Rumours about the first Mattel Brick Shop products coming to the market in May suggest that the rival toy company is keeping LEGO fan pain points in mind.
The first rumours about what brick-built products the LEGO Group's rival toy brand, Mattel, might be bringing to market are starting to swirl. As reported by Promobricks, Mattel Brick Shop is said to launch with model cars, all based on the company's existing Hot Wheels licenses. Specifically, the first wave is expected to include a blue Mercedes-Benz 300 SL.
The 1,500-piece model is rumoured to feature opening gullwing doors, printed elements, specially-designed moulds, and metal rims for the wheels. There aren't expected to be any stickers and Promobricks reports that it will retail for €130 (around £110).
The closest LEGO comparison to draw is likely a LEGO Icons car of a similar size, such as 10337 Lamborghini Countach 5000 Quattrovalvole. At 1,506 pieces and no stickers, the two model cars share some similarities, if the Mattel rumours prove to be true.
Notably, however, the Mattel Mercedes comes in quite a bit cheaper than 10337 Lamborghini Countach 5000 Quattrovalvole for a similar number of pieces, with the LEGO Icons car launching just last year at £159.99 / $179.99 / €179.99.
Mattel appears to have identified what's important to both LEGO customers and the construction toy market as a whole. Common criticisms for the LEGO community typically centre around price, fiddliness of stickers, and accuracy. At least two of those appear to be addressed by Mattel's lack of stickers and lower price-per-piece ratio, although we can't comment on accuracy until we see the products.
Indeed, even in Mattel's initial announcement for Mattel Brick Shop, good value products were a central feature, stating that the goal of the brand is “to deliver value with every product” in its own words, making direct mention of “more piece count…at a competitive price.” Roberto Stanichi, executive vice president and global head of vehicles and building sets added that the company wants to offer “elevated designs and authentic details at accessible price points.”
If the rumoured price for the Mercedes is anything to go by, the price is certainly more accessible than the LEGO Group's prices for similar bands of products. The real question of value will come down to whether Mattel delivers the same level of quality for a lower price, of course.
It's worth also noting that focusing on cars leaves a lot of doors open for Mattel. Not only does it have a wide range of car licenses through Hot Wheels, but the company also began a partnership with Formula 1 in October of last year, just like the LEGO Group.
If the early rumours are anything to go by, Mattel could soon be treading on the toes of the LEGO Group's multi-theme partnership with Formula 1 – and perhaps for lower prices too.
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