Best Buy to GameStop - "Not So Fast"!

It seems that GameStop won't be the only one who'll have the promotional Captain Jack. Best Buy is also offering this exclusive minifigure when you pre-order the LEGO Pirates of the Caribbean video game through their stores.

Have we seen the last of these promotional offers? Will this minifig be the White Boba Fett of the season? Stay tuned to find out...

You can find out more at the Best Buy website.

New Ninjago Spinner Sets at ToysRUs

Toys N Bricks is reporting that the newer Ninjago spinners are showing up at ToysRUs stores in the US. 

Cole DX and Zane DX have been seen so far, but the Nuckal and Nya spinners shouldn't be far behind. Do be aware that the spinner minifigures appear to manufactured differently from those that come with the main sets (take that for what you will). Skeleton spinners, like Nuckal, also have a different arm configuration so the figure can hold weapons out to the side. If these details aren't a concern, this is a less expensive way to add these figures to your collection.

There are several TRU LEGO deals this week with free sets and price off deals. ToysRUs has also lowered their threshold for free shipping from $100 down to $75. You can see all the details at Toys N Bricks, or you can go straight to ToysRUs.com.

Grand Opening Minifigs...I Like It!

Ace of FBTB reports on the LEGO Store grand opening this weekend at the South Coast Plaza in Costa Mesa, CA. The planned events seem to cover the standard fare for a new brand store - A Master Builder event, in this case Yoda, and some free exclusive items with qualifying purchases. It's the Saturday promotion which I find most intriguing...

When the LEGO Store opened in Cincinnati, OH there was a small brick-built model that you could get with a qualifying purchase (I think it was a 'flying pig'...don't ask). It would seem that LEGO has foregone the brick built model in Costa Mesa for an exclusive 3-pack of minifigures. On Saturday, be one of the first 300 people to make a purchase of $35 or more to receive the figures (hopefully given the time difference you can make your way down and still take advantage of this).

The torso prints are the real win here with designs I've not seen before. There's also back printing with the date and store to commemorate the event. Now I don't know if these prints will make an appearance in the 'Mini Build Bin' anytime soon, but future stores may have their own figures to look forward to.

If you are in the Costa Mesa area and want to read more about the event, head on over to read the full article at FBTB.net.

White Boba Alert: Smyths UK

Huw at Brickset announced that the LEGO Star Wars White Boba Fett promo is now at Smyths stores in the UK. Is this the first time that the White Boba has appeared in the UK? Either way, I'd head on out to Smyths. If LEGO stayed true to their promise of only producing 10,000, there can't that many.

(Via Brickset)

New Ninjago Promo Sets Sighted

Brickset managed to find four new Ninjago promotional sets in the instructions area of LEGO.com. The sets are Ninja Glider (30080), Skeleton Chopper (30081), Ninja Training (30082), and Dragon Fight (30083). A nice way to pick up Zane, Jay, and Frackjaw at a reasonable price point. Also, how can you go wrong with a glider made of golden orc swords!

You can see all the pics of the promo sets at Brickset.

Sales and Deals Countdown

A few details on some deals that are coming to an end very soon...

First up we have the exclusive Sensei Wu key chain from LEGO.com on orders over $75 USD/CAN or 50 GBP. To date this is the only way to get this Spinjitzu master as a key chain. Offer ends at the end of the month. I never confirmed if the key chain was automatically added to the order, or if you needed a code (it doesn't indicate that you do at LEGO.com). Please make certain it's added before you checkout. (US| Canada| UK)

Speaking of deals ending on January 31st, the 10% voucher/coupon code for FireStar Toys is set to expire. FireStar Toys has a wide variety of LEGO minifigures and custom accessories, so much in fact that you can mix and match products from different custom houses without all those extra shipping charges. Did you like the BrickTW items featured in today's review? Firestar doesn't yet carry those items, but do have many of the 2010 product line available. Just use voucher/coupon code 'KV882256' at checkout to get your discount at FireStar Toys today.

The last sale comes to us from Toys N Bricks. It seems those $3 LEGO sets have been further marked down to $1! I personally checked out a local K-Mart, but no luck. Hey, with $1 LEGO sets, it's worth taking a look.

That's all for now. Happy bargain hunting!

Ninjago Promotional Polybag Minifigure

Brickset is reporting that there will be a promotional polybag featuring a sole Ninjago figure. Set 30094 features Jay the Ninja of Lightning and a katana...and that appears to be it. No word on how much this set will cost or where it will be featured. In the US, keep your eyes open at Target and or Toys R Us around Valentines Day or Easter. This may be the least expensive way to pick up a member of the team, especially Jay!

Check out the full story on Brickset and see what other two promo sets have been discovered.

FireStar Toys Now Has Series 3 Minifigures

UK based FireStar Toys now has the LEGO Series 3 Collectible Minifigures in stock. You can purchase exactly the one you want instead of having to go blind or feel your way through. Not only that, but you can also pick up a variety of additional custom accessories to further customize your ABS superstars. BrickForge has the bows and blades to further enhance your Elvish army. Si-Dan's got the goods to take your samurai to Shogun, and BrickArms will be happy to upgrade your Alien and Cyborg armies. Take a look at all that FireStar Toys has to offer!

Remember use voucher/coupon code 'KV882256' to get an additional 10% off your order at checkout.

Scenes from a LEGO Store: Ninjago is Go!

So I traveled up to my local LEGO Store with my two boys today. I don't know if Sundays are typically a busy day, but the place was packed. Ninjago was the big feature and hard to miss with a large pagoda shaped display greeting you right as you walk in the door. 

One thing that caught my eye was that the Sensei Wu keychain was not for sale, and truly was an exclusive promotion (free with a purchase over $75). The Ninjago magnet sets were in too, and the sales people confirmed that they were glued to the bases as well.

I was also able to find the LEGO Education Community Minifigure set retailing for approximately $50. There are quite a few nice elements in the set, but at that price, I'd rather wait for the Fairy Tale and Historical set which wasn't in.

I also picked up a LEGO Club Jr. magazine for the boys and February store calendar . There was a Ninjago coloring page which featured Kai and an unseen skellie villian named Kruncha - perhaps he'll debut in wave two of the series? 

February also has a couple of interesting dates according to the store calendar. You can score a free City Police motorcycle set with a $25 USD purchase on the 8th and 9th. There's also a free City Police boat with $35 USD purchase all month long. Finally, the calendar states new minifig build elements will be available around mid month, but no news on what those might be.

Not much else to report. The clearance sale items were dwindling (they must have made a ton of those Star Wars Pirate Tanks). The city Police Minifigure packs were sold out - the more I see elements from this set the more I like it.

That's all to report on this trip. More as it becomes available...

LEGO Ninjago - Buy 2 Get One Free Today Only!

Toys R Us (US) is having an online sale with LEGO where you can buy two sets and get one free. It has been reported on other sites the deal is available in-stores as well, but I can say after returning from my local store today that it isn't so. These deals are good on all sets except LEGO Star Wars and Pharaoh's Quest.

BOGO deals are always maximized when you order sets of the same value. A great way to do this would be to order three LEGO Ninjago spinners ($9.99 USD). 

There are other offers as well listed on the Toys R Us site, but I don't know if they 'stack' (i.e. you may have to pick one offer over another instead of getting all at once). The additional offers include free shipping on orders over $100 USD, and a free LEGO Star Wars backpack on LEGO purchases over $30 USD. TRU also shows a Ninjago card holder and special battle card as a promo, but details are not available on how to receive this. Check your order before finalizing to make certain you are getting all the offers you want.

This sale only lasts today, so hurry over to Toys R Us!

UPDATE: So it seems that information remains mixed on this sale. Despite me going to my local Toys R Us, where no signs were up about this deal, and the manager at the customer service desk said the deal was not today, it seems that others received the discount at the register. TRU ended up losing a sale today because of this snafu. Hopefully, others were luckier with better informed sales staff.

Happy New Year and 2011 LEGO Shopping

I want to extend a Happy New Year to everyone in the Minifig Nation! I hope that everyone has both a fun and safe celebration tonight. Thanks to everyone for making 2010 a fantastic year, and hoping that 2011 is even better!

As we approach midnight in many countries, LEGO Shop at Home should begin to offer the new 2011 products including Series 3 Minifigures, Ninjago, and even the new LEGO Harry Potter Diagon Alley, just to name a few. If you still have a little bit of holiday money still burning a hole in your pocket, click over to LEGO Shop at Home today. You can find the link to your country here (US | Canada | UK).

The Ninjago Master Wu key chain offer should be affect in all three countries with orders of a sufficient size ($75USD & CAN | 55 GBP). I received a LEGO 2011 Catalog in the mail yesterday. The catalog mentioned that code 'SW51' needed to be used at checkout to receive the keychain; however, the information on the website does not mention the code. Just be certain that the key chain has been added to your order before finalizing check-out.

Also head on over to BrickArms tomorrow morning as the Modern Combat Pack Version 2 should be available for $16 USD.

Custom Crazy should also be open for business too! I'm expecting other announcements tomorrow, so it could be a busy day.

It looks like we'll have lots of ways to bring in the new year with a bang!

Quick Hits: Holiday Traveling

Doing a bit of traveling to visit relatives this weekend, but there are a few items to report.

Remember those great film vignettes that Alex Eylar was putting together? Well I guess at least one of them was used for a story on The New York Times website. Very nice! Not only that, he's selling many of those creations as prints via Imagekind. Check it out when you get a chance.

Huw scores again with news of individual Series 4 Collectible Minifigure pics. These are via Brandora, a website that's offered up similar pics of earlier series. Although rendered, it gives you a closer look at each figure to see what they have to offer. I'll definitely be using these once we start our Series 4 guide entries in the near future. Thanks Brickset!

Hopefully our combatants aren't finding this month's Minifig Design Battle brief too difficult - The Sinister Toymaker. If you have any questions, just drop us a line (uglyduck.bricklink@gmail.com) or post a question on the group page. 

Also don't forget that you can get 10% any order at FireStar Toys, now through the end of January 2011. Just click the banner at the top of the page and enter coupon/voucher code 'KV882256' at check-out. It might be a good way to get supplies for the challenge.

That's all for now, citizens. Have a great weekend.

Cygnet
Minister of Information
Ugly Duck Command Center
Minifig Nation

Possible Series 3 Restocks at TRU

I just returned from a run to my local Toys R Us to see, if by chance, the 2011 Star Wars sets might be in (answer: they're not). However, they did have plenty of Series 3 Collectible Minifigures on the shelf and hanging up individually for $3.99 USD. I saw at least enough out for a case or two and even witnessed an unopened case.

You might be thinking $4 is a lot to pay, even for Elves or Samurai, but wait...there's more. TRU is offering 25% off any LEGO purchases today (12/14) and tomorrow if you have this coupon. That will bring you back to the $3 range (so now we're talking).

If your Toys R Us ran out of their initial salvos, you may want to drop by again and see if they've reloaded. You can also pick up an 'exclusive minifigure' with LEGO purchases over $30 USD.

You can find out where Series 3 has been recently via our Google Map and you can scan the bumps along the bottom to find the fig you want (although I found it easier said than done).

Happy hunting!

Last Day for LEGO 'Brick Friday Weekend' Offers

Today is the last day for the LEGO 'Brick Friday Weekend' deals. Shop at Home customers will receive free shipping on orders of $49 or more. Not only that you are eligible for 10% off on orders of $149 or greater.

Lots of discounted items in the Sales and Deals section, including 50% off LEGO Universe. You will also get a free LEGO Universe Rocket set when you purchase the game online.

A big thanks to everyone who has made a purchase through the site this weekend. The commissions we make on these sales, help grow 'The Duck' for bigger and better content. Just click on the LEGO logo above or the banner at the top of the side bar and get shopping.

Quick Hits: Turkey Day Edition

Some quick bits of news before many of you enter an all-day haze of tryptophan and football...

Arealight now has their sci-fi helmets and jet packs in the new colors of red, blue, and tan. They just put them up today, so check them out.

There's been a sighting of a new LEGO Pharaoh's Quest battle pack sighted by Brickhorizon. Three mummies, a khopesh, scarab shield, horus helm, wings, and a sarcophagus. What more can you ask for (well an Anubus Warrior for one...but I digress). Check out the full review on Brickhorizon.

Don't forget that the LEGO Brick Friday event starts tomorrow. If you plan on buying gifts through LEGO Shop at Home this season, please stop here first and click through to help support 'The Duck'.

That's all for now. Have a great Thanksgiving and if you don't know what I'm talking about...have a great Thursday...I guess.

Cygnet

Minister of Information

Ugly Duck Command Center

Minifig Nation

LEGO Shop at Home Black Friday Weekend Deals

LEGO just sent out to it's affiliates details on the various deals it hopes to offer via LEGO Shop at Home to US customers starting 'Brick Friday'.

Starting November 26th and ending November 29th, Shop at Home customers will receive free shipping on orders of $49 or more. Not only that you are eligible for 10% off on orders of $149 or greater.

If free shipping, a possible 10% off, and the promise of hassle-free, online shopping aren't enough, the Shop at Home 'Sales & Deals' section will post five new, exculsive deals each day. I've been sworn to secrecy, as to what each daily deal happens to be, but I can tell you there's a little bit of something for everyone with deals across a variety of themes. These sales will be limited time only or while supplies last.

Sound interesting? Come shopping time I only ask that you click on the LEGO logo (above) or other banners here (see top of side bar) before shopping. Orders that originate through this site are eligible for a small commission. Those commissions will be used to 'feed the duck' and keep this venture going. So if you enjoy the content here on The Ugly Duckling, please show your support by clicking here first on your way to LEGO Shop at Home.

By the way, if you are fortunate to have a LEGO brand retail store near you, and you want to 'fight the crazies'...I mean share in the yuletide spirit of Black Friday, shoppers will receive a scratch-off card that could earn them a discount from 10% up to 50% off their purchase this November 26th.

Happy Holidays and happy (bargain) hunting...

Toys R Us has Stormtrooper Polybags (US)

FBTB.net is reporting that Toys R Us stores in the US are starting to sell LEGO Star Wars set 300005, Imperial Speeder Bike, for $3.99 USD. Formerly a UK Daily Mirror exclusive, you now have the opportunity to pick some up and add to your stormtrooper armies. 

Right now on BrickLink the lowest list price for these minfigs is hovering around this price if not a little higher. The Toys R Us offer may be more economical, given that you get a small contingent of bricks to accompany your fig. Take into consideration, however, that BrickLink store owners may also be buying these up, increasing supply, and driving down prices. Although not a guarantee, you may see prices go down on BrickLink in the near future. Either way, good news for the Emperor to boost his LEGO armies!

(Via FBTB.net)

Quick Hits: Shopping News

It seems like every year retailers push the Christmas shopping season up more and more. If Halloween isn't careful, they might start playing 'Silver Bells' in October. Christmas also means that retailers are competing for your dollars, and this year is no exception. I've already begun to see the 20/30/40% sales on LEGO, as well as the infamous BOGOs. I'm certain Amazon will start having their 'gold box' daily deals any minute now. So what is a thrifty parent or collector to do? I'm going to do something a little 'unorthodox' here. I'm going to recommend you visit other LEGO sites...

Although the command center is staffed with my minifig minions, I'm the only purveyor of news on the site (not counting Cygnetron). It's for this reason that I just can't compete with the legions of forum members who post every little sale they come across. With that said, I would recommend checking in regularly with Toys N Bricks and FBTB.net for sales in North America, Brickset for deals in the UK, and Bricks Down Under in Australia. I'm certain there are other regional sites and blogs that cover your area, but I've found 99.9% of the sales and deals come through these sites. I will continue to mention certain pieces relevant to the LEGO minifigure universe, but some of these deals can pop up fast and go out faster than I can keep up with. Also, check in with these sites directly, as RSS feeds can be delayed. So much so that certain deals may be gone by the time you see them in your feed. Now, speaking of minifig related deals...

Toys R Us (US) re-released the LEGO Star Wars Chrome Stormtrooper polybag last night...and they were promptly snatched up online (see what I mean!) The website currently lists them as being in stores, but won't do a store location search for you. Listed at $2.99 USD, this may be one of your last chances to pick one of these puppies up.

Toys N Bricks is reporting that Wal-Mart (US) is putting LEGO Prince of Persia sets on clearance. Some fantastic figures and accessories for the collector or customizer. Some discounts have placed the Desert Attack set as low as $3.00 USD! The catch? Wal-Mart must apply some scientific algorithm to determine how to price clearance items. The deals vary from store to store, but at such deep discounts, it's worth a quick trip. Thanks to Toys N Bricks for the news.

I've mentioned over the past couple days that FireStar Toys has some new product in stock including the new Hazel Fantasy custom accessories, LEGO Harry Potter minifigs, and even a new Dr. Who custom. This is currently the only place where you can pick up new Hazel Fantasy product, although they should be available soon through the Amazing Armory website and United Armory. UK based FireStar does ship internationally so there are no issues there. If you needed yet another reason to check them out, you can use coupon/voucher code 'KV882256' to get an additional 10% off your order now through January 2011.

Even LEGO.com is getting in the Christmas spirit! They continue to offer double VIP points and free shipping or orders above $99 USD through December 14th. I also noticed that you can receive an extra bonus of 50 VIP points when you buy the LEGO Kingdoms King's Castle before November 12th. So head on over to the the LEGO Holiday Gift Shop today. Do remember that an order that originates from the site earns us a small commission, which we will use to help extend services and bring new content. Just click on the banner at the top of the page or the link above.

That's all for now. Happy Holidays and let the LEGO sales and deals season begin...

Cygnet

Minister of Information

Ugly Duck Command Center

Minifig Nation

White Bobas Seen in Oz

Austrailian LEGO Star Wars fans rejoice, Brickset is reporting that Toyworld is offering a free white Boba Fett promotional minifigure when you purchase select LEGO Star Wars sets. I believe this is the first time that this minifigure has been available in Austrailia through retail channels. It is unknown how many of these figures will be available, so take action when you can. My research suggested that only 10,000 of the figures were originally produced, but given the fact that they continue to show up across the globe as promotional items leads me to believe there may have been (at least) a second production run. Visit Brickset or the Toyworld website for more details on this recent promotion.

A fun fact for you Star Wars aficionados out there. After reading the book The Making of Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back, I discovered that not only did Boba Fett appear white in Ralph McQuarrie's initial concept drawings, but it was originally intended to be a new breed of super-stormtrooper. The design was re-purposed for Boba  after the super-stormtrooper idea was scrapped!

TRU Bricktober Concludes (CAN/US)

My coverage of the Toys R Us Bricktober promotions have been nearly non-existent. I mentioned the first week of the promotion before I left and was then out for two of the subsequent weeks. This weekend kicks off the final for this promotion in the US and Canada.

If you would like to see the details of the various sales and offers this week I would recommend Toys N Bricks, who I often turn to for LEGO sales information in North America. They currently have the Canadian sales info up and will likely have the US details up later today.

What is of more interest to me are the vintage minifigure magnets that have been available each week. You are eligible to take one of these home if you spend $20 in the US and $35 in Canada (while supplies last, of course). This week's offering is a LEGO Castle Black Falcon knight. The past offers have been for a LEGO City Fire Chief, a Western Cavalry Colonel, and a Pirates Imperial Soldier.

The offer is available at the TRU website and in stores. Do pay attention to how deals stack online. If I recall correctly, the free minifig offer may not combine with other deals and require additional purchases to take advantage of both.

(Via Toys N Bricks)