Toys R Us and LEGO Pricing

I suppose this can’t go unmentioned, but I find it “interesting” as to how Toys R Us prices their LEGO. They typically price their sets higher than MSRP prices. So a $40 set at Target, Amazon, LEGO Store and everywhere else, will likely be $45 at Toys R Us.

This gets much worse as the holidays approach. If you watch LEGO prices at Toys R Us from September thru December, you will see a steady increase in prices. For some sets, the pricing is more extreme than others. This is also the season that Toys R Us offers it’s most extreme sales and rewards.

As a collector, I certainly can’t complain. I am aware of the price differences, and can make my purchases accordingly. But sometimes I get bummed that a parent or grandparent ends up spending 50% more on a regular LEGO set simply because they bought it at Toys R Us. They are unaware that they could save a lot of money, just by shopping down the street at Target.

I went into Toys R Us today to use up $25 of “Rewards Dollars” they had given me. Yes, this is a nice bonus about shopping at Toys R Us during the holidays. Let’s take a look at some of the prices.

I was surprised to find two of the new Super Heroes sets in stock, especially since Toys R Us currently has a sale: $10 off a $50 purchase. This was the last Dynamic Duo Funhouse Escape, which I picked up. MSRP is $40, Toys R Us is charging $45, not as bad as I expected:
Toys R Us and LEGO Pricing

They had about five Batcave’s in stock too, but they were charging $20 more than MSRP at $90. So even after the sale discount, you are still paying $10 more than MSRP:
Toys R Us and LEGO Pricing

One of the more shocking price increases is the Harry Potter Quidditch Match. It retails everywhere else for $20, but Toys R Us kept raising the price from Sept to Dec, ending up at $38. That’s almost double what you would pay anywhere else:
Toys R Us and LEGO Pricing

Here is a set that Wal-Mart just sold for $5.90 in their great 50% off sale, and has been available everywhere for regular price of $12. At Toys R Us, they had TONS in stock for $17.
Toys R Us and LEGO Pricing

They had many of the new City sets in stock, most at a little above retail – usually a $5 price bump:
Toys R Us and LEGO Pricing

Toys R Us and LEGO Pricing

Another Harry Potter price bump: adding $15 dollars to MSRP of Hagrid’s Hutt:
Toys R Us and LEGO Pricing

For Hogwart’s Castle they added $20. At $150 they still have it in stock when many others are sold out:
Toys R Us and LEGO Pricing

They still have a whole bunch of Mill Village Raids even as others sell out. $10 price premium here.
Toys R Us and LEGO Pricing

They had one Hillside House in stock at $10 more than you can get it elsewhere.
Toys R Us and LEGO Pricing

Apple Tree House and Log Cabin:
Toys R Us and LEGO Pricing

I have seen this Tower Bridge sit on the shelf for weeks now. They actually created a sticker for it. No price premium but the box is now developing a sizable whole in the bottom left corner, in addition to the other damage that is hard to see in this photo:
Toys R Us and LEGO Pricing

The new ambulance set:
Toys R Us and LEGO Pricing

A $17 premium on Fire plane which should retail for $60:
Toys R Us and LEGO Pricing

Heavy-Duty Helicopter had a 20% price increase:
Toys R Us and LEGO Pricing

A mere $5 price increase for Robber’s Hideout:
Toys R Us and LEGO Pricing

I don’t remember seeing these before – some kind of special edition card in a “custom made” display stand:
Toys R Us and LEGO Pricing

In the end, I bought the Super Heroes Fun House along with Ninjago Venomari Shrine set #9440 in order to reach the $50 threshold for the discount.

Thanks!

4 thoughts on “Toys R Us and LEGO Pricing”

  1. Wish my TRU was that well stocked.u00a0 I was hoping to find the Robber’s hideout, even with a $5 markup I would have jumped on that one since I think it is exlusive to TRU (and LEGO of course).u00a0 The Hillside House is also a TRU exclusive (other than buying direct from LEGO).u00a0 I tried reporting these TRU pricing practices to my state’s Department of Commerce, since marking up the price and then claiming it is a BOGO50% off sale is a bit shady, but alas it went nowhere since they just sent a letter to the local store rather than actually look into the matter themselves.u00a0 That’s the only way this stuff will stop happening – because clearly people are buying the stuff at these prices judging by the bare shelves.

    1. Yes, I got lucky with all the sets they had available. And I agree – as long as we all keep frequenting TRU, we give them no incentive to not try these pricing practices.u00a0

  2. TRU is INCREDIBLY unbending when it comes to discounting Internet returns. I went to one of the skankiest TRU’s in the world a few years ago – I call it “The Store Where Legos Go To Die” because nothing ever sells there and you can find discontinued stuff from forever ago – and stuck on top of a display about 10 feet off the ground in the video games section no less was a Lego Death Star. It was beat all to heck and had even been obviously opened. I tried like heck on a few occasions to get the manager to give me some sort of a break on it, and he kept telling me he had no leeway to do so. My favorite part was when i pointed out to him that it’d been opened and was probably missing minifigures and other parts – he happily told me that if it was missing anything I could just call Lego and they’d send me all new parts! Can you imagine that call? “Uhh..hi. I just bought a new Death Star and need 14 minifigures replaced, please?”

    1. Classic. For most of these big chain stores, there are unending rules for manager to follow. Yes, they can break rules or set their own – but often, they don’t want to the trouble of making exceptions.

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