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Hey Y'all:
I am very glad that Lego Direct has at last set up shop on the web. Some of
the elements being offered are a terrific boon to us lego hobbyists. I hope
we shall soon see a considerable expansion of the elements offered to include
a greater number of older and rarer minifig accessories, windows, arches,
foliage, and certainly a greater variety of bricks, plates, and tiles in more
colors (including trans colors!). Lego Direct is off to a great start! That
said, there are indeed some problems...
Some of the prices are sort of lunatic. I fail to see how or why the prices
given should be even more expensive than the accessory packs already offered
via the Shop@Home service. Take for example the simple example of the 62
Bricks in Six Colors pack: its $5.50 for 62 bricks or $0.09 rounding up.
Compare this to the 1x4 Brick 50 pc. bag being offered by Lego Direct at $5.99
or $0.12 rounding up. And then one must compare these prices to the bricks
available in the 1200 buckets -- which Jeff Elliott has noted run at under
$0.02 an element! This suggests that the bulk prices are anywhere from $0.03-
0.10 overpriced. What gives? Is it somehow harder to count out 50 of the
EXACT same brick vs. a variety of them for the 62 Bricks accessory pack?!
Buying in bulk should mean bricks at a low price because they don't have to be
sorted into variety brick assortments! And these are all just common bricks,
I wouldn't have that much to say about these prices if the elements under
consideration were somehow more unusual -- I wouldn't mind paying a slight
premium for elements of unusual character.
Also keep in mind that there is no reason why TLC should in any way charge
more for bricks or plates of any color -- grey, dark grey, brown, tan,
turquoise, black, trans colors -- its all one to them as far as I can see.
All of it just plastic...
I think we should ALL try to vote with our dollars and hopefully Lego Direct
will take the hint. Don't buy the bulk bricks at these prices unless you need
them for a current project. Buy only the rarer stuff like the plates, tiles,
windows, trees, and some of the roof bricks perhaps -- those are the tolerably
good deals.
Let Lego Direct know that price matters to you!
-- Richard (this is what happens when you get the sticker shock of trying to
figure out your first bulk order)
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Message has 5 Replies:
 | | Re: Bulk Prices!
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| (...) Richard, I agree with you on the prices, but I was expecting them to be higher anyway. I think that what you propose (ignoring common pieces and concentrating on the rarer stuff - tiles, windows, etc), will be a naturally happening (...) (24 years ago, 29-Jun-00, to lugnet.lego.direct)
| | | Re: Bulk Prices!
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| (...) I completely disagree. Keep in mind that the 1200 piece bucket is discontinued, so once supplies are gone, it is gone. To get all the 2x4 bricks in the 100 piece bulk pack, you would need to buy 9 62 piece brick packs. It's all for the (...) (24 years ago, 29-Jun-00, to lugnet.lego.direct)
| | | Re: Bulk Prices!
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| (...) <excellent price / cost analysis snipped> (...) A few points to consider in the price analysis: I believe the 1200 piece buckets, and other, similar offerings, are kind of a loss leader for Lego; they don't aim to make a profit on them, but (...) (24 years ago, 5-Jul-00, to lugnet.lego.direct)
| | | Re: Bulk Prices!
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| Oops, I sent this to Richard when I meant to post it. Here's a second try.... I have to argue with the 'vote with your dollars' logic. If no one buys the bulk bricks, TLC will come to the conclusion that there is no demand for them and stop selling (...) (24 years ago, 9-Jul-00, to lugnet.lego.direct)
| | | Re: Bulk Prices!
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| (...) Not really just plastic; also pigmnets to colour the plastic. I work in the printing ink industrie, and many of the pigments we use, are also used for plastic. The price of pigments are anything from 3 USD /kg and uppwoards. The most (...) (24 years ago, 12-Jul-00, to lugnet.lego.direct)
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