Modular Building Sets - Rumours and Discussion

[Sven F]

I like the Starbucks corner building, and will support it, but I think the "Starbucks" name only gives it a huge disadvantage. There are some ideas where the licensing part helps popularize the product, and there are some where it does just the opposite. Apple, Starbucks, Barnes & Noble, etc.. DO NOT go in favor of its approval, in fact they sabotage its fate (just my opinion offcourse)

Even though many people would likely vote/support an Apple store or Starbucks just because of the name, I don't think it goes well with TLG in the approval stage.

Its a very different thing to combine LEGO with a movie/comic book (media) license and a product (corporative) license. I am sorry so many talented builders struggle to understand this. Yes I know we had VW, Maersk, Shell and some others, but I find it highly unlikely such cooperation could be suggested by an Idea, but what do I know?

Edited November 9, 2014 by Sven F

[finnbricker]

Many here do seem to believe that the Ideas Natural History Museum would actually have a chance of making it through the review. I am amazed by this – I believe the chances of it becoming an actual set is a pure 0 %. Having said that, yes, I supported it too. But no, Lego is not going to make an Ideas set that would fall into an existing theme and that would be so big. Looking back at Cuusoo/Ideas sets that they have produced, they all have two things in common. They are rather small and they don't fit into any existing theme.

[BirdOPrey5]

I like the Starbucks corner building, and will support it, but I think the "Starbucks" name only gives it a huge disadvantage. There are some ideas where the licensing part helps popularize the product, and there are some where it does just the opposite. Apple, Starbucks, Barnes & Noble, etc.. DO NOT go in favor of its approval, in fact they sabotage its fate (just my opinion offcourse)

Even though many people would likely vote/support an Apple store or Starbucks just because of the name, I don't think it goes well with TLG in the approval stage.

Its a very different thing to combine LEGO with a movie/comic book (media) license and a product (corporative) license. I am sorry so many talented builders struggle to understand this. Yes I know we had VW, Maersk, Shell and some others, but I find it highly unlikely such cooperation could be suggested by an Idea, but what do I know?

I agree, I supported it, but I would never put a Starbucks in my collection- I'd rebrand it as a generic coffee shop.

[Heppeng]

How about an overpriced coffee shop?

[lightningtiger]

How about an overpriced coffee shop?

And don't forget the dry cleaners too !

[Faefrost]

No they don't. The majority of LEGO is not sold from S&H

I would be willing to bet that something like 70-80% of the Modular buildings are sold via the Lego D2C market channels (excepting certain markets where such channels do not exist.) And pretty much everyone buying a Modular is almost always a VIP member. Enough that they get some very very good data back regarding Modular buyers habits.

Many here do seem to believe that the Ideas Natural History Museum would actually have a chance of making it through the review. I am amazed by this – I believe the chances of it becoming an actual set is a pure 0 %. Having said that, yes, I supported it too. But no, Lego is not going to make an Ideas set that would fall into an existing theme and that would be so big. Looking back at Cuusoo/Ideas sets that they have produced, they all have two things in common. They are rather small and they don't fit into any existing theme.

What existing theme? Modulars is not really an existing theme? It is more a standard and a type of set. It's not like Ninjago or Castle where things are color matched with an embedded story. It is more like Trains where the only common thread is Train Related and interoperability. Technically beyond the connection points each Modular set is a stand alone Creator Expert set. Further lets not forget that Market Street was derived from CuuSoo's precursor and is in fact a fan designed set.

I'm not saying that the Natural History Museum has a good chance of passing review. It is still a huge expensive set with a lot of things that may fail it at review. But it has a better chance than any other large set we have seen to date, in review. Simply because Lego has so much data to work with. If they are going to take a risk on any large very expensive Ideas set a Modular has a better chance of being what they will approve.

[Herky]

I don't see why it wouldn't pass review other than the high piece count, the first modular, as I have stated, was an AFOL submission, nothing wrong with keeping that precedent going...there are some things that likely would inhibit it, but 0% chance, I would say more like 20% chance. They could easily put this out as the 2016 modular with tweaks.

I supported the Starbucks even though I don't ever go there, I think the build is very nice, they could take Starbucks off and go generic with something else but keep the build style.

There is always hope I guess even in the face of odds...in fact, I just quote Han Solo...Don't tell me the odds!

[Sven F]

Yes, they could drop the brand and go with Acme coffee shop, but that move has to be done before it hits the review stage, otherwise it's not fair play to those who presumably supported it just because it's Starbucks. It's a lost cause unfortunately.

From their perspective it would be like telling ghostbusters fans, you'll get your set, but it will just be a Cadillac ambulance with four weirdo pest controllers.

Edited November 10, 2014 by Sven F

[totallymodular]

I never expected the BBT apartment set to make it through review for all the licensing related reasons listed above. If sitcoms are now acceptable to TLG then maybe I should start work on a Community study room...

[KeepLeft]

I quite like the design of the Natural History Museum and plan on converting my Tower Bridge into a museum to hopefully look something like it. The lack of colours is not a concern to me as it makes it look more realistic rather than adding colours just for the sake of it.

[BirdOPrey5]

Yes, they could drop the brand and go with Acme coffee shop, but that move has to be done before it hits the review stage, otherwise it's not fair play to those who presumably supported it just because it's Starbucks. It's a lost cause unfortunately.

From their perspective it would be like telling ghostbusters fans, you'll get your set, but it will just be a Cadillac ambulance with four weirdo pest controllers.

No it doesn't "have" to be done before review. LEGO reserves the right to make any changes they want- if they determine weirdo-pest-control would outsell Ghostbusters they could make the change. Once the idea is submitted you relinquish any rights you may have had. I agree it would unlikely, but there is no legal reason it could not happen.

[jedijon]

The market research portion of the process is pretty well invalidated if a Starbucks shop generates 10,000 support but LEGO needs to make it generic. Would the generic have gotten the votes? They don't know and neither do we...

[BirdOPrey5]

The market research portion of the process is pretty well invalidated if a Starbucks shop generates 10,000 support but LEGO needs to make it generic. Would the generic have gotten the votes? They don't know and neither do we...

They change the designs anyway. They never know if the new design would have made 10,000 supporters or not. I think they are well aware the quality of the work is a small factor in reaching 10,000 votes. Getting 10,000 votes is about your marketing effort more than your LEGO design quality. Technically you don't even need to show pictures of a LEGO build, you can draw sketches or take pictures of a paper mache model, if you get 10k votes it goes to review.

[Off the wall]

The generic version would have received my vote. With that said, I do spend $10 a day or more at starbucks. It's 1/2 mile from my house. Besides, I don't see starbucks fans stuffing the ballot box, so to speak, like fans of a certain college mascot might do. The people I know at starbucks and socialize with don't have lego very high on their priority list and couldn't care less about Lego Ideas.

[1974]

I would be willing to bet that something like 70-80% of the Modular buildings are sold via the Lego D2C market channels (excepting certain markets where such channels do not exist.) And pretty much everyone buying a Modular is almost always a VIP member. Enough that they get some very very good data back regarding Modular buyers habits.

Maybe, it's the way it is now, Faefrost (but I do doubt those figures), but before the great TLG shakedown, Modulars/D2C/10xxx were widely available through both independent dealers, Amazon and places like TrU and could often be bought at decent discount. Those places did not ask for your adress (well, if they did, TLG wouldn't know)

I know, I've bought quite a lot of them + 2000 regular sets and I've never been to S@H because better deals could be found just about anywhere else ..

Cheers,

Ole

[LegoFan82]

how about my museum..looks good with modulars..

haha just kididng

http://www.eurobricks.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=87193&hl=

[BirdOPrey5]

how about my museum..looks good with modulars..

haha just kididng

http://www.eurobrick...wtopic=87193=

You'd have my vote. Honestly I like your interior better than the one on Ideas. Absolute best would be to move 1 small dinosaur to your interior and it would be perfect.

[Off the wall]

I've only been an AFOL for about two years. But, it seems like we are in the midst of a drought as far as new products for AFOLs are concerned. Of course, when I started, I didn't have anything and there was soooooo much to buy. Maybe I'm all caught up. Maybe it's just me and my limited experience. Whatever, I could certainly use some definitive news on the next modular.

Edited November 12, 2014 by Off the wall

[Paperballpark]

User Diggydoes on Brickset has provided more info about #10246 Detective Agency:

It's basically two buildings,the Agency and a Barbershop. The main colours for the Agency are light yellow (looks like it at least) and dark orange (masonry bricks!!!),the colours for the Barbershop are dark blue and medium blue!

Apparently the (32x32) baseplate is Brown, although he's not sure if it's reddish brown or dark brown.

Not sure how a pool table fits in with the above, but I'm sure we'll find out soon enough.

Edited November 12, 2014 by Paperballpark

[lightningtiger]

Really those colours ?

I need to see it for myself......a pool table speaks bar or pool hall underneath the detective's office and there should be a barber's shop pole as well right ?

[Gongoro73]

If this information is true, the colour scheme is a total surprise to me. I've been picturing a black/grey (with some bits of tan or sand blue) building all this time.

Edited November 12, 2014 by Gongoro73

[pugmom]

hmmm....not sure why they would do 2 buildings on one big baseplate....

[Sven F]

a barber shop could be nice, but It will have to be pretty good for those colors to work well. Though as far as colors are concerned, i've been surprised before about what goes well together, some combinations I would never have guessed. Not a big fan of masonry bricks though, not in large quantities at least.

[alois]

With those colours the trend of Disneylandisation of the modular series continues. It's a shame because buildings like that aren't very useful in a realistic layout.

[bjorn77]

hmmm....not sure why they would do 2 buildings on one big baseplate....

Because of the supposed alley inbetween the two buildings?