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I just came back from Legoland (California) and saw that they now sell
Technic parts near the front of the park (in the Build&Test building) by
weight, the way they sell other Lego in the Mania clubhouse. Here's some
pictures of the signs outside the door:
http://www.brickshelf.com/gallery/David/Legoland/BulkBricks/btb1.jpg
http://www.brickshelf.com/gallery/David/Legoland/BulkBricks/btb2.jpg
The idea is that when you build a race car you like, you can buy it at a
certain price per ounce. If I recall correctly, it was $2.46/ounce, though
don't hold me to that: there weren't any signs with that particular piece of
information, or I would have photographed that as well.
I bought some long beams, and a few other miscellanous pieces, and their
scale is accurate to a tenth of an ounce, which is also how they charge. Of
course you don't have to build a racer, you can just sift through the parts,
and buy what you want. I found a few dark grey macaroni pieces that I also
bought. I wonder what other hidden treasures they have in there?
I suppose the reason they started selling bricks is either because people
kept asking if they could take their creations home, or more likely because
people just did it without asking.
Besides there now being a sanctioned way of getting the bricks they have,
this will mean that Legoland will have to replentish the parts from time to
time. Which means that the quality of the bricks used to build racers might
improve as well. There's one thing about very fequently used Lego - it gets
worn down quickly. This will make the experience of building (and testing) a
vehicle a much nicer one.
I didn't see too many people taking advantage of this offer, but then again,
the price was way too steep in my opinion. These are *used* Lego, after all!
*Well* used Lego, for the most part. They should offer it at 1/10th the
current cost. Then there would be lots of people buying them, and it would
still turn the loss they were probably suffering into a profit. (And mom &
dad wouldn't mind so much paying for old, worn out bricks.)
Another problem I saw was that the lines to get tires and to buy a creation
were disorganized. While it's obvious where to line up for tires, there was
no clear place to line up to pay. The cash register was right beside the
tire-lending desk, but there always seemed to be confusion, both on the part
of visitors, and the park employees. Worse, there are only a few employees
who are allowed to sell the parts, which means that even though you've stood
in line for a few minutes, when you get to the front, you have to wait some
more until they find the 'right' person to take your money.
Anyway, I think it's a good idea overall, but the price needs to come down,
and they need to organize the sales location a bit more.
--
David Schilling
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