Mencot Posted February 2, 2014 I have a maybe wierd discussion topic here but, gonna ask this question. How many of you how sell Lego through BL, Ebay or other have sold bricks etc to an TLG employee? This weekend I sold some Lego form my BL store and a usual send out the invoice for the order as normal. Didn´t notice any strange but I noticed that the buyer was from Denmark. (I am not going to say this persons name nor BL user name, respecting his/hers privacy) It was when the person had made the payment, I gave the shipping address a quick look it stated Billund. I scrolled up to see the whole address and it it was the TLCs address and I also looked at name again, now I recognized it as one of the desginers at TLG. I find this a bit wierd because why would he/she buy from a BL store, Lego that He/she have (maybe I say) self been involved in the design. Have anybody else had similar experience? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
WaysofSorting Posted February 2, 2014 Great question - I haven't had this experience in any form. But - can you clarify yours: Were you selling parts or sets or what? I'd certainly be curious to know why they were buying pieces...but I can think of several reasons why someone at TLG may want a set...especially if that set were not easily available. Maybe, too, it was a "need now" gift for another designer or fan... I realize you probably won't want to get too specific (to continue in keeping the buyer's identity private) but still - "pieces? or set?" is all I ask. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
roamingstop Posted February 2, 2014 (edited) Don't forget some TLG designers are AFOL and probably cannot just rely on "free bricks" for their private creations. If for an official design it could also be that specific parts are old / currently not in production / but most likely they are doing their own MOC's Edited February 2, 2014 by roamingstudio Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Faefrost Posted February 2, 2014 It honestly may be for project design. Even Billund does have limited stocks on stuff. If a designer is working through a concept of something, and finds a shortage of the parts he needs in a specific color, to be had on hand, it is most likely easier and far cheaper to simply BL enough to test or validate his design, than it is to arrange to produce more of the parts in the desired color, just for sketch model work. Factory time is TLGs most valuable commodity and is not spent or scheduled lightly. Were the parts something of an unusual or older nature? Say something like a window or brick color that had not been done in awhile? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Dayton Posted February 2, 2014 Very very very strange. Was it out of production parts? That could be it. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
KringlesBricks Posted February 2, 2014 ...yea, I'm curious, too, of what parts or sets this buyer bought from you??? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
splatman Posted February 3, 2014 Barring any of the questions asked above; sounds like a classic case of Carrying Coals to Newcastle. Or is that Carrying Bricks to Billund? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Deathleech Posted February 3, 2014 (edited) Hmm, that is strange. Like others said, I would guess the pieces are no longer in production or are in very short supply at the factory? That seems to be the most likely explanation. Edited February 3, 2014 by Deathleech Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
LEGO Historian Posted February 3, 2014 (edited) TLG as a company buys a lot more LEGO items than you would think likely. This can be (as has already been mentioned) for the purpose of building a prototype or new model, or other reasons as well. Another thing that TLG does is to buy rare LEGO items at auction. When TLG was growing over the last 80+ years, they didn't always have the foresight to keep a copy of everything that they ever made in their archives/collections. This is especially true of LEGO items that were produced by licensees, such as Samsonite (USA/Canada), Courtauld's (UK/Ireland/Australia), A/S Norske LEGIO (Norway), Boris Strømholm (Finland), and A/S Lundby (Sweden). Here are some items that TLG has bought at auction (and likely bid against others!).... 1954 - 700/3 Basic Set (Sweden)... This Swedish set was purchased by TLG mainly to get examples of the very rare yellow classic tall windows/doors for their collections. TLG Archives contacted me about this set wondering about the blue/yello road signs, which I identified for them as model railroad parts not related to LEGO. Here is another set that TLG purchased on the secondary market... a 1955-56 Mosaik Set... only 2 sets known... The only other one of these 1300 Mosaik sets is in a Dutch museum... Also, several TLG employees have purchased from me a copy of my Unofficial LEGO Sets/Parts Collectors Guides... most notably American LEGO designer Jamie Berard.... Another thing I sometimes wonder about is if TLG employees sometimes see some very rare LEGO items for sale on Bricklink at great prices. I can no longer keep count at how many LEGO items I've told friends about, mentioning that they were very reasonably priced at specific LEGO BL stores.... Edited February 3, 2014 by LEGO Historian Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Mencot Posted February 3, 2014 It was two small sets the person bought that are new(2014) Don't forget some TLG designers are AFOL and probably cannot just rely on "free bricks" for their private creations. If for an official design it could also be that specific parts are old / currently not in production / but most likely they are doing their own MOC's This was the first thing i thought about also, because no they can´t rely on free stuff and this thing the person bought may or may not be found in Denmark, i don´t know. It honestly may be for project design. Even Billund does have limited stocks on stuff. If a designer is working through a concept of something, and finds a shortage of the parts he needs in a specific color, to be had on hand, it is most likely easier and far cheaper to simply BL enough to test or validate his design, than it is to arrange to produce more of the parts in the desired color, just for sketch model work. Factory time is TLGs most valuable commodity and is not spent or scheduled lightly. Were the parts something of an unusual or older nature? Say something like a window or brick color that had not been done in awhile? Yes it can be for a project or then for the person´s own collection or similar. It was new from this year. TLG as a company buys a lot more LEGO items than you would think likely. This can be (as has already been mentioned) for the purpose of building a prototype or new model, or other reasons as well. Another thing that TLG does is to buy rare LEGO items at auction. When TLG was growing over the last 80+ years, they didn't always have the foresight to keep a copy of everything that they ever made in their archives/collections. This is especially true of LEGO items that were produced by licensees, such as Samsonite (USA/Canada), Courtauld's (UK/Ireland/Australia), A/S Norske LEGIO (Norway), Boris Strømholm (Finland), and A/S Lundby (Sweden). Here are some items that TLG has bought at auction (and likely bid against others!).... 1954 - 700/3 Basic Set (Sweden)... This Swedish set was purchased by TLG mainly to get examples of the very rare yellow classic tall windows/doors for their collections. TLG Archives contacted me about this set wondering about the blue/yello road signs, which I identified for them as model railroad parts not related to LEGO. Here is another set that TLG purchased on the secondary market... a 1955-56 Mosaik Set... only 2 sets known... The only other one of these 1300 Mosaik sets is in a Dutch museum... Also, several TLG employees have purchased from me a copy of my Unofficial LEGO Sets/Parts Collectors Guides... most notably American LEGO designer Jamie Berard.... Another thing I sometimes wonder about is if TLG employees sometimes see some very rare LEGO items for sale on Bricklink at great prices. I can no longer keep count at how many LEGO items I've told friends about, mentioning that they were very reasonably priced at specific LEGO BL stores.... Intresting I didn´t know that but as you said that´s probably true Lego has run for a long time and made lots of stuff so they don´t have all the old and rares they have made. So a additional question, I got some answers to this question and to the first already (thank you for those) But to continue the discussion: How common do you guys think this really is? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
WetWired Posted February 3, 2014 It could just be a designer purchasing parts for his or her personal use but getting it delivered to work. I do it all the time at my un-Lego related workplace. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
antp Posted February 3, 2014 (edited) Possibly some control quality: buying from various places on various market random products. I've read somewhere that it happened that TLG employees buy from BL parts that are out of production if they need these, but it is not the case here. Edited February 3, 2014 by antp Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Front Posted February 3, 2014 Let me guess: a set not released in FInland yet ? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Mencot Posted February 3, 2014 (edited) It could just be a designer purchasing parts for his or her personal use but getting it delivered to work. I do it all the time at my un-Lego related workplace. Possibly some control quality: buying from various places on various market random products. I've read somewhere that it happened that TLG employees buy from BL parts that are out of production if they need these, but it is not the case here. Yea it can be both maybe but then it also can be that this person after he/she had bought you can see the person real name, didn´t want to give out their personal address so that is why they want it to their work place. Maybe. Let me guess: a set not released in FInland yet ? No the case here wasn´t any of that but that is true and I have heard of this happening. The items I sold are exclusive to some stores in Finland but not rare. But it can be that you can´t get them in Denmark. Edited February 3, 2014 by Mencot Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
weavil Posted February 5, 2014 Possibly some control quality: buying from various places on various market random products. Budwieser beer and Coca-cola use to do this too. Having a 6-pack delivered overnight from their production/distribution facilities across USA. So that's probably the most likely thing. But if it wasn't new sets, it most likely would be the parts that are no longer in production schedule or to add a set to the TLG archives. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
antp Posted February 5, 2014 Budwieser beer and Coca-cola use to do this too. Having a 6-pack delivered overnight from their production/distribution facilities across USA. Yes, I have a friend working that way for quality control, testing products bought randomly everywhere in Europe, hence why I thought about that ;) Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Vee Posted February 5, 2014 For me, this event may prove two things: - TLG is a mess, OR - Lego employees are also human beings, just like us... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
