What would it take for you to stop purchasing Lego?

[Hive]

Boohoohooo whinge whine moan. That's all I hear. And I'll bet if every single brick was 100% top quality and cost more the same people would whinge whine and moan that they were being ripped off. If they're that bothered then fine, quit buying the stuff and leave the rest of us to carry on and maybe get some peace.  

That's an extremely weird, unreasonable and outright ridiculous comment to make.

LEGO is one of the most expensive toys out there and it is only natural to have certain expectations in regards to the quality of it.

And really, what do you think LEGO themselves prefer: that people inform them about issues they have with their product, so they may improve, or that they simply stop buying their product alltogether...? If you say the latter, you clearly don't know how the world of business works.

[Mr_Malfoy]

Death.

Armageddon.

I'm with Lyichir; either I'd have to be financially unable to purchase LEGO or TLG would have to stop selling LEGO. If I ever did stop, I don't think that low quality would be a factor. The kind of low quality it would take for me to give up buying LEGO is a kind of low quality that I don't think TLG will ever intentionally sink to. It goes against their founders' principles, and it's just something I don't see them doing.

Then again, Armageddon may not be too far away.

I also agree that LEGO would never sink to such a low quality that would make people stop buying. LEGO will never be on the

same level of M#@%B*!?:"~.

[Aanchir]

That's an extremely weird, unreasonable and outright ridiculous comment to make.

LEGO is one of the most expensive toys out there and it is only natural to have certain expectations in regards to the quality of it.

And really, what do you think LEGO themselves prefer: that people inform them about issues they have with their product, so they may improve, or that they simply stop buying their product alltogether...? If you say the latter, you clearly don't know how the world of business works.

There's a difference between reporting a major part defect to TLG through the proper channels and reporting it to a fan-site where it's bound to generate a disproportionate amount of hysteria. And I think Jargo might have been referring not to what Chris McVeigh (the extremely talented person who got the original part) should have done, but what the complainers and doomsayers responding to the Brickset news article (both on that site and elsewhere) should have done. There were a lot of comments on that Brickset news article that were truly embarrassing-- some people swearing off LEGO entirely because of one quality issue, seen on a picture on the Internet, that for all they know could have been a complete fluke!

It's true quality control is not as good as it was many years ago, but a problem like this doesn't necessarily mean quality control is on a steady downward decline. Personally some of the worst quality issues I've ever experienced come from the 2005 Brickmaster Welcome Kit. In that set, quality issues were abundant, and around half the parts in several colors was visibly discolored. Since then any major color quality issues I've encountered have been few and far between-- usually one visibly discolored part to a set at most.

I haven't been around for as long as some AFOLs, so I can't claim the same expertise regarding what quality meant back in the 70s and 80s-- all the 70s and 80s parts I've encountered were hand-me-downs or pre-owned parts, and as such weren't in a good enough condition to even judge their quality (worn prints, yellowing in white bricks, etc). But even in the time I've been a LEGO fan (since the mid-90s), TLG has shown enough care for the consumer and desire to improve that they've earned my trust. If I were to stop purchasing LEGO it would probably be due to changes in my lifestyle and not due to changes in how TLG operates as a business.

Edited June 23, 2012 by Aanchir

[Hive]

There's a difference between reporting a major part defect to TLG through the proper channels and reporting it to a fan-site where it's bound to generate a disproportionate amount of hysteria. And I think Jargo might have been referring not to what Chris McVeigh (the extremely talented person who got the original part) should have done, but what the complainers and doomsayers responding to the Brickset news article (both on that site and elsewhere) should have done. There were a lot of comments on that Brickset news article that were truly embarrassing-- some people swearing off LEGO entirely because of one quality issue, seen on a picture on the Internet, that for all they know could have been a complete fluke!

It's true quality control is not as good as it was many years ago, but a problem like this doesn't necessarily mean quality control is on a steady downward decline. Personally some of the worst quality issues I've ever experienced come from the 2005 Brickmaster Welcome Kit. In that set, quality issues were abundant, and around half the parts in several colors was visibly discolored. Since then any major color quality issues I've encountered have been few and far between-- usually one visibly discolored part to a set at most.

I haven't been around for as long as some AFOLs, so I can't claim the same expertise regarding what quality meant back in the 70s and 80s-- all the 70s and 80s parts I've encountered were hand-me-downs or pre-owned parts, and as such weren't in a good enough condition to even judge their quality (worn prints, yellowing in white bricks, etc). But even in the time I've been a LEGO fan (since the mid-90s), TLG has shown enough care for the consumer and desire to improve that they've earned my trust. If I were to stop purchasing LEGO it would probably be due to changes in my lifestyle and not due to changes in how TLG operates as a business.

You express your views in an elequant and reasonably manner, and I respect your opinion. However, Jargo did *not* express his own views in a similar manner, and was unreasonably insulting to - apparantly - everyone who has voiced concerns with the quality control of LEGO, and not just the people who over-exaggerated. If Jargo meant something else, he should have been more diplomatic and clear with his point. To me, he came off extremely "Apple fanboy-ish".

[Brickington]

What would stop me from buying Lego's? Lets see, oh I know, an anti-Lego girlfriend who constantly visits my tiny apartment I'm staying at while I'm in college. She thinks legos are wast of money and won't let me buy a set over thirty dollars (And people wonder while I don't have a Lego Pirate Ship ).

Commander Law

P.S. And no, I'm not breaking up with her.

[Hive]

P.S. And no, I'm not breaking up with her.

I think a more interesting thread would perhaps be "What would you choose if you had to: LEGO or your girlfriend/wife?"

[Brickington]

I think a more interesting thread would perhaps be "What would you choose if you had to: LEGO or your girlfriend/wife?"

Great idea, lol. However, I will dare not to make a thread like that because she visits Eurobricks to see what I do.

Commander Law

Also, between me and you, she doesn't know my username on here.

[Hive]

Also, between me and you, she doesn't know my username on here.

Wise move, especially if you have a habbit of posting about your purchases.

[Brickington]

Wise move, especially if you have a habbit of posting about your purchases.

That's why she doesn't know my username. Also, I don't know her username, so I could be talking to her on Eurobricks without knowing.

[CP5670]

I can't see why this is suddenly news. This translucency is no different from we have seen with several other colors in countless sets over the last 5 or 6 years. Are people seriously noticing it for the first time?

I would ultimately stop buying Lego if the hassle outweighs the fun factor, and things are a long ways off from that. I still have lots of fun with Lego. However, I have long since stopped thinking of Lego as a premium, "only the best is good enough" product of any kind. There are probably clone brands like Oxford that offer comparable brick quality today. I buy very few sets these days (usually on discounts) but still spend a fair amount on Bricklink parts orders, and tend to limit myself to certain colors where I know the quality is consistent. About 70% of the parts I buy are black for this reason.

And really, what do you think LEGO themselves prefer: that people inform them about issues they have with their product, so they may improve, or that they simply stop buying their product alltogether...? If you say the latter, you clearly don't know how the world of business works.

You are quite right, which is precisely the problem. A few isolated AFOLs might complain about things like this (and promptly get shouted down by fanboys) but by and large, TLG's consumers don't notice or care. In this situation, it would be a poor business move for TLG to spend money and resources on fixing these problems, and they know it.

[Blackicep8ntball]

Wow, getting some good and interesting responses on here. Thanks for the input, everyone.

A few issues I would like to address:

First, it wouldn't take much for me to stop buying NEW Lego sets (although I would have no problem continuing to buy older stuff; but TLG doesn't make any money when I buy a set at a yard sale). As many have already pointed out, Lego costs a premium, and I fully expect (and, I think, rightfully so) a quality product. Part of that quality involves having a keen quality control department that doesn't let material into the market if the material isn't up to par. Sure it's great that TLG's customer service is responsive - it's one of the best customer service departments I know if. But if a company is relying on its customer service team to remedy problems that should never have made it out the door, that's laziness. Instead of placing the burden of catching problems on Lego, it puts the burden on the customer who has to take the extra steps of contacting TLG, perhaps waiting for replacement parts, etc. Now of course, I realize that no quality control department is perfect. But trust me - Lego has done better in the past, and it seems to be slacking.

I can't see why this is suddenly news. This translucency is no different from we have seen with several other colors in countless sets over the last 5 or 6 years. Are people seriously noticing it for the first time?

It's not suddenly news - quality control issues have been news for quite awhile. Stuff with the so-called "Chinese Plastic" construction has made front pages of blogs frequently over the last several years. Other quality issues have come up too. But at some point, a quality control issue will be the last straw. I don't think this is it, but it may be getting close.

And really, what do you think LEGO themselves prefer: that people inform them about issues they have with their product, so they may improve, or that they simply stop buying their product alltogether...? If you say the latter, you clearly don't know how the world of business works.

You are quite right, which is precisely the problem. A few isolated AFOLs might complain about things like this (and promptly get shouted down by fanboys) but by and large, TLG's consumers don't notice or care. In this situation, it would be a poor business move for TLG to spend money and resources on fixing these problems, and they know it.

Of course Lego prefers to know of the issues rather than to have people stop buying altogether, and that's precisely why it would be an INTELLIGENT move to spend money and resources fixing the problems. People are much more likely to simply switch brands than to take the time to mail a complaint. But trust me - Lego (and any business) gets messages about quality whether people mail complaints or instead just stop buying. Money talks.

As for what effect news stories and complains on blogs have, well, Lego definitely monitors these blogs. Ever notice how quickly Lego lawyers send out "take down" notices to blogs that post watermarked leaked pictures? These types of complaints about quality does not go unnoticed. Bad press is one of the fastest ways to inspire a company to make changes.

[Vindicare]

I still don't see what the big stinking deal is. This whole thing is ridiculous. I don't know why anyone would shine a flashlight at the bricks just for the hell of it...he was obviously looking for problems. I know I've never said while building, "Gee, I think I'm going to shine a flashlight on my bricks while building."

And the argument of it feels/looks different is bull. I had built and held and checked out the car(that's quite a James Bond-Ish seat)and there was no problem with any piece of the car.

[Aanchir]

I still don't see what the big stinking deal is. This whole thing is ridiculous. I don't know why anyone would shine a flashlight at the bricks just for the hell of it...he was obviously looking for problems. I know I've never said while building, "Gee, I think I'm going to shine a flashlight on my bricks while building."

And the argument of it feels/looks different is bull. I had built and held and checked out the car(that's quite a James Bond-Ish seat)and there was no problem with any piece of the car.

Well, keep in mind that the person who sent that photo to Brickset in the first place (Chris McVeigh) makes a career out of photographing LEGO models. The interplay of LEGO and lighting effects thus plays a much bigger role for him than it would for the average LEGO fan or MOCist.

I wish he had also provided a picture without the heavy backlight, though. This one is so bright you can hardly tell either brick is Medium Blue. And if the bricks were just as visibly different without a backlight, then the people up-in-arms against the offending brick's quality would be easier to sympathize with. As it is, I see no reason this particular incident should be the tipping point for anyone besides possibly Chris McVeigh himself, and I doubt he'll stop buying LEGO anytime soon.

[Destroydacre]

I still don't see what the big stinking deal is. This whole thing is ridiculous. I don't know why anyone would shine a flashlight at the bricks just for the hell of it...he was obviously looking for problems. I know I've never said while building, "Gee, I think I'm going to shine a flashlight on my bricks while building."

And the argument of it feels/looks different is bull. I had built and held and checked out the car(that's quite a James Bond-Ish seat)and there was no problem with any piece of the car.

No it's not. It's another instance of Lego producing bricks of questionable quality, something that seems to be on the rise the past few years. It doesn't bother you, trust me you've made that clear. But it does bother some people. I don't have the set, so I'm not commenting on it directly, but I have received pieces of poor quality in other sets the past few years with much more frequency than I did 5+ years ago. The quality of Lego pieces is still much greater than that of its plastic rivals, but I do believe that quality has decreased from what it used to be. I worry some about where Lego will eventually end up if this quality deterioration continues. Where do we draw the line and say enough is enough? Obviously it will be different for different people. Hopefully this was just a bad batch of medium blue bricks. I realize that when you produce as many bricks as Lego does that you're gonna have some bad ones. But like I said, the uptick in poorer quality bricks the past few years is a bit troubling for me. And I know I'm not the only one who feels that way.

[Faefrost]

No it's not. It's another instance of Lego producing bricks of questionable quality, something that seems to be on the rise the past few years. It doesn't bother you, trust me you've made that clear. But it does bother some people. I don't have the set, so I'm not commenting on it directly, but I have received pieces of poor quality in other sets the past few years with much more frequency than I did 5+ years ago. The quality of Lego pieces is still much greater than that of its plastic rivals, but I do believe that quality has decreased from what it used to be. I worry some about where Lego will eventually end up if this quality deterioration continues. Where do we draw the line and say enough is enough? Obviously it will be different for different people. Hopefully this was just a bad batch of medium blue bricks. I realize that when you produce as many bricks as Lego does that you're gonna have some bad ones. But like I said, the uptick in poorer quality bricks the past few years is a bit troubling for me. And I know I'm not the only one who feels that way.

Let me plays Devil's Advocate here. We seem to be confusing "questionable quality" with advancing technology and production refinement. The original question asked in this thread was "What would it take for you to stop purchasing Lego". Well for 99% of us, the magic answer to that question is not what happens when we shine a powerful light through them. It's not even if there is a change to the wall thickness or a slight color shift. It's price. Plain and simple. In order to keep price within a realm where we do keep purchasing Lego, they constantly evolve their designs and methods in order to increase production efficiencies, lower material costs, while at the same time either improving the product or simply trying to avoid any noticeable decrease in quality. This is good. It is a sign of a healthy business that is continuing to advance. Is it not always 100% what we expect? No, sometimes new plastics or new dyes are not quite what the most rabid of traditional AFOL's consider 100% perfect. But the trade off is the sets stay affordable. We get new things like new colors. Or that new opaque white glow in the dark plastic. Or the softer, lower temperature plastics that they can now cheaply and easily make more unique custom hair and headpieces out of. It's all part and parcel of the same thing. Yeah we may occasionally see color shifts as they alternate source dyes. Or they change formulas to be more environmentally friendly, or use a newer more durable or less expensive plastic. They refine individual parts so a production run can achieve the same size and clutch power with a couple of pounds less raw plastic. This is more often then not a legitimate production efficiency that benefits us far more than it hurts us.

I accept that my hobby is supplied by a business. I trust that they will more often than not insure that their refinements either improve the product or maintain the quality that I require. While at the same time I keep my expectations of them reasonable. Bitching about backlit blue bricks is not within the realm of reasonable. really it isn't.

[CP5670]

Of course Lego prefers to know of the issues rather than to have people stop buying altogether, and that's precisely why it would be an INTELLIGENT move to spend money and resources fixing the problems. People are much more likely to simply switch brands than to take the time to mail a complaint. But trust me - Lego (and any business) gets messages about quality whether people mail complaints or instead just stop buying. Money talks.

As for what effect news stories and complains on blogs have, well, Lego definitely monitors these blogs. Ever notice how quickly Lego lawyers send out "take down" notices to blogs that post watermarked leaked pictures? These types of complaints about quality does not go unnoticed. Bad press is one of the fastest ways to inspire a company to make changes.

This brick opacity problem goes back to late 2006 and there have been complaints about it ever since then. However, the consumers who are annoyed enough for this to influence their purchases are in an extreme minority. Just look at the responses in this thread. When a few hardcore AFOLs on a fan forum are divided on the significance of these problems, how many kids and casual buyers (parents) are going to care? If anything, reading these discussions would assure TLG that there is nothing to worry about. It's no surprise that there has never been any serious attempt from TLG to fix the problem.

Most sets today contain at least a few parts like the one in that photo. The difference is most prominent when seen through a light source but can be seen easily in normal lighting conditions. The studs have a "faded" look and cast much lighter shadows on the brick than usual.

[Larrynautik]

The City mine sets have the same problem with yellow and light-bluish grey bricks. The other bricks (black, dark-buish grey) don't have this problem. I compared the new bricks to some older ones and the difference is obvious. But it's not the only problem with these bricks. They do not connct as weel as the old ones. They are more fragile. Most of all - I took a PotC set - they tend to squeak when you pivotate them, and for the mecanical parts, the move is not flowing. Older parts such like minifigs do not have that kind of problem.

I sent an e-mail to TLG about that yesterday. I hope they will answer soon and act. Otherwise, I don't know what I will do if, in a nearby future, every part is every set get the same issues. But ignoring this quality lowering problem will never be a solution, excepted if you really want our brand to become Megablocks-like.

[Blackicep8ntball]

This brick opacity problem goes back to late 2006 and there have been complaints about it ever since then. However, the consumers who are annoyed enough for this to influence their purchases are in an extreme minority. Just look at the responses in this thread. When a few hardcore AFOLs on a fan forum are divided on the significance of these problems, how many kids and casual buyers (parents) are going to care? If anything, reading these discussions would assure TLG that there is nothing to worry about. It's no surprise that there has never been any serious attempt from TLG to fix the problem.

I don't know, man. While the response here has been divided, the fact that this topic and sites like Brickset have such a large response indicate that people are concerned. I don't think there can be any doubt that the consistency of Lego quality has noticiably decreased in the past 5-7 years. And honestly, this doesn't come as any surprise - almost all companies start out by making a reputation for quality; once the company is significantly established, they can then drop some of the quality and rely on name recognition. It's how business works. It's not a bad thing if customers demand a return to quality.

[Vindicare]

I checked a regular red 2x4 and a 1x6 dark red from 9467 and they're both translucent just like the brick(s) in question. This may add more fuel to the naysayers fire, but maybe this is more normal than we think. Perhaps it's due to a change in plastic or dye. It could really be any number of things. Even, yes, quality control issue. Whatever the case may be, the bricks are still just as they always are. Leg Godt.

[Aanchir]

I checked a regular red 2x4 and a 1x6 dark red from 9467 and they're both translucent just like the brick(s) in question. This may add more fuel to the naysayers fire, but maybe this is more normal than we think. Perhaps it's due to a change in plastic or dye. It could really be any number of things. Even, yes, quality control issue. Whatever the case may be, the bricks are still just as they always are. Leg Godt.

Checking one of my Bright Yellowish Green (Lime) bricks from the Fangpyre Wrecking Ball set, it's also somewhat translucent when lit from beneath. Mark Stafford (Nabii) mentioned in response to the Brickset news article that bricks have thinner walls today than they used to for more clutch power-- something I had noticed a while back but never connected to translucency in bricks. So perhaps this is not a dye problem after all.

Compare the underside of a modern 2x4 brick with the underside of an older one and you can see that the modern ones, instead of having smooth insides to their walls, have somewhat thinner walls with little vertical "ridges" to clutch the bricks. I first noticed this in the Brick Calendar, which has most of its bricks in the newer style but 2x8 bricks in the older style.

Some people have expressed concern that this will make bricks more fragile, but I hardly think that's a cause for worry. In fact, I dare say that since this change has never been complained about before, it probably doesn't affect most LEGO fans at all. Checking one of my Mars Mission sets just this minute (7645, from the year 2008), one of the curved slopes in it, 41748, has this style of wall, and yes, because of this it appears translucent when lit from directly beneath. A BIONICLE brick-based playset from 2007 (8927) has a 2x6 curved slope, 44126, with the same style wall. It does not appear semi-transparent, but in this case it is probably just because the part in question is black. Even our Wookie Catamaran set from 2005 has parts with these thinner walls, and that's a set from 2005!

Clearly, by now, this characteristic of bricks has been present for many years. It's possible that the translucency also has to do with the dye changes that occurred many years ago (I can't find any light-colored curved slopes from pre-2006 sets to compare right now), but still this is hardly a recent issue and hardly a sign that anything has been getting progressively worse since these issues first began appearing.

[Lyichir]

The City mine sets have the same problem with yellow and light-bluish grey bricks. The other bricks (black, dark-buish grey) don't have this problem. I compared the new bricks to some older ones and the difference is obvious. But it's not the only problem with these bricks. They do not connct as weel as the old ones. They are more fragile. Most of all - I took a PotC set - they tend to squeak when you pivotate them, and for the mecanical parts, the move is not flowing. Older parts such like minifigs do not have that kind of problem.

I sent an e-mail to TLG about that yesterday. I hope they will answer soon and act. Otherwise, I don't know what I will do if, in a nearby future, every part is every set get the same issues. But ignoring this quality lowering problem will never be a solution, excepted if you really want our brand to become Megablocks-like.

I'm sorry, but this is clearly a case of confirmation bias. You were deliberately looking for issues, and you found them. But let me play devil's advocate for a bit. First of all, I remember bricks from a decade ago being noticeably worse than new ones at some of the things you say. For instance, I've never experienced "squeaking" in any but the oldest of my bricks (like, for instance, the old style of plate which had a waffle-like grid on the underside instead of being like plates). But even if you do hear squeaking in your newest parts, consider that that is an issue which would be alleviated by wear. Older bricks may have sounded exactly the same when they were new, but since they've been used for much longer, the rough edges which cause squeaking have been worn down.

I've never noticed any connection issues with newer bricks either, save for that the newer ones come apart more easily when you're actively trying to remove them. This, in my mind, is a good thing. I hated having to struggle to remove plates from plates or Technic pins from Technic beams (more on that later).

And as for fragility, I'd like to know which parts you compared. After all, most of the fragility issues I've noticed in parts occur with parts that weren't even around ten or twenty years ago, like cheese slopes, the older ones of which could crack through normal use. I've never heard of anyone's new plates or bricks cracking through normal use. Perhaps the thinner walls of modern bricks could be shattered more easily if, for instance, you bent or stressed them to the point at which they snapped, but if you're using parts incorrectly or without due caution you get what's coming to you.

In terms of mechanical movement, I can't think of any way in which the older bricks are superior. I, for instance, have a good quantity of older Technic pins, and I must take care not to use them in MOCs. The old black pins were so firm that they did cause issues with smooth rotation (and, might I add, they squeaked when doing so). Moreover they were near-impossible to remove without going at them with your teeth, which left marks that only made all these problems worse the next time you wanted to use the part. Try rotating a newer Technic pin in a newer Technic beam. Hear that sound? It's okay, it's very faint. That's the sound of progress.

Meanwhile, I continue to maintain that color issues are overblown. Colors like Yellow are indeed different than they were many years ago. I like the new ones more. Gone are the days of yellowed bricks or extreme color inconsistencies right out of the package. Today, the colors are richer and more vibrant, and if that comes at the cost of slight translucency, I'm all for it. There are still issues with color differences, but they're far less extreme, and dealt with swiftly. The newer Collectable Minifigs are a lot better than the older ones in this respect. That's how progress happens: slowly but surely.

I'm not going to argue that people who notice issues shouldn't report those. After all, progress can only happen as a result of feedback. It's the doomsayers and whiners who I take issue with. A minor issue does not mean the company has forgotten what quality means, and it's certainly a poor excuse to swear off the brand entirely. Raising a stink over problems online may be the modern way of dealing with stress (just look at Facebook drama), but dealing directly with the company can still be more effective. And in some cases, such as the thinner walls of bricks, looking at the issue from a different perspective can show them to be more of a solution than a problem. After all, clone brands can't yet master the fine tooling required to make brick walls thinner while keeping them compatible with the classic parts. It's changes like these that help LEGO to stay competitively priced, even as the price of oil soars.

A final note. Back when LEGO was a smaller company, a single quality-control oversight could, at worst, result in a couple "flame-colored" bricks (which, ironically, fans would cherish as a rarity). Now, in the days of worldwide mass-production, an entire batch of sets could be shipped to stores before the issue can be addressed. Is this bad? Yes. But it's the price of growth. And it means that even a widespread issue does not have to suggest an endemic problem. LEGO still cares about quality, and you'll often find that the issue you observed has been fixed within the year. Sometimes a little bit of patience goes a long way.

[Larrynautik]

I'm sorry, but this is clearly a case of confirmation bias. You were deliberately looking for issues, and you found them. But let me play devil's advocate for a bit. First of all, I remember bricks from a decade ago being noticeably worse than new ones at some of the things you say. For instance, I've never experienced "squeaking" in any but the oldest of my bricks (like, for instance, the old style of plate which had a waffle-like grid on the underside instead of being like plates). But even if you do hear squeaking in your newest parts, consider that that is an issue which would be alleviated by wear. Older bricks may have sounded exactly the same when they were new, but since they've been used for much longer, the rough edges which cause squeaking have been worn down.

I've never noticed any connection issues with newer bricks either, save for that the newer ones come apart more easily when you're actively trying to remove them. This, in my mind, is a good thing. I hated having to struggle to remove plates from plates or Technic pins from Technic beams (more on that later).

And as for fragility, I'd like to know which parts you compared. After all, most of the fragility issues I've noticed in parts occur with parts that weren't even around ten or twenty years ago, like cheese slopes, the older ones of which could crack through normal use. I've never heard of anyone's new plates or bricks cracking through normal use. Perhaps the thinner walls of modern bricks could be shattered more easily if, for instance, you bent or stressed them to the point at which they snapped, but if you're using parts incorrectly or without due caution you get what's coming to you.

In terms of mechanical movement, I can't think of any way in which the older bricks are superior. I, for instance, have a good quantity of older Technic pins, and I must take care not to use them in MOCs. The old black pins were so firm that they did cause issues with smooth rotation (and, might I add, they squeaked when doing so). Moreover they were near-impossible to remove without going at them with your teeth, which left marks that only made all these problems worse the next time you wanted to use the part. Try rotating a newer Technic pin in a newer Technic beam. Hear that sound? It's okay, it's very faint. That's the sound of progress.

Meanwhile, I continue to maintain that color issues are overblown. Colors like Yellow are indeed different than they were many years ago. I like the new ones more. Gone are the days of yellowed bricks or extreme color inconsistencies right out of the package. Today, the colors are richer and more vibrant, and if that comes at the cost of slight translucency, I'm all for it. There are still issues with color differences, but they're far less extreme, and dealt with swiftly. The newer Collectable Minifigs are a lot better than the older ones in this respect. That's how progress happens: slowly but surely.

I'm not going to argue that people who notice issues shouldn't report those. After all, progress can only happen as a result of feedback. It's the doomsayers and whiners who I take issue with. A minor issue does not mean the company has forgotten what quality means, and it's certainly a poor excuse to swear off the brand entirely. Raising a stink over problems online may be the modern way of dealing with stress (just look at Facebook drama), but dealing directly with the company can still be more effective. And in some cases, such as the thinner walls of bricks, looking at the issue from a different perspective can show them to be more of a solution than a problem. After all, clone brands can't yet master the fine tooling required to make brick walls thinner while keeping them compatible with the classic parts. It's changes like these that help LEGO to stay competitively priced, even as the price of oil soars.

A final note. Back when LEGO was a smaller company, a single quality-control oversight could, at worst, result in a couple "flame-colored" bricks (which, ironically, fans would cherish as a rarity). Now, in the days of worldwide mass-production, an entire batch of sets could be shipped to stores before the issue can be addressed. Is this bad? Yes. But it's the price of growth. And it means that even a widespread issue does not have to suggest an endemic problem. LEGO still cares about quality, and you'll often find that the issue you observed has been fixed within the year. Sometimes a little bit of patience goes a long way.

So, in your opinion, everything is fine, there's absolutely no problem with Lego bricks and the people saying that they have problems are whiners. You even say that you prefer the translucency of the new bricks, do you think that it's what most people prefer ? I'm not tracking my sets to find issues, I'm only noticing them when I build them.

The squeaking problem for new figs never happened to previous sets. It's not a thing that happen to every minifigure you buy. And I'm quite impressed to read that if I get bricks damaged on my sets, it's because I use them incorrectly...

I agree with the fact that mass-production of sets leads minor problems to become large-scaled problems. Lego is producing one thousand bricks per second. Of course I inform them about the issues I see, and most of the time the answer is OK, parts are replaced. But it could become a problem if Lego decided to stop such a politic. Or if they decided to include weaker bricks in every sets and replace the ones of the few clients complaining.

I never said that Lego is voluntarily creating these problems. But since they moved several factories in extra-european countries to lower their labour costs, these quality problems became widespread. A lot of AFOLs mentionned those problems. I personally had several issues like parts errors (parts replaced by other), low sticker printing quality, excessive translucency on light-bluish grey and yellow bricks (Mine sets for example), windows glasses very badly molded on the City Hall, bricks that do not stay connected well like the SW Cad Bane large hat, etc. There was also a risk on some remote controllers for trains (this is mentionned on the Shop website).

Think what you want, but I will continue to have a close look at all these "minor" problems that tend to generalize.

[Algernon]

I doubt I'll ever completely lose interest in LEGO. The only thing that would prevent me from buying is A) life situation prevents me from it, B) prices get too unreasonable, and C) there just aren't any sets that interest me.

Typically my interest in collecting LEGO comes and goes depending on how busy I am. I've gone an entire year without making a purchase before, all the while keeping up with the hobby on websites like this one.

I sincerely doubt that LEGO would ever, as a company, lose my business completely. Their customer service is above average and they've always seemed like an intelligent lot. It would take something huge for that to happen - in my opinion, they're one of the few toy companies around that have never really abandoned their core values.

[GuntherThePenguin]

I doubt I'll ever completely lose interest in LEGO. The only thing that would prevent me from buying is A) life situation prevents me from it, B) prices get too unreasonable, and C) there just aren't any sets that interest me.

Typically my interest in collecting LEGO comes and goes depending on how busy I am. I've gone an entire year without making a purchase before, all the while keeping up with the hobby on websites like this one.

I sincerely doubt that LEGO would ever, as a company, lose my business completely. Their customer service is above average and they've always seemed like an intelligent lot. It would take something huge for that to happen - in my opinion, they're one of the few toy companies around that have never really abandoned their core values.

This is EXACTLY how I feel! There may be some times where I might not be buying every single set I see, but I will always have an interest in Lego. And of course, as lomg as they keep making beautifully detailed figs (Jabba's Palace set??), I will defenitely keep buying!

[LEGO Historian]

Funny thing is... after 1/3 of a century of playing with LEGO... I'm more interested now in the history and research behind the product. So I sold off a chunk of my collection... rather than have the boxes collect dust (or worse... mildew!).