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Hi to the UK!
I am traveling to the UK in September, and would like to include a bit of lego
shopping. Unfortunatly infomation is a bit light, so I wonder if anyone here
could help with a few queries?
Which of the Pick-A-Brick Lego stores has the largest range of pieces?
How is PaB priced?
Do they do duty-free?
I'm mostly interested in the Pick-A-Brick service, as we poor Australians do not
have this yet. A good collection of sets would also rate highly.
I'm looking to spend around UK$800+ (Pounds), but unfortunatly I only have about
1 day for shopping, so any help here would be greatly appreciated!
Thanks in advance,
Chris.
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In lugnet.loc.uk, Chris Orchard wrote:
> Hi to the UK!
>
> I am traveling to the UK in September, and would like to include a bit of lego
> shopping. Unfortunatly infomation is a bit light, so I wonder if anyone here
> could help with a few queries?
>
> Which of the Pick-A-Brick Lego stores has the largest range of pieces?
> How is PaB priced?
> Do they do duty-free?
>
> I'm mostly interested in the Pick-A-Brick service, as we poor Australians do not
> have this yet. A good collection of sets would also rate highly.
>
> I'm looking to spend around UK$800+ (Pounds), but unfortunatly I only have about
> 1 day for shopping, so any help here would be greatly appreciated!
>
> Thanks in advance,
> Chris.
Hi Chris,
Firstly, which part of the country will you be in? The UK is tiny compared to
Aus but it still makes a difference. One day of shopping is a lot more shopping
if you go to a PaB nearby.
Brickish association has a bulk tracker (although I can't remember the URL...
someone help me please!) which contains lists of most of the parts available in
each store. Remember that Legoland has a PaB too which might be a more fun way
to spend your day.
Pricing last time I went was about 11pounds for a large cup and 25pounds (I
think) per kg in Legoland if they still do that. There is also a small cup but
they're not worth it at all. As for duty free, they may do but I would think it
unlikely. You could probably colect your VAT (GST) back at the airport but i've
never tried that before so don't know how it would work.
Overall the UK prices seem to be similar to Aus prices but with less special
deals and X% off sales in my experience so you're better off buying only what
you can't get back in Aus while you're here.
Hope that helps,
Tim
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In lugnet.loc.uk, Timothy Gould wrote:
> In lugnet.loc.uk, Chris Orchard wrote:
> > Hi to the UK!
> >
> > I am traveling to the UK in September, and would like to include a bit of lego
> > shopping. Unfortunatly infomation is a bit light, so I wonder if anyone here
> > could help with a few queries?
> >
> > Which of the Pick-A-Brick Lego stores has the largest range of pieces?
> > How is PaB priced?
> > Do they do duty-free?
> >
> > I'm mostly interested in the Pick-A-Brick service, as we poor Australians do not
> > have this yet. A good collection of sets would also rate highly.
> >
> > I'm looking to spend around UK$800+ (Pounds), but unfortunatly I only have about
> > 1 day for shopping, so any help here would be greatly appreciated!
> >
> > Thanks in advance,
> > Chris.
>
> Hi Chris,
>
> Firstly, which part of the country will you be in? The UK is tiny compared to
> Aus but it still makes a difference. One day of shopping is a lot more shopping
> if you go to a PaB nearby.
>
> Brickish association has a bulk tracker (although I can't remember the URL...
> someone help me please!) which contains lists of most of the parts available in
> each store. Remember that Legoland has a PaB too which might be a more fun way
> to spend your day.
>
> Pricing last time I went was about 11pounds for a large cup and 25pounds (I
> think) per kg in Legoland if they still do that. There is also a small cup but
> they're not worth it at all. As for duty free, they may do but I would think it
> unlikely. You could probably colect your VAT (GST) back at the airport but i've
> never tried that before so don't know how it would work.
>
> Overall the UK prices seem to be similar to Aus prices but with less special
> deals and X% off sales in my experience so you're better off buying only what
> you can't get back in Aus while you're here.
>
> Hope that helps,
>
> Tim
Thanks Tim,
My wife and I are going to Scottland and ending our trip in Edinburgh, after
that I have 1 day of shopping + 1 day to get to the plane. So we can go to any
store, but not all shops, I guess I'm trying to find out if any particular store
is _THE_ store for PaB, or which store has the largest PaB range.
I assume that each of the PaB stores carry different inventories?
Is the legoland store in Windsor inside legoland, or could the public access it
from outside legoland? I'd rather spend my time shopping, so if I can get to
Windsor and another store or 2, I'd feel better than looking at the Mocs. I
know a bit mercenary, but the lego selection here in Oz sucks big time and PaB I
believe will fill out my collection with the things I think i need.
I tried the Brickish Association, it's http://www.brickish.org/bulktracker but
it gives me an error trying to find each stores' inventory. I've contacted the
webmaster there.
Thanks Again,
Chris.
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In lugnet.loc.uk, Chris Orchard wrote:
> In lugnet.loc.uk, Timothy Gould wrote:
> > In lugnet.loc.uk, Chris Orchard wrote:
> > > Hi to the UK!
> > >
> > > I am traveling to the UK in September, and would like to include a bit of lego
> > > shopping. Unfortunatly infomation is a bit light, so I wonder if anyone here
> > > could help with a few queries?
> > >
> > > Which of the Pick-A-Brick Lego stores has the largest range of pieces?
> > > How is PaB priced?
> > > Do they do duty-free?
> > >
> > > I'm mostly interested in the Pick-A-Brick service, as we poor Australians do not
> > > have this yet. A good collection of sets would also rate highly.
> > >
> > > I'm looking to spend around UK$800+ (Pounds), but unfortunatly I only have about
> > > 1 day for shopping, so any help here would be greatly appreciated!
> > >
> > > Thanks in advance,
> > > Chris.
> >
> > Hi Chris,
> >
> > Firstly, which part of the country will you be in? The UK is tiny compared to
> > Aus but it still makes a difference. One day of shopping is a lot more shopping
> > if you go to a PaB nearby.
> >
> > Brickish association has a bulk tracker (although I can't remember the URL...
> > someone help me please!) which contains lists of most of the parts available in
> > each store. Remember that Legoland has a PaB too which might be a more fun way
> > to spend your day.
> >
> > Pricing last time I went was about 11pounds for a large cup and 25pounds (I
> > think) per kg in Legoland if they still do that. There is also a small cup but
> > they're not worth it at all. As for duty free, they may do but I would think it
> > unlikely. You could probably colect your VAT (GST) back at the airport but i've
> > never tried that before so don't know how it would work.
> >
> > Overall the UK prices seem to be similar to Aus prices but with less special
> > deals and X% off sales in my experience so you're better off buying only what
> > you can't get back in Aus while you're here.
> >
> > Hope that helps,
> >
> > Tim
Thanks Tim,
My wife and I are going to Scottland and ending our trip in Edinburgh, after
that I have 1 day of shopping + 1 day to get to the plane. So we can go to any
store, but not all shops, I guess I'm trying to find out if any particular
store
is _THE_ store for PaB, or which store has the largest PaB range.
Whoops, I forgot to mention that London is our probable departure point, sorry.
I assume that each of the PaB stores carry different inventories?
Is the legoland store in Windsor inside legoland, or could the public access it
from outside legoland? I'd rather spend my time shopping, so if I can get to
Windsor and another store or 2, I'd feel better than looking at the Mocs. I
know a bit mercenary, but the lego selection here in Oz sucks big time and PaB
I
believe will fill out my collection with the things I think i need.
I tried the Brickish Association, it's http://www.brickish.org/bulktracker but
it gives me an error trying to find each stores' inventory. I've contacted the
webmaster there.
Thanks Again,
Chris.
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> Thanks Tim,
> My wife and I are going to Scottland and ending our trip in Edinburgh, after
> that I have 1 day of shopping + 1 day to get to the plane. So we can go to any
> store, but not all shops, I guess I'm trying to find out if any particular store
> is _THE_ store for PaB, or which store has the largest PaB range.
>
> I assume that each of the PaB stores carry different inventories?
>
> Is the legoland store in Windsor inside legoland, or could the public access it
> from outside legoland? I'd rather spend my time shopping, so if I can get to
> Windsor and another store or 2, I'd feel better than looking at the Mocs. I
> know a bit mercenary, but the lego selection here in Oz sucks big time and PaB I
> believe will fill out my collection with the things I think i need.
>
> I tried the Brickish Association, it's http://www.brickish.org/bulktracker but
> it gives me an error trying to find each stores' inventory. I've contacted the
> webmaster there.
>
> Thanks Again,
> Chris.
Hi Chris,
I'm not aware of any super PaB store. The best Lego store in many ways is Busy
Bee in Manchester (where I live) because it has a good selection of old sets but
it has no PaB.
It might help if you can be more specific about what you're after. Retail sets
are probably pointless to buy here and even S@H exclusives might not be worth
it. PaB selections can vary a lot with time so your best bet would be to check
closer to the time or make a list of parts you want to get and post it here.
The Legoland store is inside the park but to be honest, you really should go to
the park if you get a chance. You may also want to try the BulkTracker again as
Brickish has been playing up for a while and has just been fixed in the last
hour.
Tim
PS. Remember that it might be better value to buy some stuff from BrickLink than
from PaB, especially if it comes from the US where prices are much lower.
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In lugnet.loc.uk, Timothy Gould wrote:
> Hi Chris,
Hi Tim,
>
> I'm not aware of any super PaB store. The best Lego store in many ways is Busy
> Bee in Manchester (where I live) because it has a good selection of old sets but
> it has no PaB.
>
> It might help if you can be more specific about what you're after. Retail sets
> are probably pointless to buy here and even S@H exclusives might not be worth
> it. PaB selections can vary a lot with time so your best bet would be to check
> closer to the time or make a list of parts you want to get and post it here.
What I'm mostly after is:
- slopes (all types)
- wedges
- wings
- plates (blue/yellow/white)
- bricks (blue/yellow/white)
- other greebling style pieces (mostly minifig stuff)
Not really after:
- Technic (any)
- Red and Black of most things as I have heaps!
As for sets, if they have items that I cannot get in Oz, then I might consider a
few, but I think my shopping will be mostly PaB.
Hmmm, any idea on how frequently stock varies? Are there PaB stores that are
_not_ as large as others? For example the Kingston-Upon-Thames store from the
web, looks like it doesn't have as large a range as say the Birmingham store.
Is this the case?
Ref:
http://www.lego.com/legostores/location.asp?store=Birmingham,%20UK&cCode=2
http://www.lego.com/legostores/location.asp?store=Kingston,%20UK&cCode=2
> The Legoland store is inside the park but to be honest, you really should go to
> the park if you get a chance. You may also want to try the BulkTracker again as
> Brickish has been playing up for a while and has just been fixed in the last
> hour.
I just don't feel I'm going to have time to enjoy it properly, I've had to
whedle my way to get 1 day plus some lego budget :) I'll try brickish again
soon.
> Tim
>
> PS. Remember that it might be better value to buy some stuff from BrickLink than
> from PaB, especially if it comes from the US where prices are much lower.
Very good point Tim, noted.
Thanks yet again :)
Chris.
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Hi Chris,
I've only been to three PaBs: Birmingham, Milton Keynes and Legoland (which
wasn't at the best time) so this may not be the best summary but I'll go ahead.
Perhaps other people can cover the stores I've not been too.
> What I'm mostly after is:
> - slopes (all types)
These are good value from PaB but I've only ever seen red and black.
> - wedges
I don't recall seeing or hearing about these in UK PaB
> - wings
I think I've seen a limited range
> - plates (blue/yellow/white)
I've seen plates (blue, red and black from memory) in Legoland PaB but not the
other stores I've been to.
> - bricks (blue/yellow/white)
These will be much more expensive from PaB than from 3033s (one cup of Lego
costs almost as much as a 3033 from Kmart if you can get them for $35, I
actually brought one back from Aus to the UK after I vistied my parents once) or
other buckets/boxes. I would recommend against buying them.
> - other greebling style pieces (mostly minifig stuff)
These seem to vary greatly.
> Not really after:
> - Technic (any)
> - Red and Black of most things as I have heaps!
>
> As for sets, if they have items that I cannot get in Oz, then I might consider a
> few, but I think my shopping will be mostly PaB.
Exclusive or special sets are mostly S@H stuff and little sets like Santa's and
stuff.
> Hmmm, any idea on how frequently stock varies? Are there PaB stores that are
> _not_ as large as others? For example the Kingston-Upon-Thames store from the
> web, looks like it doesn't have as large a range as say the Birmingham store.
> Is this the case?
They seem to vary quite frequently. Since I don't live near one I couldn't say
exactly. The Entertainer and Harrods are much smaller and more expensive.
Looking at stock it seems that Brighton is pretty good.
>
> > The Legoland store is inside the park but to be honest, you really should go to
> > the park if you get a chance. You may also want to try the BulkTracker again as
> > Brickish has been playing up for a while and has just been fixed in the last
> > hour.
>
> I just don't feel I'm going to have time to enjoy it properly, I've had to
> whedle my way to get 1 day plus some lego budget :) I'll try brickish again
> soon.
>
> > Tim
Let me try twisting your arm again. I really doubt you'll regret it and it could
be a once in a lifetime experience. The rides are crappier than what you get in
most themeparks so you can ignore them spend most of your time there just
looking at Miniland and the other models and shopping. I should be getting paid
for this advertising ;)
Tim
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In lugnet.loc.uk, Timothy Gould wrote:
> Let me try twisting your arm again. I really doubt you'll regret it and it could
> be a once in a lifetime experience. The rides are crappier than what you get in
> most themeparks so you can ignore them spend most of your time there just
> looking at Miniland and the other models and shopping. I should be getting paid
> for this advertising ;)
>
> Tim
I've never been to any of the parks and I have a free weekend during a business
trip to London. You just earned a commission if I go to LegoLand!
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In lugnet.loc.uk, Chris Orchard wrote:
> I tried the Brickish Association, it's http://www.brickish.org/bulktracker but
> it gives me an error trying to find each stores' inventory. I've contacted the
> webmaster there.
>
> Thanks Again,
> Chris.
What kind of error - this should be accessible to non-members.
You could try deep links like
http://www.brickish.org/bulktracker/default.asp?ShopID=3 for the LEGOLAND
Windsor inventory. During the park opening season last year this had the largest
selection, but we don't know what it will be like this year now the parks are
under different ownership. You can get limited time entry to the park if you
just want to visit the shops, but I think the limit is only 2 hours, or maybe
less. This is the only outlet in the UK that sells by weight (2006 price as yet
unknown), so if you want quantity and are short of time this is by far the best
bet. Many have experimented with optimal packing of the tapered tubs used in the
stores, but it is a time-consuming exercise, and if you dont pack efficiently
you'll get even worse value for money.
In my experience (personally of Milton Keynes, Bluewater, Kingston and reports
from others) most of the UK LEGO store PaB selections are fairly similar, with
the occasional unusual part appearing uniquely at one store. The PaB in the
independent stores is very limited and priced higher. Jenner's in Edinbugh, for
example, was pitiful when I was there in January.
My only warning would be not to get too excited about what you see in an
inventory now, because by September it could have changed radically.
Hope this helps, Chris Dee
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