How long have you been collecting LEGO?

[Kernow]

It suddenly dawned on me this week that this year is the 30th anniversary of being presented with my 1st LEGO set at the tender age of 3. It was this ambulance and helicopter:

I still have the pieces although the stickers are long gone now. 30 years means that I have followed the rise of the minifig as well as castle, space and pirate themes to name but a few. LEGO has always been a part of my life even during the handful of years in my late teens and early twenties when I didn't buy any sets. Fortunately Star Wars LEGO brought me back and I now get to share my passion with my kids who love it too.

So one question to all Eurobricks members:

Who has been collecting LEGO the longest and what was your first set?

Edited March 4, 2009 by Kernow

[Peppermint_M]

I have been collecting since i was seven. although money being tight it was about four or five sets a year and small ones at that. I'm thinking 1993 was my first system set I remember (and have )

I had this one

and

Are the other two I had at some point.

I was playing with Duplo before that too.

[Ratshot]

I believe my first set was big box of bulk bricks, but my first set with minifigs was a Johnny Thunder set that included a plane with machine guns and a dude wearing a monicle.

[Shoc]

Most of my life. I started Duplo when I was about 2, and Lego when I was about 3. My first set was a Freestyle one. My first minifigure set was the Islander Catamaran, which I love.

:skull:

[rriggs]

30 years for me this year too!!

It all started with the 379 Bus Station for my fifth birthday in 1979.... and I've still got it! To bookend my Lego history to date, my most recent sets were 7631 Dump Truck and 8958 Power Miners both of which I got last Saturday.

Cheers

Rog

[Freddie]

I've had LEGO for as long as I can remember, with one minor exception, but I think it started when I moved from Belfast to Norway with my mother, and got LEGO for presents there. Oldest sets I have where released in '85, which is a bit odd since I clearly remember having Duplo trains, and my step-father building an awesome layout that had some features that boggled my mind back then - that's black era duplo trains, for those not in the know.

[Natman8000]

I've been collecting lego since I was four. After I grew out of thomas trains on came a new addiction. I never had a first set because I inherited my brothers collection and my dads collection from the 50s.

Yay, I'm a knight. It's an honor to have been here to become this. More PM space, yay!

[m'kheyl]

I remember when I opened my first basic set sometime in 1985. Recently I spent some time checking boxarts but I just can't remember which set it was

Then I had several basic and small town sets but the first set that I can remember clearly enough is this one Telephone Booth

Anyway, 2010 will be my 25th year collecting lego's (dark age notwithstanding ), I hope there'll be some masterpieces on the catalog to mark it

[bobbyg]

My first set was Toa Tahu (first). it was a good set :thumbup:

[Deepwoods]

Yikes... summer of 1966 with set #120-2

[Lordofdragonss]

Congratulations!

I started when I got this beauty in 1993, and I still collecting. I never had "Dark age".

I still have some bricks from it...

Edited March 4, 2009 by Lordofdragonss

[AFOL SF]

I bought my very first Lego set during the summer of 1991, 18 years ago. It was the Imperial Flagship, I believe it was. Never had a dark age and been collecting ever since.

[Athos]

Its been about 25 years for me... No dark ages...

Steve

[Norro]

Congrats! I can only envy that record!

God Bless,

Nathan

[Peppermint_M]

Oh, I didn't have a dark ages at all. Maybe a gray age when i had limited access to my Lego, but i still bought.

[prateek]

since 1999

[Ricecracker]

I'v actually been collecting since before I was born! My first set was inherited by me from my sister, which was a set from the year before I was born, 6402 and 6410. I've been collecting and building ever since, and hope to continue for a long time. Thanks for making this topic, it brings back good memories.

[Hewman]

30 years for me too, some time this year. I had a few old town sets before I started collecting classic space in 1979.

[avoidz]

Christmas 1979:

[drdavewatford]

38 years.....

[Sandy]

My childhood sets (those which I still have with me) are from years 1990 to 1997, but I used to have sets from before that, mostly Fabuland and Duplo. But they are just a faded memory now...

I recovered from my Dark Age about a year ago, after my boyfriend bought me a Castle catapult for a Valentine's Day gift (he's such a romantic person... ). So all in all, I've spent just eight years acquiring my collection, even though I've been a fan of LEGO since my childhood.

[Dadster]

I stopped collecting and building during the HS years and didn't start up again until after my first child was born (just under 20 years), so I re-started in 1998 and have gone full-force for 10 years now.

[djo]

my first love to LEGO was in 1990, when my mother bought me 6530 yellow sport coupe with a girl minifig and it still with me until now.

then my first come out from dark age was in 2004 when i can afford to buy my own LEGO.

so i've been collecting LEGO for only 19 years.

[CP5670]

My first set was in 1988 (21 years), although most of my collection has come off ebay after 2000. My oldest sets are actually from 1981.

[Millacol88]

A year and a half, but sporadically for years before that. My first set coming out of my dark age was the 7657 AT-ST.