What the color change in the Green baseplates?

[Gongoro73]

^Mmmmm, OK, thanks. Disappointing, anyway.

[antp]

Lucky USA and Canada.

These new plates are £6,99, which is about $10,50. Or about Canadian $13.15

TLG are really screwing the UK with these prices.

US prices displayed on the site and shops do not include taxes, if I'm right.

UK price without VAT (21%?) would be around 5.8£, that makes 8.6$, "only" 0.6 more than the US price then.

And then the EU 8 € price with taxes becomes 6.6 € without taxes, around 7.5$

Edited January 27, 2015 by antp

[jodawill]

New baseplates are lime green???? Really? The picture of S@H looks like the same green as the old ones.

They're not lime, but bright green. But you're right; the S@H stock image is the wrong color. I even told them a couple weeks ago, and they never responded or fixed it. The product description says it's "Classic Green." That's blatant false advertising, and I think a lot of people are going to be upset when they receive their S@H orders.

[Bricknblue]

Yeah I was shocked the price was $5 for so long, but they really should only be $7, and not $8. The grey one is $15 and 2.25 of the smaller ones. I should have gone to TRU to see if they have anything left.

Blue being discontinued the year Pirates comes back isn't shocking. Blue what gone for a long time then returned several years back. I would love if Lego would make a new color baseplates every few years.

[Faefrost]

US prices displayed on the site and shops do not include taxes, if I'm right.

UK price without VAT (21%?) would be around 5.8£, that makes 8.6$, "only" 0.6 more than the US price then.

And then the EU 8 € price with taxes becomes 6.6 € without taxes, around 7.5$

Correct. The U.S. does not have a national VAT or Sales tax. Sales taxes vary by state, county and city and are calculated at the register based on where the brick and mortar store is located. Most US sales tax is fairly low in the 4-8% ranges outside of the large heavily taxed cities such as NYC, Boston and San Francisco which rum more 10-15%. (Which is why most NYC residents will buy Lego in New Jersey).

[Gongoro73]

They're not lime, but bright green. But you're right; the S@H stock image is the wrong color. I even told them a couple weeks ago, and they never responded or fixed it. The product description says it's "Classic Green." That's blatant false advertising, and I think a lot of people are going to be upset when they receive their S@H orders.

Indeed. I'm fine with TLG introducing new/more colours for baseplates, but they should keep producing the old ones. It makes no sense to me at all.

[jodawill]

I think the biggest mistake they've made with this is not informing the customers of the change. Here's a great example of the problem with this:

I mentioned it to them several weeks ago, and they still haven't updated the product description. They're really going to upset a lot of people.

It's out of stock on S@H right now. I wonder - will they realize that people don't want this color and silently go back to the regular color? It wouldn't cost them a dime. They would just have to put a different color into the mold for the new batch. They wouldn't even have to change the label because, as I said, it's labeled incorrectly anyway.

Just look at this comparison. I question whether the stock photo of the new baseplate is even a picture of the new color. If it is, it's not a fair depiction of the product.

http://i.imgur.com/yTzXJ2h.jpg

[m0dulo]

Just look at this comparison. I question whether the stock photo of the new baseplate is even a picture of the new color. If it is, it's not a fair depiction of the product.

http://i.imgur.com/yTzXJ2h.jpg

It has always looked like the original darker green plate to me and I assumed they didn't update the picture, leading to the problems you describe.

[paul_delahaye]

I'd like to see a classic brown baseplate to compliment the range, and maybe white as well.

I think the tan baseplate is a great step forward, for beaches or deserts, but I can't see why they would end the blue, from memory, this is not the first time they obsoleted the blue plates, and then they came back, so hopefully next year they will change again.

[Bricknblue]

I'd like to see a classic brown baseplate to compliment the range, and maybe white as well.

I think the tan baseplate is a great step forward, for beaches or deserts, but I can't see why they would end the blue, from memory, this is not the first time they obsoleted the blue plates, and then they came back, so hopefully next year they will change again.

It is not. Years ago they got rid of it, it might be around the same time a Pirates theme was released or PotC came out. I think it's odd you get rid of the blue when you launch a pirate theme.

That said I'd love if they made azure blue baseplates, maybe make a bunch of one color a year and just introduce a new color the next. Like this year is tan and green, then next year be tan and white, 2017 white and blue 2018 blue and green, 2019 green and tan again.

[jodawill]

The product description for the green baseplate on S@H still doesn't mention the color change. I guess they've decided to leave it to the complaints in the reviews to inform the shoppers.

[rollermonkey]

Hey.. Green baseplates are grass, and like anyone can tell you, if grass isn't watered, it will yellow as it dries out. Time to get your minifigs some water hoses and sprinklers!

Edited February 22, 2015 by rollermonkey

[MAB]

I'd like to see a classic brown baseplate to compliment the range, and maybe white as well.

#10246 has reddish brown (BL name), that is as close as you're likely to get.

[Captain Pirate Man]

So Lego is making the large grey 48x48 base plate, green 32x32 and tan 32x32. Are their any others? Also do any actual sets come with base plates anymore? Or are they essentially a thing of the past? If they are not making them forvsets anymore, you should be able to buy them in any color at any store. I don't understand the thinking sometimes???

[legoman19892]

So Lego is making the large grey 48x48 base plate, green 32x32 and tan 32x32. Are their any others?

No.

Also do any actual sets come with base plates anymore? Or are they essentially a thing of the past? If they are not making them for sets anymore, you should be able to buy them in any color at any store. I don't understand the thinking sometimes???

Sort of. The London Bridge, Sidney Opera House, and modulars have them. Those are huge sets though.

It it not cost effective at all to sell base plates in lots of colors. I doubt base plates could be a loss leader type product.

[CopMike]

The green 32x32 baseplate (Lego name Dark Green color code 28) is out of production for now. That doesn´t mean it has died, it´s just sleeping like the

!

The bright green one (Lego name Bright Green color code 37) is in production now, a reason is to match the Creative sets.

[jodawill]

Lego finally responded to the color change (kind of).

[m0dulo]

I'm confused. That reviewer writes, "and non connectable bottomed plate." Seriously? You can't attach anything to the bottom?

[L@go]

I'm confused. That reviewer writes, "and non connectable bottomed plate." Seriously? You can't attach anything to the bottom?

No. LEGO's baseplates, unlike their regular plates, have always been like that. They're thinner and not meant for anything else than being... baseplates.

[jodawill]

I don't understand why they haven't updated the product description. They're just going to keep upsetting customers if they don't tell people what they're buying.

[MAB]

It goes to show how useless the reviews are (if buyers do nto read them). If buyers are expecting the old green, then they are clearly not reading the 1 star reviews about colour changes.

[dr_spock]

I don't understand why they haven't updated the product description. They're just going to keep upsetting customers if they don't tell people what they're buying.

Response from LEGO:By Jordan - Core Product Specialist, Consumer Services, March 11, 2015

You are correct in noticing the color difference between the old and new Green Baseplate. I will make sure to discuss the impact of this change with the designers.

It is almost like they decided to do the color change after all the marketing material and photos have been done in the previous green color. Or someone set the color mixer to the wrong color during the production run (assuming they mix the colors on the fly). Or disconnect between marketing and product, that could happen in companies getting too big and each part is becoming a silo and don't talk to each other. You may get better results if you email the CEO directly.

[AFOLguy1970]

I can sympathize with those who are working on projects that require lots of green baseplates, and were unable to complete the setup before the color change. It does seem unnecessary and no doubt does not sit well with large scale builders.

[mysteriouspi]

The problem is that people CAN order enough of these newer bright-green plates to fill large layouts...but that is a massive amount of money to drop. Almost $100 for just 12 is ridiculous. Especially since the clutch power of these plates is apparently variable and the bright-green color may stick out too much.

Speaking of clutch power...has anyone had any issues with the new LBG 48x48 plates? It'd be good to add more to my collection, but I don't want to buy the new ones if they don't hold their bricks.

[MAH4546]

Correct. The U.S. does not have a national VAT or Sales tax. Sales taxes vary by state, county and city and are calculated at the register based on where the brick and mortar store is located. Most US sales tax is fairly low in the 4-8% ranges outside of the large heavily taxed cities such as NYC, Boston and San Francisco which rum more 10-15%. (Which is why most NYC residents will buy Lego in New Jersey).

Nowhere has more than 10% sales tax, and it's relatively small Birmingham, Alabama where its 10%.

The sales tax in New York City is 8.875% and in New Jersey it is 7%. I find it hard to believe people are rushing to New Jersey to save a grand total of $1.88 for every $100 they spend.

And of course there are places like Portland, Oregon and Anchorage with 0%.

Edited March 12, 2015 by MAH4546