Subject:
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Re: Introducing LEGO Direct
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Newsgroups:
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lugnet.dear-lego
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Date:
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Mon, 13 Dec 1999 15:10:19 GMT
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Viewed:
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1315 times
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In lugnet.general, David Goeb writes:
> In lugnet.general, Brad Justus writes:
> > To LEGO enthusiasts everywhere:
[Snip]
Now that I have had a day or so to mull over what I would like to say here it
is...
Open Letter to Brad, TLC and the LEGO Direct Staff
Many of the posts and letters from AFOLs and others that you will see have
requests for solutions to some of the problems we have seen so far.
Let me take this opportunity to express & vent my small list of "Do's, Don'ts
and Blunders".
I apologize in advance for the nature and tone of the post some of it may sound
HOT, however TLC must acknowledge that the handling of the area beyond the
distributor/retailer has been less than it could be.
(there I said it the nice way)
In no Order
* Pitsco, S@H and other exclusive deals.
TLC & LD must find some way of distancing themselves this kind of marketing as
soon as it can. The level of service and the prices charged by these groups have
been a source of much frustration to KWABOBs, AFOLs and Educators alike. I am
not saying they are all bad, but allowing them exclusive rights to products and
territories has only resulted in a farce(my words). Check out past RTL and other
forums for the truth avoided in meetings with them(guess only, someone may have
mentioned it). Ask them what the reaction of school boards to a 3000$+ budget
entry goes over like when OpenSource/Low cost solutions do/could exist. I hope
LEGODirect will resolve and eliminate some of these problems. All the People I
have been in contact with have been for the most part friendly and helpful in
their way and I am pointing out problems in the CONCEPT not the Actions that
follow from the position. Some points around this issue are addressed later on.
* History
TLC has in the past discouraged the historical enthusiast and collector by
avoiding and obscuring information about past products. Many of the fine
resources available for looking up sets suffer from the lack of information only
available from TLC. In the future I am sure that TLC will be in the debt of
these groups as the only source of some types of information. Encouragement and
access to materials would both serve TLC in preserving "Brand" and building-in
future protection of TLC products.
* Part, Inventory and Set Data
This is related to to Deals made with others in the past. I have said it before
the Preservation of your Trademark is protected more by Open and Complete Data
on TLC product line not the restriction and reselling of such information. If
this will result in some companies loosing profit from this they will have to
look elsewhere. If I sound harsh here it is a mild to light response from many
of the comments made by others online and off-line.
* Bulk Parts
You are going to have to be real careful on this one. Limits on amounts/orders
will only encourage resellers to continue to extract from your bottom line(not
that many AFOL's care who gets paid they just want the Bricks). TLC may wish/
have to encourage a resellers program of some kind. Part speculation is sore
point with many of us and is to often used as a rationalization of erratic
pricing (gouging). The Used and Collector markets will remain for a long time on
Past products alone, but again some kind reseller program would help avoid
obvious abuses.(see next item)
* International Sales
Online does not equal USA (nor does access to a telephone but....Mumble mumble
NorthWest of New York is not a vast wasteland...mumble mumble!!). I hope to see
that TLC is aware of this fact. I have seen very little movement in this area in
the past. Again exclusive deals are avenues for resellers to extract from TLC's
bottom line and in the end serves no one but resellers (we still get the bricks,
"Do you[TLC] want the bucks or do I pay double+ to the odd looking guy over
here").
* Retail Observations
AFOLs, Gamers and Collectors are the worst fear of retail, however they[retail]
want & like the bucks. Watching kids cry as a 'grown-up' person takes all the
cheap sets is not good marketing (bad for the ego too). Limiting sales by
special Retail-Only sets suffer the same fate. Upshot is You do not want AFOL,
Gamer and Collectors punching giant holes in the shelves (Yes it does look like
that some times, ask your reps). Keep them/us happy by direct sales in-time-with
or in-advance of retail release. The retail chains may have to take the loss and
move on, AFOLs want the bricks not the attitude anyway (how many times have we
all heard "Who is the lucky child...", "...are they all for you?", "...at your
age?" and the immortal "Security!!!").
* Third-Party products and services
Bottom line is "If you don't they will anyway". It is far better to have a hand
in after-sales activities than to be in the cold. If TLC has marketing plans
around software or after sales products, all we can ask is for you to do it
better than the community could with out you. Deals that you have made with
others for products are/maybe incompatible with the realities of Today.
ldraw.org and other groups have found willing enthusiasts, this is a clue to the
depth of interest and the total lack of revenue that may be extracted in this
endeavor. With out support and acknowledgment it will surely lead to the
corruption or divergence from of the long term goal(mine and TLC's) of Product
Purity. A Developer Registration program for after-market Software and Computer
related products based on TLC assets would encourage us to protect and promote
pure "Brand" solutions or applications. Yes I am sitting on several applications
that given a different attitude or guidance from TLC I might release. Many
others(Baum etc) have shown that we can build and do more than any of us knew.
It would be in TLC interest to promote such activities, and it has started
making inroads as I note that NQC is now allowed on Mindstorms(hurra!).
Repackaging and other forms of Value Add (e-L-flowers etc) should be handled as
any other industry has done... Authorised VARs and VADs. (more on this and
related below)
* Computers and the Net ** Windows+Intel != All_Computers **
This is related to the above point but is singled out. Allow the release Mac
Versions if your developer won't or can't... we/I can. Again do it better and we
will cheer you on, don't and we go on. I have not myself (released) as I am not
seeking to challenge TLC on this issue, but When CD's go out that could have
been...so easly...I am moved to vile language...Net sites based on wintel only
plug-ins...MMMM MMM MMMM MMM MMM Linux!!!! (I take whole bottle of Chill-Pills)
* Fair-Use and the AFOL
I am aware that TLC has been working on finding good solutions to these issues
and hope that this will continue. I will however point out that AFOL is that, an
Adult Fan of LEGO, splitting up the areas of information is necessary here. What
is apro' for Us is not for Kids. By avoiding the issue or blanket restrictions
on types of presentation will only feed the problem. Those who want to do things
different "will" and you will have to chase them(waste of your time really, but
nessesary some days). If there is a AFOL terms of use that will not cause this
it should be adopted soon. Web sites with reviews and other contentious
information will never go away. You are in the Public Eye and your actions and
products must suffer with the rest of the media magnets. Hassling sites with
negative reviews or advanced info serves only to illustrate a lack of respect
for the BUYER. Prompt responses adressing directly problems and-or leaks by a
TLC-ePress-Rep is all that is needed and necessary. Supporting, Promoting and
Maintaining a Site Registration and feeding up-to-date information to them
directly would solve many of the problems that have come up and will go a long
way in eliminating future ones. Where you are sub-licencing IP such as the Star-
Wars products we understand that TLC may have to work under terms not of its
making or run counter to the community. Good ePress-reps can/could nail this
kind of stuff well before the flames reach critical.
* Clubs and Events
I would encourage TLC to avoid the problems seen by Hasbro, Mattel and others.
Well organized Fan and User Groups build "Brand" period. There are no downsides
here, only invented and contrived reasons not to. There is so much to be said on
this issue I will keep it to the three Key points "As I see it". First off Club
Registrations are a must, this is also applicable to Classrooms and other NGO-
childrens(daycare,afterschool societies, etc)groups. Second TLC sponsored
Announcements and Event Site/section. The Mindstorms.Com site I should think
prove the importance and value of these ideas with out a detailed overview.
Lastly In-Store Events by local groups, and I ask the question "What's the value
of an End-Cap in comparison to a bunch rabid LEGO nuts with more correct
information on the product line then all your Sales Reps combined?" (gotta turn
the heat down a bit here, save it for the next point <grin>)
* Cultural Awareness 101
I will not address the gender issue as others may be able to say "Homemaker"
with out the aid of a 20,000 BTU blow-torch I need two or more so I will focus
on another issue closer to home.
In the past TLC has made a blunder that has been & will continue to be a source
of Flames...the Wild West Line. You can not go back and remove or change the
products that were made. That being said the future is a new place and past
wrongs can be made right or avoided all together. I am particularly offended by
this line and have not yet purchased any of the sets with First Nations(I hate
that term but all the others that anyone knows are worse) figures or parts. I
have actively recommended friends and relatives to select other sets in
preference. I am encouraged that once I have explained what the issue is they
are very supportive. I will not dwell on the problems with this line or the
Crude and Vocal reactions of Mothers in stores when they first see them. Please,
please be aware of the message you present in your sets. In general I have been
encouraged by the tact shown by TLC, some could say it has been more than I have
shown in my letter so far.
In Conclusion
As you can tell none of these problems are pressing enough to stop me from
playing, collecting and promoting LEGO. Nor would "in-action" on these issues
stop me from continuing to enjoy or purchase (WW excluded) TLC products. I have
written this in the hope that some of these issues may see some improvement in
the future. Thank you and TLC for making such fine products and offering to
listen to Me and the rest of us.
All the best to the Staff of LegoDirect and TLC.
David Goeb
PS: These are my points not the communities as a whole, some will agree others
may/will not. At no point am I laying down the law, just pointing and gesturing
wildly in faint hope.
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Message has 1 Reply:
 | | Re: Introducing LEGO Direct
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| "DaveG" <peagreen@intergate.ca> wrote: <MASSIVE CHOP WITH LARGE CLEAVER> (...) ...An excellent parallel I can note here is Games Workshop and their Outriders groups. GW actively supports these groups to basically go places and champion and talk up (...) (25 years ago, 13-Dec-99, to lugnet.dear-lego)
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