Subject:
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Re: Nicely now. What do you think of the new colors?
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Newsgroups:
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lugnet.lego, lugnet.general
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Date:
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Tue, 20 Jan 2004 17:28:03 GMT
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Viewed:
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12965 times
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In lugnet.lego, Jake McKee wrote:
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It’s only a couple of weeks in the new year, and it looks like it’s going to
be an interesting 2004!
I have a request, but before I go any further, let me say that personally, I
understand the concerns surrounding the color changes. I know many of you
think of me as a marketer here to shill products. I’m an AFOL too with a
healthy collection of light and dark gray, so I can understand your concerns.
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.....
Jake,
Thank you for taking the time to ask for this input and presumably to collate
it.
After thinking a lot about this subject I think that it boils down to one main
issue:
The perception that the color change will make it more difficult for many
AFOLS to ‘build.’
I have been out of my dark ages officially for about three years now. I
discovered early on that to pursue this hobby as an AFOL that along with money,
one must spend time and concentration on acquisition, storage and sorting. The
color changes will definitely increase all of these aspects and thus take time
and energy from the ‘payoff’ portion of the hobby which to me is both the
building and the satisfication derived from completing something.
Aside from the storage, sorting and cost of acquiring new parts, probably the
most frustrating aspect to me is that it will be litterally impossible to build
certain creations for years if ever. For example, if I want to create an
aircraft MOC in the new grays I may need a tailpiece that has not been released
in the new color... and may not be for several years if ever. On the other
hand, that tailpiece is currently available (at least used) in light gray. If
lego NEVER makes it again in the original light gray, there are still a fair
quantity out ther that will make their way to bricklink or ebay and these are
compatible with all the other light gray that has been made. I have around
100,000 parts. despite that I still come up short on the parts I need in
certain colors. Some times I find they appear to never have been made or are
scarce enough as to not be available... or are but cost dollars a piece. This
is frustrating for the AFOL builder and this color change only exacerbates that.
I have read that AFOLS comprise less than 5% of lego sales. While this is not
much it seems like it is not something that you want to diminish, but rather
grow. To grow that it seems to me you would want to facilitate the ‘payoff’
portion of the hobby, make it easier for people to build and complete projects.
Many AFOLs are chearleaders for the product. We do train shows and other
venues. Making our hobby more difficult makes doing those shows more difficult.
My consolation on this topic has been that .. since we are only 5% of the
market, there is a LOT of old brick still out there that will continue to hit
the channel, so my goal of a large gray mountain is still ultimately attainable.
None-the-less, the prospect of dimishing sources of new (original) gray brick
and the elimination of the perpetual hope of new releases of old parts in
original colors or new part in old colors...its just plain discouraging.
So, in closing I just want to reiterate that I think the color changes will have
a real impact on making it more difficult for many AFOLS to ‘build.’ That may
be a bad side effect of a good decision for TLC as a whole, but I think that’s
hard to say.
Ken
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Message is in Reply To:
 | | Nicely now. What do you think of the new colors?
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| It's only a couple of weeks in the new year, and it looks like it's going to be an interesting 2004! I have a request, but before I go any further, let me say that personally, I understand the concerns surrounding the color changes. I know many of (...) (20 years ago, 15-Jan-04, to lugnet.lego, lugnet.general, FTX) !!
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