LEGO Star Wars: No Longer For Kids?

[jjr_2009]

I was recently at Walmart and (of course) decided to take a trip down the LEGO aisle. It's always fun to spot new sets or to snag a good clearance deal. But sometimes I like to try to think about how "kid-me" would have viewed the current offerings. I know I would have LOVED the newest LEGO City sets--especially the Jungle and Space subthemes. Harry Potter would have had my attention, with all of the detailed minifigures and buildable structures. I would have been all about the fanciful creatures and colorful builds of Dreamzzz and Ninjago--and the builds of Animal Crossing and Friends would have appealed to me as well (the figures a bit less so).

But I know that "kid-me"--a massive Star Wars fan--would have been really disappointed with the Star Wars offerings. So many of the sets I saw at Walmart would have been either well out of my price range (like the Dark Falcon or the The Onyx Cinder) or just wouldn't have appealed to a kid who liked to tell stories with his LEGOs (buildable helmets, mid-scale ships with no minifigures, smaller sets with zero named characters and only nameless troops). It just seems like the theme isn't really trying to appeal to kids anymore.

I know my thoughts and experiences are subjective, so I'd be curious to hear how others on this forum feel. Would the current Lego Star Wars offerings appealed to you as a child? Or if you currently have children, do the current sets appeal to them? Do you think LEGO is focusing too much on adult Star Wars fans? Or is this just me allowing my personal preferences to cloud my judgment?

[Daiman]

In my opinion the Star Wars line is definitely aimed at the adult market. I check them out every time I'm in a store but due to pricing and lack of scope I quite simply don't buy them and haven't for years even though it's my favorite theme generally speaking.

I'd like there to be more thought put into it and see sets that span across the range of prices like city sets and friends do.

Part of the problem is limited characters where we get 14 lukes or r2's and in the way that you cant offer a 10 dollar set of a cantina member when you can ransom him in a 300 dollar set i guess, but id love to see more consideration to things around that instead of making everything 'collectable'.

Edited September 20, 2024 by Daiman

[CloneCommando99]

I do think that Lego is moving away from being predominantly kids, as seen with the exponential increase in 18+ sets. But it’s still for kids. I do think that there are far too many 18+  and gimmick sets at the moment. As they are taking away set slots that could have been for more unique play sets. 
 

I feel like the decreased amount of battle packs over the last few years are a testament to this.

And yeah, I do agree with @Daiman that we could do with cheaper 1-2 minifig sub £15 sets. They would be cheap ways for kids to make their SW stories and would make excellent stocking fillers at Christmas. (AT RT, Imperial Checkpoint, Imperial Speeder, Barc Speeder, Crab Droid, Bacta Tank and a Command Console just to name a few)

[Meaf]

I think there are definitely still some sets I'd have loved as a kid (like the Peridea duel or any of the battle packs really) but it does feel like there are increasingly less sets priced at what a kid will normally be able to afford. Even factoring in inflation, there was never a time aside from after my birthday or Christmas where I'd have had the money lying around for anything over maybe what would be $40 or $50 today, and even that's pushing it. Unless a kid is from a rich family and can kinda just buy whatever they want, it feels like the options are pretty limited, especially if you're not interested in microfighters or mechs (I was never that into the more gimmicky sets as a kid, though I might be the odd one out).

[Nevermorethan12]

Even as an adult buying for kids, sets over $100 are out of range. Nephews get about 50 to 75 at birthdays and holidays, but even at that range most of SW is out of bounds.  I have personally realized this is a hobby. It’s for fun, not to go broke over. I buy cheaper sets now, and usually wait for great deals around Christmas.

there’s no one that can convince me the tons of flowers and plants sets are aimed anywhere near kids.

[Darth_Bane13]

I wonder if part of the problem is that kids aren't into star wars as much anymore. The only Star Wars content that has released in Disney era that was well received and popular/mainstream was The Mandalorian and the Force awakens, and the latter released nearly a decade ago. I think Marvel is much more popular with kids these days, if you look at box office numbers its pretty clear which is more liked.

[Big_Daddy]

The trend of more collectible sets and less playsets will lead to devaluation of collectible sets eventually IMO. Part of the appeal of such sets is 'you know that neat construction toy you liked as a kid? Just look at the other (bigger) stuff you can build with it!'. I think without playsets as a reference point, huge sets and botanical collection for instance are just things that can be displayed by other, more accurate means.

[Nevermorethan12]

Kids have no familiar reference point to most sets lego produces. The Tantive IV set is based on a scene from a 50 year old movie. A lot of kids really interested in that? Flash Gordon serials were 50 years old when I was a kid. I think I watched once or twice but I was more interested in popular new movies and shows and I don’t think anyone can argue the newer Star Wars movies are not as popular as the originals. There are tons of OT sets each year. I just don’t see the popularity being there among children. Then the price point turns them away. An $80 sarlac pit vs an avengers set? Seems like a no brained.

a $500 sail barge? Why not a $500 Jupiter Ii or Enterprise? Each surely got more screen time. I’m trying to think of something to compare. Some movie or franchise popular in the 1940’s that people where still buying stuff for in the 1980s? Then again, people did not have as much disposable cash and MUCH different priorities back then.

Edited September 21, 2024 by Nevermorethan12

[Alexandrina]

20 hours ago, jjr_2009 said:

smaller sets with zero named characters and only nameless troops

I don't think this is especially a new thing. I was a child getting into Lego Star Wars nearly twenty years ago now and even then, I had very few named characters in the early years of my collection. In the 2006 sets, for example, all the main characters are bunched into the big sets. The only named character in the cheaper half of that year's range was Ten Numb (who most people probably only know as a minifigure). 1HY 2007 was the same, and even later in the year you tended to get a named character in sets. In the first four years of being into Lego Star Wars, the only actual characters I had were Luke, Han, Leia, Chewie and R2 from the X-Wing, Grievous, Darth Maul, kid Anakin and half a Darth Vader figure that I don't even know the origin of. In terms of getting named characters, it's actually improved imo from this down patch.

I've not really paid much attention to Star Wars sets recently (fatigue with Star Wars in general because I find most of the Dave Filoni era stuff really boring) but there look to be a good few decent offerings. But also - do kids not still prefer battlepacks? When I was young, it was all about building armies of clones and droids and things. I remember my friends and I being envious of the army in the pizzamovies films

[Horation]

[Redacted-disrespect of pointers]

 

Edited September 30, 2024 by Horation
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[SpacePolice89]

Hard to tell if kid me would've liked the current sets. I was an older kid/teenager when the first Star Wars sets were released and the only ones that I bought back then I converted to Space sets. I liked the original movies but wasn't very interested in other Star Wars products like toys. I guess that with no Space sets available at all nowadays I would've bought the current ones to build my own spaceships if I was a kid nowadays. In general I don't like non minifigure sets like helmets and 18+ display models but with the sheer number of SW sets available I don't see this as a problem. 

[Daiman]

Just by way of comparison for pricing, as lego uses the 'what the market will bare' approach to the cost of sets a Dark Falcon set that's 180 USd would equate to around 270 Aud where as the set will actually cost me about 300 bucks from lego so I'm like yeeaaahhhhh....NUH!

[CloneCommando99]

19 minutes ago, Daiman said:

Just by way of comparison for pricing, as lego uses the 'what the market will bare' approach to the cost of sets a Dark Falcon set that's 180 USd would equate to around 270 Aud where as the set will actually cost me about 300 bucks from lego so I'm like yeeaaahhhhh....NUH!

Apparently the Dark Falcon sold out in many stores on the first day.

[Horation]

[Redacted-disrespect of pointers]

Edited September 30, 2024 by Horation
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[Daiman]

14 minutes ago, Horation said:

@Daiman, I believe that higher Australian prices tend to be due to the fact that GST is part of the price, so when you are paying 270 AUD for the item, the 10% is added to the price, which rounds to about 300 AUD, while in the US, sales taxes are added AFTER you pay (and tend to be lower)

So your whole "yeeaaahhhhh....NUH!" attitude seems to stem from not understanding local sales taxes, here's a lovely refresher : https://www.australia-backpackersguide.com/gst-australia/ 

Though do correct me if I'm wrong...

Thanks for the un needed 'Slap' whatever your reason or the back-packers guide advice my YeahNUH is about the resulting final price so stands.

[Horation]

[Redacted-disrespect of pointers]

Edited September 30, 2024 by Horation
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[Daiman]

...

[Horation]

[Redacted-disrespect of pointers]

Edited September 30, 2024 by Horation
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[Coryo]

It's pretty sad that there was only one proper minifigure-based set from the Phantom Menace anniversary this year, there were so many vehicles and scenes that they could have taken inspiration from. 

Also, @Daiman, I'd recommend not buying sets from the actual Lego store unless it really isn't available anywhere else, you could find the Dark Falcon at places like Big W or Target for a reasonable discount.

[Commander501]

I agree with some of the opinions here. When I think back to when I started with LSW, the situation looked like this: I was just seven years old in 1999 when TPM came out. In the summer of 1999, I flew to Florida for three weeks, where everything was Star Wars branded. It was like paradise for a little boy from Europe. Whether it was the toys at Pizza Hut or large parts of the Lego store at Disney World, Star Wars has stayed with me ever since. Even though as an AFOL I can no longer do anything with the sets from back then because I don't have the space and now only collect dioramas, the midi-scale ships and the Brickheadz and now C3PO and R2-D2. 

But how did I start collecting? In the end, it was the very small sets with one or two main characters: I still remember my very first sets very well: The speeder bikes on Endor with Luke and two scouts, the duel between Qui-Gon and Darth Maul, the chase in the forest with Jar-Jar and Qui-Gon. These were all very cheap sets where it was primarily about the characters. Because the ‘trees’, which didn't even look like trees, were irrelevant. It was a similar story with small sets like the door in the Lucrehulk, the Endor-Luke on the bridge or the door of Jabba's Palace with Bib Fortuna. These sets no longer exist today, but they were a great way to collect figures for a small amount of money. 

Edited September 22, 2024 by Commander501

[timemail]

9 hours ago, Horation said:

@Daiman, I believe that higher Australian prices tend to be due to the fact that GST is part of the price, so when you are paying 270 AUD for the item, the 10% is added to the price, which rounds to about 300 AUD, while in the US, sales taxes are added AFTER you pay (and tend to be lower)

So your whole "yeeaaahhhhh....NUH!" attitude seems to stem from not understanding local sales taxes, here's a lovely refresher : https://www.australia-backpackersguide.com/gst-australia/ 

Though do correct me if I'm wrong...

Tax makes no difference in the matter. It is not just about comparing prices across countries but prices people can afford (or want) to pay. If someone thinks $300 is too much it doesn't matter if $27 of the price is tax or none of the price is tax - you still have to pay the total price. Hence not buying because the cost is too much.

That said there is a lot of inconsistency across pricing when comparing across countries that it isn't obvious what prices will be and some just can't be compared straight across. Some sets will translate the RRP over consistently, while others won't. E.g. in the US and UK Lego Shop the Tantive IV, Endor Speeder Chase, and the Vader Helmet all cost the same whereas in the AU Lego Shop the Vader Helmet costs $20 more and the Speeder Chase $30 more than the Tantive IV. This may be down to things like transport/storage costs based on box size (although the speeder chase is the lightest and smallest), setting prices based on particular markets, or something else. For all we know it could be using a small market like Australia to see how pricing some sets higher or lower will impact sales to determine what the market will bare, or whether lower prices will translate to increased sales and increased profit (sure it would get more sales, but if it doesn't also get enough more profit it would not be worth doing). I would note that Australia has been both advantaged and disadvantaged by the pricing differences.

On the actual topic - as a kid I was priced out of all Lego - there was never anything that would fit within a price range our family could afford (other cheaper presents would give much better value for money).

My kids have been given a few Lego sets as gifts, all of which have been either City, Friends, or Marvel. I feel that is more down to what kids are into rather than price points, but I would note that at Big W (department store with a toy section and Lego often below RRP as standard price) there are no Lego Star Wars sets at $15 and under vs 42 from other themes (including super heroes). $20 and under is 5 Star Wars out of 65 so ultimately there is not a lot of Star Wars choice if you are giving cheaper gifts.

[Horation]

[Redacted-disrespect of pointers]

 

Edited September 30, 2024 by Horation
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[Something_Awesome]

Been saying this for a while. Star Wars toys are not for kids anymore. Actually, only LEGO Star Wars toys do well. And the people that buy them are adults. And more and more, the sets are more for display than they are for play. It also does not help that the Star Wars content over the past several years has not been good. It does not resonate with kids. They think City and Ninjago is cooler. 

I was at the recent May the 4th release at one of the bigger LEGO stores in the country. Everyone waiting outside the store was adults. A very diverse group of adults. The only thing missing were kids. There were not even any teenagers. 

[Darth_Bane13]

1 hour ago, Something_Awesome said:

Been saying this for a while. Star Wars toys are not for kids anymore. Actually, only LEGO Star Wars toys do well. And the people that buy them are adults. And more and more, the sets are more for display than they are for play. It also does not help that the Star Wars content over the past several years has not been good. It does not resonate with kids. They think City and Ninjago is cooler. 

I was at the recent May the 4th release at one of the bigger LEGO stores in the country. Everyone waiting outside the store was adults. A very diverse group of adults. The only thing missing were kids. There were not even any teenagers. 

Its sad because I feel like a lot of us here like LEGO for the playsets. LEGO seems to think adult collectors just want display only type sets which I guess is true for some, but a lot of fans like LEGO as a toy that's able to be played with.

[JohnTPT17]

There are definitely a lot less of the smaller, affordable sets that both kids and adults enjoy to get unique characters/army build, but they are still around. The Rex Microfighter, Clones vs Droids Battle Pack, and Ahsoka vs Maul Duel are all good examples of those. And I do see kids/teens buying those sets fairly often! That being said, it's definitely not what I remember it being "back in the day" either, when sets were coming out to compliment the Prequels and Clone Wars (both of which had kids in mind). While the sequels do have some fans who are kids, I do feel like it's pushed towards them less than it used to be, and with less coming out recently that would appeal towards them (and I doubt Skeleton Crew will be enough to move the needle), it is harder to get kids introduced to the Star Wars universe unless their parents are also into it, and introduce their kids to it. 

TLDR: It's not what it used to be at all, but there are at least some sets around to try to appeal to kids.