How open are you about your Lego passion?

[Fugazi]

Maybe we should start organizing some "Lego pride" parades around the world...

Not sure that would improve things!

In a way though, the Lego conventions and events are pride parades: a time for the AFOL to 'come out of the closet' as a group and show their hobby to the world. Interacting with the public goes a long way towards changing the perception that the AFOL are nothing more than a bunch of weirdos.

[minifig_gal]

Pretty much anyone who has ever visited the house can't help but notice that there's Lego everywhere. It's sparked some interesting conversations with people like midwives and health visitors who otherwise know nothing at all about me, but friends and family just accept it. My mother thinks the money would be better spent elsewhere, but my niece and nephew love visiting us and playing with our Lego. The only complaint my nephew has is that we don't have enough cars as I mostly collect houses and other buildings.

I've ordered a few sets online and got them delievered to work, but unless they read the return address I think my colleagues would be none the wiser, or just assume it was a present for a child. I did tell one female colleague when I got the Medieval Market Village, but her response was a bit sort of "Awww, bless, isn't is cute that you still play with toys?"

I'm becoming much less worried about what people think, and in years to come hopefully I'm creating a fantastic collection of Lego for my daughter to play with just like I did as a child.

[SilentMode]

I've told a few people recently that I've gotten into Lego. Some people recall their times when they played with it and had their own collection; other people have scoffed. Either way it doesn't really matter, because we're not... (can't say that word here )

[gold682]

Every year for the past 4 years my wife and kids have got me Lego for Xmas and birthdays (actually I buy it and give it to my wife to wrap up - that way I get what I want!)

I'm 48 years old and apart from some initial doubters to my hobby, I soon put them in their place by showing how much some of my rarer sets are worth!

More passionate about Lego today then ever, although my collecting has moved themes, from Star Wars (got pretty much all I want) to Trains and the modular buildings.

Edited May 12, 2011 by gold682

[Niku]

Every year for the past 4 years my wife and kids have got me Lego for Xmas and birthdays (actually I buy it and give it to my wife to wrap up - that way I get what I want!)

I'm 48 years old and apart from some initial doubters to my hobby, I soon put them in their place by showing how much some of my rarer sets are worth!

More passionate about Lego today then ever, although my collecting has moved themes, from Star Wars (got pretty much all I want) to Trains and the modular buildings.

Welcome to EB¡

You may just like to introduce yourself.

http://www.eurobricks.com/forum/index.php?showforum=17

[Amiechan]

I recently got into Lego again after a 20 year hiatus. And my family (as in my parents and mother-in-law) did raise som eyebrows when I bought my first Creator-set. I do have a problem with my husband now - he got the Lego-bug too, and the money's tight for us. There can be som heated discussions about what what sets to buy as we don't have the same taste in Lego.

But seriously, my grown up friends dont care. They are used to my strange behavior and tastes in hobbys (aikido someone?)OR has a similar taste themself. The children I work with (as a teacher) has a hard time to wrap there head around the fact that I actually buy Lego for myself. My standard answer is "You dont have to stop play because you grow up.". That's a lesson I hope they learn.

[Peppermint_M]

*SNIP* My standard answer is "You dont have to stop play because you grow up.". That's a lesson I hope they learn.

Hurrah! The perfect way to put it!

Also, would you like to be en-pinkened and added to the ladies group?

[Amiechan]

Hurrah! The perfect way to put it!

Also, would you like to be en-pinkened and added to the ladies group?

Sure!

[Tazmaniac]

Even as a teen in my dark age I remember pulling out my lego box and building all my sets with my girlfriend at the time.

My family all think it's great, I converted my older brother by rebuilding his black falcons sets for him and dropping them at his house. With in weeks he was collecting SW sets as was his partner...thier son gets the odd set too but I think that's just for good messure.

Any one that knows me well would not bat an eye lid at my LEGO habbit, and are even more suportive when they see my MOCs.

Be proud people we are the brave few.

[lightningtiger]

I'm very open about my hobby/art form, I tell my customers what I do for a hobby....it's cool because if they have kids there they go get their Lego buckets out and show me what they make and I pass on advice to them.

At Train Show, I was shunned by the other train buffs, that was until they saw how much work when into my town and custom train, in the end handshakes and smiles all round.

Brick On Everyone and share the joy of the BRICK !

[fred67]

At Train Show, I was shunned by the other train buffs, that was until they saw how much work when into my town and custom train, in the end handshakes and smiles all round.

I found that at shows, also... I'm not in a club (although props to NGLTC), but I found when talking with other train hobbyists that they don't consider LEGO a "real" train hobby. Some of them come around after a while.

How open am I? I just switched to a new department at work, and we did a "round table" introduction, including hobbies, and I was not shy about it. In fact, I invited people to come around to my office to see what little LEGO I have there - some architecture, Star Wars, a Harry Potter Quidditch shelf (where I have two sets combined to have the whole "pitch") and Indiana Jones - the classic "Temple Escape" set.

To be fair, though, I work in television production and there's a lot of others with "toys" on display... shelves and shelves of Star Wars, Lord of the Rings, and other iconic toys... so I'm not really out of place.

[Lego Love]

I'm pretty open about my relatively newfound hobby. The girlfriend isn't too happy about it and people at work fail to understand that LEGO isn't just for kids.

But little do I care about what they think as long as it's enjoyable to me. :)

Also not sure if it's a passion or more of an addiction now!

[Ogre]

Also not sure if it's a passion or more of an addiction now!

A "passionate addiction"?

[Peppermint_M]

Well, I somewhat took the plunge last week...

As The Sun was giving away free sets and I went to uni for a few hours during the working day, I popped into town from the campus to pick up the paper and the free set. Later in the afternoon when I was back in the office, one of my colleagues was in search of a paper and I offered mine. Intrigued by this unusual occurance (as I never buy papers really) they put two and two together and realised I was buying for the toy. They made mention of stopping playing as a child and i countered that it was my hobby and "Dryer, plus I don't need to feed it" (His hobby is a tropical salt water aquarium, and another in my office also keeps tropical fish) which got a laugh and the subject was partially dropped. My other fish keeping colleague, noticing the set was a boat enthused about the possibility of putting it in for the fish to observe.

Then on the flipside, the oger in the corner was quite scornful of those who made the effort to fetch a set (thankfully on another day to the one I had mine). But then it seems his hobby was the gym until all the diet regulation and excersize gave him a metabolic problem. Now it seems to be DIY...

I may be using my LEGO shoulder bag tomorrow, who knows what kind of reaction it will have. (Then considering there is someone in my office who brings horsey gear, it should be ok!).

[Niku]

A "passionate addiction"?

A great phrase. :laugh:

Well, I somewhat took the plunge last week...

As The Sun was giving away free sets and I went to uni for a few hours during the working day, I popped into town from the campus to pick up the paper and the free set. Later in the afternoon when I was back in the office, one of my colleagues was in search of a paper and I offered mine. Intrigued by this unusual occurance (as I never buy papers really) they put two and two together and realised I was buying for the toy. They made mention of stopping playing as a child and i countered that it was my hobby and "Dryer, plus I don't need to feed it" (His hobby is a tropical salt water aquarium, and another in my office also keeps tropical fish) which got a laugh and the subject was partially dropped. My other fish keeping colleague, noticing the set was a boat enthused about the possibility of putting it in for the fish to observe.

Then on the flipside, the oger in the corner was quite scornful of those who made the effort to fetch a set (thankfully on another day to the one I had mine). But then it seems his hobby was the gym until all the diet regulation and excersize gave him a metabolic problem. Now it seems to be DIY...

I may be using my LEGO shoulder bag tomorrow, who knows what kind of reaction it will have. (Then considering there is someone in my office who brings horsey gear, it should be ok!).

I do have an aquarium too.

Probably if they have confidence with you a little joke first and then ask you more about the hobby. I found that showing the people some of the MOCs here on EB changes their ideas about LEGO and dont see it more, like a childish manner or toy. Even the modulars for observers are really an amazing experience.

Ps. you should had post this on the thread AFOLs getting out of the closet.

[Peppermint_M]

So far nothing mentioned. But I am well known as weird, well, since I sold my goth boots over the work intranet and had Final Fantasy figures on my work station. It is simple "joshing" but then the proud owner of a Fiat 500 Abath and the Horsey woman all have similar jokes at their expense. It's all good.

[Crackseed]

As I posted on Brickset, I'm passionate about talking it up - I'll spend an hour talking with parents in the LEGO store about it, either offering advice on good sets [pieces for price or what would potentially thrill their kids] or just geeking out about it. If people ask me if the purchase is for me, I grin and answer with a yes.

This is a hobby, a passion and IMO, a devotion to something that is more then simply a kid's toy. LEGO doesn't devalue. It doesn't become static or fixed once you assemble that new set for the first time. The individual pieces are just an awesome tapestry that can be used to build anything you damn well want to and I make no attempts to hide my beliefs that it's a fantastic thing for anyone to enjoy if they so choose to.

Luckily for me as well, my girlfriend supports me and often surprises me with pretty sizeable LEGO purchases [AT-AT for Valentine's Day, Earth Defense HQ for B-day, etc] and often gives me ideas on what she'd like to see MOCs of. I'm working on an Angry Birds scene for her right now xD Also built her the Croc from Ferocious Creatures set and let her take it home.

To all my fellow AFOLs - never be ashamed or afraid to talk about your love of LEGO. It inspires creativity and certainly speaks that we, as individuals, aren't afraid to enjoy and pursue the things we love and to remember that despite being responsible adults, there's always room for the kid in us to have fun too :)

[Vindicare]

I don't hide it, anyone who comes over knows pretty quick. I don't act like I'm buying for an imaginary little brother or anything. I've talked about my town with a few employees as I buy something a few times. I have pictures on my phone that I show people sets off(modulars) or my city.

[Fraden]

Well, I'm just getting back into lego after a bit of a hiatus.

So far, my best mate knows and he's fine, a couple of work people know, one who is really interested and I'm trying to get helping me build a Moc.

My significant other sortof knows, but not fully.

[Niku]

So far nothing mentioned. But I am well known as weird, well, since I sold my goth boots over the work intranet and had Final Fantasy figures on my work station. It is simple "joshing" but then the proud owner of a Fiat 500 Abath and the Horsey woman all have similar jokes at their expense. It's all good.

You know what is said, everybody is crazy, it is just a matter of degrees.

I mean there is an enormous quantity of hobbies you can pick up, and LEGO is one of the most creative, imaginative, and has really no boundaries at all. Well maybe just financial boundaries, in my case.

Still a student

As I posted on Brickset, I'm passionate about talking it up - I'll spend an hour talking with parents in the LEGO store about it, either offering advice on good sets [pieces for price or what would potentially thrill their kids] or just geeking out about it. If people ask me if the purchase is for me, I grin and answer with a yes.

This is a hobby, a passion and IMO, a devotion to something that is more then simply a kid's toy. LEGO doesn't devalue. It doesn't become static or fixed once you assemble that new set for the first time. The individual pieces are just an awesome tapestry that can be used to build anything you damn well want to and I make no attempts to hide my beliefs that it's a fantastic thing for anyone to enjoy if they so choose to.

Luckily for me as well, my girlfriend supports me and often surprises me with pretty sizeable LEGO purchases [AT-AT for Valentine's Day, Earth Defense HQ for B-day, etc] and often gives me ideas on what she'd like to see MOCs of. I'm working on an Angry Birds scene for her right now xD Also built her the Croc from Ferocious Creatures set and let her take it home.

To all my fellow AFOLs - never be ashamed or afraid to talk about your love of LEGO. It inspires creativity and certainly speaks that we, as individuals, aren't afraid to enjoy and pursue the things we love and to remember that despite being responsible adults, there's always room for the kid in us to have fun too :)

Bravo for the post.

[Dustin Roberts]

I'm lucky enough to have a wife that fully supports my LEGO addiction. As for sharing it with others, I've actually gone as far as getting a tattoo (it's been touched up quite a bit since this picture was taken)

[Niku]

I'm lucky enough to have a wife that fully supports my LEGO addiction. As for sharing it with others, I've actually gone as far as getting a tattoo (it's been touched up quite a bit since this picture was taken)

Welcome and WOW that is another level.

Have fun around.

[Paul B Technic]

I think a lot of it depends on who you are and the stage of your life you are at. nobody should ever have to hide your hobby just to please other people.

[legotrainfan]

Well, not really open, I'd say. I've recently posted some questions on English Grammar in the Community thread. Just today I had a discussion with a teacher at my school. He's a workmate. I talked to him about a sentence I had posted here. I mentioned that I had got a good reply after posting that sentence in a forum. He asked me in which forum I had posted it. I said, "Can't remember. Its name has slipped my mind. I'm quite a new member there." I distracted him by starting to talk about another forum.

Edited June 6, 2011 by legotrainfan

[snefroe]

well, honestly, everybody who visits my flat, simply can't ignore the Santa Fé train in the living room People seem to like that model, so that's a good way to introduce the subject. However, they dont see how bad the addiction actually is, since i never mension having any kind of "Lego room"... with A LOT more parts...

colleagues at work know nothing of my hobby... i'm not sure if i can afford to have that knoledge made public, really. As far as the event went, i told most people that i went to London and more specifically Windsor and Sunningdale...