Bigger sets vs Smaller sets

[Lordofdragonss]

I still don't get it why Lego make more Expenisive sets than more generic smaller one.

Like sets that connect to eachother with 2 generic minifigs and 1 exclusive minifig(or animal). (5 sets like this) and 2 smaller sets with 1 minifigure.

People would buy more Lego then! Right? Everyone knows that is easier to buy 3 smaller and generic sets than 1 bigger.

The best is, this way of making sets can be used for any theme.

Imagine:

-10 Spaceships that connect to make bigger spaceship.

-A Lego Dollhouse- With each room as one set. (Could be made for new Friends wave)

-A Zoo sets that connect to giant park

Each theme theme with 10 sets for a year that connect to make bigger set toghether. (7 sets first, then the 3new appear at the end of summer) + max.2 special sets.

As I am the castle fan myself, I will try to show what kind of sets I have in mind (I made up prices looking on Kingdoms sets):

Sets:

Around 20$

A Tower (the biggest set on the wave)

3 minifigs- Archer with Longbow ,2 foot soldiers. There is a place to put throne room set and armory set

15$

A Wall part- 1 Archer 1 pike soldier

There is a place inside to put sets like stables, throneroom or Blacksmith set

A treasury- 1 Peasant(robber?), 1 Elite Guard .

With gold coins!

Stables- 1 Horse , Hen, 1 peasant

With sadle, bucket, wheat.

Blacksmith- 1 Blacksmith, 1 knight

With Armor, and some weapons

Throne room- King 1 Soldier

4$ (impulse)

Armory- Exactly the same build as:

- Exclusive minifig

Edited March 14, 2012 by Lordofdragonss

[A2L]

I am sure you are aware (being a COUNT!!!) that TLG gives a whole range of sets from smallest to the largest (often in a set of 5 in a subtheme like police, fire etc).

To reply to your post very briefly, I guess its simple economics. There are fans and fanboys and fanatics of LEGO (including myself). As long as people are willing to buy them, a few of high priced, high margin sets give more returns than a low margin volume play. Attach exclusivity and must-have mania to a set and create a buzz around it, and you have a lot of buyers running after them. Also its not just hype. TLG does add exclusive and some of the best elements/parts/animals to these sets, making the sets really desirable.

If a day comes when very few people are willing to buy these large sets, while the low cost sets are flying off the shelves, TLG may align its production accordingly. But again, we have to realize that bigger scenarios can be delivered only as a large set e.g. Hogwarts castle in HP, to justify the cost of design and production. If delivered in a modular way, you may just be content in buying 2 towers of a castle out of 4, even though TLG incurred the entire design and production costs.

Of course everything in this post is my guess as I dont know the margins and marketing decisions of TLG.

Now leaving possible marketing logic aside, personally I hope that your wish comes true someday as any day I would prefer to buy many small sets and join them together to make a bigger one. But unfortunately I do not see that happening soon.

Edited March 14, 2012 by A2L

[Nebsirob]

I'm missing the option "Sure as long they will be modular and with exclusive minifigs.", so I go with the first option.

[AndyC]

I think it's also worth remembering that for many kids, LEGO is something they get as a gift for xmas/birthday. If they're going to get one 'big' present and a few smaller ones, the little LEGO fan is going to be a bit disappointed that the big one isn't a LEGO set.

There's also something more desirable about a complete model. I vividly remember looking at LEGO catalogues and dreaming of how cool it would be to own one of the big castles or police stations and so on. I'm not sure a bunch of smaller 'bit of a castle' sets would have had quite the same impact, even if they could eventually be put together to produce the same thing.

[Palathadric]

I would miss large raised baseplates, but not that I ever had the money to afford a set with one So yeah, I suppose it could be a good idea. Although I still think bigger sets will look a lot better than smaller ones combined together. Just my thought.

[sharky]

As long as people are willing to buy them, a few of high priced, high margin sets give more returns than a low margin volume play. Attach exclusivity and must-have mania to a set and create a buzz around it, and you have a lot of buyers running after them. Also its not just hype. TLG does add exclusive and some of the best elements/parts/animals to these sets, making the sets really desirable.

I agree with what you are saying, but I always felt that the smaller sets were higher margin compared to the larger sets. That is to say, the price per piece is high on a smaller set compared to a larger one. Therefore, the margin would seem higher on a smaller set.

[Vindicare]

I voted for the modularity of the sets. While I think they do fine as far as big and small sets, even though it seems as impulse sets are gone. But, the way you suggested, I'd love to see Hogwarts be done that way. A classroom as a set, then the common rooms/dorms as others. Throw a couple named students in there with a generic one, you're set.

[spzero]

Ok lets compare one big sets to 3 smaller sets of the same brick piece

1 Big set = more likely to include exclusive pieces be it chrome/printing etc, only one product to advertise to display on a shelf/webpage, maybe 2 instruction books if its complicated aimed at younger audience or very big.

3 / 4 smaller sets = more packaging and instructions (at least one per box) and more shelf space is needed as well as more advertising / webpages / reviews and a higher price per brick, its therefore not economical!

If they were modular like some of the old castle sets that had Technic pins in the end wall to join up, they could be a great thing, as add on's for bigger sets.

Also can youimagine who would byy the friends bathroom, much better to have one big house with a modular extension/conservatory.

Just my oppinion.

[natelite]

it's been suggested but TLC hasn't decided to use the suggestion. not sure why. i don't think anyone gotten an official reply on the lack of modularization of themes/sets.

[brickmack]

I prefer the way it's done now. With many smaller sets, it will likely end up costing more even if the small sets total up the the same part count as the big one, because of the extra packaging, instructions,production costs, not to mention that for a lot of big sets, TLG reduces the price per part a bit.

[Lucanik-san]

The current distribution is not perfectly balanced, I guess, but quite in direction of big sets.

I'm seeing more and more rarely mini-sets like 8073:

Let's take Ninjago 2011, for example.

I mean, a set like 2506 is too expensive and too big for being a non-main set, imo.

LEGO, always in my opinion, should make a bigger head-set for each theme, and then small-medium sets (not exceeding 30-40 $) to complete.

Edited March 16, 2012 by Lucanik-san

[Hrw-Amen]

I would like lots of sets that were smaller, cheaper and modular. As a child I always felt that I had missed out as my parents could never afford to buy the biggest sets for me. I always had the smaller ones and would dream of owning the bigger ones in the marketing material, but come Christmas or Birthday I just got a middle of the range set. Not that those were not great, I was aware of the reason why from an early age but if those sets had been modular them maybe I could have got them over time?

I guess another way of doing it would be to have some kind of savings scheme, whereby people could add so much a month or whenever to save up for a bigger set but I think that would cost a lot for TLG to administer and set up. My local toy store does this in the second half of the year leading up to Christmas and it is a great way to reserve a set knowing that it is yours eventually as long as you pay off the outstanding amount. I know you could use a bank account for that, but with a bank it is not specific enough, the money needs to be ringfenced.

So yes, generally I think as a child I would have supported modular sets, so I could have also enjoyed the 'bigger' models, as an adult with more cash to spend, it would still be nice but it is not so much of a problem as it used to be.

[zinfinion]

-10 Spaceships that connect to make bigger spaceship.

They actually did something similar to this with Blacktron II and M-Tron, where 3 sets combined to make a super model. I would not mind seeing a return to this sort of thing.

[just2good]

It's a shame that the $3.50 impulse sets were discontinued in 2010... Now, there are just polybags and the $5-$7 impulse sets... Polybags are usaully store exclusive, and are just mini-not modular versions of bigger sets, and the $5-$7 impulses are sometimes to small to be worth that much.

[Andy D]

I prefer the larger sets. If you have a bunch of smaller sets to make up the equivalent of a modular building you would have to buy a whole bunch of smaller sets. Then there goes the special pieces and speciial mini figs..

I think that there is just about he right balance of large and small sets right now.

Just MHO

Andy D

[Weil]

I don't think you will see this happening on mass for several reasons most of which have been mentioned:

- Big sets are more special to kids than several smaller ones

- Many smaller sets are more costly to TLC. All of them have to be separately designed and approved, they each need to have their own packaging, box art, promotion, instructions etc. Retailers won't easily be able to stock all the sets and giving them all sufficient shelf space would be difficult, they also will look less appealing on the shelf compared to big sets.

- Small modular sets mean they have little play value on their own. If a child gets bought a small set and doesn't have much fun with it then the parent isn't going to buy any more. It is much easier to build play value and a story into bigger sets which is really important for children. This is the reason TLC predominantly look to have sets with both 'goodies' and 'badies' in.

Saying that it does seem TLC is trying to build in modularity where they are able to. The big modular town sets are one example but there is also an 'extension set' for Helm's Deep in the upcoming LOTR theme, this combines a medium and large set together however each set can easily stand alone in their own right.

[purpleparadox]

I'm going to have to agree with the majority of people. I like it how it is. Smaller sets just equals more packaging and instructions. And, I know I'D rather have a big set than a bunch of small ones.

[TeufelHund]

Big and small sets are there as they fill different functions.

The small sets are there as stocking stuffers, things kids can save for with their pocket money or as small rewards.

Big sets exist for Xmas/birthday presents.

I guess I probably enjoy larger sets with a few distinct elements to build myself, rather than smaller sets with a vehicle and a minifig or two these days - but I still fondly remember some of the smaller sets I had as a child (although that might be because I didn't actually receive any of the larger sets as a child).