Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

Lego has changed since we were kids (2014)

todaysparent.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

91–100 of 301 posts

Re: Lego has changed since we were kids (2014)

#91

Post by theshrike79 »

nix23 wrote: post #45
rnernento wrote: post #44

Legos are still one of the most satisfying toys to buy your children. Yes they are expensive, yes it's annoying that a lot of them are built just once. That being said when you look out at the competition the bar is low. I have a 5 and 3 year old and watching them patiently page through the instructions and put together something complex that they really care about is incredibly satisfying. Some of the sets have rela…

>That being said when you look out at the competition the bar is low. Bluebrixx, Cobi and Xingbao are probably much better.

Haven't tried those specific brands (and they tend to change brand every time they get sued), but I had a bunch of Lepin and whatever else.

You can tell the difference if you start mixing pieces. The official ones SNAP together, the cheapo copies just smush and don't really stick. They tend to get loose way faster too.

They're good if you want to get that 5000 piece car, build it and put it on a shelf. But if you're looking for something you can give to your kids and grandkids, get the real deal. I still have the same lego sets I got when I was a kid and now they're with my kids.

Re: Lego has changed since we were kids (2014)

#92

Post by wink »

Xylakant wrote: post #63
thot_experiment wrote: post #49

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I would be absolutely floored if any of those other toy brick manufacturer had the quality of LEGO, they are injection molding wizards.

I haven’t tried a kit of those three mentioned, only other competitors, but brick quality hasn’t been any different from Lego.

I have one Cobi model and while it hasn't been playtested by a kid longterm the bricks look solid and the model looks good.

Re: Lego has changed since we were kids (2014)

#93

Post by mcv »

jacquesm wrote: post #81
mcv wrote: post #71

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I don't think we ever had the yellow castle, although I do remember that flag. And we definitely had a set with a horse in the style of the yellow castle. So either we did have the yellow castle but lost the instructions, or I knew someone who had it, or that flag also appears in another set. But I really have no idea. It was a long time ago.

The reason those flags are so rare is because the grip of the 1x1 round brick at the bottom is much stronger than the strength of the flagpole so if you would remove it by pulling on the flag you'd break it. So these commend ridiculous prices for small pieces of plastic (about 8 euros or so last I checked).

8 euros isn't that much. Certainly not an expensive collector's item. For an item that hasn't been made in almost 40 years.

Re: Lego has changed since we were kids (2014)

#94

Post by planetafro »

thorin wrote: post #55
altacc wrote: post #39

Most of the now & then examples are both true now. The classic sets still exist and how children play with Lego depends on their personality and what they have available (and how it is stored). Children are individuals and Lego allows a larger variety of play than most other toys on the market. My kids have a mix of classic & branded sets and the play area is a mix of designed builds and improvised creations. The fav…

I'm pleased you said that, because we also have a mixture, but most of the sets that were built were broken up and are now in communal boxes. This seems pretty unusual compared to most parents, I guess it's mostly because the parents don't want things to get mixed up. In theory we could rebuild according to the instructions, but in reality it's never going to happen as it would take so long to find all the pieces. Al…

This is absolutely the correct way Lego intends you to play. They even make the boxes flimsy and cheap on purpose to not encourage saving them. There are some Lego employees on TikTok that speak of their training and "secrets" if interested. Not a source of truth, but interesting none the less.

Personally, I enjoy the modern Lego in that there is parental choice. As a company, they cater to all audiences without a strong opinion either way. This is the way.

Re: Lego has changed since we were kids (2014)

#95

Post by altacc »

thorin wrote: post #55
altacc wrote: post #39

Most of the now & then examples are both true now. The classic sets still exist and how children play with Lego depends on their personality and what they have available (and how it is stored). Children are individuals and Lego allows a larger variety of play than most other toys on the market. My kids have a mix of classic & branded sets and the play area is a mix of designed builds and improvised creations. The fav…

I'm pleased you said that, because we also have a mixture, but most of the sets that were built were broken up and are now in communal boxes. This seems pretty unusual compared to most parents, I guess it's mostly because the parents don't want things to get mixed up. In theory we could rebuild according to the instructions, but in reality it's never going to happen as it would take so long to find all the pieces. Al…

Yes, I think a proper Lego setup for young children requires the parents to set up the right environment. We devote quite a bit of space to Lego so that it’s always on hand and I’m a bit fanatical about Lego organisation. That helps both when starting a free build and also finding the pieces for an official manual. Flip side is the classic pain of stepping on Lego!

Re: Lego has changed since we were kids (2014)

#96

Post by thrower123 »

You have to go way, way back to the 70s or very early 80s for some imagined Golden Age of Lego where the things this article is moaning about were not the case.

The most concerning issue with Lego to my mind is that they seem to be creatively bankrupt. Licensed IP kept the company afloat in their dark days, but they don't even try to put out their own themes anymore.

Re: Lego has changed since we were kids (2014)

#97

Post by jacquesm »

mcv wrote: post #93
jacquesm wrote: post #81

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The reason those flags are so rare is because the grip of the 1x1 round brick at the bottom is much stronger than the strength of the flagpole so if you would remove it by pulling on the flag you'd break it. So these commend ridiculous prices for small pieces of plastic (about 8 euros or so last I checked).

8 euros isn't that much. Certainly not an expensive collector's item. For an item that hasn't been made in almost 40 years.

It translates into 5000 euros / kg or so, which is pretty impressive.

Of course if you had a kilo of them the price would crater :)

Re: Lego has changed since we were kids (2014)

#98

Post by ilikerashers »

mmustapic wrote: post #67
ilikerashers wrote: post #43

Trying to buy lego for kids these days is a nightmare. I went looking for a spaceship lego set. Just a simple rocket or something. Instead it's heaps of adult themed/Star Wars/NASA licensed stuff. The alternative seems to be a bucket of standard bricks. The adult orientation of LEGO these days makes me hesitant to buy it. I don't mind Adults having LEGO sets, I do mind if that becomes so lucrative it stops kids being…

A simple spaceship https://www.lego.com/en-be/product/space-shuttle-adventure-3...

You have to sift through pages to find this one and it is 50 euro for a small set.

Re: Lego has changed since we were kids (2014)

#99

Post by ilikerashers »

mcphage wrote: post #70
ilikerashers wrote: post #43

Trying to buy lego for kids these days is a nightmare. I went looking for a spaceship lego set. Just a simple rocket or something. Instead it's heaps of adult themed/Star Wars/NASA licensed stuff. The alternative seems to be a bucket of standard bricks. The adult orientation of LEGO these days makes me hesitant to buy it. I don't mind Adults having LEGO sets, I do mind if that becomes so lucrative it stops kids being…

> I do mind if that becomes so lucrative it stops kids being able to enjoy it. I've got 3 young kids, and trust me, that's nowhere near happening. Kids love lego.

It was about making it accessible. No doubt they love it!

Re: Lego has changed since we were kids (2014)

#100

Post by glanzwulf »

Alternatively we could say Lego didn't change that much. We still have Lego classic which is still quite popular and often out of stock. So other than advertising I think nothing else changed

Now it's true that there are new alternative "lines" to bring in new people, but we also had that back in the day. I remember when I got my first Lego Technic for example.

Post reply on HN