Over the last 2 years LEGO has been taking more and more (legal) action against German retailers and YouTubers they consider detrimental to their business. Legal alternative brick brands have gotten pretty big in Germany recently - you might say that just LEGO's actions themselves have pushed the alternatives' popularity further (cue "Streisand effect"). Obviously TLG is losing (German) market shares big enough to make them unhappy - their answer being to send out their lawyers to take care of it (instead of making their own products better or setting affordable prices again, for instance).

Now, while the "Brick Wars" are getting more and more intense in Germany, I've got the impression that outside the country no one is really taking notice - or maybe no one cares. I'd like to know what people outside Germany/Europe really hear/read/know about what LEGO is doing here?

On 2/9/2021 at 12:46 PM, Frank Brickowski said:

 

Trying to see through all the name calling and desperation, I can almost, kinda get what Franks talking about here.(minus the murky marketing decisions by Xingboa)  Im sure these events shown havent helped LEGO PR in recent years.  Mix in the terrible website infrastructure, high cost and pension for helicopters, we have all been baffled by decisions made in Billund over the years at one time or another.  But we come from generations where working was a good thing. Today, work is frowned upon. Not one wants to work a 'job' and be told 'what to do'. They would rather be influencers on social media, traveling in a renovated school bus and making tik tok videos. 

In todays day in age, pissing off someone can turn out they dedicate their life just to take you down. Even if that means they are left with nothing, even life.   Cancel culture in its finest. 

And it appears Lego has a grassroots movement within Deutschland from ex"fanboys" trying to 'Cancel' them.  

Well @Frank Brickowski, I say good. Go at them with the sharpest pitchfork you have.

Again, this will theoretically be good for the market and customers.  How that looks, none of us can say. 

Edited February 11, 20214 yr by BricksBrotha
typo

7 minutes ago, Frank Brickowski said:

It's somewhat unbelievable what I've experienced here: 

If you cant believe the responses you have gotten, then you my friend have no clue how the human brain functions. 

If you were truly passionate about your cause and truly wanted to educate, then its all about your APPROACH.

The APPROACH (emotional and desperate) you took will invoke the same response 99.99% of the time.  This should not be unbelievable or shocking. Actually, scientifically predictable.   

Ultimately, I think the major conclusion for this topic is that we will have to wait and see within the next couple of years how much of an impact this really has on LEGO, if any (on a large scale at least).  

4 minutes ago, BricksBrotha said:

If you cant believe the responses you have gotten, then you my friend have no clue how the human brain functions. 

If you were truly passionate about your cause and truly wanted to educate, then its all about your APPROACH.

The APPROACH (emotional and desperate) you took will invoke the same response 99.99% of the time.  This should not be unbelievable or shocking. Actually, scientifically predictable.   

Why is that? Why is it about the approach and not solely about the arguments? I mean I get it's about the approach when dealing with a 6-year old. But I thought we were all grown-ups here able to focus on the actual arguments.

2 minutes ago, Fcbarcelona101 said:

Ultimately, I think the major conclusion for this topic is that we will have to wait and see within the next couple of years how much of an impact this really has on LEGO, if any (on a large scale at least).  

That's pretty much my conclusion, too. Thanks.

Just now, Frank Brickowski said:

Why is that? Why is it about the approach and not solely about the arguments? I mean I get it's about the approach when dealing with a 6-year old. But I thought we were all grown-ups here able to focus on the actual arguments.

You came in all hot from the mountain tops yelling about how Lego is going to implode on itself.  Attacking all of us as 'Lego fanboys' who will supposedly think Lego is perfect is completely wrong.  That's why you are getting so much pushback.  There's nothing wrong with a healthy discussion, but that's not what is happening from you.

And your arguments are weak right now, because you have provided 0 data/evidence to back up your claims, other than some youtube channels.  Not exactly a strong starting point to come to a Lego investing site.  If you just came in wanting a discussion about what people though about these brands expanding, that would be one thing.  But you haven't done that, you just straight started spouting 'facts' that Lego is going to die and that these off brand brick companies are going to take over the world with nothing.

2 minutes ago, citymorgue said:

You came in all hot from the mountain tops yelling about how Lego is going to implode on itself.  Attacking all of us as 'Lego fanboys' who will supposedly think Lego is perfect is completely wrong. 

Wrong. Look at how this thread started and how user after user joined in argueing against me claiming I was completely wrong about everything or that I was only trying to promote illegal brands.

The term "fanboys" was only used later on as more and more of you turned out to actually be just that, saying LEGO is always right and never ever have they done anything wrong. That's fanboy talk.
  

2 minutes ago, citymorgue said:

And your arguments are weak right now, because you have provided 0 data/evidence to back up your claims, other than some youtube channels.  Not exactly a strong starting point to come to a Lego investing site.  If you just came in wanting a discussion about what people though about these brands expanding, that would be one thing.  But you haven't done that, you just straight started spouting 'facts' that Lego is going to die and that these off brand brick companies are going to take over the world with nothing.

I've written about the data thing about a hundred times now. There IS no market DATA at the moment because all of this has only started in 2020 earliest. I'm talking about a trend, a shift in perception of the LEGO brand, a quickly rising dislike for LEGO, a loss of reputation that will likely translate into a loss of market share - to be seen IN FUTURE DATA! I cannot provide data from the future actually, so what are you talking about? What DATA should I provide to prove what the "atmosphere" in the German brick community is like right now? I'm trying to give you an insight into events you would normally never take notice of, but that could become very relevant for all markets sooner or later. 

7 minutes ago, Frank Brickowski said:

Wrong.

Well I guess from my amount of posts on thread I'm one of the lego fan boys? Can you quote where I've said lego is always right and never wrong?

Of course they get things wrong, every company does. 

And the legal monies AFOB are demanding raised from crowd funding, thats relatively easy to set up, so as a main AFOB drumbeater you can do that yourself, no?

And does anyone have detail on the classic NY ambulance (ecto) ? Why did bluebrixx take it down? Were they forced to?

Edited February 11, 20214 yr by roxio

The biggest problem I have with all of this is that 4-5 years ago this forum was all in a tiff over the rise of L-PIN and other blatant bootleggers. There was a lot of doom and gloom then.

Now, 5 years later, those copycats have not disappeared, but at least where I am their impact to LEGO and LEGO reselling has been minimal.

I see no indications that the situation outlined by Frank is any different. A lot of panic and huffing and puffing, but this too shall pass.

I think I've said pretty much everything I can over the NINE pages of this topic already.

This sums it up well. There really isn’t anything more to say on this topic at this point, that hasn’t already been said.

It’s getting hot in here, with no new ground to cover, so I’m locking the thread for now.