Subject:
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Conversation with Wal-Mart cashier about TLG's financial woes
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Newsgroups:
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lugnet.dear-lego
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Date:
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Sat, 23 Jan 1999 18:32:51 GMT
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Reply-To:
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CJC@NEWSGUY.COMavoidspam
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Viewed:
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973 times
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I knew I wanted to write about this last night when it happened, but
after reading Larry's post about the clueless LIC manager I know I
have to.
I went Wal-Mart hopping last night. At one I found two silver
anniversary 1201 brick tubs for $10 each so I picked them up. When
the cashier, a nice lady in her fifties, scanned them, she told me she
had heard on NPR today that Lego had lost money for the first time in
some huge number of years.
Now that in and of itself was not startling - a lot of people listen
to NPR. What was startling was that when I offered my theory that TLG
isn't doing so well because the sets they are producing are mindless
action toys instead of the classic building toys they used to make,
she not only eagerly agreed, she starting giving me HER take on it.
She basically said that they toys TLG are producing now are the same
sort of quick gratification toys that kids find in video games and
action figures. No creativity, no real building, no value.
She also commented that parents these days seem to be content to leave
their kids in front of the computers and televisions to play their
games, and that even in her neighborhoods in surburbia she doesn't see
children playing outside anymore.
We both agreed that it was sad that, instead of producing the same
kinds of sets they had built a company on, sets that could keep a
child occupied for hours building and rebuilding, TLG seemed to be
playing the "if you can't beat 'em, join 'em game" with the action
toys makers, and they were suffering because of it.
All this not from a fanatical AFOL like myself or Larry, but from a
normal person doing a normal job - a grandmother lamenting the toys
her grandchildren have now compared to those she herself bought for
her own children.
--
Unofficial listing of weekly US Lego Shop at Home phone specials
http://www.lugnet.com/lsahs/
800-835-4386 (S@H USA) / 800-267-5346 (S@H Canada)
www.lugnet.com/news/ - A great new resource for LEGO fans worldwide
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