Are baseplates becoming a rare breed?

[TheOrcKing]

After some random research and browsing of certain sets (mainly City and modular houses), I noticed something a little discerning.

A large lack of baseplates in any set at all anymore.

For example, take a good look at the previous Fire Station in 2010.

Aside from having a wierd floorplan, it used four baseplates of two different types.

16 x 16 baseplate with driveway & 8 x 16 baseplate

Now take a look at this year's Fire Station.

Less wierd floorplan but the structure is more odd and absolutely no baseplates used. Everything is thick three 16 x 16 plates and a single 8 x 16 plate.

I don't know about you but for $100 I expect some actual baseplates to help justify the cost.

Another example, the Police Station from 2011.

One big 32 x 32 baseplate (driveway) and a 16 x 32 baseplate.

Heck, even another example of a much smaller baseplate; Bank & Money Transfer also from 2011.

One small 8 x 16 baseplate but still a baseplate all the same.

Actually anymore it seems as though the modular houses are the only sets with a baseplate included. I'm trying to figure out why the sudden change overall? I mean, normal sets (even the big expensive ones) are not using the classic system of baseplates aside from modular houses. This is why it feels like baseplates are for some reason becoming a rare breed and I find that frustrating especially when it comes to building a cityscape.

Sure I can still buy the 32 x 32 green or blue baseplate from Shop-at-home but it's not really the same though is it? What do I do to get a 16 x 32 baseplate or any other one? I also find it frustrating because it appears like I would have to buy a $150 modular house to get a baseplate in a set. That's ridiculous.

[Zzero6]

I noticed the very same thing.  I remember in the old days when everything was built on solid baseplates or the road baseplates, which i absolutely loved!  I have no answer as to why this is happening.  The only thing I am coming up with is that it costs Lego a lot more to make them?  I don't know.

[akohns]

YES. This has been on my mind frequently lately. Completely gone are the days of raised baseplates. I just built the Lone Ranger Silver Mine Shootout which is so similar to the old western Bandits' Hideout set that has a great curved "road" baseplate in tan. I love all the old castle raised baseplates but now that I think about it it's kind of nice because those things were really fragile and cracked easily. If you think about even the Fantasy Era Castle sets don't have baseplates going back to 2007

 

The current castle chess set has a 32x32 green baseplate in it. But I think you'll see that going away this year too. 

[TheOrcKing]

I noticed the very same thing.  I remember in the old days when everything was built on solid baseplates or the road baseplates, which i absolutely loved!  I have no answer as to why this is happening.  The only thing I am coming up with is that it costs Lego a lot more to make them?  I don't know.

Yeah, I had hours of fun with those road plates of which I recently searched for and Lego does have a two pack combo for a Straight & Crossroad Plates and another for a T-Junction & Curve Plates, but then those in a way makes their decision of not including baseplates in sets anymore all the more stranger. Now I can see production costs (maybe even storage when packing sets) to a certain point but then it makes one think why has the retail not lowered? Case in point that Police Station. It cost a lot but it contained 783 parts including two nice baseplates so at least it is somewhat more justified in its MSRP, but then I look at the Fire Station with less parts, no baseplates, yet same retail. Is it any wonder why the latest Fire Station has been on sale for a while now with the latest being something like $77?

 

YES. This has been on my mind frequently lately. Completely gone are the days of raised baseplates. I just built the Lone Ranger Silver Mine Shootout which is so similar to the old western Bandits' Hideout set that has a great curved "road" baseplate in tan. I love all the old castle raised baseplates but now that I think about it it's kind of nice because those things were really fragile and cracked easily. If you think about even the Fantasy Era Castle sets don't have baseplates going back to 2007

 

The current castle chess set has a 32x32 green baseplate in it. But I think you'll see that going away this year too.

I played with that Western Bandits' Hideout to death! So many little play features like the mine car trap and dynamite bricks. I did like those raised baseplates for Castle and the like but at the same time, I am glad they moved away from those. Fun as a kid but very difficult to make use of in more serious building. Also they are a pain to store anywhere.

With everything considered, it seems like the only baseplates to remain on the market anymore whether included in a set or by itself are the 32 x 32's and 16 x 32's. I actually wouldn't mind if they went with those two and stayed there along with the road plates but I would like to see some be included in something that isn't a $100+ house type of set.

[Diabolos80]

I'd like more baseplates, too, please. I wanted white baseplates for my winter village so I had to buy them on ebay. Would have been nice to have a stable layout for the cottage, tool shed, truck, and igloo right out of the box. I wouldn't hope to see them in cheaper sets, but for any building over $90 they should be standard.

[OzGadget]

It is an interesting observation you have made there about the base plates.

The sets of old did include a baseplate however storing these set stakes up a lot of room. It seems that TLG is aware that not everyone has room for the large based sets, so they have reduced the footprint area of the buildings using bases only as big as they need them to be.

There would be an opportunity for TLG to bring out updated versions of the road base plates or other styles of baseplates for the sets to be affixed to.

I have built the Sydney Opera House (10234) it uses baseplates, it has an area of 48 x 80 studs.

[Alcarin]

Well I never really cared much for baseplates... you can buy them individually so I would not care much... they are quite expensive though...

[sadowsk1]

I don't think so.  People can buy a variety of baseplates in addition to what a set comes with.  I'm sure it's just meant to promote a greater level of customizability.

[comicblast]

Probably. And the types of  baseplates are getting lamer, and more simple. Before, we had baseplates that had nice terrain and different heights, now we generally have a normal plate, maybe with a driveway.

[DoNotInsertIntoMouth]

Gonna have to stock up on that police station it looks like. lol

[Spartikis]

I feel like the sets are getting smaller in general to keep costs down and the need for large base plates just isnt there.

[matt1147]

I'm surprised no one has brought up the design aspect of whether or not to use baseplates. Most of the new, large scale models have different style footprints - for example, all the old castle sets were square-ish...same as the baseplates. Now look at Vampyre Castle, Helms Deep, ect - the style and design is more linear than square...thus rendering a square baseplate useless and perhaps not aesthetically pleasing.

[lowillsw]

It's a pure business decision. During the design stage, they will have to redesign to make it as cheap as possible. They won't put in a baseplate unless they really have to. The 32X32 retails for 5 bucks but when most people look at a box, you see people constantly complain when it's more than 10 cent per piece. Preception is reality, most people don't see a set with a ton of 2X8 bricks in a set is worth more than a set with a ton 1x1 studs when they are looking at the box at a store. That baseplate is counted as 1 piece regardless how much plastic it uses plus the size of it means more cardboard for the boxes hence higher storage and shipping cost. The sets that include a baseplate obviously eats into margin and with the 10 cent per piece stigma can turn those causal customers away.

[MartinP]

I think that base plates are becoming less common in Lego sets because of the high cost to make them. Sometimes they are not really necessary, but I have always liked them in my sets.

[Gondorian]

Minotaurus sure bucked the trend!

[DoNotInsertIntoMouth]

It's a pure business decision. During the design stage, they will have to redesign to make it as cheap as possible. They won't put in a baseplate unless they really have to. The 32X32 retails for 5 bucks but when most people look at a box, you see people constantly complain when it's more than 10 cent per piece. Preception is reality, most people don't see a set with a ton of 2X8 bricks in a set is worth more than a set with a ton 1x1 studs when they are looking at the box at a store. That baseplate is counted as 1 piece regardless how much plastic it uses plus the size of it means more cardboard for the boxes hence higher storage and shipping cost. The sets that include a baseplate obviously eats into margin and with the 10 cent per piece stigma can turn those causal customers away.

 

This is a really good point. A lot of people don't take in the size of the pieces when worrying about piece-count. The Bwing, for instance, has some large pieces.

[Spartikis]

I'm surprised no one has brought up the design aspect of whether or not to use baseplates. Most of the new, large scale models have different style footprints - for example, all the old castle sets were square-ish...same as the baseplates. Now look at Vampyre Castle, Helms Deep, ect - the style and design is more linear than square...thus rendering a square baseplate useless and perhaps not aesthetically pleasing.

Most of the castles are "modular" in a sense as they can be arranged, or like Helms Deep which allows the Urak-Hai army to be attached to it, would be tough to do that if it was build on a baseplate.

 

The only reason i get annoyed with not having baseplates is the playability aspect, it makes it annoying to stand people up, when i do castle RPG i have started to use the black stand from the minifig series for my armies.

[comicblast]

This is a really good point. A lot of people don't take in the size of the pieces when worrying about piece-count. The Bwing, for instance, has some large pieces.

I'd also like to add to this point trains with power functions and tracks. Both those types of elements are much more costly to produce, and are WAY larger than a 2x2 brick, which jacks up the price. Just compare the Horizon Express and the Passenger Train. Horizon Express has no tracks or engines, so it has a Price per Piece ratio of $0.10. Passenger Train on the other hand, comes with tracks, an engine, and remote control, so it has a Price per Piece ratio of almost double that of the Horizon Express at $0.19 per piece.

[MartinP]

I'd also like to add to this point trains with power functions and tracks. Both those types of elements are much more costly to produce, and are WAY larger than a 2x2 brick, which jacks up the price. Just compare the Horizon Express and the Passenger Train. Horizon Express has no tracks or engines, so it has a Price per Piece ratio of $0.10. Passenger Train on the other hand, comes with tracks, an engine, and remote control, so it has a Price per Piece ratio of almost double that of the Horizon Express at $0.19 per piece.

Also the RC functions for some of the technic sets, make the price higher because they are more expensive. From the pictures above, it looks like TLG is trying to minimze the use of any type of base plates in sets. Some of the new creator sets do not have any base plates for the houses. They are just regular plates.

[Diabolos80]

I thought we had all agreed that sets are priced according to weight, not piece count...

[Blackjack]

I have also seen this.

[rcdb1984]

I thought we had all agreed that sets are priced according to weight, not piece count...

Right? I was thinking that the whole time i was reading this.  It's not like LEGO is short of money....look at the CMF's and Crawlers lol

[Grolim]

I have noticed it as well.  It will be purely down to $.  Piece count and perceived value for money factor in as others have mentioned.  Keeping a $100 set at $100 and dropping out a large expensive baseplate just makes the margin even better.  Plus they can then sell the baseplates separately on which they make additional margin.

[Ronda]

 Plus they can then sell the baseplates separately on which they make additional margin.

 

I think that's the main reason.  As if the prices for sets are not high enough. 

As for me - I like baseplates.  Too bad some big sets don't include any - castles, police stations etc.  May be it's better for displays but I'm not sure it's better for kids' play. 

[CNH1974]

If its any help, I have just listed 2 for sale, 99p each.

I agree though, I was thinking only the other day the traditional base p