The Brick separator Virus

[JGW3000]

Actually (and correct me if I am wrong), the brick separators are not made from ABS, but from a slightly softer plastic, to limit the damage to ABS parts - regardless, alternate colors would be nice.

[wendyw]

I mostly only buy smaller sets, collectible minifigures and loose parts, so I've only ended up with three of them I think and could tell you where one of those is right now, so I'm more than happy with them continuing to put them in sets.

There should be a competition where a moc needs to utilize the separator.

No piece limits or size restrictions.

Categories of MOCs are divided by the number of separators used.

I like the sound of that.

[Deathleech]

People keep saying that they are in so many sets so kids have a better chance of getting them... but they are also available for individual sale. If a kid really wants one they can spend the $2.50 and get one on it's own? As is it seems like they are given out way too much. I don't even buy that many big sets and I have around 20, plus another 10 or so in sets I still need to get around to opening. Instead of offering them in so many sets I think Lego should only have them in maybe $80+, or even $100+ sets?

These things aren't free and just add to the cost of sets. Sure it may only be a few cents, but I like the option of choosing what I get rather than being forced to get another separator if I want a bigger Lego set.

[Phoxtane]

I'm actually wondering if it's not so much the price point but the presence of lots of small pieces that are difficult to separate by hand that causes the designers to add in the separator. It just so happens that a lot of the bigger sets have more details, which means the presence of small pieces, and so on - hence why they're common in large sets and seem to be distributed at random amongst the lower price point sets.

[Naijel]

I think this is an issue where AFOLs lose perspective a bit. It's best to step back and re-evaluate. The experience of AFOLs is not the experience of most kids. Many kids don't get any expensive sets, their parents can't afford them. When they do get a more expensive set it may be the one and only time they get a brick separator, or they may get a handful over 5 or 10 years. AFOLs who spend a couple of hundred dollars a month are really far from the average user.

You also can't just walk into Target and buy a brick separator by itself, at least not in Australia, and most kids are not going to go online to the S@H and order one. So it's not that useful to point out that they can be bought sperately. However, I think it would be a great idea if every LEGO stockist had to put these on the shelf for $3 or so. LEGO could then remove them from the sets and it would probably lead to more kids having them.

Edited June 3, 2015 by Naijel

[Deathleech]

You also can't just walk into Target and buy a brick separator by itself, at least not in Australia, and most kids are not going to go online to the S@H and order one. So it's not that useful to point out that they can be bought sperately. However, I think it would be a great idea if every LEGO stockist had to put these on the shelf for $3 or so. LEGO could then remove them from the sets and it would probably lead to more kids having them.

I was thinking the same thing. Right now they are only available in certain sets and individually for sale through Lego. Really Lego should have them in every store that sells their product though. They could be in a box like the CMFs so kids can easily get one. Then Lego could remove them from sets. I am sure this would make Lego much more money than they are now seeing as separator probably doesn't cost them anywhere near $2.50 to make and lots of people would pick them up if they weren't in specific sets. This wouldn't require kids to buy certain sets to get them either.

Of course if Lego stopped putting them in sets I doubt they would reduce the price any to compensate, but it would be nice if they did.

[antp]

They should also promote what, why it is useful for small parts and and how to use it: some people wonder what's that weird orange part that came with their set

For some sets these are mandatory. I can't imagine disassembling a set like Robie House without a brick separator... (and surprisingly, that set didn't include one, luckily I had 20 from other sets)

Edited June 3, 2015 by antp

[Princess Amy]

My solution would be to produce a new one that is useful as a part in itself. Perhaps a flat plate with a slight change at the end for the separator bit, but other than that could be used in sets. Especially if several could be combined to create something useful like a flat sidewalk.

[rollermonkey]

Since my last separator purge:

[Ardelon]

I assume TLG already considered all these ideas and rejected them as being less worthwhile than the current arrangement.

Besides, I cant see people buying the separators ontheir own - kids will spend their money on an actual set, or will request an actual set if offered a small treat by parents/guardians/whatever, and adults mostly wouldnt even know what a separator even is or why spend money on it.

And I figure that kids being kids, they wouldnt have the forethought and appreciation for things like brick separators, unless explicitly having one around at just the moment they need one.

Meaning, the way it is now is probably the best alternative.

Edited June 18, 2015 by Ardelon

[large88]

My solution would be to produce a new one that is useful as a part in itself. Perhaps a flat plate with a slight change at the end for the separator bit, but other than that could be used in sets. Especially if several could be combined to create something useful like a flat sidewalk.

The current brick separator is made from plastic softer than regular bricks to reduce damage done to regular bricks when separating. This would make it difficult to create a separator that can also be considered a "regular" part...

[Deathleech]

I assume TLG already considered all these ideas and rejected them as being less worthwhile than the current arrangement.

Besides, I cant see people buying the separators ontheir own - kids will spend their money on an actual set, or will request an actual set if offered a small treat by parents/guardians/whatever, and adults mostly wouldnt even know what a separator even is or why spend money on it.

And I figure that kids being kids, they wouldnt have the forethought and appreciation for things like brick separators, unless explicitly having one around at just the moment they need one.

Meaning, the way it is now is probably the best alternative.

So you are saying, if given the option, people wouldn't bother buying the brick separator on it's own? The only reason people get them now is because they are forced through set purchases? Interesting. If true that seems like even more reason NOT to include them in sets I think. I mean by that logic, why are we paying for something we wouldn't normally buy?

I dunno if I agree with that either way though. I think if the separators were displayed on end caps like the CMFs and properly advertised, or at the front of stores in the check out line, they would do well. I mean the $2.50 for one isn't even the difference between many(any?) sets. You can't even get CMFs for under $4 anymore unless they are on sale. It could be a quick impulse buy, or something people don't know they want until they see it. Right now they just aren't widely available for individual sale. The only way to get them is online or in specific sets. I would rather have the option of picking one up in stores. I think for a lot of people it would be one of those things that they don't realize they need until they see one sitting in store, then it's like "wow, that looks really useful" and they grab one.

[Phoxtane]

So you are saying, if given the option, people wouldn't bother buying the brick separator on it's own?

I was of the opinion that it's more of a 'would never really consider it' thing unless they're put somewhere prominent, like in a little display rack (like lollipops) at the register when you're checking out.

[Lyichir]

I was of the opinion that it's more of a 'would never really consider it' thing unless they're put somewhere prominent, like in a little display rack (like lollipops) at the register when you're checking out.

I think this is spot-on. Even now that they're included in pretty much every larger set, I still see comments on Facebook and the like from parents who never knew a part like that existed.

There's also the factor of effectiveness. A Lego fan who has never used a brick separator before might be skeptical of how much they actually NEED to buy a dedicated tool for separating hard-to-remove bricks, or how useful a simple plastic tool like that could even be. Putting them directly into sets allows people to see firsthand how much a part like that can enhance their building experience, allowing for greater customer satisfaction. Unfortunately, there's no way for Lego to distinguish between "fans who have never had a brick separator" and "longtime fans who have dozens"... but considering the high overturn rate in the toy market as younger kids grow into the product and most older kids age out of it, that's probably of minor concern to Lego.

Edited June 19, 2015 by Lyichir

[Artanis I]

I think this is spot-on. Even now that they're included in pretty much every larger set, I still see comments on Facebook and the like from parents who never knew a part like that existed.

There's also the factor of effectiveness. A Lego fan who has never used a brick separator before might be skeptical of how much they actually NEED to buy a dedicated tool for separating hard-to-remove bricks, or how useful a simple plastic tool like that could even be. Putting them directly into sets allows people to see firsthand how much a part like that can enhance their building experience, allowing for greater customer satisfaction. Unfortunately, there's no way for Lego to distinguish between "fans who have never had a brick separator" and "longtime fans who have dozens"... but considering the high overturn rate in the toy market as younger kids grow into the product and most older kids age out of it, that's probably of minor concern to Lego.

:thumbup:

I, for one, would never have one unless they'd been "shoved down my throat" by TLG including them in sets. I didn't think I needed one or that they were as effective as they are.

If they were available at retail I wouldn't ever have bought one. Now that I have experience with them, if I didn't already have a lifetime's supply I would certainly buy them from a shop if I needed a new one. But I don't think anyone would buy one unless they'd used one previously.

[ShaydDeGrai]

(snip) Putting them directly into sets allows people to see firsthand how much a part like that can enhance their building experience, allowing for greater customer satisfaction. Unfortunately, there's no way for Lego to distinguish between "fans who have never had a brick separator" and "longtime fans who have dozens"... but considering the high overturn rate in the toy market as younger kids grow into the product and most older kids age out of it, that's probably of minor concern to Lego.

I see the logic in this, but I also see the clutter of scores of these things sitting around filling two shoeboxes in my Lego storage area and I know I can't be alone in this.

I'd be fine with brick separators becoming a perpetual check-out line freebie at the Lego Store (i.e. "would you like a free brick separator with that?") as opposed to bundling it in the sets directly. Shop at Home could do the same thing: "Free brick separator with any order totaling $150 (or whatever)" with a "remove from cart" option when you check-out. I realize that they _do_ actually have them for sale in the stores, but, really, WHY? Can the for-sale copies of these things really be a revenue stream when they've saturated the market by bundling them with every mid to high-end set to come out in recent memory? Better to be a general incentive to spend more (like free shipping or a poster or something) so at least if you're buying several big sets you get one separator rather than five.

Yes, I'd still probably still have a ridiculous number of separators as I rarely make _small_ purchases from LEGO and never decline any freebie they offer to add to the mix, but at least I'd know that I _chose_ to have 200 brick separators not that I just wound up with them because of some well intentioned but misguided policy at TLG.

[TheLegoDr]

I know I definitely don't need as many as I do, but it does help to have so many. With each individual project, after sorting bricks that I need I just toss a separator in with them in case I need it. Instead of accidentally misplacing one and then I'm in trouble, I have plenty of extras with each project so I don't have to go searching again..

But I do wonder what the sales numbers are on the individually packaged versions...

[Master_Data]

I just burnt through two separators trying to separate a Bionicle eye piece from the head (2001 versions). I have to separate another 10 to get them all sorted, so I'm quite thankful that I have so many now! I could have to destroy another 20 separators to get this done!

[Naijel]

I see the logic in this, but I also see the clutter of scores of these things sitting around filling two shoeboxes in my Lego storage area and I know I can't be alone in this.

You have to remember that your experience is probably representative of about 0-5% of customers. Most customer's don't buy anywhere near enough sets, let alone larger sets, to get this number of brick separators. When I was a kid we were reasonably well off and Lego was my favourite toy, I collected all the catalogs, and every time we went to the Kmart, Target, etc., I spent ages in the Lego aisle dreaming of what I would do with the sets. But until I left high school the number of sets I owned that would be the equivalent of a set that today would have a brick separator is about 6-10 at most.

And given that people with shoe boxes full of these are probably 0-5% of customers TLG can't be expected to base their policies on those customers's experience.

[ShaydDeGrai]

You have to remember that your experience is probably representative of about 0-5% of customers. (snip…)

Trust me, I know I'm an outlier, and I'm very grateful that I've had the opportunity to become one of the few "burdened" by trivial things like excessive brick separators. According to BrickSet inventories, my first decade or so playing with Lego growing up only amounted to about a thousand parts _total_. My emigrated to the US with basically a suitcase full of clothes and a train ticket- then had to cash out his train ticket after getting robbed at Ellis Island, so I was very familiar with the lecture about the cost of LEGO versus trying to fill a bag of groceries, to pay the electric bill, to buy second hand shoes at the thrift store, etc. LEGO was like the once a year gift; far more often my Dad used to take scrap wood home from work and cut it into blocks for me to stack/build with instead (he did what he could and I appreciate that, now). So I guess if I were a kid in that position today, I might not even know brick separators even existed.

On the other hand, I go to the local Lego Store and see divorced parents competing to see who can buy their kid more Lego, walking out with $1000 in kits in one hand and a kid who is whining about not even liking LEGO and wanting to play Call of Duty in the other. Kid probably doesn't even realize he has a shoebox worth of brick separators. Go figure...

[Naijel]

Yep. That happens far too much.

[dyntar]

I have a bunch of seperators.. and thats just whats appeared on my desk in the last few months... I really think Its time they came in a colour other than orange..

[Umbra-Manis]

They should change the Brick separator color every year or 2 to keep it interesting.

[Lyichir]

They should change the Brick separator color every year or 2 to keep it interesting.

Hey, that's not a bad idea. Longtime builders would end up with a veritable rainbow of separators.

But I imagine the reason Lego sticks to just orange these days is that, generally speaking, it's one of the most vibrant and recognizable colors. My house is not that organized, so it helps to find brick separators with just a glance when the need presents itself.

[TheLegoDr]

Palace Cinema has a green one. So some variety. But mostly orange.