Discontinued littleBits kits at Amazon third-party markup prices?
Our position, and other voices worth reading before you decide.
Our position
Do not pay 2-3x retail for a discontinued SKU. If Sphero direct does not sell it, the alternatives are usually a better use of the same money.
When a littleBits product goes out of production, third-party sellers on Amazon sometimes list the remaining inventory at dramatically inflated prices - $500 for a $200 kit, $150 for a $50 component. The implicit argument is 'this is the only way to get it.' That is also the evidence that the product is no longer supported. Paying 3x for a product that will not receive app updates or replacement parts is a bad trade.
Other voices
Reputable sources worth reading before you decide. Labels reflect our honest read of each source's general stance, not direct quotes.
Sphero littleBits current catalog
Broadly agreesThe authoritative answer to 'is this still available' is the Sphero store. If it is not listed there, it is not a current product.
Schools with partial inventory
Nuanced / mixedIf the school already owns most of a kit and just needs one missing bit to complete the set, a reasonable eBay find at a fair price is legitimate. The 3x markup problem is specifically about new whole-kit purchases.
Education resellers with specialty inventory
Pushes backSometimes education resellers have legitimately-sourced inventory at normal retail prices on products Sphero has stopped selling direct. That is different from Amazon markup. Call the reseller.