MAB

The larger "single use" parts are also in fewer sets, so those costs are typically spread over fewer purchases and hence even more expensive.

Playmobil has, at times, not had historical sets. LEGO are releasing castle themed sets, in IDEAS and Creator. They have also recently done Nexo Knights, castle crossed with space/futurism. Playmobil's main market is Europe, whereas LEGO is more worldwide so we shouldn't just expected European themes. LEGO has done Romans, three times in the CMF. Along with many other historical based characters. I doubt the reason they don't currently have a full castle theme is personal. More likely a business decision. LEGO can produce castle sets if they want to (and currently are). Even when they don't produce them, it is not because they cannot, but a choice not to.

You have to look at the set and its contents, not just the price per part.

Although it might just be "we will raise awareness of your campaign".

There is a counter argument that she is not trans and that Barracuda Bay happens in a time after Classic sets, generations afterwards in which she is the daughter rather than son of Captain Redbeard. And isn't that really the point? The person playing can make up their own storyline and assign characters however they wish. Indeed, the minfiigure would be no different. So maybe she is trans but doesn't tell everyone about it. I don't follow the backstory to City. If the story hasn't explicitly stated she is not trans, how do we know she is not trans? All we would know is that she is a female fire chief. People can assign other parts of her life as they wish. It doesn't matter if different fans decide on different paths in their equivalent of fan fiction.

I Disagree with the non-white part. There is not a lot done for white people in City either as the people there are yellow. I know some people choose to see them as white only. I see them as people without a particular (human / real) race. It is quite easy to depict some disabilities, as it can be done visually and also sensitively. Wheelchairs, hearing aids, walking canes, blind canes, and so on can be done in a realistic sensitive way. I have a disability that cannot easily be depicted. I look non-disabled, I look like a "normal" person. Does that mean I am not represented or that I am? I choose to think that I am represented by many of the (male) figures. Unless there is a minifigure that looks like me attending a LEGO hospital and being tested on a machine like me, then I am not explicitly represented for that one (important) aspect of my life but I still choose that I am represented by many figures, since nobody knows whether they have the same disability. Similarly sexuality cannot be done so easily as it is (often) invisible if you just look at the person in isolation. Of course, camp men can be depicted through outfits, but that can be an offensive stereotype leading to an accusation that they portray all gay men as camp using the assumption that any minifigures that are not camp must be straight. When in reality, most gay men look like most straight men. We don't know if a refuse collector or train guard is gay or straight, in real life or in a LEGO set. It is only by looking at the specific behaviour / setting that we can tell. Obviously their behaviour is governed by the person doing the playing, so it is only down to specific settings and it is only very occasionally that an official set will give clues - mainly surrounded about the home life of the minifigure. In most LEGO sets there are no clues at all - yet some people assume that the minifigures must be straight just like people assume that they must also be white. There are not many City minifigures that are definitely gender-conforming straight people. It seems to me that the only way LEGO can clearly depict a gay man (in an unlicensed City set) is to depict two gay men in a house set with one double bed. And I don't think LEGO are prepared to do that, at least yet. It is easy to do in a licensed set, since they are depicting a TV / movie character with a known backstory (whether fictional or real/reality). Until LEGO decide to do it (and even after) I think we can assign any sexuality or gender we like on all existing figures.

Given she is still actively raising funds, a set like this might be better as a paid for set with some of the proceeds going to the cause. Rather than as a free gift set designed to increase sales of sets direct from LEGO.

So are LEGO any less complicit now they have done the LGBT rainbow and an adult aimed licensed set with gay men in it? They have not challenged the status quo when it comes to anything unlicensed, especially in their flagship City line that depicts "normal life". They still haven't done a house set with a bed and two men or two women, they still haven't done a set with minifigures with an obviously male head on a body with female clothes / torso or vice versa in City, and so on. They are still choosing the status quo for the majority of their product line, and all of it that is aimed at children. I imagine that is because LGBT City sets are likely to sell less well to the majority of families buying them and may put some people off the whole line and LEGO do not want to risk that. Whereas one off adult aimed sets produced for Pride month are not really any different to Coca Cola printing a Pride rainbow on limited edition bottles or M&S doing Lettuce, Guacamole, Bacon and Tomato sandwiches - it is just targeted advertising unless they actually start to change the societal viewpoint they continue to portray in City. If LEGO were previously complicit in that they didn't do gay or trans people, then to me they are still complicit.

When you are happy with it. I've built many things in the past and have revisited them as I later decided that they could be improved but they were still finished at the time and ready to display.

Go for hair and accessories.

There is a set I'd buy. Not everyone is awesome. A rainbow of figures with colour matched guns, knives and baseball bats.

I imagine the UCS MF is owned by many AFOLs that are Star Wars fans (or Star Wars fans that are AFOLs). These are not non-LEGO fans. Star Wars and LEGO have gone hand in hand for two decades.

Yes. I am absolutely serious. I don't think a company putting an exclusive printed figure into an expensive set is that big a deal, when they make the same character with a different print widely available in cheap sets. I would have much more of an issue with it if a popular character was only available in an expensive set. Nobody needs to have all variants of all figures. And if a collector decides they want them all, they will need to realise some are more difficult to get hold of. If LEGO had to make sure all versions of all figures were available in cheap sets, then in this scenario they would probably just make one version of Joker. The big set would just get the common version. Customers / collectors miss out as there is no incentive for lego to make exclusive figures for adult targeted sets.

I don't mind this at all. In fact, I think it is a good idea. The large, adult aimed, collector sets get an exclusive figure which makes it more attractive than it would be without anything exclusive. But the kids also get a Joker minifig in cheap sets. An alternative is to only do a popular character such as Joker in the large set. That is far worse for kids.

We don't know what the production run / sales target is. They may well have taken everything you say into account and gone for a smaller run targeting it into English speaking regions although available worldwide. What we do know is that this set has generated the press coverage it was seemingly designed to provoke.

Amazon do have their own purchase limits on some items. I doubt they would share the details of who they have sold to with lego or try to link them to lego accounts. It would be illegal in the UK and EU. They do not have the right to share customer name and address data. Plus remember anyone can walk into a lego store or toy store and purchase without handing over Identification.

Same here. I have a hidden disability so I feel represented by most minifigs, although including of other types of disability is great so long as it is done sensitively. I don't think I would want to see a disabled people minifigure pack, for example. I much prefer them to have an occasional disabled figure in an appropriate set. Just like real life. I'm also fine with being called disabled.

They don't do political sets. Or do you mean sets like Everyone us Awesome and Queer Eye. I don't see how they can stay out of politics, in the sense of everyday politics rather than supporting a political party or movement. For example, including a woman police officer can be seen as a political statement by some. Both in realising women have such jobs in modern society and in being pro police.

Which ethical code are they breaking with Star Wars?

If it says sold by amazon, then they are the retailer.

There are also independent / third party sellers on amazon. Was the seller actually LEGO, with a LEGO company address?

Yes, of course I am.

I don't think you know what you are talking about. Some of the questions you have asked show a distinct lack of common sense. BL sellers are probably better off without you. You clearly have an anti BL agenda. But that's fine, you will pay more elsewhere. And guess what, you are probably buying from the same sellers on amazon or ebay. Many BL sellers also sell on brickowl, amazon, eBay, etsy, or all 4. Where fees are higher, guess what gphappens to prices...?

Do LEGO sell on amazon US? I'm a bit surprised as this would mean they are both stocking and competing against amazon, as well as competing against their own website. As to when do purchase limits end, I believe it is never! There are a few items I have not been able to purchase for a couple of years due to limits. They used to have a limit of 5 on PF M motors, and I use loads of them. Luckily they decided to increase it. I can understand limits when fast selling items are released but not for long standing items that last for years in the store.

Of course for current sets, buying from a reseller on bricklink is not going to be as cheap as buying from a volume retailer. But that isn't really the point of bricklink. Bricklink's strength is in parts and retired sets. If you only buy current retail sets, then buy from a retailer.