75098 - UCS: Assault on Hoth

[jonnyhanukkah]

I wonder if we can call Lego customer service and try to talk them down on the price on the Assault on Hoth set  

[jstodda]

I have an answer for this - the completists will want it.

This morning at the VIP event by buddy was there. He has almost every single SW set. He's not impressed with it. The way he wants to display it means you'll be able to see the back of the blast doors. He disappointed by the way it looks. And that the Snow Speeder doesn't fit through the doors.

But he bought it anyway. He needed something to get to $150 for the slug, and he stays complete. So a bit of regret but he's living with it.

I think you're absolutely right. I consider myself somewhat of a completionist with Star Wars and I would be lying if I didn't say that part of my decision to purchase was just to make sure I had one.

[jstodda]

I bought it because I missed out on the hoth sets during my dark ages. Price point could be better but I don't really get the hate.

I think this is the other thing. From an investment standpoint this may or may not be a good decision. We really won't know until we see what the take rate on it looks like. From a collector standpoint it doesn't necessarily improve on prior sets so I can understand that point of view as well. That being said I think everybody has their reasons.

Many of us are fans of the original trilogy While others believe it or not believe that the secondary Trilogy improved on the first set. At the end of the day it is usually emotion that drives purchasing behavior and everyone's reason for that will be different

[CoastaLego]

1 hour ago, Alpinemaps said:

I have an answer for this - the completists will want it.

This morning at the VIP event by buddy was there. He has almost every single SW set. He's not impressed with it. The way he wants to display it means you'll be able to see the back of the blast doors. He disappointed by the way it looks. And that the Snow Speeder doesn't fit through the doors.

But he bought it anyway. He needed something to get to $150 for the slug, and he stays complete. So a bit of regret but he's living with it.

The snow speeder DOES fit through the blast doors.  7:05 of this video. 

 

[Alpinemaps]

The snow speeder DOES fit through the blast doors.  7:05 of this video. 

 

Huh. Interesting. I guess my store didn't do a good job setting up the display set because it didn't appear to fit through them.

[fossilrock]

Brickshow always has good reviews, and that review further convinced me that all the whining about this being the worst set of all time, was a bit off, and done way too soon.  It's hard to base your opinions by the initial box art, the occasional review that uses images, but it's these full on video reviews that sell it for me.  These guys have convinced me that this is a decent set.  

[Bold-Arrow]

54 minutes ago, fossilrock said:

Brickshow always has good reviews, and that review further convinced me that all the whining about this being the worst set of all time, was a bit off, and done way too soon.  It's hard to base your opinions by the initial box art, the occasional review that uses images, but it's these full on video reviews that sell it for me.  These guys have convinced me that this is a decent set.  

A $250 UCS set should be way more than just decent in my book. The best sets as of late have been the Technics , hands down . 

[Phil B]

Just to summarize: For a new set to be desirable, it needs to be:

- For an old-time Collector: A fresh new spin on something (either completely fresh or a good refresh)

- For a recently awoken Collector: Anything that the old-time Collector wants, plus potentially a rehash of something currently difficult to get (i.e. retired and appreciated in price)

- For an Investor: CEO/father seal of approval - i.e. the "I gotta have that" factor

- For a Reseller/QFLL: Met with a high initial demand including wow factor

- For a Completionist: To merely exist.

 

Did I get that right?

[jstodda]

Just to summarize: For a new set to be desirable, it needs to be:

- For an old-time Collector: A fresh new spin on something (either completely fresh or a good refresh)

- For a recently awoken Collector: Anything that the old-time Collector wants, plus potentially a rehash of something currently difficult to get (i.e. retired and appreciated in price)

- For an Investor: CEO/father seal of approval - i.e. the "I gotta have that" factor

- For a Reseller/QFLL: Met with a high initial demand including wow factor

- For a Completionist: To merely exist.

 

Did I get that right?

Bing! Lmao

[Bold-Arrow]

9 minutes ago, Phil B said:

Just to summarize: For a new set to be desirable, it needs to be:

- For an old-time Collector: A fresh new spin on something (either completely fresh or a good refresh)

- For a recently awoken Collector: Anything that the old-time Collector wants, plus potentially a rehash of something currently difficult to get (i.e. retired and appreciated in price)

- For an Investor: CEO/father seal of approval - i.e. the "I gotta have that" factor

- For a Reseller/QFLL: Met with a high initial demand including wow factor

- For a Completionist: To merely exist.

 

Did I get that right?

[weitzel78]

I did not initially have a favorable opinion of this set, due to a lack of perceived display value and all the negative reviews. But after seeing it setup at the Lego Store I picked one up over the UCS Tie fighter for my collection. I don't own any of the old Hoth sets (besides some sealed investment 2014 AT-ATs and Snowspeeders) so I can't say if I would have wanted it if I was an "old time collector." 

[Robertx]

7 hours ago, Alpinemaps said:

I have an answer for this - the completists will want it.

This morning at the VIP event by buddy was there. He has almost every single SW set. He's not impressed with it. The way he wants to display it means you'll be able to see the back of the blast doors. He disappointed by the way it looks. And that the Snow Speeder doesn't fit through the doors.

But he bought it anyway. He needed something to get to $150 for the slug, and he stays complete. So a bit of regret but he's living with it.

Pretty sure that was sarcasm. Since he bought one and liked it. 

[cubfan78]

I just placed my order for AoH along with 18 Disney Minifigures for the Kiddo's! That now makes three orders since April 30th and seven for the month. This may not seem like much to most of you but for me a builder only, this is a lot!

Edited May 1, 2016 by cubfan78

[CoastaLego]

Jangs review also just went up  

 

[odysea11]

8 hours ago, weitzel78 said:

I did not initially have a favorable opinion of this set, due to a lack of perceived display value and all the negative reviews. But after seeing it setup at the Lego Store I picked one up over the UCS Tie fighter for my collection. I don't own any of the old Hoth sets (besides some sealed investment 2014 AT-ATs and Snowspeeders) so I can't say if I would have wanted it if I was an "old time collector." 

I have to agree! My attitude towards this set completely changed when I saw the display at the Lego store. So I got one for my Boy's B-Day! Time to clear some space!

[makr]

11 hours ago, fossilrock said:

Brickshow always has good reviews, and that review further convinced me that all the whining about this being the worst set of all time, was a bit off, and done way too soon.  It's hard to base your opinions by the initial box art, the occasional review that uses images, but it's these full on video reviews that sell it for me.  These guys have convinced me that this is a decent set.  

I don't think it's a bad set, but it doesn't feel like a UCS to me. This is like a Star Wars version of City Square (60097). Lots of small things, some of them quite nice, yet nothing of real substance.

[fossilrock]

Isn't this how every thread in this forum goes? 

• Phase 1 - Leaked pictured with poor jpeg artifacts is released online.  You can barely tell the details - but the crowd bemoans "I HATE THAT - IT'S UGLY - SUCH A WASTE OF A SET" .  15 thread pages are quickly escalated bemoaning  the fact that lego's glory days are over.
• Phase 2 - Lego announces the set - And the hostility ramps up at an even louder notch.  
• Phase 3 - The first review hits online from a backwater site just trying to gain recognition.  The review is negative - The crowd confirms their hatred.
• Phase 4 - The set is finally released, and it's in stores. People finally get to see it in person.  Brickshow and Jang's reviews come online with more detail and insight.  The crowd starts to wain in opinion.
• Phase 5 - The set is out for more than a month, some have bought it, others will claim they are waiting for a discount.  Those that bought it are mostly happy.  Those that didn't might still have some skepticism.  The page threads are now over 50 with comments back and forth like it's a battle between the sith who hate it and the jedis that like it.  
• Phase 6 - The longest phase - from 2 months out until the year and a half mark - the set is mostly forgotten, but there are those still buying it for investment in a mostly silent mode.  Others may pick it up because they want it, but everyone has already moved on to throwing rotten tomatoes at the next set rumor and the grainy picture that was just released.  This occupies most everyone's time.
• Phase 7 - Set goes out of stock for 30 days.  THE HORDE ACTIVATES!  "My gosh, this is going to be the best set ever as an investment - we MUST SACK EM' NOW!"
• Phase 8 - For the next six months everyone is sacking the set from stores as investments until it finally gets retired. 
• Phase 9 - Half the people that invested blow their sets out when they can make 15.00 on it.
• Phase 10 - One year after the set was released, it is now almost double it's value.  Everyone says "This new Cloud City set is crap!  Nothing iconic, nor has the playability like Ewok Village or Hoth".
  
  Rinse and Repeat. Rinse and Repeat.

[Bold-Arrow]

^ no . Enter Porsche thread .  

[fossilrock]

Just now, Bold-Arrow said:

^ no 

Yes.  You know it's true.  Just read every thread, and it follows the same pattern.

[Bold-Arrow]

3 minutes ago, fossilrock said:

Yes.  You know it's true.  Just read every thread, and it follows the same pattern.

Sorry , posted before I was done  . See my edit . There are a lot of sets that were a must have from day 1 , unfortunately those have been dwindling in numbers aside from the technics IMHO .  

[Darth_Raichu]

5 minutes ago, fossilrock said:

Yes.  You know it's true.  Just read every thread, and it follows the same pattern.

Let me give you my consultant patented answer: "It depends"

[fossilrock]

5 minutes ago, Darth_Raichu said:

Let me give you my consultant patented answer: "It depends"

Alright, Slave 1 did get a lot of good accolades.  But, if you read the Ghostbusters thread, the Batcave set from this year, the pattern is mostly the same.  I personally, just find it amusing that they all mostly follow this pattern.  I'm just waiting for the Big Ben and Disney Princess Castle to get their first image to further test my theory so that it can become a law.

[Darth_Raichu]

One of my main problem with this set has always been the name.  It is embarrassing for the rebels when TWO snowtroopers with a bike and gun constitute for an assault AND activated the whole defend system of the base.

Call it "Afternoon at Hoth Echo Base" and I would be satisfied

There. I complained AND gave a solution for the problem.

[gregpj]

10 minutes ago, fossilrock said:

Yes.  You know it's true.  Just read every thread, and it follows the same pattern.

I disagree about "every"... There has been a large number of lackluster sets lately which have followed that pattern, but Brick Bank didn't go through that pattern, and as BA stated Porsche didn't go through that pattern just to name a couple of the recent larger sets. If you look at the 10 largest sets from this year...

• Ghostbusters HQ
• Bucket Wheel Excavator
• Porsche
• Classic Batcave
• Brick Bank
• Assault on Hoth
• Claas Xerion 5000
• The Village
• Jestro's Volcano Lair
• Volvo EW

Only the Batcave and AoH followed this pattern so far and AoH has been anecdotally the worst of the bunch.. but it's Star Wars. The other 8 have received more positive posts than negative posts and with the exception of The Village, by quite a large margin. And even The Village was in regards to "do we need a Minecraft Exclusive which has mostly plain old bricks?" rather than about the quality or accuracy of the set.

From 2015...

• Helicarrier
• Arocs
• Ferris Wheel
• Detective Office
• Kwik-E
• Temple of Airjitsu
• Slave 1
• Tie Fighter
• City Square
• Heartlake Grand Hotel

I'm not sure any of those sets followed that pattern other than common complaints about stickers (Kwik), lack of power functions (Heli) or repetitive build (Tie) and that was from a minority of posters.

Also, as with any open forum (in fact it's a known issue in all types of surveys .. negative people are more likely to complete them), the naysayers tend to be over represented. There is a small contingency of posters on BP who consistently slam any set or the investment potential of any set.

Personally, I think as a single UCS set this one stinks because it had so much potential. As a conglomeration of decent HOTH sets, it has an audience including myself at the right price (I have very few HOTH sets).

[Alpinemaps]

8 hours ago, Robertx said:

Pretty sure that was sarcasm. Since he bought one and liked it. 

Actually, no.  It wasn't sarcasm from him.  He bought it.  He's still not thrilled with it.  But he is a completest.  He's not going to pass up a Lego SW set, pretty much no matter what.  He's missing maybe 20 set that have been put out, and that's it.