Body: <p>Today is January 29, 2019, and toy stores in Germany (at least a couple that I've checked) still have only some remainders of 2018 July - December catalogues. 2019 January - June catalogues are nowhere to be seen, even though the first month of 2019 is virtually over already. As far as I remember, it has always been like this over here already during my entire childhood.</p>
  <p><strong>Why is that? Why do the printed LEGO catalogues not show up in stores at the beginning of the year, at latest along with the first sets released in the new year?</strong></p>
  <p>I have heard and thought about various reasonings over the years: That they wait for some toy industry fair before revealing the entire programme for the year (seems unreasonable in light of the complete novelties being visible on the web already), that they hope people will buy a first set in the year solely in order to get to see the included (smaller) printed catalogue (that strategy might work, it's precisely what I used to do as a kid every January ;) ), etc. Is there a publicly known reason for this delay in releasing the printed complete catalogues?</p>
  
Comments.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 4.0
Comments.CreationDate: 2019-01-31T16:28:08.440Z
Comments.Text: Might be another regional thing, because where I live we get our catalogues several weeks in advance.
Comments.UserDisplayName: LegoSonicBoy
Comments.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 4.0
Comments.CreationDate: 2019-02-01T10:41:46.413Z
Comments.Text: I doubt that there is a strategy behind it. They probably noticed mistakes in the catalogue that could not be tolerated, and had to reprint the whole thing.
Comments.UserDisplayName: Metalbeard
Comments.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 4.0
Comments.CreationDate: 2019-02-01T10:51:55.573Z
Comments.Text: @Aziraphale: Then why is it like this every year, for the past 30 or so years?
Comments.UserDisplayName: O. R. Mapper
Comments.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 4.0
Comments.CreationDate: 2019-02-01T19:04:32.463Z
Comments.Text: Reviewers seem to think that this situation is exceptional and last year, the 2018 catalogue had been available even before January. See e.g. https://youtu.be/n5GSxr3xC68
Comments.UserDisplayName: Metalbeard
Tags: <untagged>
Title: Why are printed LEGO Catalogues distributed late?
UserDisplayName: O. R. Mapper
ThreadText: # Why are printed LEGO Catalogues distributed late?
  
  (Asked by: username_0 on 2019-01-29)
  
  Today is January 29, 2019, and toy stores in Germany (at least a couple that I've checked) still have only some remainders of 2018 July - December catalogues. 2019 January - June catalogues are nowhere to be seen, even though the first month of 2019 is virtually over already. As far as I remember, it has always been like this over here already during my entire childhood.
  
  **Why is that? Why do the printed LEGO catalogues not show up in stores at the beginning of the year, at latest along with the first sets released in the new year?**
  
  I have heard and thought about various reasonings over the years: That they wait for some toy industry fair before revealing the entire programme for the year (seems unreasonable in light of the complete novelties being visible on the web already), that they hope people will buy a first set in the year solely in order to get to see the included (smaller) printed catalogue (that strategy might work, it's precisely what I used to do as a kid every January ;) ), etc. Is there a publicly known reason for this delay in releasing the printed complete catalogues?
  
  **Tags:** untagged
  
  > **Comments:**
  > **username_1**: Might be another regional thing, because where I live we get our catalogues several weeks in advance.  
  > **username_2**: I doubt that there is a strategy behind it. They probably noticed mistakes in the catalogue that could not be tolerated, and had to reprint the whole thing.  
  > **username_0**: @Aziraphale: Then why is it like this every year, for the past 30 or so years?  
  > **username_2**: Reviewers seem to think that this situation is exceptional and last year, the 2018 catalogue had been available even before January. See e.g. https://youtu.be/n5GSxr3xC68  
  
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  ## 0 answers
  
  