Here is a rather interesting article about Lego. Granted, it repeats some facts and figures that are in every article about Lego ever published, but there are some interesting infographics and photographs and some insight into some AFOLs biggest bugbears.

I am afraid I can't vouch for the single comment, but then it is the Daily Mail... (If you are from the UK you'll get what I mean)

It's OK, Peppermint. On the internet, nobody knows you are a Daily Mail reader

Ok, so I just noticed my title change...

In my defense it is only because I use google news to keep track on news about Lego and the link was there.

I read Metro and the BBC! Honest!

In this new world focused on profit, the company sees no shame in admitting that, like it or not, what most excites little boys is conflict.

'We always have good guys and bad guys together in the box, so they can fight, but for boys there has to be a reason for the fight. In this case it's over the transparent treasure rings, which open a portal. Boys are very familiar with portals.'

I find this quote interesting as it shows that (a) conflict is here to stay (b) something inevitably gets lost between product development and final release, no matter how many focus groups they do. I would say it hardly seems intuitive or logical that the Atlantis treasure pieces open a portal, considering this is nowhere on the box art and the big Atlantis portal set hasn't even been officially announced yet

They also have very strong views on objects made of transparent Lego, as we found with the energy crystals eaten by the rock monsters in Power Miners. If it's transparent it has magical powers, apparently.'

I had the same thoughts as a kid. There was a long period from about 2000-2006 when colored (non trans black or clear) transparent pieces had become rather uncommon in general, and that only really changed in 2007 with the return of Space.

I am afraid I can't vouch for the single comment, but then it is the Daily Mail...

That guy does have a point about the S@H shipping charges though. The shipping is fairly high and the discrete price brackets make no sense. That encourages people to buy less instead of more. I placed an order there earlier today and dropped out some stuff to make it $49.50, so that I wouldn't get charged the $50-75 shipping price.

Interesting read whatever about the source - thanks for posting!

Lego has sold like crazy this Christmas, seems to be a bit of a media buzz too and it was kind of a "must have" toy this year. Still waiting for shops to restock. I was hoping to get an abandoned old Technic motor set - it had been in the shop for years, and was among the handful of sets left before Christmas (train track, half dozen Creator houses and one or two Duplo sets). Now post-Christmas even that is gone and all that is left are even fewer train track and duplo train tracks sets (about a half-dozen). Smyth's Toys have almost an entire shelf section filled one-deep with City Corner and Garage as placeholders for all the missing city sets (afaik those did sell too, just they had more stock of them). They have no Technic bar the smallest forklift (mini set) and the new Mindstorms NXT 2.0.

I think the boom is actually due to my generation (80s kids) who experienced the late 80s, early 90s golden age - many of whom are now parents. So many were into Lego back then and the memories are not just nostalgia - Lego was putting out great stuff back then. I think Lego will be a bit stuck when those who were kids during their "downturn" become parents themselves. That could start to affect things in as little as five years time - a generation of less Lego-informed parents.

And if their prices continue to rise they will be back looking at bankruptcy again!!!

The only website I have found to charge more delivery the more you spend!! Not to mention the sets...you can only build one thing with them ie space ship and if you loose 1 piece then the set is ruined.

I still have my boxed lego from my childhood (around 1976). It is a box of mixed pieces with building ideas on the cardboard box. Our boys aged 7 and 9 spend more time playing with my lego then their own new lego.

Comment from that story; the sad thing is, it's true.

Edited January 5, 201015 yr by prateek

Comment from that story; the sad thing is, it's true.

It is not that true. I agree with some parts but I strongly disagree about "when a piece is missing the whole set becomes useless" I think we can agree that's not true. The good thing about lego is that even with the worst sets, a half a set is still useful and you can build things or combine with your other half sets... instead of other toys in which half a toy is rubbish...

It is not that true. I agree with some parts but I strongly disagree about "when a piece is missing the whole set becomes useless" I think we can agree that's not true. The good thing about lego is that even with the worst sets, a half a set is still useful and you can build things or combine with your other half sets... instead of other toys in which half a toy is rubbish...

Well, yeah, that part's exaggerated.

True, true. I was just impressed that they mentioned Hilary Page and Kiddicraft.

I think I'll check with my grandparents if the article was in the print magazine too (they get that paper for the crossword). It'll be easier to show my little bro' it than having him stare at a computer screen..

The bit on shipping is so true and completely ridiculous and sad.

Thanks for sharing this -- some of the pictures are good and it is quite a long article. I do hope TLG doesn't grow too fast for its own baseplate!

At first I thought "Daily Wail" in the title was a typo .. then I realized

I agree with what was said from the other member: Lego needs to watch its pricing. Some of the licensed sets are just pure highway robbery.

I agree with the comment re: shipping, in this day we normally expect reduced shipping if not free shipping the more you spend. For example I just placed a £250 shop at home order before Christmas and was hit with a £6 delivery charge. Although I appreciate shipping my order from a warehouse in central Europe to my door, possible cost Lego at least £6 this does go against the norm for internet shipping.

Paul

paul delahaye:

UK experience is not the norm. Amazon only just before Christmas finally got around to introducing supersaver delivery for Ireland (and it is *long* overdue and was very much desired - just a pity none of us now have money to make use of the facility). Argos charge €29.50 for online purchases to be delivered outside Dublin, and still €8 even within Dublin (although they don't even allow online purchase of small items like Lego). Ebay shipping to Ireland is only usually feasible from UK (except for heavier items), Germany (great value for heavier items, sometimes not so much for small if using DHL) or a few other countries like Netherlands. It usually isn't economical to buy items sub €10 on ebay as shipping is as much as the item itself. Actually bizarrely sometimes small items can be more easily bought from US as postage may be similar to from UK, but the items cost less.

As for Lego, they charge €15 shipping on orders over €70 (smaller orders make no sense - €8 for a <€20 order!!)