GatKong |
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Tetris Mason
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I just had an awesome business idea... and I share it here for free!
#323402 - 03/16/14 06:03 PM
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Because Lord knows I have enough on my plate at the moment, but this SHOULD be a business...
Where you go in... and there are thousands of bins of LEGO parts... and you can build what ever you want... and THEN you buy it! You get to buy what you built... charged by weight.
Why the hell doesn't this idea exist anywhere? It's so damn obviously kewl.
Not even the LEGO museums and outlets do this. I've looked... AND ASKED.
I KNOW that place would be packed with people building all kinds of shit, and buying it.
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| Pi |
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Allergic to life
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Reged: 09/20/03
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Re: I just had an awesome business idea... and I share it here for free!
[Re: GatKong]
#323404 - 03/16/14 06:23 PM
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My first thought was that it would work but only as a temporary fad.
However I see potential in the idea. People sharing lists of pieces to buy so certain things can be built. Contests of what you can do with the pre-made packages for beginners, veterans and experts.
But I think that you don't see this kind of thing anywhere because Lego wouldn't want to sell pieces in bulk. In the end they're pieces of plastic made by a couple bucks per ton. Selling by weight would make their product look cheap, and their $29.99 package for a TIE Fighter ridiculously expensive.
My suggestion for your idea:
Make your own elegant building blocks line to sell by weight. Start with the simple, obvious pieces and add a small bunch of custom ones for very specific purposes, targeting children. It that takes off, in no time hobbyists of all kind will jump the bandwagon, opening the doors for more custom pieces, merchandishing, blueprint books, etc.
I don't know if it's legal to sell Lego-compliant blocks, but I guess not since I don't see people doing it. (Note: I just searched, and the exact dimensions are patented; Lego has been suing anyone who makes "compatible" blocks)
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Wound up, can't sleep, can't do anything right, little honey / Oh, since I set my eyes on you. / I tell you the truth.
I can't get it right / Get it right / Since I met you...
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italie |
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MAME owes italie many thank yous, hah
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Re: I just had an awesome business idea... and I share it here for free!
[Re: Pi]
#323406 - 03/16/14 06:30 PM
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> My first thought was that it would work but only as a temporary fad.
>
> However I see potential in the idea. People sharing lists of pieces to buy so certain
> things can be built. Contests of what you can do with the pre-made packages for
> beginners, veterans and experts.
>
> But I think that you don't see this kind of thing anywhere because Lego wouldn't want
> to sell pieces in bulk. In the end they're pieces of plastic made by a couple bucks
> per ton. Selling by weight would make their product look cheap, and their $29.99
> package for a TIE Fighter ridiculously expensive.
>
> My suggestion for your idea:
> Make your own elegant building blocks line to sell by weight. Start with the simple,
> obvious pieces and add a small bunch of custom ones for very specific purposes,
> targeting children. It that takes off, in no time hobbyists of all kind will jump the
> bandwagon, opening the doors for more custom pieces, merchandishing, blueprint books,
> etc.
>
> I don't know if it's legal to sell Lego-compliant blocks, but I guess not since I
> don't see people doing it. (Note: I just searched, and the exact dimensions are
> patented; Lego has been suing anyone who makes "compatible" blocks)
as kids we used to build the most durable lego cars we could, and then ram them against each other from a 10 foot separation. I could see such competitions, slightly tweaked for fairness, doing very well there.
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| DMala |
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Sleep is overrated
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Re: I just had an awesome business idea... and I share it here for free!
[Re: GatKong]
#323410 - 03/16/14 08:01 PM
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> Because Lord knows I have enough on my plate at the moment, but this SHOULD be a
> business...
>
> Where you go in... and there are thousands of bins of LEGO parts... and you can build
> what ever you want... and THEN you buy it! You get to buy what you built... charged
> by weight.
>
> Why the hell doesn't this idea exist anywhere? It's so damn obviously kewl.
>
> Not even the LEGO museums and outlets do this. I've looked... AND ASKED.
>
> I KNOW that place would be packed with people building all kinds of shit, and buying
> it.
That's brilliant, actually. The only downside I can see is if you get too many people who come in just to play around and not buy anything. Maybe charge a few bucks at the door, which gets deducted from the price if you actually buy something.
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| Pi |
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Allergic to life
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Re: I just had an awesome business idea... and I share it here for free!
[Re: DMala]
#323413 - 03/16/14 08:21 PM
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> That's brilliant, actually. The only downside I can see is if you get too many people
> who come in just to play around and not buy anything. Maybe charge a few bucks at the
> door, which gets deducted from the price if you actually buy something.
I thought the same, your solution is elegant and fair.
Let's meet some of us, hand in some cash, and begin The Loony Blocks.
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Wound up, can't sleep, can't do anything right, little honey / Oh, since I set my eyes on you. / I tell you the truth.
I can't get it right / Get it right / Since I met you...
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Re: I just had an awesome business idea... and I share it here for free!
[Re: GatKong]
#323417 - 03/16/14 09:36 PM
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> Because Lord knows I have enough on my plate at the moment, but this SHOULD be a
> business...
>
> Where you go in... and there are thousands of bins of LEGO parts... and you can build
> what ever you want... and THEN you buy it! You get to buy what you built... charged
> by weight.
>
> Why the hell doesn't this idea exist anywhere? It's so damn obviously kewl.
>
> Not even the LEGO museums and outlets do this. I've looked... AND ASKED.
>
> I KNOW that place would be packed with people building all kinds of shit, and buying
> it.
I thought I'd seen this somewhere before. Maybe it was in a video of a convention....
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Re: I just had an awesome business idea... and I share it here for free!
[Re: Pi]
#323449 - 03/17/14 04:21 PM
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It kinda reminds me of this;
Regards,
Scam
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I've always had one myself and wonder why nobody does it
[Re: GatKong]
#323488 - 03/18/14 03:45 AM
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Powered window tint.
Push a button, windows get tinted (IAW state limits)
Push it again, windows are clear.
I have a car now with tint and I swear I hate parking the damn thing at night because I can't see jack out of the back or rear side windows (In japan parking lots are designed for people to park nose-out).
It's sort of been done, but by an idiot. On the Japanese news just the other day there was a story about a new public toilet design. The whole thing is see-through until someone enteres, then the glass gets the sprayed on snow kind of look. I say done by an idiot because it was designed to be triggered by a motion sensor and the windows go back to clear if there is no movement for more than 37 seconds! Aren't motion sensors more expensive than a simple switch? All they needed was to put a switch on the door lock, so while it's locked, the windows are blocked out. Such a bonehead mistake...
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Just broke my personal record for number of consecutive days without dying!
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| GatKong |
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Tetris Mason
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Reged: 04/20/07
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Re: I've always had one myself and wonder why nobody does it
[Re: URherenow]
#323498 - 03/18/14 06:19 AM
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>All they needed was to put a switch on the door lock, so while it's locked, the windows are blocked out. Such a bonehead mistake...
But the Japanese are wierd about that stuff... probably half the "fun" is periodically getting a quick flash of some unsuspecting naked dude.
In Japan you can get away with all kinds of pranks that would land u in jail in the US... like jamming your fingers up someones ass (a 'child' prank called koncho), or blowing up random skirts with a fan (equally childish teehee), or sending unsuspecting people out onto the street naked as a gag.
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Re: I've always had one myself and wonder why nobody does it
[Re: URherenow]
#323499 - 03/18/14 07:06 AM
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> Powered window tint.
>
> Push a button, windows get tinted (IAW state limits)
> Push it again, windows are clear.
>
> I have a car now with tint and I swear I hate parking the damn thing at night because
> I can't see jack out of the back or rear side windows (In japan parking lots are
> designed for people to park nose-out).
>
> It's sort of been done, but by an idiot. On the Japanese news just the other day
> there was a story about a new public toilet design. The whole thing is see-through
> until someone enteres, then the glass gets the sprayed on snow kind of look. I say
> done by an idiot because it was designed to be triggered by a motion sensor and the
> windows go back to clear if there is no movement for more than 37 seconds! Aren't
> motion sensors more expensive than a simple switch? All they needed was to put a
> switch on the door lock, so while it's locked, the windows are blocked out. Such a
> bonehead mistake...
The timing is too short, but opening the door would be so much less expensive.
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Re: I've always had one myself and wonder why nobody does it
[Re: GatKong]
#323500 - 03/18/14 07:20 AM
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or
> blowing up random skirts with a fan (equally childish teehee), or sending
> unsuspecting people out onto the street naked as a gag.
nope... these are illegal. They are really cracking down on pictures up skirts and what not as well. If you hand carry a hand bag/briefcase and swing it wierd while you walk, expect to have it searched for cameras...
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Just broke my personal record for number of consecutive days without dying!
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Re: I just had an awesome business idea... and I share it here for free!
[Re: GatKong]
#323558 - 03/19/14 04:47 PM
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| GatKong |
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Tetris Mason
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Reged: 04/20/07
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Re: I've always had one myself and wonder why nobody does it
[Re: URherenow]
#323561 - 03/19/14 08:06 PM
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But I notice you're not refuting the jamming-fingers-up-da-ass bit.
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| GatKong |
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Tetris Mason
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> Lego has stores where you can basically do this already.
Not really. I've been to the Lego Store in Dallas… and while they do have the appearance of "bulk bins" of Lego pieces to buy… in the same vein as buying Brach's candy… it's not like I described at all.
1. The "bulk bins" on display only carry the same sized basic square blocks of various colors sold priced per piece not by weight. Aside from the basic little blocks, there's no variety out for shoppers to brows, pick, and choose from to build anything. The display (which you can see in the screen shot from your linked vid) is clearly not intended for actual shopping… the majority of them being way too high to even be reached. Those that can be reached are just for fondling. Even in the linked videos… no one is buying them. There's no bags to put them in… no one in the video is doing anything but fondling the blocks and then moving on to shop for the boxed kits elsewhere.
2. There is no work station area for you to build your creation.
No one seriously buys scoops of basic primary color blocks sold priced per piece. The displays are there as cosmetic dress-up just to make the showroom feel like a candy store. The real purpose to the store is to sell the box kits.
That's the heart break… how could Lego get SOOOOO close to doing it right… to the point of even making it feel like they almost want to do it… but then entirely miss the mark and don't.
Me -->  <-- Lego Corp.
[ATTACHED IMAGE]
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Re: I just had an awesome business idea... and I share it here for free!
[Re: GatKong]
#323575 - 03/20/14 03:04 AM
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Lego has so many different style blocks in so many different colors that it would be nearly impossible for them to do it right in a store setting. You'd need a warehouse sized store just to hold all the different combinations.
They did have a neat online store type thing but, unfortunately, they shut it down a couple years ago and haven't brought it back yet.
http://ldd.lego.com/en-us/subpages/designbyme
The next best thing you're going to find is probably BrickLink.
I don't know if you could successfully charge by the pound for this sort of thing either. The actual cost of the plastic isn't where the cost for these things comes from. It's the molds. Even a simple mold can cost several thousand. I don't think you'd want to risk selling a bunch of pieces that require a $200,000 mold for the same price as parts that require a $30,000 mold. Lego doesn't even do it and I think that says a lot. They know a thing or two about selling plastic bricks.
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I just had an awesome business idea... and I share it here for free!
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<-- Lego Corp. 
