A lesson in LEGO obsession…

(Written by William)

Once you admit to yourself that you are an adult fan of LEGO, you will have taken the first step in an obsession that is impossible to avoid. Early fans may cringe at and envy older fans who spend thousands of dollars on LEGO. What these new fans don’t realize is something similar will happen to them as well – and soon enough. 😉

➡ THE EARLY SIGNS OF LEGO ADDICTION

Holding off the inevitable usually starts with boundaries. For example, you realize you’re spending way too much on LEGO. Therefore, you tell yourself – in no uncertain terms – that you will only stick to certain LEGO  themes.

LEGO shopping is fun! by Dennis Coh

Many people can go years keeping firm to this mentality. Most people have better luck sticking to a month-to-month budget than certain LEGO themes though. However, eventually these artificial walls we build come crumbling down. It can be the silliest thing as a small set that you really want. It’s not in the LEGO theme you have planned to stick with or goes slightly over budget, but it’s exactly what you’ve always wanted.

Mind you, this stage does not necessarily apply to everyone. These stages are more common in those who don’t want to admit they’re obsessed and probably need an intervention. 😀

➡ MAKING ROOM FOR LEGO

The next phase to look for is the “Making Room” stage. This is where you go from a single shelf of LEGO displays to clearing out multiple shelves for LEGO. You may even invest in additional shelving for this purpose.

Messy LEGO room before clean-up by Justin R.

LEGO is notorious for finding its way everywhere. It is relatively small, which means it doesn’t need a lot of room… at first. Don’t be surprised when you realize that LEGO is not only a hobby, but a decor theme for your home.

➡ THE ODD LEGO PURCHASE

Finally, you cannot hide any longer when you realize you’ve just made an odd LEGO purchase that will blow your cover. To demonstrate, I’ll tell you about a LEGO purchase I made to get a deal.

Several weeks before the LEGO Collectible Minifigure Series 5 was scheduled for release, Toys’R’Us (TRU) had a “Buy-One-Get-One-50%-Off Pre-Order Deal!” This was fabulous since the Collectible Minifigures usually only go on sale after they’ve been marked above retail price. So, wanting to avoid paying shipping and handling, I went into one of my nearby TRU stores to place the order. (They give free ship-to-home service if you order this way.)

Unfortunately, the clerk informed me that you can only get the deal once per transaction. Well, I really wanted a full case worth (60 minifigures). That’s when I asked, “Do you mind doing 30 transactions?” 🙄

So, thirty transactions later, I walked out of the store having saved $45 off the retail price and $150 in shipping charges (if I had done the same thing at home). Then I figured I probably should contact my credit card company and let them know to expect this.

Well, the items were shipped and I got an email from my credit card company saying that some of the payments were held for fear of fraudulent activity. Evidently, one of the fail safes that the credit card companies have is only letting a certain amount of transactions take place during a single day. So my call ahead of time didn’t really help.

This led to an hour long conversation with my credit card company and TRU management making sure everything got straightened out. With a smile, I was assured all the items I’d ordered were on their way. Of course, I had no idea whether they’d send one big package or 30 separate ones.

The LEGO Collectible Minifigures arriving in separate packages…

As you might guess, thirty packages later I was sorting through pack after pack. Fortunately, I had enough people interested in the Collectible Minifigures that I was not stuck with any duplicates I didn’t want. I also spent time purchasing extras at regular price in case I needed to return any without losing any at the discounted price.

To my surprise, TRU decided to go from a no limit per purchase policy to a five per person for the Collectible Minifigures. That meant I couldn’t finish helping out all the members of my LUG that I had promised, but I did get a good start for them.

➡ SUMMARY

The thing to keep in mind is that this is the eventuality when everyone in the home likes LEGO. There are cases where only one person simply tolerates it. In these cases, the collection will be contained along with your obsession by that other person. However, if everyone in the household loves LEGO, you should prepare yourself for the above steps. No matter how you try to control it, if you are a true fan, the LEGO will spread. 😈

If you feel like your LEGO addiction start to get out of hand, you might want to check out this humorous book: LEGO Book for the Brick-Addicted. The book is  available at Amazon.com. Click the link or the image below to check it out!

So what do you think? Are you addicted to LEGO? Is it taking over your life, your wallet, your living-space? Share your thoughts and discuss in the comment section below! Would love to hear other’s experiences! 🙂