Discussion Forum: Messages by calsbricks (8514)
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 Author: calsbricks View Messages Posted By calsbricks
 Posted: Jan 27, 2022 13:16
 Subject: Just a thoought
 Viewed: 243 times
 Topic: General
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Currently due to Bricklink policy of 'must have onsite payment method enabled'
no store without that function can sell to anywhere in the USA. We would like
to suggest (not a formal suggestion yet) that BL splits the US shipping destinations
to with sales tax and without, so those of us who do not have onsite payments
enabled can still sell to the (9 states currently). We appreciate this will probably
change as everyone tries to get on the bandwagon - but because you cannot currently
remove an individual state this is not possible - we have had half a dozen enquiries
this month for shipping to USA - all from states with sales tax, unfortunately

On the other hand eliminating a large part of the market based purely on payment
method does not make good business sense. You can collect the sales tax in a
more conventional method - like bill us for it., or is that too difficult .
 Author: calsbricks View Messages Posted By calsbricks
 Posted: Jan 17, 2022 08:35
 Subject: New UK Prices on PAB cups
 Viewed: 156 times
 Topic: LEGO products
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Effective 1 Jan 2022 large cup prices have increased from £11.24 each to £14.24
each (That is on using returned cups). 30% ish hike


Hmmmm
 Author: calsbricks View Messages Posted By calsbricks
 Posted: Jan 14, 2022 06:20
 Subject: PAB & B&P Merging
 Viewed: 190 times
 Topic: LEGO products
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Could it possibly be a good thing for PAB & B&P merging? Currently the TLG Retail
store managers are restricted to an order form which only allows them to choose
a limited number of items from the 1600 that are available to PAB. With the addition
of the B&P elements might they have a wider choice to make available? Is that
good or not so good. Depends on how you want to look at ir really.
 Author: calsbricks View Messages Posted By calsbricks
 Posted: Dec 26, 2021 07:46
 Subject: Anyone recognise this
 Viewed: 155 times
 Topic: Catalog Identification
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Checked 14769* several times and cannot see this. Either the eyes have gone (good
possibility) or it isn't there.

Ot is definitely black and definitely Lego
 
 Author: calsbricks View Messages Posted By calsbricks
 Posted: Dec 16, 2021 02:36
 Subject: Does anyone know the answer
 Viewed: 190 times
 Topic: Related Software
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Reported a printing bug in Brickstore yesterday. Followed all the guidelines
on Github and the report was acknowledged by the author. Late last night received
an advice that the case was now closed. Bug 'fixed' and matter now over.
No program update to Brickstore and whilst I see a lot of code having been introduced
on Github when does the program get updated?
 Author: calsbricks View Messages Posted By calsbricks
 Posted: Dec 15, 2021 00:12
 Subject: Brickstock/Brickstore issues - update
 Viewed: 91 times
 Topic: Related Software
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Further to our original post we are delighted to advise thet with the help and
patience of Beaverbrick we now have a working labels template for Brickstore.
That has also revealed a bug in Brickstore which we are looking at how best to
report that.

The labels work wonderfully, but you can not selectively print them - it is
all or nothing. That happens whether using the label template from the extras
menu or the normal Brickstore print command. It seems to think a document is
the entire list not a selected item. Workaround is simple, copy the individual
item to another document and print from that, but it is a definite bug.

Thanks again Beaverbrick
 Author: calsbricks View Messages Posted By calsbricks
 Posted: Dec 14, 2021 03:59
 Subject: Change ,oftenbrings chaos
 Viewed: 181 times
 Topic: General
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Having looked back a long way in the forum (before the current lot of compliance
issues being addressed) I could find no real issues being brought up over sales
tax, vat etc. The stores where it applied were dealing with it with no real issues.
All of a sudden legislates get involved, without thinking things through, as
usual, and we have a degree of chaos here on Bricklink. How odd that the individual
stores, where applicable coped more than adequately, until this load of changes
emerged,

The moral of the story is let well enough alone. Yes they may have missed the
odd amount of tax or vat but things were being dealt with - no pressure on BL
to come up with a total solution and no forum posts raising holy hell.

Still there is no going backwards only forwards and we are all now waiting for
the issues to be dealt with - they are far more complicated than what people
believe but if others have dealt with it I am sure BL will in due course.
 Author: calsbricks View Messages Posted By calsbricks
 Posted: Dec 11, 2021 04:13
 Subject: What happens next
 Viewed: 281 times
 Topic: General
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TLG - Bricklink have recently announced a change of leadership at Bricklink
and thanks the previous CEO for all of his efforts. (Sorry to Interrupt the Monthly
Contests), etc.

We have a new gentleman coming on board - who we do not know a great deal about
other than he is a Lego guy. Ok good. Everyone who uses this site since JK's
takeover (2013) knows it needs a major re-write (Not XP) but both a redesign
and rethink. There have been a few (Including one by us) messages on here which
pointed the cost of doing that to be around 2 years in development terms at whatever
cost you wish to put on that.

There are differing views on development here some say use an agile methodology
(write code quickly and then patch, patch and patch.) Others say waterfall (The
old fashioned way) is best here - it takes more time and is less patch, (patch
and patch) . Agile is great when you are in a competitive environment (Can keep
you in front of the competition) but is that really required here? It also needs
2 sprint teams at least. One to write and release and the other to patch. Is
this the right environment for release, patch, patch and patch again (Even if
you have the people?)

Bricklink has several things going for it - e,g market pull, membership and now
the financial clout available through TLG, albeit we say that with tongue in
cheek.

Hire a senior analyst who has strong SQL skills/background and let them spend
some time putting together a decent system spec from which a business overview
can be published which asks all the right questions about direction etc and once
that is put together talk to your panels of advisors e.g Marketplace, Catalogue
and Studio as well as any future ones created. Make sure the spec includes strong
inventory management, and gives sellers the tools they need to operate successful
businesses as well as ease of use for buyers, etc. etc.

Get the spec costed and presented to TLG for approval (Let them worry about the
cost and time tables.)

Then go for it , really - lots of complications to this I am sure but in the
end analysis that is what is needed. Think more than carefully about the design
work- what it looks like is a matter of personal choice but what it does is not.
Design is everything in development4 and always calls for the highest level of
knowledge and experience

There are quite a few of us who would be willing to put time and effort into
this as this is a major project and needs lots of input and discussion. Not everyone
is going to get everything they want but working on the basis of discussion leads
to compromise and ultimately a quality product - this is the real way forward,
isn’t it?
 Author: calsbricks View Messages Posted By calsbricks
 Posted: Dec 10, 2021 23:26
 Subject: Brickstock/Brickstore - issues
 Viewed: 165 times
 Topic: Related Software
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We have been Brickstock users since Patrick took it on and in many cases worked
closely with him to iron out issues etc, however his main job really does prevent
him from carrying on with developments so the product is slowly but surely heading
for the archives. Current issues include not getting any images of minwfigures
(everything else is okay), and price guide guidelines are also not updating properly.
So we downloaded Brickstore and it 'cures/fixes' the current Brickstock
issues and adds some nice touches but and it is a big but. We cannot use our
print templates. Yes we know about modifying viewws etc but that doesnt work
when we need to print labels for our products - and it works very well in Brickstock.
. We worked with tsrateplayer (Alan) a long time ago to get these templates done
and have shared them with many Brickstock users. We have good documentation on
theme and a how to guide to create or modify them but have not got a clue how
to incorporate them into Brickstore.

Maybe we can actually reach out to Robert via this forum message and ask if he
is willing to incorporate these into Brickstore. (We print delivery notes as
well as product labels via the templates.

Thoughts/comments.
 Author: calsbricks View Messages Posted By calsbricks
 Posted: Dec 10, 2021 12:20
 Subject: Interesting
 Viewed: 217 times
 Topic: LEGO products
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https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2021/dec/10/investing-in-lego-more-lucrative-than-gold-study-suggests?CMP=Share_AndroidApp_Other

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