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 15:04:44 GMT
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Viewed:
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5700 times
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Allan Bedford wrote:
> 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. ;)
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).
> > 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
I wouldn't hold my breath for Aztec or Egyptian. Too close to what's
been released for Adventurers.
> 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.
These would be nice models, and I hope and expect to see more sculptures
and Model Team sets. But they aren't TLC's bread an butter.
> > 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. ;)
But by the time it becomes a similar classic, TLC won't be selling it...
> > - it costs more
>
> Per piece it's actually cheaper, isn't it?
Yes, but $25 is a magic price number that can be hard to beat (probably
one of the reasons Technic and Model Team don't do as well as some would
like, you really need more like a $50 set there).
> > 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.
I bet there's a lot more consistency than you can see. Of course there
will be funny blips due to marketing reasons (in the mid-price range you
can probably sometimes find a set a little cheaper than it seems like it
should be because they decided to accept a little less profit to make
the line overall work well without compromising the design of the
mid-priced set).
> 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.
Yes, that set is a little too expensive. These types of small sets
always are. It's also a HTO form factor (High Traffic Outlet - gas
stations and super markets) so this series is probably designed with a
bit more margin for the retailer in the MSRP. That arch piece originated
in Life on Mars, and would be difficult to build a similar shape out of
bricks, and would lose the "techniness" of the piece. I think a brick
arch would leave one feeling "ho hum", whereas that specialty piece says
"gee, this looks like it could be part of a space ship).
I bet this set could sell for $10 on eBay... Perhaps more (what do Darth
Vaders sell for, especially when listed in the Star Wars collectible
category?).
> 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.
No they can't assign the costs perfectly, but I suspect they have a
pretty good feel. Of course they are going to take the whole series into
account, and will fudge things around based on marketing input,
especially the distribution of sales over the price range. I suspect TLC
has a pretty good idea of how many $6, $10, $15, and $20 sets sell in
proportion to each other.
Frank
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Message is in Reply To:
 | | Re: "MOC" Blacksmith Shop on lego.com
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| (...) 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 (...) (23 years ago, 17-Dec-01, to lugnet.market.theory)
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