[USA] Target January 2012 Clearance Finds

[intromission]

dho7622u, any idea if they pick up where the Target discount left off?

Edit: A different Target employee just told me they go back to the distributor?

[NIGELTTF]

I've been waiting for PoP Battle of Alamut to hit some kind of clearance for going on two years now!

They clearanced them at my local Targets, but all three of the TRUs near me still have a shelf devoled to Pop lego. I visit every few months and it still looks like the the same number of them on the shelves; still no discount. It is as if someone forgot they had them in inventory. It has gone from frustrating to just funny.

[octick]

What a depressing morning. All the stores must have went 70% off yesterday instead of Thursday as usual.
Aisles were empty. Anything left was being taken in the back and off limits to look at. Even some stores said they were in stock as of 7 AM didn't have any. Looks like Target clearance is over in my area.

what part of so cal are you in?

Orange County. Just odd that stores went 70% but the majority hit 50% and than salvaged them.

[Thundarr]

Why do they salvage? Does anyone know what they get for them?

I believe certain items they donate to places like Goodwill or even sell to other discount stores. They can take a tax write-off for the donation and they might be able to sell certain items for more than they would receive if they sold it at 70% clearance.

I don't know the specifics, but that is my general understanding of how it works. Perhaps someone else knows more!

About a year ago, I was in the Salvation Army and saw a bunch of new-looking products with Target clearance stickers partially torn off. I asked one of the managers if Target donates all this merchandise and he said "No, we buy it from them in pallets". He explained that Target puts a bunch of salvage merchandise on a pallet, usually similar type items are grouped on each (like Christmas or furniture or toys), and then (in the case of the Salvation Army), they sell the pallets to the buyer (SA) at a discounted rate, and if you break it down per item its a little less than the last clearance prices. Then the SA will usually charge a little bit under the last clearance price). So Target isn't as goody-goody as everyone thinks - these are not donations and tax write-offs, at least at the SA I went to anyway.

[Zeya]

I've been waiting for PoP Battle of Alamut to hit some kind of clearance for going on two years now!

They clearanced them at my local Targets, but all three of the TRUs near me still have a shelf devoled to Pop lego. I visit every few months and it still looks like the the same number of them on the shelves; still no discount. It is as if someone forgot they had them in inventory. It has gone from frustrating to just funny.

Exact same thing here. They're long gone from Target but I spot rows of pristine boxes on the top shelf at TRU. I really don't get it either.

[atmail35]

One of the employees I spoke to at one Target said that Building 19 or some other discount store usually picks up their salvage. This is probably how Marshalls and TJ Maxx end up with them.

Building 19 is always tricky, since they never have anything that you can bank on. Always a case of stumbling across something. Though I always get caught there since they have old display racks from LEGO that always catch my eye, then make me sad since they have something else on them.

I always feel grubby after leaving Building 19! I have NEVER seen LEGO at Bldg. 19, although I don't go that often. I have seen those shelves though with "LEGO" stickers on them. The first time I saw those shelves, I thought I might find LEGO there, but nothing.

This would explain why Marshall's/TJ Maxx prices aren't that spectacular.

[SpaceViking]

The only time I've found LEGO at Building 19 was a few years ago on Black Friday (2008?). They had 1/2 price Ferrari and Batman sets (Joker+Helicopter and Riddler/Bane+Tank) plus some odds and ends--mosaics, I think.

I, of course, was just coming out of my dark ages and didn't buy a single one. Big mistake on my part.

[mvas11]

So today I went back to buy the freeing dobby set only to find out that it had been marked unreadable by targets self scan price checkers (assuming its supposed to be salvaged). Has anyone ever talked an associate into putting a price back on an item at its previous clearance price? Just wondering if this is impossible. Or will the item sit there and mock me forever?

[cowbug]

Its worth taking to thrle register and asking. Some times they will just throw a price at you and ask if it sounds fair.

[atmail35]

So today I went back to buy the freeing dobby set only to find out that it had been marked unreadable by targets self scan price checkers (assuming its supposed to be salvaged). Has anyone ever talked an associate into putting a price back on an item at its previous clearance price? Just wondering if this is impossible. Or will the item sit there and mock me forever?

This is very much YMMV. One time I found a smallish ($10) Atlantis set that was stickered 75% off (this was last Jan). It rang up as "item not found" on the scanner. I found an employee on the floor who was working on clearance stuff. I politely asked her (playing dumb) that for some reason it was not showing a price on the scanner. She punched some numbers in on her scanner gun and said it was supposed to be salvaged, but she did something so I could purchase it at the register. I really think it depends on the mood/helpfulness of the person. She gave me the last clearance price. I can't remember if she put a different sticker on it or what though to make it ring up. It's worth asking and I think it helps to be extra nice or to say, "geez my son really wanted this set and I can't find it anywhere, it is something I can buy here?".

[mvas11]

thanks for the advice I'll give it a try tonight

[NIGELTTF]

I've been waiting for PoP Battle of Alamut to hit some kind of clearance for going on two years now!

They clearanced them at my local Targets, but all three of the TRUs near me still have a shelf devoled to Pop lego. I visit every few months and it still looks like the the same number of them on the shelves; still no discount. It is as if someone forgot they had them in inventory. It has gone from frustrating to just funny.

Exact same thing here. They're long gone from Target but I spot rows of pristine boxes on the top shelf at TRU. I really don't get it either.

So it is two years from their release date of merchandise for a movie that more or less bombed. That's 11 months earlier than Tron.

So how much Tron toys are still at TRU? Their still there at Half off.

[cowbug]

Anyone have the PQ Scorpion Pyramid DCPI #? I thought I had seen it posted before but can't find it now.

[dho7622u]

dcpi 204-00-0944 for scorpion pyramid, tho when you go to the website, there is a sold out screen and no info.

Good luck, tho,

david

[marcusloignon]

I stoped by Target today and to my suprise found a scorpion pyramid on the shelf! I grabed it up and walked it over to a price scanner and "beep...Item not found". NOOOOO. Slumped back over and put it back on the shelf. :-(

[intromission]

They would have sold it to you. The handheld PDA's still have the last clearance price which was 50% most likely.

[wkunert]

They would have sold it to you. The handheld PDA's still have the last clearance price which was 50% most likely.

Agreed. I asked a guy with a PDA working the dept about it beforehand, so I took a $0 Portal Atlantis to the checkout which still had $49.99 price tag and they sold it to me for that. They both acted like it was no big deal and wondered why I should be surprised that Target would sell it to me?

[Legobrandon]

Drove down south today and found not a single clearance items on the shelf. They did have a nice assortment of the new green box Ninjago stuff and City.

[marcusloignon]

They would have sold it to you. The handheld PDA's still have the last clearance price which was 50% most likely.

Agreed. I asked a guy with a PDA working the dept about it beforehand, so I took a $0 Portal Atlantis to the checkout which still had $49.99 price tag and they sold it to me for that. They both acted like it was no big deal and wondered why I should be surprised that Target would sell it to me?

Ya, but I was hopping for 70% off! I wish I knew why some sets go to 70% off and others only 50%. Any ideas?

[glewisorg]

I found a scorpian pyramid scanning 'not found' as well. Brought it to the register hoping for the best, but off to salvage it went. Should have left it on the shelf.