Subject:
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Re: LD's Auctions (Re: Going once, going twice, sold!)
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Newsgroups:
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lugnet.lego.direct
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Date:
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Fri, 5 Apr 2002 07:05:51 GMT
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Highlighted:
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(details)
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It's almost impossible for me to skip over this debate(?) without saying
something.
Rick Clark has nailed this directly on the head. In my opinion he is 100%
correct. What is so wrong about Lego Direct selling these 1-10 Santa Fe
Trains, especially on eBay? Absolutely nothing. In fact, Lego Direct is
FINALLY catering to the collectors. A majority of the people complaining
are those that happen to do some collecting. I would do almost anything for
the #1 Santa Fe. I completely agree with Rick when he said that he doesn't
want it to end up an everyday persons house where it may very well become
neglected with no one knowing where it went. Or the fact it could become
destroyed. Shoot, give this set to someone who will take care of it,
someone who will proudly display it, someone who can say that "I have THE
first Santa Fe Lego Train ever made!" That's something that is a complete
rarity.
Does no one understand the meaning of Limited Edition? If something is
Limited Edition it is almost immediately a rarity. Look at 1593. This set
was thought to have never existed...especially MISB. Why is that? Because
it was LIMITED. Therefore, the set goes for $2000+ or whatever it was on
eBay the first time we see it. Why haven't I seen a 1525 Semi Truck, some
of those Ferries, 1952 Milk Trucks, etc.? Because they are LIMITED.
Obviously a person is going to pay big bucks for the first "thing" ever
made. Cars are a perfect example. I have a GMC Typhoon. I have no idea
what number it is, but a few thousand were made and were only made in 1992
and 1993. However, the 1st one ever made is sitting in a museum and is
worth thousands and thousands of dollars. 300 MV Agusta Senna motorcycles
were made in Italy and 50 are in the U.S. To have 1 of 300 bikes in the
world is quite amazing but so is to have 1 in the U.S.
To have the first Santa Fe Lego Train ever made in the
world...hmmmm...pretty incredible personally. I love the display, the
signed original box, everything...I say WAY TO GO LEGO! Lego did say that
10,000 Santa Fe's would be available, but what is wrong with setting 10
aside for (possibly) the collectors who have spent much of their life around
Lego and have been with them for as long as they can remember? The way I
look at it Lego is thanking the collectors and are giving us the FIRST
opportunity to own a REAL collectors item. It is the COLLECTORS who are
going to try and win these first 10. If someone thinks Santa Fe models 1 -
10 aren't collectors items you're wrong. Heck, even the DISPLAY is
rare...only 10 authentic displays in the world?!?!? Come on!
As for Lego selling on eBay...GREAT MARKETING! Keep it up. Millions are
now using eBay and it has become a word used almost everyday in many
households. So many companies are selling their products on eBay. Even
celebrities get involved in charity auctions. To be associated with an
internet powerhouse like eBay is quite an accomplishment. For a company to
sell their item on eBay...gee...god forbid! Lego is enhancing it's name by
doing this. Why did Lego join with Steven Spielberg and Shell to create
Lego sets? Why did Lego team up with MLS? It's just another fabulous
marketing technique. Lego is creating a bigger name for itself.
Rick...I applaud you! What Lego is doing is extremely exciting, especially
for me. There's nothing I have enjoyed more than seeing Lego bring back
sets like 6067, 4547, 4558, create the 3739, and obviously the Santa Fe
train. Lego is on the right track again. I hope to be one of the extremely
lucky ones to have one of the first 10 Trains ever made.
Keep it up Lego Direct, Brad, Jake, everyone else who is involved in
this...GOD I LOVE LEGO!!!!! :-)
Brendan
> > > - We will be auctioning Santa Fe Super Chief locomotive sets #0001-
> > > 0010 over the next few weeks, starting with #0001.[snip]
> >
> > (!!!) whoah. This strikes me icky.
>
> > Didn't the top response to polling on this at lego.com suggest the same?
>
>
> Icky that a company would auction their own products? How so?
>
>
> > Who will receive the money generated? LD?
>
>
> Why wouldn't they?
>
>
> > (LD will certainly benefit in plenty of other ways...)
>
>
> Is that a bad thing?
>
>
> > I don't know much about limited editions, but, it seems kinda broken to
> > have held those sets back from real customers when they were advertised
> > as 10,000 available.
>
>
> My catalogs don't seem to mention anything about how many were produced,
> nor how many will be available.
>
>
> > Sorry, but, I've just never seen this kinda thing..
>
>
> You've never seen a company auction off a one-of-a-kind product? Or
> never seen LEGO do it? As noted earlier today, LD has held nine other
> similar auctions already.
>
> > I've probably just
> > been in the dark - I'm not a collector - but it disturbs me to see LD
> > generating their own collecting interest.
>
>
> Not sure I see what you find disturbing. My take on it is that it's a
> more fair way to distribute a one-of-a-kind, collectible model. The
> alternative is that some Joe Schmo randomly receives number 0001. He
> either gives it to his 7 year old, who promptly loses the numbered tile;
> or he never opens the box, and we never find out who has #0001; or he
> opens it, destroying the collectible value of it. I don't really like
> any of those options.
>
> The auction method gives everyone a fair market chance to purchase what
> many feel is a highly desirable set. Additionally, it gives LEGO Direct
> some additional hard data that it can show to LEGO Corporate, showing
> that they are doing things right (the fact that in the first twelve
> hours of a ten day auction, the set has been bid to nine times its
> original value, should prove to be quite interesting to the suits at the
> home office).
>
> So did I totally miss your point, or do we just see things differently?
>
> Rick C.
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