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I've just spent a little time checking the history of Model Team (what else
would you do at 1am?). Looking at the bare facts on a piece of paper a few
things were very striking:
Model Team has produced 14 sets(I don't count the ferrari as it's
promotional) in 15 years('86-'00). That's an average of less than 1 per
year.
The spread is pretty even: in '90/'91/'94/'95/'96/'97/'98 all one model per
year. '92 had none, but '93 had 2. '99 had two, '00 had none. The start was
great with 3 models in '86, but was followed by a 3-year silence.
The model variety:
5 Trucks (36%), 4 american and the racing truck.
3 Vans (21%), 2 of which are nearly identical (5581&5550).
Looking at LUGnet ratings there's no up or downwards trend visible:
Top 3 rated models:
1) 5571 96 '96
2) 5542 89 '98
3) 5590 89 '90
3 Lowest rated models:
12) 5540 68 '86
13) 5550 66 '91
14) 5541 65 '95
Then I had a look at the catalogs and found that in some years MT is absent
alltogether, and in most years it gets half the back page.
Put all this together and you wonder if Lego ever really put an effort into
the Model Team series. The variety isn't great with over half the models
being a truck or a van. MT never got a fancy splash page in the catalogs.
Even the start in '86, the only year with three models, barely got half a
back page. In recent years the picture is even bleaker: '98 saw the black
thunder, a beatiful helicopter, highly rated on LUGnet (wonder why in Dublin
they're on discount on the shelves everywhere....). Then came the racing
truck and the dragster. Two models in the same color scheme, with little
parts variety between them. And a pretty steep price tag too. No surprise
you can still pick them up everywhere. Probably scared by bad sales LEGO
then released no model team set in 2000 hoping to shift some more of the '99
sets. And they probably didn't.
So now it's 2001. No Model Team news in the new catalog. Is this the end of
model team? There's so much left to do: the last F1 was '86. The technic ser
ies has seen some F1 models, I think it's time we got a Model Team update.
An airplane. Other than the one on the 5591 trailer there hasn't been an
airplane. What about an old biplane (the Red Baron?) or a Spitfire? Classic
cars. In the 70's the Rolls, Cadillac and Renault didn't sell too well, but
there must be potential there: a T-Ford, a beetle... Motorbikes. Ever since
the Norton and the Harley Davidson there haven't been any serious motorbike
models. I'd like a GoldWing, a BMW, a Vincent Black Shadow... Ships. The
last sailing ship (sorry pirate fans) was the Constellation in mid 70's.
Where's a Cutty Sark, a Victory or Wasa? And there all still vehicles. What
about a windmill, Big Ben or Sphynx?
The possibilities are endless. And there are loads of AFOLs and older
children waiting to buy such sets.
LEGO really shouldn't let Model Team die, but I wouldn't put my money on
it....
Duq
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Message has 1 Reply:
 | | Re: Model Team Decline
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| (...) How come it has it's own newsgroup then? (...) The solutions obvious, this is lego we're discussing so just build them yourself and then upload the pics onto Lugnet. (...) Indeed they are. (...) No they shouldn't, perhaps they should ask the (...) (24 years ago, 22-Mar-01, to lugnet.dear-lego, lugnet.general, lugnet.modelteam)
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