What do you gain from being a member of Brickish?

AdeelZubair

I once heard you can received discounts at LEGO stores as well as having your models displayed at a LEGO store. Is their any other benefits of being a member of Brickish? How does it work with the LEGO store displays?

Adeel

LostInTranslation

You get to be part of a great community of UK builders and Lego fans, who organise many public events and have some of their own get-togethers as well.

I think anything else should be an added perk of being part of the community, not the reason to join.

drdavewatford

^ This.

MinifigsMe

Agreed. It's really about being part of the LEGO community in the UK, it's pretty great to be in the know about stuff, and also know the people who are building the best MOCs too. Plus they're/we're a nice bunch :)

CapnRex101

I sent off my application in December and haven't received any acknowledgement yet. I have heard there have been some delays processing applications, so I am sure there is no need to worry for the time being :)

I can't believe it took me that long to sign up!

Martin

I'm afraid you're not alone Capn. Did you send a cheque? Nothing to worry about except it looks bad on us.

CapnRex101

@Martin - I did send a cheque.

Calv

I joined at Swindon last October and am still waiting to hear anything. Hope its worth the wait.

Shib

^This is the main thing that's been putting me off most at the minute...plus I don't own a cheque book, so makes payment a tad more difficult.

iso3200

^I'm in the same boat as @Shib. I think I'd like to join, and maybe that'll kick start me into building stuff for display, but with people still waiting from STEAM, and the lack of Paypal (which must be easier surely) it's a little off putting for the time being.

Huw

As a founding member of Brickish, but no longer a member with any official capacity, I can only apologise for the problems people are having with joining.

I know the membership secretary is busy but the delays people have been experiencing do not reflect well on the club, do they.

I will raise the issue in the Brickish forum.

Matthew

I signed up to join last October and did receive login details in December after several emails, though the rather archaic form has put me off from posting as yet.

Huw

I'll have you know I wrote the forum :-)

Back in 2002...

Shib

In technology terms doesn't that actually make it older than archaic? ;-)

plasmodium

Shib said:

In technology terms doesn't that actually make it older than archaic? ;-)

I believe the term is "Paleozoic".

Matthew

I thought it seemed similar to the initial one we tried (and quickly abandoned) when setting up the Brickset forum :-)

What was it you said about the old Brickset site when the new site was launching? Something along the lines of that it had been written a lifetime ago in terms of the internet... and that was only 2008!

AdeelZubair

OK guys but what about the discounts at LEGO stores and how does it work with the LEGO store displays?

Bumblepants

^Have you ever seen Fight Club?

Britcom

I am glad I am not alone. I sent off my application and cheque 2nd January and have heard nothing yet. I have even emailed the association to find out if my application had arrived safely, but no reply. I was beginning to think there was a selection process and I didn't qualify!
I understand they might be a bit busy, but how long would it really take for someone in charge to send out a template email to say they are dealing with your application and will be in touch shortly?

bluemoose

I can only reiterate what LiT said - join if you want to be part of a community of builders & fans; if you're motivated by anything else, it's probably not for you :-)

The BA forum might seem a bit "old fashioned", but it serves its purpose, and actually has some pretty useful features once you get used to it.

Paperballpark

^ Forgive me for being rather cynical, but the only 'purpose' I see it serving is keeping the long-time members happy. It's a horrible horrible format, like something from the old message-board system. It might have been nice and fine and dandy in 2002 when Huw expertly wrote it, but more than a dozen years on, it's ancient in look, feel and usability.

theLEGOman

Sounds like being a member gives you the gift of patience.

Dfenz

I'm not a member of Brickish but to answer one of the questions raised, I understand those regular fan displays in stores are being phased out this year to be replaced with a more permanent display.

cheshirecat

^ at the very least they've been moved to a tiny little display case that's almost impossible to look into and so limiting in what actually fits as to be a complete and utter joke. Just in the Manchester store and the display is really nice, but completely wasted in that space - seriously AFOLs should just stop, I know why they don't, but they should.

Its not just the forums the entire Brickish website needs to be deleted and redone from scratch.

AdeelZubair

OK I properly won't waste my time then. Let's see how Brick 2015 and AFOLCON goes.

Martin

Both LiT and bluemoose have summed it up nicely. It's also worth pointing that many of us display at various different events throughout the year and hence know each other in person too. The best part for me is enjoying a beverage (!) with likes of @huw, @SirKevbags, @drdavewatford, @Legoloverman, @caperberry and a whole host of others at daft o'clock in the morning at the shows we do. That's priceless.

@all - the Brickish Committee are now very aware of this issue and we're going to try and fix this asap. As forms and cheques have gone to our Secretary, we need to get hold of them in order to process them though. Please feel free to PM me here with details and I'll do what I can.

bluemoose

Paperballpark said:

^ Forgive me for being rather cynical ...

I'm going to go with a 'no' and, respectfully, disagree. Personally I wouldn't be at all upset to see it replaced with something like 'Vanilla', but I also wouldn't want to see any of the existing forum content lost; priority-wise, there are other parts of the site that are more in need of attention, like getting the whole thing 'lifted & shifted' to a reliable host. None of us joined the BA to run a website or a forum; it's purely a means to an end, that 'end' being to act as a medium to allow the BA members to communicate, mostly around the topic of planning for events. You are, of course, free to disagree, but please understand that it serves a different purpose than forums like Brickset forums, or EuroBricks, and don't be surprised if some of us disagree right back at you! We might want something a bit more 'modern', but we don't *need* it. For a daily 'dip' into the BA forums, a quick read of what's new, and then move on, in my experience it's far quicker to achieve that with the BA's custom built forum than with any of the common forum platforms. Dismissing the views of many of the existing members as "they are a bunch of old codgers who don't like change" (I paraphrase) is, I'd suggest, unfair.

Anyway, it's been discussed to death on the BA site; it's not really a Brickset issue, and Adeel has made his decision, so movin' on ...

CapnRex101

^ I think both perspectives make fair points. I have not seen the forum so cannot comment on that but I would suggest that the front page could do with some updating as that is what potential new members will see. At the moment it looks to me a bit like Bricklink, which is notoriously off-putting when people arrive at the website for the first time.

However, if the forum fulfills its function and is easy to navigate for a new user, an improved appearance is really something that would be 'nice to have' rather than a necessity in my opinion.

At a cost of £12 (which is a fairly negligible amount in the grand scheme of things) it seems to me that the Brickish Association should be something that AFOLs in the UK feel that they have to join or risk missing out. If that is not the case as it seems then something needs to change, be it the payment method or anything else.

Just a suggestion from someone in the process of joining who is currently an external observer :)

TheBrickLadd

Martin said:

Both LiT and bluemoose have summed it up nicely. It's also worth pointing that many of us display at various different events throughout the year and hence know each other in person too. The best part for me is enjoying a beverage (!) with likes of @huw, @SirKevbags, @drdavewatford, @Legoloverman, @caperberry and a whole host of others at daft o'clock in the morning at the shows we do. That's priceless.

@all - the Brickish Committee are now very aware of this issue and we're going to try and fix this asap. As forms and cheques have gone to our Secretary, we need to get hold of them in order to process them though. Please feel free to PM me here with details and I'll do what I can.

Think this may have made my mind up about the staying at the hotel for the Brickish Weekend at the National Space Center!

:)

CCC

CapnRex101 said:

At a cost of £12 (which is a fairly negligible amount in the grand scheme of things) it seems to me that the Brickish Association should be something that AFOLs in the UK feel that they have to join or risk missing out.

I think that is a key point. If people don't feel it is worth joining, they won't join.

The website seems to point mainly to shows that are public anyway, and as for the forum content ...

- What's happening at LEGOLAND Windsor - not bothered
- The pick-a-brick selection at the LEGO brand stores - Wall of Bricks (or here)
- What's currently on offer at Argos, Toys R Us and other retail outlets (you'll never pay full price again!) - HUKD (or here)
- Our latest models and other cool creations in the community - Eurobricks / Flickr
- Building techniques - Eurobricks, occasionally here
- LEGO news from other websites - most lego forums and news sites as news seems to get cut and paste so quickly as everyone wants readers to stay with them and click their affiliate links.

There may be more interesting topics inside, but if you have to pay and wait months to have access, then it doesn't look good to a prospective joiner. Also, nothing important these days ever seems to stay behind a closed wall. If something is interesting it will get posted elsewhere. Maybe there is super secret stuff about lego there, who (non-Brickish members only) knows?

I occasionally look at the magazine, but older back issues of that are free online (and if I'm honest, not a patch on hispabrick) so it doesn't really feel like you miss anything there.

Which of course leaves the people. As with any group (free or paid), it's the people that are probably the "value".

Martin

It is absolutely all about the people. That list of bullet points should and almost certainly will get scrapped. I'll be honest (and without any Brickish committee hat on either), you will get very little out of joining the Brickish Association if you don't wish to actually meet people in person. As you rightly point out, everything else is readily available online.

Once you do, even as a visitor to an event, you tend to get involved in future events by either displaying or helping. If there's a clique with the BA (and it's been mentioned before), it's the people who have met in person and those who haven't. It's that's simple.

SirKevbags

You get from the BA what you are willing to put in. If you pay your £12 and don't attempt to get involved then no you won't feel like its been a worthwhile experience.

Forget the myth you have to be a builder to be accepted. I've never displayed a MOC and can't see that changing. Hasn't affected my involvement. You won't hit it of with everyone but that is true with all large groups of people. You can't like everyone and vice versa.

If you are prepared to step away from the keyboard however there are some lovely people willing to help with all manner of things up and down the country.

bluemoose

TheBrickLadd said:

I think this may have made my mind up about the staying at the hotel for the Brickish Weekend at the National Space Center!

:)

Make sure you book the right hotel; I'm not going to name and shame, but there's a choice of Premier Inns in Leicester and a history of people booking the wrong one, resulting in embarrassing conversations at check-in and expensive late night post-bar taxi rides ;-)

SirKevbags

^ I'll do it myself! I was the little boy lost all by myself in the town centre one last year.

BooTheMightyHamster

I'd agree with Martin and SirKev's points above, but from the other side of the fence. I did pay my £12 and join, about a year ago, and - with all due respect to the members of BA - I won't be renewing my membership.

If you look at the... material return for your money, you get access to (sorry Huw!) one of the most, let's be kind and say dated, websites I've ever seen. Most of the content 'behind the membership wall' is available on Brickset or similar, and the things that aren't are largely personal conversations between friends. There's also a newsletter (which usually arrived about 3 months late), which, while containing some items of interest, is something akin to the Parish newsletter.

Clearly the benefit that is to be derived from membership is, as has been mentioned, the people. I would say that whatever my views of the site and the newsletter, any contact I had with members could not be faulted - everybody was friendly, helpful, and when my application was taking a similarly long time to be processed, one of the Brickset members (who was also a BA 'staff' member) took it upon themselves to chivvy things along.

I'm something of a solitary builder / collector though, and going to meetings, or trying to get a MOC into a display cabinet in a Brand store is not something that I attach much importance to, and so for me, BA membership is not something I 'feel I have to have or risk missing out'. Before I joined, I had the impression that the BA was a national organisation, and probably the most 'important' Lego group in the UK. Looking at it now, it's simply one of many LUGs. Nothing more, nothing less

If I remember correctly, BA is a group of about 300 members, and while I got some sense of 'clique'iness, it was nothing compared to some organisations I've had dealings with, and was probably more akin to a newcomer meeting a group of friends who've all known each other for a long time. At no point did I ever feel like I was being excluded.

I wish the Brickish Association and all it's members well, and if someone was thinking of joining, I'd probably say 'It wasn't for me, but it may be just what you're looking for'.

TheBrickLadd

bluemoose said:

TheBrickLadd said:

I think this may have made my mind up about the staying at the hotel for the Brickish Weekend at the National Space Center!

:)

Make sure you book the right hotel; I'm not going to name and shame, but there's a choice of Premier Inns in Leicester and a history of people booking the wrong one, resulting in embarrassing conversations at check-in and expensive late night post-bar taxi rides ;-)

Pretty Sure I have... (Runs off to check the hotel booking and immediately PMs a couple of bricksetters). Haha.

Venunder

I can only agree that it is the people that really make a LUG.

As an "outsider" it does seem like Brickish is a "closed shop", and that is really bad news for everyone.
I would have loved to join Brickish, but with no cheque book it sounds like it is actually impossible for me to join. That should never have been allowed to happen.
Paypal is an obvious option.

Equally it sounds like new members are just ignored anyway. It should never take more than a week for new members to be greeted and mentored into the community.
Or maybe the people posting above me have just been unlucky?

You may say that I could go to Brickish Events and join there.
However I and other people who like Lego, do not have personal Transport and getting to such Events is both expensive and difficult on public Transport.
Maybe Brickish could help to arrange Transport for some of these Fans?
It should not take much effort to hire a few minibuses from some towns around Leicester to help fans get to the National Space Centre. Charge less than £10 per person and you recover most of the costs.
You never know what new friendships will be made on those buses.

Fortunately I have had much Lego fun both here on Brickset and in EuroBricks and with LUG Notts, my own small local LUG.
It would have been good for Brickish to send a few delegates to help us on-line. Maybe even send a delegate to meet us in person and help with organising some events etc. Maybe even told us where we could meet other local members of Brickish? to gradually bring us into the Brickish community?

In my opinion The Lego community in the UK would be enriched by Brickish offering affiliate status to all the other Lego groups around the UK.
It also sounds like Brickish needs new members to shake up the status quo, so that more new people with new ideas can help Brickish to modernise itself?

Otherwise Brickish may become like some Victorian Gentleman's club which slowly fades away, as the members gradually get older and head for the Lego Club in the sky.

But what do I know about Brickish? I am an outsider.

Martin

You've clearly formed an opinion but I would still suggest that most members who join and participate in our forum and organised events hold a very different view and therefore your external observation, whilst valid, is far from reality.

Automated sign-up by PayPal, for our own reasons, has been an issue for us.  We're fixing that now so it should not be an issue for much longer.  That's probably the single largest barrier to most new joiners.  To be honest, anyone who wants to pay by PayPal can and we have accommodated them.

I would also point out that events like the one at the National Space Centre are organised by the NSC and we co-ordinate the displays there.  The NSC do not organise minibuses to transport fans of any type into any event they hold, so I'm not sure why you think Brickish as a LUG should arrange transport for LEGO fans?  In fact, some of our members who display there get themselves and their displays to the event by public transport.

Si_UKNZ

To anyone who's thinking of joining, my advice is this: Join.
Form your own opinions, based on whatever it is you want out of it. 
It's cheap, so you have very little to lose.  

LostInTranslation

I really take exception to the phrases "gentleman's club" and "old boys group". I don't know where this idea of a closed network of elderly males comes from. There are many female and younger members in Brickish, myself included (I'm still young!!!!).

To respond to your specific points venunder:

-PayPal. I was the previous Secretary and it has always been possible to pay by PayPal. You just have to contact the Secretary to let them know that's how you are going to pay.

-New members are ignored. Wrong. Yes, there have been long delays in processing applications but as Martin says, that is now in hand. Like on Brickset, new members are encouraged to introduce themselves, enabling members to welcome them.

-Getting to events. Whether you travel by private or personal transport, there is a cost for everyone. It's up to each person to decide how much time, money and effort they spend on events related to their hobby. I don't have a car and yet I still manage to get to several events a year in Swindon, Sheffield and London as well as others if I can. I know of some Afols who regularly display at events who routinely travel great distances with their models by public transport.
I'd say if you want to organise shared transport for Afols in your local area that's something you should be willing to do yourself.

-Affiliation of smaller LUGs. I don't really see why Brickish owes any other LUG any favours. Brickish started as a small LUG that gradually found its feet. We are the same as any other LUG and have no special status with respect to TLG, I don't know if people think we do or anything. I'm sure if advice was asked on the practicalities of setting up a LUG though from any of the Committee Members they would be happy to offer their insights. But remember they are all volunteers involved in Brickish on their own time. (Same applies for getting the website sorted btw)

-New members needed for modernisation. Fair point that sometimes you need shaking up. But as is so often the case in life people want things changed but they are far too busy to do it themselves. Surprisingly they never seem to put themselves forward for committee posts either.

Anyway, as we've said before, you get out what you put in. I've made lots of friends via Brickset but it's actually the ones who are also in Brickish that I see the most in real life at public events and otherwise.

BooTheMightyHamster

Fair point well made! 
You have embarrassed me (in a good way) to going back to the Brickish forum and making a bit more of an effort this time.

Legopants

Ask not what your LUG can do for you - ask what you can do for your LUG! ;-)

LostInTranslation

I wasn't trying to shame anybody Boo, sorry if it felt like I was having a go!
Glad to hear you'll give Brickish another go.

TheBrickLadd

LostInTranslation said:

I really take exception to the phrases "gentleman's club" and "old boys group". I don't know where this idea of a closed network of elderly males comes from. There are many female and younger members in Brickish, myself included (I'm still young!!!!). To respond to your specific points venunder: -PayPal. I was the previous Secretary and it has always been possible to pay by PayPal. You just have to contact the Secretary to let them know that's how you are going to pay.

-New members are ignored. Wrong. Yes, there have been long delays in processing applications but as Martin says, that is now in hand. Like on Brickset, new members are encouraged to introduce themselves, enabling members to welcome them.
   
-Getting to events. Whether you travel by private or personal transport, there is a cost for everyone. It's up to each person to decide how much time, money and effort they spend on events related to their hobby. I don't have a car and yet I still manage to get to several events a year in Swindon, Sheffield and London as well as others if I can. I know of some Afols who regularly display at events who routinely travel great distances with their models by public transport. I'd say if you want to organise shared transport for Afols in your local area that's something you should be willing to do yourself. -Affiliation of smaller LUGs. I don't really see why Brickish owes any other LUG any favours. Brickish started as a small LUG that gradually found its feet. We are the same as any other LUG and have no special status with respect to TLG, I don't know if people think we do or anything. I'm sure if advice was asked on the practicalities of setting up a LUG though from any of the Committee Members they would be happy to offer their insights. But remember they are all volunteers involved in Brickish on their own time. (Same applies for getting the website sorted btw) -New members needed for modernisation. Fair point that sometimes you need shaking up. But as is so often the case in life people want things changed but they are far too busy to do it themselves. Surprisingly they never seem to put themselves forward for committee posts either. Anyway, as we've said before, you get out what you put in. I've made lots of friends via Brickset but it's actually the ones who are also in Brickish that I see the most in real life at public events and otherwise.

I totally agree with @LostInTranslationhere. I am a new member. Been there for less than a month and was welcomed by lots of the members there. I have already formed new friendships by getting involved with events and Association business. I am looking forward to my continued commitment to Brickish.

PaulTFOTB

I also tried to join Brickish as I felt that even though I am in a good size group I was hoping for members to help us with displays. I also couldn't pay to join as I don't have a cheque book either- Its free for anyone that wishes to join us too- Let me know, we arrange events in Manchester and Birmingham.... Once the payment option has been updated can you let me know please.. thank you

LostInTranslation

As per my comment above - it has always been possible to pay by PayPal, if you contact the Secretary to let them know that's how you wish to pay.

PaulTFOTB

who is the secretary please

AySea

This should work for emailing the Secretary; [email protected]

PaulTFOTB

Thank u

Martin

There's also a 'Contact us' option.  You can use that if you prefer.

PaulTFOTB

Thanks Martin :)