I opened my Facebook feed this morning and was greeted by a photo I posted in 2015 of progress on the build of the Detectives Office – LEGO 10246. Aside from recalling the great build and all the very neat details in the set, it also got me thinking about the LEGO Group’s annoying habit of not releasing the newest Modular set until after the holidays.

In the months leading up to Christmas I always pour over the catalogs and web postings which detail the “new” sets to be released in January. What were they thinking? Is this scheduling mishap a giant Billund blunder?

Then it struck me. No, its not a blunder. It is sheer inter-locking plastic brick genius.

I can almost imagine the meeting. I’m envisioning a cramped conference room, dozens of people huddles around a table. Half empty water bottles and coffee mugs litter the place. The weary executives are trying to wrap their heads around their reoccurring issue – how can they continually have such strong 4rd Quarter sales, but such dismal results every 1st Quarter? What can they do to break this feast or famine cycle.

Suddenly, from a meek voice in the corner of the room comes, “I might have an idea.”

Everyone turns, confounded and filled with frustration.

“What if we were to create a product line of sets sufficiently large and complex as to appeal primarily to advanced builders and adults? We wait until after the holidays each year to make these sets available, but we advertise and tease them all throughout the holiday shopping season.” The meek voice continues, “This prevents us from cannibalizing our  holiday sales of sets for the younger builders and creating a want and desire in our more advanced builders who are able to buy the larger more expensive sets.”

A collective gasp spread across the room as the executives around the table understood the magnitude of the concept.  It flattened the curves, it filled the valleys on the various charts and graphs strewn across the room. It solved their problem. It was inter-locking plastic brick genius.

So here were are, 11 or so years later. The plan worked. Every season we buy our kids a Santa’s sack full of fun, playable sets. We relish the twinkle in their eyes as the open their gifts on Christmas morning. But as Christmas turns to New Years, every AFOL’s dreams turn to the new sets due out on January 1 (or earlier for us VIP folks).

But this never would have happened, would never have come to be if it had not been for a meek junior executive sitting the corner of a crowded conference room in Billund who found the courage to speak.

So every year as you order those new sets that come out on January 1 – those sets that bring you cheer and comfort through those long, cold winter nights, you should pause for a moment and raise a glass. To you, Oliver G. Modular, the meek junior executive who brought this to pass.

I must sign off. I think I just heard the UPS guy and my Corner Garage – LEGO 10264 is supposed to arrive today.