6L Thin Yellow Beam

[Blakbird]

As we all know, some Technic parts are far more rare than others. Unique items like the Code Pilot or a Spybotics brick you would expect to be rare. But other part/color combination are rare for no explicable reason. For example, consider the "Technic Beam, 6 x 0.5", part number 32063 shown below. This is quite a common Technic part which appears in 84 sets (as of 2009) and is quite useful simply based on the fact that it the only even length beam (the 4L is a liftarm, not a beam).

Now let's consider the yellow version of this part. It only comes in one set, the 8457 Power Puller, and is therefore one of the most rare Technic parts there is. Why? Yellow is the most popular Technic color. Almost every part comes in yellow.

Now consider the photo below from the brand new 8043 excavator. You can see a pair of 5L yellow beams on the left and a pair of 7L yellow beams on the right. You can also see that these should be 6L, but they substituted 7L instead with useless extra length. Why? Why keep us from getting more 6L yellow beams? It's not like the 6L beam is out of production. It came in other colors last year (black in 3 sets and bley in 2 sets). This was a perfect opportunity to give us more of these parts but instead we got something else. There must be some reason for this that I am missing.

Incidentally, the green, lime, brown, orange, pearl gray, and tan versions of this part also only come in one set each, but that is not so surprising since these are rare colors in the first place. A look at the prices on Bricklink will reveal that these parts are not in very demand for MOCing, but the yellow is.

Edited September 21, 2010 by Blakbird

[Conchas]

Every part/color combination is a new element.

More elements in production, mean higher costs, so it is natural that TLG tries to keep under control the number of different elements in the production pipe.

This however does not seem to be consistent with what we can observe from other themes.

Not too far in time, I'll organize a set questions about the 8043 in a different way than usual. Then you will have the opportunity to put the question, to those who can provide an answer.

[Fugazi]

Of course I don't know the official answer, but it likely has to do with limiting the number of different parts in a given set. I can see that the 7L yellow beams were already required elsewhere in the build. Substituting the 6L with more 7L simplifies the overall part inventory TLG has to manage for that particular set (8043).

[Blakbird]

Of course I don't know the official answer, but it likely has to do with limiting the number of different parts in a given set. I can see that the 7L yellow beams were already required elsewhere in the build. Substituting the 6L with more 7L simplifies the overall part inventory TLG has to manage for that particular set (8043).

No, these are the only yellow 7L liftarms in the set. Making them 6L would not have added more part types to the BOM.

Every part/color combination is a new element.

More elements in production, mean higher costs, so it is natural that TLG tries to keep under control the number of different elements in the production pipe.

This however does not seem to be consistent with what we can observe from other themes.

Of course I know that more part types = more expense. However, it would seem that this would be a very common part in a common color.

[TechnicJuan]

Blakbird, the Yellow 7L thin beams were in many other recent sets, including the mini dozer from last year, so it was probably just easier to use what was in Lego's inventory than produce a part that was in a prior set 10 years ago. That Power Puller set contained many hard to get parts actually. I also agree with crowk in his interview and find it odd that a 1x2 thin liftarm in yellow has never been produced with as many yellow sets that have been released in the last few years.

[Anio]

The 7L is maybe used for the B-model ?

And I know that the 6L is very rare.

When I built my FSB002, I nearly bought all of them on BL !

[DLuders]

+ =

[telecasterman]

"Why can't we have any?"

That question, my friend, will just drive you insane. There have been so many times where there just isn't that one piece in the color I need. So, I change the color scheme. Then, there's some other piece that's unavailable in the (new) color I want. Arrrggg!

[Blakbird]

+ =

Sacrilege!!

[CP5670]

There have always been some pieces like this in all Lego themes. They exist in sets but are inexplicably rare. Still, I prefer that to the alternative. In recent years I think such limited-use pieces have become a lot less common, and are rarely seen except where they are really necessary. TLG either uses a piece in several different sets or not at all. Maybe we should count ourselves lucky that we have a yellow 6L half-beam at all.

[Plastic Nurak]

Sacrilege!!

What do you would expect by one who has proposed us to melt the bricks ?

Edited September 22, 2010 by Plastic Nurak

[Burf2000]

Very interesting, they must be evil!