Subject:
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Re: TLG investigation 1st answers
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Newsgroups:
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lugnet.general
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Date:
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Fri, 19 Feb 1999 20:29:47 GMT
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Viewed:
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3368 times
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Dave,
I agree with you completely.
Wonderful post.
Mark
D Blomberg wrote:
>
> Hi Jeroen-
> I'm a parent. My main focus in purchasing Legos has been
> to purchase sets for my son. His sets span Town, Adventurers,
> Wild West, UFOs. He saves his allowance (for up to half a year)
> to purchase sets on his own, or he receives them for gifts at
> Christmas and his birthday.
>
> I did win a Mindstorms last November. That got me going on building
> models outright on my own. From there, I purchased
> a Technic universal modeling set to augment the # of pieces.
> My 7 year old son found the set, and immediately set off building
> the "cat-like" model and then he ripped it apart and built
> the robot model. He loves this set, much to my surprise.
> But I have no plans at the moment to purchase any additional
> technic sets, with the exception of the model team sets (for parts).
>
> Like Mike Stanley- I purchased a number of 5542(?) black thunder
> helicopters- but primarily for the train parts like the
> yellow windows and black doors. And as a source of plates.
> I have no intention of ever building the set. The same with
> the Zany Brainy sale on 5571. Unfortunately, I only bought one
> of these, and would love to buy more for US$69.
>
> But in trying to build a town for my son's train set, I've been
> forced to purchase older sets to get pieces that are no longer
> available from Lego. These pieces cost me a severe premium.
> Money that could be going to Lego is instead going to other people.
> THIS IS OUR POINT, and I think you've missed it completely.
> Money that could be going to Lego is going to a secondary market.
> This is why I believe there is a cry for re-releasing old sets.
> I don't happen to agree with the cry... because I think you could
> build even BETTER sets if you had the inclination. This community
> is generally turned off by the 1999 sets except for Star Wars,
> and is instead pumping their money into buying old sets.
>
> As far as the Model Team goes, I like them as a source of parts
> that I can get new and at a (sometimes) reasonable price.
> Here are my suggestions to the Technic group:
>
> 1.) Make minifig-scale detailed models. When I call shop-at-home,
> I always buy an extra 3442 or the equivalent yellow truck just because
> I like these models. I think they are the only decent town models.
> I think the Model Team should also create smaller scale models.
> I think the Model Team folks should concentrate on building sets
> as good as the Star Wars sets are... minifig/playable sets that
> look like the real mccoy.
>
> 2.) "Componentize" the model. I'm not sure that is the correct
> word to use, but if you make models with fewer piece counts and
> that are more affordable (<US$60), and then go and
> include instructions in the smaller models so that if you purchase
> multiple copies of these sets, you can build a really
> cool, large model like... 5571 or 5591. (Say that you could
> divide 5591 into thirds... and then provide instructions on building
> each piece.
> Buy three copies of the set and you can have the complete tractor
> rig, trailer, and airplane). You would of course have extra pieces when
> you are done building the large set.
> Does that make sense? For instance, suppose 5571 were affordable, and
> you
> could purchase two additional ones and then you provide plans for a full
> size
> trailer to go along with the tractor). This gives a much lower entry
> price
> into the model... and a way to upgrade the model into something
> bigger/better.
> Does this idea make sense to you? I think addressing affordability in
> the model team is my main concern.
>
> 3.) You can get in on the "collector" market
> on these sets just like the Star Wars sets,
> if you do cross promotions on these sets.
> If you look at what Ertl builds, basically they are little advertising
> models for Texaco, John Deere, Pepsi, etc. You could create a wide
> variety
> of GREAT models in bricks.
> If I were Pepsi, I would just ask for model design approval and for no
> revenue,
> because I would want to have the Pepsi label in every kid's hand that I
> could.
> I'd even pay Lego to distribute my label. I don't know the history
> of Lego and Shell, so I don't know why you no longer create Shell
> gasoline
> stations and tanker trucks.
>
> 4.) I built the Sixby Vision Pumper the othernight for my son, and
> he loves it. Now he wants to build more vehicles and a fire station.
> (but I can't afford to buy a fire station on e-bay, son. Your fire
> station will have to have free-style windows and no garage doors and
> it will look like *%^$, but I'm rapidly digressing into a rant).
> Point 4 was to suggest that the model team designers should concentrate
> on building awesome 4, 5 and 6 stud wide vehicles that hold minifigs,
> on the same quality as Star War models, but on real-life prototypes)
> BTW- the parts for my version of the Sixby Vision Pumper came from a
> set (#735) that I purchased on e-bay for $51. If Lego still made sets
> like #735, I would rather buy it from you. But you have no set that
> has this selection of parts. So you didn't get my $51. I remember
> seeing
> the same model 735 for sale in a newsgroup unopened for $110. I bet
> someone bought it at that price. The reason there are such insane
> prices on e-bay for older Lego sets is... not because of collectibility
> of models but because of inability to get decent parts from Lego.
> I think the model team should check out this URL:
> http://members.aol.com/regult/sixby.html
> Six stud wide vehicles are more playable for my 7 year old son and
> his friends than the four stud, low piece-count vehicles you sell in
> 1999 sets. I won't buy one for my son, and I won't allow him to buy
> any either.
> (Re-reading this, I see that point 4 is the same as point 1. sorry.)
>
> 5.) The model team should extend it's range of products from
> vehicles like cars, trucks and helicopters to TRAINS.
>
> 6.) And then extend into famous architectural structures... even
> if the model is just the facade.
>
> FYI- my next Lego purchase will be on the secondary market for
> a used set. I just want to let you know where my money is going...
> because it could be going to you if you would address the adult
> consumer.
>
> You're going to sell a ton of Star War sets.
> But to three groups: kids, Star War collectors (adults), and AFOL who
> want them for parts and for models. I think you under estimate the
> size of the latter two categories. You'll also see the other current
> set
> categories not move off the shelves of stores as long as the
> Star War sets are on the shelves.
> (My son is holding on to all his money for the Star War sets, and
> is not purchasing any Lego sets until they show up at the store.)
>
> I'm not sure there is a summary to this message.
> I just continue to be extremely fustrated by TLG's lack of vision.
> I invite you to share with this forum the marketing research that
> has gone into dismissing the adult consumer market place as irrelevant.
> I believe TLG has none.
> I invite you to stand around the toy aisle where matchbox and hotwheels
> cars are sold in the USA and see who is scoping out the selection
> and making very large purchases. It's the adult enthusiast.
> The adult Lego community is similar, but we have more fun because
> we play with our toys rather than collect them.
>
> Good luck with your personal quest in getting TLG to acknowledge
> the adult market place. Is there a Danish equivalent to Don Quixote?
>
> -- dave
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Message has 1 Reply:
 | | Re: TLG investigation 1st answers
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| Mark Benz wrote in message <36CDC9BB.ED3E6867@u...le.com>... (...) Can you guys snip the content if all you're going to do is tack on a "me too" please? No one likes to download an 8Kb "me too." Thanks, Jesse ___...___ Jesse The Jolly Jingoist (...) (28 years ago, 19-Feb-99, to lugnet.general)
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Message is in Reply To:
| | Re: TLG investigation 1st answers
|
| Hi Jeroen- I'm a parent. My main focus in purchasing Legos has been to purchase sets for my son. His sets span Town, Adventurers, Wild West, UFOs. He saves his allowance (for up to half a year) to purchase sets on his own, or he receives them for (...) (28 years ago, 19-Feb-99, to lugnet.general)
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