Why LEGO isn't a Toy Anymore...

[@sudiousmine]

You know you're in a bad neighborhood when you go to the Walmart and you see Lego locked up.

[@Drawzilla2810]

Brother they locked up here in Utah it’s not that deep

[@Bowl849]

@@Drawzilla2810wait really? I went to a Walmart a bit ago and they weren’t

[@scorpiovenator_4736]

​@@Drawzilla2810That's to be expected

[@theonlycube8538]

I mean that’s just Walmart. They’re always sketchy

[@jamesedwards1867]

All the Targets near me in NC & SC have them locked up.

[@MaxM210]

The root of this, I think really stems from the larger cultural shift in the way kids play. Video games, phones and general electronic devices occupy way more of the average child’s attention than ever before. The next few generations will probably be the last to have toys at the same capacity we did. Toys as a concept won’t be going away anytime soon, and kids will still have them, but not to the same extent. Meanwhile the generations aged 20-40 find themselves in a world that has learned to sell them back their nostalgia. The cost living has risen such that young adults can barely afford apartments or cars, so why not use all that disposable income to recapture what your childhood felt like. Lego like all other toy companies has come to realize 20 something adults are probably the best market they’ve ever had. They can produce huge, expensive sets, most of them licensed, and designed to sit on shelves as display pieces, without needing to consider family budgets or parent’s reluctance to spoil their children. Children are no longer the primary concern of the average toy company.

[@BrandonScott-mi5pz]

EXCELLENT LEGO MAN CAM WORK. ❤❤❤😊❤❤❤😊❤❤❤😊

[@FantasmaJ]

​@@BrandonScott-mi5pzdead internet theory

[@jeffc4862]

I honestly think the 'root' of it is that Lego has long been beyond the price point of most young parent's wanting to get a set or two for their kids (nostalgia is a strong motivator to share with Children, just as it is to continue purchasing as an adult). Parent's still love 'analog' toys and activities for their young children before the phones and video games come into the picture, and there are a lot of lesser expensive and engaging alternatives to Lego which has kinda become a one set and done purchase, or Parents just buying a collection of building bricks due to the expense. In a nutshell, they 'priced out' of the parent market, and are presently pricing out of the adult market as well outside of more affluent collectors.

[@randomcow505]

I think its the other way around I think parents give kids video games and phones because its LESS EXPENSIVE than buying toys sure, an iphone costs £500, but they can use it for almost everything, they basically NEED to have one, most of the games are free, and you just have to throw in £10 a week to buy them skins for hours and hours of play time. Meanwhile traditional toys just dont offer that kind of replayability and the prices for them is just rising and rising especially for the good ones like lego and I think part of this is because they know they can charge such high amounts because they know man children will pay out the ass for them.

[@jeffc4862]

@@randomcow505 It's really about parenting, and parental engagement. Kids under 10 don't need phones or video games - they've pretty much just become the at home babysitter to engage the children so that parent's can do something else (as opposed to actually spending time with their kids playing games, putting puzzles together etc...). Granted, we don't have a 'go out and play' society any longer, but kids DO mirror/reflect their parents, and if Lego was more affordable and building encouraged, that's what they would do. Lego was ALWAYS expensive, which is why many younger parents write them off. That said, there are many adults willing to pay the crazy prices, but now that there's a growing list of comparable competitors with much lower prices, in a few years, even the adult market will most likely change.

[@ledders3150]

Who else misses the old days where play come before display

[@gamerboyofficalyt]

I sort of do, I wasn't around during LEGO's "golden" years as some may call it, a part of me still subconsciously yearns for the days of classic town and city, they were such simple yet creative sets with simple minifigures that you didn't have to worry about selling on some after market.

[@Takeawayjustin]

Yeah i desperately want cheaper sets with good value​@@gamerboyofficalyt

[@BrandonScott-mi5pz]

GREAT LEGO MAN CAM LEGO IS NOT JUST TOY

[@AJedits65]

lol nobody’s stopping you from it tho

[@Takeawayjustin]

@@AJedits65 huh

[@spikepig76]

Other people have said this, but it bears repeating. While these bigger sets are beautiful, offer a lot of playability, and people who can afford them have the right to buy them, there is a real danger that Lego is killing off its own future. The adult generation that is buying these bigger sets will not last forever. The next generation may never get into Lego because they could never afford it in the first place, especially if the store’s shelf space is increasingly dominated by inexpensive sets that parents can't afford.

[@SO-ym3zs]

I too fear that they're trading huge profits today for their future. I think you're right: the folks buying sets for nostalgia will move on, but we won't have a new generation of kids growing up with Lego the way so many (like myself) once did.

[@TheOne-pv4rz]

When the kids grow up they will join the AFOL community and start their Lego hobby later in life then when they can afford it, no big deal.

[@strangefishybusiness]

@@SO-ym3zsIt doesn’t look too good for lego, I’ll be honest, I’m a kid, a kid who enjoys lego more than most. I’m a Lego starwars fan, and I love all sets obviously, but even me getting 100 bucks can only get me 2 lego sets nowadays. I never get lego sets, it’s just too expensive. Compared to 2020-2022 it was way cheaper, with me getting like 5 sets a year. But now, it’s far too expensive, and I feel the quality is increasing, but the size is decreasing. Not many other kids would appreciate that. In my opinion, I love everything legos doing, but the price should be more affordable and they should shift their focus back to the children audience. I’m sure most kids like me wouldn’t mind a little quality decrease for more size, as long as it’s affordable honestly. 40$ for the new Moff Gideon vs Paz Viszla set is somewhat overpriced.

[@strangefishybusiness]

@@TheOne-pv4rzBut they might not get too interested at that age.

[@SO-ym3zs]

@@strangefishybusiness This won't help if your main focus is Star Wars, but if you just like building in general, the best thing you can do is check out competing brands like Cobi, Funwhole, Cada, Pantasy, etc. You can get some exceptionally good sets cheaper than Lego, sometimes only a third the cost.

[@leondosunmu8450]

if they aren't toys anymore, then make deadpool and wolverine sets!

[@pepsicannot]

Well you might just be asking about were are those R rated, M rated moves as well as irl tragedy events as Lego sets.

[@bloodymarvelous4790]

They did. In 2012.

[@KKingTy03]

They gave us a punisher and a blade in the last few years, who are both rated R characters.

[@LetThatStuffGo]

YEAH! They should also make the Ford Bronco and bus from the movie Speed in the Speed Champions line. 🍸

[@Toshiro93]

The two things that perplex me most are not so much these sets, but: 1. the absence of sets that complement the mastodons designed for adults and, let's face it, for those with a nice fat wallet; 2. the fact that there has been a general increase in the prices of all sets, even those that technically shouldn't include licenses of any kind (yes, I'm looking at you, Monkie Kid).

[@nicholassmith8779]

I think this is due to how much LEGO is expanding right now.

[@JBMVoid]

They found kid grew with lego will buy lego as adults. So they start target those

[@subraxas]

Yeah, you are just repeating here what has already been stated on the video above. 😀

[@prathameshozarkar]

​@@subraxas😂😂

[@StratBurst92]

The companies certainly know about the nostalgia factor. Look at how Pokémon is booming now. In 2012 I worked at a Toys R Us building bicycles. at that time Hasbro released their Star Wars vintage collection which were reissues of the 1970s figures, playsets, and vehicles. I saw many younger adults buying them and not so many kids.

[@jeffc4862]

I think Lego priced themselves out of the market for Parent's wanting to get sets for their Kids, and noticed the evolving collector/investor market, and how much adults were willing to spend on sets they most likely wanted when they were younger, and were finally able to purchase them on their own. What's interesting, is that even with the shift toward adult builders, the models are continuing to elevate in price and piece count, which has moved far beyond even what the average Lego adult enthusiast is willing to spend, which has led to an influx of 'off brands' that have very quickly been gaining popularity.

[@SO-ym3zs]

Lego is making a killing financially for now, but how long can they continue the strategy of making these hyper-expensive adult collector sets instead of what their core business used to be: creativity toys for kids? Thank goodness for the alt brands that cater to people who love brick building itself and not the "Lego" name or stuff licensed from movie franchises.

[@DaToxicJay]

It annoys me so much that as a kid, sets were cheaper and cooler but now has an adult with my own money they are expensive and arent as cool.

[@juanpabloortiz1547]

Well, aside from price, I do think they are taking something away: space for Lego's own original themes for kids. From the 2000s to I guess 2010s we used to have this short but sweet themes that were affordable and super creative: Atlantis, Space Police, Power Miners, Castle, Agents, Monster Fighters, etc, etc. Lego were creative with their own brand and targeted "older" kids; now there isn't really a product for the in-between crowd, it is either 4+ sets or the hundred dollar collector's item. Even those sets that are for 12-18 ages, they have to be tackled onto a license, so no new themes. Now, we do still have original themes, but the all aim at the Ninjago treatment, as say Galaxy Squad. These themes need a TV show, or a mobile game to be green lit: Monkey Kid, Chima, Nexo Knights, Hidden Side. If it isn't as big a success as Ninjago, it is considered a failure. I miss the days when we'd get a couple waves of a theme and it didn't have to be "the next Ninjago", it just had to be itself as Lego tried something new.

[@Bowl849]

There’s also the Dreamz wave

[@bloodymarvelous4790]

@@Bowl849 And the Exploration themes (Polar, Ocean, Jungle, Space). And even if they're IP related, they aren't that expensive. Look at Fortnite, Overwatch, Animal Crossing, Jurassic World, Indiana Jones, Super Mario. Plenty of sets below the $50 mark.

[@jfwfreo]

When was the last time LEGO introduced a new original theme that didn't have some kind of tie-in media?

[@sonic-bb]

This argument doesn’t make a whole lot of sense. Lego always had long running themes and short running themes regardless of successful tv shows or not. If anything, they had more of a habit of running themes short for no reason. Even if the theme was popular. The mainstay was Lego city. Ninjago just took that spot. And if anything, Lego is trying to have more original mainstays. But when the shows aren’t very successful, they just do what they always have and end the theme. So what’s the problem? At least now they try to have different themes stay as long as ninjago

[@Carfilliot]

⁠​I just built a huge 6000+ pieces WW2 submarine from Panlos that cost a third of what Lego would charge and it’s just as solid and well built as anything Lego has created. Lego prices have become obscene.

[@AsG_Alligator]

Cobi is also getting pretty impressive with their WW2 vehicle sets for quite affordable prices.

[@berenthebear1313]

Don't forget Funwhole 😊

[@SO-ym3zs]

I bought the 3,000+ piece Pantasy Sherlock Holmes modular for under $100. The quality of everything (design, bricks, manual, packaging) are as good as Lego or better. Why on earth would I keep buying Lego when I can buy things like this so much cheaper?

[@SO-ym3zs]

@@AsG_Alligator Cobi has been making really good stuff for years now. They pretty much fly under the radar in the US but are more well known in Europe.

[@SO-ym3zs]

@@berenthebear1313 Funwhole has been releasing some absolutely killer sets this year that put Lego to shame, quite honestly.

[@jacopomalatesta4913]

Legos should cost half as much for the love of god.

[@SO-ym3zs]

The fact that companies like Funwhole and Pantasy make sets that are as good or better than Lego and sell them at a third to half the cost of a comparable Lego sets shows it's quite possible.

[@bloodymarvelous4790]

@@SO-ym3zs Then buy those. It's an open market. By the way, you'll soon find out they're not nearly as good, let alone better, than LEGO. Bricks don't fit together properly, instructions are far inferior, and the final builds aren't nearly as stable.

[@SO-ym3zs]

@@bloodymarvelous4790 I haven't had that experience at all--quite the opposite. Over the past few years, the best alt brands have come to rival or outstrip Lego in quality. The manuals from Cobi and Funwhole are actually superior in the way they differentiate completed and current steps and/or call out parts. Funwhole and Pantasy use GoBricks, which are as good as Lego in fit and clutch power and better in color consistency. Cobi bricks are also top notch. And I've seen no difference in overall build stability of the leading alternate brands and Lego. Lego just isn't superior anymore to the best of what their competitors offer. Which is great, because it means more quality options for everyone (though it's a shame Lego has also declined).

[@Carfilliot]

⁠@@bloodymarvelous4790oh stop being such a fanboy, you’re embarrassing yourself. Lego is grossly overpriced, I can buy a PS5 game for 70 bucks that cost the developers 200 million to make but Lego want hundreds for a few tiny plastic bricks! The price gauging is only possible because of the dumb idiocy of fans like yourself defending this bullshit. Lego used to be something every kid had buckets full of but it’s now become something entirely different and it needs to change. I just built a huge 6000+ pieces WW2 submarine from Panlos that cost a third of what Lego would charge and it’s just as solid and well built as anything Lego has created.

[@verios44]

@@bloodymarvelous4790plus the majority of those off brand companies rip off designs from sites like rebrickable and sell for a profit using cheap Chinese made parts. Some wxceptions exist though like CaDa and Megablocks. Both of those are legit companies that design their own products. Not really that cheaper too, and in Cada's case they have issues with their technic line. Not perfect but not horrible either.

[@AdamBragg]

With the steady increase in quality of some non-LEGO brand bricks, combined with as you put it the increasing cost of living crisis, I do wonder how many parents will be turning to these cheaper alternatives for their children. I don't mean people buying intentional copyright infringing LEGO knockoffs, but alt brands who're producing their own sets which may even be more kid-focused as well as more affordable than LEGO is becoming. If such a trend does develop, we may see in the next 10-15 years an entire generation of young adults whose childhood memories include happily playing with non-LEGO building bricks. As both they and these alt brands mature, will we see them become more prevalent in the marketplace? Will we see them gain increased marketplace acceptance and legitimacy among brick building toy fans? If so, LEGO will only have themselves to blame.

[@Rafaelforte-hs4bv]

I hope so honestly I love legos, but a greedy company is a greedy company. We can’t expect lego to do what they did in the past because it’s better. They’ll do what makes most money, period. Soooo, ya

[@AdamBragg]

@@Rafaelforte-hs4bv To be equally honest, I don't think "greed" is a factor. If you account for inflation, LEGO sets on average charge less per brick today than they did in the 1980s. LEGO isn't more expensive due to overcharging, what's happened is the sets have gotten larger and more complex. The target market for many sets is now 18+, a category which didn't exist several decades ago. These are some of the factors which are really making LEGO more expensive. Even in the smaller City sets, there are more bricks than the equivalent sets of previous decades. When you consider that the average City vehicle is 6 studs wide instead of the classic Town width of 4 studs, this translates into more bricks for the vehicles and more bricks for the buildings so they aren't outsized by the vehicles. The resulting sets are more interesting and better looking, but those extra pieces come with a cost. Add to that all the licensed sets, every one of which had to charge enough to not only cover the bricks themselves, but also pay the royalty to the licensee. You can't make a set AND pay Disney a royalty AND make it bigger than in the past AND account for inflation AND keep the price down. It's basic math. It's easy to look at a huge and profitable company and accuse them of raw greed, but I don't think LEGO NEEDS to be greedy. They are HUGE! They so blatantly dominate the global toy market they can be average in their costing formulas and still make bank.

[@SO-ym3zs]

The legit alt brands are now producing sets that are of equal or better quality and more feature rich than Lego products--and often far, far cheaper. Once Lego runs the adult nostalgia market dry, they're in trouble because of shifts in kids' play habits away from toys, crazy pricing, and putting their eggs in the 18+ basket while leaving their original themes to just coast or wither. At some point, I doubt there will be many kids growing up with Lego anymore.

[@Sentinelelmejor928]

​@@SO-ym3zs funwhole Is the better example of this, I don't know If the bricks match the Quality ABS of the lego Brick but the Building techniques aré sure something that matches Lego's building techniques, the thing Is Funwhole doesn't have a retail way of Buy It outside of Amazon and their sets are Mostly geared to the adult collector, Mega Is the one that Is the closest competing brand with lego, the plastic sure Is different but they are a cheaper alternative for both kids and adults and they surely evolved in their Building techniques and while they don't have the same licenses as Lego they still have Some heavy hitters.

[@fallrain7]

how I be writing my perusall annotations when the topic interesting

[@peterpolus5272]

Bricklink being owned by Lego is one of the worst things that could have happened to the community and it happened😐

[@Sentinelelmejor928]

Because of the investors?

[@peterpolus5272]

@annieskywalker9290 because now they control a large portion of the second hand market. It would be more beneficial to the consumers if it had no direct ties to the producer.

[@bloodymarvelous4790]

@@peterpolus5272 How do they control the second hand market? It's the sellers that offer the sets and bricks for sale. Not LEGO.

[@peterpolus5272]

@@bloodymarvelous4790 That's true. What I'm talking about is that they make the important decisions that affect the bricklink portion of the market and in case a situation arises in which there's a conflict of the company's and the consumers' interest, they are probably going to make the choices that benefit the company.

[@taxi9554]

@@peterpolus5272well, if Lego does re-create expensive mini figures or expensive sets….it is good for me as consumer. But perhaps Bad for an “Investor.

[@benjaminstorace6699]

I wish Bricklink never sold out to LEGO.

[@Studebricker]

Probably because the owner died and the family wasn't able to run it...

[@LEGOAgenda]

What happened when they bought it ?

[@fgdj2000]

My criticism against Lego is the ridiculously high prices against a dip in quality. Lego competitors usually give you more for similar prices, I am looking at Funwhole, Cada or Bluebrixx. Imagine Funwhole‘s Barad-dur. Would have been expensive too, but you’d gotten lights and just better designs.

[@SO-ym3zs]

That's the real kicker: it's not just a steady increase in prices, but a decline in quality control and, often design. The competitors like Funwhole, Pantasy, etc. just make cooler themes and sets and sell them cheaper. That's a big win for anyone willing to step outside the Lego comfort zone.

[@eightcoins4401]

Bluebrixx is not its own brand. They just get deals with manufacturers like Cada, Cobi or Xhingbao.

[@SO-ym3zs]

@eightcoins4401 They release their own designs under their own name, in addition to selling other brands.

[@studebricker2845]

​@@SO-ym3zs I guess those brands are fine if you want to support a country that is an enemy to the US. The Chinese government is not our friend.

[@marguy124]

Walmart near me locked up the legos, literally 1984.

[@GamerErman2001]

They didn't start the 18+ line because of COVID. They started coming out in 2020 which means they had to be working on them in 2019 or earlier.

[@GSFBlade]

I see what you're saying, Lego either caused the pandemic or knew it was coming. I knew they were evil blood suckers, but not James Bond Supervillain-level evil blood suckers :)

[@Vel_178]

Ofc they well informed before it takes flight when half their factory workers in china suddenly calls sick leave

[@Lobberzillo]

I remember between 2010-2012 those forums on Classic Castle with the admins defending the idea that The Lego Group was (reasonably) making and focusing the market for kids. But since some years ago, TLG finally got the point that more people at any age range have been more likely to acquire sets as collectibles or board games. Btw, we need a RPG board game with cards and minifigures 😌 like a Monopoly but with battle cards, raids, treasure hunt and random encounters. I think a primer idea was introduced with Ninjago and their spinners.

[@bilbobaggins9451]

D@mn. I remember when the UCS Star Destroyer was a big deal. And that was looked at as like once in a blue moon thing. Now it seems like regular $30 sets are what comes around once in a blue moon. It did leave me kind of awestruck, but at the same time kind of somber to see the sheer amount of UCS sets. That was when I walked into a lego store for the first time in maybe 15 years.

[@tr1bes]

I went to Wal-Mart yesterday just to pick up an order. The Lego is in glass cage. It's like I just visited a 90s Toys r us looking at games.

[@jakubadamec3243]

Adults have money, kids don't. I guess that's why :)

[@PedroSavioo]

Even for adults a 500 dolar lego is a lot of money

[@jakubadamec3243]

@@PedroSavioo well for sure. I would never buy a set for 500...

[@DarthTach]

​@@jakubadamec3243 Tell me your a poor without telling me. I just bought Barad-dur during this Insiders weekend. But i did save up for it since it's release. I'll drop $500 on something if i feel there is value for it.

[@scottborenstein8291]

@@jakubadamec3243I have the LEGO Lamborghini Sian, it was $450, worth every penny.

[@marcing115]

I wanted to buy bugatti chiron from lego, but after seeing 750$ price i decided to buy one from aliexpress. They have THE SAME MOULDS lol, for 60$ at that xD

[@efeugurYT]

Im a kid but that pac-man arcade machine looks pretty great

[@fieldie]

I'm 51, i love building lego sets, it helps with keeping me sane, I build them and display them, even some I modify to make it truly my own! I feel I have loads, but then compared to some I'm barely even a novice! I won't ever stop building them.

[@legomaster9190]

An excellent take on this phenomenon! The best time for me regarding Lego was (surprise, surprise) when I was a kid and basically built the set one time and then used the pieces in so-called free building. Now, as a boring adult, I see things have changed a bit and it's almost as the tables have turned. While I still hear the call to do that type of free building, it just doesn't have that same appeal to sit down for hours and just build, plan, modify, build some more and so on. Now I just get a new set occasionally and build it and try to find a nice spot for it in my appartment. I also see my taste has changed a bit from those direct play sets to more decorative ones, though from time to time I still get a set that has a cool minifigure or some items etc. that I think I can use later in an own design. This makes me think about the situation of entertainment and passing time in general. Sure, there might have been a slight surge in Lego building during 2020 and 2021 (maybe a little into 2022, too). I don't know, I don't have any statistics or anything. But in general I get the idea that kids and youth today aren't that interested in these things. From what I see in the second hand markets online, people put up used Lego sets for sale quite regularly, usually with the text: "Built once and then had as a decor." By no means I critizise this, if it serves no purpose for you, you might as well sell it and get some extra money (and in the process help another Lego entusiast!). But my case is the same: do kids today online build the sets once and then leave it at that, maybe after playing with them a bit? I remember from my own childhood that everything except Lego would become boring and too familar after a rather short while (e.g. plush toys). If this is the case, it would make sense that Lego would go to those customers who have a stronger tie to the brand. But it is as I said. While I nowadays enjoy just building a good set, I am really happy that Lego is still pumping out these "play sets". Sometimes the prices are a pain in both categories but sometimes a few good, small play sets can outrun a big one play set. If anything, kids are still having the opportunity to have this touch to this brand and toy, which in my books, is all that matters. The collectors, investors and all the others, they enjoy Lego in their own way and more power to them. But it does seem to me that nothing can beat the joy and surprise of a child who gets that Lego set for Christmas or birthday! That's something almost magical and whatever happens with this brand, I hope Lego doesn't forget this.

[@paulallen3736]

I’m 53 and have been back in to Lego for the last couple of years after a 40 year break. I was bought the land rover defender as a Xmas present then the Ghostbusters Ecto 1 expert. I’m only building cars and started collecting speed champions and now technic,icons and creator sets. It’s now become a hobby I enjoy and have friends my age doing the same 😂.

[@PimGeerts]

My kids hardly play with it anymore, apart from building it once from the manual. The parts are so rediculously divers and complex that it -i think- prevents kids from freestyling like we were used to do back then, with basic blocks.

[@Br1ckCulture]

Idk, i like this change. The kids get the same ammount as they used to (altho they rlly need to stop with the mechs) And the adults get something that they can display, and the kid can still play with if they want to. Literally only issue is the price imo.

[@Br1ckCulture]

Ok well ig another issue is lego being very lazy with there kid orientated sets and there play features (mostly studshooters) but thats not the fault of adult sets existing, thats the fault of lego being lazy. I feel like people target the wrong issue

[@DaClaptain]

If youre an adult and you have a bunch of lego sets on display in your house. Im going to laugh in your face and leave. Yall need to grow up. Some of yall take it to an extreme and its kind of sad.

[@Br1ckCulture]

@@DaClaptain ok, that just shows me what a child u are.

[@StraightUpJorkinIt420]

​@DaClaptain no one will invite you to their house 😂

[@bluray7358]

@@DaClaptain ah yes. So your an idiot. All your comment proves is your sad and don't have any fun. What hobbies do you partake in? Cars? Games? Whatever it is, I'm laughing at you right this moment for taking joy in anything you love.

[@spinjitzumasterfalcon]

I don’t think it’s entirely every Lego set since Ninjago, Monkie Kid, and other themes have fun. It’s really the consumers and how they use their sets. But yeah, money is a problem

[@EnzoNotFerrari21]

I mean there are lots of smaller sets that are not 18+ like from City or Ninjago?

[@chrisserfass8635]

When I was a young kid. I loved building models and various very realistic things including model railroad layout. I was kinda a strange kid because I didn't play with things the way normal kids. For example a few weeks or months after 9/11 since I had a huge amount of legos. I built a World Trade Center Buildings and the surrounding buildings of the WTC complex with the correct positions of the buildings and colors of the actual buildings and the North tower I even added to antenna.

[@NitroJunkie626]

As a kid, I appreciated realism as well. I think I owned more plastic model kits than Lego, although I never achieved the professional finish shown on the box. My results always had me channeling Homer Simpson by asking, “Why doesn’t MINE look like that!?” 😂

[@Dr_Zeus_official]

Playing with Lego as an adult to me means picking it up every once in a while and messing around/fidget with it for a couple minutes. That is something I just can’t do with the sets aimed at adults. I’d rather play with the action features on a 4+ set than take 20 minutes taking apart my x mansion just to look at the detail.

[@PlayPauseRecord535]

Waiting for a universal classic monsters set / castle

[@daogenify]

My 5 year old plays with my 18+ sets. Now we're building the Dungeons & Dragons set and he loves all the monsters and play features

[@Anonymousflufapilcumber]

@FireWizardGgwell if they bought it they can basically do what they want

[@Anonymousflufapilcumber]

@FireWizardGg oh Oki I understand now :)

[@Offensive-warning]

​@FireWizardGg I am not 18 and have multiple 18+ sets, just left people play with them😂

[@no.ca5270]

Also you can buy exact replicas just not LEGO branded for lesss than 1/4th of the price on AliExpress so there’s always that

[@ShadamyLover15]

As someone who is entirely new to Lego and also a HUGE Sonic the Hedgehog fan, I've only been buying the Sonic sets. I'm not someone who grew up with lego and my brothers didn't really have them either. When I purchased my first Sonic set (the ideas green hill one) it started the snowball effect of wanting more official Sonic legos which did eventually happen. However, I agree that they have gotten pretty expensive and I just started getting them.

[@marcinmcula99]

I miss the days when I could play for hours with a bunch of colorful square bricks. They can't make a set that would recapture that joy

[@Studebricker]

Lego still makes bucket of bricks sets....

[@marcinmcula99]

@Studebricker I was talking about myself growing older

[@sonic-bb]

You could still do this at any time

[@aurelko9705]

I would love to see a video on the "what went wrong/why failed" theme on Lego power miners

[@JBBrickFanatic]

8:00 forward. you’re exactly right. As long as people keep buying it, they’ll keep upping the price!

[@TheScienceNerd100]

Thing is, the natural rate of inflation is whats keeping the price going up more than greed in the case of Lego On most counts, with non licensed sets (Because licensed sets need to be raised so the company who license it is gets a share) the price is steady with inflation and inflation only. Its not just a case of *price go up = 100% greed*, there are many factors that play into price, like inflation, supply, demand, taxes, tariffs, manufacturing costs, material prices. All can impact the price of the product. If plastic for the bricks go up in price, Lego HAS to increase prices so they can still afford the plastic to continue to produce more. Its not just greed for EVERY case of prices going up, some cases it is just greed, but some aren't, and as for Lego, I cannot say I see it as greed cause they still offer amazing value for price.

[@bloodymarvelous4790]

@@TheScienceNerd100 What you're saying is incorrect. LEGO doesn't keep up with inflation. When adjusted for inflation LEGO sets have gotten cheaper over time. Some sets are insanely overpriced, but that's down to the greed of their licensing partners. I'm looking at you Disney. Universal Studios sets are reasonably priced, as are Warner Bros. sets, SEGA sets, Paramount sets, NASA sets, and any car or motorcycle brand sets. They're pretty much all in the 7¢ to 10¢/piece range, and that's with printed/drum lacquered/special/electric pieces.

[@frogjog8822]

8:24 "Basically you get red hulk and everything else free." tip for ya'll: Anything labeled free in something you paid for is not free.

[@LoganMangus-d1u]

It’s a collector thing now, even small projects with under 1000 pieces cost so much. It’s really unfortunate

[@thecorrectgarlic7987]

At 00:32 how do you make that speeder bike? Are there instructions online? I own that set and I would like to make the bike.

[@LegoManCam]

here's a link :) dorianbricktron.com/clonespeeder/

[@Willyrebo69]

Yeh it looks good

[@hanz0109]

Tbh when i was younger i loved all the lego star wars set's even had the game's. I was always so overjoyed to get set's from the clone war's i love to collect the clone troopers. And after like 2021 the newer set's just don't hit like the older one's i could recall a time when i could get 4 phase one clones for 10$ and round about 2021 all they made were phase 2 clones in packs for 20$ and they kinda of just don't hit like they used to

[@vesuviusp.5831]

Yes! Thank you. I still love Lego as an adult but I don't buy the sets anymore. I jot down the model number, go on the website, and order only the pieces in bulk that I don't already have to make my own things. Really not a price issue as more of a practical stance of I don't display things that will collect dust.

[@AngrathMinotaur]

Honestly, i exclusively buy sets now for the pices, i rarely build the actual model, and i also hate how all the legos are locked up, i mean how do i know what i want if i cant look at the box?

[@AlaskaBricks]

I’m a kid and I love playing with adult Lego sets Like for example I have Rivendell and a couple Star Wars ones and I also like to get the botanical sets which I think look really cool, especially the bonsai tree

[@camboom4467]

I agree, LEGO is not a toy, It's an art.

[@JairoM.]

LEGO is still a toy 🪀🧸

[@NASCARBOI_OFFICAL]

I’d rather have Lego than GTA 6

[@Offensive-warning]

What about Lego gta 6 sets?

[@Justanimatedcat]

I’d rather have a tuna can

[@Bluesmile11]

I’d rather have a plastic bag

[@f-1492]

The Lego Speed Racer line is also hugely expensive. Here’s what I mean: (all in 2008) Speed Racer and Snake Oiler- 2008=$20, 2024=$100-$250 Racer X and Taejo Togokahn- 2008=$20, 2024= $100-$200 Racer X and Cruncher Block- 2008= $30, 2024= $100-$150 Grand Prix Race- 2008= $40, 2024= $400+. I bought the whole line secondhand BRAND NEW earlier this year for these prices. It’s amazing how a popular toy Adam become a collectible item even if the set is meant to be played with

[@godyellow1234]

that Pac-Man set must be 100+ dollars.

[@ForbiddenMemoriesGoat]

Toy until LEGO says otherwise 🗿

[@marcing115]

lego used to be cheap toy for everyone, now its exclusive item for rich ppl kids

[@sonic-bb]

Wrong. There are still cheap sets. And Lego has always been expensive

[@sonic-bb]

@ I was born in 1993. I think you all are forgetting how expensive Lego was. You all are also comparing little vehicle and vintage small play sets to the giant modern display sets. Which is ridiculous

[@harveyepstein8256]

at my local toy retailer there is a sepperate entry point for lego's and collectible action figure, with individual security and metal detectors and a separate cashier. it's pretty much the only "toy' that still sells and attract buyers.

[@Jimyjonson]

2:45 star wars came out in 1977… ITS OLDER THAN PAC MAN

[@Noah_Kai2]

yeah but star wars still gets things made and is wayyy more popular than pac man, yes he does still get some made for him but its just wayyyy less relevant (coming from someone who had a pac man phase when i was like 8-10)

[@Bonehead_V]

Even as an adult, I'm so disappointed that the only option for a Zelda LEGO set is a $300 giant build...it's really upsetting, not everyone even has the space for these things, let alone the money...

[@LegoManCam]

Legit! Those minifigures are absolutely stunning, but no way am I spending that kind of money!

[@clanker3885]

If you ask me, adult Lego fans are what is wrong with Lego nowadays, they buy every set even super overpriced ones which tells Lego that they can get away with making sets more and more expensive, and the Lego after market has become so profitable that adults try to steal from store just to re-sell it so the stores have to lock up the sets just to not get stolen

[@SO-ym3zs]

People need to vote with their wallets. I keep seeing fans complaining, "Set X is overpriced, but I'm going to buy it day 1!" Why would you pay for something you know is a bad value? Why would you support a company that you feel is overcharging or under-delivering?

[@CoryMp3]

@@SO-ym3zs they want it. very very very rarely does anyone stick by the words they speak. They will bitch about it but absolutely go and get it cause they really just want it.

[@RhysezPieces]

I was working at Target last year filling orders and I heard a high pitching whining coming from the toy section and someone had surgically cut the wires holding the electronic lock around a $200 lego set and just left it screaming there. My first thought was damn when the hell did a box of Legos start costing $200?

[@SO-ym3zs]

$200 is just a starting point now. They have sets for $700+. It's insane.

[@Offensive-warning]

What do you mean? That's normal

[@larryinc64]

I've been wanting to put together a LEGO set again for a long time, but sets are ether "too expensive" or "cheaper but don't display well (as I am almost 30 and I'm not going to play with them like I did when I was 10)"

[@themightybob]

We literally gunna be the last generation that actually played with lego lol

[@RedVRCC]

While the quality might not be *as* good, I'd like to try 3D printing lego pieces someday. Maybe even make entirely new parts for creative builds.

[@THEYEAR2143]

Great neutral analysis video on this subject! Markets evolve and demand do change over time.

[@masudashizue777]

I got my very first Lego set about 63 years ago. Most kids used them to build houses and buildings. You didn't have all those specialized Lego sets.

[@senk0san]

Eh I beg to differ no matter what Lego will ALWAYS be a toy first and foremost. I mean remember the Lego Movie?

[@littlebigcomrade]

My favorite LEGO theme as a kid was LEGO Architecture. It feels like that theme never did as well as I hoped for it to be.

[@StupidMarioBros1Fan]

My biggest takeaway from the video is that scalping has been normalized in the community as "Lego Investing" No it's not ok for people to buy multiple copies of the same set for the sole purpose of selling them a few years later, they just prevented parents from buying sets for their kids or themselves at the intended price. We constantly see this garbage in the video game industry, best example is whenever a new console comes out as it took over a year for the PlayStation 5 to be available for most people because scalpers kept buying all of them to resell online. It's even worse for actual collector's items because there's a limited amount meaning they can be resold for even higher prices. I can't believe that a community like Lego wouldn't be immediately against this practice when the sets are already expensive & limited. The worst part is that companies tend to not care because they still get money from the initial purchases, it's only an issue if the product is stolen. Can't see the long-term problem of would-be customers/fans not being able to buy stuff so they stop caring.

[@randomrebuilds]

Saw my local Wal Mart lined with glass display cases full of Lego about 3 months ago. Was pretty shocked to see as I wasn't aware that this particular Wal Mart was prone to theft situations.

[@Notyoutube-y4d]

Those good old days when they displayed the Lego sets, i got to press a button and sometimes it would light up

[@wafflebrothel7712]

Because they are overpriced, then now bought by mostly adults who don’t want to say they are toys.

[@sonic-bb]

None of you make any sense to me. You can still play with alllllll of these sets. Some of us always displayed our sets regardless. Or collected enough of a specific set to create a large display. This isn’t new for Lego at all. And personally, building was always part of the fun for me. Having the larger sets to learn creative ways to build with my loose bricks is awesome. I did this even as a kid. I don’t see how this is considered only an adult thing

[@somechinesedude5466]

You're an adult, adult don't play with toys & toys that's not marketed to children are not fair Tourist, probably Toys are expensive & always were, i remember crying on the floor over an official dragonball figure back in 1995 & being pulled by my parents 😂

[@sonic-bb]

Who says adults don’t play with toys?? Toys were indeed always expensive

[@centurion8446]

Tbf, given the pieces involved, itbis rather like building a puzzle, so while not playing explicitly, the building process is engaging the mind

[@karal_the_crazy]

1:50 actually I loved building solid scenes in Lego and would hang my legos from strings when I ran out of clear rods ( I was 13 at the time)

[@A2Moonclaw]

That bowl of hands at 6:04 almost looked like pasta

[@JF_Suzuki]

I just want to comment that back in the day as a kid I had more interest in the sets that are mostly marketed towards adults. The biggest thing for me was the fact that modular buildings are the main thing that allows you to build your own city, and it always bothered me that there were some LEGO City buildings, but they didn't feel real or didn't resemble what I thought would be in an actual city, for example police stations or hospitals, which were like some random rooms with nothing that connected them and an open back as a "play feature". I'm okay with those things but I think kids can notice the difference between a City police station and a Creator Expert police station, and tell you which one is a better built set. It's the same with trains, seems like they decayed completely in quality because they want to differentiate between kid sets and adult sets, but any kid that for example watched Harry Potter would notice at some point that the Hogwarts Express they own doesn't even compare to the train it's supposed to resemble, while sets like the Emerald Night look like an actual train represented in LEGO.

[@eldo59]

Lego has been around for generations. Most nostalgic from the '70s, '80s and '90s. Today as adults they are the ones that most likely to buy them let alone afford them. In today's economy the parents really cannot afford to buy Legos as much as they could during the 2000s and back. So, the market targets the adults more than kids for the most profits.

[@ShadrackMeduson]

what made me realize that lego was not longer a toy but a premium elite experience was the decline of the basic sets in price value, design and play value. Anything below a medium set feels like worthless to get pretty much alienating both kids and parents that you can only get your money's worth out of lego by buying the most expensive sets.

[@RainenStar2264]

Bro I wish Lego wasn’t so bloody expensive, I miss building the sets 😭

[@johnfoltz8183]

I miss the day when Lego just had town, castle, space and pirate before going out with newer themes and brand name character sets

[@SO-ym3zs]

That's why you see more people turning to brands like Funwhole. There, it's all generic themes (and lower prices): city modulars, Middle Ages, Cyberpunk, Steampunk, Old West, etc.

[@Ocorydon-WCO]

Toy: Something that provides amusement Just cause it's for adults doesn't mean it's not a toy. People only say otherwise cause they are fragile as hell to the point where they get all pissy when someone calls their *toy* a *toy*

[@17denby]

So is a roller coaster a toy😂?

[@jacoboguzmanbricks]

Right not to mention the fact that it comes from a toy factory I also wonder how adults managed to start playing with kids toys it's a little bit strange but they could enjoy their life right?

[@EricMatzke-h7h]

Like co.ic books now being called graphic novels, same as before, but cost more and aimed at an older generation

[@fgdj2000]

So by your definition, beer is also a toy 😅

[@EricMatzke-h7h]

@@jacoboguzmanbricks by having kids and playing with the toys together, as a way to bond

[@Exploding_Bagels]

While watching this video, I got an ad for a membership for Lego called " Lego insiders "

[@noahknight4039]

No John Wick Continental set? Seems like a missed opportunity.

[@LegoManCam]

They would be amazing!

[@KeYangC]

It will not catch the eye of children if the set is big the set will sure catch my eye

[@PenSteel-ih8qr]

We adults grew up playing with generic lego sets , Lego realizes that many of us adults still like legos and we now have the money to beable to buy these monster sets ( im 57 and i have several sets ive built = air craft carrier , destroyer and a nuclear sub) these sets have at least 2,000 pieces and lego is simply making adult legos , just like they now have adult coloring books😮

[@NATALIE-gk3bw]

But why do some stores have the Lego's locked up?

[@smackroscoe]

All I want is the following sets: John Carpenter’s: THE THING, HELLRAISER: Rise of the Cenobites, Tarantino Worlds (KILL BILL/Reservoir Dogs/PULP FICTION), WARHAMMER 30k - Horus Heresy Edition: NIGHT LORDS VS BLOOD ANGELS , Savage Sword of CONAN: Hyborian Age!

[@locomotivo4644]

I have a nephew who goes absolutely feral (in an adorable way) over lego cars. Last month was her birthday and I wanted to buy her one of Lego Technic sets to surprise her... until I saw the absolute insanity of price tag. Thank heavens I got to learn there were "alternatives" to Lego in time and settled for a CaDa set instead. Safe to say, she was ecstatic despite not getting what she told me about all day the day before. Same quality if not for 1 or 2 bad pieces, for 1/5 price in general? Sign me the hell up

[@phoquenergoggle828]

it feels like they could be deterring younger fans because theyll be less likely to ask for assistance opening the glass but idk

[@LegoManCam]

100%

[@JellyCookie37_YT]

At 2:24 I like this set a lot and I am 11 and probably it’s because I have been to Japan for many times lol

[@ThatCoffeeKnightfromEurope-y3f]

😊 I guess it has to do with the fact that kids have grown up to Adults. I see a similar trend with Video Games, where originally, Games were made for kids, pre-teens and teenagers, and now, the same series are for Adults.

[@wettuga2762]

I'm very fond of the older sets based on LEGO's original themes (city/castle/space/etc), simpler parts meant leaving more to the imagination and creation. These new sets based on movies/shows/whatever don't have any appeal to me. Many might like it but as you said, they're too expensive and oriented for display rather than play. I guess either LEGO lost its way, or they don't see newer kids wanting to play with their own original sets so they bet on sets for older generations, but continuing this path I see no future for LEGO.

[@kingbonezai4925]

I and my siblings loved Lego growing up as a kid, especially in the age of Clone wars and Ninjago. However, looking at the modern price and quality of the sets, it is just far less Lego for more money. I can’t really justify trying to get this for my future kids as it is just too much money for too little value (Lego does best from having lots of Lego to play with) There are other options too that, while not “cheap” offer much better value for money and are still 100% targeted at kids such as play mobile-which I enjoyed as a kid and think I will probably be prioritizing getting for my kids as it is still high quality and genuinely good products that feel they are worth the price tag.

[@jesselin7422]

Am I the only one who doesn’t display just makes massive interchanging loreful wars with in depth story lines and fully custom environments?

[@subraxas]

I know your voice from somewhere. Did you use to work for any other YT channel in the past?

[@LegoManCam]

nope aha just legomancam!

[@subraxas]

@@LegoManCam 🙂 👍

[@generalsmite7167]

I think a lot of this comes from nostalgia for Lego and the fact that Lego can act as models which have been popular for adults for years but are easer to access and assemble. Adults what legos and Lego has answered the demand. I have also noticed that play sets have become more simplistic to appeal to kids even more. I think it’s a shame that the play sets are expensive but the large set don’t detract from anything

[@Danielle-wy4zk]

I’m going to Legoland Windsor for Christmas

[@elegancy8265]

cool man, happy for you

[@awawawaawawawa2321]

legos have shifted from kids toys to collector adult collector items with the release of franchise theme sets, premium black label sets and more adult marketed sets in general. this was definetly done intentionaly

[@ronin2841]

They still make plenty of Lego sets for kids including mascots like Sonic and Animal Crossing, they just adapted to their adult fanbase

[@johnstancliff7328]

it will be nice when they jump on board with illuminated sets. I can get illumination parts through temu for a great price...

[@SO-ym3zs]

That's part of why so many people are jumping on the Funwhole bandwagon: the sets all come with unique, integrated light kits. And still sell for half of what Lego charges. If and when Lego ever starts doing lights, it might be too late, and it'll certainly drive their crazy prices even higher :(

[@Studebricker]

Lights are overrated...

[@Studebricker]

​@@SO-ym3zs It's easy to charge less when your workers are used to making pennies on the dollar, oh, and when you just copy Lego brick designs. Good quality isn't cheap...

[@SO-ym3zs]

@@Studebricker I used to think so until I started building and seeing lighted sets in person. It adds to the complexity of the build and looks amazing.

[@SO-ym3zs]

@@Studebricker Well, Lego has a massive Chinese factory, Cobi manufactures in the EU, we don't know how much workers for any of these companies are getting paid, most brick designs are public domain, and Lego copied their original concept from another company without permission in the first place. And as these companies have shown, not merely good, but top quality can indeed be far cheaper than Lego.

[@elapsed5943]

yea the prices are crazy, but the sadder thing is will never see bionicle come back to life, and we currently have them reference exo-force in a lego city set down to the sticker but not bring it back...

[@Bacongamer-b4t]

I remember back when I didn’t see Lego that serious I saw it as a toy now I just display them and see them as not much as a toy but a build

[@HansensUniverseT-A]

Lego was fantastic as a product when it was the building toy with adults in mind, now it's literally a modelling kit for adults with children in mind.

[@Joshie-n8i]

you forgot the zelda deku tree! its 18 plus and 260 pounds!

[@WarpigA23]

Huh. It doesn't look that heavy! 😉