MAB

I didn't mind Helm's Deep so much, especially considering many people buy licensed sets for the minifigures. If the figures were included in smaller sets too (even if variants), then I would probably have skipped any big Helm's Deep set due to cost as no matter how big they do it, it needs to be bigger (just like their Orthanc) and if I am buying the bricks independently, I might as well do the whole thing myself anyway. I also though the wall pack was fine - make your army as big as you want, the more you have the more wall you defend. I also thought Black Gate was fine as it is as a set. Those wanting a full display could buy two or get the extra parts, those wanting the figures just got one. I don't think they could have justified a much larger Black Gate (justified the cost, that is), as the same argument could also apply to every other set - bigger Weathertop, bigger Mines of Moria, etc. But that is for sets aimed at older kids / adults. We know what we are getting into. Whereas if a parent / grandparent buys a set for a kid and it turns out that you only get a fraction of what you really need to complete a model, then it is worse.

Presumably they just take it as the same part even though there is a change of mold. It has happened before with the arches above, also jumpers. I've had sets with the two types of jumpers in (grooved and without grooves).

Yet it was similar in style to the 2010 one, and that was better received. And had more red than the blue one had blue. What was too junior about it, the use of panels? I think it is very unrealistic to think we would get a castle this size and for it to be brick built instead of panels. I imagine the cost would be at least 2.5 times larger if it used bricks instead.

There is more to it than weight. Identical parts in different colours can vary wildly in price.

LOTR is hardly kid friendly though, it is just as violent as the others but without boobies.

I guess that is the only way to get them sold at those prizes. Make them very limited and make sure people know they are very limited.

There is the new 2*6*6 Gothic arch panel which is only in pastels for now which I would expect to appear in LBG and DBG at some stage. Presumably it will appear in more than Disney sets. I imagine any new castle to feature that as a gateway or maybe as some feature windows along with the existing wall panels.

Thanks copmike! Are you going to do any partial reveals for the other ones still missing parts? Maybe a couple of parts as a teaser.

I'm sure it would sell to some but not to others (like everything else!) I guess the problem is that it comes back to sales, LEGO gave us a complete castle in 2013 and it was panned by AFOLs and appeared not to do well at retail. And internally if there is the view that the castle didn't sell well, why would the punters want bits of a castle instead? Also there have been a few modular type castle sets on ideas that haven't done so well. I don't know if that has any influence on their decisions.

There is nothing illegal about it, there is no strain on the parts due to putting them in that configuration. There is also nothing new about it, it is just down to knowing the dimensions of bricks and plates. Similar techniques have been used to decorate walls, trains, etc, for many years. Have a look here for example: www.brickshelf.com/gallery/KimT/Mixed/Instructions/advbuilding.pdf

With the Creator 3-in-1s, they all make something that can be played with or displayed individually and looks complete. Some of them similar themed, others wildly different (a car, a helicopter or a dinosaur!) These are really attractive as the single toy can be multiple things. The problem with any modular type set is that often it is not complete in itself and is essentially the opposite. Instead of being three toys in one like the tradition 3-in-1 sets, a modular set appears instead to be you need three of these to make one toy, so apparently much less play value.

Funny enough that castle set was my son's first ever lego set (aged 3) when he was mainly into duplo but starting to take some notice of the "little bricks". I thought the dragon in it was excellent. It provides a quite difficult challenge for a 4 year old to build but not too many parts that they get completely frustrated with it. It is small enough for kids' hands and easy for them to swoosh about, it has articulated wings that can flap and they can let it breathe fire or not.

The problem with loads of small disjointed themes is that they lose the combined internal brand.The shelves look like they couldn't come up with a good idea, so they do a bit of this and a bit of that. It works for City because a fire engine can be played with next to a cop car next to a house, a hospital and a mine. They are all modern / same era. They are all City which is continually a good seller. Whereas a fairly random mix of disjointed sets that don't appear to go together don't look good on a shelf or catalogue, and don't get the crossover appeal (I've got a fire engine, so I'll get police). Even if they are branded as Fables or Castle or History, if they are not immediately recognizable as what the kid likes playing with and go with what s/he already has, it won't sell as well. If there are, for example, fantasy elves in one set and Greeks in another and dragons in the third, how do they go together? There is no cross-over or story line to sell sets together if they are disjoint.

I agree that Castle as a theme is not going away. However, Castle as a theme that all interested AFOLs want has never been and will never come. Detailed brick-built walls with no panels and brick built animals, although animals have to be molded for others, not brick built. No carriages. But lots of horses. Loads of variety but consistency in minifigs. Less soldiers and more civilians. But lots of soldiers too. And lots of factions, and also lots of variety within factions. No small sets, just large sets. But small sets to allow for army builder packs. Big sets for parts packs. But not the same as the parts packs from 3 years ago with a different colour roof. It has to be different. But the same colours for the walls, but not too similar to the old sets. We want variety but similarity. Why did they have to do elves/trolls/Vikings and not what I want?

Is there any reason to expect that series like Batman and Disney are niche and that they appeal to smaller audiences than regular CMF? They both have huge followings and appeal to people outside of regular LEGO collecting. It woudln't surprise me if regular CMF are actually a more niche product these days.

So is the birthday cake boy's hair new? Presumably he has a hole in it to wear / balance the silly little hat.

I'm fairly sure that when LEGO did sell them through B+P, they were about $10 US each. And lots of people bought them as they wanted to build the bat-pod. I also don't think "everyone" wants them, maybe a number of AFOLs, but many kids get by with the multitude of other tyres and wheels available.

What about using patreon or similar, then if people want to support you, then they can.

Of course it is. Although it is much harder these days due to (i) the number of people doing it, as the more sellers there are and the more secondary market stock there is, the lower the prices you will get and (ii) LEGO are releasing many good sets these days that are similar to previous ones, whether re-releases of old sets (Taj Mahal), similar ones to past sets (UCS MF) or just small sets it is so easy to buy similar sets at retail and this will affect future value now. Modular buildings are probably still a good investment still, but I wouldn't go near common ships in Star Wars or common characters in Super Heroes. They will be done again and again and again. Even modulars are likely to become a poor (at least less good) seller once there are many out and people stop going back so far. Why pay 3x or more for one when there are multiple similar ones at retail?

Well the opening post did ask "What licensed series would you want to see next?" The entire thread has been a list of wishlists. It has not been based on rumours of new CMF lines.

Yes, I imagine they will do this, as it is something that they have been doing in the "girl" type castle sets such as these small ones... Although I prefer brick build for detail, panels seems to be the way to go for kids. It does give height very easily and quickly. It also seems to me that no matter what the sub-theme is for castle (be it historical, fantasy, whatever), the sets will contain a castle, at least one carriage, a prison type set (walls with barred doors). Of course, the minifigures would change as would any other creatures (dragons, etc) but the standard sets will always be relatively similar.

What if these invaders from space were originally from the same place and had just spent many years in space before coming home finding the new inhabitants. Oh wait a minute, that's the story behind Planet of the Apes.

Actually, it was only partially a joke. If people really are interested in historical castle sets, then re-releasing designs similar to the 2013 / 2009 sets should be fine. Any new designs aimed at the same age group are likely to be very similar in content anyway.

So here's a question for (traditional) castle fans. The Nexo Knights get transported back in time to the 1400s. The sets look like traditional castle, as do the minifigs, but they are the same characters. Do you buy?

Easy, they just rerelease Castle 2013 sets but with green roofs in the castle this time.