Help me, I'm in my dark ages!

[Western Forever]

As the title suggests, I've hit my dark ages. Although I know it's not true, I have the sinking feeling that I'm too old for Legos - I feel like I'm having a mid-life crisis. Can anyone help me overcome this?

Edited August 10, 2007 by Western Forever

[captaintau]

[Jedi Mind Trick]You WILL go to your nearest LEGO-stocking shop, but the first set you see, take it home and build and worship it [/Jedi Mind Trick]

Joking aside, tell us a bit more about it. I know many members here have had the same problem.

[Western Forever]

I'm thirteen going on fourteen, and I feel like that because, being a teenager, I just feel like my Lego fan-ness is behind me. I can't admit to my mother I want some new sets. I still MOC, my latest creations being a minifig of the Irish hero Cuchulainn, but I can't get myself to buy new sets.

Edited August 10, 2007 by Western Forever

[captaintau]

That's about the point I stopped getting LEGO. I picked it up again a couple of years ago after an impulse buy of a small set

[Holodoc]

... but I can't get myself to buy new sets.

Suggestion 1:

Store the spared money in a secret place until you get out of your dark ages. Then bust your nearest toy shop.

Suggestion 2:

Send me your sets and quit thinking about Lego. X-D

Suggestion 3: (the honest one)

*sing* DO NOT SELL YOUR LEGO!!! *sing* You will surely regret it some time.

[Ecto]

I believe I'm in my dark ages as well. The fun's gone, it's embarassing to me in front of my friends, and the sets have began to suck. :-/

[zouave]

Tip 1. Remember there are 30 year old guys spending hundreds of dollars on Lego. :-)

Tip 2. If you feel embarressed about going in the store and buying sets, buy them off the internet.

As for friends, I have no advice. I've always been an antisocial person. I stay alone and have no problem with friends. They like Legos just as much as I do. Thank goodness. :'-)

[Sir Dillon]

If you're posting here, I don't think you're not going through a dark age. It's more likely that you are in a grey age or a slump. If you're in a dark age, you don't even think about Lego, you have pretty much given up the hobby, and don't even miss it.

Or at least, those are the notes I've gotten. ;-)

[Tanotrooper]

here is a cure I have to prevent myself (15 now) to get in dark ages:

1) I went into a AFOL club where we build things for legoworld and so

2) because of this, I sometimes make awesome MOCs, if youre friends say its toys, you can rub it in their face (ok, overreacted :D ) with that MOC, they'll say: "Wow..."

3) combine hobbies! Are you interested in military history (like me), when you learn something new, build a minifig about it!

TT

[Western Forever]

Tip 1. Remember there are 30 year old guys spending hundreds of dollars on Lego. :-)

I know, note how I say Although I know it's not true, in my first post.

And I do not plan to sell my sets or give them away, what makes you think that? I have no problem with owning Legos. I have a problem with BUYING them.

[Asuka]

I have a problem with BUYING them.

Creative solutions on! ;-)

Sometimes its hard to be a Tfol

Giving all your love to just one toy brand

You'll have bad times

And they'll have good times

Doing things that you don't understand

Stand by your bricks

Give them two arms to cling to

And something warm to come to

When nights are cold and lonely

Stand by your bricks

And tell the world you love them

Keep giving them the love you can

Stand by your bricks

But if you love them you'll forgive them

Even though they're hard to understand

And if you love them

Oh be proud of them

Cause after all they're just bricks

Original lyrics by Tammy Wynette/Billy Sherrill

[Endigo Vandane]

Do you feel too embarrassed to buy new sets?

You could always ask the store attendant to giftwrap them, pretend your buying sets

for a nephew or little brother.

Or you could let them giftwrap the sets for this!!

I have done that. You get some really weird looks. I liked it.

I don't care. I'm happy.

(in case you're wondering, I'm one of those 30+ old guys who spends way too much on Lego.

Heck, if I don't get my ABS-fix regularly, I get cranky)

Or, as Zouave said, get them online.

[Sting]

Dude, wait till High School.

In High School, me and my friends were buddies with everyone and everyone knew we were obsessed with Lego. We talked about it all the time in front of the jocks and no one judged us. There are far 'lamer' things to be obsessed with than Lego. (Not that lego is lame). You just got to talk about it to people that are interested. People have no problem with quirky hobbies as long as you don't force them upon them.

Put em away for now, at least you didn't go through a dark ages when good sets were being released (yes, there are some good ones, but not like it was). Just store them good so they don't make things messy and then in a year or two or five when you get back into Lego you will be pumped you bought them.

I understand your predicament. I was out of Lego for like 4 years until I turned 16 and got back into it again.

I am only 20 right now, so this wasn't long ago. Its all fresh in my mind.

Don't know if it will help, but don't feel like your ever too old for Lego. Like someone said already, there are 30, 40, and 50 year olds buying lego religiously. Its a hobby. Men in their 50s collect toys and model trains. Its not that bad.

[JoeMI6]

I'm going through a bit of a slump too. I haven't bought any sets this year, as there are other things to buy. I think the recent contests have reminded me how fun it all can be though. You don't even need to buy all the new sets to feel great.

[jamtf]

I'm 34 years old and when I buy a set in a store, the person at the counter (almost automatically) asks if it is a present that needs to be gift wrapped.

Always, I say "NO, don't peel off that price sticker, you will damage the box!!! it is for myself!!" just to see how the person reacts to that "shocking" confession... X-D

To be honest, I do not care what others think since it is my life and my decision to spend money on Lego. I have even been on Dutch TV once admitting in front of an audience of a couple million people that I collect Lego. See if I care... apparently not. :-D

Collecting and playing with child's toys on! :-P

Edited August 11, 2007 by jamtf

[Brainbox]

If anyone at school says anything, tell them it's better than doing drugs. Make sure not to insinuate that they are though, that may not come across well.

If embarrassment is the problem, don't let it bother you. People should respect you for who you are, and if they don't then that's their loss, and they don't deserve to know you (was that a bit harsh?). Embrace your difference. It's a breath of fresh air amongst all the people who like exactly the same thing(s).

If it's a creativity slump, I'd echo the other advice already posted here. Store your Lego away, or simply leave them alone, for a bit. Then come back to it later, refreshed. That may last a month, it may last a year.

If you think your age is a problem, then first off, it isn't. If you need proof, go to your Lego store/big toy shop and look at the ages of people buying the Lego. And if you need further proof, look at the people browsing things like Transformers, or go to your comic shop and look at the ages of people there. It's no different. Or you could just look at the broad spectrum here.

Oh, and I too love that 'no, it's for me' look on the faces of people at the tills. It's only happened a couple of times (people don't usually ask), but I remember one round last Christmas when I picked up 8781 Castle of Morcia on sale (about

[Poomerio]

Well I had a 7 year "dark age".

The last time I ever had Lego, was when I was 6; then, one of my friends reminded me of how great Lego can be. So I went to the store and bought some Lego.

I don't care what people think when I buy the stuff. It's a hobby, after all. It's fun.

Well, just let your money build up, and put your Lego in the attic or something, until the time comes that you want to use them.

Like said before - don't get rid of it. You'll regret it, like I did. I binned all of my Lego 7 years ago, because I thought I was getting to old to use it >.<

- Poomie

[Western Forever]

So, if you're going through a Dark Age, relax, take a break, and (this point can't be reinforced enough) don't sell your Lego.

I don't plan to! I have nothing against owning Legos, it's buying them that I can't get myself to. And I'm an only child, so I can't imagine the sibling excuse would work.

[Poomerio]

Well since you're the same age as me, people probably still think you're into all the Lego stuff (unless that's just me), being "children" and all :-D

- Poomie

[JoeMI6]

I know how it can feel embarrassing buying what is effectively a children's toy. You should try not to worry what people think, as others have said in their thread, if they judge you on just a hobby or interest you have, they don't deserve to know you.

Also, people in shops, meh, you probably won't see the same face twice, so it really shouldn't matter. They're just doing their job, and if they step out of line, get em fired ;-)

[Holodoc]

I went to TRU some days ago and bought some Lego sets. Alone.

The employee at the checkout gave me a free cereal package and then asked: "Do you have one or more children?" That was the question I was waiting for. X-D

I replied: "Who said this sets are for my children?"

I love that look on the peoples face!

...and I

[xwingyoda]

I feel like I'm having a mid-life crisis. Can anyone help me overcome this?

Lets face it this way, you are not through a real dark age here since you are posting on a Lego geek forum :-P

Tell me about dark ages, mine were like 15 years :-/ and off course my parents gave ALL my collection away - that is bad !!

My only advice regarding your collection is this - keep it and store it !! I'm sure you will thank us later ;-)

I'm 34 years old and when I buy a set in a store, the person at the counter (almost automatically) asks if it is a present that needs to be gift wrapped.

Always, I say "NO, don't peel off that price sticker, you will damage the box!!! it is for myself!!" just to see how the person reacts to that "shocking" confession... X-D

To be honest, I do not care what others think since it is my life and my decision to spend money on Lego. I have even been on Dutch TV once admitting in front of an audience of a couple million people that I collect Lego. See if I care... apparently not. :-D

Collecting and playing with child's toys on! :-P

...and I

[Corvus]

Yesterday I was typing a review in some off time at my 'job'. My friends asked me if I was on Facebook. I said "no", and kept on typing. They looked over my shoulder and saw a picture of lego, and stopped watching. They checked my screen again, and saw some text. They read it, and had to ask me what it meant! :-D They, not being lego fans, were really impressed that there was a good-sized lego online community. Now, my friends do not think of lego as toys.

Maybe you should buy a UCS set, such as the Star Destroyer. It should make you feel older. ;-)

[Brainbox]

They read it, and had to ask me what it meant! :-D They, not being lego fans, were really impressed that there was a good-sized lego online community.

Oh, I've been through all the acronyms/technical terms with my friends. They can't always remember them quite right, but they know AFOL, greeble, stuff like that.

A lot of people used to ask about here, BS, etc in IT lessons during 'break.'

[maiq the liar]

Well, me? i really don't care a whole lot what others think...

Really, people never ask and i call the kids at school morons.

and if they make fun of me about my Game boy color, i still call them morons.

if they turn it off while i'm playing...they can say goodbye to their lungs.