Klaus-Dieter

2013 Lone Ranger Sets

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Licensed and Friends seem to be where the money is at these days. But with extra money from them hopefully comes new evergreen themes. And yes, lots of new pieces that can be used elsewhere.

I definitely miss the Western theme, but it will be neat seeing some new figures/buildings/stagecoaches, etc. with this theme. I know it is licensed, but I'm still excited at the preliminary thought. Now if the sets are no good, then that is another story. I asked for the whole line of POTC for Christmas last year and I'm mostly happy with how they turned out. But I was a bigger fan of the early POTC movies. With The Lone Ranger, I have very little idea of how that will be, so I can't say for sure how much I'll actually want of this line. But if there are some good pieces on a good sale, I will for sure pick them up.

Yeah, I'm hoping this will go on sale as well. But then, if LEGO really does a good job, who knows?

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It's amazing how everyone is so surprised that Licensed sets are where a lot of the money is at!

DISREGARD your personal feelings and look at why it makes sense from a *business* perspective:

Licensed properties are actively adverstised across a wide range of media! It's that free advertising that drives the licensee's desires to make the products. Why do you think we didn't receive Indiana Jones sets or LOTR sets until there was a new movie being made? Kids and gift givers will see the billboards, commercials, trailers, presumably see the movie (but even when they don't they are usually at least *aware* of it). So, a large part of selling the sets are already done - now it's just up to Lego and the Movie to seal the deal (Lego to make it look worthwhile, and the Movie to not be terrible).

The second added bonus, from Lego's perspective, is that they love to be storytellers with their sets. With a licensed property, their work is already done for them for the most part!

Now, with this increased sales momentum, Lego is more willing to add NEW elements to these sets to make the costs a bit more palatable for us. Yes, licensed sets cost more, yes, that really sucks, but it's great that Lego doesn't totally cheap out on us on what we get for our money's worth.

I'm sorry for those of you who are disappointed in the Flesh colored heads. I love them, and that's actually what brought me back to Lego. I really hated the old Yellow Star Wars minifigs.

But look at it this way: Do you *really* think that Lone Ranger will sell better than POTC or POP? I don't, therefore I'm actively looking forward to buying these on clearance in bulk to add to my bins to create MOCs with! I doubt Lego will lose their shirts on these sets (I *don't* want Lego going out of business, but one line's failure won't diminish the huge profits from Friends, SW, Batman, etc!) Bonus for me is more Flesh heads, but for those diehard yellow fans, you can always trade or bricklink.

EDIT to add: With Disney movie sets, Lego gains a few more retailers since the Disney parks and stores will sell always carry those. Funny but sad, I can go to Downtown Disneyland, buy POTC from the Lego Store at MSRP, or walk a few stores down to the Disney Store and buy the same set with a 20% markup!

Edited by MonkeyCrumb

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. . .But look at it this way: Do you *really* think that Lone Ranger will sell better than POTC or POP? I don't, therefore I'm actively looking forward to buying these on clearance in bulk to add to my bins to create MOCs with! I doubt Lego will lose their shirts on these sets (I *don't* want Lego going out of business, but one line's failure won't diminish the huge profits from Friends, SW, Batman, etc!) Bonus for me is more Flesh heads, but for those diehard yellow fans, you can always trade or bricklink. . .

Really, I don't mind the themes being licensed except for the heads; I find that you really can't use flesh heads with bright torsos/legs - it's just too much of a contrast, and I like the brighter minifigs. Regardless, if LEGO uses a few of the new horses (especially in the cheaper sets) here, I'd be very happy! :thumbup:

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I am looking forward to this. Mostly for parts and what will have to be the most interesting face print in a long while, Tonto! What I am really hoping for out of this theme is a new bird mold. Yes, we should get more horses. I wonder if there will be any adobe architecture. That would probably seal the deal for me.

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I am also looking forward to this theme and hope that the biggest set is some kind of fortress. A fortified prison or a kind of Mexican bandits fortress just like from the Desperados video game!

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I am looking forward to this. Mostly for parts and what will have to be the most interesting face print in a long while, Tonto! What I am really hoping for out of this theme is a new bird mold. Yes, we should get more horses. I wonder if there will be any adobe architecture. That would probably seal the deal for me.

New bird mold is a great idea. Hopefully in a not so expensive set, for that matter!

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Ooh...cavalry builder set.

What the heck!? This line get's a cavalry builder set, but the LotR/Hobbit lines don't get any proper army builders after 2 waves? The closest thing we got is the Uruk-Hai Army set which has a huge wall and catapult and is double what a normal army builder set would cost. How lame :sceptic:

If Lego would make a couple army builders for the LotR or Hobbit lines I can only imagine how well they would do. People already are buying dozens of Uruk-hai Army sets just for the figures. I can only imagine they would buy double, triple, or even quadruple that amount if it were a proper army builder. I know I would!

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Most of those sound pretty cool, especially a Comanche Camp - teepee please!

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If Lego would make a couple army builders for the LotR or Hobbit lines I can only imagine how well they would do. People already are buying dozens of Uruk-hai Army sets just for the figures. I can only imagine they would buy double, triple, or even quadruple that amount if it were a proper army builder. I know I would!

You said it yourself - people are already buying dozens of Uruk-Hai army sets just for the figures. If Lego can sell more ordinary sets to the die-hard armybuilders by not releasing battle packs, why not do it? And then in a few years' time, when all those people have huge armies and doesn't want to spend more money on those, they might release a battle pack so that those of us who aren't prepared to spend as much can also go out and use all our money on them anyway.

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You said it yourself - people are already buying dozens of Uruk-Hai army sets just for the figures. If Lego can sell more ordinary sets to the die-hard armybuilders by not releasing battle packs, why not do it? And then in a few years' time, when all those people have huge armies and doesn't want to spend more money on those, they might release a battle pack so that those of us who aren't prepared to spend as much can also go out and use all our money on them anyway.

Well I can't speak for everyone, but I know I would of bought double or even triple the amount of battle packs instead of the Uruk-hai Army sets. I feel like after the first couple Uruk-hai Army I bought, the wall and catapult started becoming totally useless and have made me more reluctant to buy any additional sets yet I still want tons more orcs and Rohan soldiers. Unless they release a battle pack in the future which has totally new Uruk-hai orc designs that also match my existing army, I probably won't pick them up. I would rather just buy the fully armored Uruk-hai off BL which are now going for under 3 bucks. I can pick 4 of them up, with all the armor and everything, for $12 and then pick and choose which weapons I want for another buck or two. Me buying them there makes Lego no money beyond the initial sale to the seller.

So, to sum it up, I would probably of bought 30-40 Uruk-hai battle packs at $15, which is $450-600 for Lego vs the current 15 Uruk-hai Army sets (also $450) and any additional Uruk i buy off eBay/BL ($0 for Lego). Sometimes forcing people to buy bigger, more expensive sets to get what they want doesn't always pay off.

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So, to sum it up, I would probably of bought 30-40 Uruk-hai battle packs at $15, which is $450-600 for Lego vs the current 15 Uruk-hai Army sets (also $450) and any additional Uruk i buy off eBay/BL ($0 for Lego). Sometimes forcing people to buy bigger, more expensive sets to get what they want doesn't always pay off.

So at this point, you've spent $450 on Uruk-Hai, which is the lower limit of what you'd have spent on battle packs. If, in a while, Lego decides to release a battle pack, those of us who didn't want to spend money on the Army sets will be getting a few battle packs, meaning that Lego will end up with roughly the same amount of your money as in the other scenario (them not releasing a battle pack) plus a lot of my money, which they otherwise wouldn't have had at all (well, of course they would, but not because of the Uruk-Hai).

Besides, it's a small minority of FOLs who have access to, knowledge of and interest in Bricklink. Most kids don't, and they're the target audience.

Edited by Multiverse

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So at this point, you've spent $450 on Uruk-Hai, which is the lower limit of what you'd have spent on battle packs. If, in a while, Lego decides to release a battle pack, those of us who didn't want to spend money on the Army sets will be getting a few battle packs, meaning that Lego will end up with roughly the same amount of your money as in the other scenario (them not releasing a battle pack) plus a lot of my money, which they otherwise wouldn't have had at all (well, of course they would, but not because of the Uruk-Hai).

Besides, it's a small minority of FOLs who have access to, knowledge of and interest in Bricklink. Most kids don't, and they're the target audience.

That is banking on the fact that people wouldn't buy ANY of the current Uruk-Hai Army sets though, and would wait to go buy oodles of Uruk-hai battle packs if/when they are released. I think more realistically people who are fans and plan to buy lots of sets to army build are already doing it and not waiting around hoping for a battle pack down the line, at which point they will jump in. You know what I'm saying? If people are going to army build I think most are doing it now with what's available and not holding off for something that may or may not come. Basically Lego gets moderate sales from the Uruk-hai Army set now and moderate sales from the battle pack later rather than amazing sales now from a battle pack now. It's hard to say though.

I just know my own personal habits. Right now I am pretty much set with the Uruk-hai Army. If Lego would of released a proper battle pack instead, I would of easily spent $50-150 more on them than I currently did. I think a lot of people feel the same. If they release a proper battle pack in the future I will probably only buy one or two, as I am sure most would who havn't already started army building, which means no where near the $150 I might of spent.

Also most people who are fanatical enough to army build I think have knowledge of BL/eBay to get cheaper minifigures if they want them.

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I am REALLY looking forward to this, I hope that the train set turns out nice. Any idea when preview pics are usually up?

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I am REALLY looking forward to this, I hope that the train set turns out nice. Any idea when preview pics are usually up?

February New york toy fair. The fact that the movie just recently got its first teaser means their marketing campaign have jsut started so i'd say its way too early for lego pictures yet.

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Really... Anyone think LEGO would actually title a set "Cavalry builder"? Or is it just me?

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Maybe it's just a WIP title that got leaked? I know that has happened before on occaison.... One such example was when one of the LEGO Store employees showed me some prelim pics of the Phaoraoh's Quest sets and referred to the Flying Mummy Attack set as "the Red Baron"....

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Really... Anyone think LEGO would actually title a set "Calvary builder"? Or is it just me?

I too find Calvary builder set very improbable, considering Lego's strict stance on religious subjects and all. :laugh:

Sorry, I just had to... But yeah, Cavalry Builder is probably a preliminary name. Or maybe the film includes a Wild West version of Dr Frankenstein and his monsters. :wink:

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Really... Anyone think LEGO would actually title a set "Calvary builder"? Or is it just me?

It does sound a little strange, but then again I don't think "Uruk-hai Army" was a ton better :tongue:

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