Subject:
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Re: My opinion on Train Marketing
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Newsgroups:
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lugnet.trains
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Date:
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Sat, 21 Dec 2002 18:11:01 GMT
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Viewed:
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655 times
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In lugnet.trains, Scott Costello writes:
> Last night as I was strolling through the clearance section of my favorite
> Target store, and marveling at my luck at so many train cars being offered
> at a discounted price, a thought hit me. Why would a kid who did not have a
> Lego train setup at home already want one of these? Then I began to consider
> the fundamental problems with TLC’s marketing policy as far as trains are
> concerned. Bear in mind this is all my opinion, but as an ex-toy store
> employee it is not totally without merit.
>
> The biggest problems with Lego trains is price and lack of competition.
Perhaps Trains (in general) are not of this generation. I remember that I
loved to see trains running while I was a little kid. I also loved to go to
the aracde and spent a whole dollar on acrade machines. But then the "dark
ages" came... No not me putting away the LEGO (that came later on)...
No a little company called Nitendo came. When atari was around kids still
went to the arcade beacuse the graphics were still better. Nintendo changed
that and since then look at the aracade places? Oh wait you can't find them
anymore, but a few places.
Now kids are into the quick stimulation of the brain and video games gives
them that. Just look at the boy toy aisle at the stores. In our days GI
Joe was supreme and they were simple plastic figs. Now almost every toy has
to make some sort of sound or light up in some way. Kids can't use their
imagaination any more. If they get a toy that requires them to "think" it
just gets put away.
This I think is the fundamental difference between them and us. It was okay
for us to making gun firing noises for GI Joe or explosions. It was okay
for us to construct LEGO space ships that nobody had ever seen before.
These kids have a huge variey of space ships that they have seen (Star trek,
Star Wars, Babaolne, etc.) none of it is interesting.
Just look at coyboys and indians. Who still plays that? Times have changed
and unless TRAINS finds a way back it will forever be where it is at now: An
old-man's toy.
For
> those of us who grew up in an average income household, toys costing over
> $100 were completely out of the question. Although video game systems seemed
> to be the exception I was never given a toy, even for a holiday that was
> that expensive. Keeping that in mind, the least expensive train set I have
> seen is the goofy blue train for $90, which I purchased for myself as adult.
> There really are no true introductory train sets, something in the $30-$50
> range. Granted other train toys are just as expensive whether it be HO – N –
> O scale or Brio, but you can locate starter sets of all these formats
> relatively inexpensively, then buy accessories in chunks. As a parent I can
> attest to the fact that it is difficult to commit that kind of money into a
> toy, when we are unsure of our child’s interest level in the thing. If I
> think my son will enjoy the soccer series, I can purchase a set for $10 and
> see how he likes it before I buy the huge field, likewise with castle, or
> any other theme. This is not the case with trains, how much fun is a little
> caboose, when you do not own an actual set, so you start with a very limited
> target audience. Keeping that in mind it is very hard for me to understand
> why TLC, and Target decided to sell the My Own Train line on retail shelves;
> good for me bad for Target.
Is was not a TLC decision. Target as a buyer of LEGO has the option to
choose which packages it is going to bring in. It choose to buy more train
theme items. TLC cannot shove product to the seller that they do not want.
(This is something the Brad J. told us as BrickWest02). TLC may have
promoted trains in such a way to make Target this they were going to sell
but it cannot outright give them LEGO to sell.
Target seeing that the MOC line was not moving and knowing that the 2003
line of Star Wars, Orinet, and NBA was coming decided to do what every
bussiness does. Cut their losses and get the merchanides that is not
selling out the door. They only have so much room on the shelf for LEGO and
SW, Orient, and NBA are going to do much better than those train sets (in
thier mind). So out with the junky sets cause they have to make room for the
better selling sets.
(I do not think the train sets are junky, just trying to state what I think
TARGET is thinking here)
>
> Bottom line, I am absolutely not surprised that these sets are going on
> clearance just months after going on the shelves, until TLC makes some sort
> of commitment to broaden the number of Lego train owners this will be the
> case. The only options I can see is either create an extremely basic set
> containing a tiny circle track, engine and regulator within a reasonable
> price range,
But even this type of set would still run in the $80+ price point.
A motor is ~$30, a speed reg another ~30, 1 box of track and pieces ~20-30
So the lowest would be ~80. Still too much and is this not what the blue
train is at? That IMO is a go starter set for a kid. Big train, lots of
minifigs, and everything else you need. The two new sets that came out this
year (The TARGET and TRU exclusives) ARE NOT good sets.
1) The price point is OUT OF THIS WORLD!
2) There is NOT much in them when compares to the blue set.
Okay you get an old-fashion engine and differnt cars but that is it. The
blue set gave you a whole lot more.
3) Kids don't care about exclusive mini-figs or exclusive items in general
(Sorry jake I do like your minifig but I can wait until these puppies are on
clereance). If you are going to make an exclusive IT WAS TO BE EXCLUSIVE!
Apart from the minfigs and the blue coach car their is NOHING else that I
see exclusive about these sets.
Check out MegaBloks new TRU Exclusive Dragon set. That set comes with 12
new dragon warriors, a new dragon, and a bunch of other EXCLUSIVE (found
only in that set and only at TRU) items. Now that is an exclsuive set!
then commit to add-ons, or embrace hobby shops that specialize
> in trains where more committed train enthusiasts can be located.
This is what LegoDirect is trying to make TLC do. LD has talked about this
idea but as with any compony change takes time. I belive that the MOC flop
at TARGET won't help them make the company "see" that trains in other areas
will work.
-AHui
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Message has 3 Replies:
 | | Re: My opinion on Train Marketing
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| In lugnet.trains, Ahui Herrera writes: <snip> (...) Actually, I think that they were not of *my* generation. With the advent of TtTE about 15 years ago, I believe we are actually seeing a renaissance in train interest. <snip> (...) Young kids are (...) (21 years ago, 21-Dec-02, to lugnet.trains)
| | | Re: My opinion on Train Marketing
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| I think Ahui is totally right here. Kids today just do not take interest in anything that doesn't involve a digital gun of some sort or another. The kids in my school, excluding my friends of course, like rap, video games, sex, drugs, and the like. (...) (21 years ago, 22-Dec-02, to lugnet.trains)
| | | Re: My opinion on Train Marketing
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| (...) Thinking is detremental to today's youth (...) Whoa now...hold on here a minute. Like many youngsters, I embraced the video game FAD when I was young and pretty much abandoned LEGO® (never knew they made trains at the time, or that NES would (...) (21 years ago, 22-Dec-02, to lugnet.trains)
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Message is in Reply To:
| | My opinion on Train Marketing
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| Last night as I was strolling through the clearance section of my favorite Target store, and marveling at my luck at so many train cars being offered at a discounted price, a thought hit me. Why would a kid who did not have a Lego train setup at (...) (21 years ago, 20-Dec-02, to lugnet.trains)
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