Pick a Brick wall changes? Now Pick A Model!

[Brick & Blue]

The problem is that LEGO doesn't make all the pieces in all the colors all the time. They make pieces for sets or common pieces and keep them in boxes in storage. There is no way for LEGO to make rare pieces, they are spending all their time time making all the pieces for the official sets and barely can keep up with the demand.

Which is why it's shocking that they now have Pick-a-Model because to me the wall was always great way to get rid of extra pieces no longer needed and just sitting in storage. "We have a bunch of leftover Friend colored plates? Let's stick them on the wall!"

[Slickson]

I don't really see this as a bad thing. In fact I may hit the LEGO store at least once a month now. Yes they have lost 6 spaces that could be filled with bricks (at least in my store), but now we should see regular change out of 10+ elements on the wall. I was happy to get a cup of the brown slope pieces!

[LegoImagination]

I don't really see this as a bad thing. In fact I may hit the LEGO store at least once a month now. Yes they have lost 6 spaces that could be filled with bricks (at least in my store), but now we should see regular change out of 10+ elements on the wall. I was happy to get a cup of the brown slope pieces!

They let you fill a cup with the pick a model pieces? I would have gotten several different pick a model pieces if my store had let me. Instead I was just teased with pieces I couldn't get, and a much smaller selection of pieces I could get, which hadn't been updated.

I hope Lego figures out what to do, and tells all the stores to let us use the pick a model pieces in a cup.

[Slickson]

I grabbed 3/4 cup of the brown slopes, a handful of the yellow teeth, and a handful of blue 1X2 plates. I don't think the plates were part of the model, but no one said anything.

[LegoImagination]

I checked out a different Lego store today. They told me that four days ago Lego sent an email changing policy. The old policy was no model bricks in the bucket. The new policy is you can, but it is up to the store how they did it.

This store now had the policy that for some model bricks you could only half fill a small cup with them. In this case the eyes and the two by two yellow plates. the studless ones as I recall. The other model pieces were up for grabs. So I happily filled a large cup with several different model pieces.

The other big news was how they handled back room bricks. I hope most of you know that they always have extra pieces in the back room that they didn't put on the wall. These are different than what is already out. Well the big news is this particular store put all the back room pieces in a binder, one of each. That way a customer like me can look at the binder and ask if the could bring a box of that piece out. Which I did, I asked for four different back room boxes to be brought out. I hope all the stores do this. They just taped each piece on a piece of paper. All of one color choice on one page.

[Ben]

I hope that the binder becomes a standard thing in Lego stores. It would be so much better than asking the staff to go check and see if pieces are available.

[LegoImagination]

They said they submitted the idea, what ever that means. I also hope by posting it here, people will suggest the to their local store. That binder made my day. I got four pieces I didn't know they had, and I had been really wanting. I was tempted to fill two large buckets.

BTW In case they ask, this was the South Coast Plaza, Costa Mesa, CA store.

[Brick & Blue]

The binder is a great idea in theory, in practice when the store is busy and there are only so many employees then it will become a mess.

[dr_spock]

My local stores have printed lists with pictures. If you want staff bring out what is not displayed on the wall, it is best to go at a time when the store is not very busy and jam packed.

[LegoImagination]

The binder is a great idea in theory, in practice when the store is busy and there are only so many employees then it will become a mess.

In practice? In reality it increased their sales already.

If the store is busy, and there are only so many employees, how is this different than a customer that wants a box off a high shelf? Is that a mess? Customers know they just need to wait. You make it seem like something that would increase sales, but add a bit of extra work for the employees, is bad. How hard is it to grab a box, be it on a shelf or in the back?

The only negative I see is there is limited room for the boxes. So a store just sets a policy limiting the number of boxes out at a time.

[Brick & Blue]

Customers know they just need to wait.

Have you ever worked retail?