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LEGO Team GB Minifigures Discussion

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Did anyone notice this character....

gallery_148_199_7987.jpg

Very clever Lego....look at the number on his vest....1948.

The last time London held the Olympics was in.........1948.

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Did anyone notice this character....

Yes:

Haha, I like the little detail on the relay runner - number 1948, the year of the previous London Olympics.

;)

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Think about that for a second. It's a terrible idea, and Lego will probably don't make their money back.

Au contraire, people will pay lots for olympics merchandise, so I suspect LEGO will make some money out of it. :wink:

I enjoy these figures, but hopefully lego will bring them to the rest of the world.

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Au contraire, people will pay lots for olympics merchandise, so I suspect LEGO will make some money out of it. :wink:

I enjoy these figures, but hopefully lego will bring them to the rest of the world.

Nah, it's a bad idea, especially in the US. Sure, there are some people that would pay money for olympics merchandise. But honestly, most people aren't interested in the olympics (or at least in merchandise), and the only reason the UK minifigs are a thing is because it's the host country.

What would happen is there would be a few AFOL's, a few children and maybe a handful olympic fanatics that would buy them, and you would have massive leftovers everywhere, because the target audience for these are few and far between, while they still have to distribute everywhere.

Remember the Sports sets and in particular the NBA Lego? They did not do too well.

Plus: It's obvious they don't have something planned, and there is no way they are going to be able to do negotiations, design the product (they could use the same figs, with different colour clothes, but still) etc. in time for the olympics.

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Nah, it's a bad idea, especially in the US. Sure, there are some people that would pay money for olympics merchandise. But honestly, most people aren't interested in the olympics (or at least in merchandise), and the only reason the UK minifigs are a thing is because it's the host country.

What would happen is there would be a few AFOL's, a few children and maybe a handful olympic fanatics that would buy them, and you would have massive leftovers everywhere, because the target audience for these are few and far between, while they still have to distribute everywhere.

Remember the Sports sets and in particular the NBA Lego? They did not do too well.

Plus: It's obvious they don't have something planned, and there is no way they are going to be able to do negotiations, design the product (they could use the same figs, with different colour clothes, but still) etc. in time for the olympics.

But the olympic-goers wouldn't buy them for the good parts, they'd buy them as a knick knack. As a souvenir, not as a collectable. Lego's smart:These aren't for the fols, these are for the collectors.

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But the olympic-goers wouldn't buy them for the good parts, they'd buy them as a knick knack. As a souvenir, not as a collectable. Lego's smart:These aren't for the fols, these are for the collectors.

That is exactly my point, only the people in the UK would buy them, because there is were the only olympic-craze is going on.

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That is exactly my point, only the people in the UK would buy them, because there is were the only olympic-craze is going on.

The olympics is an international event, people will swarm from all over the world for the olympics. Lego is world popular, so they will see the olympic figures and buy it as a souvenir. It's not like the olympics is a uk only thing.

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The olympics is an international event, people will swarm from all over the world for the olympics. Lego is world popular, so they will see the olympic figures and buy it as a souvenir. It's not like the olympics is a uk only thing.

But the UK is the epicenter of all the hype, and it's certainly where the hype for both the London 2012 Olympic Games and Team GB are concentrated. Americans might get somewhat excited about the Olympics, but I imagine few of them would buy merchandise if it wasn't celebrating the American team. And there's no way TLG could make back their investment if they created a series for every participating country.

Also, keep in mind that the most successful place to sell souvenirs is at the location they happen to be celebrating. People often like to have souvenirs most when they are reminders of a place/event those people have been to, not just reminders of something that happened which they read about in the newspapers or watched on TV.

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But the UK is the epicenter of all the hype, and it's certainly where the hype for both the London 2012 Olympic Games and Team GB are concentrated. Americans might get somewhat excited about the Olympics, but I imagine few of them would buy merchandise if it wasn't celebrating the American team. And there's no way TLG could make back their investment if they created a series for every participating country.

Also, keep in mind that the most successful place to sell souvenirs is at the location they happen to be celebrating. People often like to have souvenirs most when they are reminders of a place/event those people have been to, not just reminders of something that happened which they read about in the newspapers or watched on TV.

They just want a lego souvenir, they won't care what team it is. I am keeping that in mind.

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...popular or not, I bet all of us want a complete set, whether we can all get it or not...

Nope, not remotely interested.

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...popular or not, I bet all of us want a complete set, whether we can all get it or not...

Not that I have anything against Britons, but I'd like a complete set without the team GB marks. It'd be nice to have a generic olympic team with the same figs.

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...that's good to know that there are some folks in here who're not interested and don't intend to acquire any... (no offense to you guys)... but the way I look at it, this gives some of us non-UK-based AFOLs more chances to get a complete set (cross fingers)...

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They just want a lego souvenir, they won't care what team it is. I am keeping that in mind.

If they're LEGO fans then a LEGO souvenir will be what they're interested in. But for non-LEGO fans outside the host country, one of the main reasons for them to pay attention to the Olympics at all is patriotism, and so it will be very important to them what team the set represents.

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I'm not too much of a sports fan, and never cared much for the sport-themed CMFs (except for the completion of a series or the like). However, I'm a huge anglophile, so I would love to have a handful of these figs. I guess I'll have to pretend they don't exist, though, since they look like something that'll get expensive outside the UK. =\

All things considered, aren't TLC also showing a little Anglophilism lately? The CMFs have had a Grenadier Guard, a Sherlock, a Leprechaun, a Highlander and a Bagpiper. And then there's the exclusives - Tower Bridge, Big Ben, Sopwith Camel and now this. I'm personally overwhelmed (in a very positive way), but I do find it strange that they'd release such location-specific sets.

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I'm not too much of a sports fan, and never cared much for the sport-themed CMFs (except for the completion of a series or the like). However, I'm a huge anglophile, so I would love to have a handful of these figs. I guess I'll have to pretend they don't exist, though, since they look like something that'll get expensive outside the UK. =\

All things considered, aren't TLC also showing a little Anglophilism lately? The CMFs have had a Grenadier Guard, a Sherlock, a Leprechaun, a Highlander and a Bagpiper. And then there's the exclusives - Tower Bridge, Big Ben, Sopwith Camel and now this. I'm personally overwhelmed (in a very positive way), but I do find it strange that they'd release such location-specific sets.

I'm pretty sure Leprechauns don't count as English, or even British. :tongue:

As for why so many sets are based on British locations and icons, it's probably just that Britain itself has a bunch of iconic imagery. Even Americans can recognize the stiff-lipped Grenadier Guards (although they may not know what they're called) or Big Ben, and as an American I regret to say we tend to be fairly ignorant of other countries and their cultures. It's the same way other countries can recognize American icons like the Statue of Liberty or the White House (both of which have been depicted in LEGO). Meanwhile, I doubt many Americans would be able to name a single Japanese landmark, or even a German one for that matter (most Americans' knowledge of Germany ends with the Berlin Wall). Personally, I'm just glad the Architecture line has broken free of the exclusively-American models it launched with.

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If they're LEGO fans then a LEGO souvenir will be what they're interested in. But for non-LEGO fans outside the host country, one of the main reasons for them to pay attention to the Olympics at all is patriotism, and so it will be very important to them what team the set represents.

Since when has LEGO made a bad financial decision? Plus, while it may not be successful with international fans, lego will make some money from the british fans. International fans are not the target.

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Since when has LEGO made a bad financial decision? Plus, while it may not be successful with international fans, lego will make some money from the british fans. International fans are not the target.

...I can't tell, are you agreeing or disagreeing with my post? Because what you just said was largely the point I was trying to make. Some people are suggesting that TLG should have released this minifigure series in more countries than just Great Britain, and my point was that international fans would not have been a significant enough market for that to have been profitable.

Essentially, the largest concentration of people excited about the Olympics this year will be either people native to the host country or people who are visiting there to watch the Games themselves. Elsewhere there will surely be some Olympic hype but not enough to create a reliable customer base for such a specific product as this one.

Edited by Aanchir

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Annoyingly living in an Olympic venue, (Not in London.) my local toy store has said they will not be stocking them as there will not be enough call for them, in spite of the fact that when I asked today the sales assistant told me they have had loads of people asking when they will get them in?

Hopefully some of the local supermarkets will have them in though.

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I'm pretty sure Leprechauns don't count as English, or even British. :tongue:

As for why so many sets are based on British locations and icons, it's probably just that Britain itself has a bunch of iconic imagery. Even Americans can recognize the stiff-lipped Grenadier Guards (although they may not know what they're called) or Big Ben, and as an American I regret to say we tend to be fairly ignorant of other countries and their cultures. It's the same way other countries can recognize American icons like the Statue of Liberty or the White House (both of which have been depicted in LEGO). Meanwhile, I doubt many Americans would be able to name a single Japanese landmark, or even a German one for that matter (most Americans' knowledge of Germany ends with the Berlin Wall). Personally, I'm just glad the Architecture line has broken free of the exclusively-American models it launched with.

Oh, sorry. I keep getting that thing about Ireland/Northern Ireland wrong. >_<

It's true that they've been having a focus on American landmarks, too - I'd just have expected that more, while all the British stuff is a pleasant surprise. But I'm very happy to see Lego prioritising both sides of the pond. =)

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Hi

does anyone know when the UK figs will be available - and where? I will be in London the week before the games are beginning and wondering where i have to go to get a sealed box :)

Dino

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Hi

does anyone know when the UK figs will be available - and where? I will be in London the week before the games are beginning and wondering where i have to go to get a sealed box :)

Dino

I have seen a date of July 1 on a lego press release. Stores mentioned were Argos, Toys r Us, John Lewis, W H Smith, Smyths Toys and Lego stores, there are others but these are the ones I can remember.

In London you have 2 Lego stores both at Westfield shopping centres (the one at Stratford is only a Javelins throw from the Olympic Park). There is also a John Lewis and a WH Smith in Westfield Stratford. There is a John Lewis in Oxford Street London. Toys r Us, other John Lewis,Argos & WH Smith stores are all over the country. There is also an Official Olympic Shop in Westfield Stratford but I'm not sure if they will stock the figs. I suspect not.

Hope this helps

Calv

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