Subject:
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Re: the perfect way to sell lego trains
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Newsgroups:
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lugnet.trains, lugnet.dear-lego
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Date:
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Mon, 30 Dec 2002 22:17:24 GMT
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Viewed:
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327 times
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lots of snipage here:
> From: Jonathan Wilson <jonwil@tpgi.com.au>
> Here is the right way to sell lego trains, these are the sets to have:
> 1.several train sets, all unpowered, as a starting point
> > From: "Michael Hader" <mhader@hubcap.clemson.edu>
> > Even the cheaper trains, say just the Small Engine with tender and an oval of
> > track would be close to $60. This would be pretty good.
I think so too,
Thomas starters run from $25 (basic circle w/1 engine no cars)
its $40 (basic figure 8 w/1 engine 2 cars) they go way up from there
> 2.add-on pack with motor + regulator.
yep
> 3.motor as seperate pack
I think some options here would be good...
9v train motor
9v technic motor set (sold to be compatable with train and non-train sets)
or perhaps something totally different...
wind up or friction motor, not the best idea i admit (but, sold like above)
or a smallish motor that runs off 1 AA battery and pulls two cars
Another option might be to make the basic train motor more "lego" like
along time ago they made a motor block that looked a lot like the train
motor of now but, you could change the wheels, if they made say a hybrid
train motor... one that you could trade out the metal wheels with rubber
ones and power from the top by way of a battery box
this way the same motor could be used for trains or trucks, powered
by a track or not
> 4.regulator as seperate pack
Possibly, but i dunno how well that would work in retain stores unless
you could also use it to power the 9v technic motors,
and i really don't think that someone deciding to get the regulator would
mind having the other motor
> 5.light pack (suitable to add lights to all trains)
Perhaps a general lighting pack? one to work with any set?
i had one when i was a kid, didn't even come with a battery box
just like two little lights and some trans bricks, How much cooler
is anyset with add on lights!
personally the current train light pack seems steep, if one could
get say a set of 3 lights w/wires for $16 ?
> 6.accessory packs (things that make a plain oval track into a railroad)
What ever happened to accessory packs anyway? there arent much for any of
the current lines...
> 7.add-on cars (freight and passenger, coordinated to match with the sets)
> > You could then add other cars to you're engine. TLC could sell their trains
> > like the Thomas sets are everything seperately..with a few starter sets.
I like the idea of selling them like the Thomas sets, in reality its maybe
the best way to sell them...
cars at Target were around $15, Thomas runs $10-$16 per car
(the Hogwarts express would have been vastly better if they had made it with
train wheels and just left it unpowered)
> 8.locomotives (unpowered), also railcars, multiple-unit passenger trains
similar to how Thomas is sold
> 9.track buildings, such as level crossings, stations, and whatever else.
Yes, very cool,
Thomas add-ons are very pricy compared to their starter sets,
they run $25 - $50, it would be way easy for TLC to make train related
add-ons for the same or less, and would help to justify a higher starter
set cost
> 10.add-on track. The existing track, perhaps augmented with new track.
Track packs run $13 for 8 straits/curves, Thomas is $12 for 4 (gee, what's
the better deal here? and it can be powered!)
another thought might be to make a sortof "flex" type section of track one
that could be used to make slight inclines to make cross over tracks as well
as to help when two tracks arent perfectly matched to fit.
> > > From: "Mike Walsh" <mike_walsh@mindspring.com>
> > > I think one of the reasons that the MOT sets didn't appear to do well at
> > > Target is because you can't buy an engine or track separately.
I would agree, but I also think Target purchased these solely for the sales
through the holidays, I work at a TRU and the only time we even have trains
is near Christmas. they pehaps anticipated better sales but without other
set support as you suggest they decided to cut bait early (BTW not all
Target stores have clearanced the sets out, near me only the non-"greatland"
stores have done so.
> > > > From: "Harvey Henkelman" <Ferroequus@webtv.net>
> > > > It is my belief that as long as LEGO® markets trains toward children, we
> > > > won't see much progress being made.
Here I would disagree, even through the current retail channels I think
trains could be successful, i could see almost two lines actually,
one line geared tward a younger kind like Jack Stone and one like it is
now...
Younger kids love trains, that is why Thomas is so popular. If at the Thomas
age they started on a lego train they would have many more years of use,
even if they started with a JackStone type and only still used the track,
the car decks, and wheels. I'm not suggesting to "juniorize" all of trains
just add a few sets that use the same track to get them hooked earlier.
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Message is in Reply To:
 | | the perfect way to sell lego trains
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| Here is the right way to sell lego trains, these are the sets to have: 1.several train sets, all unpowered, as a starting point (all train sets + all add-on locomotives would show ways to add motors and in some cases lights as well). Have perhaps (...) (22 years ago, 22-Dec-02, to lugnet.trains, lugnet.dear-lego)
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