Subject:
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Re: High praise for Designer Set #4100
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Newsgroups:
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lugnet.general
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Date:
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Sat, 19 Apr 2003 19:24:00 GMT
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Viewed:
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886 times
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The morning after I read your review I got the set for my birthday! You're
absolutely right. But rather than just a 'metoo' post I wanted to add
something.
What I really like about the models (I've only built a few so far) is that
none of them is perfect. That may seem like a strange comment on such a
great set, but what I mean is this: hardly any of them would be built the
way they're built now if you had an unlimited supply of bricks. So they're
basically made the way children build (and some of us less affluent
AFOL's...). Just make do with what you have. I think that will inspire
creativity much more than any HP or SW set, no matter how great they look.
Duq
"Allan Bedford" <ExpertBuilder-DELETE-TO-REPLY@apotome.com> wrote in message
news:HDAJs0.1rC5@lugnet.com...
> In a recent thread on LUGNET, someone referred to 'evangelizing' about • LEGO.
> This post may have some of that tone to it, though I suspect this is
> probably more like preaching to the choir.
>
> On Friday I was pleasantly surprised to find several of the new Designer
> Sets in a store about an hour from where I live. Of course, I knew the • sets
> were out in some places, but hadn't seen them in my local Zellers or the
> closest Toys 'R Us. So actually seeing them on a shelf was a welcome
> sight... though perhaps not to my Visa card.
>
> The store I was in had four different sets from the series. My problem
> wasn't which one did I like... it was which one(s) would I leave behind;
> they all looked great.
>
> In the end I settled on two copies of set 4100 (Maximum Wheels) and one • copy
> of set 4097 (Mini Robots). And while both are fantastic, it's the Maximum
> Wheels set that brings me to posting this review/feedback.
>
> One of the first things I noticed about the box was how heavy it was. • This
> was no light weight box of small parts... this set has some mass to it.
> Next up, was the piece count vs. the price. My frugal brain was amazed to
> note that even at full price the price per part was around 10 cents each!
> (1) This, of course, is in direct contradiction to some of the Star Wars • or
> Harry Potter sets which for obvious reasons tend to carry a higher sticker
> price. And so, to the LEGO marketing people I say, "thank you". 10 cents • a
> part is a price I can live with and one that I will support with • additional
> purchases. While I realize there have been benefits to the licensing • deals
> that LEGO has made, there have also been drawbacks. Costly sets being the
> main one.
>
> I happened to speak with the store owner as I was trying to decide which
> sets were coming home with me. I offered the observation that the • Designer
> Sets reminded me of some of the Universal Building Sets of the mid 1970's.
> (perhaps an example might be the series of 910, 911 and 912 sets). He
> agreed with my observation and added a comment. He noted that he often • gets
> parents in looking for "just regular LEGO" sets. He felt he would be
> selling a lot of the Designer Sets and in fact had already sold out of one
> of them.
>
> When I got home and got the 4100 set open I was even more surprised. The
> first thing that jumps out at you is the idea book. It is a massive
> (relative to other instruction books for sets this size) square bound book
> chock full of colorful instructions and pictures. They even included • small
> details like sketches that show some of the models in their early • conception
> stages. I felt this really added to the 'Designer' theme behind the • series.
>
> Next I began pouring over the parts. Wow. Dark grey plates of several
> sizes. Red slopes and wedges in many sizes. Wheels and tires...... ten • in
> total! Grey 1 x X plates... and not just 1 or 2 of them. So needless to
> say I was impressed. I had looked at the box pictures in the store and
> thought, "yup, looks like a good selection of parts." They look even • better
> when you get the box open. :)
>
> I then started thinking about the parts and the idea book together.
> Originally I had thought I was buying these sets mostly for the individual
> parts... to add to my collection. But in looking through the idea book I
> realized that, "Hey... I want to build some of these models." Last night • I
> built the main large model featured on the front of the instruction book.
> This is good stuff if you ask me. Good parts, with really well • thought-out
> instructions. It was a fun model to build.
>
> A couple of final observations:
>
> Another major aspect of the Designer Set series that really caught my eye
> was the attention to color schemes. The 4100 set, for example, is • primarily
> red, white, and dark and light grey. This works on two levels. First, by
> itself, the set makes some nice models with consistent colors. Second, as • a
> parts pack, it nicely adds quantities of similar colored parts to your
> collection. The color co-ordination seems to more or less carry through • the
> other sets in the series also.
>
> Also, the selection of pieces appears to have been a careful process. • This
> isn't just a bunch of parts tossed into a box and called a set. It • appears
> to have been a deliberate attempt to find parts that work well together • and
> yet also work well apart. A delicate balance and one that speaks volumes
> about the attention to detail that obviously went into this series.
>
> So my most heartfelt thank you to Paal Smith-Meyer and his design team. • You
> have renewed my faith that this company *can* get back to some of the • values
> that built it into what it is today. I always knew this type of set was
> possible in today's market. Thank you for bringing it to fruition.
>
> Finally... along with the Designer sets I bought, I also picked up all • four
> of the Star Wars minis. While putting together the bonus ship, I wondered
> if a similar bonus couldn't be applied to the Designer series. Not more
> parts in the sets... but rather a 'Master Designer's Idea Book'. • Something
> that could be sold as a separate product and would offer further ideas and
> models that could be accomplished using all of the sets from the series.
> What a good way to not only share more building ideas with fans, but to • also
> encourage more sales from this wonderful line of sets.
>
> Thanks again to LEGO for such good work.
>
> All the best,
> Allan B.
>
> (1) This is based on a regular retail price of $29.99 and the piece count
> which is 290. I was glad to find the set was on sale for only $26.99. • All
> prices in Canadian dollars.
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Message has 2 Replies:
 | | Re: High praise for Designer Set #4100
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| (...) I think you just put into words what I was trying to describe to my wife about this set. I bought it with great enthusiasm after reading the intial review and love it. It really helps me think what to do and I take it on the road with me in a (...) (22 years ago, 20-Apr-03, to lugnet.general)
| | | Re: High praise for Designer Set #4100
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| (...) That's a perfect encapsulation of how I feel about the types of models you can build with these sets. Especially the last line. So, to have some fun with that idea, I decided to sit down and build to a goal, using just the pieces in the 4100 (...) (22 years ago, 21-Apr-03, to lugnet.general)
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Message is in Reply To:
| | High praise for Designer Set #4100
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| In a recent thread on LUGNET, someone referred to 'evangelizing' about LEGO. This post may have some of that tone to it, though I suspect this is probably more like preaching to the choir. On Friday I was pleasantly surprised to find several of the (...) (22 years ago, 13-Apr-03, to lugnet.dear-lego, lugnet.general) !
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