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Subject: 
Re: TLG investigation 1st answers
Newsgroups: 
lugnet.general
Date: 
Fri, 19 Feb 1999 16:01:07 GMT
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CJC@NEWSGUYstopspam.COM
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Jeroen Ottens <ottens@get2net.dk> wrote:
To begin with the last:
Lego develops for kids, not for adults. Kids have developed as well through
the years. Old sets simply don't sell. If you ask for better sets, you ask

I know you won't be able to provide numbers to us, but I'd be curious
to see how the newer Jr-ish style of sets sell in comparison to the
older sets which were, unarguably, of better quality.

As for "kids have developed as well" - if by that you mean that TLG
has acknowledged that kids have become dumber and less focused over
the years, basically turning into cartoon-watching video game-playing
monkeys, I guess you're right.  I'd say on average they don't have the
attention span required to get the most out of the classic style of
set quality TLG _used to_ produce and that if you put a 700 pc Castle
set in front of one of an _average_ kid today he'd probably lose
interest and go back to his Nintendo 64 or the Power Rangers, whereas
if you put a 350 pc set in front of him with huge pre-formed pieces
that an average monkey could put together, he might stay focused on it
long enough to put it together before he goes back to the video games.

I wonder, though, with that type of example is TLG merely yielding to
the inevitable change (for the worse) in children or are they
contributing to it?

for bigger sets with smaller (unprinted) bricks for yourself. My question
is: Does Model Team fill that need (if only partial)? I mean is that a good
direction?

I own one Model Team set - Blue Fury.  If I weren't so cheap I'd
probably try to get a couple of the older ones, just because the
models are so cool.  But no, to be blunt, they don't do a darned thing
for me.  I want to build large ornate structures from my own fantasy
worlds and those that others have created - Castles and such.  I don't
want to build hot rods or helicopters or giant trucks.  I've bought 5
copies of 5542 mainly because I knew I could sell the train doors and
windows to offset some of the cost of the sets and they were a good
source for plates and such.  The models themselves don't do anything
for me, and I've never built them.

This question is more for my own curiousity and understanding, I can't
promised feedback from the Model Team team (see above).

Oh well, wouldn't interest me anyway.  Maybe someone from the MT team
should get involved.  In fact, I find it hard to believe that out of
all of the people who do the type of work you do for TLG that you are
the only one who might have an interest in interfacing with us.  Maybe
if you can provide enough feedback to your bosses they'll encourage
that among the other teams.

Bulk piece ordering/better service packs are not be commented on by me.

Second only to "TLG ought to hear us" I guess this is the most
important thing to just about ANY AFOL, so that's a big
disappointment.

Rerealese of old sets. I my opinion that is a setback. It would be better
to increase the appeal of new sets, than to rerelease old sets, but maybe
collectors don't agree with me on that one.

Hey, if you can convince the other teams to stop producing junk, more
power to you.  Based on their track record for the last several years,
though, and your own statement about how "kids have developed" I don't
see them just suddenly making more appealing sets.  In fact, based on
some of the RIDICULOUS price increases for certain sets (same or
higher price for sets that are over a third smaller in piece count)
I'd say we're noticing a move towards even worse designs.  At least
with reproducing older known high-quality sets nobody would have to do
any _work_ - it would just be a matter of gearing up to do something
that was done before.

I'm not a collector, btw.  Collector leaves a bad taste in my mouth.
I'd love for TLG to rerelease 6071 or 6086 or 6074 because unlike
everything they've done in the castle line in the last 4 years with
maybe the exception of 6090, those were GOOD sets with good parts and
good design.

Right now when I shop for Lego sets I don't even look at design.  I
check to see if one set or another has enough parts that I want and
enough parts that other people want so I can justify paying the
ridiculous prices for them and hope to recover some of those costs.
If I walked into Target and saw 6086 on the shelf I'd buy every one of
them in sight at full price, which is saying a lot for me.

Acknowledgement of the AFOL community. I think this the pivotal point.
Without acknowledgement nothing will change. I will try to get that message
through within Lego. Of course I can't promise anything. Lego is just a
company that has to make profit and fact is that there are more kids
playing with Lego than adults.

Guess we'll have to wait and see and hope that somewhere some bean
counter realizes that they AFOL community represents a pot of gold if
handled the right way.


--
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http://www.lugnet.com/lsahs/
800-835-4386 (S@H USA) / 800-267-5346 (S@H Canada)
www.lugnet.com/news/ - Focused discussion groups for LEGO fans worldwide



Message has 2 Replies:
  Re: TLG investigation 1st answers
 
Mike Stanley wrote in message ... (...) Now there's a scientific study waiting to happen: can monkeys put together lego sets if given the instructions? Jesse ___...___ Jesse The Jolly Jingoist Looking for answers? Read the rec.toys.lego FAQ! (URL) (...) (26 years ago, 19-Feb-99, to lugnet.general)
  Re: TLG investigation 1st answers
 
(...) Ah, but you've BOUGHT other MT sets - 2 5571s at least. Granted, they were on clearance, but TLG still got paid for them. And every MT set you buy for parts STILL gets money to TLG. So I would think you would be FOR MT sets, if for nothing (...) (26 years ago, 19-Feb-99, to lugnet.general)

Message is in Reply To:
  TLG investigation 1st answers
 
Hi everybody, Thanks (again) for your overwhelming responses. I have had over 100 responses within 4 days and still counting... A lot of questions have been asked, most of them I can't answer unfortunately. All questions regarding comments to be (...) (26 years ago, 19-Feb-99, to lugnet.general)

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