Lego Withdrawal ... How long have you stayed away from Lego?

[DrJB]

It might be a combination of the recent technic sets (that I do not find particularly appealing, anymore) and possibly other busy life events, but I'm experiencing some withdrawal lately.

Sure hope it won't last long, and I've even slowed down dramatically on posting ...

What's the LONGEST you've stayed away from this hobby? Do you always come back in full force ... or is it the typical loss-of-interest after 2 years, as with most other hobbies?

[jantjeuh]

I've never been 'gone' since 2010, when I returned from my dark ages. Even if the sets aren't great, there's always plenty of cool MOCs to build or improve. Anyway, I think this fits better in the Community forum or something like that?

Edited August 15, 2014 by jantjeuh

[DrJB]

agreed ... but I'm mostly into technic ... so, if any of the mods can move this thread, by all means.

[Technic Gearhead]

I get pretty busy with work, selling Lego and life in general but it never really leaves my mind. I wish I had more time to build and usually stick to official sets or popular MOCs when I do because of limited time.

[jorgeopesi]

15 years, my dark ages began on 1994 and finished on december 2009 , with rugby, gym, work and a lot of party, I had no time .

[PROlego]

Well, I've been playing with LEGO since 2003 and never stopped, but I build much less during school days.

[Zerobricks]

I didnt actually had a real dark age...maybe a few months?

[HorcikDesigns]

I never had dark age (mayb very similar to Zblj) niether had never suffered from being unable to touch my bricks... to build

My hobby developed continuously from child's view to lego - as a toy, to AFOL's view - as ardor.

[rhplus]

my dark age took almost 6 years, since 2008 to these days, when I celebrate my comeback to lego

Edited August 15, 2014 by rhplus

[Good old Lego builder]

Well, I think my dark ages it almost lasted 20 years. I guess the Model Team Highway Rig was the last set I bought. When my son was born, I picked up my old crates of Lego and rebuilt and sorted all my City sets. ( and bought some new ones, for my son, sure). Then I started doing some mocs, when I have time. And now and then I pick up a set I really like, like the Unimog and now probably the Tumbler)

[plew2000]

My dark age was just like 7 years from 2000 to 2007 then I found out how fun they are.

[miguev]

About 20 years, between the 1991 8838 Shock Cycle and the 2011 8070 Super Car, or between when I gave all my Lego to my cousin before entering high school (1993, and got it back just now) and when I finally built the 8070 (2013). I'm now building with parts from the new sets. Yeah, the new sets are not as interesting, but the new parts are :)

[Lakop]

I never left it. I always did some lego, and bought the odd small set, but nothing serious for about 10yrs. Later I discovered this forum.

H

[rollermonkey]

Dark Ages was mid-late 80's until 2013.

Sometimes I wonder what my parents did with my old tubs of bricks.

[Gremer]

My main dark age was from 2004-2010. I'm surprised I didn't just throw away my stuff then, and I'm glad that I didn't.

[grum64]

I've not built any of my Technic sets for several months just a few Star Wars sets for Jake & George. I've been too busy working on other 'projects' which are taking longer than expected. Much longer!

The good news is I've just about finished one and am taking a break from the other (the Cobra).

All being well Jake and I are starting on Zblj's Buggy next week. We're really looking forward to it.

[dr_spock]

I think 20+ years. Does buying Lego for my children in the Dark Ages count?

[Kronos]

20+ years. I came back a little over three years ago.

500th post....."I dub thee, Sir Kronos!"

Edited August 16, 2014 by Kronos

[TheItalianBrick]

It's hard to say, cos I always kept them with me, even when I wasn't playing at all for months! I still have loads of LEGO bricks from the early 90s, and after nearly 30 years still the same!

But hey, look at all the answers, everybody had a "dark age" in a similar period of our life, which is mostly when we get a wife, kids, or things like that! We are all busy with work, but I will bever consider LEGO as an hobby that lasts 2 years! LEGO it's lifestyle, it's the "scaffoldings" of our childhood , and within our culture and education!

[miguev]

It was actually becoming a father that brought me back, as I started to really appreciate the highlights of my childhood. I wouldn't call those 20 years a "dark age" though, it actually contained the brightest years in my life, specially the 2nd half of it!

[The Joker1]

14.5 billion years, Not existing counts as being away from Lego right?

[Paul B Technic]

Except for my dark age, since I have been back about 6 months is the longest time I have been away from the hobby.

I AM NEVER LEAVING AGAIN.....

[Balrog]

Brilliant topic. I am writing about this stuff on my blog, though I haven't gotten to continue my story much further.

Basically I had a large dark age from something like 16 or 17 until my mid twenties (which already started a lot earlier). Then I slowly came back again with some specific sets (oh man I really need to write new blog entries) and me becoming a proper AFOL a few years back.

How my dark age began can be read here: Click.

[MajklSpajkl]

Hi, my dark ages lasted for 14 years - After buying 8460 in 1995 - the only larger technic I bought myself up until then (mostly system bricks from my parents earlier), I've been building for a year more and went dark in 1996. After years in high school, sports, chasing girls, parties, university and marriage I bought first boxes in 2010 when my wife got pregnant - those sets were for my boys of course . Before becoming a father I dug up my old LEGOs and I've been bricked ever since... just now I caught myself t hinking that I spend to much time on my cell reading lego stuff when I should psend more time building .

[dhc6twinotter]

I lost interest in LEGO around 1999 or 2000. I was busy with last year of high school and college classes in the evenings. Back then, I was more into Town sets, and I didn't like the direction LEGO was going with their Town sets. The sets started losing a lot of detail and looked unrealistic to me, so I lost interest. In 2008, my parents bought me a LEGO set for Christmas, but it was supposed to be sort of a gag gift. I liked what I saw, I've been hooked ever since.

Over the last 2 years, I've been traveling extensively and have been away from most of my LEGO collection. I'm back home now, with my LEGO close by, but I'm now back in school and hope to start a new job in October. I hope to have time to build more once I get my new job, but there is a good chance that I will be working long shifts with very little time off. Time will tell.