Mattel acquires key adult LEGO fan sites to convert AFOLs to AFOMs
Posted by Huw,
Mattel, who recently bought Canadian makers of Megabloks Mega Brands, has today announced that it has purchased a number of key LEGO fan sites in an effort increase sales of its products to adults.
“We see expansion into the adult market as key to increasing sales across the board and to enable us to compete with LEGO in the construction toy category” explains Avril Prima, head of acquisitions at Mattel, “Purchasing the sites that adult construction toy fans visit and encouraging them to publish news, reviews and information about our products will, we believe, convert AFOLs to AFOMs.”
You can probably tell where this is leading: I’ve sold Brickset. It was an incredibly hard decision to make because the site has almost been my life’s work, but I was made an offer that I couldn't refuse which will mean my wife and I will never have to work again.
I have the utmost confidence that Brickset will not just survive but thrive under new ownership, although understandably, the focus of the database and news will change from LEGO to Megabloks.
I will be running the site until the end of the month and then helping with the transition. I’ll soon be removing all LEGO products from the database and replacing them with Megabloks in preparation for the completion of the sale.
I don’t know which other sites have been purchased, but I suspect we’ll find out in the coming days.
Finally, and most importantly, I'd like to thank you, Bricksetters, for joining me on this journey from the site’s humble beginnings in 1997 to me becoming a millionaire in 2014. I hope you continue to visit the site and enjoy your construction toy hobby. This time next year I'll be sunning myself on a tropical island somewhere...
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99 comments on this article
Enjoy the warm sand. Hope you don't run out of money before April second!
Well, even though I've never been active on this site, I have always used it for news and has been a great help to me. I am definitely sad that it will be turned into a megablocks site but I am happy for you Huw. Thanks for your help. :) Do you know of any other good reliable sites that I can use for Lego information? Thanks
(I wish I could be on a tropical island somewhere. You lucky duck) :)
Lame.
This is clearly an April Fools prank.
I was like holy omg, than I looked at the calander.
good one huw
Avril Prima.
^ Did you sell up too, Rich ?
;-)
@Clonewars8712, I don't think there'll be many left once Mattel has finished its buying spree, so you might as well bite the bullet and switch brands...
A for effort :P
Burned all my LEGO today to make room for some Mattel ;)
Let me guess: happy April fool's!
Excellent, this will be the start of great things. They'll give us all those themes Lego won't touch, military, a real pirates theme and the inevitable return of monorail.
About time, I never liked Lego anyway. I've only been buying it because its cheaper than megabloks!
This better be a joke
'Avril Prima, head of acquisitions at Mattel' was a nice touch.
lmao My heart skipped a beat and then i remembered the date.
Wow. I just realized from the date the it is April 1st. I feel dumb now if it's an April fool's prank. If not, then I'll still feel stupid for posting this. :)
Made oi larf that did :)
Favourite bits: "Avril Prima", and "AFOLS to AFOMS".
Quality!
I had been concerned about the recent lack of Megabloks news, thankfully with this news I can now relax.
Without the last paragraph it could have been a believable story, but it ruined the well-built article.
The name 'Avril Prima' rocks!
Either this is a really cruel April Fools prank or the world as we know it is ending...
And if it isn't a prank, which I doubt, it looks like I'll have to go back to my own blog, which hasn't had anything new since September.
I like how the last paragraph turns from thanking fans to congratulating yourself. You are off to a good start today Huw and I look forward to seeing some more!
very good.
Stap the april fools jokes....
U got me good this year happy April fool
The crazy thing is you had me all the way until millionaire :D
This better be April fools
didnt fool me for a second.... ok maybe it did :P
I like to notice adult fans of mega blocks would be afombs not afoms
hmm... hopefully mattel doesn't get any ideas lol... because a few mil to increase their sales long term might not be a bad bargain. rofl... although dropping all lego from an established site instead of slowly insinuating your product into the discussion(s) might be a step in the wrong direction? ;D good one btw... I was going !!!!! in my head lol
Excellent April Fool!!
Yes Huw, you made the article a bit too long and exaggerated a bit too much so that this unbelievable news became indeed unbelievable. Try better next year.
April's fools, right?
Very funny Huw.
I wonder how Matel would act if they really did try this ? :p They'd be like, "Why does no one care about MegaBlocks but everyone likes Lego?" Nice joke Btw.
You made me scared for a second there, Huw.
Haha that was a great one good work :)
I think this was a mistake, Huw....what happens when Mattel really DOES want to buy your site, eh? No-one will believe you when you announce it! Remember what happened to the boy who cried "wolf"! ;-D
Awesome! Finally I have a chance to start my own Lego-website! With the incredible and fantastic competition gone, I might just get over 100 visitors per day!
Ha-ha! You almost had me. :-D
I for one welcome our new Mattel overlords.
Initial Gut reaction: Grrrrrr.....
Followup Gut reaction: Huw, you $@$@!!!!!
Final reaction once my brain decided to join the party: Right-hand-meet-forehead
I should be used to this stuff - giving that my eldest was born on 1 April - but I fall for stuff like this all the time.
Good one, Huw, good one.
I wonder how much is enough in UK to not work for the rest of the life for the whole family?
@ arc trooper echo, me too, I then realized what day it was
I specifically came here today wondering what Huw had concocted this year. Some of you guys are sooooooo gullible.....haha. Good one Huw, very creative.
@huw
Happy hammock times dude, and keep those pranks coming. A year is far to long to only have one day for this 'huwfoolery'.
You almost had me there! :D Good one!
HAHAHA, Nice one Huw. :) Had me going for a few minutes.
I remember my Spanish. Avril Prima means April First.
Nice one, Huw. :D
I'm usually pretty good seeing those things coming, but this one caught me totally off guard. You had me REALLY scared there. Thanks Huw, for everything you do :p
Ben
hahahahahahaha, no comment
Huw, I for one applaud your decision. Its the right thing to do. Starting tomorrow I going to be putting my Lego collection in the trash to make room for the new MB collection. In the mean time enjoy you're island in the sun. ;)
You had me SO SCARED for about five seconds before I remembered what day it was. Don't give me a heart attack, Huw!
Cute! Reading the comments you definitely managed to get a few people.
I love a good april fools prank
Now if Lego paid you in those $100 1 x 2's the girls down on Heartlake City spend at the Juice shop... The prank would be on you - lol
If that's an April fools joke, that was a good one!!! I was so mad when I first read this, but since it April fools day, I guess your just kidding :)
P.S.
You had me really worried there! I hope you don't sell! By the way, this is where I get most of my LEGO information!
I may got fooled by the Lego City one, but this one i was thinking April fools joke from the start
Very nice article!
...and Monorail and Fabuland will be back on shelves with the summer wave of sets.
CONGRATULATIONS. I LOVE MEGABLOX. I LOVE MEGABLOX. CONGRATULATIONS...
Tut tut tut...
hilarious April fools. When I read, "I sold Brickset." I was like, you got to be kidding me!!!! But its April first so its probably not true! :D
Here's to hoping that you are not telling the truth. Good one anyways Huw!
You could always pull an Ameribricks like they did last year. That April 1st joke lasted a lot longer than one day. You really gotta sell that prank!
I wonder how much Mattel would offer you? What number would buy you?
That'll pay for another cruise or two. Enjoy.
NIce try Huw.
AFOL now stands for APRIL FOOLS OF LEGO.
@The Riddler: It's a good natured, joke for the day. Correct me if I'm wrong, but Huw has done many April Fools so far. It's only tradition.
@Huw: Good one! Almost got me there.
Very very clever, you might make some believe you, but all it has done, is demonstrate to me, that you have a very dark sense of humour, how very un Lego like,
Avril Prima, very good. Relax everyone ;- )
As I wait here in the hospital, for my nurse to bring in more medication, my whole LEGO life passes before my eyes. From my first Pirate set in 1988, to my wonderful DC/Marvel/LOTR & Hobbit sets. My six children surround my bed, once eager to fight over my LEGO empire, now sadden by my sudden, unexplained medical decline. The doctors say it could have been something insanely hideous that I might have read on the internet...who knows???????
loved the line.......the journey from 1997 to me being a millionaire today!! classic!
Wbeneke,I hope your not really unwell, your comment was brilliant, and painted a vivid picture, There is most definetly a very dark element to the article, I did not know Huw had it in him. But its not true, don't worry.
LOL ... Brilliant Huw ! Just for a few seconds ...just very brief 15 seconds ...
I bought this...right up until the second paragraph. I'm barely a Bricksetter and I know you're too loyal and committed to sell Brickset. *hugs* Good April Fool's Day joke Huw. Better than Deviantart's and they really put effort into their April Fool's day gags.
Also Huw, We love you. *another appreciative manhug*
For the first 30 seconds I ALMOST believed this. Nearly burst into a deep, manly sobfest over the loss of our beloved brickset! Good one!
gamesgem - no worries, just joining in the farce...although my heart did skip a beat and my 6 kids are plotting to take over my empire one day, lol. Yes, a brilliant little April 1st folly...well played Huw!
this is SSSSSSSSOOOOOOOO a april fools prank, same with the city article. i noticed april fools hidden in the articles.
You had me...for a very dark 3.5 seconds, you had me. :)
I was speechless for a few seconds .....good one Huw!
Yes I will finally get. My masters of the universe building sets, my daughters can get monster high,
Mega blocks till I die or 4/2/14 whatever comes first.
I was so scared until i read the comments.
oh no i almost crapped all my Lego bricks at once, all 70,000 plus. then i remembered what day it was!!!!!!!!!!!!!! nice joke HUW. thanks for the laugh.
Good one. You almost had me there. :P
I JUST REALIZED, APRIL FOOLS! DAY IM SO STUPID THAT GOT ME FOR A SECOND THOUGH
April Fools! Not too believable though
Oh gosh, I was about to go berzerk for a minute. That was a pretty good april fools joke.
I only read the first paragraph and went to the comments to express my feelings, then I see people saying: "I just remembered, today is April fools!"
This was mean.
Got to the part where you became a millionaire to realize you are just a prankster. Thanks a lot.
Not bad, did give an initial shock though.
It's the end of the world - oh wait, my calendar says "April 1st". Why is that significant again? :D
I am sooo gullible... I had to pop over from the app because I was all 'whaaattt?'. You got me with the city one as well, but then I am new here and I never notice the date! *head in the clouds*
I was so furios I wanted to throw my phone... and then I looked at the calender! Nice one huw!
Please be an April Fools joke.
I hate "April Fools". This better be a joke. Not Funny.
Love the pranks, can we have some year round?
And here I was, thinking that the announcement last week of the Darth Revan minifigure was an early April Fools joke (which luckily wasn't)! Nice try Huw, nice try LOL!
...and the new title will be Huw, Masterblocker .....