Too Much of a Good (Great) Thing?

[BeMild]

So...I have been considering this for a while...

My son and I started collecting LEGO about 3 years ago. From my standpoint, I have not witnessed a company hit their stride like LEGO in a long time, if ever. Perhaps my memory is clouded, but it seems to me that they did not have nearly the quantity of creative, high-quality product as they do now.

And that got me thinking.

There is just no way the average consumer can afford all of this cool stuff. If I had my way, I'd buy Star Wars, Modulars, Trains, Galaxy Squad, Super Heros, Friends, City, Chima, Lone Ranger...pretty much all of it with 3 or 4 exceptions.

So, how do you choose? Even if you buy on secondary markets, you are still spending $1,000s to get everything you want. So, apart from just telling me to shut up and pull on my big-boy pants and deal with the fact that (as Mr. Jagger so eloquently explains), "You can't always get what you want", doesn't it also stand to reason that LEGO is sending great ideas and great product into a market that cannot afford it?

I get that they want to have enough diversity of product to have something for everyone...I guess my argument is that there is now too much for everyone. I could easily see Galaxy Squad...which I view as creative and totally cool...and also under promoted as compared to all of the other licensed themes...just fall away because it cannot compete with LEGO's other products.

Am I crazy? Anyone have an opinion on this?

[brickarmor]

Yes, you are crazy.

And correct. Scary.

Read reviews to help prioritize which sets you *must* have (some only look great, others actually are), scratch the itch to buy new sets by dismantling the ones you have and building your own creation with them. Most importantly, make arbitrary rules for spending and obey them slavishly.

[Zeya]

Your question could almost be boiled down to "does Lego have too many concurrent themes?" I think the answer to that is "yeah sort of, but it seems to be working for them!"

I suspect their tactics are working because they're hitting a nice variety of customers. At the same time, they seem to have doubled up on some areas. For examples Galaxy Squad + Star Wars, LotR/Hobbit + Castle. Granted those are launching at different seasons of the year, but still. They're almost encroaching on their own themes. They have to be doing well with that kind of confidence!

This year's sets are really nice. For instance, I would have guessed before seeing photos that Lone Ranger might have fallen to the same trap that PotC did (and I bought all the PotC mind you). But the LR sets are nicely designed. I haven't seen many sets that I consider bad. Maybe Chima and Friends are unattractive to me, but I'm a grown man over here and not the market for that.

I find myself wishing I had more time, space and money this year. If I hadn't rescued my childhood collection, which I'm combing through now, I would probably be buying left and right this year. Yeah, Lego has stepped up their game.

[lego the hutt]

I feel your pain and I completely agree. I'm sure different people handle it in different ways. My general rule is 2 themes per person at a time. Decide on which 2 themes you most prefer and 2 for your son. 4 themes between the 2 of you should give you plenty to collect and look forward to without completely breaking the bank. It also helps in focusing the collection so you don't end up with a random assortment.

There will be times that it will be very difficult to stick with only 2 themes but you have to have willpower.

I'm interested in hearing how others prioritize their Lego purchases.

[BeMild]

Your question could almost be boiled down to "does Lego have too many concurrent themes?" I think the answer to that is "yeah sort of, but it seems to be working for them!"

I suspect their tactics are working because they're hitting a nice variety of customers. At the same time, they seem to have doubled up on some areas. For examples Galaxy Squad + Star Wars, LotR/Hobbit + Castle. Granted those are launching at different seasons of the year, but still. They're almost encroaching on their own themes. They have to be doing well with that kind of confidence!

This year's sets are really nice. For instance, I would have guessed before seeing photos that Lone Ranger might have fallen to the same trap that PotC did (and I bought all the PotC mind you). But the LR sets are nicely designed. I haven't seen many sets that I consider bad. Maybe Chima and Friends are unattractive to me, but I'm a grown man over here and not the market for that.

I find myself wishing I had more time, space and money this year. If I hadn't rescued my childhood collection, which I'm combing through now, I would probably be buying left and right this year. Yeah, Lego has stepped up their game.

I think your second paragraph comes close to what I was going after...it seems that with so much great stuff out there, they are cannibalizing their own product. My son was crazy for Ninjago last year...but he does not even consider this year's stuff - not necessarily because its not any good, but because he has been overwhelmed by all of the other LEGO product fighting for his attention. So, at least in my house, LEGO has effectively dismantled the attractiveness of Ninjago with its own product.

[FenrisAkashi]

Your point about the average consumer is true...but I dont think they expect the average consumer to be interested in more than one or two lines at a time. I think with the licensed lines they expect to pull customers largely based on the franchise and not just because its a new line of Lego.
I don't have access to any of their marketing data obviously so all of this is just conjecture, but given the turn around of the company and its shift to a more business pragmatic approach I feel its safe to say they are spending plenty of time and money looking at who buys their products and why.

For those of us that are just Lego fans in general I think they are still getting the maximum amount of revenue on. I have doubts that anyone would spend more if there were fewer attractive lines out there.

As to how a Lego fanatic can afford to pursue more sets affordably...
For me the key has been to be patient, the sales posted here and elsewhere on the web will save you some cash over msrp. Another thing that has worked well for me is to watch for big clearances on larger sets and then trade or sell them close to msrp for other sets I am interested in that have not been clearanced or I have been unlucky enough to not find on sale.
If your willing to spend some time its fairly simple to help support your hobby.
Is it a great way to get rich or even a profitable way to spend a lot of time?
Probably not depending on your situation, but it can be fun and its very accessible to people of all ages.

I'm relatively recent on getting back into Lego but these are just my observations so far and I thought I would share.
Personally I think its great that we get to make choices from a wide variety of fun and interesting sets than complaining about the lack of anything new or interesting ;D

[SpaceNinjaDino]

LEGO can turn in to an addiction where even the current retail variety is not enough to quench the thirst. I've been buying more vintage space sets and pieces lately, but it was trigger by the $10 Ninjago Mini Mech! I was inspired. I dislike Ninjago, but admire that base design for customization. So I bought 24 mini mechs and 1000 parts and some sets off Bricklink. I don't even want to think about the total cost, but I've only done one custom mech so far which I am still going to refine 25% of it. Once that is done, I'll make 7 more to match. Then an opposing team of 8. Then the rest are special one offs -- starting with one per color Galaxy Squad member. I was going to skip Galaxy Squad, but I respect the human designs. I still have to warm up to the bug part.

[FenrisAkashi]

...but it was trigger by the $10 Ninjago Mini Mech! I was inspired. I dislike Ninjago, but admire that base design for customization. So I bought 24 mini mechs ...

Haha, I actually bought one of these to put on my my desk at work and after building and posing it grabbing random objects on my desk all I could think about was how awesome the modular mech design was for 10$ and how I need to get more and have them be different colors etc haha. Glad to see I wasn't alone in that.

[Mantisking]

Am I crazy? Anyone have an opinion on this?

I believe the term you are looking for is "an abundance of riches."

[BeMild]

Am I crazy? Anyone have an opinion on this?

I believe the term you are looking for is "an abundance of riches."

If only I could say the same for my wallet.

[sparkart]

Some may argue that LEGO doesn't have real competition with MegaBlocks and other lower quality imitators, but they do, not so much competing for the love of LEGO fanatics, but with kids and parents and collectors, in general, who look at Megablock's game licenses and just buy that instead of Galaxy Squad.

In business, there's the Kodak lesson. Kodak has a moment named after them, the "Kodak Moment" when that perfect photo is shot. Kodak consumer cameras used to be everywhere, Kodak made it possible for the general public to be photographers, they dominated the market. But they didn't change and adapt to the digital world, didn't keep up with technology and taste.

I think this thread is showing that LEGO is doing exactly what they need to do, what they want to do to stay on top. Give consumers what they want, so much that consumers lament that they can't get it all.

But back on topic more, I tell myself that I don't need to own the Mona Lisa to appreciate it. I don't need to own a Ferrari to appreciate it. The more things you own, the more those things own you. There are plenty of very cool LEGO sets out there, but I've made myself content to appreciate the art of them from afar.

[Marcus70]

There is just no way the average consumer can afford all of this cool stuff. If I had my way, I'd buy Star Wars, Modulars, Trains, Galaxy Squad, Super Heros, Friends, City, Chima, Lone Ranger...pretty much all of it with 3 or 4 exceptions.

So, how do you choose? Even if you buy on secondary markets, you are still spending $1,000s to get everything you want. So, apart from just telling me to shut up and pull on my big-boy pants and deal with the fact that (as Mr. Jagger so eloquently explains), "You can't always get what you want", doesn't it also stand to reason that LEGO is sending great ideas and great product into a market that cannot afford it?

Reading the posts of most people on Toy N Bricks, I would say the majorty here are not the "average consumer", who would just buy a few Lego sets per year for birthdays and Christmas gifts, etc. For me personally, I've been a Lego collector for just under a year, but I've been buying all of the theme's you've listed (except for SW and Friends), but to keep in my budget. I'm not a completionist, thus I only buy sets my family and I are interested in. For me, its not worth it to buy every single set in a theme, as some sets have duplicate minfigs, for example. Also, I've tried to buy a majority of my collection on sale, which means waiting for sometime to get a particular set. Good luck with your Lego purchases and have fun collecting. :)

[scotts]

I originally limited myself to only so many themes but unfortunately that list seems to keep growing. I've only paid MSRP for 1 set so far (Mill Village Raid a month ago), everything else has been about 20%-75% off which helps (me justify buying more haha). The one theme that I swore I would avoid is Star Wars only because of the cost of some of the high end sets but I know I'm going to end up with a Death Star because I can't pass up a set that epic!

I think that is how Lego gets so many AFOL's, with the massive amount of fantastic sets. Yet at the same time it's great for going after the younger demographic, the is so much choice and in the end they still get our money.

[Ras]

My rules to keep things under control are like the ones listed above.
1) Make rules for yourself such as I only collect vehicles from x theme, the more strict the better and follow your rules religiously!
2) Buy on sale
3) Don't be completionist
4) Make sure you have the room for it
5) Try to get something that not only you like, but your family does too (ie get value from kids playing with it etc)

There is too much of a good thing, just means that the sets you pick will be awesome; and try not to get seduced to buy outside of what you know is best.

Ras

[Brick & Blue]

I agree with the make rules for yourself. I started going crazy and going "Well I want these mini figures, and these and this ". Pick some themes and stick to it.

This year the themes I want most are Super Heroes, Lone Ranger, then TMNT for the turtles, and the heliplane in City. I almost bought a police station for 42% off, but less taxes and I don't really need a police station, there will be one next year too.

[legohunter]

I always broke my rules when I saw the box set was labelled at 50% off.

[Brick & Blue]

I always broke my rules when I saw the box set was labelled at 50% off.

That's actually part of my rules, the more the set if off, the more likely I'll buy it. I have a list of "Really want" and will buy 20-25% off. Then I buy more sets if they are 40-50% off. Anything more than 50% off I pretty much buy.

But I started buying things based on discount. "Fire plane 40% off, that's better than the set I really want for 25% off, better buy it instead!" I don't, but that's what my thinking is. It's why I almost buy a Police Station every time it's 38-42% off, but i stop myself because all I really want are the garage doors and all the windows would be useful.

Just remember, it's only plastic.

[Neo]

I initially started out buying legos as gifts ...
still do that, but now I buy for myself, too.

For myself, I often buy used legos parts locally and from bricklink,

I spend most of my *lego* time just sorting and inventorying lego parts..
Most of the time, my Lego creation/builds don't take very long to do since
I know exactly where to find each part I need to make a custom creation.

Buying to complete a series of Lego sets is collecting .. e.g. stamp collecting.
which is expensively difficult with Lego

I think the easier route is to only buy for fun.
which means limiting yourself to the stuff you want to play with.
for me the test for fun having a concrete idea
about what I want to make and why that creation
will be fun to *play* with.


While I try to get stuff on discount,
I found that I did not find all kits were that *fun* or *cool*-
- I like things that move and do things -- unless the kit
had something that move or did something fun and cool - it wasn't worth getting.
I ended up just with a *collection* item - a dead end.
I need something that was customizable
that could morph into multiple useful or fun things
or which could integrate - work with something I already had.

But what kind of things am I thinking about??? What do I mean by integrate with or work with??

Well it turns out that what other people are doing with legos on internet (e.g. mocpages) is heavily influencing me wrt to what I think is *fun* or *cool*.

What I mean by integrate with or work with - is in what in the business world they call product migration path where a product's market life cycle is extended when it is when combined with another product produces a different product or service. For example, by making an add-on Rancor pit for the Jabba the Hut Palace - Lego extends the market life cycle of the Jabba the hut palace kit by making part of a bigger kit.. This design path is not something that Lego has a patent to - anyone can design and make their creations this way.

For examples, with respect to mini figures that route would be having enough mini figure parts and accessories so you could create custom famous history character like Napoleon or fun fictional character like Buffy the Vampire Slayer. With enough Lego figures - you might also make a movie out of Legos via a Lego Studio-like setup (no actor's guild to deal with)... e.g. the Youtube.com Lego Beer song video.

I also like looking at the things that people in the local Lego User Groups (Lug) are doing.

LUG creation-designs (e.g. CUUSOO) don't have a cost requirements-limitations that commercially viable Lego kits do so they are often more involved -- I often find expert AFOL creations to be unique and creatively inspiring.

I found I didn't like watching the First Lego League competitions as a spectator.
It was too hard to see the legos or anything else from the bleachers ... I suppose its a totally different experence if you are actually in a FLL team on the playfield - but I found looking at the competition itself frustrating repetitious and boring as a spectator... I like the UK BBC Robot Wars better

[BeMild]

I agree with all of the posts on this subject: I pick and choose among the items I really like, try my best to get what I want on sale or take advantage of double VIP points to reduce the cost of sets.

Part of where I was headed with the original post was whether people felt LEGO has now exceeded the demand with such diversity of really solid supply. Does anyone think that they would capture less dollars if they never came out with any of the new Ninjago sets this year? I think that money would have just flowed to other sets. Or perhaps they could have waited one cycle for Galaxy Squad...that way, it would have been just coming in as Ninjago exits. The point I was trying to get to is that I think LEGO is unnecessarily cannibalizing its own creativity and product because there are limits to how many LEGO sets any average family will buy (I would think). For the themes that do less than expected, I wonder if that could be due to so much on the market versus true lack of interest...

LEGO certainly does not need my help...they appear to be doing just fine, but I will say that my kid got some cash for his birthday and is so overwhelmed by the choices out there, that he has yet to make a decision 4 months later and actually told me that he never wants cash again because choosing is so difficult (he's 7).

[FenrisAkashi]

but I will say that my kid got some cash for his birthday and is so overwhelmed by the choices out there, that he has yet to make a decision 4 months later and actually told me that he never wants cash again because choosing is so difficult (he's 7).

LOL. He must have really good gift givers in his life ;D

As to the rest of it I think Lego operations are geared in line with a belief that most kids follow a given line /ninjas/lotr/city or that parents of said child prefer their kids follow a given line. Thus a Yearly cycle of new models makes sense with multiple small models that can be a new toy or gift for good behavior and with 2 or so larger sets for the larger gift days of birthday and Christmas.

People that collect models from several different lines are just gravy.

All of the above is just my 2c.