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In lugnet.events.brickfest, Richard Marchetti writes:
> In lugnet.events.brickfest, James Brown writes:
> > They neither said it was smart or stupid, just that it was.
>
> I didn't say they said anything of the kind. I think I am allowed to
> characterize their actions in whatever manner I care to; just as you are
> allowed to pose inane, well-known, trick questions.
His question was no more inane than your comments, and perhaps a bit less,
since it's illuminative of some doubletalk on your part.
> I am going to guess that very few people imagined that this accessory pack
> would be available for so short a time. If LD knew it was going to be a
> short run, they might have given everyone the heads up by labelling the item
> "new, limited supply!" rather than just "new!" in the spring catalogue.
> Again, the usual mismanagement of available information.
I disagree strenuously that it was mismanagement.
If they had done that, some small number of people would have bought the
entire supply up and made a small fortune marking them up on BrickLink(tm).
(and you know that there are a handful of people that between them could
have raised the money to do it!)
None for kids, and none for you because you wouldn't pay the necessary price
once they were on BL.
Is that really preferable? Be careful what you ask for, you might get it.
This is exactly what Brad alluded to at a different point in his talk, that
they don't want to enable people to profiteer from scarcity. BL
No, keeping the exact number of shots available confidential was good for
the hobby, and good for all those kids that got a chance to make some neat
creations with one or two packs. Shrewd management, not mismanagement.
Do I wish that LD had the brief to make more molds? Yes. With all my heart!
Should they? Maybe. I think it would be nice indeed. I think I could make a
business case for it if I had access to the right info and people... :-)
Do they? No. Get over it.
Richard, you're a much nicer and smarter guy than I used to think you were,
but every now and then you lapse back into your old ways. Too bad, really,
because it's pretty boring hearing the same old same old from you when you
do. You're much more interesting if you don't.
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Larry:
Nothing personal, but this is the usual TLC/LD apologist stuff, so I will
just ignore it generally.
1) Profiteering -- I don't care if they offer it as the official reason for
some actions -- it's logically specious. Profiteering is an issue that
exists with every product they rerelease -- from Guarded Inn to Metroliner.
It also exists for limited editions releases like the Super Chief -- people
collect the limited edition and sell them to buy the regular edition in
quantity (I have seen that very offer here on Lugnet, I think it was 2-3
reg. for 1 limited). Heck! They even sell just the limited number tiles! A
concern for profiteering is a ready excuse for anything they simply don't
want to produce. I don't accept that it's the real reason, but even if I
did -- they are pretty uneven in dealing with "the problem" and can even be
seen to create a profiteer's market with crap like bionuckles.
Do I have to mention that this "reason" completely falls apart if they just
keep basic and highly desirable stuff in production? If they don't, they are
creating the profiteering market.
2) Molds. That's the business. This isn't even a new mold, it's a
replacement mold. But whatever...
3) Accessory packs. I look in the catalogue and find almost nothing I want
to puchase from the accessory packs. Where are the 1x? bricks? Where are
offerings in all of the basic colors (instead of ugh -- sand red)? How
about them 1x2x2 windows in yellow? I like the trees. Where are the
flowers? And now it is set certain that 3033 tubs are no more. Pathetic.
So defend them as pleases you, the writing is still on the wall. LD is a
marketing scheme to make us think we are going to get a lot of the things we
have been wanting when in reality we are likely to get very few of those
things. They readily admit that they don't care about our segment of the
market -- that our numbers are statistically meaningless to their marketing
decisions. Fine, I'll take them at their word on that count -- they have
repeated it often enough. I know it COULD be different, but again --
whatever...
So I would get over it -- except that I find it WILDLY obnoxious that they
think we are going to "evangelize" for them in return for precious little.
I guess I might feel differently if I were into train. Perhaps you would
feel differently if two of your favorite themes were essentially replaced
with licensed product lines (HP and SW).
-- Hop-Frog
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In lugnet.events.brickfest, Richard Marchetti writes:
<snip!>
"There's no pleasing some people."
;)
Jeff
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In lugnet.events.brickfest, Richard Marchetti writes:
> So defend them as pleases you, the writing is still on the wall. LD is a
> marketing scheme to make us think we are going to get a lot of the things we
> have been wanting when in reality we are likely to get very few of those
> things. They readily admit that they don't care about our segment of the
> market --
I think TLC does care *somewhat* about our market segment. After all, they
did send 7 people for two days.
> So I would get over it -- except that I find it WILDLY obnoxious that they
> think we are going to "evangelize" for them in return for precious little.
My sense is that most brand-loyal LEGO fans are willing and able to
evangelize LEGO whether we get anything in return or not.
--Todd
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In lugnet.events.brickfest, Todd Lehman writes:
> In lugnet.events.brickfest, Richard Marchetti writes:
> > So defend them as pleases you, the writing is still on the wall. LD is a
> > marketing scheme to make us think we are going to get a lot of the things we
> > have been wanting when in reality we are likely to get very few of those
> > things. They readily admit that they don't care about our segment of the
> > market --
>
> I think TLC does care *somewhat* about our market segment. After all, they
> did send 7 people for two days.
Brad Justus referred to the book, _The Tipping Point_. What if LD's point of
view is that the AFOL market is not ready... yet? It was connected to
Time's article, and some other book I haven't read.
-Erik
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"Erik Olson" <erik@olson.pair.com> wrote in message
news:Gzq9tA.E90@lugnet.com...
> In lugnet.events.brickfest, Todd Lehman writes:
> > In lugnet.events.brickfest, Richard Marchetti writes:
> > > So defend them as pleases you, the writing is still on the wall. LD is • a
> > > marketing scheme to make us think we are going to get a lot of the • things we
> > > have been wanting when in reality we are likely to get very few of • those
> > > things. They readily admit that they don't care about our segment of • the
> > > market --
> >
> > I think TLC does care *somewhat* about our market segment. After all, • they
> > did send 7 people for two days.
>
> Brad Justus referred to the book, _The Tipping Point_. What if LD's point • of
> view is that the AFOL market is not ready... yet? It was connected to
> Time's article, and some other book I haven't read.
>
> -Erik
I think it was in Larry's transcription of the Q&A/Brad's talk that there
was mention of _Crossing the Chasm_. It is a good book that discusses what
it is involved in taking a high tech product to market. This book and its
successor, _Inside the Tornado_, are both widely used in the industry I work
in (Electronic Desing Automation, aka EDA - the software that semiconductor
vendors use to design their chips, boards, etc.).
Although it has been a while since I have read either book, I am stuggling
with the application of the Chasm Model (what Crossing the Chasm is based
on) to TLC and their products. I guess I'll have to go back and read them
again.
Mike
PS: If you ever have the chance to hear Geoffrey Moore (author of _Crossing
the Chasm_) speak take advantage of it, he does a good job.
--
Mike Walsh - mike_walsh at mindspring.com
http://www.ncltc.cc - North Carolina LEGO Train Club
http://www.carolinatrainbuilders.com - Carolina Train Builders
http://www.bricklink.com/store.asp?p=mpw - CTB/Brick Depot
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