Lego library

[crazyninja]

i am starting a service called "Lego Library" So here is how it works:
First you buy a library card for $40 (expensive, but you also get a magazine)
Then you tell me the design code of the brick you want through email (emailadithya@gmail.com) and the amount
the bricks are yours for 2 weeks!
it has to be on pick a brick
and there are fines for late returns (10 dollars a week for each brick)
they will be dropped at your house as soon as they ship
i will tell you when it starts and more details later

[beethead]

i am starting a service called "Lego Library" So here is how it works:
First you buy a library card for $40 (expensive, but you also get a magazine)
Then you tell me the design code of the brick you want through email (emailadithya@gmail.com) and the amount
the bricks are yours for 2 weeks!
it has to be on pick a brick
and there are fines for late returns (10 dollars a week for each brick)
they will be dropped at your house as soon as they ship
i will tell you when it starts and more details later

So let me get this straight. I pay you $40 for a "library card". Then I tell you what bricks I want to borrow and how many. You then go on Pick-A-Brick at Lego.com and order those bricks not in the "library" I want to borrow and as soon as you get them you will courier them on to my house. After which I have 2 weeks to play with the bricks before I need to return them. If I am late returning anything then I must pay $10 per week for each brick I am late.

Interesting concept but I can see some flaws in your idea.

1. Your $40 library card fee should actually be an annual subscription fee to your service. Provided that would cover the costs for that long a period.

2. You need to have a limit on the number of bricks. Somebody could come along and create a MOC with 1000's of pieces using LDD or MLCad and then submit you the list with a parts total in excess of $1000 that are not in the "library".

3. How do you know if the pieces returned are the originals borrowed? One could return to you inferior Lego bricks or throw in a few MegaBlocks or even cheap/fake bricks from China. You'd have to go over every single piece. 1000+ bricks would require an awful lot of work to check over manually. Remember, the library has an automated bar code system.

4. You would definately need a legally binding contract for members to sign given the amount of dollars at risk here (LEGO IS NOT CHEAP).

5. You need a periodic maintenance schedule of bricks because no one wants to use dirty bricks or even bricks that have been in a home with pets (allergies).

[AC]

Wow. I agree with beetheads points. You would most likely not profit from this venture. I for one would rather buy the bricks than borrow them. Good on you for being creative though crazyninga.

[crazyninja]

Great points, Beethead

my answers:
1. it was supposed to be per month
2. the limit is 200 bricks per 2 weeks (you can also get a LUG membership (150$),and get up to 1500 lego bricks)
3. we will have "librarians" going over those things
4.i dont get it (im still a kid)
5. they will al be sanitised

and AC, well these are for people who need to make a moc for lets say, brickcon, or need to test out their LDD files

[beethead]

Great points, Beethead

my answers:
1. it was supposed to be per month
2. the limit is 200 bricks per 2 weeks (you can also get a LUG membership (150$),and get up to 1500 lego bricks)
3. we will have "librarians" going over those things
4.i dont get it (im still a kid)
5. they will al be sanitised

and AC, well these are for people who need to make a moc for lets say, brickcon, or need to test out their LDD files

1. $40 per month?!! Hell, I won't even dish out $40 on a mobile phone per month. (Happy landline user )
2. $150 can buy a lot more than 1500 new bricks on Bricklink.
3. Do the librarians get payed or is that volunteer work?
4. We're all kids at some point in our lives and then we grow up to be adult kids. (Cue the Toys'R'Us jingle)
5. You can never be too clean.

Your concept is best suited for a small group of Lego friends who trust each other with their LEGO®. Forget about the membership thing and just pool your money together for group buys. Your only problem will be deciding who will be the "keeper" of the Lego. Keep an ongoing inventory of parts so each can use/borrow parts to finish their MOCs.

Personally, the only people I'm willing to share my Lego with are my kids and even that can be hard sometimes.

Good luck on your endeavor!

[AC]

I am not really sure I know anyone willing to put out $480.00 per year to borrow Lego. I am not trying to stomp on your dreams, I am just trying to give some insight into the people that you may be trying to target as potential clients. I wish you the best and look forward to hearing updates.

[crazyninja]

i ment per year $40