Subject:
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RE: Lego bulk (was :I am an Idiot (was Pneumatics Are Back!) )
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Newsgroups:
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lugnet.robotics
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Date:
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Thu, 7 Sep 2000 21:08:52 GMT
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Original-From:
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Wilcox, Doug <DOUG.WILCOX@IMCspamlessKESSON.COM>
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Viewed:
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736 times
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Here are some ideas (inspired by a model railroad club I know about but am
not a member of). Some of the ones toward the end are more brainstorms than
a thought-through plan. Take 'em for what they're worth.
Acronyms used:
AFOL = Adult Fan(s) of Lego
LUG = Lego Users Group (generic)
TLG = The Lego Group
1. There are gobs of AFOL/LUG clubs all around the world.
2. There are certain "key parts" that we would all like to have more of, or
bulk elements of a particular kind we want for special projects.
3. Model railroad clubs often sell a "club car" every month, and take orders
in advance. The cars are special ones that would not normally be found on
retail shelves, and/or would be of particular interest to the club.
4. Lego could team up with AFOL clubs and do an "item(s) of the month"
shipment. Let's say this month is pneumatic compressor pumps and blue air
tanks... each club would take orders from its members, and TLG could ship
only to the clubs, cutting down significantly on the shipment preparation
and shipping cost; the clubs would distribute the bulk shipments to their
members.
5. This would be good overall--there would be more people joining AFOL clubs
and LUGs (even slackers like me who have so far only admired the displays
that NELUG, for example, has put together--loved the AT-ATs, guys), which
_must_ translate into more purchases for TLG.
6. For that matter, we've heard about "Lego pushers" who can get any
quantity of any part. Who are such people, gods among men, and could they
run such a system for the various LUGs?
7. Lego could still successfully market via retail outlets its packages of
of pieces--the pneumatics set, for example, is a good "starter" package for
someone like me who has very little pneumatic stuff.
8. PITSCO-Dacta might be an alternative candidate as distributor for these
items. They already have a lot of pull with TLG.
9. OR, it may be time to end the bizarre variable-monopoly PITSCO-Dacta
currently has. That would allow highly-Lego retailers (like The Construction
Site in Waltham, Ma.) to sell any currently available parts or sets.
(Strangely, they can sell some Dacta, but not others.)
Doug Wilcox
Senior Web Developer
iMcKesson Provider Solutions Group-Needham
160 Gould Street, Suite 130
Needham, MA 02494-2308
Phone: 781.453.2900 x 237
Fax: 781.455.7990
e-mail: Doug.Wilcox@iMcKesson.com
http://www.imckesson.com
"You see, I had this space suit. How it happened was like this ..."
(Opening lines from Robert A. Heinlein's Have Space Suit-Will Travel)
-----Original Message-----
From: John Barnes [mailto:barnes@sensors.com]
Sent: Thursday, September 07, 2000 7:34 PM
To: lego-robotics@crynwr.com
Subject: Re: Lego bulk (was :I am an Idiot (was Pneumatics Are Back!) )
>The problem is that they 'salt' the kits with parts that you'll ever only
>need one or two of. Take the Hand Air pump. How many of them are you going
>to need?
My point exactly!
But when I suggested that an organization like lugnet take on the
responsibility
to act is intermediary, I wasn't envisioning a passive "buy and sell" mode
of
operation. What I meant was, that as experienced users, lugnet could
negotiate
purchases of maybe thousands of "key" pieces directly with tlg, the sorts
we all run
out of first while there are still bzillions of the other parts left. Like
40 tooth gears!
Never seem to have enough of them, but I have over 150 8 tooth ones last
time I
checked!
So put your wish lists together. If there was an individual piece price
list, but you
had to spend $50, what would you buy?
JB
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