Subject:
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Re: 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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Sun, 28 Jan 2007 05:48:47 GMT
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In lugnet.general, Steve Demlow wrote:
> In lugnet.general, Ben Fleskes wrote:
>
> > 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 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 of the attendees of LEGOWorld coming to observe the models vs. having
> created themselves reinforces this.
>
> I think that it's harder to passively consume LEGO creations than comics or
> sci-fi, at least at a scale that would make one identify oneself as a "LEGO fan"
> (think "comic reader") but not "LEGO builder" ("comic publisher").
>
> Comparisons with the traditional model railroading community seem more apropos
> in that they are about "creation" too. They also seem to sink a lot of time and
> money in to their layouts. Of course, LEGO has the potential to be used in a
> lot of other genres or themes besides trains and the stuff you build around
> them, but then so does general non-LEGO modeling and you don't see conventions
> of model castle or spaceship builders.
>
> Steve
I think Steve has put his put his finger on the answer to the question. The
hobby of LEGO, if you want to call it that is participant hobby--one which
necessitates a great deal of creativity and energy, while watching NFL football
is a spectator sport.
I do think from my observations of the paying public that comes to public
days--at least at BrickFests, that there is a very keen interest in seeing what
people make and create with LEGO. And I think that that sector, the viewing
public, has been hardly touched as far as the numbers that can be generated. And
if the hobby of Adult LEGO fans is to grow, its only chance is to capture that
public and hook a percentage of them.
To compare comic books with LEGO is a good comparison insofar as they are easier
to consume. But comic books are aimed at children, just as LEGO is. It is first
and foremost a toy for youngsters. Both hopefully have progressions. With comic
books hopefully one moves beyond them to real literature. With LEGO, the
progression is that one moves on to creating real things-like software, bridges,
buildings, robots, etc. But the beauty of LEGO is that there is also the
progression of becoming a master LEGO builder. LEGO can go on to whatever
heights the creativity, work, and ability (and pocket book) its participants
want to take it. But it takes a good deal of not only talent but energy. It does
not take much of either to read a comic book--but does to actually create one. .
Since I have been involved in the sub-culture, I have found that at least 90% of
all the people in it are intellectually interesting. The percentages are
reversed for almost any other subcultures in which I have been involved.
The way to grow the hobby is to reach out to the public and nurture those
potential newbies. If you have 10000 people go through public events and recruit
just 2%, you have added 1/2 of the total attendance at BrickFest 2006. I have a
feeling that FLL will produce a lot of AFOLs 10 years down the line.
BrickJournal has been downloaded by tens of thousands of people, so there is
interest out there in what can be done with LEGO. The book "The Unofficial LEGO
Builder's Guide" from what I understand is in the 5th printing.
But millions will watch the Super Bowl (including me--go Colts!), but there are
only a few thousand players in the NFL. Adult LEGO builders are analogous to the
players, not the fans--to the writers not the readers, to the film makers not
the movie goers, to the artists, not the gallery goer, to the singer-song
writer, not the listener. And there are darn few good ones in any of these
categories considering the number of people in the world. I am amazed at the
number of good builders instead of dismayed at how few that there are.
Tommy Armstrong
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Message has 1 Reply:
 | | Re: How big is the hobby and how big can it be?
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| In lugnet.general, Tommy Armstrong wrote: <snip> (...) That makes sense (re: what Steve and Tommy are saying). AFOLs are more like comic publishers, not comic readers. So thank you for that insight, I hadn't thought of it that way. <snip> (...) (...) (18 years ago, 28-Jan-07, to lugnet.general)
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Message is in Reply To:
| | 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)
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