Off the wall

Limited distribution of 21021

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At Copmike's suggestion, starting a new thread concerning the apparent limited availability of 21021

Actually, I'm threatening to not buy any more architecture sets because of TLGs distribution policy on 21021. Of course, that threat is already gone because I bought 21021 through a third part seller at a high mark up.

And, I will buy as much lego through Amazon.com as possible. If TLG wants to increase my costs by making sets like 21021 available to me only though third party sellers, well then part of their profits on other sets can go to Amazon. The mall that's two miles from my house has a lego store. I'll be at the mall with my wife on January 1. I'll make sure I order what I can on my mobile device from Amazon while sitting in the mall.

No threat not to buy any more lego. Just a promise to buy it from a third party, which TLG clearly prefers given its distribution system on 21021. Btw, I won't miss the VIP points.

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If it's made in limited quantities, then it's not really fair to be purchasing loads and not leaving some for others. LEGO has these policies to make sure there's enough to go around, and it's also to discourage reselling. I can understand LEGO's policies, and I can agree with them.

Also, you get great customer service with a smile in the LEGO store, something that you don't get through ordering on a website. Not to mention, the chances are that you have to pay more. I don't really see the need to limit yourself to third parties because of one limited quantity set, and LEGO's limits are there for a reason.

If you want it for parts, you can just Bricklink the exact part you want too.

Edited by Lance

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It would be interesting to know why LEGO produced such a limited quantity of the set. Without knowing that, it is difficult to react to such a move.

Could it be that the owners of Marina Bay Sands decided to commission the set paying up front to have it made? But then why would they not get a huge quantity to sell ONLY at their gift store? And why would they not want the set to be marketed internationally to everyone to gain publicity about their resort in Singapore?

If there was a limited quantity, it would seem to make more sense to sell it through the resort and maybe Legoland Malaysia as the only outlets.

It is hard to believe that the set cost so much to make that the resort agreed to subsidize the making of a limited run if they did not get to completely control its distribution.

Something is not adding up here. Can't put my finger on it. Looks like we need some input from an insider here. (Note: I am not bitter about this matter. Really just quite curious. And wondering if it will happen again with another set.)

And we come back to the question of why was it released as an Architecture set in such limited quantities while this theme is collected widely by adults from all over the world. Hmmmmm

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It would be interesting to know why LEGO produced such a limited quantity of the set. Without knowing that, it is difficult to react to such a move.

Could it be that the owners of Marina Bay Sands decided to commission the set paying up front to have it made? But then why would they not get a huge quantity to sell ONLY at their gift store? And why would they not want the set to be marketed internationally to everyone to gain publicity about their resort in Singapore?

If there was a limited quantity, it would seem to make more sense to sell it through the resort and maybe Legoland Malaysia as the only outlets.

It is hard to believe that the set cost so much to make that the resort agreed to subsidize the making of a limited run if they did not get to completely control its distribution.

Something is not adding up here. Can't put my finger on it. Looks like we need some input from an insider here. (Note: I am not bitter about this matter. Really just quite curious. And wondering if it will happen again with another set.)

And we come back to the question of why was it released as an Architecture set in such limited quantities while this theme is collected widely by adults from all over the world. Hmmmmm

It could just be because of the fact that it's a less well-known building worldwide. I had actually never heard of it until I found out it was going to be a set. Compare that to some other earlier Architecture models; almost everyone knows what the Eiffel Tower is, or the White House, or Big Ben. And while things like the Farnsworth House or Robie House are less well-known generally, they're quite well-known in architecture circles, and the architects behind them are some of the most well-known architects of the past century.

I could be entirely wrong, of course, and it could be much more well known than I could imagine, but I can't help but feel it's not a coincidence that I'd never heard of this building despite having studied design history in college, and learned a lot about architecture over the course of that.

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It could just be because of the fact that it's a less well-known building worldwide. I had actually never heard of it until I found out it was going to be a set. Compare that to some other earlier Architecture models; almost everyone knows what the Eiffel Tower is, or the White House, or Big Ben. And while things like the Farnsworth House or Robie House are less well-known generally, they're quite well-known in architecture circles, and the architects behind them are some of the most well-known architects of the past century.

I could be entirely wrong, of course, and it could be much more well known than I could imagine, but I can't help but feel it's not a coincidence that I'd never heard of this building despite having studied design history in college, and learned a lot about architecture over the course of that.

I'm betting this. I suspect that most of us only discovered this building through the Lego architecture set. While a spectacular building, it is fairly new and not yet really well known worldwide. Which may have somewhat limited the sets marketing appeal globally.

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Thanks guys. Good points to consider! Only time will tell if this building becomes as famous as others in this theme.

Singapore's location (so far from Europe and the US) does not help either. But...

It is well located within that part of Asia making a potentially huge market for this set.

I am very excited that this building rated an Architecture set. We do need more sets from places outside of Europe and the US. Maybe the distribution was limited in order to test the waters.

We do know that the Taj Mahal set was quite successful, but does anyone know how many were produced? And it certainly is a much more well known building captured in a huge, expensive set. Hummm......

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Some good excuses for TLG, like I've said before.....if they want to issue a set commemorating a Hampton Inn in Armpit, GA, fine. They can even limit the number manufactured and the distribution area. Just don't give it an architecture series number so that my collection will be incomplete unless I buy at an inflated price through a third party seller. Give it one of those 400000- numbers and move on......

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If it's made in limited quantities, then it's not really fair to be purchasing loads and not leaving some for others. LEGO has these policies to make sure there's enough to go around, and it's also to discourage reselling. I can understand LEGO's policies, and I can agree with them.

Also, you get great customer service with a smile in the LEGO store, something that you don't get through ordering on a website. Not to mention, the chances are that you have to pay more. I don't really see the need to limit yourself to third parties because of one limited quantity set, and LEGO's limits are there for a reason.

If you want it for parts, you can just Bricklink the exact part you want too.

TLG called. Your check is in the mail.

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We've figured it out, folks: the entire process of manufacturing and distributing 21021 was part of an elaborate conspiracy to prevent someone from having a complete collection, and anyone who has ever had anything positive to say about LEGO is a sycophant who is probably being paid off.

Seriously, I'm not happy about it either. I was going for a complete collection too. What this means to me is, now that I now that won't happen, I'll no longer feel the need to purchase sets I don't like all that much for the sake of completion.

It's still possible to like an organization that disappoints you, though. Ask any Cleveland Browns fan.

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Okay, I take everything back. Sorry I don't deal in absolutes. Please accept my apology for saying anything that can't be construed as unbridled praise for the powers that be at TLG. I'm so sorry. I'll be at the Lego store tomorrow to offer my apologies in person. Wouldn't want to be sent to a lego work camp for being negative. It's all my fault. And please, when name calling on the Internet, don't use words like 'sycophant'......most of us don't understand the meaning and have to go to the dictionary.

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Hehehehe! Glad to see that humor has not evaporated this New Year's Day!

Otw, you are forgiven! (not sure for what though!)

Oooooh, the perils of being a completist. Not sure I could sleep at night with that much pressure.

Happy New Year, Folks!

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Hehehehe! Glad to see that humor has not evaporated this New Year's Day!

Otw, you are forgiven! (not sure for what though!)

Oooooh, the perils of being a completist. Not sure I could sleep at night with that much pressure.

Happy New Year, Folks!

Actually, if there was one architecture set someone might want, it's 21021. Someone who would complain about the availability of the new Eiffel Tower set would certainly be a completist. The more I look at the new Eiffel Tower set, the more I move away from being a completist.

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When TLG produces limited scale, and I point to the first Cuusoo on this as well, the shinkai, it really does just annoy me, it was produced in Japan, 10,000 sets just like Marina, and hard as all get out to get at a decent price. I simply have a hard time paying $300 for something that should be about $40 worth. It is also hard to think about forking out 2 to 3 times the amount for café corner and green grocer and such, but at least I can understand that is my fault for not picking them up earlier. I also see sets like Ole Kirk's house which was an employee set, go for huge money too, but I get that as well. My personal feeling is that a limited edition like this is pretty crappy on TLG's part but I am not going to stop my collecting due to that.

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Damn, are you guys going to blow a fuse or 42, when the 4000010 LEGO House is released in Billund shops exclusivly :-)!

I'll bring this to TLG's attention!

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Damn, are you guys going to blow a fuse or 42, when the 4000010 LEGO House is released in Billund shops exclusivly :-)!

I'll bring this to TLG's attention!

Fine by me, as long as it doesn't carry a 21--- number and isn't part of the architecture series. Like I said, they can issue anything they want anywhere they want. But it's a little frustrating when they release what appears to be a straight up architecture set that has limited availability in terms of number produced and geographic distribution area.

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The architecture sets normally carry a bit more in the way of documentation, do they not? As in the instruction manuals often involve text and descriptions and history of the buildings, requiring language localization? That right there might be a key piece of it. Due to the nature of the building they localized the manual for south east Asia, but did not feel there was enough of a target audience elsewhere to warrant western localized releases?

This is a similar issue to what is faced with the Master Builder Academy and the 21050 Architecture Studio sets being US or North America only. The heavy language localization requirements of the included books.

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Fadfrost, I'm looking at 21021 now. It's pretty much like any other architecture set. The nice booklet is in English and another language that I, as your basic ill-informed American, doesn't understand. Possibly Chinese.

I got it today after ordering last Friday from Japan.

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I have just assembled my 1st Lego Architecture set!

Actually, my 1st set since all the sets assembled until now were by my daughter - she loves assembling Legos. This one, the Pisa Tower, I told her: "This is daddy's exclusive!" :classic: . Since I have visited Pisa like two decades ago and since I have Italian citizenship, this set has meaning for me, that is why I bought it.

As for this limited 21021 set, as I wrote before, even if I was a completist, I would not care about it. I would just say: "go to h*** Lego with your suspicious decision, I am not falling for this one..." and I would sleep sound and well. It is just PLASTIC!

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I just wish that TLG wouldn't be so secretive about this stuff. If the set's 'limited edition' is just a limited availability like Eiffel was for Bon Marche in December, then say so. If it's truly limited to the 10K made (and apparently sold already), then say that. The Architecture set is pretty popular with AFOLs, and architecture folks DO know who Moshe Safdie is, even if the building in question is fairly new.

The poll that (purportedly) resulted in the creation of this set was a worldwide poll, so why limit the release to one geographic area without explanation?

For that matter, two sets that DIDN'T win the polls were released worldwide (Pisa and Eiffel) but the first winner hasn't been released at all.

Again, it's the lack of transparency that rankles. Why conduct these polls for future sets if the results don't matter?

Just for the record, I've got a 21021 on the way from Taiwan (were they even sold there?) and I'll be at the Lego Store tomorrow to get my Eiffel Tower. I have all the other sets, but had to PaB the John Hancock.

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Damn, are you guys going to blow a fuse or 42, when the 4000010 LEGO House is released in Billund shops exclusivly :-)!

I'll bring this to TLG's attention!

Mikey, you gotta admit at least it is entertaining when they do blow a fuse, isn't it!

Maybe we should start a master plan detailing exactly how we will manage to buy this limited edition in Billund before all three sets offered there sell out. Should we ask the NSA to place a series of webcams in all four Billund shops and alert us with sirens (in case we are asleep at that second) as soon as the product lands on a shelf? And maybe have our credit card info already entered so we are automatically charged and the set is auto shipped within two seconds of hitting the shelf?

Glad to hear that someone in the US finally received their Marina Bay Sands! Happy New Year to all!

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Nothing like missing the entire point of the discussion.

Just to clarify for those who obviously don't understand. The issue isn't with limited distribution of a product. It's limited distribution of a specific set within a series that TLG is encouraging us to collect. I couldn't care less how many limited edition sets TLG issues, just keep them outside of the architecture series.

To suck up to the moderators, or to TLG, some of you have elected to is represent our concerns by characterizing us as chasing a conspiracy. No conspiracy on TLGs part, just poor sales and marketing. Anytime you use 'conspiracy' you are seeking, in most cases, to marginalized the complaint by putting into the realm of Bigfoot and UFO sightings.

I have my 21021. It's built. It's on the shelf. It's a nice product and it's a shame some AFOLs are being deprived of the opportunity to own it due to TLGs poor sales and marketing plan. Not all AFOLs can afford to buy from a third party. Or fire up the G4 at PDK and fly over there to get one.

Yes, and anyone in the USA who buys one of these through a third party seller is a completist.

Just as entertaining as the blown fuses are the rationalizations that are being given by some AFOLs to defend TLG and not step on any toes. The Internet pack mentality, it's a funny thing.

Edited by Off the wall

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Nothing like missing the entire point of the discussion.

Just to clarify for those who obviously don't understand. The issue isn't with limited distribution of a product. It's limited distribution of a specific set within a series that TLG is encouraging us to collect. I couldn't care less how many limited edition sets TLG issues, just keep them outside of the architecture series.

To suck up to the moderators, or to TLG, some of you have elected to is represent our concerns by characterizing us as chasing a conspiracy. No conspiracy on TLGs part, just poor sales and marketing. Anytime you use 'conspiracy' you are seeking, in most cases, to marginalized the complaint by putting into the realm of Bigfoot and UFO sightings.

I have my 21021. It's built. It's on the shelf. It's a nice product and it's a shame some AFOLs are being deprived of the opportunity to own it due to TLGs poor sales and marketing plan. Not all AFOLs can afford to buy from a third party. Or fire up the G4 at PDK and fly over there to get one.

Yes, and anyone in the USA who buys one of these through a third party seller is a completist.

Just as entertaining as the blown fuses are the rationalizations that are being given by some AFOLs to defend TLG and not step on any toes. The Internet pack mentality, it's a funny thing.

The main point of yours that I take issue with is the notion that Lego is encouraging buyers to accumulate a complete collection of Architecture sets any more than they do with any other theme. I don't recall any "Collect them All" message on the box of the Architecture sets (indeed, something like that would be incredibly tacky, and tacky is the one thing the Architecture sets have never been).

I'm not trying to suck up to moderators or TLG by simply suggesting that they may have had a rational reason to choose to release the set in this way. They wouldn't release the set differently than previous sets unless they have some (perhaps even flawed) justification for doing so; that's just common sense. If this set's sales potential is less than other architecture sets, as I speculated, then it would make a lot of sense to limit the release scheme (especially since, as you yourself are demonstrating, the most devoted fans are fully capable of getting the set through other channels)

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I give up. Tired of responding to points that I haven't made.

Pretzel logic wins.

Moderators, please lock this topic as this is going to get ugly as it becomes some what tiring dealing with people who possess limited reading comprehension skills.

Btw, Legogal and I get along just fine. She's okay.

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.. I don't recall any "Collect them All" message on the box of the Architecture sets (indeed, something like that would be incredibly tacky, and tacky is the one thing the Architecture sets have never been).

This is an unfair statement in the meaning that it is not necessary to tell adults to "collect them all" since it is kind of intrinsic,natural. If you collect something it means you like it a lot and if you like it a lot and you _are_ a collector then it is kind of natural to want to be a "completist". Lego does not need to advertise this to adults like it does to children because that would be,well, childish on their part, after all, they are dealing with adults. If an adult collector is collecting something that s/he likes too much, if s/he does not have a complete collection of this something is most certainly because of money constraints. I wanted to have all 23 30"x40" original James Bond British Quad movie posters but just the first one - Dr. No - costs 25k or more so it is not possible for me to be a completist. I wanted to have all Modular Buildings but with the first 3 costing around 3k or more, it is not possible.

If I had tons of money I would just buy all of them, modular buildings, JB BR Quads and period.

What Lego is doing to the Architecture sets collectors out there is just as much unfair, upsetting and would bring me anger if I was one of them. That is why I say to myself that this "move" by Lego is just evil! That is the word I like.

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OK so let me ask this, and I will compare...if you go out and buy 400 packs of baseball cards so you can complete the entire set of cards for a given year, but you are missing card numbers 5 and 21, would you not try to get those cards or would you be happy with the other 794 (there are usually 796 in most Topps sets)? I contend that you would want to complete the set with 5 and 21 so you can then go through your set if you like, or just leave it in the box or whatever...keep in mind I am talking collecting the cards to make the set, not just go buy the complete set as they sell...

In the same manner then, if you are a huge fan of the Architecture set, why would you NOT want to add the Lego House and Marina sets to your collection to keep it complete unless you couldn't afford it. It's more the principle of making something limited so only a few can get it but putting it into an overall collection thus limiting the ability for all to have the chance to get it. It's asinine logic really but hey I am an American, not a Dane (although I do have Danish ancestors) so maybe this marketing scheme makes sense to Europeans?

This logic that I just stated, is what is hacking off OTW and the rest of us, not that TLG made these, but that they stuck it in a collection that we now either have to skip the mortgage payment to get or just do without and have holes in the collection. It's human nature to want to complete the set for most of us.

TLG marketing needs to consider it's customers and trust me, the AFOL's drive more money in this line than anyone else, and say ok, for this line, do we need a product manager to drive the line forward in deciding marketing policy, building choices, etc...just like any other business has product managers for the most part. Trust me, when LG goes out to sell washing machines, their is a product manager in the US and one in Europe and all that which decide what products are needed and how this goes. It's that way in any corporation.

So we have the TLG corp deciding to do something that is outside the lines here...that is the main issue and I agree with OTW, I don't care for it. Feel free to make it, but just don't lump it in with the Architecture line. We are not blowing a gasket, actually it's a pretty valid discussion, one that shows TLG has lost some competence in understanding it's market and product when dealing with a line like this and who the customer is that is buying the sets.

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