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| | | Author: | mwright5  | | Posted: | Jan 24, 2024 15:36 | | Subject: | Variant Merge | | Viewed: | 284 times | | Topic: | Announce | |
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| Holy Cow! I'm not reading through all those replies, so I apologize if this
has been covered. I for one have found keeping up with all the variants to be
exhausting over the last 9 years, however, from the standpoint of trying to complete
sets, it is important to know the variations of an element, and which variation
you need to acquire in order to complete your set.
If it is no longer mandatory to keep up with distinctions, it will be even more
difficult and frustrating from a buying standpoint, always having to ask before
you buy, which will fluster the seller, especially if they have no idea which
variant they have and probably will not want to go digging to find out.
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| | | | | Author: | rainbowmist | | Posted: | Jan 24, 2024 15:50 | | Subject: | Re: Variant Merge | | Viewed: | 75 times | | Topic: | Announce | |
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| In Announce, mwright5 writes:
| | Holy Cow! I'm not reading through all those replies, so I apologize if this
has been covered. I for one have found keeping up with all the variants to be
exhausting over the last 9 years, however, from the standpoint of trying to complete
sets, it is important to know the variations of an element, and which variation
you need to acquire in order to complete your set.
If it is no longer mandatory to keep up with distinctions, it will be even more
difficult and frustrating from a buying standpoint, always having to ask before
you buy, which will fluster the seller, especially if they have no idea which
variant they have and probably will not want to go digging to find out.
|
+1
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| | | | | Author: | 1001bricks | | Posted: | Jan 24, 2024 15:56 | | Subject: | Re: Variant Merge | | Viewed: | 66 times | | Topic: | Announce | |
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| In Announce, mwright5 writes:
| | Holy Cow! I'm not reading through all those replies
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You may?
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| | | | | Author: | LeeGo73 | | Posted: | Jan 24, 2024 16:11 | | Subject: | Re: Variant Merge | | Viewed: | 68 times | | Topic: | Announce | |
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| I also received the email from BL.
As a seller, I'm unsure what to do now.
1) do nothing and my variants will be merged automatically (if applicable)
2) do nothing and one of more of my listings will be deleted
3) manually to through the 4.394 parts effected and add notes?
Some explanation would be nice.
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| | | | | | | Author: | Brickman4you | | Posted: | Jan 24, 2024 16:31 | | Subject: | Re: Variant Merge | | Viewed: | 90 times | | Topic: | Announce | |
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| In Announce, LeeGo73 writes:
| | I also received the email from BL.
As a seller, I'm unsure what to do now.
1) do nothing and my variants will be merged automatically (if applicable)
2) do nothing and one of more of my listings will be deleted
3) manually to through the 4.394 parts effected and add notes?
Some explanation would be nice.
|
+1
Before lots were moved to "marked for deletion" and sellers moved them
over manually or not. Not sure why instructions are not being given on what
seems to be a new process. I made a list of effected lots and made sure my data
is backed up via Brickstore. My only question is are remarks going to be retained
if lots are merged automatically.
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| | | | | Author: | yorbrick | | Posted: | Jan 24, 2024 17:07 | | Subject: | Re: Variant Merge | | Viewed: | 76 times | | Topic: | Announce | |
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| In Announce, mwright5 writes:
| | Holy Cow! I'm not reading through all those replies, so I apologize if this
has been covered. I for one have found keeping up with all the variants to be
exhausting over the last 9 years, however, from the standpoint of trying to complete
sets, it is important to know the variations of an element, and which variation
you need to acquire in order to complete your set.
|
It depends what you mean by complete your set. If you mean complete it according
to the BL inventory, it will actually be easier as you don't need to worry
about variants.
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| | | | | | | Author: | mwright5 | | Posted: | Jan 25, 2024 09:03 | | Subject: | Re: Variant Merge | | Viewed: | 51 times | | Topic: | Announce | |
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| In Announce, yorbrick writes:
| | In Announce, mwright5 writes:
| | Holy Cow! I'm not reading through all those replies, so I apologize if this
has been covered. I for one have found keeping up with all the variants to be
exhausting over the last 9 years, however, from the standpoint of trying to complete
sets, it is important to know the variations of an element, and which variation
you need to acquire in order to complete your set.
|
It depends what you mean by complete your set. If you mean complete it according
to the BL inventory, it will actually be easier as you don't need to worry
about variants.
|
Yes, I do mean to complete it with the BL inventory, and I can not see how it
will be easier. For years now BL has broken down the variants, which has been
exhausting from a selling standpoint, but helpful from a buying standpoint for
me anyway. I don't see how cancelling these previous distinctions is going
to make things easier. For example, if I am missing a specific variation/mold
from a set that is from 1983, I can not just plug in any variant. If so, the
authenticity of the set is now marred.
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| | | | | | | | | Author: | yorbrick | | Posted: | Jan 25, 2024 09:42 | | Subject: | Re: Variant Merge | | Viewed: | 39 times | | Topic: | Announce | |
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| In Announce, mwright5 writes:
| | In Announce, yorbrick writes:
| | In Announce, mwright5 writes:
| | Holy Cow! I'm not reading through all those replies, so I apologize if this
has been covered. I for one have found keeping up with all the variants to be
exhausting over the last 9 years, however, from the standpoint of trying to complete
sets, it is important to know the variations of an element, and which variation
you need to acquire in order to complete your set.
|
It depends what you mean by complete your set. If you mean complete it according
to the BL inventory, it will actually be easier as you don't need to worry
about variants.
|
Yes, I do mean to complete it with the BL inventory, and I can not see how it
will be easier. For years now BL has broken down the variants, which has been
exhausting from a selling standpoint, but helpful from a buying standpoint for
me anyway. I don't see how cancelling these previous distinctions is going
to make things easier. For example, if I am missing a specific variation/mold
from a set that is from 1983, I can not just plug in any variant. If so, the
authenticity of the set is now marred.
|
Who says you cannot replace a part with a different variant if it does the same
thing? How do you even know that the minor variant listed here was not just the
correct one but the only one? In the same set, would you be happy putting in
a basic brick from 1983 or 1993 or 2003 or 2013 or 2023 if they are catalogued
under the same element number even though there were minor differences with time?
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| | | | | | | | | | | Author: | G.Backsson | | Posted: | Jan 25, 2024 10:24 | | Subject: | Re: Variant Merge | | Viewed: | 48 times | | Topic: | Announce | |
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| As a buyer of mostly vintage pieces for MOCs or completion of discontinued sets,
it is of utmost importance to me that the replacement pieces I get are of the
same line/variety/age as the set I want to get. It would be very inconvenient,
costly and downright annoying having to deal with merged parts and not having
them easily searchable. Isn't BrickLink supposed to be about fans of LEGO?
Rather than being a cashcow for LEGO tm or sellers?
In Announce, yorbrick writes:
| | In Announce, mwright5 writes:
| | In Announce, yorbrick writes:
| | In Announce, mwright5 writes:
| | Holy Cow! I'm not reading through all those replies, so I apologize if this
has been covered. I for one have found keeping up with all the variants to be
exhausting over the last 9 years, however, from the standpoint of trying to complete
sets, it is important to know the variations of an element, and which variation
you need to acquire in order to complete your set.
|
It depends what you mean by complete your set. If you mean complete it according
to the BL inventory, it will actually be easier as you don't need to worry
about variants.
|
Yes, I do mean to complete it with the BL inventory, and I can not see how it
will be easier. For years now BL has broken down the variants, which has been
exhausting from a selling standpoint, but helpful from a buying standpoint for
me anyway. I don't see how cancelling these previous distinctions is going
to make things easier. For example, if I am missing a specific variation/mold
from a set that is from 1983, I can not just plug in any variant. If so, the
authenticity of the set is now marred.
|
Who says you cannot replace a part with a different variant if it does the same
thing? How do you even know that the minor variant listed here was not just the
correct one but the only one? In the same set, would you be happy putting in
a basic brick from 1983 or 1993 or 2003 or 2013 or 2023 if they are catalogued
under the same element number even though there were minor differences with time?
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| | | | | | | | | | | | | Author: | axaday | | Posted: | Jan 25, 2024 10:27 | | Subject: | Re: Variant Merge | | Viewed: | 47 times | | Topic: | Announce | |
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| In Announce, G.Backsson writes:
Isn't BrickLink supposed to be about fans of LEGO?
| | Rather than being a cashcow for LEGO tm or sellers?
|
Yeah, this is a really good point that I hope isn't overlooked. All of this
seems to be about making things easy for sellers. Well, Bricklink could come
to our houses and sort out sets for us. That would make it easy for me.
But is Bricklink for sellers?
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| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Author: | infinibrix | | Posted: | Jan 25, 2024 10:44 | | Subject: | Re: Variant Merge | | Viewed: | 50 times | | Topic: | Announce | |
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| In Announce, axaday writes:
| | In Announce, G.Backsson writes:
Isn't BrickLink supposed to be about fans of LEGO?
| | Rather than being a cashcow for LEGO tm or sellers?
|
Yeah, this is a really good point that I hope isn't overlooked. All of this
seems to be about making things easy for sellers. Well, Bricklink could come
to our houses and sort out sets for us. That would make it easy for me.
But is Bricklink for sellers?
|
I honestly believe its about making things easier for buyers too because having
to search in multiple locations for the same part is not an efficient way to
buy, browse or compare prices.
Also many buyers are left mistakenly viewing certain minifigure heads with a
false sense of worth simply because they don't appear as part of the main
minifig inventory something I believe Bricklink considers to be one of its main
priority changes!
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| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Author: | Swatson217 | | Posted: | Jan 25, 2024 12:40 | | Subject: | Re: Variant Merge | | Viewed: | 48 times | | Topic: | Announce | |
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| As someone who has helped a couple of buyers find a correct variant (one that
I did not sell), I see both sides of this. I tried to source the part by buying
three different sets that had it listed, and in none of the three was that variant
actually present. I eventually found it, but it was quite arduous because the
parts listings in Lego and BL are not always correct, due to no one’s fault.
This particular variant had different funtionality. But I think simplifying
the listings is a great idea. In most cases, the functionality of the part is
not changed, and like someone else said, few people care what stud type they
get. The site itself (for all of the reasons listed by others) is not user friendly,
but it seems that a.) many people like it that way and b.) trying to fix it is
exponentially difficult or impossible. We were shut down for two weeks due
to hackers - couldn’t they shut it down for two weeks to make it more user-friendly?
I know many say it is impossible, and I accept that if it’s factual. I am not
a programmer. Just throwing it out there that if we ever wanted to truly scale
up, the site would need to be easier to use. Simple things like how BrickOwl
has the drop-down menus for color choice would be great. Just my four dollars
a pound. LOL
Announce, infinibrix writes:
| | In Announce, axaday writes:
| | In Announce, G.Backsson writes:
Isn't BrickLink supposed to be about fans of LEGO?
| | Rather than being a cashcow for LEGO tm or sellers?
|
Yeah, this is a really good point that I hope isn't overlooked. All of this
seems to be about making things easy for sellers. Well, Bricklink could come
to our houses and sort out sets for us. That would make it easy for me.
But is Bricklink for sellers?
|
I honestly believe its about making things easier for buyers too because having
to search in multiple locations for the same part is not an efficient way to
buy, browse or compare prices.
Also many buyers are left mistakenly viewing certain minifigure heads with a
false sense of worth simply because they don't appear as part of the main
minifig inventory something I believe Bricklink considers to be one of its main
priority changes!
|
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| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Author: | rickcraine | | Posted: | Jan 25, 2024 12:44 | | Subject: | Re: Variant Merge | | Viewed: | 51 times | | Topic: | Announce | |
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| In Announce, Swatson217 writes:
| | As someone who has helped a couple of buyers find a correct variant (one that
I did not sell), I see both sides of this. I tried to source the part by buying
three different sets that had it listed, and in none of the three was that variant
actually present. I eventually found it, but it was quite arduous because the
parts listings in Lego and BL are not always correct, due to no one’s fault.
This particular variant had different funtionality. But I think simplifying
the listings is a great idea. In most cases, the functionality of the part is
not changed, and like someone else said, few people care what stud type they
get. The site itself (for all of the reasons listed by others) is not user friendly,
but it seems that a.) many people like it that way and b.) trying to fix it is
exponentially difficult or impossible. We were shut down for two weeks due
to hackers - couldn’t they shut it down for two weeks to make it more user-friendly?
I know many say it is impossible, and I accept that if it’s factual. I am not
a programmer. Just throwing it out there that if we ever wanted to truly scale
up, the site would need to be easier to use. Simple things like how BrickOwl
has the drop-down menus for color choice would be great. Just my four dollars
a pound. LOL
|
Fair, and if all the pieces were only affected like you say. I would agree, and
just deal with it. But several pieces are being affected by functionality, and
several are being affected by aesthetics.
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| | | | | | | | | | | Author: | LeeGo73 | | Posted: | Jan 25, 2024 11:58 | | Subject: | Re: Variant Merge | | Viewed: | 40 times | | Topic: | Announce | |
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| In Announce, yorbrick writes:
| | In Announce, mwright5 writes:
| | In Announce, yorbrick writes:
| | In Announce, mwright5 writes:
| | Holy Cow! I'm not reading through all those replies, so I apologize if this
has been covered. I for one have found keeping up with all the variants to be
exhausting over the last 9 years, however, from the standpoint of trying to complete
sets, it is important to know the variations of an element, and which variation
you need to acquire in order to complete your set.
|
It depends what you mean by complete your set. If you mean complete it according
to the BL inventory, it will actually be easier as you don't need to worry
about variants.
|
Yes, I do mean to complete it with the BL inventory, and I can not see how it
will be easier. For years now BL has broken down the variants, which has been
exhausting from a selling standpoint, but helpful from a buying standpoint for
me anyway. I don't see how cancelling these previous distinctions is going
to make things easier. For example, if I am missing a specific variation/mold
from a set that is from 1983, I can not just plug in any variant. If so, the
authenticity of the set is now marred.
|
Who says you cannot replace a part with a different variant if it does the same
thing? How do you even know that the minor variant listed here was not just the
correct one but the only one? In the same set, would you be happy putting in
a basic brick from 1983 or 1993 or 2003 or 2013 or 2023 if they are catalogued
under the same element number even though there were minor differences with time?
|
So next step is getting rid of the xxxxOLD bricks? they do the same thing.
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| | | | | Author: | StormChaser | | Posted: | Jan 24, 2024 21:41 | | Subject: | Re: Variant Merge | | Viewed: | 70 times | | Topic: | Announce | |
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| In Announce, mwright5 writes:
| | I for one have found keeping up with all the variants to be
exhausting over the last 9 years
|
Variants are a real problem. No one disagrees with that. But smooshing
them together is no fix.
I agree with your position that variants are important. The "solution"
of getting rid of them is shortsighted and not a positive step forward for this
website.
The database should instead be redesigned with an effective solution for all
BrickLink users.
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| | | | | | | Author: | Saitobricks.ca | | Posted: | Jan 24, 2024 21:51 | | Subject: | Re: Variant Merge | | Viewed: | 71 times | | Topic: | Announce | |
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| In Announce, StormChaser writes:
| | In Announce, mwright5 writes:
| | I for one have found keeping up with all the variants to be
exhausting over the last 9 years
|
Variants are a real problem. No one disagrees with that. But smooshing
them together is no fix.
I agree with your position that variants are important. The "solution"
of getting rid of them is shortsighted and not a positive step forward for this
website.
The database should instead be redesigned with an effective solution for all
BrickLink users.
|
Agreed!!
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| | | | | | | | | Author: | anthonyandrade | | Posted: | Jan 24, 2024 23:46 | | Subject: | (Cancelled) | | Viewed: | 34 times | | Topic: | Announce | |
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| | (Cancelled) |
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| | | | | Author: | anthonyandrade | | Posted: | Jan 24, 2024 23:49 | | Subject: | Re: Variant Merge | | Viewed: | 66 times | | Topic: | Announce | |
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| In Announce, mwright5 writes:
| | Holy Cow! I'm not reading through all those replies, so I apologize if this
has been covered. I for one have found keeping up with all the variants to be
exhausting over the last 9 years, however, from the standpoint of trying to complete
sets, it is important to know the variations of an element, and which variation
you need to acquire in order to complete your set.
If it is no longer mandatory to keep up with distinctions, it will be even more
difficult and frustrating from a buying standpoint, always having to ask before
you buy, which will fluster the seller, especially if they have no idea which
variant they have and probably will not want to go digging to find out.
|
I just wanted to add to this thread, the message I'd sent through bricklink
help.
"I am writing this message in regards to the extensive february catalog merges,
with the hope that they are not executed; at minimum not to the current planned
extent. Maintaining these various entries is a form of historical preservation,
particularly relevant to the accurate completion of retired sets (Ex: seat without
sprue). I personally have found certain older part variants to differ in functional
capacity as well, making their distinction applicable to MOC-building as well
(Ex: open vs. closed studs). I understand these changes may be intended to streamline
future selling processes, but allow the choice to be left to the buyer and seller
rather than eliminating the option. Others have already discussed the practical
application of that idea better than I can express at the moment. I hope bricklink
continues to be receptive to the community as it has been thus far."
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USA, Virginia
France, Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur
Netherlands, Zuid-Holland
United Kingdom, England
Sweden, Östergötland
Canada, Ontario
