Since we just opened our Christmas presents and we are still in the holidays mood, today I want to talk to you about something very special and dear to me. As you may imagine from the title, this story is about me and LEGO, about becoming an AFOL, MOCs, LUGs and communities, the people and the creativity behind the bricks, the LEGO story, fun facts, sources and resources.

I invite you to read it on my blog and I hope that you will find it interesting 
http://alextass.com/personal/30-years-old-playing-lego

Have a good read, thank you! :)

Edited December 31, 20168 yr by talex

You're age is meaningless...  If you enjoy building with LEGO, then GO FOR IT !!!  I'm 60 (and proud of it!).  I say HAVE FUN WITH YOUR LEGO!!!  Everything else is illusion.

 

Thank you for your message @Rotundus I totally agree with you. Yet I have friends that don't understand my passion or the phenomenon, they simply regard it in a minimalist way - toys (for kids). I think and feel that there is so much more to it and this is the reason why I decided to write that piece, to show what a large and fascinating universe revolves around this passion.

Edited December 31, 20168 yr by talex

Lego is more than a toy, its a tool for the mind! Nice article too, you are never too old for Lego regardless of age. I'm 34 years old and still collect Lego. :D

I turned 30 this year and got a couple of sets for my birthday. I don't usually have any sort of a party, but my wife wanted to have as many of my friends together as possible to celebrate. My immediate family were the ones who gifted me the Lego. Admittedly, there were some strange looks I got from friends. But hey, it's my birthday!

I've only just gotten back into Lego in the last 12 months. For me it is a creative and therapeutic outlet. It allows my brain time to relax and try new things. It also creates fun family time. Even my wife loves sitting down with my son and daughter and trying to come up with new things. 

3, 30, or 103, I don't think age matters!

Thank you @Delta62 I totally agree! Good job on your collecting part! Me too :D

 @Switchfoot55 that's awesome to be supported by the (immediate) family. Yeah, I know what you mean with strange looks from friends hahaha. It is also very nice to have the family involved in the construction process, I had mine as well and it was a very fun and quality time together. Well, to make a joke considering that on some boxes is written 5-99 years, I guess you are no longer allowed to play if you are 100 :D

I feel Lego for me is something that allows me to think and relax, just go into my own little world while creating what I wish. Its kind of like how some people are into those coloring in books, I feel Lego does the same thing for me.

@talex As Rotundus said "your age doesn't matter" look around on EB you will see a lot of us at 50, 60, 70 and even 80! Still snapping those bricks together. LEGO is an ageless hobby, for many of us it is about engineering, science an for me, most importantly art. I have often said that LEGO is the ultimate reusable art supply. No matter their age no one should have a need to justify a LEGO hobby, just have fun!

just MHO, YMMV

Andy D

@Andrasta @Andy D thank you so much for your comments and sharing your thoughts, this is exactly what I intended to show to my friends and everyone out there!

I also do find some people misunderstand it. I was trying to tell my family that its more about what I can do to mod it rather then just building one set after another, for me, I first create what I get in the box, being I am a low level lego builderright now, only started getting into it about a month, so got little amount of bricks or tools on hand right now. Then I slowly mod it with parts I have around. A small build turns bigger over time until you create something of dreams or nightmares.

  On 12/29/2016 at 10:54 PM, talex said:

Thank you for your message @Rotundus I totally agree with you. Yet I have friends that don't understand my passion or the phenomenon, they simply regard it in a minimalist way - toys (for kids). I think and feel that there is so much more to it and this is the reason why I decided to write that piece, to show what a large and fascinating universe revolves around this passion.

I think what the problem is, is simply ignorance. I imagine most people don't see LEGO for what it is today, but just as a toy. When I first bought Imperial Flagship, I had it in a predominant place so everyone would see it. I had numerous people shocked, even among closer inspection, that it was LEGO. I just don't think a lot of people realize it's popularity as well.

Oh, and I'm 35 and still hot & heavy in my love affair. 

Edited February 8, 20178 yr by Vindicare

I am 45, married, and have two kids.  I have a great job, and provide a nice life for my family.  I have a lot of family and friends I enjoy spending time with, and they seem to enjoy my company as well.  I am active in my kid's sports teams.

I am also a proud AFOL and have been for almost 20 years.  I have never hidden this fact from anyone; not friends, not family, not coworkers.  I will admit that in my late 20s to early 30s my hobby was tolerated, but not really embraced.  Now, people love it.  They ask about it all the time.  They follow my blog and my social media channels.  When their kids outgrow their LEGO, they give it to me because they know it will be loved and used to bring happiness to others.

Long story short, do what you love, and don't worry about other people.  If they like you for you, they won't even blink an eye at your LEGO habit.  if they have a problem with it, they probably really have a problem with themselves and their own lives and are just jealous you've found something that makes you happy.

I was a LEGO fanatic as a kid and went into the "dark ages" for almost 20 years. I still had all of my sets and was going to give to a friend who had kids. Once I started looking through them the fire got reignited. That was about 4 years ago and now I'm neck deep in LEGO at 33 yoa. My smoking hot wife tolerates it and even wants to help with build sets. I see it as art using a different medium. I give LEGO all the credit for my ability to follow instructions. LOL

You only live once. There are tons of things to do with time and money other than LEGO and yet given the options, this one is not bad at all. So far the only one who seems hurt by all of this is my wallet =) 

 

  On 3/2/2017 at 4:01 AM, Japanbuilder said:

You only live once. There are tons of things to do with time and money other than LEGO and yet given the options, this one is not bad at all. So far the only one who seems hurt by all of this is my wallet =) 

 

Agreed, I've never met anyone who has a problem with my hobby. Except my wallet.

Hey I'm 60, female and a grandmother my family seem to think I should be sitting back and knitting jumpers, but after a working life spent around (very) heavy plant machines I like nothing more than a big box of Lego Technic to help me relax, my only problem as some have already alluded to is the lack of money for even more Lego.

If people give me grief for "playing with toys" I simply say that I'm just building "models" and its no different than having a hobby building model cars or ships. 

 

For some reason that explanation makes sense to regular people. I think they imagine adults running around with airplanes in their hands making noises otherwise.

Edited March 2, 20178 yr by Criosphynx

  On 3/2/2017 at 5:40 PM, Criosphynx said:

If people give me grief for "playing with toys" I simply say that I'm just building "models" and its no different than having a hobby building model cars or ships. 

 

For some reason that explanation makes sense to regular people. I think they imagine adults running around with airplanes in their hands making noises otherwise.

That is me with my A-Wing and TIE Advanced! But I play with my kids so I can disguise it =)

  On 3/2/2017 at 11:01 PM, Japanbuilder said:

That is me with my A-Wing and TIE Advanced! But I play with my kids so I can disguise it =)

Hahah, I love it!

Unfortunately for me, I don't have kids to "blame" my lego on :) :)

  On 3/3/2017 at 3:09 AM, Criosphynx said:

Hahah, I love it!

Unfortunately for me, I don't have kids to "blame" my lego on :) :)

Ah well, there's nothing wrong with a right good swooshing now and then. I say let it all hang out and run up and down the street with your "models" swooshing the whole way. LEGO deserves to be appreciated in the very best manner. 

Totally agree with what everyone said.I`m 35 now and i started with Lego in Autumn 2015 and it is lots of Fun.I often take Models from the Shelf and swoosh them around (yeah,i even make "Pew Pew" Noises) or take some Mechs or Ground Vehicles and move them around,grab some Minifigures and let them have a Fight or make funny looking Scenes.

It really fits me because i`m also a total Goofball and Lego is all about having Fun.I don`t care if People give me a strange Look for buying Lego.

So to everyone:swoosh away and make Laser Noises all you want.

  On 3/2/2017 at 5:40 PM, Criosphynx said:

If people give me grief for "playing with toys" I simply say that I'm just building "models" and its no different than having a hobby building model cars or ships. 

 

For some reason that explanation makes sense to regular people. I think they imagine adults running around with airplanes in their hands making noises otherwise.

I don't think I've ever had anyone give me grief for "playing with toys." Are they expecting I would play with toys? Are my friends unusual enough that it doesn't bother them? Maybe they just figure it is because I have kids.

  On 3/6/2017 at 1:49 PM, dulsi said:

I don't think I've ever had anyone give me grief for "playing with toys." Are they expecting I would play with toys? Are my friends unusual enough that it doesn't bother them? Maybe they just figure it is because I have kids.

I'm going to guess its the kid thing. People who react that way to me also seem to react strongly to my choice not to have children. ::shrug:: .  Being a woman also seems to add a layer of "weirdo" to it for some people. So I present to people as the "childless woman who plays with toy spaceships" I guess. I'm just glad I'm born in this century and not a previous one.

I'm talking about strangers or acquaintances anyway. Anyone who actually knows me thinks its pretty cool!

 

:)

Edited March 6, 20177 yr by Criosphynx

Back in the day, I used to put those plastic SW model kits together using glue! Ugh!

I also had one of the old "classic" Lego brick sets with the large, multi-colored brick. Today, we have the best of both worlds. Models that we snap together without glue!

I'm in my late 40s and love my SW Legos. My wife and daughter don't mind my hobby and I don't really discuss it outside the home.

But it is nice to get a Lego set and spend time building. It gives me that nostalgic feeling of being a kid again.

And I don't "play", just "display". I have a lots of other SW stuff but those things were just removed, or not removed, from a box and put on a shelf. I have more investment in the Legos that i just don't get with other things.

So, at the end of the day it's just fun and nostalgic for me. I really don't care if anyone understands my hobby or not. It's for me and me alone.

  On 3/6/2017 at 5:49 PM, Criosphynx said:

So I present to people as the "childless woman who plays with toy spaceships"

 I think we would get on very well