Subject:
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Re: FOTM/LOTM (Loss of the Month) Some thoughts...
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Newsgroups:
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lugnet.general
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Date:
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Thu, 5 Jul 2001 15:53:57 GMT
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Viewed:
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1384 times
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Read carefully - Bryan has very effectively communicated to us what LEGO
toys are all about. This sense of fair-play is increasingly rare and should
be considered a venerable goal for us all. Removing the avialability of
LEGOs from kids' hands, whether in person or on-line, is neither noble nor
worthy of profit.
Congratulations, Bryan!
Ed
In lugnet.western, Bryan Beckwith writes:
> After getting into LEGO again this year, there has been one set I have been
> wanting more than any other: Fort LEGOREDO (6769)
>
> Unlike many dark-agers, I wasn't lucky enough to have had my collection
> stuck in an attic somewhere. My collection, which I remember being times
> larger than it probably was, was all given away at one point. This means I
> have had to start collecting again from scratch.
>
> I rarely have the money to buy new sets, which means that I spend a lot of
> time looking for LEGO at thrift stores, yard sales, etc. This morning my
> girlfriend and I visited the flea market in Colorado Springs, with great
> hopes of finding some LEGO. I was happy to find a large ziplock bag full of
> misc. stuff for only $3 (not my FOTM). After another half an hour of
> wandering, I was looking at some GameBoy stuff when my girlfriend grabbed my
> head and made me look at the next table.
>
> On the table, to my excitement, was Fort LEGOREDO, complete with box in good
> shape, for $10! (The FOTM) I quickly went towards it but realized there was
> a little boy looking at it too, with eyes almost as big and excited as mine.
> His head was moving back and forth between the set and his mom, each time
> asking, "Can I get it?" The boy must not have been even 10 years old, and
> from the sound of his voice $10 must have seemed like a fortune to him. I
> heard his mom tell him she would think about it and I saw his face go sad.
> My face however, was as bright as could be. I picked the set up and looked
> at it, realizing it was very near complete if not complete. I can't tell
> you how badly I wanted the set, but I figured the kid had the first shot at
> it. I stepped back and waited a minute, and to the little boy's glee his mom
> dug a $10 bill out of her purse. He quickly handed it to the guy behind the
> table and while I was disappointed not to get the set I had been wanting
> (LOTM), I felt real happiness when the first thing I heard come out of the
> boy's mouth was "We can build it together! You wanna?" He was talking to
> his little sister, who must have been about 5. She smiled bigger than I
> ever imagined a little girl could.
>
> Anyway, I guess the only reason I decided to post this was because it
> reminded me of how frustrated many of my fellow AFOLs make me. I absolutely
> hate seeing posts like "4 million copies of set xxxx added to my BrickBay
> store!" and I don't doubt one bit that many of those same people would have
> quickly snatched up the Fort LEGOREDO, knowing they could make a tidy profit.
> I get tired of reading posts like "LEGO should make sets with us as their
> target audience." IMHO, no they shouldn't. If I wanted to play with things
> targeted at me, I wouldn't play with LEGO. A good part of the fun I have is
> knowing that I am having just as much if not more fun with something I loved
> as a child. It's not about regaining one's childhood, it's about not
> letting go of it. Quite frankly, what is the point of TLC re-releasing a
> set like the Guarded Inn if they just get snatched up by collectors and
> auctioners? LEGO is about building and creativity, not collecting and
> selling. (I am not saying there is anything wrong with collecting and
> selling sets, but I really get tired of people snatching up every available
> copy of sets that many of us would love to play with, not just look at.)
>
> Anyway, this turned into quite a rant, so congrats if you read this far. I
> lost a good part of my focus once I started actually typing this message,
> and I'm sure I'm not being as articulate as I would like to be. That said,
> I hope this message provokes some thought about the purpose of our hobby.
>
> Bryan Beckwith
> Tired, cranky, and ready for bed.
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