Have you ever felt judged for liking LEGO?

[TomKraut]

There are those in my life who judge me for buying too much stuff without having the space for it... but that has nothing to do with the fact that I'm buying Lego.

As far as feeling weird or judged goes, I couldn't care less. I'm 35 years old, I make good money so I get to buy and play with whatever I want. And most of the time I want to play with little pink buildings and the tiny dolls that live in them.

Cheers

TomKraut

[Peppermint_M]

So today's shopping list: Bourbon, Rum, Beer, LEGO, Kinder Egg with My Little Pony toy inside...

Only question: "Do you have some ID?". A common ask, I do not look 25, let alone my actual 27 years. Good genes, my parents do not look old enough to have kids in their late 20s.

I have been roped into a LEGO club for kids, touted as an expert to their parents and thanked for being good with the children at the end. I am the go-to for questions on sets to purchase as gifts and if parts are missing from their kids.

My colleague (same age as me) and his housemate spent Christmas building the Millennium Falcon LEGO set.

[rdflego]

I get the impression that every cashier is confused when I, a smiley long-haired 20 year old child, come bounding up to the register with a box in one hand and naivety in the other. I'm a happy chap when I'm with or around Lego but I can acknowledge just how odd it must seem to an 'outsider'. I'm honest about my hobby if people are curious but otherwise; yes, I do get embarrassed when people comment on my obsession.

[Koori]

Where I live the local toy stores know me by face, but according to the guy behind the counters it quite common to see adults or teens buy lego now.

But there are those who still find it odd to see an adult excited over a box of lego.

But at the end of the day Its money I've earned by working so I see no reason to feel shame over it.

Edited February 1, 2016 by Koori

[Balhu]

I get weird looks all the time when buying Lego.

[Aanchir]

I don't feel like I get any weird or judging looks in stores most of the time. However, I have autism spectrum disorder, so it's possible I just have a hard time reading those kinds of social cues, body language, etc. I'd be happy to keep it like that. While I care a lot about what people think about me, if complete strangers are able to keep their thoughts about me to themselves then I'm not going to worry about what their thoughts might be. I'd rather focus on maintaining a positive reputation with people I actually know and care about, not with people I might never see again.

I have felt judged for liking Bionicle in my first year at college, but it was less because people cared about me liking LEGO and more because my general social awkwardness made me an easy target for bullies and me liking LEGO is one of the few things those bullies actually knew about me. I've never really tried to hide my love of LEGO, and college didn't change that. All the teasing in college changed is that it made me go out of my way to avoid confrontation — keeping the door to my dorm room closed at all times unless I had a guest over, taking the long way to the dining hall so I didn't have to go past the smoking area where those bullies tended to hang out, etc. But I'd still proudly wear LEGO T-shirts around campus. Frankly, being open about my interests makes it easier to figure out which people are open-minded enough to be friends with and which people I'd be better off avoiding.

I got picked on a fair amount in grade school too, but usually it wasn't for liking LEGO — people had much better and crueler ways to pick on me at that time, like writing disgusting smut about me and my family in my science notebook, making fun of the way I talked or the way I dressed, pretending to flirt with me to make me feel flustered and trick me into saying something embarrassing, etc. Liking LEGO was probably one of the things I was LEAST ashamed of back then.

As for online judgment/bullying, most of the people I interact with online are other LEGO fans, and only one has been enough of a fool to try and argue that it was OK for HIM to like LEGO but not for ME to like it (he tried to argue this because he was 13 or so and I'm 24, but I don't think he managed to convince anybody of anything but his own immaturity).

[Agent Kallus]

At least no-one judges us in the lego shop .

[Lego_Girl]

I mostly keep it a secret being an afol. People would judge so why bother share that info with them? I mostly buy sets online but when i go they tend to ask me what's the age of the kid I'm buying this for, I get so tempted to tell them "It's for me" just to see their reaction! lol

[Forresto]

I dress in period Victorian clothing often so do I feel judged? Not by the important people in my life. I live in a city with a small white population so I think that I get away with a lot more then if I lived in a mostly white area. I'm just that eccentric white dude and i'm fine with that because it means I won't be treated weirdly for getting a bunch of battle packs. Sticking out for other reasons honestly helps distract from the lego collecting

[Breakdown]

The lady at the courier place, shook the box, looked at me and said "try 'n make sure that your kids don't just play with this stuff everywhere in the house, you'll thank me when you step on some pieces."

It does recommend from ages 6-12 on the box?? Shrugs??

This also happened, some horrible fat guy started yelling at me for bringing lego:

Edited February 22, 2016 by Breakdown

[ChiefPie]

The only time I've gotten a look is when I was feeling the CMF bag and a Toys R US worker asked if I were opening them. I said no. I guess they found people opening them before. I've also been asked by a friend who used to get LEGO but doesn't anymore, why I get LEGO cause it's for kids and I said I just like it. I mean I'm a big SW fan and he knows that by seeing all of my sets and Id rather get LEGO then action figures. Hehe atleast it's something that I like and enjoy and plan on continuing this hobby as long as I can!

[HoganPrime]

I get it at work at times. I have a brick mug from thinkgeek and I often have mocs stuck all over it. My students are adults so sometimes they'll see it and comment. Nine times out of ten they love it but every now and again there is one student that says 'this is for kids'. I am more than happy to tell them that hobbies and interests don't matter when it comes to age. My entire office knows how big Lego is for me and even ended up buying some sets as a result of me buying stuff on my break (our school is in a shopping mall that has both a LEGO store and a TrU). The women in the LEGO shop know me now and always slip me extra polybags when I come in. Nothing to be ashamed of!

[Giantorange]

A couple of months back I bought MF and Rey's speeder in my local Argos.

The cashier gave me 'the look' so I got ready to come back with 'it's a birthday present for my nephew', but she just smiled and said 'you're going to love building this its awesome'. Which was a pleasant surprise.

[TitusV]

A couple of months back I bought MF and Rey's speeder in my local Argos.

The cashier gave me 'the look' so I got ready to come back with 'it's a birthday present for my nephew', but she just smiled and said 'you're going to love building this its awesome'. Which was a pleasant surprise.

That is indeed a pleasant surprise!

[Iria]

The cashier gave me 'the look' so I got ready to come back with 'it's a birthday present for my nephew', but she just smiled and said 'you're going to love building this its awesome'. Which was a pleasant surprise.

I guess that look was her normal face.

[Paul B Technic]

Often :(

[appiah4]

Its worst when you are feeling cmf bags and a store clerk eyes you and obviously goes wth..

I sometimes blatantly hit on these to make things even creepier. I once told one I just cant help feeling overly dressed beautiful things like herself. It actually worked.

[HoganPrime]

My wife gets involved in the hunting through CMF bags so when we usually go together so she can excitedly rumage. Our last trip was to try and get zombie pirate and zombie cheerleader. She is enthusiastic but terrible at feeling for the correct parts so it became a race to see who could find the two correct packets first. I won...

[rodiziorobs]

All growing up my dad hated "Leggos" as he called them and threatened to throw them all away on many occasions. He was probably relieved when I became a teenager and packed them away.

When I started building again about 6 or 7 years ago, he was surprised and gave me a hard time about it (not in the mean-spirited way as before, but as a way of making fun).

Then I showed him something I made--a Christmas tradition of mine of building a holiday-themed functioning candy dispenser. He was amused, and a little impressed, but still made fun of me for it.

A few months later he brought us a whole bunch of cherries in the morning, and was going to come back later in the day. We didn't have a cherry pitter/stoner, and it would have been laborious to cut them open one by one and remove the stones, so I whipped together a little stand with a technic plunger and pitted several pounds of cherries in an hour.

When he came back, he said he realized we probably didn't have a pitter so he had bought us one. He was surprised to see that we had already done all the work without one, and asked how I did it. I told him to guess, and a big smile spread across his face as he realized what I was talking about. He was absolutely dumbfounded when I showed him my Lego cherry pitter.

Since then he has changed from night to day, buying Lego for my kids, for me, and last year he even got my wife a set--even though she has confessed she has no personal inclination towards the hobby. I guess he just had to see that it wasn't just a toy, but that it could be used for actual practical uses, as well. I guess he realized I hadn't been wasting all my time as a kid.

[appiah4]

All growing up my dad hated "Leggos" as he called them and threatened to throw them all away on many occasions. He was probably relieved when I became a teenager and packed them away.

When I started building again about 6 or 7 years ago, he was surprised and gave me a hard time about it (not in the mean-spirited way as before, but as a way of making fun).

Then I showed him something I made--a Christmas tradition of mine of building a holiday-themed functioning candy dispenser. He was amused, and a little impressed, but still made fun of me for it.

A few months later he brought us a whole bunch of cherries in the morning, and was going to come back later in the day. We didn't have a cherry pitter/stoner, and it would have been laborious to cut them open one by one and remove the stones, so I whipped together a little stand with a technic plunger and pitted several pounds of cherries in an hour.

When he came back, he said he realized we probably didn't have a pitter so he had bought us one. He was surprised to see that we had already done all the work without one, and asked how I did it. I told him to guess, and a big smile spread across his face as he realized what I was talking about. He was absolutely dumbfounded when I showed him my Lego cherry pitter.

Since then he has changed from night to day, buying Lego for my kids, for me, and last year he even got my wife a set--even though she has confessed she has no personal inclination towards the hobby. I guess he just had to see that it wasn't just a toy, but that it could be used for actual practical uses, as well. I guess he realized I hadn't been wasting all my time as a kid.

That, my friend, could well be the synopsis of Lego Movie 2.

[nerdsforprez]

This is a great post.... lots of very good responses. One of the very few posts that I read most responses.

I saw a shirt the other day that read "I can't adult today. Don't make me adult." I laughed. Later however, I saw beyond the humor and realized there was quite a bit of wisdom behind that T shirt. I think it takes being an adult, the responsibilities, pressure, demands, etc. to notice that a break from being one is actually a healthy thing. Hobbies are that way in general. As long as they do not become an obsession or distract you from whatever responsibilities you have then something that gives you a break from all things adult is healthy. Some people run, some people hike, some shop, some have affairs, some buy boats, etc..... the list is near infinite. All these things are Lego..... all are in that they merely provide an outlet for real-life. Some are healthier than others. I have a buddy who spends nights are bars and spends thousands on motorcycles and four-wheelers. I have never received flack from others for buying Lego.... but if I did, I would merely ask if the person giving me flack would prefer that I behave like my buddy. I am sure that would shut them up quick....

[TitusV]

This is a great post.... lots of very good responses. One of the very few posts that I read most responses.

I saw a shirt the other day that read "I can't adult today. Don't make me adult." I laughed. Later however, I saw beyond the humor and realized there was quite a bit of wisdom behind that T shirt. I think it takes being an adult, the responsibilities, pressure, demands, etc. to notice that a break from being one is actually a healthy thing. Hobbies are that way in general. As long as they do not become an obsession or distract you from whatever responsibilities you have then something that gives you a break from all things adult is healthy. Some people run, some people hike, some shop, some have affairs, some buy boats, etc..... the list is near infinite. All these things are Lego..... all are in that they merely provide an outlet for real-life. Some are healthier than others. I have a buddy who spends nights are bars and spends thousands on motorcycles and four-wheelers. I have never received flack from others for buying Lego.... but if I did, I would merely ask if the person giving me flack would prefer that I behave like my buddy. I am sure that would shut them up quick....

I'd call that wisdom

[Actor Builder]

I saw a shirt the other day that read "I can't adult today. Don't make me adult."

"That's a lot more mature than I think I care to be."

-Bill Watterson, Calvin and Hobbes

[MaasEffekt]

Have i ever felt judged? My classmates were already judging me because i liked Lego when i was a teenager in high school. Around 14 or something (I am guessing everyone wanted to be an adult quickly, and it wasn't cool if you still played with toys. But i always wanted to stay a kid...).

Now i am 31. Once i was in a toy store looking for Lego, and the shop attendant asked how old is the child i would like to buy Lego to. I told her: 31. :D She looked shocked... Since then i am keeping it a secret. Only my closest friends know about my hobby. That means like two people. And of course my mom and dad, but my dad doesn't really understand or like it. Let's just say, he tolerates it.

I am also a 1/6 scale action figure enthusiast, and have some fashion dolls as well. And i am a male. Need to say more, why i choose not to tell mostly anyone.

So, when i am in a toy store i play a role of a father, who would like to buy stuff for his children or something. Usually i play a little dumb about toys as well, or complain about high prices... :D Just to look more like a parent or something. Hope someday will get an Oscar for my good acting.

One more thing i'd like to add, is that my friend likes videogames very much. (Me too.) He told me that in the stores nowadays that he's over 30 yo, shop attendants treat him as a father, so a person who obviously buys games for his child/ children. Nobody ever thinks he might be the gamer.

I think these things are absolutely sad! Most of the modern world promotes understanding and stuff, but they cannot even tolerate an adult Lego fan...

P.S.: A few months back i was in a supermarket with a female friend of mine, and we were passing by the toy section. I was looking at the Lego sets, and we started to talk about toys, and that i like Lego. She found it a little "unusual", and so i tested her a bit and i told her that i've heard on tv that some adults are collecting fashion dolls and stuff. Basically she said, that for sure those people are all must be psychologically ill... So although i like her very much, i didn't see her since.

I think i am a "normal" adult. Yes, i like Lego, and other toys. What does that makes me? Sick? I don't think so! Maybe i am even better with kids than most adults, because of my hobby. I hope i will have my own kids someday, and we can play together.

Edited March 16, 2016 by Lazer

[HoganPrime]

Have i ever felt judged? My classmates were already judging me because i liked Lego when i was a teenager in high school. Around 14 or something (I am guessing everyone wanted to be an adult quickly, and it wasn't cool if you still played with toys. But i always wanted to stay a kid...).

Now i am 31. Once i was in a toy store looking for Lego, and the shop attendant asked how old is the child i would like to buy Lego to. I told her: 31. :D She looked shocked... Since then i am keeping it a secret. Only my closest friends know about my hobby. That means like two people. And of course my mom and dad, but my dad doesn't really understand or like it. Let's just say, he tolerates it.

I am also a 1/6 scale action figure enthusiast, and have some fashion dolls as well. And i am a male. Need to say more, why i choose not to tell mostly anyone.

So, when i am in a toy store i play a role of a father, who would like to buy stuff for his children or something. Usually i play a little dumb about toys as well, or complain about high prices... :D Just to look more like a parent or something. Hope someday will get an Oscar for my good acting.

One more thing i'd like to add, is that my friend likes videogames very much. (Me too.) He told me that in the stores nowadays that he's over 30 yo, shop attendants treat him as a father, so a person who obviously buys games for his child/ children. Nobody ever thinks he might be the gamer.

I think these things are absolutely sad! Most of the modern world promotes understanding and stuff, but they cannot even tolerate an adult Lego fan...

P.S.: A few months back i was in a supermarket with a female friend of mine, and we were passing by the toy section. I was looking at the Lego sets, and we started to talk about toys, and that i like Lego. She found it a little "unusual", and so i tested her a bit and i told her that i've heard on tv that some adults are collecting fashion dolls and stuff. Basically she said, that for sure those people are all must be psychologically ill... So although i like her very much, i didn't see her since.

I think i am a "normal" adult. Yes, i like Lego, and other toys. What does that makes me? Sick? I don't think so! Maybe i am even better with kids than most adults, because of my hobby. I hope i will have my own kids someday, and we can play together.

I don't exactly know what a fashion doll is so I honestly don't know what the issue is there. But as for your hobby of collecting, building, doing whatever when it comes to toys... You have nothing to feel ashamed of. People have all manners of ways of spending money and frankly speaking you don't need a justification or excuse to do the same. You enjoy what you enjoy, and why should you feel bad and need to hide that?

Not everyone will understand what your passions are and some might actively discourage it by saying it's not normal. But that isn't your problem; it's theirs. So be proud of your hobby and go buy something. Nothing wrong with buying it for a 31 year old kid. I'm a 29 year old boy and I wouldn't change anything about that. Neither should you :)

Also @lazer, this is slightly off topic to Lego but i hope can give you some more food for thought. My colleague is openly gay and completely at peace with his sexuality (just to clarify I am not insinuating you might be, its just relevant to my friend). Which is one of the reasons why a week ago he had a hello kitty suit jacket tailored from some fabric he broight back from singapore and has a bicycle with a hello kitty pink helmet. When he wears that stuff it looks fantastic and everyone in our office has had photos taken wearing the helmet. If anyone ever judged him for his style and passions I know exactly how ****s he would give. Zero. Neither should you buddy

Also @lazer, this is slightly off topic to Lego but i hope can give you some more food for thought. My colleague is openly gay and completely at peace with his sexuality (just to clarify I am not insinuating you might be, its just relevant to my friend). Which is one of the reasons why a week ago he had a hello kitty suit jacket tailored from some fabric he broight back from singapore and has a bicycle with a hello kitty pink helmet. When he wears that stuff it looks fantastic and everyone in our office has had photos taken wearing the helmet. If anyone ever judged him for his style and passions I know exactly how many fudges (not sure on the swearing policy here) he would give. Zero. Neither should you buddy