Target - Summer Clearance

[echobanzai]

you know im a long time collector. in the 90's Kay Bee Toys was SUED because they would raise the prices, then put the toys on 'clearance' back to the MSRP. kay bee lost and had to put the entire store on 30% discount or something like that. i remember buying transformers all on true clearance during this sale.

the courts ruled in the favor of the people, so they forced kaybee to have a nationwide sale.

20 years later, we live in a corp0rate facizm now. so i am not sure a court would uphold this former action.

but the fact TRU and Target are now both 'raising' the prices then 'clearancing' them back down is a total scam. whenever i see parents buying overpriced legos, i tell them to join this website and to be a patient collector, to wait for the eventual sale which comes every few weeks.

i cannot believe what these corp0rations do these days, and what they get away with.

[NefariousNinja]

Usually towards the end of the month there are markdowns and halfway through the month additional markdowns. That seems to be roughly how the retail stores I've worked at function.

[wilykat]

Would need someone who works inside TRU or Target that can check the MSRP and compare to clearance sale price, then blow whistle to get lawsuit started.

There's always the risk of getting fired for blabbing to the public but many people who were fired have won whistleblower lawsuit, which means getting enough money to live off for a while until you can get new job.

[dho7622u]

My favorite today: Stopped at one of the local Targets in Warwick (we have two less than a mile from each other-odd.) I checked a HP Hogwarts small set. They had been marked up to 50.98 or something like that recently. They weren't on clearance, but were back to retail:49.98

These things drive me nuts.

They did have a lot of the Star Wars with clearance tags, but in the 20 to 30 range. All in their original spots.

Did find a random Sponge Bob: Krusty Krab Adventures for 12 bucks.

[Deathleech]

Anyone notice any of the Dino sets on clearance yet? I was at my local Target yesterday and saw a clearance tag near 2 of the Batman sets (one was the Funhouse I believe), but that was it. I will have to go back and check it out more closely.

[Max Power]

Anyone notice any of the Dino sets on clearance yet? I was at my local Target yesterday and saw a clearance tag near 2 of the Batman sets (one was the Funhouse I believe), but that was it. I will have to go back and check it out more closely.

Isn't the funhouse TRU exclusive?

[Cimmerian]

Nothing clearances at the Targets here. I'll have to keep checking, still haven't got a bunch of the SW sets.

[dilbert12]

Would need someone who works inside TRU or Target that can check the MSRP and compare to clearance sale price, then blow whistle to get lawsuit started.

There's always the risk of getting fired for blabbing to the public but many people who were fired have won whistleblower lawsuit, which means getting enough money to live off for a while until you can get new job.

It's easy for consumers nowadays. MSRP is well known and is set by LEGO. Brickset website is very good at putting the MSRP prices. All a consumer has to do is take photos or videos with a way to validate date taken. When clearance comes up, check the "non-sale price" and the clearance price. Document a history/trend and that should be good. Of course if it's sporadic and not across all sets, I don't think it's much of a case.

I always check brickset or use Amazon scanner before I buy a set. Almost never pay above MSRP. Usually via Amazon, Barnes and Nobles, LEGO store discounts, clearances, and ToysNBricks sale updates I usually pay under MSRP.

[nearlygod]

Just got back from Target, and it looks like their usual summer clearance has begun. Everything 30% off, but YMMV of course. I saw the Lighthouse, Witch Doctor, half the Cars 2 stuff, all Alien Conquest, and about half the Star Wars(Millennium Falcon, Republic Frigate, Podracers, etc).

Is the Millennium Falcon being discontinued? I can't imagine them clearancing an active set but if they are, I'll be grabbing another one.

[Deathleech]

Isn't the funhouse TRU exclusive?

No clue. If it is then it might of been the Batcave set I saw at Target. I honestly didn't pay much attention, I just noticed it
was a latger Batman Lego set.

[unclephn]

^ Yes, the Funhouse is a TRU exclusive. At a quick glance, it can easily be mistaken for the Batcave.

[just2good]

There was a lot of stuff on clearance at my Target (Coral Springs FL)! But some of it was inflated sets, so you weren't really getting a deal.



I really liked the City stuff on sale, though.

[SpaceNinjaDino]

Target is normally in line with MSRP. That's disheartening to hear they are starting to slip.

TRU is another story. They are criminal on the Lord of the Rings sets. I feel really bad for anyone suckered into paying $160 for Helm's Deep and $100 for Mines of Moria.

[Deathleech]

TRU has drastically reduced their prices, but they are still anywhere from a buck to ten bucks over priced. Their original prices were even more rediculous though, with some being almost 30% over MSRP.

[sonofgun1776]

General rule of thumb is that TRU is always about 10% over MSRP. That should help telling us how much we really save with their "awesome" deals.

[vman100]

Not too much at our local Target, but I didn't make it until this afternoon...picked up a SW bounty hunter gunship for $35, which was 30% off. Not bad. Most other stuff was only 15% off...primarily AC...

[vynsane]

Checked the Newburgh, NY Target. Not much on clearance as of yet, just the Bounty Hunter Gunship for $42 and change, and the Queen Anne's Revenge for $101. Interestingly enough they sort of swapped prices with the BP and QAR, with the BP now $119.99. Go figure...

[dho7622u]

Interestingly enough they sort of swapped prices with the BP and QAR, with the BP now $119.99. Go figure...

I thought I was having delusions when I saw the same thing at my local Target. Good to know...

david

[UnknownUser]

The Stevens Creek, CA Target has LITERALLY NOTHING on clearance. Boo.

[Mantisking]

I checked the Westborough, MA store last night. Two or three sets only. They're usually my go-to store for clearance, so I'll wait and see what develops.