Can’t say it’s too exciting. I only got one because it’s 51% off 😂
Cheapest on Camel
https://au.camelcamelcamel.com/product/B08G4KWY36?context=se…
CamelCamelCamel.
Definitely more expensive that's for sure. It's almost like they have already jacked up the RRP to cover the usual 20-30% discount that gets offered by stores
Agree. Even at this price cannot justify
Not just you.
Aside from the odd Creator/Creator Experts and Ideas sets, most newer stuff, especially licensed, are very uninspiring and seem like after-thought bundle just to sell minifigures.
Is it just me or are Lego sets getting more crappy and expensive
No and no.
Lego's cost per piece has been much lower since the 2000s than it ever was historically.
The average number of pieces in a set and the complexity of sets has increased exponentially and the average cost of licensed sets versus unlicensed sets is now pretty much equal.
As for crappy? Nostalgia is a hell of a drug. We forget how god-awfully primitive and utterly basic Lego used to look back in our childhood.
My favourite case in point, the Lego Star Wars Slave I models over the years. Who in their right mind would prefer the earliest Slave I sets over the newer ones? Same goes with the X-Wing, Millennium Falcon or Tie Fighter sets.
Lego has transcended being a mere toy; these days it's more of an art medium than anything else and Lego models are as much about realistic, static model-esque levels of detail and accuracy, as they are about being toys. The good thing is their range has literally something for everyone now, so you can still get abstract, cheap, fun toys with lots of play value or AFOL-oriented static display sets that look quite at home in man caves and shelves full of pop culture collectables.
If you're judging the world's most profitable toy company for about 40 years running now on the basis of a couple of dodgy sets you dislike, then you're really not aware of the fact that they're producing upwards of 200 new sets per year and constantly adding new themes, moulds, pieces and construction techniques into their repertoire.
I think this part of that blog I linked discussing the evolution of Lego and its price history, sums it up well as a perception problem in the minds of spoiled kids who grew up with Lego now turning into stingy adults who're outraged at the prices of sets that are actually cheaper than what their parents paid for those sets from their childhood:
What happened to LEGO?
If all the signs lead to the price of LEGO not increasing overtime, then why is there a common belief that it has? I have couple hypotheses:
- Children who were bought LEGO as gifts are now old enough to buy it for themselves and for others as gifts and they are surprised by the price.
- The advent of collectible LEGO sets and the internet has driven the secondary market of LEGO through the roof
Buying LEGO sets as an adult
When we are young, we do not know the value of money let alone the toys we play with. Our parents work tirelessly to buy us the newest, most popular toys and we never realize the effort that went into earning that money. Eventually we get our own jobs and have our own kids. The prices of the toys we had as kids comes as a shock. $150 for a toy? $200 for a toy? These prices are outrageous. It is supposed to be a kid’s toy right? Our eyes may be drawn to the large sets but that doesn’t mean that reasonably priced sets are not nearby. In addition, as I stated before, LEGO has started to market some of their sets to an older audience. That $400 Super Star Destroyer is not for your kid; it is for you. This market didn’t exist 20 years ago.
There is another factor that comes with the sticker shock. As I showed before, LEGO has had $100+ sets for a while. However, only recently have they produced sets even more pricy than that. When we were kids, the $100 set was the pinnacle of LEGO. It was the set we all aspired to own. It was the set we all went straight to at the store. Of course we rarely ended up with that set, but that was our dream.
Now, the dream set is closer to the $400 range. It doesn’t mean that LEGO doesn’t make sub-$100 sets. They do, and more than ever. It just means that in comparison the $25 set looks a lot smaller than it did when the largest set was only $100. LEGO pricing has become a victim of its own expanding market.
Perceptions of LEGO
LEGO has changed a lot in its history. It started as a wooden toy company before it discovered the benefits of molded plastic. Since the advent of the brick, we have been able to build everything from houses, to spaceships, to working robots. The increased detail and wider product line has allowed for the blossoming of the idea of LEGO as an art medium. LEGO bricks walk the line between giving people more pieces that can be used to add detail and restricting the pieces to inspire creativity. There is a balance that can be seen through the amazing works, both large and small, that can be done with a bit of patience and an eye for plastic.LEGO is not a cheap toy and has never been. The brand has stood for nothing but the highest quality and hopefully any issues it has had with changes in manufacturing are only the result of temporary growing pains. Next time you are out buying a LEGO set for a loved one or for yourself, take a second to thank everyone who ever bought one for you as a gift.
It's you.
I can’t keep buying these lego sets as I’m running out of room for it all. I think I’ll just consecrate on others
I think you and the guy above are both consecrating on lego.
Is it just me or are Lego sets getting more crappy and expensive