Yes, in my return to Lego this is one of the main thing I've noticed about sets - there are no base plates anymore! All the big sets in the 90s came with one or two base plates and now there are very few.

 

It's not particularly base plates themselves which I mourn the loss of but it is my opinion that without base plates sets have much less playability. A base plate gives a set its own space, it gives it structure... there's just something about sets with base plates that make them seem much more of the full package...

For sure, its like many companies have slimmed down on their packaging, production costs etc (TLG have done both these things), Lego have decided they can do away with base plates. And can they? Yes. Their sets are still selling and since their main audience is mainly transitory (kids grow up... usually) they can get away with making changes like this as the majority of purchasers won't notice they're missing because they never knew any different.

p.s. I discovered my childhood stash of base plates at my parent's house last week

For sure, its like many companies have slimmed down on their packaging, production costs etc (TLG have done both these things), Lego have decided they can do away with base plates. And can they? Yes. Their sets are still selling and since their main audience is mainly transitory (kids grow up... usually) they can get away with making changes like this as the majority of purchasers won't notice they're missing because they never knew any different.

I don't think lego have slimmed down their packaging, the current boxes are huge. I was looking at the latest police station and the box seems to be bigger than the modulars. I built helms deep and the packets inside only took up a third of the box, the rest was air. We didn't have this issue in the 80s, the boxes were the right size for the set. It's odd thought, the boxes for the small sets, like 70400, are the correct size for what is inside.

If I'm spending $100+ on a toy, I want a big box.

I don't think lego have slimmed down their packaging, the current boxes are huge. I was looking at the latest police station and the box seems to be bigger than the modulars. I built helms deep and the packets inside only took up a third of the box, the rest was air. We didn't have this issue in the 80s, the boxes were the right size for the set. It's odd thought, the boxes for the small sets, like 70400, are the correct size for what is inside.

 

Based on my memory and the sets I had in the 90s, and the sets I've seen and bought recently there is definitely less packaging now in my experience.

 

EG Attack of the Wargs - box is TOTALLY stuffed, no room for movement. VW Camper Van, again - box is totally full up.

 

Back in the 90s the big sets came with a box that had a big flap to lift, with see through plastic to look at the contents and those bags of bricks were floating around inside those huge boxes.

Maybe in the 80s it was different... I can't remember!

I don't think lego have slimmed down their packaging, the current boxes are huge. I was looking at the latest police station and the box seems to be bigger than the modulars. I built helms deep and the packets inside only took up a third of the box, the rest was air. We didn't have this issue in the 80s, the boxes were the right size for the set. It's odd thought, the boxes for the small sets, like 70400, are the correct size for what is inside.

 

Huge but mostly empty and it's disappointing.  I need to finish an article for the blog, comparing an old and a new set (similar houses) I have, just to show what I miss