Lego frustration

[David Thomsen]

A whole thread devoted to complaining about Lego? I can't imagine this will last long before getting locked...

I have one main pet peeve. Apart from Star Wars and City, very few themes last more than a couple of years before they either get completely revamped of dropped in favour of something else. I started collecting Indiana Jones hoping it would last a long time... two years worth of sets. I started buying Pirates with the same hope... one year worth of sets. I didn't collect POTC at all because I was afraid it would have a short lifespan, and the rumours seem to confirm this.

I understand the business model of circulating through lots of themes, but look at Playmobil, which has a dozen or so themes that it just keeps building on. To constantly start lines and cancel them is like constantly launching promising new TV shows and then cancelling them before they get a chance to tell their story.

This is the reason I have only bought Modular buildings and City sets in the last year.

Edited September 4, 2011 by David Thomsen

[Hrw-Amen]

My only real grumbles are that I always seem to have one less of a part than I need, which means a Bricklink order in which I always spend more than I want to. Also that I do not have enough space to store stuff in.

[1980-Something-Space-Guy]

Unfortunately, I have realized that I have other Lego frustrations. Namely, the fact that it is not currently possible for Lego to make a completely transparent minifigure, that collectible minifigs have no barcodes , that Lego made no Blacktron III with SPIII and instead released Alien Conquest , and that Lego has currently got too many licensed themes to my taste. For me, Marvel, DC, SW (and I'm not even a big fan of the Clone Wars), and POTC would have been just enough for the next year.

[vexorian]

Space. You can't even enjoy your collection anymore because it is so crowded you don't get to see the sets in their own glory anymore. When you had a single Stronius back when dark ages ended, it was easier that way.

You have tons and tons of pieces, but you don't really have tons and tons of creativity and thus you rarely really MoC and when you do, it is not nearly as good as what you see in the internet.

You learned from Eurobricks that a great third wave for Space Police III was coming. You made very serious plans about buying some of those sets, including getting 3 Raid VPRs. The year ends and none of your retailers actually got them. But of course they were full of stuff you never wanted in the first place, like PoP and HP sets. You wonder if the same will happen to Alien Conquest.

[1980-Something-Space-Guy]

Space. You can't even enjoy your collection anymore because it is so crowded you don't get to see the sets in their own glory anymore. When you had a single Stronius back when dark ages ended, it was easier that way.

I feel exactly the same way. You have to be rich in order to be able to display everything in a fairly sized Lego collection.

[ACWWgal2011]

I'd say the lego company is my real frustration. I used to be a huge lego fan but now i'm in some sort of semi-dark age thing. Here's my list of issues(taking from a post i was planning but i can't get it right) : I don't like the increasing amount of Chinese made parts, increase of cheese slopes in sets, extras I get in sets(most of the leftovers i NEVER use[i.e the fire plumes] or already have enough off[i.e. studs]), stingyness of lego minifigures in sets, the price tags on a lot of sets, Waste of space in boxes(finally decreasing but a lot of sets have a ways to go),Lack of females in sets(I have at least 150 boys and just under 3 dozen girls[with 10 being RECENT purchases from the BAM bin]), and overall shrinking set size. I could handle a few things, but w/ the stuff coming in waves, it's way to much.

I'm saying semi-dark age since i still am coming on here, have a few items on my shopping list, getting some 4 junior figures from airsoft(the figures are so cute!) and didn't save all my legos. I have a tackle box w/ some stuff in it next to me, but it's sharing space w/ some non-lego things.

From what i'm finding out, lego had already lost their way big time b4 the 2004ish company crisis but still haven't found their way back.

[AFOL SF]

...yes, I do... it's the box! Why can't TLC design a box that is appropriate to each set?... boxes takes too much space, especially the big sets...

[autobrick]

Some things that frustrate me about Lego:

• Not enough civilian sets
• Not enough female minifigs
• Too much emphasis on minifgures to sell some sets (especially true for licensed themes).
• Not having alternate builds on the back of the box like before
• Too many flickfires. These don't work at all. Maybe have them spring-loaded instead?
• Collectible Minifigures are not the same quality of regular minifigs
• Exclusive polysbags, etc. that don't see wide distribution.
• Price discrimination. Practically a cliche, this one's the worst!

(I understand the 'reasons' behind these, but that doesn't make them any less frustrating.)

Other than that, I love Lego!

I wonder if it would make any difference if everybody in this thread were to e-mail their grievances to TLC; would they seriously consider our suggestions or just send back a form letter basically saying 'Thanks for the suggestion, but we're ignoring you'?

[kyphur]

The sets I buy, go on sale exactly 1 week after I purchase them.

Most US retailers have a 30 - 90 day price match promise.

I just got a second 3677 Red Cargo Train Set for $86 (after tax), because I bought on one Aug 25 and they had the BOGO 1/2 off sale Sept 9 & 10, I didn't even need to bring in the first set, just the receipt. They returned the first one and sold it back to me with the only one they had on the shelves all in the same transaction.

[Aanchir]

I'd say the lego company is my real frustration. I used to be a huge lego fan but now i'm in some sort of semi-dark age thing. Here's my list of issues(taking from a post i was planning but i can't get it right) : I don't like the increasing amount of Chinese made parts, increase of cheese slopes in sets, extras I get in sets(most of the leftovers i NEVER use[i.e the fire plumes] or already have enough off[i.e. studs]), stingyness of lego minifigures in sets, the price tags on a lot of sets, Waste of space in boxes(finally decreasing but a lot of sets have a ways to go),Lack of females in sets(I have at least 150 boys and just under 3 dozen girls[with 10 being RECENT purchases from the BAM bin]), and overall shrinking set size. I could handle a few things, but w/ the stuff coming in waves, it's way to much.

I'm saying semi-dark age since i still am coming on here, have a few items on my shopping list, getting some 4 junior figures from airsoft(the figures are so cute!) and didn't save all my legos. I have a tackle box w/ some stuff in it next to me, but it's sharing space w/ some non-lego things.

From what i'm finding out, lego had already lost their way big time b4 the 2004ish company crisis but still haven't found their way back.

Just to make sure you understand, extra parts are almost never included in sets for the purpose of helping people with their collections. The normal reason for extra parts is and has always been to ensure that the tiniest parts don't go missing without getting caught by the weight check.

For instance, if a set is supposed to have one cheese slope in a certain color, and it is missing that cheese slope, the weight will be off by .21 grams (based on the weight listed at Bricklink). And so the weight check, an important stage in most quality control systems for mass production, might not register such a tiny discrepancy. How do you solve this? Instead of one cheese slope, include two cheese slopes in that color.

If both are missing, then the weight will be off by a more significant .42 grams, something the weight check is more likely to notice. If only one is missing, then the set will still include just as many cheese slopes as are needed to build the set. This is why extra parts are almost always very small and lightweight parts of a set-- not because it's cheaper, but because these are the parts that need extras to ensure quality control.

A lot of people complained when the collectible minifigures stopped including extra components, not realizing that the reason for this change was probably that the Chinese plant that makes the collectible minifigures got newer, more precise scales for performing the weight check, and so could now ensure the minifigures were complete without needing extras as a safeguard.

Incidentally, what sets came before your "semi-dark age" that were so outstandingly different? Obviously Chinese production didn't begin until 2008 (though I personally think it's not as much of a problem as some people seem to feel it is), so that's a very recent development. So are cheese slopes, which did not exist until 2004 I think (although many AFOLs love them to pieces, pun intended).

But the scarcity of minifigures is not entirely a recent development. Minifigures are, and have always been, expensive to produce, since they include pre-assembled components and usually have a lot of printed elements. So I think any older sets with lots and lots of minifigures probably are not evidence of a company that was less "cheap" but rather examples of a company that did not know how to please its fanbase, thinking that because they liked minifigures, more should be included at the expense of actual building elements.

You're in an incredibly small minority thinking 4 Juniors figures are cute, by the way. But don't feel bad about it-- I'm glad to see that some people appreciate that theme rather than just considering it a complete and misdirected failure. I think some of the figs are kind of cute myself!

[vexorian]

extras I get in sets(most of the leftovers i NEVER use[i.e the fire plumes] or already have enough off[i.e. studs]), stingyness of lego minifigures in sets, the price tags on a lot o

Are you seriously complaining about getting extras?

It is ok if you don't use them. Just keep them. Because they usually give extras for pieces that are easy to lose. The availability of extras have saved my sets in the past. Even if that doesn't happen to you. You have to admit, it is a children product, and children are surely going to need those extras.

And if you really have a ton of extras. Here is a link you will find useful: http://www.bricklink.com

Cheese slopes are awesome.

A lot of people complained when the collectible minifigures stopped including extra components' date=' not realizing that the reason for this change was probably that the Chinese plant that makes the collectible minifigures got newer, more precise scales for performing the weight check, and so could now ensure the minifigures were complete without needing extras as a safeguard.[/quote']I think I am losing my willing suspension of disbelief.

Edited September 14, 2011 by vexorian

[ACWWgal2011]

I have thought about using bricklink to offload the extra stuff but we almost never go to the post office anymore. We get mail at the house and almost never send out packages. Last package i can remember sending that was me related(not counting sending a pair of flesh hands in a normal envelope) was about 3 years ago when i had to send an item back to an ebay seller since they got my item mixed up w/ a controller(I ordered a GC memory card and got a Ps2 wireless controller.)

I know i shouldn't moan about free parts but it's parts i don't need. Especially the 1X1 studs and cheese. Between them, i have enough to fill a small lego swimming pool.

Older sets that came b4 the semidark age? I used to love getting 3-in-1 and older harry potter stuff. Lately i haven't been finding anything of real interest. A lot of sets that i've gotten lately have either shrunk since the last time i got the sets(i.e. 3-in-1's) or nothing special or worse, there's issues w/ the building instructions. Building the lego log cabin was a nightmare at more then one stage. I know how to build lego sets but the instructions were really bad at times.

I am not quite into the 4 juniors as a whole set thing, mainly minifigures. I don't see how the theme is a failure. I can see it needing a few tweaks but it is a very interesting set up that would be nice if it made a come back.

As far as no extras in collectible figure packs, Something makes no sense at all. If extra pieces are non existent why did price go up a full dollar? While the figures are interesting, the 3 dollar price tag makes no sense.

And i wish there'd be more minifigures in a set. The #1 reason i loved going for sets is new minifigures. Yea, they do multiple like rabbits, but it's the variety that i love.

[AndyC]

As far as no extras in collectible figure packs, Something makes no sense at all. If extra pieces are non existent why did price go up a full dollar? While the figures are interesting, the 3 dollar price tag makes no sense.

My suspicion is that it has far more to do with retailers discovering that they can bump the price up without noticably affecting sales. Here in the UK I've not seen any price rise on the minifigures, but then we've never encountered quite the same supply shortages that US customers did (and of course we pay more for Lego sets already!)

[Aanchir]

I think I am losing my willing suspension of disbelief.

About people complaining, or about collectible minifigures not needing extra pieces as a safeguard? Frankly, since I haven't heard many horror stories about collectible minifigures being missing pieces, I think the "more precise equipment" scenario is most likely. Especially considering that the collectible minifigures are some of the smallest sets by far, so a more precise weight check would be extremely important.

There's a cost component to it too, of course, in that including extra pieces in a set that isn't likely to be missing pieces is just a flat-out waste of money. So yes, TLG is "being cheap" in that regard. But it's not as though they stopped caring about your personal collection of extras-- the fact is they're being just as "cheap" as they are in any other set, and never cared about giving you useful extra pieces in the first place.

[Taure]

It is perhaps bad that my first post on these forums is on a complaint topic, but oh well! Hi everyone.

One trend I dislike in modern models is the lack of base plates. If you look, for example, at the castles, you'll have various wall segments and towers, and they can be connected in various ways, but you still have non-Lego space between them. I'm not a fan of non-lego space within models, e.g. courtyards that are just holes on the model. I like my models to be situated in a Lego landscape, not just floating buildings.

I also dislike the increased use of special parts. If you look at the old models, that is, those from the '80s and '90s, it was a lot more about making new themes and models with existing pieces, with maybe a few new pieces here and there for special features. Modern models seem to include a much higher use of special bricks, which seem to make it a lot less about imagination and a lot more about brining your image for a build to life through producing bricks to make it work. I'm not totally against new/specialised bricks mind you, as some of them add great functionality.

I remain mystified as to why the largest base plate is still only 48 x 48 and only available in grey.

And, of course, money. But that's more to do with me than Lego >_<

That said, there are lots of things I think modern Lego is doing right. The turn in the last couple of years towards realism is great. More grey, brown, green, and sand coloured blocks are what I always lacked as a kid. And the modular town sets are great. More of that please, Lego!

Edited September 17, 2011 by Taure

[1980-Something-Space-Guy]

I think that I found another Lego frustration: it is addicting!

Edited September 18, 2011 by johnnyvgoode