16 replies to this topic

[bricklayer]

Hi,

I never had lego growin up  

But now im older I can afford it.

But im asking myself some questions and want your personal view.

1)If I drop $120 on a nice city set and build it....then what?
What do you do(look at it....play with it....rebuild it)

I have no desire to play with it(only when my son is older)

I DO have a desire to build it......but how many times would I rebuild the same set?
It would be nice to look at on a shelf.
But isnt it crazy to spend tat kind of money to build something once and let collect dust on a shelf?


Maybe the point is....eventually I could also do my own MOC's using all my sets.


However.....I just want to buy EVERY set I see!!!

Pls help.

Thanks,

Edited by bricklayer, 01 April 2012 - 01:35 AM.

[Brickdoctor]

It's not at all crazy. There are some really nice looking sets out there that make great display models. A modular building will look great on a shelf. Personally, I don't think you'd get the full play value out of it, but it'll be worth the money just as a nice display piece.

[Pingles]

For me it was the building.  I enjoy the process and learning the tricks to achieve specific shapes and patterns.

I originally restarted to introduce my daughter to Duplo. But when I bought a set for myself she was drawn to it.  At two she started playing with the big sets (under supervision -- and luckily she's not an eater) and never looked back.

I am now doing conversions on sets to add playability. She's three and when I removed the back wall of the Firehouse she started using it like a dollhouse.

Been a lot of fun and I am enjoying building the advanced sets myself as I prepare for my first big MOC.

[caperberry]

I think the answer is d) all of the above.  
I got back into LEGO after buying a set but for the next while I didn't buy sets, I bought the pieces I was interested in from Bricklink to build my collection. Then I began buying 'display' models such as Architecture, UCS, Collectable Minifigures or Modulars. Now that I am buying quite a few sets that aren't display models, I've pondered the same question of value when I don't 'play' with them and they contain many pieces I'm not really interested in (but everything helps) I always enjoy the build itself though. In the one and a half years since I left my Dark Age, I don't think I've ever rebuilt a set again, but that's fine. I'm sure I'll rebuild some favourites one day.

If you are judging whether $120 is too much to pay (I know I often admit guilt about how much I spend), I say do it and make the most out of that set then judge it on the positive emotions that you get from it.  I would suggest enjoying it on display for a bit, then pulling it apart and building several things out of it. It doesn't have to be some amazing MOC; it might just help you find out what you like making and how you like to use LEGO and what you'd like to buy next.

Edited by caperberry, 01 April 2012 - 01:36 AM.

[bricklayer]

Something I thought.
Ive dropped a lot on golf.At $40 a pop for 4 hours.

It doesnt compare actually.

For $120 you get the bricks for the rest of your life.....and any others you buy.

I guess the only limit is our imagination!!!

[Legogal]

I like buying modular sets and then sometimes changing the colors to something that is more appealing to me.

Or putting two or three modular sets together to make a larger set so there is more room to do interiors because often the rooms are too crowded to add much furniture.

So you don't have to keep the set as built in the instructions unless it is one of your favorites and you have space to exhibit it.

Most of us tend to buy the bricks we need off Bricklink to to expand or customize Lego sets and to build new MOC's that may take some techniques from a set we bought.

So there does not seem to be one answer to this question, and your tastes will tell you what you should do over time.

The main thing is just to enjoy building something, and it can be totally your own creation or a set straight out of the box.

[Izzy]

In my personal experience, slowly picking up a set here and there seems to work for me. If a set had pieces that really speak to me I will get it. Once you have built a set, after a while you may want to take it down and then use the pieces for making your own creations (MOCing).

But a Bricklink or Pick A Brick order or two does not go astray either. :cheeky_grin:

[Legocrazy81]

I buy sets for collecting purposes and building. It brings joy to me as I build. Since you mentioned the City theme in particular, you could always set up a City layout using official sets. Then, once you bulk up your collection, you can add street baseplates, sidewalks, streetlights, plants, your own buildings, all kinds of things. I like to stick to official sets to make up my town, however. There's nothing wrong with spending $120 for a a set just to look at, try buying 10224 Town Hall($200). Or the other 6 modulars($150 retail).

[caperberry]

bricklayer, on 01 April 2012 - 01:50 AM, said:

Something I thought.
Ive dropped a lot on golf.At $40 a pop for 4 hours.

It doesnt compare actually.

For $120 you get the bricks for the rest of your life.....and any others you buy.

I guess the only limit is our imagination!!!

Absolutely! That's the wonder of LEGO! I thought about the items I don't think twice about spending money on, like DVDs or alcohol or clothes, and then thought about what I could buy on Bricklink for that price


I find the collecting aspect very rewarding too; I don't always buy bricks that i NEED from Bricklink, often just ones i WANT. Even though they may remain unused for a while, I love buying and just having them.

[Hrw-Amen]

I can agree with a lot of this. I have some modular MOCuildings that I have made. Although they tend to cost less per month than a single modular as a project will take three or four months to et all the bricks for from bricklink. Thereby the building experienc lasts longer.Mine are up on the shelf gathering dust it is true. Sometimes I take them down, move the figures about a bit.(Dust them.) But I like to have a row of colourful buildings to look atIdo not intend to take them apart as they have taken so long to build, but that is not to say I will never modifythem if I have a good idea bit like a real property changs over time. So there is some fun still to be had from it. Trouble is they do take up fair bit of room when you have a few of them.

[JackJonespaw]

Although $400 might be a bit much, I would pick up 10188. It gives you some good minifigs, it's fantastic to look at, and it has lots of great parts for MOCs!

[charlieboy]

I have asked myself many times before buying a set if it's really worth it. I know it wont get played with but for me it's all about how the set looks on display. 10220 Volkswagen T1 Camper Van is probably the best set I have bought for this purpose.(And one of the very few my wife will let me have in our living room!) I have it on display in a glass cabinet along with my very large minifig collection and it looks superb!
I'm sure everybody has their own idea of what does and doesn't look good but if like me, you buy Lego purely to show it off, $120 is worth it all day long

[moop]

They display great and the build is fun. Also, when we have parties, everybody is inevitably drawn to them and likes to play with them. It's just instinctual.

[PaulBaldowski]

Personally, I think - find a set or two with incredible display value and go for it. I have an X-Wing and TIE Fighter up in my living room, and don't have any issue with it. They look good atop my bookcase and they need dusting occasionally. I may consider dismantling and rebuild at some point to give them a proper clean. Otherwise, I don't struggle with the conundrum of whether I should have spent the money or not!

[CommoScout]

I buy to collect.

It's the only thing that really lets my imagination fly when it comes to Medieval History or Medieval Fantasy.

Building my sets also is a type of relaxation. I really get to unwind, DE-stress and over all just get involved with something I'm doing without a major time commitment.

I also enjoy building with my daughter.

[Freekysch]

I buy Lego sets mainly because i love building them and it offers me a great satisfaction seeing that i made something with my hands. On the other hand, i think Lego models / minifigs look awesome in my display.

[bricklayer]

Your display loks really nice....the light has a great affect!