Brand store to open at midnight on Black Friday
Posted by Huw,
The UK's flagship store in London's Leicester Square will be opening at midnight on Friday to enable you to purchase a 75313 AT-AT as soon as possible.
It's going to be a bit of a palaver to do so, though. To attend the event you first need to obtain a wristband -- of which there will be 200 available -- from the store on the Thursday from 10:30am. Once you have one you'll have to come back later to access the store between midnight to 2am, having queued outside for a lengthy period of time beforehand, no doubt.
Attendees will receive a currently unspecified 'special midnight opening gift' when purchasing the £700 AT-AT. It would be disappointing if it's just 40483 Luke Skywalker's Lightsaber which, we believe, will be available to buyers of the four-legged walker online during the BFCM weekend.
Presumably the store will have enough stock for everyone that attends, and hopefully some left over for people arriving at a more civilised time in the morning.
Temperatures are set to plummet to just above freezing on the Thursday night but if that doesn't put you off you can find out more about the event at LEGO.com.
Are you planning to attend? Will you be queueing outside your local brand store on Friday morning to buy the AT-AT?
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39 comments on this article
Are they a bit optimistic regarding the demand?
not really..
Yes really
Same thing will be organized at the Stockholm LEGO Store, but only 60 wristbands are available. Too bad if you have to work and can't go to the store at 10:30am.
Personally, I'm in the category ~250 euro max and still only if I have accomplished something significant so I feel justified to reward myself. This is about ~900 euro here so it's rather far beyond my limit.
Whilst these events can be fun and rewarding (I attended the Ideas Tron Legacy set launch in Leicester Square a few years back), I'm not up for a wait in the cold and missing the last train back home, but neither of those trump the fact that this is simply too expensive. ><
Hmmm.... So the store closes usually at 10pm and Lego say "Fans who have received a wristband are welcome to leave the store/queue and return to the store at midnight"
You're "welcome to" not *required to* leave? Maybe you can just stay in the store for two hours and play! ;-)
Since I would have to travel 733km, 350km of that water, to my closest Lego store, I would say it will be highly unlikely...
However, I want that AT-AT (I will just wait until it hits retail with a discount like the MF and ISD has).
And the last tubes go at…? Although I suppose if you have £700 to spend on the AT-AT the price of a taxi is just spare change…
I can see how it could be quite good fun, but it’s a shame that such an event is locked behind such a high spending threshold.
I discussed this with Mrs Nipper and she thought it was unlikely to have high attendance - I don’t think they’ll have any such problem. I see a wager likely!
Well, for a new Dots release, maybe. But for another overpriced box of grey bricks, just like the last overpriced box of grey bricks, nah!
I can't help but wonder why anyone would do that. It's a ridiculously overpriced LEGO set that in time will be available everywhere and for a nice discount too.
Why go to all that trouble just to have it a little earlier?
@AustinPowers said:
"I can't help but wonder why anyone would do that. It's a ridiculously overpriced LEGO set that in time will be available everywhere and for a nice discount too.
Why go to all that trouble just to have it a little earlier? "
I think it depends on your personality - I think it could be quite exciting if you have a playful mindset and plan it with a couple of other activities like going for a meal or to the cinema beforehand. And have a lot of money…
And don’t have work the next day…
If I was interested the weight of the box would put me off, parking is impossible unlike other London Lego stores and they post for free online anyway.
@AustinPowers said:
"I can't help but wonder why anyone would do that. It's a ridiculously overpriced LEGO set that in time will be available everywhere and for a nice discount too.
Why go to all that trouble just to have it a little earlier? "
As this is marked as an exclusive (at least in UK) , availability will be very limited outside of Lego.com and Lego stores, thus discounts are likely going to be hard to come by.
I have a bad feeling about this.
@DoonsterBuildsLego said:
" @AustinPowers said:
"I can't help but wonder why anyone would do that. It's a ridiculously overpriced LEGO set that in time will be available everywhere and for a nice discount too.
Why go to all that trouble just to have it a little earlier? "
As this is marked as an exclusive (at least in UK) , availability will be very limited outside of Lego.com and Lego stores, thus discounts are likely going to be hard to come by. "
75192 & 75252 have both been available at John Lewis with 15-20% discounts
@Jackthenipper said:
"And the last tubes go at…? Although I suppose if you have £700 to spend on the AT-AT the price of a taxi is just spare change…
I can see how it could be quite good fun, but it’s a shame that such an event is locked behind such a high spending threshold.
I discussed this with Mrs Nipper and she thought it was unlikely to have high attendance - I don’t think they’ll have any such problem. I see a wager likely!"
Nah take it on the Nightbus what could possibly go wrong!
@dbbunny said:
" @DoonsterBuildsLego said:
" @AustinPowers said:
"I can't help but wonder why anyone would do that. It's a ridiculously overpriced LEGO set that in time will be available everywhere and for a nice discount too.
Why go to all that trouble just to have it a little earlier? "
As this is marked as an exclusive (at least in UK) , availability will be very limited outside of Lego.com and Lego stores, thus discounts are likely going to be hard to come by. "
75192 & 75252 have both been available at John Lewis with 15-20% discounts"
Indeed. In time every set that was called "exclusive" in the beginning has been available elsewhere, and with proper discounts too.
There is zero reason to waste time, money and effort on this.
Plus, under current circumstances I wouldn't dream of going into a busy city and stand in line with other people, the health status of whom I have no clue about. But if you are willing to take that risk for some overpriced box full of plastic, go ahead.
So they are going to limit it to 200 wrist bands at midnight by making them available and possibly have more then 200 people try to get into the store at 10:30am?? Density limits in retail stores where I live only lifted recently, but even so I doubt a more boutique store like Lego wouldn't be able to let that many in at once anyway, so what happens to regular shoppers trying to go about their day when possibly 100's of overly eager Star Wars Lego fans all show up at once?
Sounds like it's going to be another Lego "exclusive" mess potentially!
@Jackthenipper said:
"And the last tubes go at…?"
00:39 from Leicester Square. It could be a bit tight (Especially with 200 giant box carriers jockeying for position on the escalators)!
@Squidy74H , Queuing to get into the Leicester Square Store is not unusual anyway. So they would just need to extend the queue at 10.30am when the wristbands become available.
Even if 200 turn up at once, the store will be able to cope. I was there on the store’s opening day (not the press/influencer preview the day before) and the queue was far greater than 200 people.
My worry would be when the wristbanded return for the midnight opening. If they have to queue again in 0C conditions, some could become hypothermic. AFOLs having to go to hospital is not the kind of publicity that LEGO needs.
@MainBricker said:
" @AustinPowers said:
"But if you are willing to take that risk for some overpriced box full of plastic, go ahead. "
Seems a bit hypocritical to be on a Lego site, complaining about an overpriced box full of plastic. When is Lego not an overpriced box full of plastic? This set is no different to any other Lego set in those regards."
You do realize that LEGO offers lots of sets that are tremendous value for money even at RRP?
This definitely isn't one of them.
@Cardinal_Brick said:
" @Jackthenipper said:
"And the last tubes go at…? Although I suppose if you have £700 to spend on the AT-AT the price of a taxi is just spare change…
I can see how it could be quite good fun, but it’s a shame that such an event is locked behind such a high spending threshold.
I discussed this with Mrs Nipper and she thought it was unlikely to have high attendance - I don’t think they’ll have any such problem. I see a wager likely!"
Nah take it on the Nightbus what could possibly go wrong!"
How well you know London!
Please can 200 people get a wrist band and then simply not bother to go back at midnight. Have the place full of staff all looking out of the windows wondering whats going on.... (I know its not their fault) Im sure there are a few high up execs in Lego with a £1 bet on as to what they can "get the fans to do next" Apart from the freezing conditions I assume this is also the heaviest set ever made?. So stand in the cold to get the most expensive set ever, and heaviest, with a chance the last tube has gone to get it a few days before you could get delivered to home, but you would miss out on the mystery gift?
Stand in line at 10:30AM then again at midnight. LOL What a joke! Like AFOL don't have a life! Scalpers will end up with most of those, since that's their job and they don't mind doing that!
BestBuy does something similar here. You go stand in line at 9PM or so on Thu, they walk around and hand out cards for what you are looking for. If they have a card you take one and leave, come back Friday anytime before 6PM and pick up the item. If they don't have a card that means the item is sold out, come back after 6PM on Friday and wait to see if anyone did not pick up their item. That way they do not inconvenience and/or exclude people that have to work on Friday!
@sjr60 said:
" @Jackthenipper said:
"And the last tubes go at…?"
00:39 from Leicester Square. It could be a bit tight (Especially with 200 giant box carriers jockeying for position on the escalators)!"
TFL just HAVE to play the Imperial March though as well!
Sounds like the wristband might be more collectable than the set.
@CCC said:
"They should make you jump through more hoops than that to prove you are worthy of buying their products at full price. Maybe something like having a tattoo that says LEG on your left butt cheek.
Still, I wonder what unused mint condition wristbands will sell for, both on the day so they can be used and afterwards."
You have to put the wristband on immediately, you cannot get it for someone else.
That logo is a bit strange. It's just the system version from last year, not the UCS.
Still a great set though, I recently got it with a heavy discount as it is the best system scale AT-AT yet and there is no way I can afford the UCS version any time soon. Still need to get the Falcon as well.
Palaver - I learned a new word, thank you! :)
Some people find these kinds of events . . . fun! It really has nothing to do with owning some object 10 hours before everyone else, and instead it's about finding community in a group of folks with similar interests. Don't feel sorry for anyone who chooses to participate - they are simply enjoying life.
@ForestMenOfEndor said:
"Some people find these kinds of events . . . fun! It really has nothing to do with owning some object 10 hours before everyone else, and instead it's about finding community in a group of folks with similar interests. Don't feel sorry for anyone who chooses to participate - they are simply enjoying life."
After a couple of hours at 0C, they may not find it all that enjoyable.
Idea: Show up in full Snowtrooper costume. Tell people that you heard it'd be a bit chilly, so you dressed appropriately.
@MainBricker said:
" @AustinPowers said:
"But if you are willing to take that risk for some overpriced box full of plastic, go ahead. "
Seems a bit hypocritical to be on a Lego site, complaining about an overpriced box full of plastic. When is Lego not an overpriced box full of plastic? This set is no different to any other Lego set in those regards."
Don't mind him, he's professionally miserable and will find something to complain about on every post.
As I recall, there was a similar event at this store for the launch of the UCS Falcon, and it was quite well attended. I see no reason why this wouldn’t be as well.
@Rob42 said:
"Don't mind him, he's professionally miserable and will find something to complain about on every post. "
On the contrary, I am quite a joyful person and not at all miserable.
I'm just not a non-discerning LEGO fanboy like some people. I have got enough good thinking left to realize when something isn't as positive as it's made out to be.
Also, before anyone tries to warm up the old argument of "if you hate LEGO why come to Brickset and post", you might not realize it but one can enjoy brick building and visiting a great website like Brickset without having to be a worshipper of a brand.
TLG is a profit oriented company intent on making as much money from their customers as possible (and there's nothing wrong with that per se). Also they are just one of countless manufacturers of bricks. Arguably of quite high quality overall, but certainly not quality leader anymore and most definitely not the leader in terms of value for money.
Nonetheless, I have been building LEGO sets for over four decades and have had much enjoyment doing so. No need to think I am in any way miserable just because I am critical of some things TLG does.
@SW_HP_Fan said:
"Palaver - I learned a new word, thank you! :)"
Strawberry palaver's the best......
Mystery gift is a DJ minifig
@mr_skinny:
Maybe a Hoth Han polybag?
@PurpleDave said:
" @mr_skinny:
Maybe a Hoth Han polybag?"
Well I got my band this morning and was told there is a special guest appearance in the store tonight from the Star Wars movie franchise. Hope it is someone good.
Who was it, and what was the special?