Unpopular Opinions about LEGO

[MAB]

On 7/27/2022 at 3:01 PM, Celeri said:

On my side, what I think will kill Lego is more something like general ban on plastic toys. This can seem unrealistic to most people, but considering the rapidly growing reject of plastic-based materials due to their pollutant side, the scarcity on oil + raising costs to harvest it, and also raising costs of storage and shipping these boxes, I would not be surprised to see TLG unable to sell sets in some rich countries before the 2030s. Which would mean the death of Lego — as we know it, at least (TLG may try to shift to 100% virtual playing to stay alive before so).

And this, as you may have guessed, is my biggest unpopular opinion about Lego

 

What do you mean - toys? These are precision building parts from adult models!

The main backlash against plastics here is not against reusable plastics but single use plastics. I cannot really see lego being able to monetise virtual building, given the amount of free software for it.

[Peppermint_M]

1 hour ago, MAB said:

I cannot really see lego being able to monetise

"Subscribe for the full colour palette!", "For a one off payment you can unlock rotate!", "Join our Build Club to have these exciting new bricks!!", "Watch this short advertisement to access your saved MOC" . Throw a few cease and desist at any of the software using the bricks they can still lay claim to and suddenly digital building can make money.

I can see a lot of ways. My jigsaw puzzle app has two modes locked to a VIP membership and thousands of puzzles behind the same paywall. There is enough free content to keep me happy, but they push pay-for options at every turn, only works online unless I pay and adverts arrive halfway through 140 piece puzzles (and on completion) and after you complete any of the smaller count options.

[Feuer Zug]

19 hours ago, koalayummies said:

Regardless the fate of some toy company will be irrelevant when the Earth is ridding itself of the creatures responsible for its destruction.

Now there's an unpopular opinion (not about LEGO).

How much a ban on plastic toys would work gets interesting. With the 18+ range, LEGO could potentially state they aren't a toy anymore, but a modeling material, form of art, or whatever other term the legal staff comes up with. I think LEGO will find a way to survive as is. Their brand size and reach would give them significant leverage, along with the AFOL community, when working with politicians.

[Ondra]

I dont see lego bricks as problem, is there anybody to throw away  bricks to bin? If yes they need to check their intelligence.

Even if I have bricks used, they always find place in my MOCS. These bricks are valuable and last forever. I found one rare occasion bricks on street and I still had them now.

 

There are so many problems that can be fixed only by banning them, are people prepared? No, we are past living in cave thing.

 

Anyway they are only banning one use plastic, and lego that isnt. If I remember correctly they have in work new material, that fix plastic problem in lego sets for ever.

[Toastie]

1 hour ago, Ondra said:

that fix plastic problem in lego sets for ever

Well. Hard to make that happen:

One thing are the raw materials for making the polymer for the majority of LEGO bricks; acrylonitrile, butadiene, and styrene - these are sourced from steam cracked crude oil and other industrial-sized chemical reactions. So some say that this is bad and this needs to be made more sustainable. I believe this is where TLG is trying to get "better", but ...

The other thing is - you said it yourself: LEGO bricks are known for their (currently degrading) precision and for their basically endless life. Which is "good" from a personal perspective, as ABS easily outlives mankind - but is "bad" from an environmental perspective, including mankind: Everything persistent naturally accumulates on Earth. So do LEGO bricks - and according to the Wery Wise Web, TLG currently makes about 120 million pieces of ABS each day - which is about 40 billion pieces a year. Which live forever. ABS is essentially not biodegradable - one way to get rid of it is by thermal usage; in that case though, safety measures have to be invoked, as the combustion products are - among others - carbon monoxide and hydrogen cyanide. You don't want to be where these are.

In other words: TLG making new plastic material with the property "lives forever" ... well, then nothing changes. Should they make something with a life span of about 10 years, people will freak out, as what they bought before their dark ages will have fallen to dust (at best) after their dark ages.

No, won't happen. ABS is one of the most powerful polymers (cost-wise, machining-wise, stability wise, coloring-wise, ...) - a classical industrial mass product winner. Too bad, it won't disappear anymore. Same thing with CO2: One of the least "energetic" gases. From the perspective of thermodynamics, it does not get much better. And it accumulates also nicely on this planet.

It is hard, very hard to beat thermodynamics. Even for TLG.

Best,
Thorsten

Edited July 31, 2022 by Toastie

[Maple]

I don't know where this idea of banning plastic toys comes from. That's just not going to happen. It's really that simple. 

[The Island Chronicles]

58 minutes ago, Maple said:

I don't know where this idea of banning plastic toys comes from. That's just not going to happen. It's really that simple. 

I doubt it'll happen. 

[Toastie]

17 hours ago, Poodabricks said:

I doubt it'll happen. 

Yup, same here.

BTW ...

Statista says, worldwide, there is about 12 million metric tons production capacity around 2020.

Wired says, TLG uses "currently" about 100000 metric tons per year of "plastic", of which 80% is ABS. That accounts to a global share of roughly 1% - if I am not mistaken. Well, for a toy company that is quite the share I'd say, but it is what it is.

Now with regard to TLG's research on new, sustainable materials ... they may have found out, that ABS is kinda the thing for LEGO. I know that there are myriads of sources out there, I'll just stick with Wired: [citation from this link, last paragraph] "We've use 20 different materials today, it may be that we end up with 40 in the future. Potentially ABS could be replaced by recycled ABS when we get there,” he says. “In the mid-term it will be recycled PET. We’ve got about 15 to 20 other materials that we're working through one by one. But recycled ABS is where we're trying to get to.”

But ABS is where we're trying to get to ... who thought of that?

Yeah, sure. What else? The whole alternative plastics research of TLG is nice and cool, and very nicely usable for putting them into a would-be favorable position - but hey: They are aiming at recycling ABS. Because only that stuff, at that price, has all the assets we, as customers, simply expect from LEGO. Micron precision, and living forever. The bricks, that is, humans only have far less than 100 years on average. Which is far less than any ABS brick will live.

Will be interesting to see, what coming generations think about our thinking about "lasting forever" - sucking up 1% of the worldwide ABS production capacity each year. It appears, as if this is up to them.

Best,
Thorsten

 

[LegendaryArticuno]

I want Lego to drop the DC license and focus solely on Marvel, even if that means losing Batman sets.

[MAB]

41 minutes ago, LegendaryArticuno said:

I want Lego to drop the DC license and focus solely on Marvel, even if that means losing Batman sets.

DC only gets about 5 play sets per year anyway these days. If LEGO take them away, you would not get anything else extra for Marvel. But even worse, the DC license would likely go to another brick manufacturer who would produce more sets than LEGO do that would take toy store shelf space.

[LegendaryArticuno]

3 minutes ago, MAB said:

DC only gets about 5 play sets per year anyway these days. If LEGO take them away, you would not get anything else extra for Marvel. But even worse, the DC license would likely go to another brick manufacturer who would produce more sets than LEGO do that would take toy store shelf space.

To me that sounds like a win-win LOL, actual DC fans might get more sets albeit from a different brand.

I'm thinking more of consolidating the design teams in hopes of higher quality sets at various price points. Occasionally, Batman will get high quality small-medium size sets, i.e. Tumbler Scarecrow Showdown; while Marvel small-medium size sets are very lacking in terms of design, and only ever receives high quality sets at the high price point, i.e. Daily Bugle or Sanctum.

[MAB]

1 hour ago, LegendaryArticuno said:

To me that sounds like a win-win LOL, actual DC fans might get more sets albeit from a different brand.

I'm thinking more of consolidating the design teams in hopes of higher quality sets at various price points. Occasionally, Batman will get high quality small-medium size sets, i.e. Tumbler Scarecrow Showdown; while Marvel small-medium size sets are very lacking in terms of design, and only ever receives high quality sets at the high price point, i.e. Daily Bugle or Sanctum.

More likely you will continue to get what you get now as that is what sells well to kids at the low price points, and DC fans get nothing (or sets from another manufacturer when LEGO indicates they want to break their relationship with DC).

While the $20 Marvel sets are a bit lacking, I thought the recent $30 sets are pretty decent for the price (like Gargantos Showdown). Same with the $40 ones.

[Ondra]

Lego completely mishandle 90 anniversary, its total corporate "we "care" about history, so there is our most pricier throwbacks ever" .

Imagine if they did set remakes of old sets across whole portfolio for anybody to purchase. No, instead we had one big castle for 400 euro, because sure these who were kids in 1980s can sure buy castle for this price without hesitation, they have nothing else to pay, yes?And that spaceship, again exclusive set because why not... Not mention set, that can be sold for 30 euro easily is gift to purchase...Mindblown mishandle...

[Lyichir]

56 minutes ago, Ondra said:

Lego completely mishandle 90 anniversary, its total corporate "we "care" about history, so there is our most pricier throwbacks ever" .

Imagine if they did set remakes of old sets across whole portfolio for anybody to purchase. No, instead we had one big castle for 400 euro, because sure these who were kids in 1980s can sure buy castle for this price without hesitation, they have nothing else to pay, yes?And that spaceship, again exclusive set because why not... Not mention set, that can be sold for 30 euro easily is gift to purchase...Mindblown mishandle...

Once again I question why anyone should have expected this anniversary to be that different from any past one in terms of the kinds of sets released. Past anniversaries have generally been celebrated with sets like these ones—a classic brick bucket, an exclusive or two, and maybe a gift with purchase set and a couple of polybags. The only real difference this year is scale, with one out of the two exclusive sets being the biggest castle set ever (the other, a Classic Space remake, is not that far removed in price from 2008's Town Plan).

[MAB]

1 hour ago, Ondra said:

Lego completely mishandle 90 anniversary, its total corporate "we "care" about history, so there is our most pricier throwbacks ever" .

Imagine if they did set remakes of old sets across whole portfolio for anybody to purchase. No, instead we had one big castle for 400 euro, because sure these who were kids in 1980s can sure buy castle for this price without hesitation, they have nothing else to pay, yes?And that spaceship, again exclusive set because why not... Not mention set, that can be sold for 30 euro easily is gift to purchase...Mindblown mishandle...

If you want a modern throwback set for Town, you can buy a City set. If you want to go further back into the history, before minifigures, then you could buy a modern Classic set. Or are you after one small $20 set for every theme they have ever done? If they did one from Aquaraiders, then they better to do one from Dino 2010 and Jack Stone too, to be fair to fans of those themes.

I think I'd prefer two great (even if big and expensive) sets to lots of small sets from the history that kids these days won't be interested in (they have plenty of modern playsets), and that don't work well together without context of the rest of the sets in the theme.

If they made everything for the anniversary fairly small and spread thinly, and single sets from each theme like these were available:

would people really care that much about them?

 

Even if they went bigger and sold, for example, 25 different themed sets across the portfolio at the standard of the modern hideout GWP

and charged $30 a piece for them, would people really be that interested? Great, you can buy a Pharoah's Quest set (but nothing to go with it), or a space buggy like the one that was in TLM2 (with nothing else from classic space that goes with it), or a couple of forestmen in a hideout (but no other castle to use it with).

That hideout is nice, and will work well with the big castle. But if that is all they did in isolation then it is pretty uninspiring if you have no other Castle figures and sets to combine it with.

It is only two years since they did this:

and you can still buy them new and sealed for about £15-25, the same as when they were released. So I doubt if a $30 train would go down too well.

I'd take the choice of a couple of things that are big and exciting rather than loads of small sets from many past themes that don't go together.

[Ondra]

On 8/4/2022 at 2:40 PM, MAB said:

If you want a modern throwback set for Town, you can buy a City set. If you want to go further back into the history, before minifigures, then you could buy a modern Classic set. Or are you after one small $20 set for every theme they have ever done? If they did one from Aquaraiders, then they better to do one from Dino 2010 and Jack Stone too, to be fair to fans of those themes.

I think I'd prefer two great (even if big and expensive) sets to lots of small sets from the history that kids these days won't be interested in (they have plenty of modern playsets), and that don't work well together without context of the rest of the sets in the theme.

If they made everything for the anniversary fairly small and spread thinly, and single sets from each theme like these were available:

 

would people really care that much about them?

 

Even if they went bigger and sold, for example, 25 different themed sets across the portfolio at the standard of the modern hideout GWP

and charged $30 a piece for them, would people really be that interested? Great, you can buy a Pharoah's Quest set (but nothing to go with it), or a space buggy like the one that was in TLM2 (with nothing else from classic space that goes with it), or a couple of forestmen in a hideout (but no other castle to use it with).

That hideout is nice, and will work well with the big castle. But if that is all they did in isolation then it is pretty uninspiring if you have no other Castle figures and sets to combine it with.

It is only two years since they did this:

 

and you can still buy them new and sealed for about £15-25, the same as when they were released. So I doubt if a $30 train would go down too well.

I'd take the choice of a couple of things that are big and exciting rather than loads of small sets from many past themes that don't go together.

There is diference between fan and fanboy, and you are clearly that second one.

Edited August 5, 2022 by Peppermint_M
Please don't quote pictures.

[Johnny1360]

Lol, no need to take it so personal.

[Ondra]

7 minutes ago, Johnny1360 said:

Lol, no need to take it so personal.

He is always arguing with me on my every opinion, TLG never did bad according to him so there it is. I must say it to him, no offence.

So its good that locomotive is sold a lot, but on secondary market. It only needs to have some future vision, I dont know... 

Edited August 4, 2022 by Ondra

[MAB]

1 hour ago, Ondra said:

There is diference between fan and fanboy, and you are clearly that second one.

No, I'm not a fan of lots of things the company do. But I think they got this one spot on. Two decent and really exciting models to celebrate two of the most popular older themes from the minifigure age. To me that is way more impressive than rereleasing one of the lower priced sets from each theme they have done - a few impressive sets beat loads of unimpressive repeats. If you want a few old smaller sets, you can buy them on bricklink or ebay.

 

It would have been nice for them to revisit something like an old Town Plan house or similar from the 1950s to go back a bit further in history, reproducing the old style graphics on the packaging, but I really doubt something like that would sell well.

[Toastie]

2 hours ago, Ondra said:

There is diference between fan and fanboy, and you are clearly that second one.

 

2 hours ago, Johnny1360 said:

Lol, no need to take it so personal.

 

2 hours ago, Ondra said:

I must say it to him, no offence.

 

53 minutes ago, MAB said:

No, I'm not a fan of lots of things the company do.

And Gentlemen, as almost always here on EB: I really like the style and attitude of you guys. Tipping hat.

Here is to feeling good!

Best wishes,
Thorsten

[Gimmick]

The 42145 is a shelf-model, too.

And every argument about "useless gearboxes" in supercars applies to it: You can show the mechanics, appriciate that it's there, but it does nothing practical. Actually every function of this set besides the landing gear is theoretical.

:)

[Johnny1360]

Sure was a pleasure to put it together though. Give it about a week and it becomes parts again and since all my horizontal planes are brimming over with LEGO, my particular 42125 will never have the pleasure of achieving shelf Queen status, so sad, because it is such a great set, one I think that will achieve GOAT status, when viewed historically.

Now how's that for unpopular.

Edited August 5, 2022 by Johnny1360

[MAB]

13 minutes ago, Johnny1360 said:

Sure was a pleasure to put it together though. Give it about a week and it becomes parts again and since all my horizontal planes are brimming over with LEGO, my particular 42125 will never have the pleasure of achieving shelf Queen status, so sad, because it is such a great set, one I think that will achieve GOAT status, when viewed historically.

I don't really understand what the issue is. If you thought a set that you owned was the greatest of all time, why wouldn't you display it?

[Johnny1360]

I simply have no more room for display, all my display space has become storage space. Which doesn't really matter as I live alone and have no visitors, ever. I have become a hermit hoarder, lol.

[MAB]

36 minutes ago, Johnny1360 said:

I simply have no more room for display, all my display space has become storage space. Which doesn't really matter as I live alone and have no visitors, ever. I have become a hermit hoarder, lol.

It sounds like you need to sell on some of it so you can enjoy what you have more. I got rid of a lot of 80s and 90s sets to do that. Kept the absolute best ones (to me) but let the rest go so I could enjoy looking at what I had, rather than storing it all in boxes.