If you were going to produce custom items for sale.....

[Jargo]

Like the thread title says. If you were planning on creating custom items to sell in the same way as Brickforge and Brickarms, where would you aim your assortment of items? For example, there are lots of weapons and backpacks and harts/helmets out there but I would go in a completely different direction and tackle trees and plants and the more scenic elements. horticultural/farming accessories. wooden items such as logs and gate posts, water elements for rivers, pools and fountains/waterfalls. Even some stone items like millstones and wall panels. or thatched roof sections and wheat sheafs and hay bales. farm crops, hedges and bushes. I've even got some animal designs for various countryside settings.

I've done doodles of 100 items I'd create. thought long and hard about what's missing from Lego's greenery and garden/farm/countryside selection of parts. I could probably mock them up quite easily but I don't have the finances or means to make anything. which is a shame but there you go, life sucks sometimes. It all remains a dream project.

However, just for kicks and hypothetically, what would you create to sell? are there many niches that can be filled with custom items? Would you just create new versions of old Lego parts with better details and more realistic colours? Or brand new pop culture inspired things? Historical or modern? Practical or fanciful? Tell me

[Omicron]

Video game weapons and accessories.

Like for example: the Master Sword from Legend of Zelda.

-Omi

[Sokratesz]

Video game weapons and accessories.

Like for example: the Master Sword from Legend of Zelda.

-Omi

Gravity Gun & Portal Gun

[andhe]

The way I would go would be:

1. ripping of computer game character accessories (like mentioned above), swords, guns etc (maybe not that original, but would bring the money in).

2. Historical weapons (roman, greek etc)(also profitable)

3. Sports/musical equipment.

The market is saturated with military weapons/vests etc and anything towards stars wars or existing lego lines would risk lawsuits :P

What would I LIKE to see? Probably more animals (rabbits, ducks and other small animals as the brick built versions are way off scale), but as soon as lego brings out their own version, these become obsolete (eg brickforge cow/pig)

Or maybe bikes/scooters/wheelchairs (sorry that was just an after thought).

[SilentMode]

It's something I really wish I could go into. Since weapons are just about cornered, I would look at producing simple but contemporary minifigure accessories, such as bags/suitcases/briefcases, scrolls, hats, hairstyles and other potentially useful things. It would be awesome if someone started producing foliage.

[Hoboman]

I think I would focus on items useful but maybe missed by the others. Lanterns, Water Skins, Small Cart.wagon (Radio Flyer). Not that doing weapons is bad, I think the reality is weapons and armor sell. But I would not have a problem mixing in a healthy mix of non-weapon items.

[Jargo]

Weapons sell because Lego avoids them. That's indisputable. contemporary and historical minifig accessories sell because if you're a minifig fan you want stuff for them. Items Lego makes in bricks can be improved upon.

Some people may be purists and are happy to make a lamp from a 1x1 round brick and 2x2 dish stuck on top while other people would prefer an accessory a minfig can hold that's more to scale. I guess a lot of us see minifigs as tiny action figures. it's a blocky world we create for them to inhabit but not everything need be so basic. I think there's a limit to how far you can accurise stuff before it starts to look odd but there's quite a stretch between sqaure block and that limit. Items like Aerealight's scooter sold by Brickforge is a grand example of design and function staying well within the limit. Whereas some weapons I've seen can push the limit. Be just a little too accurate and stray from the quasi-cartoon styling of the minifig universe.

As I doodle things that seem like good ideas I often scrap them because it's quite hard to Lego-ise the item. Certain dimensions and details have to be lost for an item to look right but in losing detail you sometimes lose a sense of what it is you're looking at. Scale of an item affects design too. Lego's recent motorbike fairings are too big. those things look like tanks next to minifigs especially the street motorcycle. would it have looked better scaled down? Would it have just looked stupid? If you compare it to the classic motorcycle you see that Lego could have done some more work to make it work. just streamlining the front more to give a more slender shape and slightly smaller wheels....

As for my foliage designs/ideas, I wonder how many people would actually be interested. Are people really content with the Lego pieces and happy with an infinitesimal amount of conifers and spiky bushes and dreary flowers?

[Mrcool1804]

I think possibly some firefighting tools and different color helmets would be good. No one make anything close to this and it would be a way of cornering the market. Here is a link to a thread I had going on the topic so you can see what im talking about. LINK

[Jargo]

The new forest fire fighters in in the 2012 City sets might offer some different helmets. The only other fire fighter helmets I've seen come in a clone/cheap brand like Sluban or Enlighten. Those are orange I think but even more simple and plain than Lego's own.

There's a piece lego did make

that combined with

makes something approaching jaws of life.

But I agree that it isn't satisfactory. Classic purists might be ok with it but it's ugly and innaccurate. I know that somewhere I've doodled a jaws of life tool. I've drawn so many items I don't know where half of them are these days.

[Mrcool1804]

Based on the following photo I found it looks like the 2012 Wildland Firefighters will have red helmets. Be nice to have yellow and orange.

Please do not deeplink preliminary pictures. Thanks - LuxorV

Edited September 15, 2011 by LuxorV
Preliminary picture removed

[tedbeard]

I would suggest tableware, kitchen accessories and general everyday tools.

For example I would like to see a plate, bowl, knife, fork and spoon all properly sized for minifigs and clearly I would want to buy several place settings. There are also lots of pots and pans and kitchen utensils that could be produced.

As well, cups and mugs are a good bet especially if you made varieties of beer mugs so we could create pubs and feasts.

The final category would be small hand tools such as a proper hammer. What about a small plane, file, or even a clamp that could fit onto a tile/plate.

These are the kind of accessories that I think would appeal to a wide audience and perhaps even a slightly different audience than the weapons. Girls for instance may buy some BrickArms but I have never seen many (if any) at the BA booth at BrickCon. I would however imagine a number of girls would love to equip their figs with tools and everyday utensils.

[Omicron]

As for my foliage designs/ideas, I wonder how many people would actually be interested. Are people really content with the Lego pieces and happy with an infinitesimal amount of conifers and spiky bushes and dreary flowers?

You are not the only one. That idea has been passed along to the BrickForge staff so much over the years.

The market is saturated with military weapons/vests etc and anything towards stars wars or existing lego lines would risk lawsuits :P

You must not be familiar with Arealight, Little Arms, and Christo. All 3 who happen to make and sell (legally) Lego Star Wars helmets and accessories, weapons, and minifigs respectively.

-Omi

Edited September 16, 2011 by Omicron

[Eldervampire]

I agree 200% about the flora and fauna, I remember prending my minis were all giants since they were a big as the trees I used to make a forest.

More and/or better untensils would be a great thing. Things like hay bales, lanterns and coils of rope would be useful as well.

[crossmr]

I think possibly some firefighting tools and different color helmets would be good. No one make anything close to this and it would be a way of cornering the market. Here is a link to a thread I had going on the topic so you can see what im talking about. LINK

Oxford makes an orange helmet, and a full mask helmet:

The mask sits loose, but sort of sockets up with the helmet.

[KisKatona]

I'd make some weapons. Vests, guns, helmets, you name it. Maybe customizable guns with attachments. I'm actually kinda working on it.

[KalSkirata]

Well, there are many third-party vendors of custom Lego.

They all have their specialties, for example Minifig.Cat's weapons are waaay more detailed than BrickArms'.

Everyone of them has their own style, and their own purpose.

One is going for useful equpment of all kind, one is going for weapons and sometimes minifigs, another one is making military gear and the last one is going for customizable weapon attachments.

I personally, as I'm a huge modern military fan, would go for a mix between.

I would one one part make camoed bodies, as Will once tried out, but also a big assortment of weapons, with a grade of detail between Minifig.Cat, BrickWarriors and BrickArms, but tending more to Brickarms.

Then of course vests, helmets and stuff, all in the modern department.

But as not everybody is a customizer, I would make them with interchangeable attachments, which you can put on and off as you want, without bigger minus in design ( I know this would be really hard, and I'm not even sure if it's possible. But dreaming is allowed. :))

And then things that noone is doing yet.

Mostly Tom Clancy video game stuff, for example Sam Fishers NVG set, or the Ghost Recon HUD with a fitting helmet.

I think the custom vendor market is quite developed, but there's still some space above in my opinion.

[andhe]

You must not be familiar with Arealight, Little Arms, and Christo. All 3 who happen to make and sell (legally) Lego Star Wars helmets and accessories, weapons, and minifigs respectively.

-Omi

Yeah I have seen their stuff, and am surprised they've remained under the lucasfilm lawyer radar, when even the original designer of the stormtrooper helmet was getting sued for reproducing models of his own design! I guess they don't explicitly say it's a 'star wars whatever', but more leave it up to obvious observation (I think).

I'd second the idea of beer mugs and similar accessories, or things like umbrellas, walking canes (!!!), crutches/wheelcahirs and craft tools (a proper wall paint paint brush perhaps).

Edited September 19, 2011 by andhe

[Omicron]

Yeah I have seen their stuff, and am surprised they've remained under the lucasfilm lawyer radar, when even the original designer of the stormtrooper helmet was getting sued for reproducing models of his own design! I guess they don't explicitly say it's a 'star wars whatever', but more leave it up to obvious observation (I think).

Well the difference between that designer, and say Arealight, is that I'm sure those replicas went for a lot more doh and were more than subtle. Customized stuff is an iffy subject when it comes to toys. You can make a custom Lego figure and get away with it, but if you make a custom action figurine, you can hit a snag (Didja know custom Gundam figures and the like are illegal in Japan?).

-Omi

[has a differing opinion]

I would produce weapons and characters from the call of duty series of games, but especially from the zombie modes of world at war and black ops. More details coming soon.

[fred67]

I'd like to see more cloth products. Capes are easy for hobbyists if you have the right material; but dresses, sails, hooded capes, robes, etc., would be pretty cool.

[Omicron]

for example Minifig.Cat's weapons are waaay more detailed than BrickArms

Minifig.Cat's stuff isn't custom. It is actually a toy "clone" brand similar to Lego called Sidan Toys.

-Omi

[mmcb]

I'd like to see more cloth products. Capes are easy for hobbyists if you have the right material; but dresses, sails, hooded capes, robes, etc., would be pretty cool.

I think someone already has a large range of those available

MMCB

Edited September 23, 2011 by mmcb

[Yucca Patrol]

Definitely more plant elements as well as food, drink, and basic tools/utensils. A couple more dogs would be nice as LEGO thinks that all dogs are police German Shepherds. But more than anything, I would want more plants: fern, variety of flowers/stems, logs, roots, etc.

[BrickClimber]

Definitely more plant elements as well as food, drink, and basic tools/utensils. A couple more dogs would be nice as LEGO thinks that all dogs are police German Shepherds. But more than anything, I would want more plants: fern, variety of flowers/stems, logs, roots, etc.

Yes, yes, yes!

And more animals like TLG has for DUPLO! Wildlife, farm, etc.

[ManitobaMoe]

I would have to agree with the ones you are interested in. I think that for scenery, there is so much more that they could do. My cousin use to spin cast for model trucks and has offered to spin cast me plates, i wonder if he would spin cast other things :)

Like the thread title says. If you were planning on creating custom items to sell in the same way as Brickforge and Brickarms, where would you aim your assortment of items? For example, there are lots of weapons and backpacks and harts/helmets out there but I would go in a completely different direction and tackle trees and plants and the more scenic elements. horticultural/farming accessories. wooden items such as logs and gate posts, water elements for rivers, pools and fountains/waterfalls. Even some stone items like millstones and wall panels. or thatched roof sections and wheat sheafs and hay bales. farm crops, hedges and bushes. I've even got some animal designs for various countryside settings.

I've done doodles of 100 items I'd create. thought long and hard about what's missing from Lego's greenery and garden/farm/countryside selection of parts. I could probably mock them up quite easily but I don't have the finances or means to make anything. which is a shame but there you go, life sucks sometimes. It all remains a dream project.

However, just for kicks and hypothetically, what would you create to sell? are there many niches that can be filled with custom items? Would you just create new versions of old Lego parts with better details and more realistic colours? Or brand new pop culture inspired things? Historical or modern? Practical or fanciful? Tell me