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Contributor Page: Mark H. Avery

Other contributors on this blog have used bullets for their bios, so I thought I would do the same…

  • Much of my “LEGO biography” is included in my early blog articles (see links at the end of this post).
  • Mark H. Avery is just one of the names that I use in my different lives.
  • My mother was raised in the coal and steel towns of western Pennsylvania. My father was raised in Brooklyn, New York, where I was born.
  • I’m married and the father of four children, all grown and out of the house. Those children have given me many grandchildren, varying in age from fourteen down to about one.
  • I have a very tolerant spouse, which is the only reason I can buy so much LEGO. While tolerant, she has no great interest in LEGO.
  • I have an advanced degree and have worked in higher education since I was 23 years old.
  • I’m looking forward to retiring in about three years. More time for LEGO!
  • Growing up, I never even heard of LEGO. I did have Tinker Toys, Lincoln Logs (both made with real wood), and when I got a little older, an Erector Set. Most of my playtime, however, was devoted to toy soldiers.
  • I’m not very athletic. The only sport I follow is professional baseball.
  • I’m a collector; some would say “hoarder”. I collect Absolut Vodka advertisements and Milk Mustache ads as well. A few years ago, I started to collect ducks of all kinds, mostly purchased at garage sales and thrift shops. I also collect “Volume I, Number I” issues of magazines – the first issues of new magazines. These days, it seems like I’m collecting more last issues as magazines die.
  • I consider genealogy to be my hobby. I went at it full blast for a while, and then I put it on the back burner. Since my family didn’t come on the Mayflower, I lost track of most branches once I tried to trace them back to Europe.
  • At this point, domestic travel has become another hobby. I’ve been to over thirty states, and hope to hit a few more over the coming years. I try to stop by LEGO stores and other private stores that feature LEGO on my travels. I’m also big on visiting train museums and model railroad exhibits.
  • I enjoy writing, often essays that look at the world from a different perspective.
  • My LEGO interest is rather narrow. I’m interested in LEGO Town/LEGO City sets, and sets from other themes that can be adapted into my town. I buy LEGO Classic sets for pieces, but I dislike much of the bright color assortment and the lack of windows and doors. I also buy LEGO Creator sets, as long as they fit into my town (houses, stores, etc.).
  • I don’t buy the LEGO Creator Expert Builder sets – I’m waiting till I’m old enough. I also don’t have that much patience and money. The same applies to the LEGO Creator Fairgrounds series.
  • Although I purchase official LEGO sets, I also build my own LEGO creations (MOCs) – sometimes from scratch and sometimes by modifying official sets. I also freely rebuild other people’s MOCs. After all, imitation is the most sincere form of flattery.
  • An entire (small) attic room is devoted to my LEGO city. I build on the floor, and on shelves that line most of the walls. I’m very happy with my LEGO town, and at least to me, it is rather impressive.
  • I’m both relatively poor and cheap. So, I try to find LEGO sets on sale. That means I don’t rush to buy new sets when they first come out.
  • I’m not very strong on technology. I don’t have a website. I don’t have a You Tube channel. TheBrickblogger is the only place I’ve posted pictures of my layout. I use my work email for communication. I don’t have a private email account.
  • I finally started working on an inventory of the LEGO sets I own.
  • Like with model railroads, a LEGO town is never finished.
  • I’m always looking for new ideas for my town.

HERE IS A LIST OF POSTS BY MARK

{ 6 comments… add one }
  • Mark Avery February 13, 2019, 8:30 PM

    Thank you for stopping !!!!(😉

    • Nat February 19, 2019, 2:15 PM

      Great blog! Thanks for sharing…..

  • Rivka Molinsky February 19, 2019, 12:53 PM

    I appreciate the personal information, and look forward to the next update of the growing town!

  • Mark Avery March 12, 2019, 10:47 PM

    Part eight has now been posted.
    Enjoy reading!

  • Mark H. Avery May 29, 2019, 1:51 PM

    After a long break, part nine has now been posted. Please check it out!

  • Mark H. Avery October 10, 2019, 3:15 PM

    My latest post “Learning From Model Train Layouts- — Part I is now online.

    Enjoy!

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