I completely relate to reevaluating where I’m at in this hobby. I’m struggling trying to figure it out. I think focusing on where I find the most joy is an excellent idea. Right now I’m overwhelmed and have a bit of chaos with room displacement. This is only temporary and I will be able to recreate a space which is great but also very challenging.
I’m with you too. Just gotta remember that it’s all going to work out however it’s meant to, and we just have to ride this rollercoaster & see it thru lol. Whether or not we like it!
Interesting video. RUclips is full of videos from people with infinite money and space, it's so refreshing to hear somebody having muggle thoughts like the rest of us. I'm a city fan with close to 600 sets and a very small display place, so I agree that a hard look at the value (cost, display potential, fit with the rest, possible resale, play for my kids) before purchasing is vital. I try not to get on the hype and relucantly accept that some sets I really want will pass me by due to cost and my available space. Great thought provoking video!
Great video - my favorite part was what you said about why you love building your city and displays - how it let you be creative without the stress of unlimited options. It’s kind of like writing haikus, where the structure and reduction of options helps focus your creativity.
I think you're right that this topic is just a natural part of having a maturing collection. You may have come to this place more quickly because of all the things going on in the world and the effect it is having on everyone's budgets. As a happy viewer of your channel it was pretty early on that you seemed to fall in love with buildings and veer away from Harry Potter so a lot of what you are saying makes sense from that POV. I'm excited to see you MILSify and light up Diagon Alley. And I'm super excited to see how your city grows and changes through the move and also I'm thrilled about your medieval area. For myself, I started collecting in June of 2021 and I consider myself primarily an HP collector. I also love Star Wars and Friends and Disney. I started with the HP moments books and minifigures. I felt such joy when I made the leap and got myself the chamber of secrets. My collection is basically Hogwarts. I think my goal is to have a minifig scale Hogwarts that gives a wink and a nod to everything Hogwarts. I am hesitant to even expand my collection to include the HP locations outside of Hogwarts. I LOVE Diagon Alley and I am tentatively thinking of getting it for myself as a Christmas present. But I'm nervous about space and money. I know where Hogwarts sets will go in my space and what I'll do with them. If I start on HP London/England... with Diagon Alley, then will I want the Burrow, the Dursleys? To mock Luna's House, the Knight Bus? Grimmauld Place, the Ministry? I don't have the money or the room. The same with Modulars. I really want Assembly Square and the Hotel from this year. And I'd love a second Assembly Square to make a Jazz Cafe for Princess Tiana... but... space and money. This is one reason I love the gifts with purchase. It is an opportunity for me to build different types of lego that I'd never buy. Great topic for conversation. It is bittersweet but I think boundaries are good. They keep us from getting overwhelmed and help us to hone in on what we truly love. I'm sure even people with unlimited space and money prune their collections and change focus from time to time. ETA: If I break down and get the microscale hogwarts that may throw a wrench in everything! Everyone says it's the ultimate Hogwarts.
Hahaha yes I do love the micro scale one. For sure. But it sounds like you’re really on a similar journey with the sets to me. I’ve found joy in the city. But maybe you could do a little Hogwarts ground layout. And definitely check out brick_sanchez on Instagram and thefloorislego some great Hogwarts inspiration. Along with many many others.
@@HighTeaToys Yes! I have Hagrid's Hut. I have not built it yet. The grounds would be fun with maybe a bit of the lake and forest. Brick Sanchez is amazing! I'll definitely check out those creators for inspiration.
Thank you for sharing your thoughts and feelings on this. I too have been feeling this way. During the pandemic, Lego was a wonderful escape. At the time coming out from my dark ages, everything was new and exciting. Now the constant releases and redundant styled sets seem to be uninviting and dare I say boring. I love the modulars, have them all except the diner now, but the space for them was too much, and I had to break them down and store them away. Sad about it, but need to keep life moving on after this pandemic. But when I have a chance, I always keep watching and listening to Lego shorts, vlogs, announcements, and websites. I see some sets I do intent to get, but there are a lot that I do not. Maybe this was invisible to me when I got back into the Lego, just focused on all of the sets over many years I wanted and didn’t ‘see’ all of the ones I did not want. There was so much great sets i could get from over the past years, it was exciting… but now, I realize the ‘diamonds in the rough’ sets were not as abundant in one year. There are a lot that I disregarded or never knew about that don’t interest me. So now, Lego may be doing what they have always done, with great sets hidden amongst a lot of uninteresting sets. But now I feel like there isn’t all these awesome sets I thought were always coming out. And I feel let down when I see what comes out and what little I like. Sorry to be in such a doldrum, but its been hitting me now a days, and now your video came out. Keep doing a great job with your videos and MOCs, they have been such a joy to watch. Our friends across the pond sharing our same Lego passions in play are so nice in this nutty world.
I think you’ve put that so wonderfully. And definitely can totally relate to that. Coming into the hobby was like this shiny wide eyed experience of amazing ness. And now I know everything that was released it’s lost that shininess. I still love some of the areas and will definitely continue. But focussing on just the bits I love is really just part of that. Life has a lot it offer and money can only be spent once so just finding a balance.
I have a spending problem, if I have money I want to spend it. I never had Lego as a kid so now I get to have what I want. I prevent buying things because of FOMO I had to set rules, which evolve over time. My son asked if we could build a city, which I've always loved the idea of. So now I only buy stuff with my hobby budget that fits in the city or I can modify to fit(scale/theme/etc...). He and I also really enjoyed The Mandalorian, so I also get those sets but none of the other Star Wars sets. I've recently filled the table that I built for the city and have to budget for building out another purpose built area, which means not spending on sets.
Johanna, this is definitely the way I feel as well. The pandemic gave us an opportunity to slow down and take a break from the reality of real life. For those of us who are young, we have so much to look forward to in life. For us who are more older adults, we may or may not have more time or money for our hobbies. Nevertheless, Lego continues to be a great outlet for purchasing and building. The downside with general consensus is the time, space, and cost of this hobby. With this mindset, when the new sets come out, excitement is there but then reality hits. Thanks for taking time to making great videos. Enjoy your weekend.
This was a great video Johanna. I thought a lot about what you said. FOMO plays a big part for me I had to admit I was collecting all Harry Potter but didn’t like them all. I guess you’ve called out the trap we all fall into. Watching youtube videos where the skys the limit in Lego purchasing many of us can’t do that and also it seems sometimes that it’s just for content not for the love of the hobby. You’re genuineness shines through and you are generous with your learning. In a funny way I think you’ve given permission to just do what you love not get caught in the hype.
Some months ago I came to a very similar mindset to you. I started back into my Lego hobby in June 2020 and bought pretty much everything I liked. You soon realise it’s a space greedy hobby and not cheap long term! 😳By evaluating what matters most when it comes to collecting and displaying, it keeps things simpler. Space and/or money is the deciding factor most AFOL’s grapple with…I have a lot more space at my disposal than you, but I’ve gradually become very discerning over which sets I buy and where. 😃
In a way I don’t mind how my space is making me focus in on what I want more. Having clear priorities and ways to say no to things is useful. It means that when I do buy something it’s for a real reason. And that makes me feel more secure spending the money. Also I am a huge budgetter. So that helps with the guilt. But I still find it hard to justify sometimes.
@@HighTeaToys Learning to prioritise I think is the best way, it feels rather less frivolous. 🥴I don’t buy non minifigure scale sets and I’m cutting down on sets for pieces and parts, though I do love the Friends sets, they have fabulous parts/pieces! I’ve mixed some of my Lego collection in with my 12th Dollshouse collection ….it’s like a parallel world but just of a smaller kind! 😂
Couldn’t agree more to all you said as you know from your discord. It makes me choose my sets more deliberately. Even having a bit of space left in my room, I start thinking about my priorities and which area I really want to develop and if I rather fill it with Mocs or with Lego sets. Most of the Harry Potter sets are not usable as they are, I will take most of them apart and integrate them into my builds. I am sure there are many people who are having these kind of thoughts especially when space is restricted. I wouldn’t want to buy sets to put them unopened into storage.
Your comment was actually the reason I made this video. I’d been having these thoughts for a while but actually seeing somebody else mention exactly the same thing kinda made me want to talk about it. So thank you for that! And yes. I think you’re being very sensible about it.
@@HighTeaToys I really like that you put it out on RUclips. So many will appreciate it as we all struggle more or less with space and the costs involved. It’s easy to create a promotional video but also to discuss some critical issues is the key. That’s what I liked from the beginning on when I discovered your channel 🙌, you are not a facade , you are authentic in every way !
I definitely find that I’m changing a lot of my buying and collecting habits as well as evaluating the amount of money spent. You’re right that as the pandemic lifts, we do other things as well. I simply don’t have the space for everything and am also waiting for the hype to die down to see what I really want. I’ve also learned that I can admire sets that others build and that’s good enough as well. I plan to proceed with a totally custom city so will shift more of my budget to pieces. Additionally, I love the modular HP castle so I’m looking forward to doing more with that but will probably not buy the hp sets that don’t fit into it. You simply can’t buy it all!
Thanks for sharing your thought process. It’s something I think everyone struggles with at some point when they get into Lego. It’s so easy to get caught up in the FOMO and endorphin rush of consumption. It takes self-awareness to be able to weigh whether or not you’re buying for the sake of buying, or if you’re actually maximizing the value of what you’re purchasing. Personally, I think physical space is a great limiter. If i don’t have a space for it in my collection, I try not to buy it and just enjoy it through reviews like these. Most of the time my urge for a set gets replaced by the next, new thing anyway. Thanks for the video!
I think with the recent price hike s from LEGO a lot of people are having to reconsider where they will spend there money and change what they collect. Also, as we get older our priorities change so completely understand! For me, I have consider how I’m spending my LEGO budget whether it’s sets, projects or my city.
I've been a huge Lego fan for about 5-6 years now, I own the last 7 modulars, and still have a city setup at the top of my wardrobe. I personally havn't built a Lego set for 9 months, mainly due to being busy outside of a pandemic, but also due to my views changing on the Lego company itself. I dislike their attitude towards sustainability, and their choices with prices and the current economy have been very poor as of late. I'm still a big fan, but if I buy a set in the future I need to decide where I'm displaying it, what budget I have to buy it, and if I will genuinely enjoy the build.
Hi Johanna. I’m still new to Lego and love your channel! I have a small city with only a few buildings and love how you do your sidewalks and parks, so I just focus on creating those spaces. I don’t have a lego room….yet! Just a few small tables. I loved building 12 Grimmauld place and have put it next to the bookshop in my city. I saw that Lego Artisan has an amazing MOC of the Ministry of Magic that I’m going to try as I haven’t done that before. I agree that space and budget are good boundaries and if I want a splurge I just buy a small PAB cup of cool parts for my city or some animals or minifigs from Bricklink. And thanks for your reviews. I never wanted the Police Station but after your review I purchased it and I love it! Just starting the Medieval Blacksmith as your medieval village is awesome! Keep smiling and having fun and sharing!
Great video Johanna! its definitely an interesting time for a lot of us that jumped in the deep end with LEGO, wanting so many different things from the hobby. But now with the reasons that you listed, we are having to be more selective. I've definietly decided to stop now with certain sub collections like all the Star Wars 18+ sets or all the Mandalorian sets as I'd be spending hundreds of pounds on sets for the sake of completion that I don't really enjoy or have the space to display anyway. it's even making me go back and look at sets in my collection and think about selling them as I'm just not getting that enjoyment!
It’s an important moment. That whole ‘does it spark joy’ thing really is a useful way to take a step back and reassess for sure. I hope you find the balance for yourself too. In a way it’s an exciting new way of collecting.
Hi Johanna, Ive been following your channel for a rather long time now and enjoy it greatly, but these sort of videos in particular, because its much more Real World , down to earth basic problems that effect all collectors. Like so many I had some space and castle sets when I was a child back in the early 80s, sold them and moved on with Star Wars toys and then Masters Of The Universe. Masters of the Universe had returned to me in my adult life and I have been collecting that for over 15 years now and that in itself was taking all my room and money but then, despite myself I caved in and got into Lego once again! It started with Monster Fighters....which led me to the first WHITE WHALE, the Haunted House, which i payed ALOT of money for second hand. Like You I love buildings and old houses and castles etc, so then came the OLD Fishing Store...Both amazing builds that really amazed me , Fishing store and haunted house are some of my fav builds ever still....Then the Detectives OffICE followed by Parisian Restaurant .......then I was gone and the pandemic hit!!! I just went mad wanting buildings , the only modulars I dont have now are the PetShop, the Green Grocer and the Cafe Corner. During the pandemic I was watching so much RUclips. seeing all these amazing cities and i wanted to do the same , it seemed so exciting and creative to me. Then I got into the Harry Potter sets.....Ive been chasing all this ever since, buying 100s of spare bricks and sets that I fool myself I can remoc , even doubles of sets for rebricking or just for parts! And now I realise this is all wayyy out of hand and ive got a cluttered mess, unopened sets due to lack of time and adding to the clutter and such little room and will be moving in the next year...I even said NO to Ninjago for the last 2 years as I wanted the city and docks but they are so expensive....I just got the Gardens despite myself!! My city has no direction now and it is a cluttered mess and very overwhelming, its stopping any creativity and fun. So I have found myself in the last few months thinking and often feeling guilty with the money Ive spent and trapped living in a lego warehouse. I still love Lego AND IM NOT GIVING UP MY HOBBY! But things have to change , im not sure how yet but the first step I think is to pack and store away all the sets that are not fitting or in character with my original ideas. All the Harry potter sets and figures have to be packed away if I cant include them in my city, basically anything that is not working for me. Like you ,making my own mocs and buildings bring the most fun. Its just too many ideas and no focus and too much stuff !!! Any advise I greatly need! Were all on a journey it seems!
Oh wow. You really have gone on a journey and it sounds like you are a true at heart. But I can 100% relate to that feeling of overwhelm and guilt. Honestly it sounds like to moving some stuff out of the room and really making conscious decisions on what you want to display will help a lot. I find that I’m happiest when the room is organise and there is no random stuff on the floor or surfaces and everything had its place. That means tidying up during projects. But it combats that sinking, overwhelming feeling. I hope you can find a way that makes the hobby work for you again! All this sets you mention are just so wonderful so I really hope you find that spark and joy again!
@@HighTeaToys Indeed Johanna, I want to find that joy again and not just consume for the sake of it. Please share your progress , knowing im not on my own and others are in a similar situation really helps. A true at Heart sounds very lovely indeed. Im a tattoo artist so my free time is very limited. Do others set regular times to work on their lego projects ? Do people often work to a schedule? I cant imagine having this hobbie and a full time job and creating youtube content, how do you find the time???
Very late to the video but recently going through a similar process. Increasing costs of sets (especially from 1st August), limited storage space, this not being my only hobby and also having a family to look after and house to run, I’ve had to really look at what I want out of this hobby. Before I was putting everything I liked and wanted in wishlists and it was getting out of control, but the fear of not being able to get sets I wanted before retiring and then having to face retired prices was crazy. I’m the end I took a step back, looked at everything with a more sensible head and that’s helped massively. Now I focus on sets for my city 1st, Marvel sets 2nd and sets from those two areas are what my hobby funds go to. After those anything else is a hard decision and a bonus if it happens.
Thanks Johanna. Building sets relieves my stress. I’ll wait for a bad day to build new stuff. Rumours and reviews help me sort out too big, too expensive, not quite right, looks awesome but, like and must have. By release I know what I want. Then to find out if it’s available.(Stress level starts to rise.) These days I’m more about filling the gaps with old figs I regretted not getting . Please don’t stress, just assess what you want. Take a break from bricks if needed. LEGO will wait for you. Love the channel.🤠
Bless you for your kind words. I think it’s just allowing me to focus on the bits of the hobby I really love. And sharing the is journey with you all is fun. Shame that reality sometimes sets in ;)
It’s a very interesting, if not timely commentary with regards to the LEGO HP theme… considering that we’ll be getting a “UCS” Hogwarts Train Set later this year. I remember getting into LEGO HP around 2016… which was an awkward time to start since the sets had been retired long ago. I collected the figs and purchased the OG Diagon Alley at their appreciated prices since I felt that the theme won’t be revived… and as such, I’ve had a definite end point for my collection. Cue the said revival come 2018 with the dbg roofs. I loved the aesthetic, bought multiples of the castle sets…. But got jaded when the doll house sets came. I opted not to do a city but instead committed the bulk of my collection with full 360 structures of the Winter Village collection whilst adding my own sets of bells and whistles to make it unique. So far it’s been quite lovely since they only release a set once per year, freeing up the rest of the year to think of ways of MOCing or buying up sets that may work with the Winter theme. Modulars didn’t do it for me since everyone who had a LEGO city has modulars already. Vidiyo and Overwatch had good short runs, so money-wise you could say you’ve stopped hemorrhaging (haha) while at the same time, the theme has had closure (albeit untimely). The same could not be said of HP so even I’m at a loss for as to where my collection would go tbh. It’s stuck in the limbo of should I get the doll house sets, convert their roofs and use the parts as a basis to continue the 2018 aesthetic and incorporate the features and interiors of the newer sets? Collect the figs? Or abandon the theme altogether since it does feel like an evergreen theme like SW as there’s no end in sight? The picking and choosing of which sets to get or not get eats at the completionism within me.
You're not alone. I've been collecting as an adult(playing since I could walk) since the first modular was released and I've seen a massive change in lego. Not only pricing but value for money. Creativity was what lego was ALWAYS about (when I grew up it was just blocks...you had to USE imagination to make it something...that was the essence of lego)but somehow when all the franchising came in, I feel the creativity factor suffered. That's why I moc and enhance a lot now. The unfortunate thing is, the more complete we ask lego to be with sets will only drive up the price. I honestly think we are all re evaluating how we spend our lego budget...times are tight. I think we all share your feelings. I hope lego is listening 😊
I personally only buy sets that either fit into my city theme or I buy them for parts. Average Lego asks 100€ for 1000parts in a set. Take Central Perk friends sitcom set (which I got for 50€) I saw loads of new colours (medium nogat, dark green, red etc) which is a great add to my collection. Further I spend most my money on loose parts. From rare to normal. Since I prefer making my own builds over filling my city with sets
As an older collector, I've got an eclectic mix of sets . I don't really fit into any fan base of sets be it star wars or dc. Sets are very costly now, really having to decide which sets to get . What is my value for money. Huge ucs sets like marvel daily bugel.? or at at. Or sets with unique mini figs.
I personally always (unless it is something I really, really want) wait for a 30% discount since I know that sooner or later they will be available for a much lower price. It is all about patience and I've never understood people waiting in line on release day to give away their money. On the other hand, if you don't have that option to begin with, I totally understand where you are coming from. I love LEGO Harry Potter as a theme, but I wouldn't pay full price for these Summer sets.
I definitely have had to be more selective with my Lego purchases due to space, lack of funds and for fear of buying everything that catches my eye and turning into a hoarder! My plan is to continue to buy the modulars each year and a few other sets that catch my eye (usually from Lego Ideas like the Home Alone set, the Treehouse, etc.), and I love to do MOCs, (improving on Lego Friends sets and turning them into modulars)
Lego has always been expensive, but I have really started to question if they have gone too far. For me personally, 50 percent of my collection is 18+, and where as I can afford to continue to buy it, I am starting to question should I? You spoke about seeing sets before they come out, and the excitement that generates. It is the same for me, but that excitement is quickly tempered now when I start adding up the cost. When I look at the top 10 sets I would like to acquire at any given time, and realize 7 of them are 350 bucks or more... I start to question my sanity. lol
Yep, space and cost for sure makes us think how to go on with the colecting. I've pretty much started focusing on sets that are more adult oriented and making sure I have the proper space to display them and enjoy them. Keep it up, great content 👍
After buying the City Farm sets, came to realise I bought them just for (some of) the parts. And after building them, they only stay that way for a couple of weeks before I deconstruct them. Next time I will be more critical on City sets and maybe buy the parts seperate. I still buy most Harry Potter sets, as I am a collector. I recently bought the old Shrieking Shed set, which means I am one step closer to having all the (major) sets. But as with the City sets, these also only stay built for a limited time. Having enough room to display all the sets is a precious thing (I don't have), so I understand your predicament. I hope you will have more room in your new home as it's worth displaying your whole collection/city. Thanks for sharing.
My biggest issue is space. While I am fortune enough to have a dedicated room, I have trouble trying to figure out which sets are most important to me to display and when I put away those that aren’t, trying to figure out where to put them and where to put any new sets, with each year that passes. Anyone else have this situation and any potential solutions?
Definitely feel this way there are always going to new priorities that will come along the way, is a good thing because you will not end up buying sets that you regret, I m trying to do the same I like to collect minifigures but at the same time trying to build something big so there is always a struggle of not wasting money just for the small part of the set and think about the bigger picture. Love your sharing
So very relatable. I have three children, so I buy play sets for them, but the bigger sets, I do have to take a step back and really consider it properly before buying it or not. It's so expensive for it to just sit in a box after being built and broken once
Interesting video. At present I've hit a wall with MOC building. There's loads of things I want to finish but can't really fine the time and energy to do so. I want to add another floor to my Doctor Stange sanctum set, in the process of building a modular friends hotel. Need to finish my pop store second floor (arcade and record shop). Plus running out of space is a bit thing. I try and display my most recent builds (put older ones away in creats)
Thanks you for sharing your thoughts. Not enough Lego RUclipsrs post videos about restraint. actually I think to many post crazy videos where they it way to much and I feel it forces everyone watching to try to match them. I’m running out of space and every so often a old set just become parts to make room .
It’s fascinating to watch. And videos like that are great for the algorithm so I don’t blame them for making them. But I’m finding it hard to justify spending, let alone spending enough to make a ‘huge lego haul’ video. Don’t get me wrong. It would be great to. But it’s just not possible. Having a set budget for the month and saving up for larger purchases over time makes me feel slightly more comfortable still getting the few things I want. I think everyone finds their own ways to enjoy their hobbies. But sadly realism sometimes sets in a little and comes to spoil the fun :o
I’m very particular about what I buy. I don’t have anything Harry Potter. I like city theme. That said I don’t buy everything I’m super choosy about what I’ll buy. I look at a set for its parts it comes with, the potential for those parts. Like you I usually mod the sets even the Modulars. Lately I’ve been just buying specifically parts/pieces direct from lego. Seems smart I’m just buying the pieces I need and want. Oh and I don’t want my city to look like everyone else’s. That HP set you have there I just see a bunch of useful pieces but I’d never buy it and build it as it is. So I’m better off taking inspiration from it and just buying parts then making my own. Might be less expensive that way too. Anyway just my thoughts Like your Mocs that you build. 🙂
100% with you on this. When lego announced price increases, I started looking more into what I truly want for display, what I really truly want to own, and also (especially still being 1/2 way thru my move- 50% of my collection is still at the other place lol…. I’m not used to having a small vehicle- I literally packed my Jeep to the roof- but, a 2 door wrangler still does not a u-haul make lol 😂) I’m looking at the sets I bought on clearance “for parts”, or for whatever reason I had at the time, more so as either inventory for a bricklink store, or maybe just sell them, depending on whether I have the self-motivation & energy to truly gather enough pieces to actually make a bricklink store something worth my time & to make some money back. The only new set I’ve purchased so far is the Thestrals set, bc cmon.. I mean, I built it in no time & it’s just collecting dust at the moment, but I ultimately decided I want to make a minifig scale Hogwarts castle & grounds- so although I have been to the lego store twice recently, I’ve only grabbed PAB cups & either a second copy of a set I have bc I need those parts & I can sell the figs, or the smallest set of the wave. Between the price increase from lego, and the absolute insane prices of EVERYTHING lately- I’ve been all over the map as far as what I want to do. I started with “that’s it, I’m selling my entire collection” to “I will sell my non-HP collection & will not be collecting anything BUT Harry Potter past August”, to “I’m opening a BL store so I now need more parts & more types of parts & also I need to find all of the more expensive minifigs from the BAM section and start an army of knights and pirates & good accessories that will sell & I need to get those NOW”, to today, where I’m sitting here not knowing what the hell I want to do- and when I don’t know for sure what I definitely am dedicated to doing, I do nothing until I’ve got a good idea of which direction I want to go in, and only then will I start acquiring more things. I think with the state of the world, the prices of everything, and the fact that we are adults who happen to have fallen down this rabbit hole of collectible plastic- it’s almost inevitable (and IMO, responsible) for us to be going thru this weird “limbo” type state of mind- I’m personally not loving it but I’m also glad to know I’m not going thru it alone. Which again reminds me I need to join your discord- which I will hopefully figure out today lol. Thank you for making this video. Moving is a pain in the you know what, but, as long as you are able to somewhat organize & LABEL LABEL LABEL your things- you two will get it done with no problem! I literally bought a label maker last night- pretty soon, my ocd is going to leave visible marks on EVERYTHING in this house. My poor animals. I can truly see myself doing test runs on it being like “dog”, “cat”, “Guinea pig/potato with fur”…. I’m rambling, this is too long anyway- dear lord- I’m sorry! Thank you, again. Good luck on the move, keep us all posted on this mental journey- bc I think a lot of us are there as well. As always, keep up the amazing work!
its a continuous thing for me. When I first got back in I got a lot of modulars, even bricklinking the parts for the Grand Emporium. After a while realising I’d never have all of them and the spell was broken, I re-evaluated. Since then I’ve sold all modulars and trying to focus on themes I love. Thats difficult as new favourites pop up (speed champions for instance although at least affordable..). It’ll likely never end
Very much the same thoughts I, and many others, have had and will continue to have. Simply put, realism can make lego not fun at times but it's the strongest part of the (well, any) hobby. I recently got all 8 sets in the new ninjago wave and I fully intent to keep them sealed, I also have numerous sets that I look at and go 'ooh that looks cool!' and get that with the same intention of keeping them sealed and safe. Space for them will always be hell as prioritising what goes where will be a daft puzzle. 99% of my lego is MOCs anyway so that has a different feel and approach, but for me it's a much worse battle as my MOC layout can't be displayed at home ever due to how vast I made it. All-in-all, it's good to feel what you said in this video as it slows you down. Too much can catch up and when it all hits you, it ain't gonna be fun.
Kudos for such an insightful video 🍻. It’s eerie how your words echo the conversations of so many of us in the community across continents. There’s no doubt that the journey evolves and changes over time, as all journeys do. The repeated pattern that comes through over the years from so many having the same realisations is another interesting aspect of the Lego hobby. As you’ve said, it’s where you find joy. On that?, there’s plenty to be had. 😏
So true. It just means constantly reevaluating. And that just means my priorities are slightly shifting. But I still really like the small area of the lego hobby I focus on. It’s such a delight and colourful escape.
I can’t justify the cost of some sets. If I was to get all the sets I want in the next month it would be over £1000 so that’s not happening. A couple of years ago I said that I would only get sets that would go into my city, or were creator expert, or ideas, or Star Wars buildable droids, or.... then I realised I was never gonna be able to restrict myself that way. I’ve long run out of space but the fear of missing out gets me every time.
Your chat resonates. I have found myself purchasing new or interesting little elements on instead of the big items. Not being able to purchase new set elements directly from LEGO online under their new selling system has cooled my purchasing from them. I’m purchasing some parts on the secondary market instead but the prices & postage are not great. LEGO has lost a lot of excitement for me when I can’t purchase the parts.
totally agree with you. i only started collecting in december 2021 so im very new to it and i've decided i need to stick to harry potter because i dont have much display space as it is and having sonic the hedgehog + a jurassic park t-rex (two sets i really had to talk myself out of) next to hogsmeade would just look silly. since i started with the 2021-22 hogwarts sets im sticking to them, hogsmeade and the shrieking shack (will definitely get a hog's head if they make it) and the hogwarts moments books since they're easy to display and i use the parts to moc my hogwarts. i do really like the ministry and grimmauld place, but i just cant justify the money for them when i have nowhere to put them.
Honestly. As tempting as it is. Boundary really so help. And maybe the boundaries shift as your interest shifts and that’s okay. But knowing what to focus on really helps with the budget. And there is so much stuff to love about the Harry Potter line. So much potential!
Hey Johanna, I think you are on a journey: Collector of childhood Lego memories - giving existing Sets the final touch and upgrade - rebricking Sets with great ideas from other MOCers - Free MOCer. Every step is more advanced then the step before, when it comes to your Lego skills and your wish to create your own world. Have fun. 🙂
I think all Lego collectors hit this wall of realising that play sets don't display well compared modular , Ideas or UCS sets and that's part of the problem with Harry potter it has beautiful figures but lots of play sets which are not very displayable like say diagon alley. I collect Lego Star Wars which has a lot of UCS sets and vehicles which unlike play sets display well so that's what I stick to unless it's a small set on offer for the great figures . Basically when we have limited space and we all get to the point of priority buying and not just buying anything. So the UCS AT-AT for me was expensive but amazing on display with a small footprint for a large set and looks amazing on a shelf . Great video 😀 Iike you I have a room dedicated to mostly Lego but I pick more carefully now lol
It’s quite interesting tbh. Im personally collecting Lego sets and add one every now and then but not very regularly. Im happy with the sets that Ive collected over the years. But Im also collecting sneakers. The funny thing is that in both communities Im experiencing the exact same thoughts on were and how to spend money the right way. Covid is not as prominent as a year ago people want to travel and generally have more options to spend their money. Adding to that is the huge inflation gas prices etc…. Every thing is getting more expansive it’s ridiculous. So what I want to close this comment on is that I very much share your opinion it’s something every collector should think about.
Amazing. I’m surprised but also not really how many people are feeling the same. but then as you say these external influences are really just making you reconsider and focus. And I think that’s a good thing.
Yes, interesting video and topic. Like you said, priorities will change, sometimes very rapidly. Everyone is in a unique place, so it makes this conversation hard. How do you make rules or find reasonable boundaries when there is so much diversity among builders/collectors? …I guess you explain your process and remain open to reevaluation of your own situation... These days, I find myself buying only the few absolute favorites that come out, and then I’ll wait for a decent sale price (or occasionally a gift with purchase that looks really strong) to get some of those mid-tier sets. Unfortunately, many of the sets I pick up on sale often stay in the box. Examples are the Destiny’s bounty, the Fisherman’s shack, the Monkie Kid Waterfall garden, the ISS, and the City Rocket Ship Launch set. Selling sets is not something I’ve done (yet!) but that really needs to happen soon (though I never purchased the sets as investments so that will be a very challenging process). Shelf and closet space is a tremendous factor - and then choosing what to display and how to display things - that’s a constant puzzle. At the end of the day, you’ve got to go with the flow. And when it gets too stressful or hard to contain, it’s time to switch gears. How to switch gears is sometimes difficult to assess, but you do your best - usually by remembering your limitations. There are only so many hours in a day (and only so many days in this crazy thing we call life!)
Glad to have this video; since I am having my own "crossroads" moment right now. I have emerged from my Dark Ages in 2017, and since then, after a slow start, it really changed into a "lego feast". Bricks were also an escape. An alternative for... less healthy activities. And so I dabbled into so many things at once. Oh, here is the B-Wing UCS because the grebbling looks awesome; there is Saturn rocket, cause I luv space; out there is Ninjago City, back there "vanillia" modular city; here is the typewriter, because it is a marvelous mechanism; but there is the Barracuda Bay, because '90 lego nostalgia; and Ghostbusters HQ because '90 movies nostalgia. Did i mention Technics...? Geez... my flat looks bonkers... Space, money as topics on their own nothwithstanding, it all linked together this 1H of 2022. Because i realized, that, summa summarum... i am feeling actually stressed out by the new releases. The renewed passion of me 5y ago changed into...an obligation? Numb pursue? Don't get me wrong - i am still having a blast stacking a brick on a brick; and seeing f.e. the Starry Night coming together gives helluva lots of fun. But going into a shop, and seeing ABC, XYZ, MNOP on the "mandatory" wishlist? And knowing there are 3 or 4 other "must haves" releasing later this year? It gave me feelings that i have all too many in my "outside LEGO life". And from which I used to happily escape with the immense help of said LEGO (and my other passions). I still feel the strong knot. Lot of arguments why this is a bad idea: parts can be useful; build looks great; its a marvelous display piece. But this vid is like an another nudge in a direction, that I feel I need to take... This hobby once was a lovely wee flower. It morphed into an awfully massive hedge. And every hedge needs trimmimg ^^' Cheers Johanna. Big thanks for sharing your thoughts.
No worries at all. It can all get a little overwhelming for sure. But those are the moments to take a step back, evaluate and see what is the most important. I’ve made a few decisions on selling a few sets that I was only holding on to for for the sake of it. And that’s was a good step. And saying no to sets when I have no space or use for them helps me too. But there is always the temptation. The money is the most limiting factor for me at the moment. But I suppose in a way having hard boundaries can be good too. I hope you find our own was that work for you!
Hi Johanna, yes I know how you feel. I had a reevaluation myself and sold a lot of sets on and just kept the ones I really liked. I was keen on Grimmauld Place but I can't justify the price. I purchased the ministry which I want to make into a building and gave in and got the shrieking shack but I'm trying not to get drawn in to all the hype and ask myself 'do I really need it'. I try but it doesn't always work 😆
As I hear your opinion and read the comments section on this video I can't help but agree. I really slowed down purchasing new sets, for more than one reason... The haven't been on holiday so I'll buy LEGO hit a little too close to home, since I haven't been abroad for over three years now. IMHO LEGO has been releasing just too much stuff lately, not all of it being realisticly priced, let alone for the not-AFOL audience. I know I'll buy the 400 euro Castle in August, which I feel is about 50 euro overpriced, but I guess that will be it for the next couple of months. The past couple of weeks I finally go around properly storing all my LEGO, and now I'm slowly MOCing and Milsifying which gives me a whole other sence of joy and excitement than simply hoarding sets.
You could call me a gloom-and-doomer if you like, but my suspicion is that Lego is seeing the writing on the wall as far as hard times (and the possibility of more disruptions) are concerned, and pushing into production all the sets they've been keeping stored up for future release. Better produce and release them now, than to have done all the creation and preparation for nothing ... I don't think the World Economic Forum's ambitious plans for a global Great Reset ("You'll own nothing and you'll be happy", etc.) will come to fruition without a disruptive tearing apart (engineered collapse) of the existing order, in order to establish the "new world order" they've been speaking and writing about for years. They are very purposeful and strongly focused on bringing about this "Great Reset".
I moved my lego collection twice and there is no way to sugar coast it... it is nightmarish. What I learned with my second move (and because I had more of an overlap of places) is do it in waves not all at once. I also feel the same way you do (although not as much about Harry potter). My core is castle and space/starwars. I have a large medieval/fantasy area and the space/starwars were always just for display. And I had enough room for all that with space for a few more years. Until I decided to also try a city... now I have no space and I am struggling to justify buying the new 90th anniversary castle set because I have no room to put it into my medieval area. My solution was to start looking for a larger place to live ... which is never a solution 😋
Thanks for sharing!! What i mostly am getting tired of in the collecting of the sets I want aswell as the ones I’d like is that I am so totally dependent of Lego and other companies deciding on when they offer me deals. Because buying Lego at full price is just robbing myself, I am constantly using time and energy to what the consequences of buying at “the right-ish” price or GWP deal means for my budget to do other nice things. I am single and have a nice enough job that i can splurge on Lego with no real short term consequences, but it is nagging that for instance now I have a bit of a money drought due to buying hogwarths with the big offer i mentioned a few weeks ago. My holiday after was fine and did not suffer, but since then I feel i have to be responsible and be tight. It just doesn’t feel right. It’s part my own fault for not sticking to the plan to not needing but wanting the hogwarts set, but i do want to put some blame in the sales department’s out there for making nice stuff unreachable most of the year and then enticing us with such deals as they almost can’t be denied. I really need to go sit with a friend that has better financial control and help me make labels on the money I have so i can splurge a bit less with more enjoyment. Hm bit of a rant/ramble maybe, sorry if it’s too incoherent. I just feel it’s a same-ish feeling of rethinking what Lego-decisions to make. I also want to start selling sets, but I can’t put myself to get rid of parts and pieces i could use when I switch over to MOC-ing stuff for fun.
No it makes total sense. And I ams sure you are not alone in this. I’ve personally felt much better about spending on hobbies since I’ve created set budgets each month. So every month I put £150 aside for lego purchases. I can spend that guilt free. If I want bigger sets I may put £50 or so of that aside in a separate pot for a few months until I have enough. It’s helpful for me to get to enjoy it and not feel guilty. I hope that helps :)
I’ve had to stop collecting due to renovating our house. I went wild since lockdown with any spare money and maybe didn’t think about all the sets I bought as I enjoy building from the instructions but want to try MOCing. The fight I have is space and keeping the sets together vs MOCing them.
Very relatable! I made a decision to just buy sets that I can place into my city. And lately I chose to make alternatives of Lego sets myself instead of just buying new sets. That gives me so much more fun than just buying new Lego! And it saves a lot of money ;) The only set that won't fit into my city that I want to buy is the new castle set that's coming out next month! Because I have always loved castles :)
I wanted this set, i.e., 12 Grimauld Place! And I thought I would buy it on release day -- despite my reservations over the SRP, which was off-putting to be honest. But when the LCS in my country pegged the price of the set at almost a 60% mark-up, I had to give it an easy pass in favor of the "joy" of getting the Starry Night and Jazz Quartet sets.
What an interesting discussion! I actually really enjoyed this video, it’s so interesting seeing your Lego collecting path wind in and out of new directions. I actually feel quite the opposite of what you said about the Ministry of Magic, I’ve found recently that the sets I’ve been most excited about and brought me the most joy are the sets I want to mod/remoc. I used to be a massive Star Wars UCS collector but there isn’t much room for modification so the sets just get built and added to a display. However, with sets like the Ministry they inspire my creativity to add things that I want to make a fuller scene. Similar to the Friends sets this year which I’ve been really been great foundations to make into modular buildings. I completely understand where you’re coming from in terms of not wanting to purchase sets you’re unlikely to want to keep as they are, I seemingly sit on the other side of the fence and wanting sets that inspire me to modify them so they don’t look as they did when they came out the box 😂
The ministry is a funny one. I like a lot of things about it. But I think I want it for £50, not £90. Though I think I’d feel differently if I had room to display an enhanced and moced version of it.
I agree with you. I find myself second guessing purchasing these sets. I'm in love with a few of these and will keep an eye out for sales for them but I feel with the cost of everything going up is spending it on these Lego sets the best choice. I'm very sad as the Lego brings me and my grandkids joy but not at the price they are becoming.
I echo your thoughts entirely Johanna and often mull over sets before buying. You’re right in that the hype for a set dampens down over time and makes you evaluate things. A great thought inspiring video 👍
similar to you, I am rethinking what themes I am sticking to (can't afford too many, don't have space), also moving away from non mini figure scale sets like the ford mustang or space shuttle, they are great but too big, expensive, take too much space and not being minifigure scale makes me go meh - this was brought on when I bought Batman Tumbler 76239 and realized this tiny, cheap build is so awesome and much much better than the huge and expensive tumber, waiting for smaller batwing now!
This wave definitely called for choices. I had to pick the two I liked the most and the rest will have to wait. I may not be able to get the rest. But I agree with you on the fact that we have to have priorities.
All well said and, I too have decided that the only sets I will be purchasing are the sets that can be moc’ed, or added to my city buildings. I admire and love many of the Lego sets and themes…..but they do not spark my emotions like a good city set. I have already decided that once my city is maxed out, I will dismantle the entire city and reimagine it. Cheers from Canada.🇨🇦
I felt at the beginning of the year we were going to have changes once the pandemic lifted what I didn’t know was how much the cost of living has Googling up - this makes me now more critical of the LEGO I buy because you have to justify it along with buying everyday essentials and LEGO isn’t in my opinion essentially but it is important- especially if like me and you Johanna, happen to RUclipsr as well. Going forward I’m much more laser focused on what I buy because it has to serve a purpose for me In the form of city building - and that constraint alone I find helps me. On the flip side of being ‘realistic’ I still booked flights to go to Dublin for opening of the new store! I guess somewhere in all this there is that gray area of being realistic and spontaneous and living and having fun 😀
So true. Yea, I’ve been feeling like this for a while and actually didn’t mind the fact that the room restrained me a little as that meant I became more critical. But the money side if things is less enjoyable. Spontaneity, and fun are still important though. So I think Dublin is essential 😉
Just discovered your channel !!!! Love the content so far ! I mostly collect Department 56 Halloween and Lemax Spooky Town and can relate with your struggle! I was buying stuff I knew I would never display! lol That's when I had to re-evaluate my collecting. Keep up the great work !!!!!
Great discussion. I find that I don't buy all the sets of the theme that I am most into (Marvel) because I love doing MOCs more and finding buildings to put into my city. I am also a member of a LUG in the United States and I build items more for our events and displays as well and that keeps me interested but the focus is definately not on getting 100% of sets for any themes.
for me I am just cutting down atm on what I do buy and focused around themes in the collection rather than expanding and trying new themes. Biggest concern I have is that in august september time some sets are having their price increased so had to bring forward spending and just focus on the sets I really like the look of.
Great video and being a huge lego fan the price is at the top end for what the set is but…hook it up to a lego motor, controlled from an Ardunio with sensor input and it makes for one seriously cool set.
I totally understand what your going through I got most of the 2018-20 hp sets but the 21+ sets I’m definitely finding it hard to keep putting the money into lego hp year in year out, I’m choosing more sets through more themes creator, ideas now medieval!
I'm very much like you, in the way that I too purschase these sets to make them my own. It's what the medium is created for imo. Although I do tend to create a village that is a bit more winter wonderland-ish :) Loved the video btw on the light kits! (just had to throw it in here as well^^) Keep it up - subscribed on first video and looking forward on delving in your knowledge of city building! :)
I so love Harry Potter sets (pre 2022) that I buy most, but not all of them. I missed the earlier sets because they were $50 for Lego in the Name, $50 for Harry Potter in the name and $35 for the bricks. I didn't have that kind of money to spend on ONE Lego set, so didn't. This was during the early Harry Potter movies in the USA. As I evaluated what I could and could not afford, I decided to focus on Harry Potter because Star Wars just wasn't going to end and I felt that I couldn't afford both. Plus, Harry Potter sets had more colour. The very Incomplete Harry Potter sets : Yes, 2022 was the year for incomplete sets, rooms that are triangular in shape and useless which made me swallow twice as I felt Lego was really missing the mark here. However, I also found the building with Lego helped me stay calm during the pandemic, so I bit the bullet anyway. I just bought 2 sets of the same set in order to hopefully figure out how to make it more 'complete'.
I completely agree that the combination of both the recent inflation of living expenses and LEGO's announcement of price hikes has forced me to reconsider how I approact my LEGO hobby. I still find joy in modifying and improving existing LEGO sets, but I need to stop buying new ones and start enjoying the ones I already have. I want to start playing with the awesome sets I have (reconnect with my inner child!) and double down on Medieval, rather than getting distracted by other themes.
I remember when lego friends came out and my parents brought me boxes of lego or new sets but now when I have to spend my own money on modulars or HP sets I realise its got a lot more expensive for sets that aren't that great unless your someone who doesn't want to display a set and just want's to play with it. I stil absolutely love lego but the sets just aren't what i look forward to buying anymore because they are so expensive and I'd rather get a light kit or a new display shelf for the sets I already own. I love your channel! And i really enjoyed this video!
I get where you're coming from. When I got back into LEGO & saw I could just buy bricks instead of sets, I said I'll stick to MOCs & just sets that are valuable for me. Otherwise it's a never ending journey of buying sets. At one point it will start to feel like a burden to buy a set & lose the feel of being a fan & just be a collector (imo). Had that feelig when i collected everything of Coca-Cola. As long as you have joy getting sets & building them, you're good
I've had to make several evaluations of my collecting/investing/etc. with LEGO. Came to the conclusion that, unless its a train, castle, pirate/viking, modular set, its not for me to collect personally anymore. I've stopped collecting Star Wars, Marvel and DC sets but use those for investing only at this point. Priorities change constantly and money is a premium.
Good conversation starter! I am not a huge collector and started fairly recently, but this year I find myself getting more and more annoyed with Lego. It’s not just the prices that sometimes are outright ridiculous this year, but also two years in and having followed Lego more closely, it’s noticing how they go about selling their sets, locking certain parts or minifigures out of cheaper sets, and in general more and more annoyance with the license heavy themes that presumably block Lego from bringing back more creative, more interesting and to me personally more beloved sets. I’ve already decided to quit Lego Star Wars because that is one of the prime examples of Lego’s policies becoming unbearable. But even the release of the 90th anniversary castle left some sour taste in my mouth because off the price and some design choices they made. In any case, it remains to be seen if I continue with this hobby but I do have to say I’m reaching a point where I’m about to say no to it all pretty fast this year.
It kinda sounds like mocing may be something that could be good for you. I personally felt super daunted by that to start with. But if you don’t try you won’t get better and just doing small alterations to sets was a great way to start and doing the medieval area now is such fun. That way you can have whatever you want without being entirely dependant on lego. It’s pretty freeing.
@HighTeaToys That’s a nice and thoughtful response, thank you! You are absolutely right, I am quite daunted by moc-ing and rather afraid of the frustration. So I keep postponing it and make up excuses for why Lego isn’t for me. I guess I do have been focusing on the things that don’t work more than seeing what I can do with Lego myself.
Display space was certainly a thing that didn't factor into Lego collecting from the start. Now it's limiting my purchases which my wallet is happy for.
simila rreevaluating happened to me. I was a LEGO fan literary whole my life (45), with no dark ages. When I was 30 I discovered there is a community in my country, and when I was 35 I started my own community - events, parties and everything else was a blast, but little by little, I walked into comercial (LEGO) event managing - until I realizes I (literary) have 5 tons of LEGO, deadlines, and stress from handling a relatively large business. So I made a 2 years pause from job (it was already established that it was happening without me directly being invovled), and I built only things I enjoyed most (castles and coral reefs, I made one 7m long with 10.000 animals in it :). Today, I am revitalized, and I am again building for events, in this very moment, actually :)
LEGO is not about collecting for me. Honestly, LEGO has always been about creating new things for me. Of course, when I was a kid my creations were nothing special. But now as an adult, I am really pushing myself to create extraordinary unique things and improve my building technique. If money was no issue I'd probably buy a set every now and then just for the joy of building without thinking. But as it is, I already have a huge LEGO collection. It is all organized by brick type for easy MOCing. With the bricks I have I can build pretty much everything I want to. And if I am lacking some pieces then Bricklink is easy and relatively cheap. What I typically do I make a MOC, make building instructions and some pictures and videos, and then start again from scratch. For me, LEGO is about my creativity. This is definitely the best way for me to enjoy LEGO.
I agree! The sets get bigger and more expensive. True, harder to justify because most sets I currently want, I need to buy two to make a compleet build.
This year I’m really only going to be purchasing the lion knights castle another black smith and a few more 3-1 castles got to much life to live for 2k+ in legos a year 😆
Well, it’s easy to follow your progression, as you make videos about it! 😏 Personally, I’m neither a collector or a completionist. I stick to Harry Potter and am grateful Lord of the Rings isn’t currently on offer! I enjoy buying a set and rebuilding it a bit to suit me. Even this modest hobbying, begun in the pandemic, has already cost thousands and crowds my office space.😵💫 I wonder too where I’m going with this. If we finally get Gringott’s, will that be the end for me?
Oh wow. That is an interesting thought indeed. I think I’ll sell a few sets. But keep some other ones packed away. It’s a funny hobby for sure. And you’ve been here from the very beginning. I try not to calculate the cost of it all. As that isn’t helpful. As I’ve said from the beginning. I’m so grateful I’m not into Star Wars. I can’t possibly imagine wanting those sets too. It’s already enough as it is.
Yeah, I’ve been following along for a bit now and I’m looking forward to your move. Should be great fun to watch. As for Star Wars, I have a micro Razorcrest. End of!
I'm more about the build and ability to display sets - so I tend to avoid the playsets. I just don't get much out of those buillds and they're rarely that great to display. Only problem with that is of course the sets that I do tend to want are the really expensive ones.
Yes, I can totally relate with the end of the pandemic and the current world situation changing things. For me is not so much the money yet, but the time. Now we are back to going out with friends and family, and I'm really struggling to keep up with one video every 2 weeks. I think that like we had to adapt in the beginning of the pandemic, we now need to adapt again. The marvelous thing about LEGO is that you can take the same parts you already have and reinvent something new with them. We don't need to keep spending big money to keep the creativity flowing. By the way, if you want an excuse to spend those 90 £, LEGO Artisan has a MOC that uses the Ministry of Magic set + 196 pieces to create a modular 16 x 32 building 😈
As someone with not much money, every set I buy nowadays needs to be fully justified in every aspect of it for me. I can’t afford to buy something I don’t like much just because I really like a very specific aspect of it
I couldn’t agree more. And i think it’s a good thing to be really honest with yourself whether you’re buying for the sake of it or because you really want it.
I had to evaluatr 3 years ago. I had SOOOOO much, the first ten modules, all the Elves as well almost all the Haryy Potter to that date..My husband I sold oir house downsized our world. After much debate decided I would sell all but my Harry Potter. I have created a small Garry Potter Lego room I kept a few that were special I see many other sets I would like , but, I have set some paramotors that hep me say NO if it is non Harry Lego. Good luck with setting your guidelines. I highly recmeend it to every one.
I liked it, I think it's worth mocing into modulars. Especially if you get two, but if you are not into the figures maybe it's better for a nice discount.
I love Lego, and always have since the early 80's. Lately while I have been impressed with the quality of a lot of builds, especially in the creator expert line I have really been questioning the value in regards to price. The themes that I stuck with were Castle and City, and the occasional Creator Expert set that appealed to me like the range of cars, but after seeing the new Castle set I am struggling to justify it's cost, even as I am impressed with the look of it. It almost seems like Lego knows it has a licence to print money by exploiting AFOL's nostalgia, or even just fans of pop culture in general. On the one hand, I loved the extra complexity and looks of these new sets, but the prices keep going up, and in Australian dollars are getting quite extreme, when at the end of the day they are just bits of plastic. I am a bit torn as I love the product, but I am struggling to justify the cost to myself.
I get side track, my first inspiration was space, now I am collecting city and creator sets, but now I want to sell all my creator and focus on cyberpunk.
Lego MOCs is where it is at. You keep getting your value's worth of lego over and over and over again. Ninjago is sort of my ohhh aahh These sets are amazing, I am learning all kinds of crazy tricks, I'm leaving these sets as designed (the City Gardens, the new wave of Dragons, and mechs are just such a feat of lego design and engineering...I prolly cannot do better ATM) Then there is lego castle, which I feel is meant to be MOC'ed. I can ALWAYS design better castles/villages than the sets. Color schemes are easier, it's easier to use all the pieces, and more knights are ALWAYS good...I'm not having to be annoyed with the 8th Lego Harry Potter Minifig. (Ninjago got this issue right by changing up the ninja garb every season) I got a new Lego modular set and I still haven't even opened the box....a part of me is like...you know what...If I just hold onto this....its like holding onto some stock that will only go up in value. I want to expand my Ninjago City but build it in a sort of futuristic setting that deals with the social issues of today. Something that openly displays extreme wealth inequality, workers going on strike, Zane turning evil with himself becoming the surveillance state that watches everyone, the Billionare's tower who's office is also a rocket escape ship etc. Something relevant for these times but also playful and hilarious. I want to do this vs a modular city because This allows me the most creative MOC freedom while using the most amount of random pieces from all my disassembled sets of a 30 year old Lego collection. This is the best bang for my buck, best utilization of space, and best allocation of creative time building totally unique designs that few people are doing. At least for me this thought process helps me justify what to spend my money on, save space and get the most of Lego. A Futuristic city ALWAYS has room to evolve, to be upgraded, to be added to disassembled or rearranged. Plus with Lego pick a brick or Bricklink, I'm never really going to be stuck having to buy a set just for the few pieces I need.
Lego is an endless influx of new sets , especially when u collect more themes. on the flipside , no matter how much space you got , it ll never be enough if you just keep on collecting new sets , year after year.Ive been doing this for 12 years now , i collect Star Wars , Harry Potter , and have i big LOTR / Hobbit collection. in the end You just have to start rotating collections , if not , you end up frustrated with a constant lack of display room. And offcourse , be selective in what you buy.
I don't know how I justify this particular hobby to myself. I can delight in building a detailed city and at the same time lament about being surrounded with sets and parts I have buyer's remorse about. I can complain about being priced out of the hobby in the way I want to participate and at the same time not blaming Lego for trying to make as much money as they can when they can by producing massive and expensive sets. I guess I'm just filled with a mixture or burn out and getting suckered back in when some obnoxiously cute cmf wave is released.
"Obnoxiously cute" -- it sounds very apt, but some of the cmfs are very useful to me for parts and faces, they're my strongest focus -- can't quite let them go yet. I heard that from next year they will be packaged in boxes so that you can't identify them by feel anymore. So it will be bye-bye to the cmfs in that case.
@@alrinaleroux9229 I heard that as well about cmfs. My area stores have them locked behind display cases because lego is a high theft item. So I don't get much opportunity to feel packages anymore. I'll resort to buying cases online and trying to resell the excess. I think it will just end up hurting local business and local product availability over time.
@@hobbyorobsession I'm sorry to hear that -- in our toy stores they keep them either at the cashier counter or at the shelves next to the boxed sets. I don't think theft is such a big problem over here. There aren't so many obsessed Lego fans I suppose. But this will probably be the last cmf year for me. I agree -- boxing cmfs will probably make it difficult for the stores to sell them -- and I wouldn't even want to risk buying them at a discount -- there are always ones that I don't want. They might end up giving them away for free with purchases above a certain amount, just to get rid of them (as one store did with some Vidiyo sets). That is, if the stores even exist anymore -- the way things are looking now, they might go out of business before long.
I'm lucky I moved into a house I was in a caravan thru lock down as I had to move house ..but now I'm lucky I got a room to rent an guy give me office. To build a Lego City in ...but .soon he whant to move ..so I'm a little strest out ..I have to move all my lego.thay seed I can move in with them .other wise I got. No where to live ..if I end up homless I have to put all my stuff into storidge again would suck..
So...watched this video and now my brain hurts. And this is what I find generally happening in the Lego world. Too many choices coming out too rapidly and costing way too much is making all of us pause to think a bit and contemplate like what the heck are we doing? That being said, I just ordered the new roller coaster....🤪😁
Ive been at this point in a sense for a while now I love Lego but is Lego pricing us out of the hobby. Of course some people will still buy everything they please from Lego but for the majority of fans we may be getting tapped out Lego puts out to many large pricy sets and I feel like maybe it's releasing to many now that it's having a negative impact on it's customers.
I love Lego and have a huge collection but really, they are really expensive and thinking there are people and animals in need ,forces me to stop purchasing the most expensive sets and even on the cheaper ones ,i feel its not right for me.
I completely relate to reevaluating where I’m at in this hobby. I’m struggling trying to figure it out. I think focusing on where I find the most joy is an excellent idea. Right now I’m overwhelmed and have a bit of chaos with room displacement. This is only temporary and I will be able to recreate a space which is great but also very challenging.
I’m with you too. Just gotta remember that it’s all going to work out however it’s meant to, and we just have to ride this rollercoaster & see it thru lol. Whether or not we like it!
Interesting video. RUclips is full of videos from people with infinite money and space, it's so refreshing to hear somebody having muggle thoughts like the rest of us. I'm a city fan with close to 600 sets and a very small display place, so I agree that a hard look at the value (cost, display potential, fit with the rest, possible resale, play for my kids) before purchasing is vital. I try not to get on the hype and relucantly accept that some sets I really want will pass me by due to cost and my available space. Great thought provoking video!
Great video - my favorite part was what you said about why you love building your city and displays - how it let you be creative without the stress of unlimited options. It’s kind of like writing haikus, where the structure and reduction of options helps focus your creativity.
I think you're right that this topic is just a natural part of having a maturing collection. You may have come to this place more quickly because of all the things going on in the world and the effect it is having on everyone's budgets.
As a happy viewer of your channel it was pretty early on that you seemed to fall in love with buildings and veer away from Harry Potter so a lot of what you are saying makes sense from that POV. I'm excited to see you MILSify and light up Diagon Alley. And I'm super excited to see how your city grows and changes through the move and also I'm thrilled about your medieval area.
For myself, I started collecting in June of 2021 and I consider myself primarily an HP collector. I also love Star Wars and Friends and Disney. I started with the HP moments books and minifigures. I felt such joy when I made the leap and got myself the chamber of secrets. My collection is basically Hogwarts. I think my goal is to have a minifig scale Hogwarts that gives a wink and a nod to everything Hogwarts. I am hesitant to even expand my collection to include the HP locations outside of Hogwarts. I LOVE Diagon Alley and I am tentatively thinking of getting it for myself as a Christmas present. But I'm nervous about space and money. I know where Hogwarts sets will go in my space and what I'll do with them. If I start on HP London/England... with Diagon Alley, then will I want the Burrow, the Dursleys? To mock Luna's House, the Knight Bus? Grimmauld Place, the Ministry? I don't have the money or the room. The same with Modulars. I really want Assembly Square and the Hotel from this year. And I'd love a second Assembly Square to make a Jazz Cafe for Princess Tiana... but... space and money.
This is one reason I love the gifts with purchase. It is an opportunity for me to build different types of lego that I'd never buy. Great topic for conversation. It is bittersweet but I think boundaries are good. They keep us from getting overwhelmed and help us to hone in on what we truly love. I'm sure even people with unlimited space and money prune their collections and change focus from time to time.
ETA: If I break down and get the microscale hogwarts that may throw a wrench in everything! Everyone says it's the ultimate Hogwarts.
Hahaha yes I do love the micro scale one. For sure. But it sounds like you’re really on a similar journey with the sets to me. I’ve found joy in the city. But maybe you could do a little Hogwarts ground layout. And definitely check out brick_sanchez on Instagram and thefloorislego some great Hogwarts inspiration. Along with many many others.
@@HighTeaToys Yes! I have Hagrid's Hut. I have not built it yet. The grounds would be fun with maybe a bit of the lake and forest. Brick Sanchez is amazing! I'll definitely check out those creators for inspiration.
Thank you for sharing your thoughts and feelings on this. I too have been feeling this way. During the pandemic, Lego was a wonderful escape. At the time coming out from my dark ages, everything was new and exciting. Now the constant releases and redundant styled sets seem to be uninviting and dare I say boring. I love the modulars, have them all except the diner now, but the space for them was too much, and I had to break them down and store them away. Sad about it, but need to keep life moving on after this pandemic.
But when I have a chance, I always keep watching and listening to Lego shorts, vlogs, announcements, and websites. I see some sets I do intent to get, but there are a lot that I do not. Maybe this was invisible to me when I got back into the Lego, just focused on all of the sets over many years I wanted and didn’t ‘see’ all of the ones I did not want. There was so much great sets i could get from over the past years, it was exciting… but now, I realize the ‘diamonds in the rough’ sets were not as abundant in one year. There are a lot that I disregarded or never knew about that don’t interest me. So now, Lego may be doing what they have always done, with great sets hidden amongst a lot of uninteresting sets. But now I feel like there isn’t all these awesome sets I thought were always coming out. And I feel let down when I see what comes out and what little I like. Sorry to be in such a doldrum, but its been hitting me now a days, and now your video came out.
Keep doing a great job with your videos and MOCs, they have been such a joy to watch. Our friends across the pond sharing our same Lego passions in play are so nice in this nutty world.
I think you’ve put that so wonderfully. And definitely can totally relate to that. Coming into the hobby was like this shiny wide eyed experience of amazing ness. And now I know everything that was released it’s lost that shininess. I still love some of the areas and will definitely continue. But focussing on just the bits I love is really just part of that. Life has a lot it offer and money can only be spent once so just finding a balance.
I have a spending problem, if I have money I want to spend it. I never had Lego as a kid so now I get to have what I want. I prevent buying things because of FOMO I had to set rules, which evolve over time. My son asked if we could build a city, which I've always loved the idea of. So now I only buy stuff with my hobby budget that fits in the city or I can modify to fit(scale/theme/etc...). He and I also really enjoyed The Mandalorian, so I also get those sets but none of the other Star Wars sets.
I've recently filled the table that I built for the city and have to budget for building out another purpose built area, which means not spending on sets.
Johanna, this is definitely the way I feel as well. The pandemic gave us an opportunity to slow down and take a break from the reality of real life. For those of us who are young, we have so much to look forward to in life. For us who are more older adults, we may or may not have more time or money for our hobbies.
Nevertheless, Lego continues to be a great outlet for purchasing and building. The downside with general consensus is the time, space, and cost of this hobby. With this mindset, when the new sets come out, excitement is there but then reality hits. Thanks for taking time to making great videos. Enjoy your weekend.
This was a great video Johanna. I thought a lot about what you said. FOMO plays a big part for me I had to admit I was collecting all Harry Potter but didn’t like them all. I guess you’ve called out the trap we all fall into. Watching youtube videos where the skys the limit in Lego purchasing many of us can’t do that and also it seems sometimes that it’s just for content not for the love of the hobby.
You’re genuineness shines through and you are generous with your learning. In a funny way I think you’ve given permission to just do what you love not get caught in the hype.
Some months ago I came to a very similar mindset to you. I started back into my Lego hobby in June 2020 and bought pretty much everything I liked. You soon realise it’s a space greedy hobby and not cheap long term! 😳By evaluating what matters most when it comes to collecting and displaying, it keeps things simpler. Space and/or money is the deciding factor most AFOL’s grapple with…I have a lot more space at my disposal than you, but I’ve gradually become very discerning over which sets I buy and where. 😃
In a way I don’t mind how my space is making me focus in on what I want more. Having clear priorities and ways to say no to things is useful. It means that when I do buy something it’s for a real reason. And that makes me feel more secure spending the money. Also I am a huge budgetter. So that helps with the guilt. But I still find it hard to justify sometimes.
@@HighTeaToys Learning to prioritise I think is the best way, it feels rather less frivolous. 🥴I don’t buy non minifigure scale sets and I’m cutting down on sets for pieces and parts, though I do love the Friends sets, they have fabulous parts/pieces! I’ve mixed some of my Lego collection in with my 12th Dollshouse collection ….it’s like a parallel world but just of a smaller kind! 😂
Couldn’t agree more to all you said as you know from your discord. It makes me choose my sets more deliberately. Even having a bit of space left in my room, I start thinking about my priorities and which area I really want to develop and if I rather fill it with Mocs or with Lego sets. Most of the Harry Potter sets are not usable as they are, I will take most of them apart and integrate them into my builds. I am sure there are many people who are having these kind of thoughts especially when space is restricted. I wouldn’t want to buy sets to put them unopened into storage.
Your comment was actually the reason I made this video. I’d been having these thoughts for a while but actually seeing somebody else mention exactly the same thing kinda made me want to talk about it. So thank you for that! And yes. I think you’re being very sensible about it.
@@HighTeaToys I really like that you put it out on RUclips. So many will appreciate it as we all struggle more or less with space and the costs involved. It’s easy to create a promotional video but also to discuss some critical issues is the key. That’s what I liked from the beginning on when I discovered your channel 🙌, you are not a facade , you are authentic in every way !
I definitely find that I’m changing a lot of my buying and collecting habits as well as evaluating the amount of money spent. You’re right that as the pandemic lifts, we do other things as well. I simply don’t have the space for everything and am also waiting for the hype to die down to see what I really want. I’ve also learned that I can admire sets that others build and that’s good enough as well. I plan to proceed with a totally custom city so will shift more of my budget to pieces. Additionally, I love the modular HP castle so I’m looking forward to doing more with that but will probably not buy the hp sets that don’t fit into it. You simply can’t buy it all!
Thanks for sharing your thought process. It’s something I think everyone struggles with at some point when they get into Lego.
It’s so easy to get caught up in the FOMO and endorphin rush of consumption. It takes self-awareness to be able to weigh whether or not you’re buying for the sake of buying, or if you’re actually maximizing the value of what you’re purchasing.
Personally, I think physical space is a great limiter. If i don’t have a space for it in my collection, I try not to buy it and just enjoy it through reviews like these. Most of the time my urge for a set gets replaced by the next, new thing anyway.
Thanks for the video!
I think with the recent price hike s from LEGO a lot of people are having to reconsider where they will spend there money and change what they collect. Also, as we get older our priorities change so completely understand! For me, I have consider how I’m spending my LEGO budget whether it’s sets, projects or my city.
I've been a huge Lego fan for about 5-6 years now, I own the last 7 modulars, and still have a city setup at the top of my wardrobe. I personally havn't built a Lego set for 9 months, mainly due to being busy outside of a pandemic, but also due to my views changing on the Lego company itself. I dislike their attitude towards sustainability, and their choices with prices and the current economy have been very poor as of late. I'm still a big fan, but if I buy a set in the future I need to decide where I'm displaying it, what budget I have to buy it, and if I will genuinely enjoy the build.
Hi Johanna. I’m still new to Lego and love your channel! I have a small city with only a few buildings and love how you do your sidewalks and parks, so I just focus on creating those spaces. I don’t have a lego room….yet! Just a few small tables. I loved building 12 Grimmauld place and have put it next to the bookshop in my city. I saw that Lego Artisan has an amazing MOC of the Ministry of Magic that I’m going to try as I haven’t done that before. I agree that space and budget are good boundaries and if I want a splurge I just buy a small PAB cup of cool parts for my city or some animals or minifigs from Bricklink. And thanks for your reviews. I never wanted the Police Station but after your review I purchased it and I love it! Just starting the Medieval Blacksmith as your medieval village is awesome! Keep smiling and having fun and sharing!
Great video Johanna! its definitely an interesting time for a lot of us that jumped in the deep end with LEGO, wanting so many different things from the hobby. But now with the reasons that you listed, we are having to be more selective. I've definietly decided to stop now with certain sub collections like all the Star Wars 18+ sets or all the Mandalorian sets as I'd be spending hundreds of pounds on sets for the sake of completion that I don't really enjoy or have the space to display anyway. it's even making me go back and look at sets in my collection and think about selling them as I'm just not getting that enjoyment!
It’s an important moment. That whole ‘does it spark joy’ thing really is a useful way to take a step back and reassess for sure. I hope you find the balance for yourself too. In a way it’s an exciting new way of collecting.
@@HighTeaToys ohh for sure, im excited to see where the hobby takes me from here!
Hi Johanna, Ive been following your channel for a rather long time now and enjoy it greatly, but these sort of videos in particular, because its much more Real World , down to earth basic problems that effect all collectors.
Like so many I had some space and castle sets when I was a child back in the early 80s, sold them and moved on with Star Wars toys and then Masters Of The Universe. Masters of the Universe had returned to me in my adult life and I have been collecting that for over 15 years now and that in itself was taking all my room and money but then, despite myself I caved in and got into Lego once again!
It started with Monster Fighters....which led me to the first WHITE WHALE, the Haunted House, which i payed ALOT of money for second hand. Like You I love buildings and old houses and castles etc, so then came the OLD Fishing Store...Both amazing builds that really amazed me , Fishing store and haunted house are some of my fav builds ever still....Then the Detectives OffICE followed by Parisian Restaurant .......then I was gone and the pandemic hit!!! I just went mad wanting buildings , the only modulars I dont have now are the PetShop, the Green Grocer and the Cafe Corner. During the pandemic I was watching so much RUclips. seeing all these amazing cities and i wanted to do the same , it seemed so exciting and creative to me. Then I got into the Harry Potter sets.....Ive been chasing all this ever since, buying 100s of spare bricks and sets that I fool myself I can remoc , even doubles of sets for rebricking or just for parts! And now I realise this is all wayyy out of hand and ive got a cluttered mess, unopened sets due to lack of time and adding to the clutter and such little room and will be moving in the next year...I even said NO to Ninjago for the last 2 years as I wanted the city and docks but they are so expensive....I just got the Gardens despite myself!! My city has no direction now and it is a cluttered mess and very overwhelming, its stopping any creativity and fun.
So I have found myself in the last few months thinking and often feeling guilty with the money Ive spent and trapped living in a lego warehouse.
I still love Lego AND IM NOT GIVING UP MY HOBBY! But things have to change , im not sure how yet but the first step I think is to pack and store away all the sets that are not fitting or in character with my original ideas. All the Harry potter sets and figures have to be packed away if I cant include them in my city, basically anything that is not working for me.
Like you ,making my own mocs and buildings bring the most fun. Its just too many ideas and no focus and too much stuff !!! Any advise I greatly need!
Were all on a journey it seems!
Oh wow. You really have gone on a journey and it sounds like you are a true at heart. But I can 100% relate to that feeling of overwhelm and guilt. Honestly it sounds like to moving some stuff out of the room and really making conscious decisions on what you want to display will help a lot. I find that I’m happiest when the room is organise and there is no random stuff on the floor or surfaces and everything had its place. That means tidying up during projects. But it combats that sinking, overwhelming feeling. I hope you can find a way that makes the hobby work for you again! All this sets you mention are just so wonderful so I really hope you find that spark and joy again!
@@HighTeaToys Indeed Johanna, I want to find that joy again and not just consume for the sake of it. Please share your progress , knowing im not on my own and others are in a similar situation really helps. A true at Heart sounds very lovely indeed. Im a tattoo artist so my free time is very limited. Do others set regular times to work on their lego projects ? Do people often work to a schedule? I cant imagine having this hobbie and a full time job and creating youtube content, how do you find the time???
Very late to the video but recently going through a similar process. Increasing costs of sets (especially from 1st August), limited storage space, this not being my only hobby and also having a family to look after and house to run, I’ve had to really look at what I want out of this hobby. Before I was putting everything I liked and wanted in wishlists and it was getting out of control, but the fear of not being able to get sets I wanted before retiring and then having to face retired prices was crazy.
I’m the end I took a step back, looked at everything with a more sensible head and that’s helped massively. Now I focus on sets for my city 1st, Marvel sets 2nd and sets from those two areas are what my hobby funds go to. After those anything else is a hard decision and a bonus if it happens.
Great update johanna have a great weekend stay cool
Thanks Johanna. Building sets relieves my stress. I’ll wait for a bad day to build new stuff. Rumours and reviews help me sort out too big, too expensive, not quite right, looks awesome but, like and must have. By release I know what I want. Then to find out if it’s available.(Stress level starts to rise.) These days I’m more about filling the gaps with old figs I regretted not getting .
Please don’t stress, just assess what you want. Take a break from bricks if needed. LEGO will wait for you. Love the channel.🤠
Bless you for your kind words. I think it’s just allowing me to focus on the bits of the hobby I really love. And sharing the is journey with you all is fun. Shame that reality sometimes sets in ;)
It’s a very interesting, if not timely commentary with regards to the LEGO HP theme… considering that we’ll be getting a “UCS” Hogwarts Train Set later this year.
I remember getting into LEGO HP around 2016… which was an awkward time to start since the sets had been retired long ago. I collected the figs and purchased the OG Diagon Alley at their appreciated prices since I felt that the theme won’t be revived… and as such, I’ve had a definite end point for my collection.
Cue the said revival come 2018 with the dbg roofs. I loved the aesthetic, bought multiples of the castle sets…. But got jaded when the doll house sets came.
I opted not to do a city but instead committed the bulk of my collection with full 360 structures of the Winter Village collection whilst adding my own sets of bells and whistles to make it unique. So far it’s been quite lovely since they only release a set once per year, freeing up the rest of the year to think of ways of MOCing or buying up sets that may work with the Winter theme. Modulars didn’t do it for me since everyone who had a LEGO city has modulars already.
Vidiyo and Overwatch had good short runs, so money-wise you could say you’ve stopped hemorrhaging (haha) while at the same time, the theme has had closure (albeit untimely).
The same could not be said of HP so even I’m at a loss for as to where my collection would go tbh. It’s stuck in the limbo of should I get the doll house sets, convert their roofs and use the parts as a basis to continue the 2018 aesthetic and incorporate the features and interiors of the newer sets? Collect the figs? Or abandon the theme altogether since it does feel like an evergreen theme like SW as there’s no end in sight? The picking and choosing of which sets to get or not get eats at the completionism within me.
You're not alone. I've been collecting as an adult(playing since I could walk) since the first modular was released and I've seen a massive change in lego. Not only pricing but value for money. Creativity was what lego was ALWAYS about (when I grew up it was just blocks...you had to USE imagination to make it something...that was the essence of lego)but somehow when all the franchising came in, I feel the creativity factor suffered. That's why I moc and enhance a lot now. The unfortunate thing is, the more complete we ask lego to be with sets will only drive up the price. I honestly think we are all re evaluating how we spend our lego budget...times are tight. I think we all share your feelings. I hope lego is listening 😊
I personally only buy sets that either fit into my city theme or I buy them for parts. Average Lego asks 100€ for 1000parts in a set. Take Central Perk friends sitcom set (which I got for 50€) I saw loads of new colours (medium nogat, dark green, red etc) which is a great add to my collection. Further I spend most my money on loose parts. From rare to normal. Since I prefer making my own builds over filling my city with sets
As an older collector, I've got an eclectic mix of sets . I don't really fit into any fan base of sets be it star wars or dc. Sets are very costly now, really having to decide which sets to get . What is my value for money. Huge ucs sets like marvel daily bugel.? or at at. Or sets with unique mini figs.
I personally always (unless it is something I really, really want) wait for a 30% discount since I know that sooner or later they will be available for a much lower price. It is all about patience and I've never understood people waiting in line on release day to give away their money. On the other hand, if you don't have that option to begin with, I totally understand where you are coming from. I love LEGO Harry Potter as a theme, but I wouldn't pay full price for these Summer sets.
I definitely have had to be more selective with my Lego purchases due to space, lack of funds and for fear of buying everything that catches my eye and turning into a hoarder! My plan is to continue to buy the modulars each year and a few other sets that catch my eye (usually from Lego Ideas like the Home Alone set, the Treehouse, etc.), and I love to do MOCs, (improving on Lego Friends sets and turning them into modulars)
Lego has always been expensive, but I have really started to question if they have gone too far. For me personally, 50 percent of my collection is 18+, and where as I can afford to continue to buy it, I am starting to question should I? You spoke about seeing sets before they come out, and the excitement that generates. It is the same for me, but that excitement is quickly tempered now when I start adding up the cost. When I look at the top 10 sets I would like to acquire at any given time, and realize 7 of them are 350 bucks or more... I start to question my sanity. lol
Yep, space and cost for sure makes us think how to go on with the colecting. I've pretty much started focusing on sets that are more adult oriented and making sure I have the proper space to display them and enjoy them. Keep it up, great content 👍
Absolutely. Focusing/narrowing down on the the things you really love is such a helpful way to keep it manageable.
After buying the City Farm sets, came to realise I bought them just for (some of) the parts. And after building them, they only stay that way for a couple of weeks before I deconstruct them. Next time I will be more critical on City sets and maybe buy the parts seperate.
I still buy most Harry Potter sets, as I am a collector. I recently bought the old Shrieking Shed set, which means I am one step closer to having all the (major) sets. But as with the City sets, these also only stay built for a limited time. Having enough room to display all the sets is a precious thing (I don't have), so I understand your predicament.
I hope you will have more room in your new home as it's worth displaying your whole collection/city.
Thanks for sharing.
My biggest issue is space. While I am fortune enough to have a dedicated room, I have trouble trying to figure out which sets are most important to me to display and when I put away those that aren’t, trying to figure out where to put them and where to put any new sets, with each year that passes. Anyone else have this situation and any potential solutions?
Definitely feel this way there are always going to new priorities that will come along the way, is a good thing because you will not end up buying sets that you regret, I m trying to do the same I like to collect minifigures but at the same time trying to build something big so there is always a struggle of not wasting money just for the small part of the set and think about the bigger picture. Love your sharing
So very relatable. I have three children, so I buy play sets for them, but the bigger sets, I do have to take a step back and really consider it properly before buying it or not. It's so expensive for it to just sit in a box after being built and broken once
Interesting video. At present I've hit a wall with MOC building. There's loads of things I want to finish but can't really fine the time and energy to do so. I want to add another floor to my Doctor Stange sanctum set, in the process of building a modular friends hotel. Need to finish my pop store second floor (arcade and record shop). Plus running out of space is a bit thing. I try and display my most recent builds (put older ones away in creats)
yea, the running out of steam for mocing is a thing. I find myself very motivated sometimes and very flat other times. Time is definitly an issue.
Thanks you for sharing your thoughts. Not enough Lego RUclipsrs post videos about restraint. actually I think to many post crazy videos where they it way to much and I feel it forces everyone watching to try to match them. I’m running out of space and every so often a old set just become parts to make room .
It’s fascinating to watch. And videos like that are great for the algorithm so I don’t blame them for making them. But I’m finding it hard to justify spending, let alone spending enough to make a ‘huge lego haul’ video. Don’t get me wrong. It would be great to. But it’s just not possible. Having a set budget for the month and saving up for larger purchases over time makes me feel slightly more comfortable still getting the few things I want. I think everyone finds their own ways to enjoy their hobbies. But sadly realism sometimes sets in a little and comes to spoil the fun :o
I’m very particular about what I buy. I don’t have anything Harry Potter. I like city theme. That said I don’t buy everything I’m super choosy about what I’ll buy. I look at a set for its parts it comes with, the potential for those parts. Like you I usually mod the sets even the Modulars. Lately I’ve been just buying specifically parts/pieces direct from lego. Seems smart I’m just buying the pieces I need and want. Oh and I don’t want my city to look like everyone else’s. That HP set you have there I just see a bunch of useful pieces but I’d never buy it and build it as it is. So I’m better off taking inspiration from it and just buying parts then making my own.
Might be less expensive that way too.
Anyway just my thoughts
Like your Mocs that you build. 🙂
100% with you on this. When lego announced price increases, I started looking more into what I truly want for display, what I really truly want to own, and also (especially still being 1/2 way thru my move- 50% of my collection is still at the other place lol…. I’m not used to having a small vehicle- I literally packed my Jeep to the roof- but, a 2 door wrangler still does not a u-haul make lol 😂) I’m looking at the sets I bought on clearance “for parts”, or for whatever reason I had at the time, more so as either inventory for a bricklink store, or maybe just sell them, depending on whether I have the self-motivation & energy to truly gather enough pieces to actually make a bricklink store something worth my time & to make some money back. The only new set I’ve purchased so far is the Thestrals set, bc cmon.. I mean, I built it in no time & it’s just collecting dust at the moment, but I ultimately decided I want to make a minifig scale Hogwarts castle & grounds- so although I have been to the lego store twice recently, I’ve only grabbed PAB cups & either a second copy of a set I have bc I need those parts & I can sell the figs, or the smallest set of the wave. Between the price increase from lego, and the absolute insane prices of EVERYTHING lately- I’ve been all over the map as far as what I want to do. I started with “that’s it, I’m selling my entire collection” to “I will sell my non-HP collection & will not be collecting anything BUT Harry Potter past August”, to “I’m opening a BL store so I now need more parts & more types of parts & also I need to find all of the more expensive minifigs from the BAM section and start an army of knights and pirates & good accessories that will sell & I need to get those NOW”, to today, where I’m sitting here not knowing what the hell I want to do- and when I don’t know for sure what I definitely am dedicated to doing, I do nothing until I’ve got a good idea of which direction I want to go in, and only then will I start acquiring more things.
I think with the state of the world, the prices of everything, and the fact that we are adults who happen to have fallen down this rabbit hole of collectible plastic- it’s almost inevitable (and IMO, responsible) for us to be going thru this weird “limbo” type state of mind- I’m personally not loving it but I’m also glad to know I’m not going thru it alone. Which again reminds me I need to join your discord- which I will hopefully figure out today lol.
Thank you for making this video. Moving is a pain in the you know what, but, as long as you are able to somewhat organize & LABEL LABEL LABEL your things- you two will get it done with no problem! I literally bought a label maker last night- pretty soon, my ocd is going to leave visible marks on EVERYTHING in this house. My poor animals. I can truly see myself doing test runs on it being like “dog”, “cat”, “Guinea pig/potato with fur”…. I’m rambling, this is too long anyway- dear lord- I’m sorry!
Thank you, again. Good luck on the move, keep us all posted on this mental journey- bc I think a lot of us are there as well. As always, keep up the amazing work!
its a continuous thing for me. When I first got back in I got a lot of modulars, even bricklinking the parts for the Grand Emporium. After a while realising I’d never have all of them and the spell was broken, I re-evaluated. Since then I’ve sold all modulars and trying to focus on themes I love. Thats difficult as new favourites pop up (speed champions for instance although at least affordable..). It’ll likely never end
Very much the same thoughts I, and many others, have had and will continue to have. Simply put, realism can make lego not fun at times but it's the strongest part of the (well, any) hobby. I recently got all 8 sets in the new ninjago wave and I fully intent to keep them sealed, I also have numerous sets that I look at and go 'ooh that looks cool!' and get that with the same intention of keeping them sealed and safe. Space for them will always be hell as prioritising what goes where will be a daft puzzle. 99% of my lego is MOCs anyway so that has a different feel and approach, but for me it's a much worse battle as my MOC layout can't be displayed at home ever due to how vast I made it. All-in-all, it's good to feel what you said in this video as it slows you down. Too much can catch up and when it all hits you, it ain't gonna be fun.
Kudos for such an insightful video 🍻. It’s eerie how your words echo the conversations of so many of us in the community across continents. There’s no doubt that the journey evolves and changes over time, as all journeys do. The repeated pattern that comes through over the years from so many having the same realisations is another interesting aspect of the Lego hobby. As you’ve said, it’s where you find joy. On that?, there’s plenty to be had. 😏
So true. It just means constantly reevaluating. And that just means my priorities are slightly shifting. But I still really like the small area of the lego hobby I focus on. It’s such a delight and colourful escape.
I can’t justify the cost of some sets. If I was to get all the sets I want in the next month it would be over £1000 so that’s not happening. A couple of years ago I said that I would only get sets that would go into my city, or were creator expert, or ideas, or Star Wars buildable droids, or.... then I realised I was never gonna be able to restrict myself that way. I’ve long run out of space but the fear of missing out gets me every time.
Your chat resonates. I have found myself purchasing new or interesting little elements on instead of the big items. Not being able to purchase new set elements directly from LEGO online under their new selling system has cooled my purchasing from them. I’m purchasing some parts on the secondary market instead but the prices & postage are not great. LEGO has lost a lot of excitement for me when I can’t purchase the parts.
totally agree with you. i only started collecting in december 2021 so im very new to it and i've decided i need to stick to harry potter because i dont have much display space as it is and having sonic the hedgehog + a jurassic park t-rex (two sets i really had to talk myself out of) next to hogsmeade would just look silly.
since i started with the 2021-22 hogwarts sets im sticking to them, hogsmeade and the shrieking shack (will definitely get a hog's head if they make it) and the hogwarts moments books since they're easy to display and i use the parts to moc my hogwarts. i do really like the ministry and grimmauld place, but i just cant justify the money for them when i have nowhere to put them.
Honestly. As tempting as it is. Boundary really so help. And maybe the boundaries shift as your interest shifts and that’s okay. But knowing what to focus on really helps with the budget. And there is so much stuff to love about the Harry Potter line. So much potential!
I fully agree with you, I love city sets as they kinda on the cheap end and I can have the fun to moc them
Hey Johanna,
I think you are on a journey:
Collector of childhood Lego memories - giving existing Sets the final touch and upgrade - rebricking Sets with great ideas from other MOCers - Free MOCer.
Every step is more advanced then the step before, when it comes to your Lego skills and your wish to create your own world.
Have fun. 🙂
I think all Lego collectors hit this wall of realising that play sets don't display well compared modular , Ideas or UCS sets and that's part of the problem with Harry potter it has beautiful figures but lots of play sets which are not very displayable like say diagon alley.
I collect Lego Star Wars which has a lot of UCS sets and vehicles which unlike play sets display well so that's what I stick to unless it's a small set on offer for the great figures .
Basically when we have limited space and we all get to the point of priority buying and not just buying anything. So the UCS AT-AT for me was expensive but amazing on display with a small footprint for a large set and looks amazing on a shelf .
Great video 😀 Iike you I have a room dedicated to mostly Lego but I pick more carefully now lol
Lego are coming out with so many great sets it's impossible to keep up. I have to get more selective as budget, space and time are all finite
It’s quite interesting tbh. Im personally collecting Lego sets and add one every now and then but not very regularly. Im happy with the sets that Ive collected over the years. But Im also collecting sneakers. The funny thing is that in both communities Im experiencing the exact same thoughts on were and how to spend money the right way. Covid is not as prominent as a year ago people want to travel and generally have more options to spend their money. Adding to that is the huge inflation gas prices etc…. Every thing is getting more expansive it’s ridiculous. So what I want to close this comment on is that I very much share your opinion it’s something every collector should think about.
Amazing. I’m surprised but also not really how many people are feeling the same. but then as you say these external influences are really just making you reconsider and focus. And I think that’s a good thing.
@@HighTeaToys Yeah definitely it’s a hobby and living expenses have a different priority. But the times will change it’s just a up and down 🤠
Yes, interesting video and topic. Like you said, priorities will change, sometimes very rapidly. Everyone is in a unique place, so it makes this conversation hard. How do you make rules or find reasonable boundaries when there is so much diversity among builders/collectors? …I guess you explain your process and remain open to reevaluation of your own situation...
These days, I find myself buying only the few absolute favorites that come out, and then I’ll wait for a decent sale price (or occasionally a gift with purchase that looks really strong) to get some of those mid-tier sets. Unfortunately, many of the sets I pick up on sale often stay in the box. Examples are the Destiny’s bounty, the Fisherman’s shack, the Monkie Kid Waterfall garden, the ISS, and the City Rocket Ship Launch set. Selling sets is not something I’ve done (yet!) but that really needs to happen soon (though I never purchased the sets as investments so that will be a very challenging process). Shelf and closet space is a tremendous factor - and then choosing what to display and how to display things - that’s a constant puzzle. At the end of the day, you’ve got to go with the flow. And when it gets too stressful or hard to contain, it’s time to switch gears. How to switch gears is sometimes difficult to assess, but you do your best - usually by remembering your limitations. There are only so many hours in a day (and only so many days in this crazy thing we call life!)
Glad to have this video; since I am having my own "crossroads" moment right now. I have emerged from my Dark Ages in 2017, and since then, after a slow start, it really changed into a "lego feast". Bricks were also an escape. An alternative for... less healthy activities. And so I dabbled into so many things at once. Oh, here is the B-Wing UCS because the grebbling looks awesome; there is Saturn rocket, cause I luv space; out there is Ninjago City, back there "vanillia" modular city; here is the typewriter, because it is a marvelous mechanism; but there is the Barracuda Bay, because '90 lego nostalgia; and Ghostbusters HQ because '90 movies nostalgia. Did i mention Technics...?
Geez... my flat looks bonkers...
Space, money as topics on their own nothwithstanding, it all linked together this 1H of 2022. Because i realized, that, summa summarum... i am feeling actually stressed out by the new releases. The renewed passion of me 5y ago changed into...an obligation? Numb pursue? Don't get me wrong - i am still having a blast stacking a brick on a brick; and seeing f.e. the Starry Night coming together gives helluva lots of fun. But going into a shop, and seeing ABC, XYZ, MNOP on the "mandatory" wishlist? And knowing there are 3 or 4 other "must haves" releasing later this year? It gave me feelings that i have all too many in my "outside LEGO life". And from which I used to happily escape with the immense help of said LEGO (and my other passions).
I still feel the strong knot. Lot of arguments why this is a bad idea: parts can be useful; build looks great; its a marvelous display piece. But this vid is like an another nudge in a direction, that I feel I need to take...
This hobby once was a lovely wee flower. It morphed into an awfully massive hedge. And every hedge needs trimmimg ^^'
Cheers Johanna. Big thanks for sharing your thoughts.
No worries at all. It can all get a little overwhelming for sure. But those are the moments to take a step back, evaluate and see what is the most important. I’ve made a few decisions on selling a few sets that I was only holding on to for for the sake of it. And that’s was a good step. And saying no to sets when I have no space or use for them helps me too. But there is always the temptation. The money is the most limiting factor for me at the moment. But I suppose in a way having hard boundaries can be good too. I hope you find our own was that work for you!
Hi Johanna, yes I know how you feel. I had a reevaluation myself and sold a lot of sets on and just kept the ones I really liked. I was keen on Grimmauld Place but I can't justify the price. I purchased the ministry which I want to make into a building and gave in and got the shrieking shack but I'm trying not to get drawn in to all the hype and ask myself 'do I really need it'. I try but it doesn't always work 😆
As I hear your opinion and read the comments section on this video I can't help but agree. I really slowed down purchasing new sets, for more than one reason...
The haven't been on holiday so I'll buy LEGO hit a little too close to home, since I haven't been abroad for over three years now.
IMHO LEGO has been releasing just too much stuff lately, not all of it being realisticly priced, let alone for the not-AFOL audience.
I know I'll buy the 400 euro Castle in August, which I feel is about 50 euro overpriced, but I guess that will be it for the next couple of months.
The past couple of weeks I finally go around properly storing all my LEGO, and now I'm slowly MOCing and Milsifying which gives me a whole other sence of joy and excitement than simply hoarding sets.
You could call me a gloom-and-doomer if you like, but my suspicion is that Lego is seeing the writing on the wall as far as hard times (and the possibility of more disruptions) are concerned, and pushing into production all the sets they've been keeping stored up for future release.
Better produce and release them now, than to have done all the creation and preparation for nothing ... I don't think the World Economic Forum's ambitious plans for a global Great Reset ("You'll own nothing and you'll be happy", etc.) will come to fruition without a disruptive tearing apart (engineered collapse) of the existing order, in order to establish the "new world order" they've been speaking and writing about for years. They are very purposeful and strongly focused on bringing about this "Great Reset".
Johanna You put a voice to what at Least I thought about too. I am sticking with the modular's and trains. excellent video, keep traveling too.
I moved my lego collection twice and there is no way to sugar coast it... it is nightmarish. What I learned with my second move (and because I had more of an overlap of places) is do it in waves not all at once.
I also feel the same way you do (although not as much about Harry potter). My core is castle and space/starwars. I have a large medieval/fantasy area and the space/starwars were always just for display. And I had enough room for all that with space for a few more years. Until I decided to also try a city... now I have no space and I am struggling to justify buying the new 90th anniversary castle set because I have no room to put it into my medieval area.
My solution was to start looking for a larger place to live ... which is never a solution 😋
Lego is a fantastic toy , ever changing the sets is great fun...however the price of it is out of control
Thanks for sharing!!
What i mostly am getting tired of in the collecting of the sets I want aswell as the ones I’d like is that I am so totally dependent of Lego and other companies deciding on when they offer me deals.
Because buying Lego at full price is just robbing myself, I am constantly using time and energy to what the consequences of buying at “the right-ish” price or GWP deal means for my budget to do other nice things.
I am single and have a nice enough job that i can splurge on Lego with no real short term consequences, but it is nagging that for instance now I have a bit of a money drought due to buying hogwarths with the big offer i mentioned a few weeks ago.
My holiday after was fine and did not suffer, but since then I feel i have to be responsible and be tight.
It just doesn’t feel right.
It’s part my own fault for not sticking to the plan to not needing but wanting the hogwarts set, but i do want to put some blame in the sales department’s out there for making nice stuff unreachable most of the year and then enticing us with such deals as they almost can’t be denied.
I really need to go sit with a friend that has better financial control and help me make labels on the money I have so i can splurge a bit less with more enjoyment.
Hm bit of a rant/ramble maybe, sorry if it’s too incoherent.
I just feel it’s a same-ish feeling of rethinking what Lego-decisions to make.
I also want to start selling sets, but I can’t put myself to get rid of parts and pieces i could use when I switch over to MOC-ing stuff for fun.
No it makes total sense. And I ams sure you are not alone in this. I’ve personally felt much better about spending on hobbies since I’ve created set budgets each month. So every month I put £150 aside for lego purchases. I can spend that guilt free. If I want bigger sets I may put £50 or so of that aside in a separate pot for a few months until I have enough. It’s helpful for me to get to enjoy it and not feel guilty. I hope that helps :)
I’ve had to stop collecting due to renovating our house. I went wild since lockdown with any spare money and maybe didn’t think about all the sets I bought as I enjoy building from the instructions but want to try MOCing. The fight I have is space and keeping the sets together vs MOCing them.
Very relatable! I made a decision to just buy sets that I can place into my city. And lately I chose to make alternatives of Lego sets myself instead of just buying new sets. That gives me so much more fun than just buying new Lego! And it saves a lot of money ;)
The only set that won't fit into my city that I want to buy is the new castle set that's coming out next month! Because I have always loved castles :)
I wanted this set, i.e., 12 Grimauld Place! And I thought I would buy it on release day -- despite my reservations over the SRP, which was off-putting to be honest. But when the LCS in my country pegged the price of the set at almost a 60% mark-up, I had to give it an easy pass in favor of the "joy" of getting the Starry Night and Jazz Quartet sets.
What an interesting discussion! I actually really enjoyed this video, it’s so interesting seeing your Lego collecting path wind in and out of new directions.
I actually feel quite the opposite of what you said about the Ministry of Magic, I’ve found recently that the sets I’ve been most excited about and brought me the most joy are the sets I want to mod/remoc. I used to be a massive Star Wars UCS collector but there isn’t much room for modification so the sets just get built and added to a display.
However, with sets like the Ministry they inspire my creativity to add things that I want to make a fuller scene. Similar to the Friends sets this year which I’ve been really been great foundations to make into modular buildings.
I completely understand where you’re coming from in terms of not wanting to purchase sets you’re unlikely to want to keep as they are, I seemingly sit on the other side of the fence and wanting sets that inspire me to modify them so they don’t look as they did when they came out the box 😂
The ministry is a funny one. I like a lot of things about it. But I think I want it for £50, not £90. Though I think I’d feel differently if I had room to display an enhanced and moced version of it.
I agree with you. I find myself second guessing purchasing these sets. I'm in love with a few of these and will keep an eye out for sales for them but I feel with the cost of everything going up is spending it on these Lego sets the best choice. I'm very sad as the Lego brings me and my grandkids joy but not at the price they are becoming.
I echo your thoughts entirely Johanna and often mull over sets before buying. You’re right in that the hype for a set dampens down over time and makes you evaluate things. A great thought inspiring video 👍
similar to you, I am rethinking what themes I am sticking to (can't afford too many, don't have space), also moving away from non mini figure scale sets like the ford mustang or space shuttle, they are great but too big, expensive, take too much space and not being minifigure scale makes me go meh - this was brought on when I bought Batman Tumbler 76239 and realized this tiny, cheap build is so awesome and much much better than the huge and expensive tumber, waiting for smaller batwing now!
This wave definitely called for choices. I had to pick the two I liked the most and the rest will have to wait. I may not be able to get the rest. But I agree with you on the fact that we have to have priorities.
All well said and, I too have decided that the only sets I will be purchasing are the sets that can be moc’ed, or added to my city buildings. I admire and love many of the Lego sets and themes…..but they do not spark my emotions like a good city set. I have already decided that once my city is maxed out, I will dismantle the entire city and reimagine it. Cheers from Canada.🇨🇦
I felt at the beginning of the year we were going to have changes once the pandemic lifted what I didn’t know was how much the cost of living has Googling up - this makes me now more critical of the LEGO I buy because you have to justify it along with buying everyday essentials and LEGO isn’t in my opinion essentially but it is important- especially if like me and you Johanna, happen to RUclipsr as well. Going forward I’m much more laser focused on what I buy because it has to serve a purpose for me In the form of city building - and that constraint alone I find helps me. On the flip side of being ‘realistic’ I still booked flights to go to Dublin for opening of the new store! I guess somewhere in all this there is that gray area of being realistic and spontaneous and living and having fun 😀
So true. Yea, I’ve been feeling like this for a while and actually didn’t mind the fact that the room restrained me a little as that meant I became more critical. But the money side if things is less enjoyable. Spontaneity, and fun are still important though. So I think Dublin is essential 😉
Just discovered your channel !!!! Love the content so far ! I mostly collect Department 56 Halloween and Lemax Spooky Town and can relate with your struggle! I was buying stuff I knew I would never display! lol That's when I had to re-evaluate my collecting. Keep up the great work !!!!!
Thank you so much for your kind words! Enjoy the collecting :D
Great discussion. I find that I don't buy all the sets of the theme that I am most into (Marvel) because I love doing MOCs more and finding buildings to put into my city. I am also a member of a LUG in the United States and I build items more for our events and displays as well and that keeps me interested but the focus is definately not on getting 100% of sets for any themes.
for me I am just cutting down atm on what I do buy and focused around themes in the collection rather than expanding and trying new themes. Biggest concern I have is that in august september time some sets are having their price increased so had to bring forward spending and just focus on the sets I really like the look of.
Great video and being a huge lego fan the price is at the top end for what the set is but…hook it up to a lego motor, controlled from an Ardunio with sensor input and it makes for one seriously cool set.
I totally understand what your going through I got most of the 2018-20 hp sets but the 21+ sets I’m definitely finding it hard to keep putting the money into lego hp year in year out, I’m choosing more sets through more themes creator, ideas now medieval!
I'm very much like you, in the way that I too purschase these sets to make them my own. It's what the medium is created for imo. Although I do tend to create a village that is a bit more winter wonderland-ish :) Loved the video btw on the light kits! (just had to throw it in here as well^^) Keep it up - subscribed on first video and looking forward on delving in your knowledge of city building! :)
I so love Harry Potter sets (pre 2022) that I buy most, but not all of them. I missed the earlier sets because they were $50 for Lego in the Name, $50 for Harry Potter in the name and $35 for the bricks. I didn't have that kind of money to spend on ONE Lego set, so didn't. This was during the early Harry Potter movies in the USA.
As I evaluated what I could and could not afford, I decided to focus on Harry Potter because Star Wars just wasn't going to end and I felt that I couldn't afford both. Plus, Harry Potter sets had more colour.
The very Incomplete Harry Potter sets : Yes, 2022 was the year for incomplete sets, rooms that are triangular in shape and useless which made me swallow twice as I felt Lego was really missing the mark here. However, I also found the building with Lego helped me stay calm during the pandemic, so I bit the bullet anyway. I just bought 2 sets of the same set in order to hopefully figure out how to make it more 'complete'.
I completely agree that the combination of both the recent inflation of living expenses and LEGO's announcement of price hikes has forced me to reconsider how I approact my LEGO hobby. I still find joy in modifying and improving existing LEGO sets, but I need to stop buying new ones and start enjoying the ones I already have. I want to start playing with the awesome sets I have (reconnect with my inner child!) and double down on Medieval, rather than getting distracted by other themes.
I remember when lego friends came out and my parents brought me boxes of lego or new sets but now when I have to spend my own money on modulars or HP sets I realise its got a lot more expensive for sets that aren't that great unless your someone who doesn't want to display a set and just want's to play with it. I stil absolutely love lego but the sets just aren't what i look forward to buying anymore because they are so expensive and I'd rather get a light kit or a new display shelf for the sets I already own. I love your channel! And i really enjoyed this video!
I get where you're coming from. When I got back into LEGO & saw I could just buy bricks instead of sets, I said I'll stick to MOCs & just sets that are valuable for me. Otherwise it's a never ending journey of buying sets. At one point it will start to feel like a burden to buy a set & lose the feel of being a fan & just be a collector (imo). Had that feelig when i collected everything of Coca-Cola. As long as you have joy getting sets & building them, you're good
Really interesting, unique video. Thank you
I've had to make several evaluations of my collecting/investing/etc. with LEGO. Came to the conclusion that, unless its a train, castle, pirate/viking, modular set, its not for me to collect personally anymore. I've stopped collecting Star Wars, Marvel and DC sets but use those for investing only at this point. Priorities change constantly and money is a premium.
Good conversation starter! I am not a huge collector and started fairly recently, but this year I find myself getting more and more annoyed with Lego. It’s not just the prices that sometimes are outright ridiculous this year, but also two years in and having followed Lego more closely, it’s noticing how they go about selling their sets, locking certain parts or minifigures out of cheaper sets, and in general more and more annoyance with the license heavy themes that presumably block Lego from bringing back more creative, more interesting and to me personally more beloved sets.
I’ve already decided to quit Lego Star Wars because that is one of the prime examples of Lego’s policies becoming unbearable. But even the release of the 90th anniversary castle left some sour taste in my mouth because off the price and some design choices they made. In any case, it remains to be seen if I continue with this hobby but I do have to say I’m reaching a point where I’m about to say no to it all pretty fast this year.
It kinda sounds like mocing may be something that could be good for you. I personally felt super daunted by that to start with. But if you don’t try you won’t get better and just doing small alterations to sets was a great way to start and doing the medieval area now is such fun. That way you can have whatever you want without being entirely dependant on lego. It’s pretty freeing.
@HighTeaToys That’s a nice and thoughtful response, thank you! You are absolutely right, I am quite daunted by moc-ing and rather afraid of the frustration. So I keep postponing it and make up excuses for why Lego isn’t for me. I guess I do have been focusing on the things that don’t work more than seeing what I can do with Lego myself.
Display space was certainly a thing that didn't factor into Lego collecting from the start. Now it's limiting my purchases which my wallet is happy for.
simila rreevaluating happened to me. I was a LEGO fan literary whole my life (45), with no dark ages. When I was 30 I discovered there is a community in my country, and when I was 35 I started my own community - events, parties and everything else was a blast, but little by little, I walked into comercial (LEGO) event managing - until I realizes I (literary) have 5 tons of LEGO, deadlines, and stress from handling a relatively large business. So I made a 2 years pause from job (it was already established that it was happening without me directly being invovled), and I built only things I enjoyed most (castles and coral reefs, I made one 7m long with 10.000 animals in it :). Today, I am revitalized, and I am again building for events, in this very moment, actually :)
LEGO is not about collecting for me. Honestly, LEGO has always been about creating new things for me. Of course, when I was a kid my creations were nothing special. But now as an adult, I am really pushing myself to create extraordinary unique things and improve my building technique. If money was no issue I'd probably buy a set every now and then just for the joy of building without thinking. But as it is, I already have a huge LEGO collection. It is all organized by brick type for easy MOCing. With the bricks I have I can build pretty much everything I want to. And if I am lacking some pieces then Bricklink is easy and relatively cheap.
What I typically do I make a MOC, make building instructions and some pictures and videos, and then start again from scratch. For me, LEGO is about my creativity. This is definitely the best way for me to enjoy LEGO.
I agree! The sets get bigger and more expensive. True, harder to justify because most sets I currently want, I need to buy two to make a compleet build.
This year I’m really only going to be purchasing the lion knights castle another black smith and a few more 3-1 castles got to much life to live for 2k+ in legos a year 😆
Very very sensible. Focus on the things you love!
Wingardium Leviosa
Well, it’s easy to follow your progression, as you make videos about it! 😏
Personally, I’m neither a collector or a completionist. I stick to Harry Potter and am grateful Lord of the Rings isn’t currently on offer!
I enjoy buying a set and rebuilding it a bit to suit me. Even this modest hobbying, begun in the pandemic, has already cost thousands and crowds my office space.😵💫
I wonder too where I’m going with this. If we finally get Gringott’s, will that be the end for me?
Oh wow. That is an interesting thought indeed. I think I’ll sell a few sets. But keep some other ones packed away. It’s a funny hobby for sure. And you’ve been here from the very beginning. I try not to calculate the cost of it all. As that isn’t helpful. As I’ve said from the beginning. I’m so grateful I’m not into Star Wars. I can’t possibly imagine wanting those sets too. It’s already enough as it is.
Yeah, I’ve been following along for a bit now and I’m looking forward to your move. Should be great fun to watch.
As for Star Wars, I have a micro Razorcrest. End of!
I'm more about the build and ability to display sets - so I tend to avoid the playsets.
I just don't get much out of those buillds and they're rarely that great to display.
Only problem with that is of course the sets that I do tend to want are the really expensive ones.
Yes, I can totally relate with the end of the pandemic and the current world situation changing things.
For me is not so much the money yet, but the time. Now we are back to going out with friends and family, and I'm really struggling to keep up with one video every 2 weeks.
I think that like we had to adapt in the beginning of the pandemic, we now need to adapt again. The marvelous thing about LEGO is that you can take the same parts you already have and reinvent something new with them. We don't need to keep spending big money to keep the creativity flowing.
By the way, if you want an excuse to spend those 90 £, LEGO Artisan has a MOC that uses the Ministry of Magic set + 196 pieces to create a modular 16 x 32 building 😈
As someone with not much money, every set I buy nowadays needs to be fully justified in every aspect of it for me. I can’t afford to buy something I don’t like much just because I really like a very specific aspect of it
I couldn’t agree more. And i think it’s a good thing to be really honest with yourself whether you’re buying for the sake of it or because you really want it.
I had to evaluatr 3 years ago. I had SOOOOO much, the first ten modules, all the Elves as well almost all the Haryy Potter to that date..My husband I sold oir house downsized our world. After much debate decided I would sell all but my Harry Potter. I have created a small Garry Potter Lego room I kept a few that were special I see many other sets I would like , but, I have set some paramotors that hep me say NO if it is non Harry Lego. Good luck with setting your guidelines. I highly recmeend it to every one.
I still haven’t bought this set, I’m on the fence. It’s a lot narrower compared to modular’s and so I’m not sure. Is it worth getting? 🥴
I liked it, I think it's worth mocing into modulars. Especially if you get two, but if you are not into the figures maybe it's better for a nice discount.
I love Lego, and always have since the early 80's. Lately while I have been impressed with the quality of a lot of builds, especially in the creator expert line I have really been questioning the value in regards to price. The themes that I stuck with were Castle and City, and the occasional Creator Expert set that appealed to me like the range of cars, but after seeing the new Castle set I am struggling to justify it's cost, even as I am impressed with the look of it. It almost seems like Lego knows it has a licence to print money by exploiting AFOL's nostalgia, or even just fans of pop culture in general. On the one hand, I loved the extra complexity and looks of these new sets, but the prices keep going up, and in Australian dollars are getting quite extreme, when at the end of the day they are just bits of plastic. I am a bit torn as I love the product, but I am struggling to justify the cost to myself.
I get side track, my first inspiration was space, now I am collecting city and creator sets, but now I want to sell all my creator and focus on cyberpunk.
Lego MOCs is where it is at. You keep getting your value's worth of lego over and over and over again. Ninjago is sort of my ohhh aahh These sets are amazing, I am learning all kinds of crazy tricks, I'm leaving these sets as designed (the City Gardens, the new wave of Dragons, and mechs are just such a feat of lego design and engineering...I prolly cannot do better ATM) Then there is lego castle, which I feel is meant to be MOC'ed. I can ALWAYS design better castles/villages than the sets. Color schemes are easier, it's easier to use all the pieces, and more knights are ALWAYS good...I'm not having to be annoyed with the 8th Lego Harry Potter Minifig. (Ninjago got this issue right by changing up the ninja garb every season) I got a new Lego modular set and I still haven't even opened the box....a part of me is like...you know what...If I just hold onto this....its like holding onto some stock that will only go up in value. I want to expand my Ninjago City but build it in a sort of futuristic setting that deals with the social issues of today. Something that openly displays extreme wealth inequality, workers going on strike, Zane turning evil with himself becoming the surveillance state that watches everyone, the Billionare's tower who's office is also a rocket escape ship etc. Something relevant for these times but also playful and hilarious. I want to do this vs a modular city because This allows me the most creative MOC freedom while using the most amount of random pieces from all my disassembled sets of a 30 year old Lego collection. This is the best bang for my buck, best utilization of space, and best allocation of creative time building totally unique designs that few people are doing.
At least for me this thought process helps me justify what to spend my money on, save space and get the most of Lego. A Futuristic city ALWAYS has room to evolve, to be upgraded, to be added to disassembled or rearranged. Plus with Lego pick a brick or Bricklink, I'm never really going to be stuck having to buy a set just for the few pieces I need.
Lego is an endless influx of new sets , especially when u collect more themes. on the flipside , no matter how much space you got , it ll never be enough if you just keep on collecting new sets , year after year.Ive been doing this for 12 years now , i collect Star Wars , Harry Potter , and have i big LOTR / Hobbit collection. in the end You just have to start rotating collections , if not , you end up frustrated with a constant lack of display room. And offcourse , be selective in what you buy.
Very true indeed. Also that lord of the rings collection sounds wonderful :P
I don't know how I justify this particular hobby to myself. I can delight in building a detailed city and at the same time lament about being surrounded with sets and parts I have buyer's remorse about. I can complain about being priced out of the hobby in the way I want to participate and at the same time not blaming Lego for trying to make as much money as they can when they can by producing massive and expensive sets. I guess I'm just filled with a mixture or burn out and getting suckered back in when some obnoxiously cute cmf wave is released.
"Obnoxiously cute" -- it sounds very apt, but some of the cmfs are very useful to me for parts and faces, they're my strongest focus -- can't quite let them go yet. I heard that from next year they will be packaged in boxes so that you can't identify them by feel anymore. So it will be bye-bye to the cmfs in that case.
@@alrinaleroux9229 I heard that as well about cmfs. My area stores have them locked behind display cases because lego is a high theft item. So I don't get much opportunity to feel packages anymore. I'll resort to buying cases online and trying to resell the excess. I think it will just end up hurting local business and local product availability over time.
@@hobbyorobsession I'm sorry to hear that -- in our toy stores they keep them either at the cashier counter or at the shelves next to the boxed sets. I don't think theft is such a big problem over here. There aren't so many obsessed Lego fans I suppose. But this will probably be the last cmf year for me.
I agree -- boxing cmfs will probably make it difficult for the stores to sell them -- and I wouldn't even want to risk buying them at a discount -- there are always ones that I don't want. They might end up giving them away for free with purchases above a certain amount, just to get rid of them (as one store did with some Vidiyo sets).
That is, if the stores even exist anymore -- the way things are looking now, they might go out of business before long.
@@alrinaleroux9229 I think if they keep going up in price that will be by moment to stop buying cmfs
I'm lucky I moved into a house I was in a caravan thru lock down as I had to move house ..but now I'm lucky I got a room to rent an guy give me office. To build a Lego City in ...but .soon he whant to move ..so I'm a little strest out ..I have to move all my lego.thay seed I can move in with them .other wise I got. No where to live ..if I end up homless I have to put all my stuff into storidge again would suck..
So...watched this video and now my brain hurts. And this is what I find generally happening in the Lego world. Too many choices coming out too rapidly and costing way too much is making all of us pause to think a bit and contemplate like what the heck are we doing? That being said, I just ordered the new roller coaster....🤪😁
As much as I love LEGO's licensed sets in theory I very rarely buy them because I wish they were Creator Expert levels of completeness
Ive been at this point in a sense for a while now I love Lego but is Lego pricing us out of the hobby. Of course some people will still buy everything they please from Lego but for the majority of fans we may be getting tapped out Lego puts out to many large pricy sets and I feel like maybe it's releasing to many now that it's having a negative impact on it's customers.
I love Lego and have a huge collection but really, they are really expensive and thinking there are people and animals in need ,forces me to stop purchasing the most expensive sets and even on the cheaper ones ,i feel its not right for me.