What do you miss from older sets?

[brickmack]

Printed parts rather than stickers, and the alternate model ideas on the back of the box.

[SNIPE]

The box and instruction backround picture(s) of the model, stuff like a warehouse, factory or huge garage/assembly line, I belive a range of current models had a certain backround 'theme', it was mostly lego technic for me but I liked the UFO/space stuff as well as cybermasters and some of the really old models which had a yellow and reddish brown theme.

I renember going into fenwicks and seeing walls of lego sets, I renember my first sets, they were: a pack of three 6x12 bricks, an assorted parts set with two green baseplates which slid over as the box lid, and the assorted box of lego that had the lid with the huge novelty studs on them, ah good memories.

Edited April 14, 2012 by SNIPE

[CP5670]

I miss various things people have brought up already: flip-up boxes, printed/unique parts, high quality brick colors, etc., all of which contributed to the feel that this was a premium, high end product. You don't get that sense anymore today. The old catalogs and their dioramas were also fun to look through. On the other hand, I like how we have a wider selection of parts and more complex sets in most themes today. I have mixed thoughts on the box alternate models as well. They are certainly fun to look at, but only the models on the largest sets are actually worth building, and those are also the hardest ones to build without instructions.

The last flip-up boxes appeared in 2000, and the last time they were actually common was in 1998.

Even if they were not, their legacy in terms of financial overburdening definitely was. What I generally meant was that LEGO was wasting money without actually considering what they're doing. K-nut mentioned wanting to have decently priced sets again; well yeah don't we all - but then again one just needs to look at what some of the big sets from the 90s era were actually selling for originally to get a good example of how little LEGO were actually aware what their productions costs really were.

That was sort of the point though. Back then, TLG really adhered to the "only the best is good enough" idea and pulled out all the stops to bring out a premium product, and then priced it accordingly. I guess the customers ultimately spoke on what they actually wanted. It was also easier to have the fancy boxes back then since there were fewer sets coming out each year, and each set was in production for much longer than it is today. However, it's interesting to note that Oxford actually has similar (less elaborate) kinds of boxes today. The competition has caught up with TLG over time.

[Erik Leppen]

Technic figures.

[Redhead1982]

To add my share, I miss the most baseplates and pictures of alternative models in sets other than Creator.

[Brickity]

Like someone else said, the alternative models. They gave me more excitement and it was a plus for buying it

[Supa]

What I am missing from my own childhood LEGO (late 80s, early 90s) are :

• The alternate models. Although they shouldn't be necessary, they were a fun way to stimulate imagination and a cheap way to expand a faction background.
  
• Lack of stickers.
  
• Sets without these flick missiles. They're everywhere these days!

[Mr_Malfoy]

Good question. I miss the baseplates and single-booklet instructions. I also miss the lack of flick-fire missiles. They're everywhere these days !

[Lego Otaku]

Good question. I miss the baseplates and single-booklet instructions. I also miss the lack of flick-fire missiles. They're everywhere these days !

Third that flick missiles. I stopped putting them together last year and completely skip missile launchers in instruction. I figure I got about 50 never used missiles sitting around in the pile of rejects.