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With all due respect, I think most people don't want to start arguing about a topic like this on a LEGO forum, not that they agree with you. As a small business owner, my view is different. I see the American Dream work everyday. I have employees who have worked hard for me, excel in life. They have nice homes, investment properties, kids in great colleges and are a positive in society. While I believe corporate profits should be taxed and treated differently, the American Dream does work for those who are reliable and just show up for work. But many times, it's people from other countries that prosper more than the American workers I have. They have a better work ethic and work harder. In my experience, most people get paid what they are worth in relation to how valuable their job is the business they work for. Maybe if these some of these kids and adults get their eyes off their phones and off of social media, they can excel in their jobs and provide a better life for themselves and family. Many people today look for ways "not to work" instead of just doing the job. They waste energy everyday looking for ways to avoid hard work. I see it in my nine year old son. Smart kid, but is lazy and entitled and it's my fault. We are raising a generation of snowflakes and cupcakes. The Lepin situation is just out right theft, though. They are made with questionable methods, in dirty factories and with stolen intellectual property. Is LEGO too expensive? Probably, but to defend these people for buying knockoffs because they cannot afford LEGO sets is silly. Save your money. Work harder. You can't always get what you want. Sorry.

Don't forget those darn beatniks, Boomers, and bikinis! My word. A woman showing her ankles AND shoulders?!

Seriously, can we avoid sweeping statements founded on nothing more than personal anecdotes? Literally every generation thinks the generations that follow are lazy, delinquent good-for-nothings too caught up in petty distractions. If it wasn't smartphones, it was TV, rock n roll, long hair, drugs, radio soaps, the jitterbug, or the cotton gin. That belief isn't a distinguishing feature. The rising inequality, however, is different and it predates kids today.

or my inablity to find ANY marvel sets to justify the purchase was rather difficult...was apparently a common dillema for most. I had to order like 20 panther keychains...freakin KEYCHAINS!!!!

I’m skeptical, but really really hopeful, like a kid looking at the weather channel tracking a snow storm, waiting for the school to cancel. Sent from my iPhone using Brickpicker Forum

Personal anecdotes are what I know and relate to, even though it's on a small scale. I also speak with thousands of different customers every week, from all walks of life, and have a pretty good feel for what is going on. It is my belief that newer generations are increasingly dependent on parents to support them and if the parents are themselves not capable of success, how can they teach that to their kids? Maybe the reason for the rising inequality is fewer people today understand how to become successful and are dependent on others to support them. They don't have the tools or knowledge on how to do basic things. People travel the path of least resistance more than ever. Kids will ask Alexa to do their math problems. We hand out trophies to everyone. Some states are lowering grade point scales. What was once a B is now an A. Excellence is looked down upon or ridiculed by jealous a-holes. I feel sorry for my son. He has to live in this world where his life can be destroyed in minutes by a post on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter. Social media and technology is a wonderful thing if used properly, but if not used correctly, it destroys lives. Did Rock and Roll or long hair do that? Next time you are in a restaurant, look at the families around you. Many are on their phones. I am guilty. Is that the new normal? People don't want to speak anymore, they want to text so it makes it easy to do the hard things like verbally communicating. There is an erosion of manners and basic understanding of one another. It's all about "me." They want to blame others for their own poor life decisions. Inequality has and always will be in the human DNA. Let's face it, people are not created equal. Some people are just gifted, whether it's physical, mentally or in family history/wealth. But inequality has nothing to do with Lepin sets. Making inequality arguments and excuses for people who buy illegal products because they can't afford a $400 LEGO set is ridiculous. It's a toy. With all of that said, there are sacrifices successful people often make. World class athletes don't get that way by sitting on a couch. Successful business owners, managers and professionals often work long hours, sacrificing family and free time. There is a give and take, but it is harder to balance today than ever. Sure, I wish everyone could get paid $25 an hour or get free college tuition or free health care or free LEGO sets or free whatever, but someone has to pay for it. Inequalities exist everywhere. Should Amazon pay more Federal taxes than me? You bet, but that won't won't deter me from trying to be successful or cause me to make excuses for poor choices made by me. But many inequalities are often from simple decisions. Work overtime or watch Youtube? Get you nails done or pay the water bill? Hide in the bathroom or engage with a customer? One last sweeping statement and then I will get back to work...Most people on this site understand the basic principles of success. They work hard...Grind it out. They are educated and look for an edge. They want to learn and share information. Most make no excuses. They are also generous. I am done with my rant. Back to chasing the American Dream....

I welcome it, I'm still trying to live up to the hard work and foundation my parents/grandparents put down for me.

I just passed on it all together...

Good thing bogus bricks got shut down. I’d bet dollars to donuts that those workers weren’t getting a living wage. Hopefully they take this opportunity to get better paying jobs.

I am SatanLovesLepin.

Apparently some VIPs in the UK have received an invitation to a midnight release at the flagship store in London and many believe it will be the release of a Stranger Things set that has been rumored for a little while now. This event is happening May 15.

Got lucky and found a brand new box at a local toy shop. Got my ducks, Jasmine,Jafar, Sally and Jack. If someone can confirm, the ducks are on the two outer rows.

In other words, video games and social media are addictive as f***. Pornography is unknown to me so I cannot really make a comment on it.

You want to know what's wrong with the young generations? Easy. It all starts with the smart phone. Three core components aid in the destruction of ambition. This includes both family and professional life. They are... Pornography, Social media, and Video games. Each of these "activities" simulates core biological functions for males and females necessary for maturing into adulthood. When engaging in these activities, the brain is tricked. It believes its core motivations are being satisfied. The brain does not realize these virtual conquests are not real, and proceeds to waste entire lives in their pursuit. Only when the victim emerges from the basement do they realize they have been played. And by then, its too late. All they have to show for years glued to a screen is virtual trophies, used Kleenex and fake internet points. Any chance of achieving a fulfilling career, raising a family or building communal worth has been flushed away by a microcomputer. Now, sit back and ponder this question...Why are these things given away for free? That is the real question...

Anecdotes being all you know doesn't make your conclusions any more valid when talking about entire generations. There's little reason to think your experiences are statistically representative or significant. And your interpretations of them introduce even more sources of bias than sample error alone. You mention that younger generations are more dependent on their parents. You're right. There is actual data backing that up (e.g. more kids living withing their parents into their 20s, reduced household formation). But you're drawing spurious conclusions about the causation. Recall that in 2008 we had the worst economic downturn since the Great Depression. The recovery, even now, is slower in part because of government austerity measures and companies hoarding profit rather than reinvesting it. Credentialism has increased so kids today need more education just to get entry level jobs than their parents did. And those credentials cost more money. And then many of them have to work unpaid internships for years because paid trainee programs and career-track mailroom gigs don't exist anymore. Those are structural obstacles that have nothing to do with personal responsibility or ambition. It's also more than a little ironic to use bogusbricks to both call out what's seen as being unique flaws of younger generations and dismiss out of hand the inequality discussion.

I saw Dusty Rhodes at my local high school some 40 years ago. Then I saw him shopping at the local Shop Rite after the match and it blew my mind. These guys shop? LOL Listen, if you ain't first, you're last. Period. LOL

I agree with some of what you said, and disagree with a lot of it too. But the good ol' "trophy" beef makes me laugh every time. Participation trophies have been around since at least when I was a kid, so 30+ years or more. It's not some new phenomenon that is suddenly destroying kids' desire to achieve. My kids & other kids I'm around don't give a rats ass about getting a participation trophy or ribbon - it doesn't make them feel good because they're smart enough to know that every kid getting one doesn't make it special in any way, and it doesn't lessen their desire to want that championship trophy or blue ribbon. Kids get it - but like so much of what's wrong in youth sports, parents seem to blow it out of proportion.

I have mentioned in threads past how much the head for the Mouth of Sauron's minifigure looks similar to a Cenobite from the Hellraiser series not to mention how some of the goblins were amusingly "fugly" (in a good way). True the film material these characters were taken from are rated closer to teens than younger children. Even the Ideas releases of the Back to The Future's DeLorean or the Ghostbusters' Firehouse are from properties which would be rated PG-13 by modern standards. My statement was less on the source material or its rating and simply more on having a minifigure based on a beast that is essentially a walking maw of teeth on par with a bull shark. One hand very cool, on the other a whole lot of "nope!". Haha. While we're at it, why not. Ultimate Collector Series Chestburster bust coming soon!

I think the re-release sub attacks by LEGO have sunk many, and made others feel it was unsafe to continue to sail the waters. It also doesn't help that the long time collectors know that these attacks by LEGO were deliberate - They feel betrayed by a company that they have long loved and supported.

I do think the Toys R Us closures had a real impact. If you can't see and touch the products for yourself, there really isn't any incentive to seek them out later.

Most of what we consume is made by someone not being paid a living wage.

https://pages.ebay.com/seller-center/seller-updates/2019-spring/index.html

Lepin Reddit page...You will never find a more wretched hive of scum and villainy.

What Ed says is true but I will have the price guide updated in next few days. Just want to get all the data for April first then we will be caught up. Sent from my iPhone using Brickpicker Forum mobile app

I posted one post applauding the raid and I went from +3 karma to -13. LOL

I've been having fun trolling reddit. Nothing like getting a bunch of cheapskates all worked up. The thought of having to pay for a quality product is terrifying to them. Update: The personal insults have started. The indication that the trolling his hit its mark.

They won’t. You can get a good gauge on their feelings on Reddit. They blame LEGO for artificially high prices (in their opinion). They blame resellers for high prices on retired sets. They blame LEGO for not keeping sets evergreen. They even blame LEGO for “not allowing IP holders to work with multiple brick companies.” It’s truly a socialist point of view - everyone should be allowed to have everything at a low cost, and IP should belong to all, not just the innovators/creators. That’s why they have no problem with MOC creators having their creations sold with no compensation either.

Bought a used Pirates theme lot off of Craigslist a couple months ago for $500 that I finally got around to building after cleaning the pieces and ordering missing pieces from Bricklink (only missing about $20 worth)... Time to sell them, but I really enjoyed building these. I bought a castle lot at the same time for $400 but I gotta say, the pirates were much cooler and more fun to build. Just too much light gray with the castles... made for very boring builds imo. Sent from my SM-G960U1 using Brickpicker Forum mobile app

eBay.com is offering a $3 Off $3.01+ Purchases w/ coupon code PERKS4ME (apply at checkout) valid for select eBay Account. This coupon will apply to your entire order. Redeem coupon at checkout with your eBay account. Offer valid through May 2, 2019 or while promotion last

https://m.gamestop.com/product/collectibles/toys/lego-disney-minifigures-series-2-assortment/175553?cid=fds_10000777?utm_source=sdi&utm_medium=feeds&utm_campaign=pla&utm_kxconfid=ts3whtzh8&gclsrc=aw.ds&&utm_campaign=ca_all_products&gclid=cjwkcajw-4_mbrbueiwa5xnfifbdxitpq9j2wabcv4biapdrr6bf9nf2kuu-5tnl1elqvq0u3ydqzhockr0qavd_bwe GameStop has in store pickup edit* WalMart tracker info: https://********.com/p/lego-minifigures-disney-series-2/6446513

This turned into a "stay off my lawn" "kids are stupid" "they will never be as good as us" "I walked uphill in the snow to school" thread pretty quickly.

I have a feeling @TheOrcKing would like this song:

If you are just looking to supplement your costs, buying new sets in store to flip is a pretty piss poor strategy. The competition is really high as anyone and everyone can get their hands on these sets. You need to hold them until after retirement in most cases to get decent value on them after paying for shipping and fees. You're much better off buying bulk lots and splitting them up. You can get them locally on craigslist, facebook, offerUp, etc., and you can also find some pretty good lots on eBay and Mercari. Obviously you look for lots where instruction manuals are included, you can see lots of figures, and many partial/complete sets. Back before I had kids I was scoring a large lot weekly... and in many cases they were full sets all built in the pictures. If you nab lots like this on eBay, just ask the seller to individually bag the sets. Take your time and do a lot of research. Find which older themes and sets are selling well. Be selective and patiently hunt for things. I've made much higher profit margins buying bulk lots and splitting them, than I have clearing out Walmart and Target. I started with old Star Wars sets about a decade ago when they were still valuable, moved on to classic castle, classic space... more recently elves dragons. Collectors covet many of the older themes... no one is coveting the current lines as there is always a remake or something similar right around the corner... or it's so overhoarded that you can still get it for RRP on eBay 2 years later. It is a good amount of work... but you get to build everything so that certainly adds to the enjoyment.

You can get "stated" by realizing there are a million easier and faster ways to make money other than selling LEGO sets. Sorry about your HUGE addiction problem. Please seek professional help.

walmart pick-up today gave me LM2 figures...... gamestop did not have in-store five below only had 26 left! southwest florida locations