81–90 of 179 posts
Is it just me or does the data aspect of the site feel horribly designed? E.g, the main graph is hard to read since most of the data points are in the $0.10/part range but the graph's y-axis is overwhelmed by the right side with it's $3.11/part train set. And if I click on that, https://brickinsights.com/sets/categories/26 shows 4 data points and it's overwhelmed by a single outlier from 1991. And the time-sequence c…
Earlier quoted context omitted.
So buy Lego Classic. They're not like 80s-era simplicity, but they definitely reuse peices. They're not rare; they're on every shelf. (But they're not Harry Potter, Star Wars, etc.)
But they're not Harry Potter, Star Wars, etc. Isn't the point of Lego that every set can be Harry Potter, or Star Wars, or whatever you want? /Haven't Legoed in 45 years, but have fond memories.
I made a script last year that scraped LEGO pricing data from their website. Besides finding out that the Bugatti Bolide Technic set is a pretty good deal as a parts bag, I found that there's only a weak correlation between set size and PPP. The Dots sets throw a wrench in things, of course, and large Technic sets often have expensive electronic and pneumatic parts that must be considered. My conclusion was that PPP…
On the other hand, Technic sets contain large numbers of pins, which are basically worthless.
> Many people quote that a set should be priced at around $0.10 per part to be worthwhile. Is this the average? This has been the average, and it's so "perfect" that it has to be that Lego has been aiming for it. They've accomplished this by having more and more detail (read: smaller pieces) in newer sets. They appear to have been forced (or trying) to jump to $0.20 per piece in some sets (e.g., https://www.lego.com/…
Lego is a plastics company; they're trying to become net-zero, but, unfortunately, being a plastics company, this is extremely hard: https://www.ft.com/content/6cad1883-f87a-471d-9688-c1a3c5a0b...
Lego last essentially forever. 50 year old bricks are still in use today, I don't think I have ever seen people trashing Lego. They are actually quite valuable and very easy to sell. I think the only significant losses beside a few accidents are sets that end up, unused, in attics. But they are not really lost and may get a second life as they get rediscovered.
This may be the ultimate sustainable toy. I mean, name another toy that is still usable and didn't get obsolete after nearly 100 years. The most surprising part to me is that they are still selling. Maybe that thanks to adults, I don't know how long it will last.
As for their packaging, it is mostly cardboard, they use less plastic than almost everyone else. In fact, they are going towards no plastic packaging at all.
Earlier quoted context omitted.
I've also always questioned this. I have purchased about 60 sets in the past 4 years. I have a friend who has purchased well over 100 (he runs a Lego YouTube channel - he spends > $6,000 a year on Lego by his estimation). I have never had a missing piece. There have been two times when I thought I was missing a piece and then found it stuck in a bag or hidden under another piece. I've never had to write to Lego to ge…
Perhaps set size is a contributing factor? I've bought two sets over the last few years, and both of them have had a piece missing. One was 1969 pieces (no prizes for guessing which set that is!) and the other 1222 pieces. Both occasions the pieces weren't structurally important, and were small decorative elements.
I've yet to find a single missing piece so far. Many times we thought a piece would be missing, only to find it trying to escape somewhere. The plastic bags carry a pretty heavy static charge in dry winter conditions, and the tiny pieces love to stick inside those in the corners where they somehow turn damn near invisible.
To be honest the quality control is pretty unbelievable. If someone tells me they had 6 sets with missing pieces over the past 5 years my initial reaction would simply be to not believe them as it's so easy to misplace a piece during a 2,000+ piece week-long build. I've misplaced dozens to the point of having to order replacements from ebay or whatnot - only to find the pieces lurking around my house before the new parts even arrive. The joke of the household is you need to order a replacement part and then you'll find what you're missing a few hours later by complete accident.
I've found pieces in the strangest places. If you accidentally sit on one they will basically become one with your flesh, and I've found random pieces floating in the tub completely unexpectedly.
Knocking on wood my luck (and Legos QC) continues.
Lego is a plastics company; they're trying to become net-zero, but, unfortunately, being a plastics company, this is extremely hard: https://www.ft.com/content/6cad1883-f87a-471d-9688-c1a3c5a0b...
Lego may be the most "eco-friendly" plastics company in existence. Not because their factories and materials are special, but because they are among the most durable plastic items there are. Lego last essentially forever. 50 year old bricks are still in use today, I don't think I have ever seen people trashing Lego. They are actually quite valuable and very easy to sell. I think the only significant losses beside a f…
Lincoln Logs are just over 100 years old. An original set, if any exists, should still be usable.
Earlier quoted context omitted.
I am fully aware of the customer service side of lego. That's why I still use their stuff. But I suppose that is where our agreement will lie. Knowing what they are capable of and where they are now is noticeable.
LEGO needs to pull a KIA. First, they need the LLM instructions AI thingy to look at your pieces and instantly come up with inspiration. Gamify that. But they need to pull a KIA in that they hired the young designers away from GM and gave them some room. There needs to be a revolution in LEGO with the following: A device which is communally owned - at a Library or an Elementary School. Throw in plastic bottles and pl…
Cleaning the bottles and bags was incredibly difficult, even at the scale needed for a single bench. Just a massive amount of effort... The difficulty was that any residual bacteria would multiply and off-gas, eventually causing structural problems.
Likewise, I expect the biggest problem for a home-LEGO-recycler would be dealing with the many random impurities in the input stream.