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"Whytcross, Benjamin" wrote:
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: Tom Stangl, VFAQman [mailto:talonts@vfaq.com]
> > Sent: Friday, July 07, 2000 2:02 PM
> > To: lugnet.lego.direct@lugnet.com; lugnet.general@lugnet.com
> > Subject: Re: Bulk Sales in the 21st Century
> >
> >
> > "Whytcross, Benjamin" wrote:
> >
> > > One minor problem with all this...If TLG were to decide to • do this, then
> > > they would end up putting a sizeable percentage of their • machinery to work
> > > on the production and filling of customer orders. This • machinery would
> > > therefore not be available to put together sets for sale in • stores or
> > > through S@H. Now having heard you say that their machinery • must be working
> > > more-or-less constantly in order to fill the needs of the • sets they produce
> > > for sale in stores, you seem to be advocating that TLG cut • back on or stop
> > > production of these sets.
> >
> > You need to re-read his premise - the lines would handle BOTH
> > Bulk and sets.
>
> All I was saying was that the time the machines were used in the sorting,
> etc of LD orders was time that was being taken from the task of sorting for
> the sets to be released, and as it was stated that the machines are kept
> running 24 hours, I meant that this would be where the lowering of set
> production would come from. [as well as the extra time required to produce
> the extra parts.]
And why would that hurt TLG? Remember, LD parts will most likely have a MUCH
higher profit margin, as there are ZERO middlemen in the distribution path.
> > To whit:
> > > The above production line can also be used to churn out • transport bins
> > > that are then bagged and boxed for LEGO's own sets as well.
> >
> >
> > > You've had S@H for how long,
> >
> > And NZ had BETTER than an LD for years, yet noone let the secret out.
>
> And Australia, and probably other countries too, where we could order parts,
> and they'd do their best to get them for us [I only found out just before it
> ended here]. I believe that you can still do this in most countries, as the
> lego distributer [at least in Aus] keeps several [unknown quantity] copies
> of each set purely for the parts for people who's sets have come without
> various parts [it does happen]. What I was referring to was that you have
> access to a wide range of sets from the supplier, discounts on some of
> these, ability to pre-order sets, and general better treatment by your
> distributor.
I wouldn't even know who to call as a distributor, unless you mean S@H/LD. And
if you do mean them, they really don't have THAT large a list of sets, and if
you are looking for a particular one, you have to ask - they don't have a S@H
inventory accessible anywhere (BOY do I wish they did!).
> > > you get more exclusive sets than any country,
> >
> > Want to back that up with details? The only real exclusives
> > I currently know of
> > are the 3438 and 3442. Yet the UK gets 8450 and other sets,
> > Japan gets the
> > Kabayas, Europe in general gets exclusives/promos all the time.
>
> I'm not referring to this year in particular, I'm going back over the past
> few years in the S@H catalogues. To the best of my knowledge, the only
> 'exclusive' set released in Australia may have been 6010 [petrol pumps], but
> I think it was probably available in other countries too.
Um SHELL sets - still not available in the US, except as a test marketing in
SoCal (and they probably won't have a single set when I head down there next
week!).
> As to Kabaya, etc:
> I was refering to exclusives, NOT promotionals. [promos being sets included
> with other products/advertising other products, exclusives being sets
> available from stores/S@H in that country/region only]
I wouldn't separate them that much, they are both highly limited availability
sets.
But with today's networking, the limited availability is somewhat moot. I have
sent TONS of US-exclusive sets all over the world, and received tons of non-US
exclusives too. It WOULD be nice if it were TLG distributing them to us, rather
than me asking someone to buy and ship them to me and vvs.
> > > you've got your own lego factory and park,
> >
> > So? That factory doesn't do SQUAT for us, and other
> > countries have parks.
>
> Where do you think most of your LD parts are coming from? How do you think
> the cost of Lego there became so cheap compared to the rest of the world?
Uh, I think the obvious reason is MEGABLOKS.
> As to the park, I believe there's an officail lego store there where you can
> purchase sets not available in other places [minifig packs, like in the UK's
> park]
I've never seen anything exclusive except the keychains, most of which you can
get through S@H.
> > > and you've even got LD.
> >
> > Yeah, and we're basically the Beta testers for the rest of
> > the world, so what.
>
> Well, previously you mentioned something better in NZ [and which was
> apparently in Aus, too] Why do they need Beta testers, when they already had
> what you've stated was 'something even better' that was working?
NZ/AU wasn't meant to BE a bulk ordering, from the details I've seen. It was
quite clandestine.
> > > Instead
> > > of complaining about what you want and don't have, why • don't you spare a
> > > thought for all the people who don't have these things, may • never have
> > > access to these things, and who are getting sick of all the • 'we want this'
> > > and 'we want that' attitude you seem to take. You'd be a • lot better off if
> > > you'd just be content with what you've got, instead of • trying to force
> > > others to cater to your every whim.
> >
> > No, I think you need to quit your whining. Lots of people
> > have offered to get
> > AUers sets/bulk packs, so it's not like you DON'T have access, you do.
>
> I'm not denying this...I'm just stating that until LD itself becomes
> available to the rest of the world, those who it doesn't serve are stuck
> with having to pay twice for postage, as well as currency exchange rates,
> and in Australia, a large fee for this exchange. Added to this is the
> further delay of getting payment to the US, and then getting the parcel to
> Aus/wherever [2 weeks minimum, as opposed to 2-3 days]
>
> > If we keep our mouths shut, LD will think they pegged
> > everything perfectly, and
> > when they finally get around to serving AU, you'll get the
> > same limited runs as
> > we do. If we complain NOW, YOU get better parts later.
>
> As opposed to your requesting TLG to start this service, which resulted in
> the service available in other countries to be halted? [ie order a part, and
> they'd do their best to get it for you...]
I don't follow - those aren't related. The shutdown of many supplies were part
of their "fitness program", and now that they're in the black, they can
experiment on something that has been asked for for YEARS.
> > You should WANT us to bitch and complain as much as possible,
> > as long as it is
> > constructive criticism rather than ranting (your constant
> > complaints about LD
> > being US-only are completely counterproductive - LD WILL be
> > in other countries,
> > and whining won't speed it up, it will just sour LD's
> > attitude towards you).
>
> It's not just LD's attitude, it's also LA...somehow our sets are priced
> considerably higher than those in other countries. [we can often have a set
> or several sets airmailed to us from the US at S@H prices, and even with the
> cost of currency conversion it is still below the cheapest price here]
Some of that is the INSANE Customs crap you have to deal with - an individual
can fib a bit on the value of stuff being sent to AU and probably get away with
it - a corporation cannot.
> Anyway, I think had we still had our old parts service down here we wouldn't
> be overly worried about LD. [and wasn't there a fair amount of complaints
> when people in the US found about what used to be available in NZ and wasn't
> there?]
> >
> > > Leave the complaining to those in
> > > markets that TLG have been neglecting, or even help by • turning your emphasis
> > > from 'we want ...' to 'why can't you let people in ... have • access to ...'.
> > > Opening the LD and S@H areas to the rest of the world may • even help you to
> > > get what you want after all, as there'd be a much larger • customer base than
> > > just the USA/Canada.
> >
> > You can't rush the base structure they'll need to set up for
> > each country, with
> > the laws/customs hassle of each. Whining non-stop that "the
> > US gets everything,
> > we get nothing" simply won't help. You want to help LD get
> > into AU faster? Do
> > some research with your importation laws, talk to your
> > lawmakers, and see what
> > can be done to remove or lower some of the INSANE duties that
> > AU imposes on
> > items (over 100% value is not uncommon on car restoration parts).
>
> Well, this is the strange thing...LA was originally only going to get in the
> soccer field from the football series and it was to be $119.95 [I saw the
> price list from lego at more than 1 store]. Yet they were not only able to
> get the entire range...they were also BELOW the cost of the sets in the US:
> average prices, before GST [which lowered prices]:
> busses:$18.99
> portable goal game :11.99
> field: $55.99
> [I can't remember the prices on the others, but they were similar]
> Now, if LA can afford to sell the sets for this price, where do you think
> the money from the higher prices was going...to the government in taxes, etc
> or to LA and on to TLG?
>
> As to setting up the warehousing for LD, when we had the 'better than LD'
> service, parts would arrive within a week. [if they had them] So obviously
> they already have a warehouse area here.
HAD. I believe it was completely shut down.
>
>
> Benjamin Whytcross
> BWhytcro@PacificAccess.com.au
> Ph: (03) 9856 5282
> Directory Technology Pty Ltd
> 1/436 Elgar Road,
> Box Hill, 3128
>
> Growing older is compulsory..Growing up isn't :-)
>
>
--
Tom Stangl
***http://www.vfaq.com/
***DSM Visual FAQ home
***http://ba.dsm.org/
***SF Bay Area DSMs
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Message has 1 Reply:
 | | Re: Bulk Sales in the 21st Century
|
| (...) Absolutely. TLC makes money whether we buy bricks or sets, either from retailers or directly from TLC. The question becomes the number of middlemen involved in the transaction. Tom, I agree with all the points you've just made.. I want to see (...) (24 years ago, 7-Jul-00, to lugnet.lego.direct, lugnet.general)
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Message is in Reply To:
| | RE: Bulk Sales in the 21st Century
|
| (...) All I was saying was that the time the machines were used in the sorting, etc of LD orders was time that was being taken from the task of sorting for the sets to be released, and as it was stated that the machines are kept running 24 hours, I (...) (24 years ago, 7-Jul-00, to lugnet.lego.direct, lugnet.general)
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