Subject:
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Re: what makes a legend?
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Newsgroups:
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lugnet.lego.direct
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Date:
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Tue, 23 Oct 2001 00:44:43 GMT
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Viewed:
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814 times
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Brad writes:
> The topic is: what makes a LEGO Legend a legend?
To me the characteristics of a Legendary set would include excellent design
(a graceful and ingenius configuration of elements), unique elements
(elements rare in design), and useful elements (elements that probably
belong in accessory packs).
Taking a look at the Guarded Inn set, I find that most of it is comprised of
basic elements -- but it's those few hard to find elements that are key!!!
The 2 high shutters, the ribbed door, the black gable element, the printed
sign (bad quality as it is ::sigh::), the castle maiden hat, and at this
point even the flowers -- these are all part of what makes this small, yet
elegantly designed set so desirable. My one complaint might simply be that
many of these items belong also in the "bulk"/accessory line.
Consider the utility of some of these aforementioned elements in other MOCs.
Those black gable elements are a treasure and not readily available in any
other manner (madness!). Some other elements in other colors would be very
welcome additions to the "bulk"/accessory line -- those ribbed doors and 2
high shutters in all colors maybe? I think my point here is that some of
these elements, while very welcome components in this set, are great
candidates for the accessory line. Why should one have to buy a Guarded Inn
set merely to obtain what should be a common roof element? How about making
a roof elements accessory pack in a variety of colors? See my point?
Despite its shortcomings, the Guarded Inn was not only an excellent choice
for the Legend series, but a great success in my view. The price point was
spot on for thinking of this set as an elaborate accessory pack (which is
what all sets are in the end anyway). Kudos on this one.
> We can bring back almost any set (but before you ask: the Airport Shuttle is
> not in the cards -- there's no way to get the motors and track -- and
> believe me, I'm as disappointed about this as you are). The thing is, we
> can't bring them all back *exactly* as they once were.
Well, to me this is a sticking point. I look at your current catalogue and
see many items that I think will be losers in the marketplace because they
are not very "lego-like", and I can readily see that many of these products
required the creation and molding of many kinds of new elements in new
colors. So, sorry, but I just don't believe that you can't produce just
about anything you wish to put back into production. Making these things is
precisely the business you happen to be in as a maker of plastic toys. If I
am missing some major point, I'd love to hear what that point might be --
otherwise I think that this is and will continue to be a point of annoyance
for us consumers. We simply cannot and will not believe that you couldn't
make monorail sets if you wanted to when your competitors (Rokenbok) are
able to do so!
Please don't belittle our intelligence by insisting that you can't make
pitchforks or Cypress trees when you can apparently make Jack Stone style
stanchions, cockpits, and canopies. How is it you can risk so much $$$ on a
new, untried product line rather than spend a probably nominal amount of $$$
supporting a successful existing product line?
> Are stickers ok?
No. Stickers are what we resort to when we have no other options. TLC should
make printed elements because they, as the manufacturer, have the option of
producing something of much higher quality.
And while printed elements are best, I am concerned about the quality of
printed elements which seems to be going downhill fast. I am not sure what
the problem is lately -- if it is complexity of design or what -- but there
seems to have been an avalanche of poorly printed products of late. Just
yesterday I was contemplating asking for a replacement for the oval shield
that comes in the HP castle set -- yeah, you guessed it, its printed quite
poorly, although not as badly as the smeared printing of the Guarded Inn
elements. What gives with this? Why was the printing of elements of higher
quality in the past?
> Next year, we hope to give you at least one opportunity to vote -- from a
> short list of candidates -- for the Legend set you'd like to see us make.
I think all of us lugnuts enjoy interacting with TLC as long as we ACTUALLY
get value in return for our efforts -- and by this I mean great set choices
in the Legend line and improvements and additions to the "bulk"/accessory line.
Lastly, I want to make some points that have nothing to do with your own
particular inquiries.
I won't go into detail for my dislike of things like Bionickle (because it
looks like your third try at this line seems to have hit the profit mark),
but I want to HIGHLIGHT my dislike for excessive product lines in varying
scales (i.e. Creator, Jack Stone, Scala, and Belville). While there are a
few elements in each of these product lines that might prove useful for
minifigure scale builders (and I particularly like some of the Belville
elements, now VERY WISELY included in the Harry Potter sets), I am annoyed
by an apparent lack of focus on the part of TLC. At the same time, and
especially if TLC refuses to abandon these other product lines, I'd like to
see the elements from these larger scale sets that are useful at minifigure
scale made into accessory packs -- then at least some economical form of
cross-pollinating between these many product lines might make some sense.
This would be an obvious extension of what has been done in the Harry Potter
line with these same elements.
Keep costs down! I think I am not alone when I assert that many of us are
looking at cheaper brick sources, sources of increasing brick quality and
excellence of set design. While you are fighting a perhaps losing battle on
many fronts, you are simultaneously losing ground in the one area you should
own completely. The more you dissipate your resources and brand over
product lines that have nothing to do with your core business, the more
likely it is that you will simply disappear as a company altogether. Tread
carefully into new territories if at all.
BTW, I really do expect to see those pitchforks and cypress tress!!! You're
gonna help me out, right Brad?
Hook me up, Baby!
-- Hop-Frog
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Message is in Reply To:
 | | what makes a legend?
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| We're having a debate here in the ABS-paved halls of LEGO Direct that I'd like to throw open to the community. The topic is: what makes a LEGO Legend a legend? Or, more precisely, if we cannot bring back a set precisely as it was (or pretty darn (...) (23 years ago, 19-Oct-01, to lugnet.lego.direct) !!
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