[USA] Target January 2012 Clearance Finds

[Legobrandon]

I really do apologize for my suggestion. I did not know that you will have to return the item back to the store and wait for the employees to put the product back on to the floor. From what I've experienced, all I have to do is bring the receipt back and show them what I paid for the item, and then they would return the difference to me in whatever payment method I used. Sorry.

-Brandon

[Edmond Dantes]

I really do apologize for my suggestion. I did not know that you will have to return the item back to the store and wait for the employees to put the product back on to the floor. From what I've experienced, all I have to do is bring the receipt back and show them what I paid for the item, and then they would return the difference to me in whatever payment method I used. Sorry.

-Brandon

I've never understood the "return-rebuy" strategy many here use. I just do what you do - price adjust. It's quick and simple and I do it when purchasing items from Target all the time (non-Lego items 95% of the time).

As an example - I purchased an ottoman two weeks ago and it's on sale this week, so I'll go in for a price adjust (just bring my receipt and they'll refund the difference - no need to bring the ottoman itself).

However, I've never tried doing this with clearance items, so maybe that's the issue people are having.

No need to apologize.

[atmail35]

I don't think they price adjust clearance items as a general rule. If you can find the identical item you can rebuy and return with your original receipt. Do not use credit card look up since that will take the lowest price you paid, I believe.

I've tried to return a set (city airport) when it went from 30% to 50% off and the clerk said the item had to go back to the floor first and that was happening the next day (I went in at night). I politely asked if I could buy it then for the new price and she said no. Of course it was gone when I got there the next day, so this method has not been successful for me at all!

On that note, I noticed that all the Atlantis sets were gone today, must have been salvaged. Not a set I needed at 50% off so I guess not a big deal.

[lego dad]

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?

[intromission]

The three Targets I've called have all told me they were just salvaged They never went to 70%. At least around here. Oh well.

[mvas11]

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

[atmail35]

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!

[Edmond Dantes]

The three Targets I've called have all told me they were just salvaged They never went to 70%. At least around here. Oh well.

That's exactly what happened here too. There were four left at 50% yesterday and they were all gone today (salvaged, not sold - I verified they were sent away).

[SpaceViking]

I had the unfortunate luck of showing up at Target this morning just as they were carting away to salvage what was left of the clearance toy isle. Disappointing, watching unwanted LEGO just roll away. On the plus side, the "bodega" section was clearanced out at 50% off! We're good on soap, paper goods, and crackers for a least 6 months now.

[sydra]

Went to the local Target after work, and just barely got there in time. They had marked down the Pyramid and Portal to 75% off(instead of 70%, hmm). Got the next to last Portal, and the Pyramids are going fast(a couple days ago they had about 30 of them, and only 10 or so now).

[janckson]

Yeap some salvage them. A Target I checked two weeks earlier had stacks of Portals and Pyramids just sitting at 50%. I checked the day Target normally marks down Toys and the entire toy clearance aisle was gone.

[Max Power]

So what does it mean when the lego set scans at $0. That is what the pyramid set at target scanned at. I didn't pick it up.

[intromission]

It means it's free so just carry it out. ;)

Last time that happened to me it was at Walmart and it meant they couldn't sell it.

[sidersdd]

Last time I found that they had a manager come with one of the handheld scanners and found "the last selling price" for the set - which sometimes wasn't the last clearance price for the set. I've had mixed results. I think it's YMMV.

[dho7622u]

Definitely YMMV. I found a bunch of the Target/Harry Potter ploys after christmas and they wouldn't feel them to me. However, the same thing happened with the Atlantis set and one of the associates was very cool, re-loaded it and marked it down.

Still bummed that they didn;t have any PQs in Southern New England.

[anakinisvader]

Yeap some salvage them. A Target I checked two weeks earlier had stacks of Portals and Pyramids just sitting at 50%. I checked the day Target normally marks down Toys and the entire toy clearance aisle was gone.

Who wants to bet that these are going to be this years Black Friday Deal at 30% off?

[Zeya]

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

[natelite]

Who wants to bet that these are going to be this years Black Friday Deal at 30% off?

I'll bet with you any time of the week. They were the 2011 bf deal. Target doesn't repeat bf deals. If they do reuse in 2012 it'll be the first since inception.

[intromission]

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.

[dho7622u]

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.