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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Mon, 29 Jan 2007 17:20:58 GMT
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Viewed:
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3032 times
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In lugnet.general, Ben Fleskes wrote:
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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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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 comic books or Sci-Fi, which often
has themes geared for older people (or at the very least, teens) LEGO suffers a
perception problem: “It’s a kid’s toy.”
Now, you and I know better--much better! But in my personable opinion, LEGO
has only recently started to address the needs of the adult LEGO fan, and that
in fits and spurts. Things like the wall of bricks in the stores, and making
elements easier to order have helped the adult builder far more than the young
builder.
(Of course, the SpongeBob models don’t help the public’s perception much.
Bleh!)
The Model Team sets are a great example of this as well. These were not really
designed for younger builders (although I am sure there were many youth who
enjoyed them!), but us older builders. After all--we were the only ones who
could afford them!
Anime and Manga have helped revitalize a sagging comic book industry by taking
the graphic novel, and moving them more to a “perfect bound” series format.
(Check out your local bookstore for examples of this.) Nothing wrong with
that--but it put whole series in a much more readable format. Otherwise, some
series could go for years on end.
Sci-Fi conventions were aided greatly by both Star Trek and Star Wars; I’ve been
to some of those conventions. I’m not so sure a 10,000 fan LEGO convention would
be all that attractive to me. Oh, it might be fun, I’ll grant you, but that’s a
boatload of folks, when you think about it. Even half that would create some
serious issues, however. Here’s my example:
I belong to the Barbershop Harmony Society. Every year we have a convention
somewhere. This year, it’s coming to Denver...and you can bet I’m heading for
the LEGO shop at Denver Mills while I’m there! We regularly have 6000-8000 or
more people there...it jams the hotels, fills the restaurants, and can be tough
getting around to the various venues. This is not a complaint; it is simply a
statement of fact. That many people is a major, major convention! My wife
belongs to Sweet Adelines International, and when we attend their conventions,
it’s pretty much the same issues.
Now, in all fairness, those conventions run a week. Compact that into a weekend,
and maybe it won’t be so bad. Then again, cramming that number into anything
less than a convention center gets to be expensive. That takes away from one’s
ability to financially undertake the convention. (And it is, in fact, why I
stopped going to Sci-Fi and Anime/Manga cons. I just could not justify the
cost/pleasure ratio.)
Now...add to that the youth who’d want to attend such a LEGO convention...! (I
know, this is an adult thing...but work with me here a moment.) Could we really
stand to have a convention of 10,000 people? (In one very loose sense, we do.
It’s open daily, in Carlsbad.) That’s a lot of people! Anyway, it’s a thought.
What needs to happen, (and again, it’s just my opinion here!) is that LEGO needs
to work at pursuing the adults who grew up with LEGO, and not just their kids.
(Or their grandkids, for all that.) Some of the models are heading in the right
direction. Think about the Sopwith Camel, for example. Why build a 737 when you
could have a piece of history?
Do that...and work at it for 5-10 years, not 3-6 months, not a year or two...and
you’ll start to see some changes. LEGO would have to back this for the long
haul.
And, we have to keep at it too. We have to do our part to let folks know that
it’s better than okay to have fun with LEGO...it’s cool.
I’ll get off my soapbox now. Sorry for the long winded answer....
Play Well, Ben!
Matthew
PS--By the way...I’m not an engineer. I’m a theologian. Math and I are not on
speaking terms.
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Message is in Reply To:
 | | How big is the hobby and how big can it be?
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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. (...) (18 years ago, 27-Jan-07, to lugnet.general)
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