Superkalle Posted May 8, 2010 Posted May 8, 2010 Can we get an answer from TLG as to whether the new train sets (passenger train and cargo train) contain a rechargeable battery box or a battery box that takes normal batteries (and if it takes normal batteries what size and how many) I found this on this topic: http://www.holgermatthes.de/bricks/index.h...10_pf_train.htm Quote
BobaFett2 Posted May 11, 2010 Posted May 11, 2010 I've got a few questions: Why do you sacrifice the integrity of your parts when it is the exact opposite of your founder's motto?????? Other questions: Many weapons have horrible quality. I really hate this. They fray slightly with each time you put this into the minifigure's hand. It was understandable with the Aquazone Knives that some of the silver would come off, but the new plastic ones are horrible in this aspect. You can't use them more than 4 times and still have them appear to be near mint. Why do you use cheaper plastic? Sometimes design is bad, why is this? Quote
Belchher Posted July 3, 2010 Posted July 3, 2010 I was just wondering if it would be possible to find out if TLG had any plans in the near ( key word near! ) future to open Lego stores in any other countries. Of course given my location I'm particularly curious as to Australia, but I find it odd that there are NONE south of the equator. Given they seem to have stopped producing the parts packs they made up until the early 2000's ( I would assume due to the availability of PAB both in Lego stores and S@H ), the lack of official stores within a reasonable distance to those of us in this part of the world can make it really hard to get the pieces we want as shipping tends to blow the prices out of proportion. I'm guessing its due to sales figures for the oceanic region, but I would have thought having a store in Sydney at least, and setting up that store to handle posting out orders from S@H from people in this region, would make things much more affordable for all of us. Quote
Aanchir Posted July 5, 2010 Posted July 5, 2010 I was just wondering if it would be possible to find out if TLG had any plans in the near ( key word near! ) future to open Lego stores in any other countries. Of course given my location I'm particularly curious as to Australia, but I find it odd that there are NONE south of the equator. Given they seem to have stopped producing the parts packs they made up until the early 2000's ( I would assume due to the availability of PAB both in Lego stores and S@H ), the lack of official stores within a reasonable distance to those of us in this part of the world can make it really hard to get the pieces we want as shipping tends to blow the prices out of proportion. I'm guessing its due to sales figures for the oceanic region, but I would have thought having a store in Sydney at least, and setting up that store to handle posting out orders from S@H from people in this region, would make things much more affordable for all of us. Well, in 2012 a LEGOLAND park will be opened in Malaysia, which will be south of the equator, and it will almost certainly have a LEGO store attached to it. But the parks are managed by Merlin Entertainments Group, so I don't know if that expansion reflects LEGO's own marketing strategies for coming years. All I know is that it certainly looks like evidence that LEGO has a strong appeal in the oceanic region, and so perhaps there will be an Australian LEGO store in your future. Quote
ghyde Posted September 23, 2010 Posted September 23, 2010 This is probably a known problem, but it keeps coming back This piece is a totally different (acid greener) yellow compared to other (oranger) yellow pieces. It happened in last year's Police Mobile Command Center and it's happening again in the City Advent Calendar. That's not as uncommon as you might think! In the below set linked to on BrickLink (Highway Transport) I found one greenish part (pic below) which was also different from the rest of the same type of part by the fact that the greenish part had solid tubes on the underside where you'd connect hollow studs for half-stud offsets and the rest of the same type of part all had hollow tubes and were all a different newer yellow color: http://www.bricklink.com/catalogItem.asp?S=6753-1 Talk about strange! It stood out immediately. I think TLG occasionally clears out old stocks of parts especially where minor molding differences will not matter. Either that, or this older part somehow managed to find it's way into a rather recent brand new set! Cheers ... ghyde Quote
DLuders Posted October 26, 2010 Posted October 26, 2010 (edited) If you think that Technic haven't gotten enough attention, I feel for you, but you need to be more active in the Embassy! Very well, please ask TLG about these concerns: 1. Will TLG ever issue a Lego Technic "Ultimate Collector Series" (UCS) set, like it has for other themes? 2. Has any Lego set been produced from the Lego Cuusoo concept? If so, what were the set numbers? 3. Will a Technic set ever be produced in an ORANGE color, instead of the usual Red or Yellow? 4. Will there ever be a successor to the 8880 Super Car (produced in 1994) and the 8448 Super Street Sensation/ Super Car Mk II (from 1999)? Is the upcoming 8070 Technic set (to be released in 1H2011) meant to be that car? 5. When will Lego Digital Designer 4.0 be released? It was going to be released in September, then in October, but there's only 5 days left in the month. Some features were incorporated into the Lego Universe game (released on October 8th), so why the delay? Thank you. Edited October 26, 2010 by DLuders Quote
Superkalle Posted October 26, 2010 Posted October 26, 2010 5. When will Lego Digital Designer 4.0 be released? It was going to be released in September, then in October, but there's only 5 days left in the month. Some features were incorporated into the Lego Universe game (released on October 8th), so why the delay? I know the answer to that one. We just got the relase date today actually: 29th october. See more in the LDD forum. Quote
CopMike Posted November 11, 2010 Author Posted November 11, 2010 After a month driving around California (and a visit to Legoland Carlsbad ) with a extremely low coverage of Eurobricks from my side, I'm back here. Very well, please ask TLG about these concerns:I will do that, below are my thoughts on the questions for the time being.1. Will TLG ever issue a Lego Technic "Ultimate Collector Series" (UCS) set, like it has for other themes? TLG has a policy of not talking about what will come in the future, I suppose that will be the answer.2. Has any Lego set been produced from the Lego Cuusoo concept? If so, what were the set numbers?No yet, but the first one has passed the "1000"-bar and is now in the next stage. They will refine it and turn it into a real built model to see if the review of it is successful. Read more what Paal Smith-Meyer says about it here.3. Will a Technic set ever be produced in an ORANGE color, instead of the usual Red or Yellow?See question 1.4. Will there ever be a successor to the 8880 Super Car (produced in 1994) and the 8448 Super Street Sensation/ Super Car Mk II (from 1999)? Is the upcoming 8070 Technic set (to be released in 1H2011) meant to be that car?See question 1.5. When will Lego Digital Designer 4.0 be released? It was going to be released in September, then in October, but there's only 5 days left in the month. Some features were incorporated into the Lego Universe game (released on October 8th), so why the delay?Our LDD afficiado Superkalle knew the answer to that one, thanks !I just guessing here but I think you would like to see the supercar or a look-alike produced. Give Cuusoo a try, it's a possible way to go. I´ll be back asap when I get answers from TLG. UPDATE: I got an answer from TLG and it´s pretty much what I expected: There is nothing more for us to add! than what I answered above (my added text). Sorry about that but I guess that´s just the way the competiton & market works and what the strategy needs to be ! Quote
jonwil Posted January 9, 2011 Posted January 9, 2011 Can someone find out the real story about trans-brown (TLG color 111). There are conflicting reports with some people saying the color has changed for 2011, others saying it will change and other saying there will be no change at all. Whats the real story with this color? Quote
RubeusHagrid Posted January 10, 2011 Posted January 10, 2011 As far as quality, distribution, and case assortments go I don't have any issues. But I do have issues with the packaging. It seems ever since the boxes have changed from the "pizza box" style, where they opened via a top flap to the recloseable, side-access "cereal box" style the instruction books have been bent, crushed, accordionated, and just generally mangled. I'm not sure if this is due to the boxes, or the packing process or what, but it is the one area that I have seen a substantial dip in quality. Other then that, I've got nuthin' To add to your point. The boxes are ridiculously big. If you have to have them about twice the size that the bricks need then why not have them so you can fit the built set into them? I'm sure many KFOLS (and Mums!) would like this. For us though we could use them to store different colour bricks etc. Then the boxes would be useful instead of crowding up my loft! Quote
hga09 Posted January 20, 2011 Posted January 20, 2011 There was some major set recently that I purchased which had the sticker sheet inside the instructions, and I think a couple of smaller sets have had also (Agents?). It certainly does work better. I've had instructions bent a small bit, but only slightly curled, rather than the crumpling I've once or twice had with loose sticker sheets. Of course, I would prefer certain parts to be printed, and only have stickers for added detailing. The main logos or features of sets should be printed in my opinion - like Agents tailplanes, or Recycle Truck panels, or Indy temple panels. Keep the stickers just for added detail - fair enough there are individual decorations which are one-offs that are reasonable to use small stickers for. I say this as one of the few people who enjoy applying stickers - I love the challenge of getting it lined up perfectly (I've only once or twice had anything but dead perfectly aligned stickers!). I purchased a large set recently. When I opened the box, I found that both the instructions and the sticker sheet was in pretty bad shape. How much extra money or labor would it cost to put the instructions and sticker sheets in a manila envelope, especially for large sets? Quote
abenamou Posted January 20, 2011 Posted January 20, 2011 I purchased a large set recently. When I opened the box, I found that both the instructions and the sticker sheet was in pretty bad shape. How much extra money or labor would it cost to put the instructions and sticker sheets in a manila envelope, especially for large sets? I just opened a Fire Brigade and it contained the apparent "new" packaging of manuals - they were wrapped together with a stiff piece of cardboard in a sealed bag. Took me by surprise, nice change! Quote
stacker9000 Posted November 1, 2011 Posted November 1, 2011 (edited) Hey Copmike, I was wondering if you could get some information on the direction LEGO is going to go with PF train track? My greatest hope is a return of the 90 degree crossing(I missed out on the 9v era and really don't want to buy a second hand one to mix into my all plastic track.) Also,how long do they plan to pack straights with flex.(I like the flex, but I only use it to line up offset track layouts.) My local Toys r us manager said they do not stock track boxes and Wal-mart does not seem to sell them at all either, so,I can only get track from LEGO Shop@Home or a LEGO retail store which is an hour away, My point is, I would pay 30 to 35 dollars for a box of track that had something like 12 straights-6 curves-6 flex pieces packaged in it. Or, maybe include a 90 degree crossing and call it a figure 8 supplement pack. Anyway, any news would be appreciated! Thanks. Edited November 1, 2011 by stacker9000 Quote
suewolf Posted November 2, 2011 Posted November 2, 2011 (edited) The new USA lego.com web site really stinks. It used to be easy to find the Technic section. Now it no longer even exists. You call that an "improvement," or a "feature?" The new Lego Educational site also stinks. I used to be able to browse the online catalog of parts. Now that ability has been deleted. You call that an "improvement," or a "feature?" Here's an idea: Instead of making it more difficult to find and purchase items from Lego online, how about you make it easier? Put things back to the useful way they were before some marketing genius decided to mess it up. Edited November 2, 2011 by suewolf Quote
Aanchir Posted November 2, 2011 Posted November 2, 2011 The new USA lego.com web site really stinks. It used to be easy to find the Technic section. Now it no longer even exists. You call that an "improvement," or a "feature?" The new Lego Educational site also stinks. I used to be able to browse the online catalog of parts. Now that ability has been deleted. You call that an "improvement," or a "feature?" Here's an idea: Instead of making it more difficult to find and purchase items from Lego online, how about you make it easier? Put things back to the useful way they were before some marketing genius decided to mess it up. What are you talking about? The Technic website is still there. It's linked from the main products page, the same way as every other theme. It occasionally is linked from the LEGO.com front page, but the themes featured there change every week, so it's a good idea to get used to getting there through the products page. Haven't really used the LEGO Education site much myself, so can't speak to whether that is better or worse than before. Quote
horizon Posted November 2, 2011 Posted November 2, 2011 Hi, Can the discrepancy between US & Europe pricing of Lego sets be changed? It is often cheaper to order in the US and pay shipping costs then to buy directly in a store in Europe. thanks. Quote
Vindice Posted November 3, 2011 Posted November 3, 2011 Perhaps a public petition is an idea for getting this issue more attention. i certainly understand why they price lego differently but i just think their calculations are skewed because they want to increase sells in North America so much. It's a bit of a lack of loyalty issue to European customers I think. It'd be nice to see TLG make an official statement on the matter stating some of their reasons for pricing the way they do. Quote
SilentMode Posted November 3, 2011 Posted November 3, 2011 My concern right now is with the selection of parts in the PAB walls over here, which have generally gone downhill over the last couple of months. I'm not suggesting that they start catering to AFOLs and hoarders, but I really would like to see a greater variety of parts available on the wall, similarly to what they have in the States. Quote
Sam892 Posted November 9, 2011 Posted November 9, 2011 hi i have a couple of concerns at this moment in time. the first is that licenced themes just don't seem to last like they used to for example the star wars line has lasted for over a decade now and the original harry potter line lasted about 6 years. but recently many themes seemed rush to fit in a small time frame and planned to be discontinued shortly afterwards. lines such as toy story, the new harry potter sets and potc have only one or two waves that look like they are just there as movie tie ins.i would like to see some future licenced themes are more long term like the new superheroes line that launches next year. i find it very frustrating seeing many good sets that i have to rush to buy in fear that in 6-8 months later are ending. i find myself choosing between sets and having to pay double the price to buy the set 6 months later on ebay. the second concern is the quality of some bricks. most of the time when i buy a set i find that everything is perfect. however sometimes i will buy a set and 3 months later some bricks have cracked. but the strange part is that pieces haven't been used much. this also happens a lot on the sides of minifigs which is frustrating when some minfigs are only available in exclusive high end sets. is there any way minifgs could be made stronger? Quote
Aanchir Posted November 9, 2011 Posted November 9, 2011 hi i have a couple of concerns at this moment in time. the first is that licenced themes just don't seem to last like they used to for example the star wars line has lasted for over a decade now and the original harry potter line lasted about 6 years. but recently many themes seemed rush to fit in a small time frame and planned to be discontinued shortly afterwards. lines such as toy story, the new harry potter sets and potc have only one or two waves that look like they are just there as movie tie ins.i would like to see some future licenced themes are more long term like the new superheroes line that launches next year. i find it very frustrating seeing many good sets that i have to rush to buy in fear that in 6-8 months later are ending. i find myself choosing between sets and having to pay double the price to buy the set 6 months later on ebay. the second concern is the quality of some bricks. most of the time when i buy a set i find that everything is perfect. however sometimes i will buy a set and 3 months later some bricks have cracked. but the strange part is that pieces haven't been used much. this also happens a lot on the sides of minifigs which is frustrating when some minfigs are only available in exclusive high end sets. is there any way minifgs could be made stronger? I think in terms of licenses, it's pretty obvious why some themes are short-lived movie tie-ins and others are very long-lasting. A licensed theme basically has to follow all the same rules as other merchandise for the franchise. Star Wars sells merchandise pretty well whether there's a movie in theaters or not (even more so thanks to the Clone Wars TV series). Harry Potter did as well, back in the early days of the franchise when hype for the books and movies was still phenomenally high. It looks like the Cars theme might be the next to see that same level of consistent sales, since Cars is a major merchandise-mover and has been for years whether there's been a movie in theaters or not. As you mention, the Super Heroes theme could also be long-lasting if it is handled right. In contrast, Toy Story sees a spike in and merchandise sales when there's a new movie out, but at other times merchandise sales dwindle far behind those for these other franchises. There's hardly even enough hype to keep the films in the public consciousness. The same applies for Pirates of the Caribbean, which I fully expect might come back when another sequel is over the horizon, but which just isn't as consistent as Star Wars when it comes to moving merchandise. Meanwhile, Prince of Persia and (going back a bit farther) Speed Racer were hugely underwhelming in the box office, and so the LEGO theme naturally couldn't continue for much longer. This is the risk of licensed themes: their main advertising is often in the form of the license itself-- the movie they're supposed to tie in with and the other merchandise on store shelves. This means that with a licensed theme TLG is giving up a certain amount of control over the theme's success or failure and placing it in the hands of the company with which they have a licensing agreement. I don't think the short-lived licenses we've been seeing are signs that TLG doesn't care as much about licensed themes as they used to, but rather that they've become a bit less selective about which licenses they create sets for, seeing as they are now in a much better economic situation than in the early 2000s and thus in a fitter state to take small risks. No longer must a license have consistent staying power to be a safe and profitable economic decision. Quote
Captainmorgan Posted November 10, 2011 Posted November 10, 2011 (edited) I have a concern for TLG, one that many people agree with. Sets nowadays are priced too high for the piece count. I will use the new Alien Conquest Mothership for price for an example, it is $74.99 CAD, with only 300 pieces (about). I guess maybe it is more expensive to make the plastic, but I just can't think of what sets to buy because of the price and piece count. Sincerely, your Royal Redcoat Navy officer, Captain Morgan. Edited November 11, 2011 by Captainmorgan Quote
Lyichir Posted November 10, 2011 Posted November 10, 2011 I have a concern for TLG, one that many people agree with. Sets nowadays are priced too high for the piece count. I will use the new Alien Conquest Mothership for price for an example, it is $74.99 CAD, with only 300 pieces (about). I guess maybe it is more expensive to make the plastic, but I just can't think of what sets to buy because of the price and piece count. Sincerely your officer, Captain Morgan. It's probably not so much about the cost of the plastic so much as the size of the parts. Despite people often arbitrarily judging sets by price-per-piece, different parts cost different amounts to produce. In the case of the Mothership, it uses eight of the curved minecart rail parts, which are fairly large parts. Larger parts require more plastic to produce, and thus they cost more. Another contributing factor to an individual part's cost is its intricacy. For example, Minifigure torsos cost a fair amount to produce relative to their size because they consist of multiple sections machine-fitted together, and are usually printed, sometimes on multiple surfaces. In general, in sets with a large quantity of parts like these, the price-per-piece can be less reliable as a method for judging a set's value. Quote
Aanchir Posted November 10, 2011 Posted November 10, 2011 It's probably not so much about the cost of the plastic so much as the size of the parts. Despite people often arbitrarily judging sets by price-per-piece, different parts cost different amounts to produce. In the case of the Mothership, it uses eight of the curved minecart rail parts, which are fairly large parts. Larger parts require more plastic to produce, and thus they cost more. Another contributing factor to an individual part's cost is its intricacy. For example, Minifigure torsos cost a fair amount to produce relative to their size because they consist of multiple sections machine-fitted together, and are usually printed, sometimes on multiple surfaces. In general, in sets with a large quantity of parts like these, the price-per-piece can be less reliable as a method for judging a set's value. Alien Mothership also has a sound brick. ANY electronic components are more expensive than non-electronic components of the same size by default. Consider the Robie House, also released this year, which costs $199.99 for 2,276 pieces. However, most of those parts are very small, basic elements (even if they're in the very desirable color Dark Red). Quote
Captainmorgan Posted November 11, 2011 Posted November 11, 2011 It's probably not so much about the cost of the plastic so much as the size of the parts. Despite people often arbitrarily judging sets by price-per-piece, different parts cost different amounts to produce. In the case of the Mothership, it uses eight of the curved minecart rail parts, which are fairly large parts. Larger parts require more plastic to produce, and thus they cost more. Another contributing factor to an individual part's cost is its intricacy. For example, Minifigure torsos cost a fair amount to produce relative to their size because they consist of multiple sections machine-fitted together, and are usually printed, sometimes on multiple surfaces. In general, in sets with a large quantity of parts like these, the price-per-piece can be less reliable as a method for judging a set's value. You are very true, but there are some sets That don't follow that rule but yes. Quote
CopMike Posted November 11, 2011 Author Posted November 11, 2011 Hi,Can the discrepancy between US & Europe pricing of Lego sets be changed? It is often cheaper to order in the US and pay shipping costs then to buy directly in a store in Europe. thanks. Perhaps a public petition is an idea for getting this issue more attention. i certainly understand why they price lego differently but i just think their calculations are skewed because they want to increase sells in North America so much. It's a bit of a lack of loyalty issue to European customers I think. It'd be nice to see TLG make an official statement on the matter stating some of their reasons for pricing the way they do. Hi!This is a question that pops up now and again. Here are some official answers from TLG: From LEGO S@H Knowledge Base Why are there differing prices for each country when shopping online?When comparing prices for LEGO sets in different countries, for example in our online shop at www.LEGOShop.com, please bear in mind that country-specific factors play a part. These are outside of our control, i.e. differences in value-added tax, and contribute to products being offered at different prices in different countries. From Mads Nipper LEGO’s Corporate Management Our selling costs in Europe and Asia are higher than in the US because of the size of US market and retailers (economies of scale). Furthermore, the US market is by far the most price competitive in the world. These factors combined mean that we have for years priced our products higher in eg Europe than the US. In recent years, the difference has been increased due to the weakening US dollar – but we have consciously decided not to let this (hopefully short term) weakening of the dollar hurt the US consumer. And in order to stay profitable as a company, we cannot decrease our European prices – especially seen in the light of increasing cost pressure on oil, labor etc. Finally, final pricing in the market place is obviously determined by retailers, which is something we cannot and will not influence. And from Steve Witt in the Ambassador forum: okay guys, while I understand things being expensive is frustrating, there is a very hard reality that you guys need to understand. When setting prices in various countries it is doen based on the entire market in that country for EVERY product from EVERY company. The pricing is set when a team of people look at everything in a country and decide that this is a fair price for us to charge in this country where we're able to make the proper margin on our products (which are very expensive to make mind you). Its for this reason why every country has different pricing. If Hasbro is going to charge $30 for a product they charge $20 in the US, and $25 in Canada. If a dishwasher is $100 more expensive in Great Britain than it is in Germany. These trends don't generally limit themselves to just one brand or one type of product. The entire market of a country is set at certain levels and within these levels we set our prices accordingly to fit into what we're able to fairly charge in that country when compared to every other company out there. This is why 'Cost of Living' is higher or lower depending on what country you're from. This is just the reality of global economics and its not something that is going to change, and honestly its not really as unfair as you guys think it is, its just the way it is. Its also an argument I'm NEVER going to win with fans, and I can't blame fans for not liking it. When I was at BrickWorld doing my Q&A one of the questions I got was "why doesn't LEGO clearance products anymore?" my answer was "because you only clearance products that aren't selling and we're having no problem selling our products." Later this same person complained that they can't afford LEGO unless its on clearance. The hard answer there becomes that LEGO is a Premium product no matter where you are and its also expensive everywhere. Prices will go up or down based on how well LEGO sells. If we're selling LEGO based on the market in a country and we're having no problem selling the product, it would be foolish to lower our prices. in many countries if we ever lowered our prices we wouldn't get any value from doing business in that country and would start losing money. this is where different import taxes, regulations, etc. come into play. Someone commented that we're slow to answer this question, its mostly because its the toughest question to answer because I know no matter how I answer it, you're not going to like. Anyways, here you are and I'm happy to follow up on this. Steve Hey Copmike, I was wondering if you could get some information on the direction LEGO is going to go with PF train track? My greatest hope is a return of the 90 degree crossing(I missed out on the 9v era and really don't want to buy a second hand one to mix into my all plastic track.) Also,how long do they plan to pack straights with flex.(I like the flex, but I only use it to line up offset track layouts.) My local Toys r us manager said they do not stock track boxes and Wal-mart does not seem to sell them at all either, so,I can only get track from LEGO Shop@Home or a LEGO retail store which is an hour away, My point is, I would pay 30 to 35 dollars for a box of track that had something like 12 straights-6 curves-6 flex pieces packaged in it. Or, maybe include a 90 degree crossing and call it a figure 8 supplement pack. Anyway, any news would be appreciated! Thanks. On this one the answer is as always that TLG wont tell anything about upcoming/not upcoming sets etc, sorry. But I´ll relay your suggestion about the 12-6-6 track pack. Quote
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