Orlego

I also agree that it had something to do with saving money. The company is well aware that changing the color of the classic blocks is a big and risky decision to make, and in my opinion, should be the very last thing you think about in the time of financial crisis. But for some reason the company changed the color, which I don't think was the last option they had. I think the "kids don't know the difference and even if they did they would not really care" idea came to mind. Lego forgot about the "Big Kids", all of us AFOL that spend thousands a year on Lego and help promote the Lego product by building displays to show kids what they can do with the brick. Lego only acknowledged the AFOL after they made the color change, then lied to us over and over again about the reason for the change. And then here is this quote

LEGO..... PLEASE..... NO MORE DAMN TIE FIGHTERS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Really, I love Tie's, I'm just sick of the same sets slightly modified and released as new sets. The tie collection is just stupid. It features only one true new tie. WHY CAN"T I JUST BY THE NEW TIE??? And also, why release a new falcon and snowspeeder? We had these sets before (just a different design/color). There is a few things that we really want before the license expires (Sandcrawler & Jabba's Sail Barge) I love the SW Lego line and my ($6,000+ US) collection proves that, but 2004 has been a bad year. I know it was a bi-year because there was no movie, but give us items we have not had the chance to collect yet.

The ad says coming Jan. 2005 but we have had this set for about a month now at our (Lego) store. I'm not a huge fan of the Knights/BIONICLE figs so I don't pay attention to the new items when they come in. Especially the BIONICLE sets with names like Vakama, Nokama, Whenua, Onewa, Matau, Nuju, Onua Nuva and Pohatu Nuva :oo I can't even pronounce the names. Kids are really into them though and ask for them by name. The BIONICLE line is also the biggest seller in my store. But for me they are too un-Lego like.

Moom, you don't happen to have a "copy" of the instructions for the Chessy set do you? :D

Welcome mahjqa and thanks for great preview, review, opinion, observation, or whatever you want to call it (I will just call it a great post). Very nice 5-wide vehicles. I personally love the VW bus.

TLC is telling us (Lego stores) that World City will continue as a series and become more complicated sets for older children (7or 8+). The new "City" series was designed for younger children (5+). But who knows, they may do away with world city before all is said and done.

Hahaha, yeah, Fahrenheit.

BTW... Nice avatar ApophisV, here is mine to add to the fun.

What is snow??? We know it is winter here in Florida when it gets into the 50's. We have to drive out of the state just to see a little snow.

The very small LED Christmas lights will not hurt Lego because they do not get hot, however, regular "mini" christmas lights can melt bricks.

HAHAHA, you will never have that house David..... NEVER!!!! |-D

Yeah, the thing that really gets me is that all of our sales are on a day-by-day basis. It makes it very hard when a customer wants to know how long the sale is going to last. Sometimes it is one day, some times it is two weeks. We really never know.

And here is the real kicker, today when I went into work I noticed that the 25% off sign was gone and they are now full price again. We are selling around 200 a night. I guess they were more popular than expected.

The advent calendar is now 25% off at Lego owned stores in the US, you may want to check to see if the same deal is on in other countries. They are selling like crazy.

Santa may bring me a UCS Y-wing, or if Lego offers the 50% off employee discount again at Christmas time, then Santa will have to use his Visa card for the following... 1473 - Y-wing Attack Starfighter 4504 - Millennium Falcon 10129 - Snowspeeder and maybe... 10027 (x2) - Train Engine Shed

You are right David, I got caught up in all the Disney *cough*magic*cough*. The store wants us to refer to them as Lego Imagination Centers, even though our store is the only store that uses the name. I guess it sounds more "magical" to Disney guest. Our store is about to start a 2 mil. renovation that should give us a little more room and update the outdated look of the store. That is the hardest part of my job, trying to resist blowing my paycheck every week. I don't even want to think about the new sets :| , but who am I kidding. True, but what is this thing about "kids want big things because they are more receptive to marketing"... have you seen the size box the UCS Star Destroyer comes in??? I love huge boxes!!! :D

Thanks!!

Sorry for the slang ApophisV. LIC is short for Lego Imagination Center. I don't know if Lego has any outside of the US, but that is what they call the Lego owned retail stores here.

Thank you Jipay, and thanks for the great site! I think you may be right David. Just like every other company is starting to do, use marketing deception. The LIC's have everything in the store by age group and we have no room to add 5+, so we are using the former Lego Legend area to display the new sets.

I have changed my user name from my real name to Orlego to protect my job security (just in case). I just work part-time, but I love my job. Thanks D