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The old idea of selling a group of books or movies or whatever, as a boxed set, is fairly simple and reasonable (often the set costs less than the individual items bought separately).
However, there are sets, and then there are other sets. Sets that aren't finished. Because the Nth new book in a
series just came out, for example. Why do I want to "Buy the new boxed set!" when I already own the LAST boxed set?
What I want is a boxed-set BOX that can expand (most likely by telescoping) to hold new members of an expanding set. Thank you!
======Added Apr 13, 2011======
A problem with a telescoping box is that part of the box must be bigger than the other part, which means same-size items won't fit snugly throughout the box.
A better solution may be to make the box partly like a jigsaw puzzle. For the following description I will assume the front of the box is open (for items to be placed in it or removed from it), and facing us.
Each side of the box is normally connected to the top, back and bottom of the box. This would remain true, but the length of this connection might only be half a centimeter, with jigsaw-puzzle notches and tabs. If the left and right sides are connected together by these notches and tabs, then the box would be exactly big enough for the first item of the series.
So, assuming the publisher knows that an item is indeed the first of a series, it can always be sold with this box.
Every following item of the series is sold with a correct-width top/back/bottom jigsaw piece, such that the initial box can be disconnected and this new piece can be installed between the left and right sides. Now the box is exactly big enough for every item of the set, always. (if we were talking about books, and one book in the series is half-again as thick as the average book, then for that volume only, it would be sold with a top/back/bottom piece that is half-again as wide as the average width of the other pieces sold with the other books in the series.)
Final note: There are jigsaw puzzles and there are other jigsaw puzzles. Some have their pieces connect more loosely than others. Here we want tightly-fitting pieces, for sure!
==============
New Final Note, added Sept 15, 2011
The CUT in the box material, such that it yields jigsaw notches and tabs, needs to be made at an angle (say 45 degrees) to each surface being cut. That way the pieces can be separated or connected without fighting each other. Here's a crude ASCII sketch:
--/--/--/--/--- (top)
|
/
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/
| (back)
/
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/
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--/--/--/--/--- (bottom)
The slash characters represent cuts, and they aren't 45 degrees, of course, but perhaps you can see how two separate pieces can be easily slid at an angle, to connect their tabs and notches. Because if the top-side and bottom-side cuts were vertical, while the back-side cuts were horizontal, connecting two pieces is not easy!!
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or they could sell/provide a bigger box with the latest instalment in the series. |
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boxed set box subscription. |
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Surely there are those that like to collect boxed sets and not just sets. To have a complete set of boxed sets would require an expandable boxed set box, whereas what you have described here is an expandable set box. And surely there are those that will like to collect expandable set boxes who will be perturbed upon finding that a new expandable boxed set box has been released, because that will require an expandable boxed set box for expandable boxed set boxes and so forth. |
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The box for the boxed set of all boxes sets that do not
include themselves would need a bit of thought. |
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I think that there are two things here:
i) The issue of storage of a set that is then followed up by more items and/or further boxed sets. Such a solution could be a telescopic box, or making each boxed set connectable (Lego boxed sets!?)
ii) The multiple editions problem. So, there is a 3 disc box set of a series of TV show or Movies -often, the multiple disc sets are cheaper than the sum of the individual discs. Then next year a sequel comes out and there will be a 4 disc box set on the market. The issue at hand here is that you may have preferred to "have the set", so having the, now intermediate, 3 disc set means you have to buy the 4th disc with no discount or buy the 4 disc set with discount for getting four discs at once and then dealing with the redundant 3 disk boxed set. |
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//The box for the boxed set of all boxes sets that do not
include themselves// There were only ever two editions
sold: one to a Spanish barber, and the other to a man from
Crete whose check bounced. |
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The marketing divisions of those organisations which produce things that may become part of a boxed set have thought about this. |
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By selling what is purported to be 'the set' in a box, they can later add one or more new components, thereby reducing the status of the aforementioned set to a subset ("the trilogy" etc.). The new component is added to the subset "trilogy" to create a new set, which any self respecting (?) nerd will be compelled to purchase, therby increasing revenue. |
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Folks, I've expanded the main text to present what I think is a better version of the idea, than a telescoping box. |
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I like the idea. Similar to those click together, expandable bookends you can get in stationers shops. I rather suspect, however, that having to buy the new box set is actually what the producers are intending for you to do, so unlikely to be implemented! |
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am I the only one that read "sex bot"? |
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Not if you're a Dr. Eldritch reader. |
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Folks, I've updated the main text with an important addition. |
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