Your Definition of Dark Age

[DrJB]

I have seen at least a couple of interpretations of the above expression:

1. When someone stays/strays away from Lego for few years, then comes back as an AFOL

2. The period in the 90's where lego technic sets were rather basic/boring ... throwbots anyone?

What are other interpretations/understandings out there?

[D3K]

I think it's the same for most people: When they spek of "their dark age" they mean the period from leaving Lego as a kid, up till rediscovering it as adults. When they speak of the "Lego Technic Dark Age", it usually refers to the period in the '90s of which you speak

[Alasdair Ryan]

I never had a dark age,although when I was younger I was more into the city themes.

[Kelkschiz]

The LEGO Dark Age is the theme with all those dragons, castles, knights, pretty damsels and such!

[JM1971]

For me it means before power functions RC and mindstorms, back in the dark ages when you had to push stuff yourself, lol.

[Freekysch]

For me it was the time when i turned away from LEGO as a kid and rediscovered when i was an adult. But, as a kid i was never into Technic, now i am !

[Rockbrick]

was always into technic...

For me it was when I left home to go to University in another country up until my kids were old enough to be interested in lego (luckily very soon in their lives) -

this was around the early mid-1990s when the 8880 throguh to 8421 came out which I would have bought for sure... but

as I was at university in another country to mine travelling back and forth buying large lego was out of the question (still got some small sets)

I grew out of it but still ocasionally played with my really old technic sets.

the dark ages really came when I discovered classic cars and watch repair and spent more time taking watch movements apart and real cars instead

having then had kids eventually brought me back - has taken me a while to get used to studless design

my brain still thinks in studs

Edited May 22, 2014 by Rockbrick

[skriblez]

The time i was away from Lego is my dark age. Started with City and then mostly got Technic when i was a bit older. Now i am mostly on Technic with some City/train in the mix.

[Kivi]

For me it's pretty much the same - the time between leaving as a teenager and coming back as an AFOL when my first child was born. But I visited Legoland for the first time right in the middle of my dark age, though, as it was on my 'to do' list ever since I first had the bricks in my hands as a child.

[Big Cam]

For me a dark age doesn't have to be a time frame from child to adult. I'd say it's anytime you stop caring about LEGO, to be blunt.

Now I don't mean you literally don't care about your collection, but it just doesn't seem very important and you are ok, with letting your LEGO sit unattended while you carry on with your life.

[legoman19892]

Anytime you completely miss a series.

For example I didn't know there was a new pirates theme until after it retired.

Edited May 22, 2014 by legoman19892

[dr_spock]

Dark Age is the period of time when you lost interest in LEGO.

[Zimix]

So if dark age is defined. How should, could, we then define the periode after dark age ? any sugestions ??

Need to know how in the community we call this periode !

[fred67]

I consider it the time between being a kid with LEGO and the time I got back into it as an adult, but I also often refer to mini dark ages, where I might step away for a few months or so, where I just felt burned out or overwhelmed with other things.

[Big Cam]

So if dark age is defined. How should, could, we then define the periode after dark age ? any sugestions ??

Need to know how in the community we call this periode !

Call it Normal.

[KotZ]

Call it Normal.

I was going to say "Enlightenment".

[Chills]

When I came out of my "dark age" a few years ago I found that what I experienced was a common phenomenon. I was super into LEGO as a kid, starting at 3 years old, and kept collecting and building until I was about 14, then lost interest (around 1990). Then the Star Wars sets came out in 1999 and I would get a set every couple of years as I passed the toy aisle in Target. But I really came back out when my wife got me the SSD and I started collecting again, and I found Eurobricks and other fan sites.

It was cool to hear that there was a term for the non-LEGO years of my life, and that others went through it.

[midelburgo]

I think I have had two dark ages 1980-1992 and 2000-2003, and a grey age (only buying, not building) 2006-2011. Luckily I could find a lot of sets from the first period laying in outdated toy stores, and the second coincided with the juniorization, so I did not miss too much.

[alois]

I think that to be called an age the period must at least be ten years; otherwise it's more like some dark years. Some younger Eurobricks members think they're experiencing a dark age when they don't build for some months. But real dark ages are less common nowadays when there's a world wide web where you can stay in touch with fellow builders and see so many great mocs, and realize you're not the only one interested in Lego.

[rockethead26]

I wasn't enlightened until I was 62. Never played with LEGO until 5 months ago. I guess my whole previous life was "dark".

[DrJB]

I was going to say "Enlightenment".

Or maybe the second renaissance ...

[The Jersey Brick Guy]

Late grade school till 2012, so about 15 years or so.

Absolutely in love with the Modulars.

[The Rancor]

I'm back on, and it seems an appropriate topic to post back onto, seeing as I've had a couple of years teetering on the edge of a dark age (or at least dark years as alois correctly refers to them). I will graduate from university in September and I couldn't really explain why, but when undertaking my course, Lego just seemed to drift away as I became very involved with new work, new people etc. Fortunately there was enough interest for me to wonder what I was doing and Lego Star Wars has been a very strong influence in keeping that interest going, especially as TLG has produced an actual Rancor since I last posted!

I'd agree with the general impression so far of a dark age as being a time where you don't make the time for Lego in general. I've moved to almost only making time for Star Wars so hopefully no dark age any time soon, but who knows, whispers of a new Pirates theme might pique my interest for original themes again...

[Admiral Goblet]

I think its probably straying from LEGO, because the 90's were awesome! Pirates! CONQUISTADORS !!!!!

I luv meh sum Imperial Armada