General Discussion : 8991


General / 8991

Some disturbing news —Peter Callaway

I have just returned from visiting TLG's Australian office, and I have some rather disturbing news. I was trying to find out if there was a chance of getting parts (quite a number of them) which were not listed in the meagre 1999 Australian Service (...) (25 years ago, 26-Oct-99, to lugnet.general)

Re: Some disturbing news —Troy Cefaratti

This does not bode well for those of us considering approaching TLG for MORE availability of bulk parts. Troy Peter Callaway <pcallaway@bmcl.com.au> wrote in message news:FK70F8.IKL@lugnet.com... (...) some (...) Service (...) facial (...) Standard (...) (25 years ago, 26-Oct-99, to lugnet.general)

Re: Some disturbing news —Mike Stanley

(...) If that's true then look for a big auction after it's confirmed. It might just be my entire Lego collection. (25 years ago, 26-Oct-99, to lugnet.general)

Re: Some disturbing news —Peter Callaway

(...) I'll probably do the same. The real knife in the guts was that my source said "Lego are only targeting kids", ie. to hell with us AFOL's. Over two decades of loyalty from me is rewarded with a kick in the teeth. If anyone is up-to-date with (...) (25 years ago, 26-Oct-99, to lugnet.general)

Re: Some disturbing news —Tony Kilaras

(...) I would say Lego has been targeting primarily kids since the introduction of the mini-fig. I can't think of even one instance (and I've been here a long time) where Lego implemented something an AFOL wanted. What's changed is that Lego now (...) (25 years ago, 26-Oct-99, to lugnet.general)

Re: Some disturbing news —Fredrik Glöckner

(...) I have a feeling that this has been said before, but still: Let's not forget that the Star Wars sets are probably the best LEGO System sets for a long time. I think most people would agree that these sets are much better in terms of (...) (25 years ago, 26-Oct-99, to lugnet.general)

Re: Some disturbing news —Tony Kilaras

(...) Although the Star Wars may be fine in and of themselves (I personally have no use for them), it's the idea behind there being a Star Wars tie-in that's disturbing. If TLG doesn't have enough imagination to come up with its own Space sets (...) (25 years ago, 26-Oct-99, to lugnet.general)

Re: Some disturbing news —Jonathan Wilson

(...) Kids of today have grown up around nintendo games and action figures You give a kid of today a 5571 giant truck or an 8880 supercar and say here are the instructions and here are the bits. see if you can put it together. do you think that we (...) (25 years ago, 26-Oct-99, to lugnet.general)

Re: Some disturbing news —Tony Kilaras

(...) So did I. There have always been many alternatives to Lego. When I was younger, you had Star Wars, GI Joe, Atari and Matchbox cars. (...) are (...) stop (...) action (...) driving (...) up a (...) I strongly disagree. So then I take it that (...) (25 years ago, 26-Oct-99, to lugnet.general)

Re: Some disturbing news —Todd Lehman

(...) Not to condone juniorization, but I think a little bit of it may be a good thing. Of course, I think it's terrible to juniorize a whole theme (or range of themes!) across the board, but since every kid is different, some kids probably do (...) (25 years ago, 26-Oct-99, to lugnet.general)

Re: Some disturbing news —John DiRienzo

Todd Lehman wrote in message <3815f802.279719695@...et.com>... (...) you (...) wooshing (...) ones (...) it (...) I agree, wholeheartedly. Juniorization is a fine and good thing, in moderation, of course. -- Have fun! John Auctions and Trading and (...) (25 years ago, 26-Oct-99, to lugnet.general)

Re: Some disturbing news —Tobias Möller

But his parents would probably help him or build together with him. My parents ( my fahter ) used to build big TECHNIC sets with me, but now I can build them myself. --Tobias (...) here (...) you (...) which (...) to (...) one (...) put (...) pick (...) (24 years ago, 16-Jan-00, to lugnet.general)

Re: Some disturbing news —John Neal

(...) Some, not all. My kids couldn't tell the difference between nintendo or tenelevendo;-) (...) ILYK Today is my son's 10th birthday and he's getting the 8448-- I wouldn't bet against him, though;-) (...) I think TLG knows that kids are (...) (25 years ago, 26-Oct-99, to lugnet.general)

Re: Some disturbing news —John Gerlach

(...) But, does this come down to one simple fact: Parent involvement? John Neal actually *enjoys* Lego bricks - I can personally vouch for that! Some parents nowdays just buy their kids toys and that's the end of it - they just tell the kids to "go (...) (25 years ago, 26-Oct-99, to lugnet.general)

Re: Some disturbing news —Gregor Benedikt Rochow

(...) The semi-tractor's base in the helicopter transport semi (URL) I bought solely for the tr-red slopes) is so juniorized and in need of being several separate parts that the single part TLG use *is* indeed 2 parts *glued* *together*. More of (...) (25 years ago, 26-Oct-99, to lugnet.general)

Re: Some disturbing news —Tony Kilaras

(...) What's next? Hmmmm.... (1) The continuation of prostituting of the Lego brand by putting it on everything from bedsheets to lousy computer games? (2) More and more commercial tie-ins to the point where there will be little or no original (...) (25 years ago, 26-Oct-99, to lugnet.general)

Re: Some disturbing news —Ian Sinclair

(...) Absolutely. Children benefit from adult guidance, support and assistance. With LEGO and most things, more in the beginning, less later on. It's also great quality time with your children. In my case it was my little brother, and now my nieces. (...) (25 years ago, 26-Oct-99, to lugnet.general)

Re: Some disturbing news —Anders Isaksson

Jonathan Wilson skrev i meddelandet <3815AE66.C10C6687@x...il.com>... (...) are (...) you (...) stop (...) action (...) I think you are generalizing too much! How many kids of today have you raised? 'Here are the instructions and here are the bits' (...) (25 years ago, 26-Oct-99, to lugnet.general)

Re: Some disturbing news —Todd Lehman

(...) Well, except Star Wars -- but kids probably wanted that too. Do you mean things which adults wanted but which kids didn't necessarily want? Yeah, hmmm, I can't think of any wishes-come-true either -- certainly not in Castle or Town, to say the (...) (25 years ago, 26-Oct-99, to lugnet.general)

Re: Some disturbing news —Frank Filz

The biggest hope I hold out is that the model railroading hobby takes to LEGO trains seriously and in a big way. This is a hobby which has manufacturers capable of meeting or exceeding TLG's quality of manufacture, and know that if they put out (...) (25 years ago, 26-Oct-99, to lugnet.general)

Re: Some disturbing news —John Neal

(...) It already has! The president of the NMRA told me after having seen the GMLTC layout that he thought LEGO trains were "absolutely just as valid as anything here" [1] We (the GMLTC) will probably end up joining the NMRA. All that is needed is (...) (25 years ago, 26-Oct-99, to lugnet.general)

Re: Some disturbing news —Travis Yanke

(...) attention- (...) because (...) days after I started researching Lego on the net. After buying the Classic Star Wars sets this summer I have decided to get back into Lego after 10 years of them being stored away in a closet at my parents' (...) (25 years ago, 26-Oct-99, to lugnet.general)

Re: Some disturbing news —Gary R. Istok

(...) Travis, WELCOME!! Don't let our ranting get you down. We do this every couple of months (a collective tantrum, so to speak). It's LEGO therapy on a mass scale! Yes we have our differences with the LEGO company (TLG for short), but it's "the (...) (25 years ago, 26-Oct-99, to lugnet.general)

Re: Some disturbing news —Travis Yanke

(...) couple (...) years (...) that (...) toy (...) "the (...) there (...) what (...) us. (...) and (...) Thanks Gary, I guess the next step for me is to dig out those buckets and tubs of little plastic bricks next time I visit my parents. But then (...) (25 years ago, 26-Oct-99, to lugnet.general)

Re: Some disturbing news —Tony Kilaras

(...) Why? The spare parts packs (with the occasional exception) suck, and have sucked for years. They're mostly runoff from whatever sets Lego is producing at the time anyway. Have you ever considered purchasing DACTA sets? (25 years ago, 26-Oct-99, to lugnet.general)

Re: Some disturbing news —Mike Stanley

(...) I'm just tired. If they're killing service packs entirely I'd say chances of them ever doing any kind of bulk sales are nil. I almost bought a few of the Castle DACTA sets once, but I honestly couldn't see much in it that I truly wanted. (25 years ago, 26-Oct-99, to lugnet.general)

Re: Some disturbing news —Adrian Egli

I was thinking back to, oh, 1983-84 when there once was a big toy company by the name of Kenner making Star Wars toys between 1977 untill I forgot when it filed for bankruptcy and was bought by Mattel. After all, many of us thought "Return of the (...) (25 years ago, 26-Oct-99, to lugnet.general)

Re: Some disturbing news —Troy Cefaratti

It's 8 1/2 x 11 , one sheet, folds up and could be put into (...) discovered (...) They only seem to come in some of the larger sets now days.... (25 years ago, 27-Oct-99, to lugnet.general)

Re: Some disturbing news —Richard Franks

(...) I wonder if a traditional company such as Lego would respect a traditional approach like petition-writing. You could easily get the signatures of a handfull of people on the same piece of paper, and the rest of us could send the organiser our (...) (25 years ago, 26-Oct-99, to lugnet.general)

Re: Some disturbing news —Peter Callaway

(...) I was thinking more along the lines of a minifig with a noose around its neck swinging from a little Lego gallows. You're right, we need to get off our cyberbutts and do something. After my visit yesterday I wrote a long letter to the (...) (25 years ago, 26-Oct-99, to lugnet.general)

Re: Some disturbing news —Jonathan Wilson

(...) If this happens use a minifig that has not been available for ages but that people want more of (a pirate fig for example) -- Jonathan Wilson wilsonj@xoommail.com (URL) (25 years ago, 27-Oct-99, to lugnet.general)

Re: Some disturbing news —Richard Franks

(...) Why waste it? I say Timmy should get it :) Richard (25 years ago, 30-Oct-99, to lugnet.general)

Re: Some disturbing news —Mike Poindexter

(...) their (...) of (...) Pete, Unfortunately, I can confirm this as I have already find this out during my push for bulk ordering. One of the people I spoke with at Shop at Home, who now no longer works there, told me that it is "Company (...) (25 years ago, 26-Oct-99, to lugnet.general)

Re: Some disturbing news —John Neal

(...) Well, it seems to me that that is the problem-- that *no one* is buying the parts packs in the first place. If they were big sellers, surely TLG wouldn't discontinue them. Are we buying parts packs? I know I'm not, save for the black slopes, (...) (25 years ago, 26-Oct-99, to lugnet.general)

Re: Some disturbing news —Troy Cefaratti

(...) the parts (...) the black (...) they (...) Nope, I believe that you have hit it right on the head! As you so eloquently put it, their current line of parts packs suck! Not only can't people get what they want, but what they can get, they can (...) (25 years ago, 26-Oct-99, to lugnet.general)

Re: Some disturbing news —Matthew Miller

(...) FWIW, many roofs in Europe are red. Where I was in Germany, I'd say it was the vast majority. (25 years ago, 26-Oct-99, to lugnet.general)

Re: Some disturbing news —John Neal

(...) Forgive my provincialism;-) So it's *Europe's* fault that slope parts packs aren't selling! Here in the States we have no use for red slopes. Now it's *our* turn. Produce dark gray slopes and see how sales go. ;John (...) (25 years ago, 26-Oct-99, to lugnet.general)

Re: Some disturbing news —Gregor Benedikt Rochow

(...) Amusingly enough, the first time I heard this rumour I called S@H to confirm it as well. The rep said yes, this change was coming up; he went to ask and came back saying that it was definitely planned, but with no date set yet. (Afterwards, (...) (25 years ago, 26-Oct-99, to lugnet.general)

Re: Some disturbing news —Christopher Tracey

While just placing my weekly order from S&H I asked the very kind operator there if parts packs were history. She wasn't sure so she asked her coworkers and none of them have heard the rumour either. So the current answer from S@h is no, part's (...) (25 years ago, 27-Oct-99, to lugnet.general)

Re: Some disturbing news —Christopher Tracey

So.. I called CA and asked them, the operator said she did not know anything and was not aware of any announcement. She also said if they are going to be discountinued it will be announced in January. - I need to do other things on my lunch break (...) (25 years ago, 27-Oct-99, to lugnet.general)

Re: Some disturbing news —Jonathan Wilson

What TLG is doing here would be like if ford said that we are no longer going to sell spare parts for the ford falcon and if you need spare parts then you will have to buy a new falcon and rip the spare parts from that. However the new falcons parts (...) (25 years ago, 26-Oct-99, to lugnet.general)

Re: Some disturbing news —Mark Koesel

Would this be all service packs, or only those in the 5xxx range? Surely they will not discontinue essential service packs, such as the 9756 LEGO MINDSTORMS Rotation Sensor, for example. Peter Callaway <pcallaway@bmcl.com.au> wrote in message (...) (25 years ago, 26-Oct-99, to lugnet.general)

Re: Some disturbing news —Steve Bliss

On Tue, 26 Oct 1999 04:28:20 GMT, "Peter Callaway" <pcallaway@bmcl.com.au> wrote: [Snipped info about discontinuation of service/parts packs] Good. By and large, the service packs suck for our needs (there are some exceptions, like the gray brick (...) (25 years ago, 26-Oct-99, to lugnet.general)

Re: Some disturbing news —Tony Kilaras

(...) YES! YES! YES! Exactly. Do it right or don't do it at all. Quite frankly, I considered the Service Packs littler more than a half-assed attempt at bulk ordering. (25 years ago, 26-Oct-99, to lugnet.general)

Re: Some disturbing news —Peter Callaway

(...) My first problem is that a vast majority of the service packs you guys talk about aren't available here at all. Our parts catalogue is a disgrace. My second problem is that a vast majority of the tubs and buckets you guys talk about aren't (...) (25 years ago, 27-Oct-99, to lugnet.general)

(canceled) —Jamie Obrien

Re: Some disturbing news —Mark Harrison

Hi Peter, My contact at lego in Sydney told me this three months ago and I passed it on to people on rtl and lugnet at the time, of course, no-one believed me, they said it couldn't happen in the US. I've been getting bulk lego from Sydney for two (...) (25 years ago, 27-Oct-99, to lugnet.general)

NZ spares stock buyout? (was Some disturbing news —Larry Pieniazek

(...) And around we go again. If THIS is true we need to mount an effort to buy these. Now, the last time this was talked of, there were some hard feelings engendered. SO I will just say that I am willing to participate if NZ fans can't finance the (...) (25 years ago, 27-Oct-99, to lugnet.general)

Re: NZ spares stock buyout? (was Some disturbing news —Tony Kilaras

(...) from New (...) there mind (...) be (...) Ha!! Good luck with that!! The folks down under will probably keep it to themselves like last time. Not that they're wrong to do so. I'm not holding my breath. (25 years ago, 27-Oct-99, to lugnet.general)

Re: NZ spares stock buyout? (was Some disturbing news —Grahame Reid

(...) It is probably too late now (but I shall check today). The Service Packs were made available to retailers at 50% off. There was limited stock and not all packs were available. My $500 order made a serious dent in the stock available (and in my (...) (25 years ago, 27-Oct-99, to lugnet.general)

Re: NZ spares stock buyout? (was Some disturbing news —Grahame Reid

(...) The Service Packs that were not sold after being offered to retailers at 50% off are now on their way to Australia along with the remaining parts from the Spares Department. Grahame Reid (25 years ago, 30-Oct-99, to lugnet.general)

Re: NZ spares stock buyout? (was Some disturbing news —James Brown

(...) Ditto. James (URL) (25 years ago, 27-Oct-99, to lugnet.general)

Re: NZ spares stock buyout? (was Some disturbing news —Peter Callaway

(...) It's too late. My Lego source said that it was too expensive to ship them over, so they were sold off in NZ, or as she put it "liquidated" (Arg! I had nightmares of a technicoloured Lego soup!!). I trust Lego NZ did not "liquidate" the way (...) (25 years ago, 27-Oct-99, to lugnet.general)

Re: Some disturbing news (SANJAY!!!!) —Tom Stangl

(...) Oh?? Sanjay - can you bug the heck out of them and verify this? Maybe we could get that consortium going again. (25 years ago, 30-Oct-99, to lugnet.general)

Re: Some disturbing news (SANJAY!!!!) —Grahame Reid

(canceled) —Jamie Obrien