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In lugnet.dear-lego, Ronald Vallenduuk writes:
> I asked LEGO netherlands why the blue tub (3033) isn't available overhere.
> In their reply they said set no. 3033 has been discontinued.....
> This might explain the recent TRU sale....
>
> Duq
Warning - long, involved (and possibly contentious) reply follows
But first, a little background. I am from England, and have spent a fair
amount of time trying to hunt down the legendary 3033 Bulk Tub here. Here
goes . . .
All this talk about Blue Tub 3033 being discontinued is perhaps a little
exagerated.
At the start of this thread, Duq originally wrote "I asked LEGO netherlands
why the blue tub (3033) isn't available overhere. In their reply they said
set no. 3033 has been discontinued..... This might explain the recent TRU
sale...."
So, Lego NETHERLANDS (not Lego the whole wide world) has discontinued Lego
3033. However, even if they are discontinued in the Netherlands, they could
still be available elsewhere - for example, the USA.
The Netherlands are supplied by Lego Northern Europe, and Lego Northern
Europe have a different product line than _other_ Lego companies. For
example, I recently asked Hamleys (big UK toyshop) if their Lego buyer could
get Set 3033. He said he was forbidden to buy from any Lego company other
than Lego Northern Europe, who do not have 3033 in their lineup. So,
different companies, different product lines.
But in my hunt for 3033, I went one stage further. I looked up Set 3033 on
LUGnet < http://guide.lugnet.com/set/mdata.cgi?q=3033_1 > and read what
Christian Gemuenden (a German, I think) had to say: "seems to be US-only
again". So _he_ felt it was not available outside the USA (not strictly
true - Australia and Canada also have it. But he can't get it where he is -
that is, Europe). But, in my hunt, I found MORE evidence that it is not
avaialable in Europe - visitors to rec.toys.lego with very long memories
would have seen the follwing exchange in Janaury, which was posted mainly in
Dutch, but which ended thus: "Sorry, we just talking about the "blue Lego
tubs #3033 1200 pieces" if they are available in the Netherlands." Curious,
I emailed the original poster to ask whether they _were_ available. He
replied "Hi Robert Spinks, I've got nine off these boxes and I have bought
then in the USA. As far as I know they are only available in the USA and not
in the Netherlands. I'm sorry. MB" So, MB thinks they are USA-only, too!
But I also have found some MORE evidence regarding European availability to
consider!! I contacted Lego UK, and asked them about set 3033. 'Sorry,'
they said 'discontinued 3 years ago.'. I also asked a UK seller of
discontinued Lego < http://www.busybeetoys.co.uk/ > if THEY had it. 'Never
heard of it', they replied. Now, if THEY buy Lego's old stock, and they
have never had it, that suggests (again) that it is not available over here.
But here's yet MORE evidence - this time regarding the NON-demise of 3033
(can you take the exitement!?!?). The market for 3033 is INCREASING! In
the same Lugnet thread, "Martin Scragg" wrote "Discontinued? These tubs
have only just made it to Australia within the last couple of months"
The conclusion (well, my conclusion! Yours may be different!). We have
Lego Northern Europe saying it is was - or will be - discontinued. But
people IN Northern Europe (MB, Christian the German, the UK Lego resellers,
Hamleys, and me), have never even SEEN it - and we've looked! Perhaps I
could ask European long-time AFOLs on the list to say whether thay have EVER
seen 3033 in Europe. I suspect it either never WAS available in Europe, or
was technically "available" but was never actually imported.
That is why I am not worried about the demise of 3033 - and I don't think
anyone in the USA should be either!
There's more . . .
Later in the thread, Eric Kingsley and William R Ward worried about escalating
Lego costs, and the latter asked "Is there any rumor about what if anything
will replace the 3033 tubs?". It was suggested that 3033s replacement could
be Set 4229 < http://guide.lugnet.com/set/mdata.cgi?q=4229_1 > Amy wrote
"It looks like it's being replace by 4229 <snip> It's not yet available in
the US, but it's scheduled to be. I'm guessing 3033 is being cleared out to
make room for it." However, on the LUGnet URL quoted above suggests that it
IS available in the USA: THe page says "Joel Kuester: "December 2000: this
set has shown up in the US in a value pack with 5958 and a gold case" So,
it seems to be an old set in the USA too!
However, I am told that 4229 has been discontinued IN THE UK, to be replaced
by the Creator sets. Whether it will reach the USA _again_, I am not sure.
Hope this additional information helps clear up the confusion regarding set
3033 - and that I have not offended too many folk by coming in as a new boy
and telling people with more experience than I have what's what.
Robert Spinks
PS Of course, we could simply contact Lego USA, and _ask_ them . . . ;-)
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