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Just back into Lego and going all in! Collecting Modulars: hobby or obsession

thomaspp13thomaspp13 Member Posts: 29
in Collecting

Hello, I’m new here and I’ve just re-discovered LEGO and it has hit me like a ton of bricks! (literally! Rolf). Thought I’d share a story about my crazy last few weeks. While on paternity leave for our first baby I decided to buy a Lego set and build. The set was Parisian Restaurant #10243. I built it in 3 days taking my time and enjoying it with my wife, and I loved it. Reconnecting with the bricks was just awesome and triggered a ton of childhood memories.

I've been known to be rather compulsive when it comes to collecting, so of course soon enough my goal became to collect all Lego Modulars in mint condition with box and instructions and keep the budget at $3,500-5,000 (yes, I'm one of the crazy guys who is eyeing all the overpriced sets on ebay and that are made fun of here! rolf....).

The Modulars seemed perfect for me. I have limited time with a crazy schedule which makes MOCs difficult for me to indulge in. My wife also enjoyed the Modular theme and series so that was a huge plus! Next thing you know, I went on a buying spree and picked up Grand Emporium #10211, Palace Cinema #10232 and Pet Shop #10218 on Amazon.

A few days later, I discover bricklink (things have changed a lot in this hobby from 25 years ago!). I discover that retired sets are expensive! I go off any buy Café Corner #10182 (My favorite thus far!), Fire Brigade #10197 and Detective’s Office #10246. Next few days…. I hunt and find Brick Bank and Town Hall … bargain a bit here and there… count my pennies and it’s done! Pull the trigger on it.

So in just less than a few weeks I’ve gone mad and bought 9 of 11 modulars! I’m down to Market Street #10190 and Green Grocer #10185.  And I’m on track for staying under budget. I’ve been busy at work and have only had time to build Parisian Restaurant, Palace Cinema Grand Emporium.

I will have plenty of time in the next moths to build though as the closet is filling up with lego boxes..... I will update this thread!

PS: Finding this forum and reading about other Lego nuts is comforting!

Best

SumoLegoYodaliciousBrickDancerBumblepantscatwranglerbobabricksstluxtallblocktooAllBrickvwong19DarthMorlMegtheCatSirBenparadisiabrumeyScatterbugbandit778Yo_dAchuckppovolenieRsa3331rhcpOmastarjosekalelKovJonas
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Comments

  • MattsWhatMattsWhat Member Posts: 1,643
    ^enjoy the part of your life where you still have boxes that contain stuff that isn't LEGO.  No wait, enjoy the part of your life where no small person is touching your LEGO and other adults frown because you won't let them.
    Also, how do you know CC is your favourite when you haven't built it yet?  Just buying in to the hype?
    Anyway, welcome to the forum!
    BumblepantscatwranglerbobabricksstluxAllBrickSirBenJern92snowhitie
  • thomaspp13thomaspp13 Member Posts: 29
    edited July 2016
    MattsWhat said:
    ^enjoy the part of your life where you still have boxes that contain stuff that isn't LEGO.  No wait, enjoy the part of your life where no small person is touching your LEGO and other adults frown because you won't let them.
    Also, how do you know CC is your favourite when you haven't built it yet?  Just buying in to the hype?
    Anyway, welcome to the forum!


    Haha... Funny stuff. My 2 year old nephew is visiting us for a few days and she wanted to play with the modulars minutes after walking in the door... it didn't go so well when I said "absolutely not" so I've already experience that feeling.

    Sorry, I should have said CC was my favorite in terms of exterior design. I've been staring at pictures of the 11 modulars for hours, but quite right I shouldn't claim any as a favorite just yet. I finished Grand Emporium last night and while a lot of repetitive actions, it was highly enjoyable. Be well.

    SumoLegocatwranglerstlux31rhcp
  • SumoLegoSumoLego Member Posts: 15,241
    edited July 2016

    Market Street still makes me cringe.  Does it come with instructions for an alternative corner build?  Maybe I could wedge that between two sections of the Pet Shop and sneak it into my city.

    And I agree - it is an obsession.  I have endlessly reworked the urban planning of my city.  The conclusion I came to is that I need a larger table.

    monstblitzSalamalexbobabricksstluxmatticus_bricksbrickupdatekiki180703Omastar
  • MattsWhatMattsWhat Member Posts: 1,643
    edited July 2016
    ^CC doesn't have a lot going on inside, so a lot of the fun extras built into PR and DO aren't there.  Looks awesome though.
    And in answer to the title - it's an obsession :)
    And congratulations! (For joining the brick side, and for procreating)
  • monstblitzmonstblitz Member Posts: 653
    SumoLego said:

    Market Street still makes me cringe.  Does it come with instructions for an alternative corner build?  Maybe I could wedge that between two sections of the Pet Shop and sneak it into my city.

    And I agree - it is an obsession.  I have endlessly reworked the urban planning of my city.  The conclusion I came to is that I need a larger table.

    Yeah Sumo, it's still ugly.  For me the only way to have fun with this one was to change up the colors.  It wasn't too pricey compared to the others and I was surprised at how many pieces I could get on pick a brick with a few substitutions.  I was able to get a fountain and VIP points out of it too which made it fun. 

    It pissed me off big time because the side market part of it collapsed on itself so easily when I went to combine it with the other modulars. 


    SumoLegoYodaliciouskiki180703
  • SumoLegoSumoLego Member Posts: 15,241
    edited July 2016

    ^ Maybe I'll build one using only sand green 1x8s.  And UCS MF satellite dishes...

    (I hate the stairs, I hate the awning, I hate the basement window, I hate the façade.  Oof.)

    And @thomaspp13 - don't forget the Haunted House as well.  Makes for a nice Mayor's Mansion, should you decide to go that way...

    monstblitzkiki180703stluxAllBrickScatterbugbandit778Omastar
  • SumoLegoSumoLego Member Posts: 15,241

    Is it bad that I want to displace my children's basement play area in order to better fit my city tables?

    (They have their own rooms, after all.)

    MegtheCatSirBenchuckp
  • piratemania7piratemania7 Member Posts: 2,146
    Welcome to the forum!  However, I must say it wont end with the modulars...this is just the beginning.  Wait until you "take a peek" online at a train or two.  Or see one in real life.  That will be it.
    SumoLegobobabrickskiki180703
  • YodaliciousYodalicious Member Posts: 1,366
    SumoLego said:

    Is it bad that I want to displace my children's basement play area in order to better fit my city tables?

    (They have their own rooms, after all.)

    I think of the same thing every time I'm in my kids' playroom. "But they have their own bedrooms. And all they do is sleep in them!" Hmmm.

    Of course, one of my sons is only 10 months old, so until he's out of destroy-everything-in-sight mode, the LEGO will stay away.
    SumoLegostlux
  • MaffyDMaffyD Member Posts: 3,579
    edited July 2016

    I'm still managing to resist modulars as to me they need to be on a street to look their best (a modular on it's own implies a owner holding out against redevelopment in between two demolished buildings). And quite simply I do not have enough straight line space to do that. But I applaud those who take the plunge! Welcome to Brickset!

    @Yodalicious - I'm with you on the spousal compliments! I'm currently arguing with my wife to NOT buy me either Big Ben or the Porsche until there's some kind of double points event (October) or perhaps on the 6th August...

    Yodalicious
  • thomaspp13thomaspp13 Member Posts: 29
    SumoLego said:

    Welcome to the Forum!

    You should buy some Lego Trains.  No town is complete unless it has a two-engine Horizon Express and an Emerald Night with a few extra coaches. 

    And don't forget the modular-scale non-modular sets as well.  No town is complete without a GBHQ, a fairground with a Carousel, Ferris Wheel and Mixer, and a Cinderella Castle.

    (Good choice on the pack 'n play - but make sure to get the double-padded sheet for the bottom.)

    Lego is an excellent hobby for separating money from your wallet.  But not as much money as getting a boat or a nasty drug addiction.  This message brought to you by Lego Builders and Collectors Anonymous.  @Yodalicious

    And I hear the Taj Mahal is a really fun build as well...


    Funny! Will finish with modular and then see where life takes me. But trains are tempting....
    SumoLego
  • thomaspp13thomaspp13 Member Posts: 29
    monstblitz said:
    Cafe Corner will be your favorite until you realize it doesn't have an interior!  I have to admit I bricklinked it and it wasn't until I was halfway through the ground floor build that I realized there wasn't an interior.  "Hmmmm...these walls are getting kinda high to negotiate the interior build..."  Modular NOOB moment...

    Anyway, I got bit by the modular bug just like you 6 month into my new Lego obsession.  After being advised to ignore the sets out of production, I now own them all.  Bricklinked Cafe Corner and just finished a bricklinked Market Street I'm kinda proud of -



    I think the orange makes it look so much better.  Few notable color substitutions.  Window frames were going to be black, but the seller I ordered them from had an inventory problem, but had purple.  It actually looks pretty damn cool, so thankful for the mistake and they were cheaper! 

    Anyway, congrats on the new modulars.  My advice to you, get the other 2 bought quickly and be done with it.  Or you won't be able to sleep.  I've finally been able to relax my Lego obsession and spending now that I have the complete set.  Now just patiently waiting for the next one...

    Nice Market Street!


    31rhcp
  • thomaspp13thomaspp13 Member Posts: 29
    Yodalicious said:
    SumoLego said:

    Welcome to the Forum!

    You should buy some Lego Trains.  No town is complete unless it has a two-engine Horizon Express and an Emerald Night with a few extra coaches. 

    And don't forget the modular-scale non-modular sets as well.  No town is complete without a GBHQ, a fairground with a Carousel, Ferris Wheel and Mixer, and a Cinderella Castle.

    (Good choice on the pack 'n play - but make sure to get the double-padded sheet for the bottom.)

    Lego is an excellent hobby for separating money from your wallet.  But not as much money as getting a boat or a nasty drug addiction.  This message brought to you by Lego Builders and Collectors Anonymous.  @Yodalicious

    And I hear the Taj Mahal is a really fun build as well...

    In addition, what my LBCA co-founder forgot to add to the "no town is complete" list...

    Superheroes

    I'm mean seriously...they fit right in. And the townsfolk need them...it's not like they have thousands upon thousands upon thousands of LEGO policemen and policewomen to protect them...oh wait.

    Came out of my dark ages in 2012 just before my first son was born (amazing how many of these stories involve the birth of one's first child) and my ONLY BUY list was simple:

    Star Wars
    LotR (then Hobbit)
    Modulars

    HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!

    I now own 611 sets produced between 2012 and today. And another 38 from 2009-2011 that were still on shelves. Oops.

    Let me just end on this...my wife is amazing. And patient. And understanding (somewhat).

    Wow! 611 lets! scary stuff my friend!
  • thomaspp13thomaspp13 Member Posts: 29
    SumoLego said:

    Is it bad that I want to displace my children's basement play area in order to better fit my city tables?

    (They have their own rooms, after all.)


    Hysterical.... I'm just trying to figure out how old my daughter needs to be before she can play "adult legos" with me.
    piratemania7
  • JudgeChuckJudgeChuck Member Posts: 1,591
    @MaffyD It's not ideal, but I have my modulars on two shelves in my study, which aren't huge... I have PC and BB on one, and PS, DO and PR on another and they look great! :-)
    MaffyD
  • monstblitzmonstblitz Member Posts: 653
    edited July 2016
    Regarding kids and modulars, my work around has been to put the modulars far enough back on the the display table to where my children have a hard time reaching them.  At least not enough to disassemble them.  But as I put more and more of them together and incorporate them into the display, it's pushing them closer to within reach of their greasy little fingers! 

    Recently I found my 4 year old son holding one hand over a window of Green Grocer, and another hand full of silly putty.  I asked him, "Louie, tell me you didn't put silly putty inside of [Green Grocer]."  To which he sheepishly responded, "I did."  It was a quick fix, but just an example of the dilemma I'm facing.  Of course, I laughed it off and didn't yell at him because it was pretty damn funny.  For now they are playing with them pretty good, and not molesting them too badly.  I like how they incorporate the super heroes into them as Sumo pointed out earlier.  I'm going to see how it goes and see if I eventually need to move them to an "adult" display somewhere else in the house. 

    Lego is such a great time with the kids, but such a constant struggle between my OCD collecting and their small child play.  I'm learning to just not care as much and just allowing them to enjoy it however they want outside of senseless destruction of the modulars.  Although I've been called "Lord Business" by those familiar with the Lego Movie. 
    catwranglerstluxtallblocktooMegtheCatsnowhitieSalamalexOmastar
  • prevereprevere Member Posts: 2,923
    And the modulars are a never-ending universe itself. With BrickCityDepot.com and other custom modulars instructions available, there are a lot of wonderful designs - all created by fans.

    Bricklink.com will help you complete your quest for parts. And straight road plates will become like gold to you.
  • MosdvsMosdvs Member Posts: 61
    welcome and congrats on your new baby! I am a recent AFOL and just had a baby last month as well! Glad to see your wife is more understanding than mine lol.
    FollowsClosely
  • datsunrobbiedatsunrobbie Member Posts: 1,832
    Welcome to the forum! I'd recommend picking up a few sets (budget willing) to share with the kids, and get them built. My grandson shows a lot more interest in tearing down a built set and rebuilding than in starting from scratch, even with a brand-new set. I think it has to do with being able to see something already built, rather than a pile of parts and a picture.
  • YodaliciousYodalicious Member Posts: 1,366
    Or get them some pick-a-brick cups. If you're anywhere near a LEGO store. When my family ventures over to Orlando, I usually let my son grab a cup and go nuts picking out random pieces he wants. He then dumps them in a huge bin when we get home and calls it his "building LEGO." Now, I'm not all Lord Business about the other LEGO and require that the actual sets stay together, but he likes his sets that way vs. his building LEGO. Sometimes he wants to play with the sets and sometimes he just wants that bin.
    monstblitztallblocktoo
  • MaffyDMaffyD Member Posts: 3,579
    JudgeChuck said:
    @MaffyD It's not ideal, but I have my modulars on two shelves in my study, which aren't huge... I have PC and BB on one, and PS, DO and PR on another and they look great! :-)
    I'm sure they look great @JudgeChuck! Two together is a completely different kettle of fish - I don't even have that much flat surface at the moment. I suppose I could strategically smash a table lamp or two, but I could only play the clumsy card so many times before my other half would get suspicious!
    JudgeChuck
  • RecceRecce Member Posts: 923
    Some of the bigger Creator 3-in-1 building sets are nice and fit in a modular town.

    Though they're smaller than the modular buildings, you could buy duplicate sets and upsize them a bit. 
  • TheLoneTensorTheLoneTensor Member Posts: 3,937
    Bend over, grab your ankles, take a deep breath, stick your head between your legs as far as it will go and kiss your wallet goodbye.
    SumoLego
  • SprinkleOtterSprinkleOtter Member Posts: 2,780
    ^ Don't be silly. His wallet will still be there. Just not the green contents.
    SumoLegoshotgunchipmunk
  • SumoLegoSumoLego Member Posts: 15,241
    Or the plastic cards.  Or traveller's cheques.  Anyone else remember those?
    davetheoxygenmanSprinkleOtterbendybadger
  • ecmo47ecmo47 Member Posts: 2,101
    edited July 2016
    Welcome to the club!
  • RecceRecce Member Posts: 923
    I used postal orders back in the 80s.

    SumoLegokiki180703
  • brumeybrumey Member Posts: 1,002
    i bought tons of bionicle (mixed lots) when coming out of dark age!

    built some, sorted some off for my private collection for future mocs.
    but sold most of it with some profit. and still have tons of bionicle parts

    i did went all in on the modulars tough, after realising that ninjas, mech and dragon dont have bricks for building houses and so on!
  • piratemania7piratemania7 Member Posts: 2,146
    thomaspp13 said:
    SumoLego said:

    Is it bad that I want to displace my children's basement play area in order to better fit my city tables?

    (They have their own rooms, after all.)


    Hysterical.... I'm just trying to figure out how old my daughter needs to be before she can play "adult legos" with me.
    This is almost a daily question I ask myself regarding my 1 and a half year old - I test her by taking her to my LEGO room and seeing what she does.  She can say "LEGO" and loves to grab things, but most of the time it still ends up in the mouth!  Ah well, maybe another day? or two? :)
    Mordoor
  • SumoLegoSumoLego Member Posts: 15,241
    Paperballpark said:
    SumoLego said:

    The conclusion I came to is that I need a larger table.

    The conclusion I came to is that I need a larger house.
    I can solve that problem if my kids get bunk beds and who needs a dining room?
  • donutboydonutboy Member Posts: 762
    Who is this Rolf Fella?
    Rsa33
  • ricecakericecake Member Posts: 878
    ^I think he's friends with Lamo.
    chuckpbobabricksRsa33
  • AllBrickAllBrick Member Posts: 1,497
    donutboy said:
    Who is this Rolf Fella?
    He's in jail, and rightly so.
    TheOriginalSimonBbobabricksGreenArrow57Muftak1sullyrulz
  • DevastatorDevastator Member Posts: 66
    My wife started letting our older girl play with daddys legos (her words), specifically the wall-e, when she was 1 1/2. The first few times i saw this i nearly had an aneurism, but my wife thought it was hillarious and ive never seen our toddler have so much fun. Obviously, we train her not to put them in her mouth, and supervision is a must. We have a blast, most of the time, and its pretty cool being able to teach and share a hobby that I love with a 2 yr old.
    MaffyDsnowhitie
  • povoleniepovolenie Member Posts: 4
    I re-discovered Lego too recently after some 20 years when my older daughter was 4 and we switched from Duplo to Lego.
  • ecmo47ecmo47 Member Posts: 2,101
    That's a good looking Market Street! ;-)
  • Bosstone100Bosstone100 Member Posts: 1,431
    I have them all (although I bricklinked Cafe Corner and Market Street) and even purchased directions for and built an elementary school and an architecture firm.
    Pitfall69kiki180703stlux
  • jpczjpcz Member Posts: 95
    Great job so far!  The modulars are my favorite, have them all and even a second copy of a few.  I did bricklink the CC and MS, but did so to 100% accuracy and no subs.  I bought the CC instructions years ago, but sadly cant find them.  I think they got accidentally "filed away" by someone in the house  :(

    The others are either still MISB (FB, TH, GE, DO, BB), sealed in bags but opened box (GG), or built and on display.  I cant get myself to break the seals (or open the bags) even though i have no intention of selling them.  What is wrong with me???
  • tallblocktootallblocktoo Member Posts: 497
    @jpcz  So whats the plan then?  Just look at the beautiful boxes once in a while?  I get it if you are planning on selling but if not I would have those all built!  Of course you may not have the space.
  • Rsa33Rsa33 Member Posts: 156
    There are some great MOCd interiors for cafe corner, which were lucky enough to be shared with lxf files by their creators. 

    Does anyone have or know any for green grocer 2nd/3rd floors?


  • Pitfall69Pitfall69 Member Posts: 11,454
    tallblocktoo said:
    @jpcz  So whats the plan then?  Just look at the beautiful boxes once in a while?  I get it if you are planning on selling but if not I would have those all built!  Of course you may not have the space.
    I actually love looking at the boxes. I still have CC, GG, TH and GE still sealed in their respective boxes. I had MS sealed, but it is hideous, so I sold it ;) I have built FB, PS, PC, PR, DO and BB. I enjoy doing MOC's, so destroying the resale value of CC, GG, GE and TH by breaking the seals is insane. That's just me though....carry on ;)
    tallblocktooMAGNINOMINISUMBRA
  • jpczjpcz Member Posts: 95
    Part of it is space, but part of it is my 2 and 5 year olds. They don't quite get the idea that they have lego and I have lego....I often find them mixed, flushed, swallowed or given away to the neighbors. 

    I am debating selling the sealed copies and buying used and complete. Basically forcing me to open them but making a little money on the side. 

    I'm a little silly, I know. Hahaha
    tallblocktoo
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