As you look at the chart and begin the process of comparing our block sets to those of our competitors, it is important that you know the company that is selling the product and that you understand the importance of checking the details of the offer.
Know the Company selling the product
Old Fashioned Blocks has been in the business of manufacturing Hard Maple Standard Unit Building Block sets since 1991. We sell directly to the public and are a supplier to specialty retail toy stores and to major school supply wholesalers. Our block sets are in use in over 10,000 classrooms across the nation.
Check the details
This is critically important information when comparing block sets. A competitor may offer sets with a higher total piece count, but as a buyer, you need to know what block "shapes" are included in each set and how many of each are in each set in order to get a true comparison. A set with the larger total piece count can appear to be a bargain, but if that total results from large quantities of shapes that have "marginal" building value, your children's block building experience can suffer. For example, if we removed the 4 Quad Unit Blocks from our No.402 set and replaced them an equivalent amount of wood using 128 pieces of 1/4 Unit Pillars, the total set count would become 217 versus the original 93; however, you would have a very poor set for building.
Comparing block sets by the "total" piece count creates a significant price comparison problem for the shopper. The cost to manufacture different block shapes varies widely based on size and manufacturing difficulty. As an example, take a look at our Gothic Arch and Half Unit Pillar. pages. The Gothic Arch selling at $19.90 is considerably larger and more difficult to manufacture than a Half Unit Pillar Block which is priced at $1.55 each. This explains why a set emphasizing Half Pillars can have a larger total set count. At Oldfashionedblocks.com, we can help you make a rational comparison by pricing a competitor's block set using "our" cost/pricing system and providing you with the price we would charge if we were to make an exact copy of the competitor's set
. If you are interested in a comparison, give us a call at (800) 962-6785.
