In this post I will review whether it is worth it to purchase from some of the big name retailers. Walmart, Target, Toys R Us, Barnes and Noble, and numerous others all sell LEGO brand products. Is it smart to buy from them?

Price: Always verify that you are getting the best price or at least getting the item for the same price that you would get it for from the LEGO Company directly. Often times retailers will mark up the item and then run a sale back to the standard price. Toys R Us is known for doing this. Walmart and Target typically run prices that match the LEGO company and might be a few pennies cheaper (for Walmart it's usually like $0.03 cheaper than LEGO). If you can catch a sale or clearance run, then it might be worth it to buy there. Do your homework.

Product Availability: Most of these stores will not have the vast inventory that the LEGO Company has on site. You will find what they think they can sell at the price points they want to hit. These companies are not catering to LEGO fans. They just want to move product to make some cash. Walmart, Target, and Toys R Us have online stores with bigger inventories. If you are set on purchasing from one of them and can't find it in your local store, check online.

Set Selection: As mentioned, many stores stock based on what they think they can sell. They often don't run every LEGO theme out there and often have only certain sets at specific price points available. If you see the set you want, then great, but there's not guarantee they will have it.

Shipping: If you're in the store, the shipping price you pay is however much it cost you to get to the store (gas, bus fare, whatever). For those retailers with online platforms, many have deals similar to LEGO where if you buy over a certain amount, you can get free shipping.

Customer Service: I have yet to find a store associate at store (insert store name here) that is a huge LEGO fan who understand what's out there and can give you good advice. The help you get is the help you get.

Overall: Watch your pricing and be sure not to overspend on LEGO at retail stores. Do your research! If you find the item(s) you want and they are reasonably priced, then go for it. Otherwise, I tend to avoid retail stores unless they have a big sale going on.