Secret lego fans

**Shadows** · March 31, 2009

There are plenty of behaviours that should make people feel ashamed, LEGO isn't one of them, and for some people, it just might keep them out of those kinds of things.

If people don't understand or accept you for who you are, they never will, that's just part of life.

Personally, I drifted into my dark ages out of the classic "you're really too old for this" pressure and then came back with a vengeance 10 years later. Initially, I felt a little funny at times, despite the fact that I also bought Star Wars toys and had been for years. It seemed like you could take 15 action figures to a register and no one looked at you funny, but a couple of boxes of LEGO made people say things like, "oh, someone is getting a present" or some such crap. After a few times of that, I just let out a "yes I am!" and felt the freedom of being myself once again, unashamed and unconcerned about what other people thought.

Give it a try, you'll be surprised at the reactions, which have ranged from concerned looks to "hey, that's cool!"

Both are fun. :grin:

legofan · March 31, 2009

Wow! Thanks for sharing all your stories! Here's Mine:

I've love Lego since i was about 8?? I enjoyed it so much i remembered i'll always throw a tandrum whenever my parents refused to buy me one.. (Yap i'm a bad bad boy)... :tongue: And i will keep crying until either 1) i got whacked so hard the whole store is watching (which usually happens about 70% of the time) or 2) i got the set i DIDNT want, usually a cheaper set (which happens say 25% of the time?) or 3) i got the set i wanted.. (Which is either my parents strike lottery or i did very well for my exams)... So i guess i was a pretty bad boy which couldnt get his lego... :cry_sad:

Now that i have grown to 29, i could start buying lego on my own. However, due to finicial constrain, i still couldnt get the legos i want... With parents out of the way, came another secret strong character u will find at about this age. The name is : W I F E.. she was very very against the idea of me collecting lego.. i had a very hard time trying to hide my lego purchases, and couldnt buy any sets more costly than US$20. It was really bad and i had to hide really hard...

Then i came upon ebay. i made some purchases and some sales from it! With that, my wife believed that lego was my passion and wasnt something that waste alot of cash. (As if diamonds aren't)... So with that, i got my green light! However, my resources are that tight i truely find it very costly to maintain and given the ever-rising RSP of the sets, i could only wait for my best sale of the year, our lego damaged boxes clearence sales. I practically gotten ALL my sets are 20-60% off their RSP from it! :tongue:

So now i'm no longer a shadow of lego, but a true fan and always seeking out the best sales for my fav sets! Although i'm normally the last few to get them...

**Eilif** · March 31, 2009

I'm a married adult with a mortage, and no one tells me what to do with my free time. Ever since I returned to the brick at 22 I've never felt the need to hide my hobby. That said, I have been quite surprised at the overall positive reaction that I get when folks find out about my obsession. It does seem to make it a bit more "acceptable" when folks find out that I run a LEGO club for kids here in the "inner city" and that I'm a member of a LEGO train club.

I think the fact that we are seeing so many folks playing video games as adults, has helped folks look a bit more favorably on LEGO and other similar activites as adult hobbies. If folks really care about increasing the public's perception of the hobby, then they should take some action. Some suggestions...

1) Start a LEGO train club or LEGO Users Group (LUG)

2) Organize a public display of LEGO

3) Organize a LEGO club for local kids

4) Find some other way to use LEGO for community service.

If we want to make LEGO more acceptable, then the burden is on us AFOL's, not on the public at large.

-JD- · March 31, 2009

I am sorry your family was like that. :sadnew: My parents feel I have got too much, but once I have the top floor to myself I will be just fine. :devil: I am allowed the whole top floor (two large rooms) to store and display my LEGO! :cry_happy: I need to tidy it up first though.

My friends are fine with me having LEGO, because they collect other things like Warhammer and other things us older teens (18-19 yr olds) like. Occasionally there is a comment but I tell them to shut it or just ignore them. Either that or I retaliate by saying "How would you feel if I said something about you collecting...". Then they tend to back off. :thumbup: My girlfriend is fascinated by the fact I collect LEGO (in a good way) and likes looking at the models and dioramas. :laugh: She gets stressed when they clutter the floor (as any woman would :tongue: ). My smaller cousins (3yr olds) adore looking at them as well, and my uncles enjoy playing with the models. My aunts are casual.

Greetings,

JD

k_peek_2000 · March 31, 2009

I'm 19 and I've been lucky enough to not have any problem with my legoy passion. So far everybody that knows has been totally supportive. I remember taking my friends (these are college party guys who drive huge trucks and have wear black and think they are the coolest) while we were waiting for a movie, I told them to go to toys r us with me and i was telling them all about legos and showing them the new x-wing and that i was gonna get it next and all this stuff and they were really cool about it. Also my gf has been really supportive about it, she thinks it's kinda cute that im into legos and star wars and everything but shes a gamer nerd (and shes really really pretty, u would never guess that she was a gamer hah) so it kinda works out, although she says when we move together I have to put my collection in the closet haha. The only person that has a problem with my legos is my mom. Well she doesnt care about the lego part, she just gets tired of boxes coming from ups day after day and says i should spend less money on legos. Other than that i've been really lucky.

Edited March 31, 2009 by k_peek_2000

**Ricecracker** · March 31, 2009

So far, everyone I know has been extremely tolerant. I am still in my early teens, though, and my parents do buy me Lego as a present for my birthday or other occasions. It's not like they'll get me something else, because they don't want me to 'play' with Lego. I do go to a rather small school right now (Aprox. 30 people in my grade), and everyone knows, and thinks it's cool that I like Lego. I'm really sorry for what you had to go through, and I hope that I, nor anyone else has to go through that situation as well.

The Rancor · March 31, 2009

I do go to a rather small school right now (Aprox. 30 people in my grade), and everyone knows, and thinks it's cool that I like Lego.

You're rather lucky then, because all the time I was in a small school like that I was constantly teased and picked on for liking Lego at all. I actually thought the majority of people didn't mind, but of course because the most influencial person in the year group despised Lego, virtually everyone HAD to as well otherwise they were unpopular. Since then, I haven't known many people for a while who go to my current school so barely anyone knows except my closest friends. Even, then, only ONE actually is interested at all with my hobby!

On a good note though, my whole family doesn't mind getting loads of Lego for my birthdays or Christmas. I certianly don't have to go to a psychologist to be hypnotised out of Lego. Also as another side note, I think as I get older, I am likely to 'collect and MOC Lego' more than build it and play with it. I'm certainly glad no one can take the mickey out of me for using a PS3, because that's almost as important as Lego (as ADHO15 will know)!

Edited March 31, 2009 by The Rancor

prateek · April 1, 2009

So far, everyone I know has been extremely tolerant. I am still in my early teens, though, and my parents do buy me Lego as a present for my birthday or other occasions. It's not like they'll get me something else, because they don't want me to 'play' with Lego. I do go to a rather small school right now (Aprox. 30 people in my grade), and everyone knows, and thinks it's cool that I like Lego. I'm really sorry for what you had to go through, and I hope that I, nor anyone else has to go through that situation as well.

woah, only 30 people in a grade, which school is that? My story's like yours, my parents buy me a set on occasion, like whenever we go to toys r us, we (my sisters and I) all get to choose 1 thing under $20 (i know, thats pretty cheap) BTW im probably the same age as you and my friends think Lego is just another hobby so its cool

Edited April 1, 2009 by prateek

pesgores · April 1, 2009

I'm 14. I advertise LEGO® in my class, as a way of softening it. They don't like it, but they're cool and they don't bug me.

The reason I like LEGO® is mainly because of BrikWars.

I think I won't face a Dark Age, but only time can tell that...

Can I hold it out for 4 years?

Captain Blackmoor · April 1, 2009

I'm playing with LEGO a long time already. My friends know it and they have loads of respect for it since they can't build 'that' wel with LEGO. Some of my friends play with LEGO too, it gives an awesome opportunity to create whatever you want. And you can show it to other people.

At school not much people (except my friends) know that I still play with LEGO.

And I have no trouble with it. Some people think you are a little kid playing with LEGO, but I just like it!

I think when I'm old and gray I still like LEGO...

I even think I am addicted to LEGO!

hollisbrick · April 3, 2009

I'm not ashamed of being a TFOL at all.

But i don't tell everyone about it. If some one asked me if I still played with Lego I'd be like"yeh who doesn't?"

And if they give me a hard time I wouldn't care because the people that would ask wouldnt care either :wink:

General Armendariz · April 3, 2009

All my friends dont like LEGO so yeah I have to keep it a tiny bit secret. They dont do this kind of stuff.

**Eilif** · April 4, 2009

like whenever we go to toys r us, we (my sisters and I) all get to choose 1 thing under $20 (i know, thats pretty cheap) BTW im probably the same age as you and my friends think Lego is just another hobby so its cool

Dude, that's not "cheap". You're privileged, to get a $20 toy whenever you go to Toy's R Us. I don't want to pick on you, but you should realize how lucky you are to have folks that will dish out $60 bucks on their kids (assuming you have two sisters) just for visiting TRU.

**Batbrick** · April 4, 2009

I am a proud Lego collector that pretty much everyone who knows me will attest to, but I also understand that there are other people who keep it more secret. And you know what? I think that's perfectly fine. No one has the right to force their beliefs onto others, so I think if there are people out there that do have people in their lives that may ridicule or embarrass them, then having a private hobby is perfectly A-OK. I myself have a couple of hobbies no many of my friends know about (nothing sinister, don't worry :wink: ).

Batbrick Away! :devil:

hollisbrick · April 5, 2009

I am a proud Lego collector that pretty much everyone who knows me will attest to, but I also understand that there are other people who keep it more secret. And you know what? I think that's perfectly fine. No one has the right to force their beliefs onto others, so I think if there are people out there that do have people in their lives that may ridicule or embarrass them, then having a private hobby is perfectly A-OK. I myself have a couple of hobbies no many of my friends know about (nothing sinister, don't worry ).
Batbrick Away!

One can only imagine :tongue:

martinsuper · April 6, 2009

When I was a kid (5-12), I was really into LEGO but my family didn't have a lot of money. My parents bought me what they could when they could. I think the reason I stayed in LEGO was because I had four or five friends who all had huge pirate collections.

When I got older, my dad did the opposite of what many parents did, he told me to leave my LEGOs out and set up. I stayed into LEGO and kept building. My dad even put my stuff on display in the office of our family campground, and we got a really positive response about them.

I started to get out of it my Junior year of high school. Pirate was dead (no longer) and to me didn't see to be coming back. I remember being 15, and getting Red Beard Runner for Christmas as well as Imperial Flagship. That was the year my family started doing better, so I finally got some better LEGOs! That was also pirates last run.

Anywho, Im turning 27 now and I am an executive about to be married. I kept having a reoccuring dream that I would be in a store and discover LEGO pirates for sale again. I would have the dream a couple times a year. Most of the time, I would dream of finding Caribbean Clipper for sale. It was my favorite ship that I never got.

So my fiance and I were in Target and for some reason I decide to go down the toy isle. There was LEGO pirates staring me right in the face! I bought one of every set, all at the same time, no questions.

I called my dad (who just turned 60), and told him there were new LEGO pirates out and I bought them. My sets from when I was a kid were still on display. I stumbled on EuroBricks, BrickLink, and stuff on Ebay.

I started buying like I was a kid with an adult's budget, because I was a kid with an adult's budget. My dad and I had a meeting where we took apart the "port" I had constructed. It was really some road baseplates, and a mess of pirate and town sets.

We built a new table just for LEGO pirate. We (my dad and I, 60, and 27) are now working on making the port I always dreamed of, but never had the money or resources like BrickLink to build.

I think I have honestly sunk about $1000 into it this year between sets and parts. I am more into it now that when I was a kid.

I collected a lot of other toys, like Star Wars figures in their boxes. I am going to be selling my sets of those soon to buy more LEGOs. Everyone in my family is into it and everyone is excited.

**Asuka** · April 6, 2009

It´s very fine to hear that your dad and you´re having some serious LEGO fun together, martinsuper. :classic:

**Peppermint_M** · April 7, 2009

That is really cool. I was just the wrong age for pirates even though I adored them as a kid. You and your dad must be having great fun.

Dr. Steve · April 7, 2009

When I was a kid (5-12), I was really into LEGO but my family didn't have a lot of money. My parents bought me what they could when they could. I think the reason I stayed in LEGO was because I had four or five friends who all had huge pirate collections.
When I got older, my dad did the opposite of what many parents did, he told me to leave my LEGOs out and set up. I stayed into LEGO and kept building. My dad even put my stuff on display in the office of our family campground, and we got a really positive response about them.

I started to get out of it my Junior year of high school. Pirate was dead (no longer) and to me didn't see to be coming back. I remember being 15, and getting Red Beard Runner for Christmas as well as Imperial Flagship. That was the year my family started doing better, so I finally got some better LEGOs! That was also pirates last run.

Anywho, Im turning 27 now and I am an executive about to be married. I kept having a reoccuring dream that I would be in a store and discover LEGO pirates for sale again. I would have the dream a couple times a year. Most of the time, I would dream of finding Caribbean Clipper for sale. It was my favorite ship that I never got.

So my fiance and I were in Target and for some reason I decide to go down the toy isle. There was LEGO pirates staring me right in the face! I bought one of every set, all at the same time, no questions.

I called my dad (who just turned 60), and told him there were new LEGO pirates out and I bought them. My sets from when I was a kid were still on display. I stumbled on EuroBricks, BrickLink, and stuff on Ebay.

I started buying like I was a kid with an adult's budget, because I was a kid with an adult's budget. My dad and I had a meeting where we took apart the "port" I had constructed. It was really some road baseplates, and a mess of pirate and town sets.

We built a new table just for LEGO pirate. We (my dad and I, 60, and 27) are now working on making the port I always dreamed of, but never had the money or resources like BrickLink to build.

I think I have honestly sunk about $1000 into it this year between sets and parts. I am more into it now that when I was a kid.

I collected a lot of other toys, like Star Wars figures in their boxes. I am going to be selling my sets of those soon to buy more LEGOs. Everyone in my family is into it and everyone is excited.

That's Awesome! You and your dad must be having a great time

I have been doing the same thing acting like a kid with an adults budget. I have even gotten my wife into it a little now.

**Eilif** · April 7, 2009

Martinsuper, that's Brilliant!

When I have children, I hope that I can be as supportive as your dad.

martinsuper · April 7, 2009

I appreciate it!

I have come of the the LEGO closet, and have started posting about it on my Facebook. The response is actually quite amazing. I saw we LEGO folks are the majority, not the minority.

-Martin

UserNameInvalid · April 9, 2009

Hi, My name is UserNameInvalid and I'm a LEGOholic...

Wow, that felt good confessing this out loud...

Interesting stories, guys! Especially martinsupers story is great and very touching!

My story:

As a child I used to play with LEGO. Got a bit older and other things got my attention.

Recently I gave a set of lego Ferraries (#8168) to my 6 yr old nephew which we assembled together. We had a great time and my love for Lego grew once more.

Now, since a few months I started buying new lego sets again.

I am supposed to be a responsible adult and have a busy stressful job, and am surrounded by highly intellectual colleagues -the kind that likes to talk/brag about their latest scientific publications-.

Recently I confessed I had bought some LEGO for myself. This did not go down well. So now I do not mention it anymore.

If asked I will not deny my love for lego but I will not spontaneously bring up the topic.

Since I live far away from my family, I have not mentioned my newly found hobby yet to them.

Playing/building with LEGO stimultates dexterity and fine motory functions which I do need in my job. To me it also stimulates the creative mind and is a bit of escapeism.

Collegues of mine do sometimes play computergames, which in my view do not have the additional benefits as lego does, but is much more accepted oddly enough. Spending 30 grand on the newest mercedes or ferrari, or the lightest and fastest tour-de-france bicycle with colour matched super soft breathing ergonomic bunny-leather bicycle gloves are apparently the thing to do.

Well, I'd rather buy a lego bicycle or ferrari and colour match the minifigs hands.

So who cares... Everybody has his own hobby or oddity.

As long as there is lego, I will continue to enjoy/collect/use/love/admire it!

And I have another very good to visit my nephew (who also has my old lego).

BTW, I never knew there was such a humongous lego community out there! Amazing!

Now back to sorting out my lego S@H basket... £220 is a tad too much... What set to throw out?... Decisions, decisions...

Nice to meet you all!

**Asuka** · April 9, 2009

Hi, My name is UserNameInvalid and I'm a LEGOholic...

He he... um. :look: Today was the ending of the less 20% on LEGO campaign at my local TRU ... and I really

feel like I could need a little guidance... or at least another person to help me carrying all the packages... :tongue:

And I have another very good to visit my nephew (who also has my old lego).

Very fine... as long as you keep your visit nice and friendly... :grin:

**Peppermint_M** · April 9, 2009

We are much friendlier than that. :classic:

Welcome and never feel like Lego is a shame. It is certainly a relaxing hobby. I'm glad you found eurobricks so you can feel normal or at least not the only adult in the word who dedicates time, effort and money to a "children's toy".

UserNameInvalid · April 9, 2009

He he... um. Today was the ending of the less 20% on LEGO campaign at my local TRU ... and I really
feel like I could need a little guidance... or at least another person to help me carrying all the packages...

I'll carry them...

Might not carry them to your home though.

* streching and warming up muscles and planning quick escape route*

Secret lego fans

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