Andy D

Older Than Dirt!

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Plastic: You forgot sticks and dirt!

We made most things out of dirt and sticks when I was a kid back in the real Dark Ages. Some of our favorite "toys" were dams made of sticks along curbs causing streets to flood in West Texas, deep pits of quicksand to drown meannie neighbors (who deserved it,) and ripe, red tomatoes for beaning the houses of other mean kids (ditto.) It was war. Period. We owned few store bought toys and had to make our own artillery for the most part.

We scavenged construction sites for leftover scraps of wood with which we built all kinds of amazing things using just a hammer, nails and a saw. My brothers and I built a big fort attached to our back fence, and used mud pies for ammo. We had armies that fought with handmade stick swords and guns. And rarely did anyone get seriously injured. We ate so much dirt in the process that we had to get dewormed once a year just like most folks' dogs. Our immunity must have been astounding with our exposure to so many germs.

So please don't forget the "dirt" in "older than dirt!" Thanks!

Never saw a LEGO until I was 25 or so. Not widely available in the US until the late 80's.

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Never saw a LEGO until I was 25 or so. Not widely available in the US until the late 80's.

I remember having some Lego back in 1970. Department stores like Jordan Marsh, Filene's, Woolworth, etc. had them if I recall. Then again, the memory is not all that good. :laugh:

Not sure how we survived. Playgrounds had real dirt and ants. There weren't that soft rubbery mat stuff on the ground to cushion the falls off the swings.

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Andy D is so old that when he was a child he made buildings out of stone because was the only element available in that time.

You know, I did make mud buildings. When I lived in Arizona I learned how to make adobe bricks, made some small buildings out of adobe bricks, the precursor to LEGO, but still stacking bricks.

Andy D

I remember having some Lego back in 1970. Department stores like Jordan Marsh, Filene's, Woolworth, etc. had them if I recall. Then again, the memory is not all that good. :laugh:

Not sure how we survived. Playgrounds had real dirt and ants. There weren't that soft rubbery mat stuff on the ground to cushion the falls off the swings.

I remember that, I lso remember running barefoot across the school yard in the summer to avoid the thorns, it seemed if you ran you picked up fewer.

I don't remember LEGO until we got some for my son in about 81 or 82.

Andy D

Edited by Andy D

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I'm a new member, and also an old timer, 56 years young. I had Lego's when I was young, but it was mostly the 2 studs X 4 studs bricks, all thick ones. I don't recall any wheels or anything like that.

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I'm not quite with you yet - I'm older than Star Trek, but not Doctor Who (or dirt)

I'll be "celebrating"(?) yet another anniversary of my (now vaguely remembered) 39th birthday this weekend so I may not be in the club, but I can definitely see you guys on the horizon drawing closer every year...

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We made most things out of dirt and sticks when I was a kid back in the real Dark Ages.

We scavenged construction sites for leftover scraps of wood with which we built all kinds of amazing things using just a hammer, nails and a saw.

That only declined in the past 10 years. Something about a Playbox or X Station, and something online. My neighborhood friends and I made many scrap wood forts, tunnels, and raised platforms through the mid-late 90's - early 2000's. Good times. Still, I guess I'm "younger than dirt", at 26. :classic:

Happy Birthday Shayd! Hope you have a great one :sweet:

Edited by LEGO Guy Bri

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I joined this forum today, but since I've joined O'Harra family in mid-50s I think this tag would fit well in my profile ...

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Welcome, to the Dirty Club, oops, I mean "older than dirt club." It is a very exclusive place to be, so please enjoy the honor.

Growing up in the US west in the Fifties, we played mostly with dirt, mud, sticks, and leftover wood. Had to stay outside most of the day back then when not in school. Moms would not let you play inside much. So the six of us built forts, quicksand pits, hanging posts for our dreaded next door neighbors, tomato slinging catapults for nailing the mean neighbors' white garage from a distance with ripe tomatoes from their garden, tent camps in the backyard, and whatever else we could dream up. My four brothers made play guns out of anything they could find. Toys? Not the store bought kind unless we earned the money mowing yards or babysitting the other neighbors' snotty kids.

First time I saw LEGO was in 1973 in Fairbanks when my nine year old Austrian stepson came to live with us and brought a box. Never seen anything like that before. The start of my ruin...

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Welcome, to the Dirty Club oops, I mean "older than dirt club."

@Legogal... The "Dirty Club" hmmmm... sounds... well... You know.... I'm glad you clarified...

Well, our ranks are growing... Not by leaps and bounds, but one or two showing up occasionally... I know there are more of you out there. Where are you?

Oharra, thanks for standing up to be counted. It just proves that us "Oldie's" can still stand up ;)

Now I hope someone can give Oharra an "Oldie's" badge?

Thanks,

Andy D

Edited by Andy D

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Well, it's been over a year since we discussed the "Olde Than Dirt" crowd.

I know there are some new members in the "over 50" club, so stand up, admit your age, join us and claim your lovely "Oldtimer's Badge",and let the Eurobricks community know who you are and that you are a proud "Oldtimer" LEGO builder.

So who else is "Older Than Dirt"?

I am looking forward to seeing just who is in our social community.

Andy D

Edited by Andy D

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Do note that regular EB users only have room for 6 tags max. :wink:

Yes, and one of them could be a badge of honor, the "Old Timer's" badge.

Andy D

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Howdy Andy,

Why yes, I'd be happy to join the "Dirty Club", I'm 63 and still smashing bricks together!

Some things I like about LEGO is you don't have to paint, glue, or worry about something breaking off. That's the best part, you just have to put that piece back on and continue 'playing'.

Getting off the floor is a little tough, so I kind of focus on PF models, from the comfort of my Lazy-Boy chair!

I also like to share my LEGO, so I display @ Brickworld every year, "It's really for the kids", really :innocent::laugh:

Oh yes, I forgot, I'm a senior citizen "Where's my discount / Old Timers Badge?"

Stephen

Edited by ritztoys

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@ Andy D

Is this thread Old Timer's Club/Older Than Dirt/Dirty Club?

I'm 81 and started LEGOs about 2 years ago. My other much longer duration interest is garden railroading - G scale. Enjoy building trestles, bridges, buildings, etc.

How does one get the Old Timer's badge?

Thanks, Roger Bush

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@ Andy D

Is this thread Old Timer's Club/Older Than Dirt/Dirty Club?

I'm 81 and started LEGOs about 2 years ago. My other much longer duration interest is garden railroading - G scale. Enjoy building trestles, bridges, buildings, etc.

How does one get the Old Timer's badge?

Thanks, Roger Bush

Is that other hobby include Live Steam? One of my favorites from the past, do you need to adopt a son(senior son)for tax purposes? :laugh: :laugh: :laugh:

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Well, it's been over a year since we discussed the "Olde Than Dirt" crowd.

I know there are some new members in the "over 50" club, so stand up, admit your age, join us and claim your lovely "Oldtimer's Badge",and let the Eurobricks community know who you are and that you are a proud "Oldtimer" LEGO builder.

So who else is "Older Than Dirt"?

I am looking forward to seeing just who is in our social community.

Andy D

still have another 9 months to go before my 11th 39th birthday, but it's getting closer and the time passing by is building up speed

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@Longhorn and ritztoys

Welcome to the "Older Than Dirt" club. Wear your badge proudly!

Merry Christmas,

Andy D

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Trust me, when it's my time, it's not something I'll have to "admit," I'll come right out and say it - and it's not too long now, just over a year.

I'm not quite with you yet - I'm older than Star Trek, but not Doctor Who (or dirt)

I'll be "celebrating"(?) yet another anniversary of my (now vaguely remembered) 39th birthday this weekend so I may not be in the club, but I can definitely see you guys on the horizon drawing closer every year...

Hmmm.... so young he must be counting the Star Trek movie and not the show (1966), which predates me by 1 year (I'm 48).

I can hear it now... "there was a show?!?!" :classic:

Edited by fred67

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Hmmm.... so young he must be counting the Star Trek movie and not the show (1966), which predates me by 1 year (I'm 48).

I can hear it now... "there was a show?!?!" :classic:

Nope, I mean the show, which premiered on Sept 8, 1966 on NBC (I premiered half a year earlier than that). As a very young child, I would sit on my mother's lap (on Thursdays, I think it was) to watch it with her. It was a special treat, keep me up way past my bedtime, though I recall the episode "The Lights of Zetar" was really scary when I was three...

Anyway, I'm in the final count down now, I'll be older than dirt in three weeks...

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Looks like ShaydDeGrai made it, claimed his age, and is still unbadged.

Ok, any othe new "Older Than Dirt" (over 50 YO) members want to claim their badge?

Thanks again to Fugazi for filling this thread and badgering us up!

Andy D

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Looks like ShaydDeGrai made it, claimed his age, and is still unbadged.

I sure hope he made it. :grin: Anyway, he's all badged up.

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I sure hope he made it. :grin: Anyway, he's all badged up.

Thanks! I successfully made the half century mark back in January (and took a bit of a hiatus due to some family issues, but I'm (mostly) back now)

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