Subject:
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How big is the hobby and how big can it be?
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Newsgroups:
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lugnet.general
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Date:
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Sat, 27 Jan 2007 00:42:10 GMT
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The other day I found myself pondering a few things: How big is the AFOL
community? And perhaps more interestingly, why is it the size that it is?
I started thinking about this with all the discussion about LEGO conferences and
shows being put on.
It seems to me, that the LEGO hobby community is pretty small. Especially when
compared to things like Science Fiction or Comic Books. Simply judging by the
size of the conventions. Science Fiction conferences and Comic Book conferences
attract thousands upon thousands of paying attendees.
Is it that there is just that many more adults reading comic books then playing
with LEGO. And if so, why?
What is it that keeps LEGO, in terms of an adult hobby, from being as popular as
comic books and any number of other hobbies?
It seems to me the LEGO adult hobby is growing, but not particularily fast, or
perhaps I'm wrong. Sure there was a big growth in the number of clubs in the
United states, but has that leveled off? Seems to me it has. Or atleast slowed
down.
So I'm left wondering, is there something holding the hobby back? Is it that
the hobby is solely dependent on one and only one company - that being the LEGO
company? Where as, with comic books for example, there are lots of companies
pumping out comic books of all flavors and styles. Some small, some large, but
there is something for everyone.
Is it that LEGO holds the most appeal to engineers and other similarily educated
people?
I'd like to imagine a world in the future, where LEGO, as an adult hobby, is as
popular as say 'Playing Poker' or 'Monday Night Football'. A future with AFOL
conventions, not with a 100-300 people, but with 10,000 - 30,000 people [1], all
building great things with LEGO.
Is the hobby heading that way now, or would something different have to happen
to get there? And if so, what would it be?
I'd like to know what others think on the topic.
Cheers,
Ben Fleskes
[1] I've heard that LEGOWorld in Europe draws about 20,000 people but I believe
most of those are simply people coming to see the LEGO stuff, not people who
have built it.
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Message has 4 Replies:
 | | Re: How big is the hobby and how big can it be?
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| When I think of the state of Lego AFOLdom, I realize there are more of us than there were science fiction fans in 1939. Having sat at those guys' knees and listened to their stories and realizing how small their network was, I couldn't help compare (...) (18 years ago, 27-Jan-07, to lugnet.general)
| | | Re: How big is the hobby and how big can it be?
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| (...) It seems to me that our community is more like comic book or sci-fi fanzine _publishers_ than readers. We actively create something, which requires a lot more effort than consuming the creative work of others. Your distinction about the bulk (...) (18 years ago, 28-Jan-07, to lugnet.general)
| | | Re: How big is the hobby and how big can it be?
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| (...) well i think the obvious answer is yes. lego unlike comic books, make you think. anyone who is talented as a lego builder has the ablity to think 3 dimentionaly and has a fairly strong grasp of mathmatical principles. (...) you have to think, (...) (18 years ago, 28-Jan-07, to lugnet.general)
| | | Re: How big is the hobby and how big can it be?
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| (...) Ben-- First off, I’m new here. So if I repeat anything from elsewhere, I’ll just apologize now and be done with it, okay? As an AFOL (and long time LEGO fan!) I suspect the answer has something to do with the public perception of LEGO. Unlike (...) (18 years ago, 29-Jan-07, to lugnet.general, FTX)
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