| |
After getting into LEGO again this year, there has been one set I have been
wanting more than any other: Fort LEGOREDO (6769)
Unlike many dark-agers, I wasn't lucky enough to have had my collection
stuck in an attic somewhere. My collection, which I remember being times
larger than it probably was, was all given away at one point. This means I
have had to start collecting again from scratch.
I rarely have the money to buy new sets, which means that I spend a lot of
time looking for LEGO at thrift stores, yard sales, etc. This morning my
girlfriend and I visited the flea market in Colorado Springs, with great
hopes of finding some LEGO. I was happy to find a large ziplock bag full of
misc. stuff for only $3 (not my FOTM). After another half an hour of
wandering, I was looking at some GameBoy stuff when my girlfriend grabbed my
head and made me look at the next table.
On the table, to my excitement, was Fort LEGOREDO, complete with box in good
shape, for $10! (The FOTM) I quickly went towards it but realized there was
a little boy looking at it too, with eyes almost as big and excited as mine.
His head was moving back and forth between the set and his mom, each time
asking, "Can I get it?" The boy must not have been even 10 years old, and
from the sound of his voice $10 must have seemed like a fortune to him. I
heard his mom tell him she would think about it and I saw his face go sad.
My face however, was as bright as could be. I picked the set up and looked
at it, realizing it was very near complete if not complete. I can't tell
you how badly I wanted the set, but I figured the kid had the first shot at
it. I stepped back and waited a minute, and to the little boy's glee his mom
dug a $10 bill out of her purse. He quickly handed it to the guy behind the
table and while I was disappointed not to get the set I had been wanting
(LOTM), I felt real happiness when the first thing I heard come out of the
boy's mouth was "We can build it together! You wanna?" He was talking to
his little sister, who must have been about 5. She smiled bigger than I
ever imagined a little girl could.
Anyway, I guess the only reason I decided to post this was because it
reminded me of how frustrated many of my fellow AFOLs make me. I absolutely
hate seeing posts like "4 million copies of set xxxx added to my BrickBay
store!" and I don't doubt one bit that many of those same people would have
quickly snatched up the Fort LEGOREDO, knowing they could make a tidy profit.
I get tired of reading posts like "LEGO should make sets with us as their
target audience." IMHO, no they shouldn't. If I wanted to play with things
targeted at me, I wouldn't play with LEGO. A good part of the fun I have is
knowing that I am having just as much if not more fun with something I loved
as a child. It's not about regaining one's childhood, it's about not
letting go of it. Quite frankly, what is the point of TLC re-releasing a
set like the Guarded Inn if they just get snatched up by collectors and
auctioners? LEGO is about building and creativity, not collecting and
selling. (I am not saying there is anything wrong with collecting and
selling sets, but I really get tired of people snatching up every available
copy of sets that many of us would love to play with, not just look at.)
Anyway, this turned into quite a rant, so congrats if you read this far. I
lost a good part of my focus once I started actually typing this message,
and I'm sure I'm not being as articulate as I would like to be. That said,
I hope this message provokes some thought about the purpose of our hobby.
Bryan Beckwith
Tired, cranky, and ready for bed.
|
|
1 Message in This Thread:
- Entire Thread on One Page:
- Nested:
All | Brief | Compact | Dots
Linear:
All | Brief | Compact
|
|
|
|
