Subject:
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Re: "MOC" Blacksmith Shop on lego.com
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Newsgroups:
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lugnet.market.theory
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Date:
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Mon, 17 Dec 2001 04:04:47 GMT
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Viewed:
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5882 times
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> In lugnet.market.theory, Frank Filz writes:
> > Allan Bedford wrote:
> > > On the other hand, I suspect these kits will be one of the most frequent
> > > sources of sets to find their way into the My Own Creations line.
> >
> > I have to hope this won't be the case. For only one reason really; these
> > kits tend to gravitate towards existing themes and styles already offered by
> > LEGO. I'd really like to see LEGO Direct step out and find some kits that
> > don't fit into the pigeon holes the rest of the company already confines
> > itself to.
> >
> > How do you do this? More sculptures. More non-minifig scale models.
> > Technic-styled models. The list goes on. So long as it's not a train or
> > castle set. These two themes have already been too heavily favored by LEGO
> > Direct.
>
> I agree that it would be nice to see a variety of sets. I think however
> that you will continue to see a heavy weighting in favor of town, train,
> and castle. Why? Because I think the bulk of LEGO sales are in these
> categories (though space is up there also). Technic and sculptures have
> a smaller market.
Perhaps a valid point. However, it can be argued that virtually anything
can be a big seller if the kids want to buy it. Perfect example...
Bionicle. It's neither Town nor Train, but it's flying off the shelves
right now. Parents where I work are driving up to an hour away to find
stores that still have them in stock.
My point? Just because something has always been your traditional best
sellers doesn't mean you should focus on them to the exclusion of new ideas.
If this sort of thinking had been followed, we would never have had
Mindstorms or Star Wars. I think it's time for LEGO Direct to find a way to
tackle something like Classic Space or even a true LEGOland set. If you
want Town, then go back to where Town began. ;)
> It would be nice if they took this as an opportunity to explore themes
> which have not been explored yet. How about Romans or Greeks?
Fantastic ideas! I totally agree. Why not Aztec or Egyptian? How about a
model of the Golden Gate Bridge? Or the Empire State Building? For
Canadian fans, why not a CN Tower? Or the Skydome? A 747. A double decker
bus. A cool fire truck. A '57 Chevy. The list goes on and on and on.
There are so MANY other things to explore that go beyond the stiff walls of
Castle or Train.
> > > The My Own Creation series will be
> > > a win win for everyone since LEGO's ability to market to a much wider
> > > audience than GoB
> >
> > GoB? Qu'est-ce que c'est?
>
> Guild of Bricksmiths.
Ah. I thought it might be 'Gods of Billund'.
Sorry, I don't do acronyms.
> > > can reach and the ability to acquire the parts at cost
> > > should allow them to offer the designer more than they could ever hope
> > > to see from selling the sets themselves. They probably won't sell as
> > > many copies of the Blacksmith Shop as the Guarded Inn,
> >
> > I don't know. It is certainly a more fully realized building and looks much
> > better designed that the 'fabled' Guarded Inn.
>
> Oh no doubt. I can think of two reasons immediately which will reduce
> volumes:
>
> - it isn't a classic set everyone's heard of (not to belittle the
> quality of the set)
Not yet. ;)
> - it costs more
Per piece it's actually cheaper, isn't it?
> > > I'm suspecting part of the
> > > price break hints at the real costs of developing a set
> >
> > If development costs were really reflected in the cost of a LEGO set, then
> > the Jack Stone Police Headquarters would cost $1.99... tax included.
>
> While you may not find Jack Stone to your liking...
My apologies. I forgot the smilie at the end of that rant. I was again
trying to use hyperbole as a humor device. But for some reason it never
flies on LUGNET. :(
> I assure you there's
> plenty of development cost.
I assure you I realize that. I was simply trying to point out that if you
honestly take a look at the costs associated with LEGO products they follow
almost no trend. Look at the pricing on the Jack Stone sets compared to the
Harry Potter sets. No consistencty between lines or even within the lines
themselves.
Want really scary pricing vs. cost? Take a look at the new Star Wars 2002
sets. Example:
http://guide.lugnet.com/set/7201
I saw this set in Toys 'R Us over the weekend. Retail price in Canadian
dollars: $9.99. That's over 40 cents per piece! And what's with that
crazy archway at the back of whatever the hell that thing is supposed to be?
Couldn't that arch have been realized using existing pieces? Of course it
could. Craziness I tell you, craziness.
> > > [it's reasonable
> > > to pay an untested designer less than one which has a lot of history,
> > > even if the reality is the skill is the same]).
> >
> > It would seem to me that this sort of deal is fairly new for the company.
> > It's much more likely that the regular in-house designers/developers/master
> > builders are salaried. This new My Own Creation deal is something that
> > likely saw the designer offered a fee to purchase all production and
> > marketing rights to this set. This sort of payment (in my mind) would be
> > based entirely on the set and not on the designer at all.
>
> I'm sure the designers are salaried, though they may have incentive pay.
Or, if the company keeps losing money, they may not. ;)
> But no matter whether they are salaried or paid by the job, the cost of
> their employment (and all the various related support) still must be
> factored into the cost of a kit
Or into an overall budget for a particular series and/or the entire product
line for a year. I doubt LEGO could parse out the budget to figure out what
a given set is costing them based on design time. Especially since the
entire line is developed as a whole, in order to maintain design integrity.
That's the way it's done right? It must be... the Jack Stone line is so
consistently bad it *must* have been all designed at the same time.
Regards,
Allan B.
(Who saw dozens of Jack Stone sets at Toys R Us over the weekend, but still
won't rest until the world is rid of this poster boy of bad design)
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Message has 1 Reply:
 | | Re: "MOC" Blacksmith Shop on lego.com
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| (...) Oh, no doubt about it it's good to branch out. Of course they have done so with the sculptures and the Sopwith Camel (labeled a sculpture but obviously Model Team). (...) I wouldn't hold my breath for Aztec or Egyptian. Too close to what's (...) (23 years ago, 17-Dec-01, to lugnet.market.theory)
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Message is in Reply To:
| | Re: "MOC" Blacksmith Shop on lego.com
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| (...) I agree that it would be nice to see a variety of sets. I think however that you will continue to see a heavy weighting in favor of town, train, and castle. Why? Because I think the bulk of LEGO sales are in these categories (though space is (...) (23 years ago, 17-Dec-01, to lugnet.market.theory, lugnet.general)
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