Brickity Posted February 22, 2018 I'm an employed 22 year old graphic designer, and I bought my last LEGO sets in 2013. I moved for college (left all my lego sets behind) and lost interest in it, except for the disney minifigures which was like a small comeback for me and it's the only LEGO I have with me now. However, this year I feel a biit different, all of a sudden I find myself searching this forum for new stuff, and I noticed my taste has changed too. I only like licensed sets (and focus less on figs although I only like the very detailed ones) and feel something nice when looking at pictures of sets, I don't know if "desire" to get them but I just feel something burst inside me, like trying to find a reason to be closer to LEGO. Makes me wish I could be 9 years old again and spend endless hours playing with the sets, it was an amazing feeling. Of course, as I grew up the excitement decreased and the only reason I kept purchasing lego sets from 7th grade to high school was to make stop motions, I wouldn't do anything with it outside of it. I know (or at least I'm 90% sure) that if I start purchasing sets I'm going to have a blast building the sets but I will likely leave them aside after a little while and end up feeling veery guilty for spending so much money on something I don't use. What do you young adults/adults like to do with your LEGO toys? Have any of you gone through something similar? Is this called the "dark ages"? Many of you will probably find this pointless, but I just wanted to share how I feel and probably get some opinions on it. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Vindicare Posted February 22, 2018 Most of my sets ends up in plastic containers. I’m 36 & I still have a blast building sets. I recently built 70921 Harley Quinn Cannonball Attack. Despite initially not liking the truck, I ended up loving it once I built it. The same went for the whole theme. I also have a decent sized city layout that has the Modulars, some City, Superheroes, Harry Potter, and others in it. Then I do have some display space where I rotate stuff every few months. That way, I can enjoy builds over & over again. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
deraven Posted February 22, 2018 I'll get right to my point: If it's something you enjoy, even if it's only building the set and then setting it aside, and it's not actually hurting your financially (like you spend your rent money on Lego instead)... why is that an issue? Just go for it! Do you know how much money people spend getting drunk at bars every weekend? They have a fun time and then that money is gone - literally down the toilet - whereas you still have the physical product even if you're not doing anything with it. If this is something you enjoy doing, just do it! My advice if you're uncomfortable about the cash over time: for every set make sure you keep the instructions in good shape and for anything over, say $75, keep the box as well (flatten it and store them somewhere), and if you're not MOCing with the piece and don't want to display the set when you're done with it, keep the pieces for each set together in a labeled bag in storage. If you decide you want to recoup some money, you'll have a pretty easy time reselling those complete sets with instructions (and in some cases the box as well) and I would be shocked if you didn't get back at least 75% of the original cost. I think you're in your own Dim Ages (not quite the Dark Ages) and that's OK, but don't deny yourself the enjoyment you do still get from Lego in a more limited way if it's not causing you any other negative consequences. Leg godt! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
x105Black Posted February 23, 2018 8 hours ago, deraven said: Do you know how much money people spend getting drunk at bars every weekend? They have a fun time and then that money is gone - literally down the toilet - whereas you still have the physical product even if you're not doing anything with it. If this is something you enjoy doing, just do it! Hey, some of us enjoy getting drunk and building LEGO sets! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
deraven Posted February 23, 2018 11 hours ago, x105Black said: Hey, some of us enjoy getting drunk and building LEGO sets! Fair enough! That just makes your overall budgeting more challenging... One related piece of advice, then: Just don't buy Lego while you're drunk! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
AFOLguy1970 Posted February 23, 2018 No need to feel bad about purchasing Lego if you enjoy it. Pay no attention to the age labels on those boxes either. Mountain Police Station says ages 6-12 on the online site. Guess that makes me a very old 12. Right now, I have limited shelf space which is holding a Downtown Diner, a Pickup and Caravan, the Mountain Police Station, the Unexpected Gathering, the Galaxy Explorer ship and landing pad (the rest is boxed up), a MOC of Christine the car from Stephen King, and a MOC of one of the Texas county courthouses. The other sets are all in plastic bins completely bagged up. My hope is to eventually move into a house which has space for a Lego room, at which point I will build my town and display most of the stuff just waiting to be rebuilt. There are no plans to take apart the MOCs, the Galaxy Explorer, or the Unexpected Gathering. Everything else gets rotated in and out as I buy new sets. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
enigma84 Posted February 26, 2018 I agree with the odther answer...if you enjoy building up the set and it is not hurting your finance, do it! :-) All my builted set are in one showcase in my house and I like to take a look at them time to time even if I do not "play" with them as when i was a kid..... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
koalayummies Posted February 26, 2018 If you only like licensed themes then this is the time to be a fan because licensed Lego product is ever expanding. And if you feel guilty about not using Lego after its built but enjoy the process of building you could sell the set once you're done with it and get something else or design and build digitally for free or start getting into MOCs by taking apart what you have and making your own stuff which will then spiral into a never ending obsession of constant designing and continuous building. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Japanbuilder Posted March 2, 2018 I get a guilty feeling too at times since I too prefer licensed stuff. I build it and then display it rarely touching it again. Though I do let my kids play with my Star Wars stuff. They know daddy's stuff goes back where they found it though. But on the whole they go unused. Building them does make me happy though and I love the process of creation and discovering how the set is to be completed with so many random parts. But as an adult I just accept that I just don't play like I would if I was a kid. But that too is part of being an adult I guess. It is my "display" collection. I get really happy seeing my troopers and ships lined up just so on my shelves. I will even pick them up every so often and just admire the design and printing on the figures. Pick up the vehicles here and there and dust them and place them perhaps in a new way to display them differently. As long as you are not squandering retirement money, rent/mortgage money or utility money or food money on LEGO don't feel bad. As adults we get our little perks here and there. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
