75192 - UCS: Millennium Falcon 2017

[andyposterfan]

14 minutes ago, Shewie said:

Nothing, they don't care about your problems with potential value drops on second market. If you approach them, they will sign the set for you.
If potentially ISD (or any re-release) will come next year, probably signing will happen again so you will be always able to get your MILF  box with you for the event and get your sample signed.

very true!

[jonnyhanukkah]

1 hour ago, kos999 said:

Everybody here is talking about the popularity of this set, profits of LEGO , "investors" etc.   But who is considering long term numbers ?  Lego made two “fatal” errors  with Death Star and Falcon.  They destroy the most important thing in long term conditions, the trust of buyers to this company.   They did it  once before some yers and almost bankrupt.

It doesn’t matter the short term profit, even if it is millions.  Decisions like this create disappointment to the long term investors who were keeping about the 60% of the stock in expensive sets.  Just look all our portfolios numbers.  About  7% down in all expensive sets just in 2  months.  This shows the trend for the future. Lego cannibalize in a bad way what makes them the biggest toy company in the world, the customer.

I'm sorry, but what?  What trust are you talking about?  Lego owes nothing to investors.  

I fully agree that the Death Star was a mistake in that almost nothing was updated except for the minifigures but we've all long suspected that the new Falcon would be coming.  The time to sell was last year and everybody and their mothers were warned.  

Not only that, but the Millennium Falcon has also been updated with thousands of extra pieces and major upgrades.  For those that were too young or could not afford the original Falcon, this is a great sign that Lego is listening to them (me included).

[flynnibus]

1 hour ago, kos999 said:

Everybody here is talking about the popularity of this set, profits of LEGO , "investors" etc.   But who is considering long term numbers ?  Lego made two “fatal” errors  with Death Star and Falcon.  They destroy the most important thing in long term conditions, the trust of buyers to this company.   They did it  once before some yers and almost bankrupt.

It doesn’t matter the short term profit, even if it is millions.  Decisions like this create disappointment to the long term investors who were keeping about the 60% of the stock in expensive sets.  Just look all our portfolios numbers.  About  7% down in all expensive sets just in 2  months.  This shows the trend for the future. Lego cannibalize in a bad way what makes them the biggest toy company in the world, the customer.

The flaw in your posts is you are treating "customers" and "Lego investor" as the same thing - they aren't.  They are motivated differently, they want different things.  Lego isn't steering their business to "Lego investors"

[Darth_Raichu]

2 hours ago, kos999 said:

Everybody here is talking about the popularity of this set, profits of LEGO , "investors" etc.   But who is considering long term numbers ?  Lego made two “fatal” errors  with Death Star and Falcon.  They destroy the most important thing in long term conditions, the trust of buyers to this company.   They did it  once before some yers and almost bankrupt.

It doesn’t matter the short term profit, even if it is millions.  Decisions like this create disappointment to the long term investors who were keeping about the 60% of the stock in expensive sets.  Just look all our portfolios numbers.  About  7% down in all expensive sets just in 2  months.  This shows the trend for the future. Lego cannibalize in a bad way what makes them the biggest toy company in the world, the customer.

Sorry, the new TLG is focusing solely in profit they can see in their balance sheet.  Nobody can proof impact (if any) resellers have to TLG's bottom line.

If it cannot be calculated, then it is not real

 

[Val-E]

And what is this long term you are talking about, anyway? I can´t see further than the blue tinted specs on the end of my nose.

[exracer327]

On 9/15/2017 at 11:01 PM, CM4Sci said:

I just read on Facebook from someone who talked to some LEGO reps, they said that those who waited for double VIP points (me!) are probably out of luck and all of the backorders won't be done until Nov 8th at the earliest.

Damn it!

As sad as that makes me, perhaps it gives me more time to re-position my current LEGO inventory so I don't have to shell anything out of pocket for this set.  Admittedly, the gingerbread house I just sold for $125 definitely helped... hehe, thx facebook lady.

[inversion]

2 hours ago, flynnibus said:

The flaw in your posts is you are treating "customers" and "Lego investor" as the same thing - they aren't.  They are motivated differently, they want different things.  Lego isn't steering their business to "Lego investors"

Not necessarily. Customers are more willing to shell out $$$ if they also consider LEGO as an asset with a nice resell value instead of a consumable. Without that perceived value it is just plastic. It is very much beneficial to LEGO's bottom line if people regard their product as long term assets, even if they are not investors themselves.

[Kesh]

20 hours ago, Will 4 said:

But look at cloud city Boba as a cautionary tale since newer versions have come out it has dropped in price pretty quickly.

Unlike Lando and his cape...

[minicoopers11]

6 hours ago, Shewie said:

You can always travel to Billund or ask anyone with RLUG or RLFM status to ask for signature. They have numerous meetings with designer teams responsible for making most of the themes for TLG.
You can travel to LEGO House in Denmark and get your copy signed even by Hans himself and this will be the only copy in the World with REAL LEGO DESIGNER. Not by project supervisor or Design Team Marketing Manager  who's decisions was mainy narrowed to yes or no.  I'd love to have the signature of those who spend tiresome hours working weeks and hundreds of hours on this project.
 

That's why myself and anders from Zussammengebaut have the only copies of Saturn V with Mike Psiaki signature and I have the only one copy worldwide with Jamie Berard Signature of his flagship project - Assembly Square.

Both are in my super-secret underground vault in Pyongyang.

Wait, I thought YOU were Jamie Berard.

[Ed Mack]

1 hour ago, inversion said:

Not necessarily. Customers are more willing to shell out $$$ if they also consider LEGO as an asset with a nice resell value instead of a consumable. Without that perceived value it is just plastic. It is very much beneficial to LEGO's bottom line if people regard their product as long term assets, even if they are not investors themselves.

I agree.  The perceived value of LEGO sets has played a significant role in The LEGO Group's resurgence over the past decade or so.  In combination with top notch licensed themes, sets designed for adult fans and an impeccable reputation, LEGO products have sold well and appreciated in value after retirement.  Is it a coincidence that profits have shrunk with multiple reissues/similar remakes, increased counterfeits and a general feeling among hardcore collectors that no set is special anymore?

[blocp13]

On 9/16/2017 at 10:27 PM, Ed Mack said:

One thing I have been noticing over the last few months is the lack of full shelfs in many of the supermarkets and  big department stores like john lewis here in the UK. Also smiths are out off stock of loads of items online and instore.

The shelfs don't seem to be getting refilled very fast either, I was in john lewis the other day and if I spent GBP 100 I got a GBP 10 gift card I decided to get the missing buildables for my collection as they were half price and was GBP 30 short, I really struggled to find anything to make that order up. In the end I picked up 3 speed champion corvettes as they were 30% off.

 

[blocp13]

I could have gone and got a 75192 this morning from my local sah (if I wanted to get up early and queue. but to be honest I am more excited about trying to source a 10179 for a reasonable price.

I bidded on one a 10179 last night but it just went above my cut off and they might get cheaper once 75192 becomes more readily available.the initial excitement has gone about 75192,

I am a little worried that I might miss out on the VIP card but I am willing to take the risk. 

[flynnibus]

43 minutes ago, Ed Mack said:

I agree.  The perceived value of LEGO sets has played a significant role in The LEGO Group's resurgence over the past decade or so.  In combination with top notch licensed themes, sets designed for adult fans and an impeccable reputation, LEGO products have sold well and appreciated in value after retirement.  Is it a coincidence that profits have shrunk with multiple reissues/similar remakes, increased counterfeits and a general feeling among hardcore collectors that no set is special anymore?

You guys are funny to read. Next time I'm hanging out with the new CFO I'll try to get her take on the significance of the speculative resellers.  She's actually a former colleague of mine.

 'hardcore collectors' - how many real hardcore Lego people admire their collection of unopened boxes?  The folks spending thousands on bulk bricks to build a MOC are far more of an impact than speculators I bet.   

Want to theorize how how important you are to the business?  Try looking at where the company actually invests hard dollars... like space in the retail stores.  How much shelf and floor space is dedicated to you?  When have you ever seen Lego promote the residual value of any of their sets?

Lego overshot... they've been spending heavily to enable growth.. and when they finally spluttered.. they were exposed.  Hence the 'reset' they announced.  It's going to be a turbulent time anyway for TLG with the change in leadership.  It will be interesting to see how the upcoming Movies help the toys or not.. or if they just become interesting sidebars.

[flynnibus]

2 hours ago, inversion said:

Not necessarily. Customers are more willing to shell out $$$ if they also consider LEGO as an asset with a nice resell value instead of a consumable. Without that perceived value it is just plastic.

No mom decides to buy her son a kit based on it's resale value.... the same way she throws out the box immediately, and let's the 8yr play as he wants instead of ensuring he doesn't lose any pieces.  

People can build anything from bulk bricks... yet the vast majority still buy SETS - because the set is its own value in terms of the total package it brings.. plus whatever 'unique' elements it gets.  People got excited about Slave I... because it was Slave I.

[biking_tiger]

Annnnnnd... that's one more member ignored. 

[gregpj]

18 minutes ago, biking_tiger said:

Annnnnnd... that's one more member ignored. 

The list is almost longer than the number of people who got the new Falcon on release day.

[Val-E]

1 hour ago, minicoopers11 said:

Wait, I thought YOU were Jamie Berard.

So does he. Sometimes. In his sleep.

[klo1978]

Sweet, I have gone from "awaiting additional stock" to officially "backordered"

[brickvoyeur]

26 minutes ago, flynnibus said:

You guys are funny to read. Next time I'm hanging out with the new CFO I'll try to get her take on the significance of the speculative resellers.  She's actually a former colleague of mine.

What was her bathroom schedule like? Did it seem like she has a lot of experience laying bricks?

I see it too...this joke looks even worse with my username

[Val-E]

14 minutes ago, gregpj said:

The list is almost longer than the number of people who got the new Falcon on release day.

Would be nice to have a leaderboard of blocked users. No chance of @exciter1 beating me in that one.

[ravenb99]

1 minute ago, Val-E said:

Would be nice to have a leaderboard of blocked users. No chance of @exciter1 beating me in that one.

don't worry I've never blocked a single person.  Something about pulling up the page and seeing the royal flush of poo emojis...

[Floriano]

11 minutes ago, klo1978 said:

Sweet, I have gone from "awaiting additional stock" to officially "backordered"

Oh gosh, good news that someone has moved forward but mine is still "awaiting additional stock"...

[Val-E]

Sooo, people are now listing pre orders for backorders items.....

[klo1978]

6 minutes ago, Floriano said:

Oh gosh, good news that someone has moved forward but mine is still "awaiting additional stock"...

is "backordered" considered moving forward? lol

[ravenb99]

Ready to list my first one,  with all the talk of numbered cards and authenticity just wanted to make sure this looks legit?