Stickers - Replacements Availability

[Big Pete]

I understand that stickers are here to stay ... I've made my peace with that, even though I would prefer more printed parts.

However, if we have to live with stickers, I believe TLG could improve their customer support for these.

Whilst it is possible to get replacement stickers for sets currently in production via their Customer Services, it seems impossible to get stickers for older sets. Again, this is understandable, but stickers don't last forever and with no other option, customers are forced to resort to the extortionate prices on the aftermarket.

Take the sticker sheets for the original RGS (7163) for example ... Bricklink has some, but the lowest price is $40 and the highest $135!!! I would gladly pay TLG a modest fee for these.

Would it be possible for TLG to keep producing small stock levels of stickers from their sets which they could then sell for a reasonable price from their website ? Do Lego make the stickers themselves or do they contract it out to a 3rd party ? Do Lego keep the printing masters for old sets ? (if they do, then that would mean the start up costs for this service are relatively small, only having to pay for a run of stickers)

Also, can anyone confirm that they changed how they make stickers after 2006 ? Stickers on sets prior to this time (7163, 6207 for examples) seem to be much more prone to fracturing and peeling.

I would dearly like to understand if this idea is a runner or not, thanks for your time.

[ciano]

I think your idea is a runner, and for what it's worth, you have my support. I think reselling stickers is a great idea, and I know TLG keeps all of their molds, so stickers are probably kept as well.

[CP5670]

Also, can anyone confirm that they changed how they make stickers after 2006 ? Stickers on sets prior to this time (7163, 6207 for examples) seem to be much more prone to fracturing and peeling.

Yes, the bad stickers stopped appearing some time around then. See here for more details.

The Brickfactory site has sticker scans for some sets. You might be able to print them out yourself from there.

[gratefulnat]

With a little pleading, I've gotten a few replacements over time. The idea of TLG offering a replacement sticker service I really like a bunch. But I can imagine the logistics involved in this would cause them costs not making it worth their while (I'm not an economist, so it's just my two cents). So how about TLG putting in a second 'reserve' sheet in each set they produce with stickers. That would probably be cheaper in the long run. Or they could offer the possibility of downloading sticker scans (for all sets) through LEGO.com, of course, maybe this is where certain litigation problems would arrise with liscensed sets depending on the prints?

I think this idea is an absolute runner in whatever form, though, and maybe it's something an ambassador could bring up with TLG.

[Fugazi]

Or they could offer the possibility of downloading sticker scans (for all sets) through LEGO.com, of course, maybe this is where certain litigation problems would arrise with liscensed sets depending on the prints?

I'm a big fan of stickers, because I never use them! Ok I do regret the move to stickers for some useful printed parts such as street signs. Anyway, what I concur would be a great move for TLC -- without being very expensive for them either -- would be to provide nice scan downloads of their older sticker sheets. If they still can provide replacement stickers for the current sets, then maybe they can make scans available for anything older. This way we can have anything we need printed on polyester sticker labels that will probably last longer than original stickers anyway.

[BigOnBricks]

Economically it probably wouldn't make sense for them to actually print stickers for older sets, but if they would provide a high quality download for us to print ourselves that would be great. Of course we would have to cut them ourselves and they might not come out as good as pre-cut stickers but it's better than nothing.

I have been making it a point to buy a second set of stickers through customer service for every set I get. It might seem a bit crazy but it isn't terribly expensive and I like having a second set. I usually wait until I have about 20 or so sets and I order them all at one time.

[prateek]

Economically it probably wouldn't make sense for them to actually print stickers for older sets, but if they would provide a high quality download for us to print ourselves that would be great. Of course we would have to cut them ourselves and they might not come out as good as pre-cut stickers but it's better than nothing.

That's a cool idea! Although I haven't bought a set with stickers after 2000, I do think that we need replacements if something happens.

[escortmad79]

The problems with replacement stickers is that stickers from sets like Town Plan & Emerald Night would be fairly highly snapped up but many others would just sit on a shelf yellowing or gathering dust with no interest.

I'd prefer to see more printed parts (Maybe even for a slightly higher cost on set price), Emerald Night would have been so much better with printed parts rather than stickers & I would have happily have paid a bit extra for it with printed parts

[Big Pete]

The problems with replacement stickers is that stickers from sets like Town Plan & Emerald Night would be fairly highly snapped up but many others would just sit on a shelf yellowing or gathering dust with no interest.

I'd prefer to see more printed parts (Maybe even for a slightly higher cost on set price), Emerald Night would have been so much better with printed parts rather than stickers & I would have happily have paid a bit extra for it with printed parts

This is not a debate on printed vs stickers ... we've done that to death and clearly, printed parts are going to be less than stickers. That is fact.

What I wanted to understand was how we could make the best of stickers including how to get replacements for older sets without having to pay extortionate amounts.

I'm not sure I want the ability to print my own, I want proper stickers.

Maybe Lego could have a JIT (just in time) method of delivery, but that would depend on a) whether they do their own printing b) the cost of printing one set of stickers ... as that would define the cost passed on to the customer.

[Matt Dawson]

maybe lego could offer stickers as part of PAB? Lego could certainly recover the cost of printing them if you could buy them seperately.

[Big Pete]

Just wondering, have any of the ambassadors got any feedback on this topic, please ?