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Comments
-Lego underestimating demand of certain sets
-LEGO making too many lines without enough manpower or equipment to meet demand
-People thinking that LEGO has an endless supply of lines running and parts to build everything
LEGO constantly underestimates, but I think that is better than overestimating and making 1000000 of something for it to sit in warehouses, at least for business (think PoP and some of the PoTC sets they apparently had massive stocks of after EOL).
I think LEGO probably should have known there would be demand, but again the resellers struck first due to the outrageous prices to be had on places like Amazon and eBay for these sets.
Plus someone else noted that LEGO is not just building the RI and Exo Suit, many sets are made and being made for beginning of next year I think.
Plus you have new lines that they are just also trying to build up stocks for (Like Artic and new SW and new superhero, plus there are rumors about sets being made for LEGO movie for beginning of the year)
So I think people have to calm down a bit.
What is apparent though is LEGO is trying to do more with less and it is hurting supplies
I think at this point it's more about managing risk for them while they try to figure out how to model the expectations for Ideas
Compare that with the production of the exosuit, there was a team of AFOLs involved in the development of that, promotion at a signing in store, some really good videos produced just before it came out.
It just seems that if a set passes the Ideas gauntlet, it would be make sense to produce more than one day's worth after.
But clearly I don't know how these work, or I wouldn't have asked.
with Licensed themes day 1 sell outs is much more rare, Star Wars my have sets go to back order from time to time, but they are not sold out, as more will be produced/shipped from other warehouses.
I don't intend to get very wrapped up in this. If a set it is sold out or too expensive from resellers, I just wont have it. Easy enough.
with that said I must rescind my previous statement of "Never" and change it to extremely rarely has a increase price change occurred.
They could always do limited runs as dutch auctions. So start the RI at £35 and lower the price to £30 after a month, £25 after two months, etc. down to whatever they want the price to be. I doubt they would get many fans for doing it that way though and probably a number of returns when the prices drop.
An alternative is that the limited ones are limited to one per VIP for the first month, and they manage the VIP scheme a little better to ensure no duplicate memberships.
Generally I have only seen the sale price of sets drop slightly, if shops sit with unsold stock for 3-6 months.
But this is generally retailer led.
If they still don't sell the lego then the retailer can do a discount sale, 3 for 2, or Lego voucher promo, like the current Argos £5 for £25 purchase of Lego.
Tower Bridge was released on 1 Oct 2010 at £204.99 - I've got a receipt, albeit from the day before! It's currently £209.99. However that isn't TLG increasing the price because VAT has increased. Excluding VAT, the launch price was £174.46, the current price £174.99 - technically a price increase, but only to match a price point.
On the other hand, I believe Winter Village Toy Shop was more expensive the second year and whilst VAT had again changed it didn't explain the difference.
The shops eventually had to drop the price to £49.99 to sell their excess stock.
As far as I know, it still is not selling well at the full RRP.
Several shops have it reduced.