Subject:
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Re: Fwd from a builder: Colors don't match, among other things!
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Newsgroups:
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lugnet.general, lugnet.dear-lego
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Date:
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Tue, 18 Nov 2003 03:20:58 GMT
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Viewed:
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6873 times
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In lugnet.general, Mark Tarrabain wrote:
> Allan Bedford wrote:
>
> > It might be more accurate to say that more money is spent on LEGO by adults vs.
> > children. However, do all those bricks end up in the hands of adults? No,
> > probably not.
>
> Kid fans of LEGO eventually grow up... and they either become adult fans
> of LEGO, pass them on to their kids (in which case not as much LEGO is
> bought for the successive generation, as there is already ample supply),
> sell them via bricklink, ebay, or some other place, or (perish the
> thought) the garbage. So all LEGO either ultimately ends up in one of
> two places: the trash bin, or the hands of adults.
>
> It would be interesting to actually do some population sampling and find
> out exactly how big the numbers are and where.
>
> > If the adult fan base who buy bricks
> > is so large (as you suggest) then the scenario above is a good one, not a bad
> > one.
>
> As I said... the playing with electric trains began as a children's
> hobby many years back and as adults began to get interested in it, a
> market was specifically developed to cater to it (at higher markup
> rates, typically). This adult market now _DWARFS_ the child's market in
> for hobby railroading. It is perfectly reasonably for TLC to be leery
> of inadvertently starting down this one-way road and might explain their
> refusal to cater to the adult market.
I am no expert on this aspect, but I don't think the logic is that sound here.
I recall an article in a train magazine noting the 'graying' of the hobby. They
worried that the average age of subscriber was like 56yrs old. I don't think
catering to the older hobbyist killed the child market. I suspect that other
competing diversions killed the train hobby market. Kids watch more TV (I
think), they have video tapes/dvds, TV, handheld and computer based video games,
and probably other distractions that did not exist when I was in my formative
years. I think the fear is that as the train hobbyist began litterally dying
off, where is the next geneartion of hobbyists .. not growing up on trains...
they will long for PS1 and what not for notalgia.
I think that even as they embrace the AFOL, they know full well the kid market
is the bread and butter. My suspicision is that a fair amount of what appears
to be catering to AFOLs is actually catering to adults that buy not fo
themselves but for their kids or other's kids. I don't think star wars means to
kids now what it means to me, a 40yr. I know when I shop for my kids it's
easier for me to be drawn to something thinking.. 'man I wish I had that when I
was a kid." Or in the case of the legends how about... "Wow, I always wanted
that one." Those thoughts, I think translate into increased sales... to adults
for kids.. adults that are no longer builders.
> > So you began your post by asking if the comment about adult fans and the market
> > share they represent was serious; I think you can see that it is. LUGNET is a
> > slanted view of the adult LEGO community. Look at another point of view. I
> > work with around 45 people in my office. There is one adult LEGO fan.... me!
> > But there are probably 12 - 15 kids getting LEGO for birthdays, Christmas etc.
> > Do I buy as much for me as those parents are buying for those dozen or more
> > kids? Not by a long shot.
>
> Not at any one time, no... but over the course of an entire year?
> Maybe... just maybe.
>
> > All the best,
> > Allan B.
>
> Thanks Allan.
> > > Mark
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