Subject:
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Re: Mindstorms on Slashdot
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Newsgroups:
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lugnet.robotics
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Date:
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Tue, 29 Nov 2005 03:54:26 GMT
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Original-From:
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steve <SJBAKER1@AIRMAILihatespam.NET>
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Viewed:
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2277 times
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danny staple wrote:
> The problem is guys, while that may not mean many lugnet regulars and
> afols, the majority of their sales are gonna be kids who only put
> together the described models. I was once in Hamleys (being a
> Londoner) and heard a mum objecting to buying Lego star wars toys over
> other Star Wars toys on the grounds that "you'll only mix it up with
> the rest of your Lego" - obviously not seeing that this is exactly (in
> my mind) what the toy is designed for.
I think you have to be a little careful here. That mother may be right.
If her kid has a ton of Lego parts that he never plays with - then
purchasing a bunch more Lego parts that will be used once to build
the model on the box then dumped in with all the other Lego and
forgotten - then it may well be a waste of her money.
I have fought the same instinct myself. My son and I will see a set
that builds into something interesting - there is an impulse to buy
it - but then we realise that all we're really buying is the instruction
book because we already have enough parts to build that thing (or
something VERY similar) a hundred times over.
I used to say "You can never have enough Lego" - but we havn't bought
any more for several years and yet are building and having fun with
the Lego we have with no prospect of needing more.
The next Lego parts I'm likely to buy will be more Technics motors
because my stock of a dozen or so is gradually diminishing due to
failures.
> While there is a strong
> community with a fierce identity here on lugnet, we really are only a
> minority of lego consumers (and I really meant that term with all its
> attached connotations).
Yep - that's got to be the case. We are unlikely to be any more than
a blip on Lego's radar. The best they could hope to get from us are
some inspirational models to show on their web site.
> Take into account that experienced people who
> are "Lego Literate" as the artical phrases it will use LDraw to design
> stuff, then purchase a specific set of parts from Bricklink, or second
> hand sets from ebay, then we may feature even less highly on TLG's
> list of top markets. Its true that we have much more in disposable
> income than a kid hassling their parents, but we also have a restraint
> that they dont, and we know how to get stuff cheaper or in bulk.
Yeah - we know not to buy sets with a ridiculously un-reusable parts
(Bionicles, RoboRiders, etc) - we know that StarWars sets cost more
than regular sets (part-for-part) because of the money that goes to
LucasFilm - we know to look for bulk buckets on sale in WalMart - we
sell bulk parts that we don't need on BrickBay so we don't waste money
accumulating parts that we don't need.
> I would love Lego to actually leave behind all of their movie tie ins,
> Bionacle (though some interesting parts came out of it) and some of
> the less playable lines and focus seriously on Basic (City/Space etc),
> Technic (To which Bionacle became a very, very poor cousin) and
> Mindstorms (which I saw as the logical progression of technic and a
> long overdue step).
Yes - but I recognise that they have to do what they have to do in order
to stay in business. I'd rather there was a Lego company that produced
90% junk and 10% useful sets rather than have them go out of business
altogether.
> Only - I get the feeling that in terms of sheer
> shifting of volume units, the Star Wars tie ins will do better.
(Harry Potter also!)
But that's OK. I can live with that. Whatever it takes to keep
the company alive until some future generation of kids gets bitten
by the Lego bug and kicks life back into the product.
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Message is in Reply To:
 | | Re: Mindstorms on Slashdot
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| The problem is guys, while that may not mean many lugnet regulars and afols, the majority of their sales are gonna be kids who only put together the described models. I was once in Hamleys (being a Londoner) and heard a mum objecting to buying Lego (...) (18 years ago, 28-Nov-05, to lugnet.robotics, lugnet.mediawatch)
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