Subject:
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Re: Stunning new Maersk set?
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Newsgroups:
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lugnet.general
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Date:
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Mon, 17 May 2004 04:58:08 GMT
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Viewed:
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1312 times
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In lugnet.general, Calum Tsang wrote:
> In lugnet.general, James Brink wrote:
> > > I don't think anyone here expects them for free, and you are *wrong* about Velux
> > selling the sets. They sell them on their web page:
> > http://www.velux.com/international/ under inspiration then velux gift shop, and
> > I'm sure they make money on them. Maybe the afol pestering did some good in this
> > case.
>
> I am fully aware Velux sells them online, now. But before they ever did (this
> was many years ago), I was told by this Velux staffer here in Toronto that they
> received literally a hundred calls about these little houses, first asking for
> them for free (because they were originally a gift to Velux distributors) then
> eventually asking to buy 10-20 of them in batches (people I guess loading up
> their ebay stores or filling out their tract housing layouts). Someone had
> obviously heard of the set, called Velux Canada, found a kind soul there who
> offered a free one or a very cheap one, and then posted on Lugnet or rtl (more
> likely rtl, back then) that they should all call Velux for them. Hilarity
> ensued. That kind soul lost their kindness VERY quickly.
>
> Regardless of whether they make money or not on the individual set, having a
> national marketing manager, receptionist etc dealing with a hundred calls about
> little plastic houses is a waste of time and money. For a company whose primary
> business is selling skylights, an online store must only be run as a PR
> function.
>
> What would make me truly embarassed is that all these phone calls made them
> spend money to put some web form online to sell them. If they figured the tide
> of random calls about this would never cease and the only way to quell the
> insatiable demand for Velux houses from eating up employee productivity was to
> set up an online gift shop (which is not free, cheap or inconsequential) then
> that's really sad.
Its not sad, its life. Or rather business. if you have a limited commodity,
expect it. If you dodn't expect it, go back to business school. Sure its a
toy, but a really popular toy. You think Lego fans are bad, what if they had an
exclusive poke-mon card? :)
> A couple of years ago, when New Kids on the Block were in Toronto, teenage girls called/visited thousands of times to every hotel in the city, jamming switchboards and hotel lobbies. (Side note, they I think were staying in the Seahorse Motel, a horrifically low rent thing near the highway). I'm embarassed about the Velux house thing the same way I would be a New Kids fan. I think you could write if off as teenage fandom, but I don't think it's acceptable for ADULT fans of Lego.
>
> AFOL pestering of ANY kind is embarassing to the community, especially to
> outsiders. Pestering Lego itself is bad too.
So, umm.. in this thread the only pestering of an outside company was from you
several years ago to velum, which up until you brought it up, hadn't been
discussed. Ranting here on Lugnet may be annoying to other Lugnetters, but I
can't classify it as pestering Lego.
> > Anyway, I think the majority of the irritation stems from the fact that many of
> > the promo sets are among the best/better sets that have been released and we a)
> > can't get our hands on some of them at all, and b) can't get most for a
> > reasonable price.
If the best sest aren't made as widely available as possible than Lego is quite
stupid. They are free to charge what the market will bear, but its just bad
business to hold back. But probably some of these sets aren't actually the best
sets ever made, we just love all lego and can't imagine not being able to buy a
given set. I think S@H is making great strides to curb that feeling.
> But let me return to my original comment: There is no god-given right to cool
> sets. If a private company chooses to design them and only distribute to select
> people or customers, that's their choice. I bet there are a thousand cool
> models in some design lab or vault in Denmark. Does this mean I should be
> frustrated they're not available for public consumption?
Lego has no god given right to annoy and frustrate its customers and expect
silence. Again this is business. If the customer wants cool sets and cool sets
are being deliberately kept away, than that is poor.
> Frustrated enough to demand the resignation of corporate officers? :)
That was over the top, but really not nearly as over the top as you have been.
> There is a weird compulsion by AFOLs to "must-have" something. It drives people
> to be "X lineup complete" or to pay $2500 for some weirdo 1987 Classic Space
> ship made of three other sets. It's driven by some sort of perverted "love"
> of the product. AFOLs talk about being angry when Lego screws up as if they
> were your wayward brother who got involved with drugs or criminals.
Its not just AFOLs. Its fans of many types of products. Apple computers. Star
Wars and Star Trek. Harley Davidson. All have a love of the product that goes
beyond the product's fuction. Its called brand loyalty, and Lego is damn lucky
to have it.
Many of us AFOLs are quite heavily invested (real money here) in Lego products,
so yea, we get angry if Lego makes dumb mistakes. But not all of us get that
angry.
> That's kinda nuts, in my view. I used to be like that, it pained me to see
> Juniorization and the like. But you know? It's a company which sells a
> product. A product we may like, but it's not worth getting riled up for. There
> are bigger problems in the world.
Guess what. Your still like that, only now against the AFOLs.
> No one will die if they don't release the Maersk ship. It's not like starving
> children in war torn nations or international aide to earthquake zones. None of
> the vitriol used here about these sets or colour changes demands such an
> disproportionate response.
>
> I had a coworker who volunteered with Amnesty International. She'd spend some
> of her time at work printing out AI press releases and organizing protests
> around our city. I suspect I spend more time reading colour change rants than
> she ever did posting calls to action on torture and human rights violations. :)
I doubt that is true.
> To complain to Lego is futile and counterproductive, to bug Maersk, Velux or
> Kabaya is even worse, because it's adding extra grief to a third party who is
> completely uninterested in the world of plastic blocks.
If they were uniterested in the world of plastic bricks, then why do they use
them as promotional items. I'll tell you why, because they want to capatalize
off of Lego's strong brand. Until yesterday (I read your sad Velux story) I had
never heard of Velux. Now I have. That is exactly what the marketing manager
wanted when he order several thousand of those houses.
I actually went to the website, and was reading about the skylights. Can you
believe it. Well, I happen to have skylights in a house with bad windows... but
thats a different story. Or is it? If I even for a second considered buying
something from Velux, than they got their money's worth. Honestly, its worth a
lot more than a commercial. I fast forward thru those.
> Calum
Dude, you need to ask yourself why your in this hobby if it embarrasses you. We
all act a little stupid some time, give this guy a break. I think he flew of
the handle a bit, too. Especially since we don't even know if we can get this
set or not. But you know whats worse that an unthinking reactionary? Yup. The
guy who argues with an unthinking reactionary.
And you know whats worse than that?
oh.. this post..
:)
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Message has 1 Reply:
 | | Re: Stunning new Maersk set?
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| In lugnet.general, Alfred Speredelozzi wrote: Oh, I'll take one more swing at this one, and I promise, I'll move this to the rtlToronto NG where we can snark privately :) (...) Yeah, but the company is not in the business of selling TOYS. To say (...) (20 years ago, 17-May-04, to lugnet.general)
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Message is in Reply To:
| | Re: Stunning new Maersk set?
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| (...) I am fully aware Velux sells them online, now. But before they ever did (this was many years ago), I was told by this Velux staffer here in Toronto that they received literally a hundred calls about these little houses, first asking for them (...) (20 years ago, 16-May-04, to lugnet.general)
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