Giving out free stuff works wonders for building consumer relations. Dedicated fans will buy more so that they get every GWP and irregular costumers get surprised by a freebie. Plus, in the retail stores, they get to do the "hey if you spend another 10 bucks we'll throw in this free set" trick leading again to more sales.

Personally I just incorporate the GWPs I want in the expensive sets I buy. I'm looking to pick up the hotel modular soon, which is plenty for even the expensive GWPs :)

@Ridgeheart said:
"Do these things sell? Just asking for a friend. Or a potential customer, anyway.

If you give me your money, I guess I can briefly call you 'friend'."

I’ll buy a good one on the secondary market every once in a while. I’d buy more if they were regular retail models. Much like all sets, if it’s good, you’ll get it, if it’s not, you won’t. If you want it because it is scarce, then you are not playing with Lego anymore.

@lost_scotsman said:
"Another excellent mini build that should be a standalone purchase. Please TLG, make these a line, not all of us can afford modular building after modular building but these would sell like hot cakes!"

Or perhaps you can try to build it with pieces from your collection or sourced from Lego or Bricklink (the cost would probably be much less than the high spending thresholds Lego imposes for this type of GWP nowadays). Other than the sticker, it seems there are no exclusive pieces. If you really want it with sticker and box included eBay or Bricklink can be options to get it, although I'm not sure about how expensive these sets can get there.

In my case, these little builds don't interest me. Show me a GWP with cool and exclusive minifgures and you'll get my attention.

Should have just made such builds in 3-in-1 line.

Right now those are just too small to be anything more then display, this does look fine, but rather would have had it as a normal set, few more bricks taller and you have a cute minifig shop building.

I know 31141 : Main Street exists currently, but I think selling smaller shops that look like this 31050: Corner Deli / 31105 : Townhouse Toy Store / 31131 : Downtown Noodle Shop is still more appealing then 1 mega-set , in the case of 31141 is rather shallow interior wise for the price, while the previous standalone shops are cheaper, which with multiple sets still would get you 3 official shops for about the same price.

Flower Store, Fruit Store… what will the next ones be? I'm betting on Book Store. I wish there could be a Meat Store, but that would offend the vegetarian customers…

I wish those models could be turned into Modular Buildings, but that is unlikely. As they are right now, those GWPs are not interesting enough to encourage me to buy on Shop at Home…

Interesting that it doesn't seem to have an alternate sign like 40680 did.

@Belboz said:
" @MisterBrickster said:
" @Belboz said:
"I'm still new to this but why does TLG issue these GWPs so often? For me to hit the likely thresholds, I need to be looking to buy one of the bigger sets but I am getting to the stage where I am ahead of the releases and the bigger sets I'd like to buy haven't been issued by the time these GWPs are offered.

"

To get people to buy more and more often. They presumably work. If you're already planning to buy the bigger sets, they don't need to incentivise your purchase.

My advice is don't panic, if there's one you like, pick it up on eBay, the prices are usually pretty reasonable if you consider that it's limited availability. Much cheaper than buying sets you don't want just for a GWP."

I get the fact that they are there to make money but surely it would make more sense to issue a couple of bigger sets alongside new GWP offerings thereby enabling customers to reach the thresholds. I won't be buying any sets I don't want just to get this GWP but I am somewhat frustrated at the lack of releases when there are numerous sets I want to buy which are not due for release until later in the year.

"

This is how they boost sales of smaller sets too; you can't have a gwp for a small set.. and any set (except exclusives) can easily be found 20% cheaper on Amazon or somewhere else if you can wait and not buy on release so this is lego's attempt of justifying their constant full price sets because a 5% in insider points can't match a 20% discount

I really want this as a minifigure scale size

@Ridgeheart said:
"Do these things sell? Just asking for a friend. Or a potential customer, anyway.

If you give me your money, I guess I can briefly call you 'friend'."

Sold 1 40680 for € 27,50 still have 2 lying around waitijng for a new owner.

@HOBBES said:
" @CCC said:
" @lost_scotsman said:
"Another excellent mini build that should be a standalone purchase. Please TLG, make these a line, not all of us can afford modular building after modular building but these would sell like hot cakes!"

I don't think these would sell like hot cakes. This would presumably be about £25 given the part count (making it about 7.5p per part). It is presumably easier to convince someone that they are getting a "free" item "worth £25" when spending full RRP on a larger purchase than it is to get someone to spend £25 on one of these."

I would certainly not pay CAD$25 for that (let alone 25 pounds). Obviously I'm not the target demographics for this.

In 2023 I got 19 GWps; in 2022 I got 17 GWPs. This year(2024), with not quite a third of the year done, I got 3 so far (40611 , 40681 , 40712 ) - which would be 9 on an annualized basis. It seems that Lego has stopped catering to my tastes and far from being a complaint, I am realizing this is a great turn of events. No fomo, no need to be up at midnight to deal with a deeply flawed website, etc. Lego expenses have dropped considerably and I'm loving it. As mentioned above, it comes a time that saturation sets in. Lots of great sets are coming out every so often but they still lose their appeal due to the sheer number of releases."

I'm sorry, did you say 19??!?!? :O

@essel said:
"(...)I wish there could be a Meat Store, but that would offend the vegetarian customers…
(...)"
You "WISH"?

Mate, the feeling isn't offence, it's pity.

(Yeah, I know; they'll tell you.)

@lost_scotsman said:
"Another excellent mini build that should be a standalone purchase. Please TLG, make these a line, not all of us can afford modular building after modular building but these would sell like hot cakes!"

They could sell a $20 set, or make a $20 set and use it to sell $200 worth of other sets. I gotta tell ya, that’s not a difficult choice. It just doesn’t make sense

@essel said:
"Flower Store, Fruit Store… what will the next ones be? I'm betting on Book Store. I wish there could be a Meat Store, but that would offend the vegetarian customers…
"

If you don't add the sticker and you replace the few food parts with sausages and maybe some T-bone steak parts, this can be a butcher's shop.

@DaLegoNerd1 said:
" @HOBBES said:
" @CCC said:
" @lost_scotsman said:
"Another excellent mini build that should be a standalone purchase. Please TLG, make these a line, not all of us can afford modular building after modular building but these would sell like hot cakes!"

I don't think these would sell like hot cakes. This would presumably be about £25 given the part count (making it about 7.5p per part). It is presumably easier to convince someone that they are getting a "free" item "worth £25" when spending full RRP on a larger purchase than it is to get someone to spend £25 on one of these."

I would certainly not pay CAD$25 for that (let alone 25 pounds). Obviously I'm not the target demographics for this.

In 2023 I got 19 GWps; in 2022 I got 17 GWPs. This year(2024), with not quite a third of the year done, I got 3 so far ( 40611 , 40681 , 40712 ) - which would be 9 on an annualized basis. It seems that Lego has stopped catering to my tastes and far from being a complaint, I am realizing this is a great turn of events. No fomo, no need to be up at midnight to deal with a deeply flawed website, etc. Lego expenses have dropped considerably and I'm loving it. As mentioned above, it comes a time that saturation sets in. Lots of great sets are coming out every so often but they still lose their appeal due to the sheer number of releases."

I'm sorry, did you say 19??!?!? :O"

Yes, in 2023 I got 19 in total. There are a few where I got two (but that still mean I had to meet the threshold twice and I guess I did not mind spending that much money to get twice the same thing). I got two of: 40595, 40597, 40608, 40609. All the other ones I got one of each.

It's cute. Not worth spending major bucks to get. If you have tons of loose pieces (I Do!), just get the instructions & build away! Adds more fun, especially on this micro scale. I'm already working on my own bldgs now that I have a scale. Thinking about recreating all of my expensive modulars to this scale. Will certainly save space & $$$. Now maybe I can build/get/afford the 1st 2 modulars. Cafe Corner & Green Grocery (not as many/expensive green pcs)!!!!

@Belboz said:
"I'm still new to this but why does TLG issue these GWPs so often? For me to hit the likely thresholds, I need to be looking to buy one of the bigger sets but I am getting to the stage where I am ahead of the releases and the bigger sets I'd like to buy haven't been issued by the time these GWPs are offered.

"

Just ignore the GWP. If you buy a set an get one - great. If not, and you really want it you can buy one aftermarket. 99.99% of the people just sell or keep the GWP sealed, hardly anyone actually build these. TLG will show the value of it, you can buy a set, get the GWP, return the set without the GWP and they will deduct the value of it from your purchase. You might get a store credit and not full refund depends on the store.

Yeah, it's all becoming a bit too much.

Has Lego jumped the shark?

@StyleCounselor said:
"Yeah, it's all becoming a bit too much.

Has Lego jumped the shark?"

Not even close, really, it’s a very doable amount

Oh, you were talking about collecting everything.

That’s never been doable.

@fakespacesquid said:
" @StyleCounselor said:
"Yeah, it's all becoming a bit too much.

Has Lego jumped the shark?"

Not even close, really, it’s a very doable amount

Oh, you were talking about collecting everything.

That’s never been doable."

Well, I used to love GWPs. I suppose, like many of the others, I'm just not into the micro-houses.

I do like the Ninjago ones.

A very sweet little micro-build freeby. Was hoping it might overlap the end of the Flower Trellis, but now looking like it might follow straight after. Could be time for the Natural History Museum or the Medieval Town Square!

I get all the economic/marketing ploys and the sage advice offered by all you long-standing members but I still cannot see the logic in offering GWPs every few weeks when there aren't the releases to reach the thresholds.

I would like this GWP - essentially because I have the first one and therefore I HAVE to have the set (!!) and I would happily buy a big set to reach the threshold and get the GWP free. TLG would thus get at least £180 of sales. BUT...

There are no larger sets I want currently on release so TLG loses at least £180 of sales and I go to Bricklink or fleabay for the GWP.

Point I am trying to make is that if TLG issued GWPs in line with releases of sets which reach or exceed the threshold, they would get more sales from me - and perhaps others too.

But that's just my humble opinion.

@elangab said:
" @Belboz said:
"I'm still new to this but why does TLG issue these GWPs so often? For me to hit the likely thresholds, I need to be looking to buy one of the bigger sets but I am getting to the stage where I am ahead of the releases and the bigger sets I'd like to buy haven't been issued by the time these GWPs are offered.

"

Just ignore the GWP. If you buy a set an get one - great. If not, and you really want it you can buy one aftermarket. 99.99% of the people just sell or keep the GWP sealed, hardly anyone actually build these. TLG will show the value of it, you can buy a set, get the GWP, return the set without the GWP and they will deduct the value of it from your purchase. You might get a store credit and not full refund depends on the store."

So you think that just 1 in 10000 people that get one of these sets with a purchase actually build it? If they are that unpopular, why do people buy them on the secondary market?

Definitely the most a-peel-ing of these sets so far. Not enough to get one, but I definitely like the way it looks.

@Belboz said:
"I get all the economic/marketing ploys and the sage advice offered by all you long-standing members but I still cannot see the logic in offering GWPs every few weeks when there aren't the releases to reach the thresholds.

I would like this GWP - essentially because I have the first one and therefore I HAVE to have the set (!!) and I would happily buy a big set to reach the threshold and get the GWP free. TLG would thus get at least £180 of sales. BUT...

There are no larger sets I want currently on release so TLG loses at least £180 of sales and I go to Bricklink or fleabay for the GWP.

Point I am trying to make is that if TLG issued GWPs in line with releases of sets which reach or exceed the threshold, they would get more sales from me - and perhaps others too.

But that's just my humble opinion.

"

When I go for a GWP with a high threshold, it's fairly rare for me to buy big sets (10320 is an exception because 40597 was just such an appropriate set to get with it), I usually buy enough smaller sets to clear the bar.

@CCC said:
"So you think that just 1 in 10000 people that get one of these sets with a purchase actually build it? If they are that unpopular, why do people buy them on the secondary market?"

Yes, I do find that. I find that most people either throw them to the kid's Lego pile or keep them sealed. People buy them because of FOMO and the limited edition appeal.

Do you honestly think many will buy this Microscale toy shop? It looks like a set from Miniso.

@Belboz said:
"I get all the economic/marketing ploys and the sage advice offered by all you long-standing members but I still cannot see the logic in offering GWPs every few weeks when there aren't the releases to reach the thresholds.

I would like this GWP - essentially because I have the first one and therefore I HAVE to have the set (!!) and I would happily buy a big set to reach the threshold and get the GWP free. TLG would thus get at least £180 of sales. BUT...

There are no larger sets I want currently on release so TLG loses at least £180 of sales and I go to Bricklink or fleabay for the GWP.

Point I am trying to make is that if TLG issued GWPs in line with releases of sets which reach or exceed the threshold, they would get more sales from me - and perhaps others too.

But that's just my humble opinion.

"

You’ve already bought all the sets you want. The purpose of the gwp is to get you to buy other sets. Works for some folks, doesn’t work on everybody. As has been pointed out, a lot of folks will buy on day 1, so there’s very little reason to offer GWPs at that point.

If you’ve already bought everything you want, unrelated to the gwp releases….then you’ve already bought everything. They don’t need to market to you, or sweeten the deal.

@Belboz said:
"I get all the economic/marketing ploys and the sage advice offered by all you long-standing members but I still cannot see the logic in offering GWPs every few weeks when there aren't the releases to reach the thresholds.

I would like this GWP - essentially because I have the first one and therefore I HAVE to have the set (!!) and I would happily buy a big set to reach the threshold and get the GWP free. TLG would thus get at least £180 of sales. BUT...

There are no larger sets I want currently on release so TLG loses at least £180 of sales and I go to Bricklink or fleabay for the GWP.

Point I am trying to make is that if TLG issued GWPs in line with releases of sets which reach or exceed the threshold, they would get more sales from me - and perhaps others too.

But that's just my humble opinion.

"

My guess (Just to reiterate, my day job involves obsessing over footfall and daily KPIs) would be that the object is to offer frequent high-threshold GWPs not because you expect everyone to stretch their spend to get them, but because most people won't want every GWP. So you create more opportunities to upsell them on sets of middling to high value.

That's for regular customers. In the case of infrequent customers, particularly those who only ever buy Lego as a gift for someone, you're creating regular opportunities to upsell the birthday present crowd. They won't know or really care very much whether there was another GWP earlier this month, OR one set to release next month. It's not relevant to their shop

@fakespacesquid said:

The purpose of the gwp is to get you to buy other sets. Works for some folks, doesn’t work on everybody. As has been pointed out, a lot of folks will buy on day 1, so there’s very little reason to offer GWPs at that point.

If you’ve already bought everything you want, unrelated to the gwp releases….then you’ve already bought everything. They don’t need to market to you, or sweeten the deal.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Yep - I see that the GWPs are there to get me to buy more sets but the point I am trying to make is that IMHO they're not releasing enough of them in line with their GWPs release. If TLG think I'll buy sets I have no interest in just to get a GWP then they're sadly mistaken. On the other hand, were they to release one or two of the bigger sets each time, I'd be happy to buy.

If you look at the recent crop of larger set issues this year, there are only about half a dozen larger sets thus far and AFAIK there have been more seasonal/promotional sets than that.

Anyhoo....thank to everyone for their input. This is a great site to be part of.