Sure Eric,

Some prices are the same some are different.

Here are a few examples:

1x1 brick LDD $ .11 PAB $ .07
1x1 round brick LDD $ .11 PAB $ .07
1x1 nose cone small LDD $ .13 PAB $ .10
mini cape LDD $ .26 PAB $ .18
1x1 round plate LDD $ .06 PAB $ .06

The vast majority of LDD parts are a few cents higher than PAB and I cant understand why that would be. Someone on brickset suggested its due to the box, but when you buy LDD sets there is a line item for the box on the receipt. So if this is fot the box wouldnt it make more sence to just carge a flat rate fore the box.

I wrote a breif letter to them yesterday and am waiting for a responce. Any ifo you can get would be nice

Thanks,
Sal

Really? A price difference between Factory and PAB? I haven't noticed...

But still, a few cent difference can add up. If you build a modular house or something on LDD and want to order it, it'll probably have a $15 difference compared to ordering all the parts separately on PAB.

I wrote to LEGO to inquire about the price difference and this was their response:

"...The reason for the difference between the Factory and the Pick a Brick section is that the Factory has special considerations such as packaging and the extra time that it takes to package the custom sets..."

If this is the case and the reason for the higher price of MOST parts in LDD, wouldnt it make more sence if the just added a flat fee for packaging? I purposely group sets together when I buy from LDD to reduce the packaging. It dosnt make sense to charge more pur piece if you doing it for the packaging, then they could even offer NO special packaging for LDD for those of us who dont really care about the special box.

For what it is worth I am raising as much hell as I can over this through whatever channels I have available to me. I will let you know what I hear.

Just checking 2 items I came up with this...



The price of packaging cannot justify a $.04 per part difference. It is insane. Sal is right, packaging should be optional if this were the case and priced separately. Tacking it to the price of a part is crazy.


-Eric

I've found out somethings.

My Emerald Night extension coach is £56, while the Emerald Night set itself is £68.

My 'Blue Hopper' recreation is £40 JUST for the hopper - it should only be half that!

I think lego should revise the cost - why not produce a load of parts in a variety of colours, then all thery have to pack them - it'll be cheaper to do as well - plus it means that if they need to do any proper sets, they just can pack some more 'just like that'?

A little translation: The LDD car $91+, the Emerald Night kit $99.99 US dollars

I can't get the US price - it always defaults to the UK price...

So that's a big thumbs down to LDD - custom kits shouldn't be that expensive...

Yeah. Factory prices should be exactly like the PAB prices, possibly a little less. We make the models, we're buying the models, so we should get at least a discount.

OK. so fianlly I had a day off and went through a model I made in LDD of a GP38 locomotive and compared the price per part to PAB. The price in LDD for the model is $109.27 USD, through PAB the price is $96.26 USD (acttually I think it should really be lower a few dollars because I believe the axels for the wheels come in a 4 pack so you will only need one, I factored 4 of them.) Anyway it is $13.01 USD cheaper per locomotive to order the parts piece by piece through pick a brick than through LDD. Does this make sense to anyone??? You can view the locomotive in the LEGO Factory Gallary just search "gp38". I made a Excel spreadsheet with the part, quantity, price in LDD, price in PAB, price difference, and totals if anyone is interested. One interesting note is not all the prices are lower in PAB some are the same and some are higher. anyway, I dont think I will be ordering though LDD for a while ill be taking the time and doing it though PAB.