New Mould Discussion

[Toastie]

3 hours ago, anothergol said:

Of course there's the other extreme, like Cobi & Mattel with their extremely specialized parts

Yeah, fabricated in these simply breathtakingly expensive molding machines, that potentially can take TLG down if they would go nuts! I wonder who is behind these companies ... or ... wait ... are these molding machines - not that expensive at all??? 

Who knows ...

Best
Thorsten 

Edited November 4, 2025 by Toastie

[anothergol]

8 hours ago, Toastie said:

Yeah, fabricated in these simply breathtakingly expensive molding machines, that potentially can take TLG down if they would go nuts! I wonder who is behind these companies ... or ... wait ... are these molding machines - not that expensive at all??? 

I believe mould-making used to be very expensive (because manual), but nowadays it's all streamlined & automated, it's hardly more than 3D design (+ 3D printing for easy prototyping reducing costs even more) & the numbers for LEGO's "expensive moulds" out there only used to be true. 

A toy company with only 1 line of toys doesn't make a 2 billion net profit when these costs matter, anyway.

[Xfing]

18 hours ago, SpacePolice89 said:

I believe this started in the mid to late 90s and was at its height in the very early 00s. The 80s and early 90s had very few specialized single use pieces and the total number of pieces back then was much lower than what it is today.

Yeah, you may be right about that, when you look at themes like Blacktron etc they used mostly universal parts from the previous years' assortment, which is ironically what Lego would return to after 2003. And I agree that mid to late 90s and early 00s had the biggest concentration of bespoke moulds. Just look at the Aquazone, Ufo and Insectoids themes. Rock Raiders too tbh. 

I can understand how this was not particularly sustainable for Lego, since those parts were few in number and limited in use, which is pretty much just bad economics of scale, simply put. So it stands to reason they'd reverse course from this approach. But damn, were all those sets and themes memorable and fun, can't deny that!

BTW, on an unrelated note; I only just realized Lego introduced 16x16 plates only as late as 2011, and red ones as late as 2024. When I was a kid, I played a lot with a red 16x16 plate serving as a baseplate (a proper plate with antistuds on the bottom, mind you). That thing came from an old Cobi town-themed set from the late 90s or very early 2000s where it served as either the floor or the roof of a gas station. Pretty stunning if you think about it, how fast Lego's competitors innovated compared to Lego themselves. If Lego has been playing catch-up for literal decades even in regards to basic pieces like that... oh boy

Edited November 5, 2025 by Xfing

[Lyichir]

On 11/4/2025 at 7:41 AM, Xfing said:

I checked New Elementary and apparently the only new mould for November (not counting some minifig hats) is this: https://rebrickable.com/parts/5850/brick-arch-1-x-3-x-2-straight-end/

doesn't feel like anything revolutionary, in fact it's one more piece that feels like something obvious which might as well have been made for 40 years by now. Looks like Lego is slowly filling in their functional backlog 

I mean, I wouldn't necessarily chalk that up to anything besides there being one major November set release. January's gonna probably be the next big one where a ton of new molds are introduced across various themes.

Nevertheless, a good part. Size-wise, it's very similar to the existing pointed arch design introduced for the Prince of Persia sets, and will probably see similar architectural uses. But the more traditional rounded shape will be very useful for all sorts of things—one that came to mind for me is wheel arches on certain types/sizes of trucks, which is the kind of application where you really do need a circular radius like that.

[anothergol]

5 hours ago, Lyichir said:

Nevertheless, a good part. 

and a good part that you wouldn't get if other brands were protecting their designs patent trolling like LEGO does

[anothergol]

The battle has started

It's not in the customer's interest, but at least it will annoy LEGO. 

 

[Black Falcon]

4 hours ago, anothergol said:

The battle has started

It's not in the customer's interest, but at least it will annoy LEGO. 

I doubt that Lego cares just a single bit about the patending of a part they have no need for anyways.

[Toastie]

10 minutes ago, Black Falcon said:

I doubt that Lego cares just a single bit about the patending of a part they have no need for anyways.

I doubt TLG cares about anything happening in the world, other than patenting their own breathtaking inventions and suing whatever they could possibly sue otherwise.

Would be nice if they also decide focusing on coming up with creative >new< ideas. Tough, if you deal with a ++50 years old principle. Particularly in patent world. 

And at the same time not focusing on maximizing profit by minimizing ... wait, no, that is nonsense, as that is what a for-profit-company has to do. Hmm. OK, there is a crazy idea: All that profit could be partly - only partly! - used to making a better product. Particularly in a world where there is competition, some call knock-offs, others copy cats ... 

Oh well, it is what it is.

Best
Thorsten   

 

[Xfing]

Yeah well, good for Lumibricks to patent their bespoke lighting system (which they're now making their biggest gimmick separating them from Lego), but I believe if Lego wanted a similar function, they'd go about implementing it in a different fashion anyway

Anyhow, after studying NewElementary a bit more and looking at recent trends, I must conclude that TLG will be forced to close the gap on some of the most useful moulds used by the competition if they want to remain relevant. They've actually been in the course of this process already, if slowly. I expect it to accelerate from now on. Hell, wouldn't be surprised if Lego caved in and gave us the two-sided plates within the next 3-4 years.

Edited November 21, 2025 by Xfing

[anothergol]

On 11/20/2025 at 11:08 PM, Black Falcon said:

I doubt that Lego cares just a single bit about the patending of a part they have no need for anyways.

You're wrong, Lumibrix & other brands are getting attention these days, I can't imagine LEGO NOT ending up doing lights. Modulars look kinda dull now in comparaison to, currently inferior in design, but fully (& well) lit third-party modulars.
I'm also suspecting that Lumibrix is one of those brands that took care of avoiding still protected designs, aiming to be legally distributed in Europe (most of the Chinese brands that LEGO blocks at customs, are on Amazon, but from niche resellers, while the Lumibrix sets seem to be well distributed), and thus is a legit competitor to LEGO on its own territory.

And a part to let cables part is a key element, LEGO will do its own but it's not gonna be that different (at the end of the day it's a hole in a plate) and lawyers will make great money on this.

Edited November 22, 2025 by anothergol

[Yoggington]

Lumibrix do seem to be getting serious. 

Probably changing their name away from the borderline dodgy "Fun-Whole" was an important step.

[Lyichir]

I imagine if Lego gets involved in lighting their priorities will be different than third-party companies (which are largely aimed at older builders). For better or worse Lego tends to aim a little more kid-friendly even with their electronics systems, so I'd expect them to go bulkier and more resistant to tampering than these sorts of systems for threading thin wires between plates.

[Toastie]

5 minutes ago, Lyichir said:

For better or worse Lego tends to aim a little more kid-friendly even with their electronics systems, so I'd expect them to go bulkier and more resistant to tampering than these sorts of systems for threading thin wires between plates.

Well, TLG has this 18+ tag on so many of their black box sets aimed at the elderly and impaired like me. I agree on "bulkier and more resistant", but then this will be a fail from the beginning for buildings and other non-moving models. Wiring has always been a pain in the butt; on moving equipment (trains, cars ...) resistance is relevant. On buildings, it is not. Particularly when buildings feature a nice, tiled, and detailed interior, which TLG is not making anymore.

So yes, it will be interesting to see what happens.

Best
Thorsten  

[Driver Brandon Grumman]

I know they already have one, but I was thinking a hair piece with a ribbon or at least make all hair pieces compatable with a ribbon. 

[anothergol]

3 hours ago, Lyichir said:

I imagine if Lego gets involved in lighting their priorities will be different than third-party companies (which are largely aimed at older builders). For better or worse Lego tends to aim a little more kid-friendly even with their electronics systems, so I'd expect them to go bulkier and more resistant to tampering than these sorts of systems for threading thin wires between plates.

Ask a kid if he made a decision based on "the fun LEGO experience" (while it's often dad who builds) or based on the promo pictures (here Lumibricks would win hands down, everyone loves lights & shiny stuff), the license (here LEGO would win, except for all the non-kids friendly stuff that kids LOVE, such as predator & stuff, which other brands DO cover and LEGO never will), or the minifigs (which is all LEGO should hang to IMHO).

(and there's no way around wires, induction doesn't really "work", ultimately it's wires or no lights. Parts that act as connectors, they're necessary but they won't go everywhere. Lego would probably go with their own system & chunkier wires & plugs, I suppose)

 

[Mylenium]

11 hours ago, Lyichir said:

I imagine if Lego gets involved in lighting their priorities will be different than third-party companies (which are largely aimed at older builders). For better or worse Lego tends to aim a little more kid-friendly even with their electronics systems, so I'd expect them to go bulkier and more resistant to tampering than these sorts of systems for threading thin wires between plates.

Well, couldn't it be both? A well thought out system would be able to cater for all scenarios and it wouldn't need to be complicated. The only real hurdle I see is cost. It's not even so much the electronics, but rather that you would need to create a whole family of bricks that have embedded conductors or are made from conductive materials to get the electricity everywhere. Ultimately that's why those companies still use wires because it's cheaper. Anything after that would be relatively simple. It would be a fully digitized bus system where each component has it's own driver and can be addressed with an app and the elements themselves are just embedded in bricks that fit their requirements.

Mylenium

[Lyichir]

19 hours ago, Toastie said:

Well, TLG has this 18+ tag on so many of their black box sets aimed at the elderly and impaired like me. I agree on "bulkier and more resistant", but then this will be a fail from the beginning for buildings and other non-moving models. Wiring has always been a pain in the butt; on moving equipment (trains, cars ...) resistance is relevant. On buildings, it is not. Particularly when buildings feature a nice, tiled, and detailed interior, which TLG is not making anymore.

So yes, it will be interesting to see what happens.

Best
Thorsten  

"18+" can be used for building complexity or licensed content but I don't really see a universe where Lego stops prioritizing kids in terms of actual product safety/durability. They have a reputation for safety to maintain, and a number on the box isn't going to be enough to keep different levels of durability segregated especially given that a lot of people will inevitably acquire mixed Lego secondhand. There are certainly advantages for third-party kits where they DON'T have to worry about catering to the same broad audience, and can tailor things more toward a hobbyist niche with the skills and experience to do more elaborate wiring, but I just don't see Lego pushing in that direction without some sort of solution to simplify that process.

15 hours ago, anothergol said:

Ask a kid if he made a decision based on "the fun LEGO experience" (while it's often dad who builds) or based on the promo pictures (here Lumibricks would win hands down, everyone loves lights & shiny stuff), the license (here LEGO would win, except for all the non-kids friendly stuff that kids LOVE, such as predator & stuff, which other brands DO cover and LEGO never will), or the minifigs (which is all LEGO should hang to IMHO).

(and there's no way around wires, induction doesn't really "work", ultimately it's wires or no lights. Parts that act as connectors, they're necessary but they won't go everywhere. Lego would probably go with their own system & chunkier wires & plugs, I suppose)

 

This is honestly just a sad perspective, there's hardly any point of Lego if you're catering to a situation where kids don't even bother to build their own. If not for the building experience you might as well buy them die-cast toys or other cheaper model kits where things aren't designed for building and rebuilding at all.

[Black Falcon]

17 hours ago, anothergol said:

Ask a kid if he made a decision based on "the fun LEGO experience" (while it's often dad who builds) or based on the promo pictures (here Lumibricks would win hands down, everyone loves lights & shiny stuff), the license (here LEGO would win, except for all the non-kids friendly stuff that kids LOVE, such as predator & stuff, which other brands DO cover and LEGO never will), or the minifigs (which is all LEGO should hang to IMHO).

Which Lumi-Bricks Set exactly do you think kids would love? I am certainly no expert in their products, but so far all sets I have seen are display pieces and you will have to show the kid that would prefer that just because of some lights over a Ninjago/City/Friends set. Also if we are looking into what people write about sets for their kids, there are several reports of parents telling their kids would be able to build sets above their age alone or with little help, or others saying they buy bigger sets to build them together with their kids. But I can´t remember a single one that buys sets for their kid and builds them alone - and I doubt the kid would be happy with their gift if they did.

Now if the kid has no fun building the gift will end up unfinished in a box or the parents finishing it - and I doubt when they see that their kid isn´t interested in it they will buy another one.

[Xfing]

On 11/23/2025 at 9:42 PM, Lyichir said:

I imagine if Lego gets involved in lighting their priorities will be different than third-party companies (which are largely aimed at older builders). For better or worse Lego tends to aim a little more kid-friendly even with their electronics systems, so I'd expect them to go bulkier and more resistant to tampering than these sorts of systems for threading thin wires between plates.

Kid friendly in presentation perhaps, but most System models are 16+ or 18+ these days. Hell, even models rated 8+ like the yellow bulldozer already contain a shitload of studded and studless Technic both . The complexity and part density has only increased over the years, while the age groups remained the same. I doubt introducing a system of lighting would go against kiddie play friendliness, unless you give a 11+ set to a 6 year old, but then that's on you.

[anothergol]

On 11/24/2025 at 6:45 PM, Black Falcon said:

Which Lumi-Bricks Set exactly do you think kids would love? I am certainly no expert in their products, but so far all sets I have seen are display pieces

Their sets seem to be very (too much IMHO) kids-oriented, with playability in mind. Certainly more kids-friendly than LEGO's modulars

On 11/24/2025 at 5:33 PM, Lyichir said:

This is honestly just a sad perspective, there's hardly any point of Lego if you're catering to a situation where kids don't even bother to build their own. If not for the building experience you might as well buy them die-cast toys or other cheaper model kits where things aren't designed for building and rebuilding at all.

When I was a kid, I didn't have much LEGO and stuff was quickly disassembled to do other stuff... but times have changed, yesterday's LEGO spaceships would "break" in no time, make kids cry and result in bad reviews due to lack of "durability". Today's models are held together very well using brackets & technic parts, to the point that they're a pita to disassemble, because they're just not meant to be. I'm pretty sure that the majority of LEGO sets get built once and never get disassembled.
But maybe I'm wrong..

I don't think it's the (re)building experience that kids are after nowadays, more the expandability/hackability. Also, in the 80's we could rebuild stuff that was on par with LEGO's own designs, that's not something a young kid can do today anymore.