Subject:
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Re: Another Legend dies....
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Newsgroups:
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lugnet.trains
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Date:
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Mon, 16 Jul 2001 21:38:19 GMT
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Reply-To:
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CMASI@CMASInospam.CHEM.TULANE.EDU
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Viewed:
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649 times
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Summary of my (Chris Masi's post)
(1) I am happy whenever LEGO releases a quality set. For me and my collection, a
re-release of a set that I already own does not reduce the value of my original
set for me.
(2) The popularity of the Legend series may show whether LEGO's current market
analysis is right or wrong; i.e., do kids actually want what LEGO currently says
kids want?
(3) As for the second hand market, supply and demand, it works both ways.
I guess I am a LEGO collector and a builder. I have several sets that are in
their boxes because I don't have the room to get everything out at once.
However, I cannot bare to steal bricks from those sets because I want them to be
complete, so I (or my children) can build that set when the mood strikes me. But
I am not a collector in the sense that I want to go out an pay collectors
prices, and I am not a collector in the sense that I want to go to yard sales to
find the sets. So, that makes me a jealous collector. I am jealous of the people
that have what I want, but it is a friendly jealous. I smile and pine "Oh
wouldn't it be nice to have a 7740, Yours is beautiful."
I have a Metroliner and a Club Car. I don't know if I'll get a second or third
for parts, maybe, maybe not. It depends on a lot of things. Apparently, some
people think my Metroliner is "worth less" now. In resale value maybe, but in my
eyes the value has not changed. I got it because I liked it, and I kept it
because I liked it. Like all my "classic" stuff, I wouldn't sell my Metroliner
(not my Galaxy Explorer, not my Auto Chassis, not my Black Seas Barracuda, not
my Airport Shuttle, not my... you get the point) If I buy a new Metroliner, that
would be the one for parts. The original one, is the original one. The
uniqueness of the set isn't important because of its value, the uniqueness of it
is important for sentimental reasons (why I got it, who gave it to me, how I
felt when I got it...) So, I welcome the Legend series because it will allow
people(me) to buy some very good. I hope more people get the chance to build and
play with Metroliners, Airport Shuttles, and the like.
People who make money selling sets; well, you pay your money and you take your
chances. If LEGO re-releases a set that a speculator has been holding while the
price goes up, then the speculator waited to long. Hey, supply and demand,
speculating is risky, dot coms don't always make you rich, right?
Here is an interesting thought though... if LEGO released a Legend 7740 (a set
I really want, but not at the price it normally goes for[1]) with the mail van,
and LEGO released a really cool new intercity train (same commuter style, not a
high speed style) which would I buy? Tough one. It all depends on how cool the
new one is. You see, the demand for the Legends sets may prove that what people
really want isn't what LEGO currently thinks people want.
Chris
1. Note that I didn't call anyone names for selling these at auction, and that
just because I am not willing to pay a lot for the set does not make me
inherently bad, or cheap, or whatever.
Reinhard \"Ben\" Beneke wrote:
>
> Dear all!
>
> I'm really glad with most of the latest news we have heared from TLC. Bulk
> order becomes better and better, (in Germany you can buy at S@H even without
> credit card!), the "My Own Trains" and the new waggons are nice as models and
> especially for delivering spares. The Sopwith Camel is one of the greatest sets
> ever in my eyes and Harry Potter isn't as bad as many people think about
> it, since it offers lots of play fun (for kids) and lots of nice detailed sets
> for not too
> much money. Only the Hogwarts Express is a very lame modell in my opinion.
>
> But now we have the Legend series and I'm not glad about it at all. There have
> been some worth to read discussions (mainly Europeans against Americans) about
> the Guarded Inn and at this point we have the same effects concerning the
> trains. I think Jojo has said nearly all about what makes a set a legend and
> why a re-released legend is a dead legend:
> http://news.lugnet.com/castle/?n=9395
>
> As a matter of fact I have to declare: Lego® ist not only a toy, but also a
> collectors item. Many people collect sets (and pay lots of money for it).
> Others just need the parts for playing. Most of us do both: collect things and
> play with the stuff. I think TLC should take care of both groups: the "players"
> want to have stuff for MOCs easily available, the "collectors" want to have
> rare sets.
>
> The easiest way to solve this conflict would have been to do some slight
> changes in the new releases (for e.g. colour modifications and new printings.)
> The players would get the wished stuff for playing (who would care about a
> mirrored print, if he wants to play with the stuff?) and the collectors would
> be glad to find a new item to get it into the collection. For example the new
> Metroliner could have been same as the old one, but in dark gray.
>
> I would buy such a set immediately (imagine how much new cool MOCs you could
> make up with dark gray bricks!). But I see nothing good in a simple 100% copy
> of 4558: grey windows are available at S@H anyway and nearly all people around
> have a Metroliner now, so we do not need more copies of this set, which is
> weekly sold 10 times via eBay.
>
> And my last point (not too unimportant!): if the AFOL-market gets the
> Metroliner now, this decreases evidently the chance to get a new well designed
> train set (with new parts and new part-colour-combinations). Instead, the next
> train set to follow the 4565 will probably be juniorized even worse than 4560.
>
> If you ask me, TLC would have done a bigger favour to us AFOLs if they had
> released a new set maybe somewhat similar to 4564, but with cool new colours
> like dark gray, tan, brown etc. I want to see a set with big train wheels
> (including the possibility to add connecting rods) and with dark gray (or red)
> wheel blocks, with dark gray magnet couplings etc. THAT would have been worth a
> "Woow!!"
>
> If the legends become a success this will just mean more 4560-like sets on the
> one hand and more re-releases (I think 4551 and 4536 will be next. Yes, 4551 is
> a cool set, but a green or brown 4551 with gray wheel blocks would be a
> fantastic set!)
>
> The new 1000x series just kills legends and is not helpful for me at
> all, since I get just "boring" stuff I have right now.... (I'm both collector
> and builder).
>
> Kind Regards,
>
> Ben
--
See some of my LEGO creations at http://cmasi.chem.tulane.edu/~lego/
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Message is in Reply To:
 | | Another Legend dies....
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| Dear all! I'm really glad with most of the latest news we have heared from TLC. Bulk order becomes better and better, (in Germany you can buy at S@H even without credit card!), the "My Own Trains" and the new waggons are nice as models and (...) (23 years ago, 16-Jul-01, to lugnet.trains) !!
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