What have you learned about AFOLs/The LEGO Community from reading the Brickset forum?

binaryeye · July 2013

chuxtoybox said:
I've learned a lot of abbreviations but still scratch my head over some of them. HP=Harry Potter but what is DS?

Death Star.

chuxtoybox · July 2013

I've just realized that my title seems redundant. It needs a slash in the middle of AFOL and LEGO or something. And I try so hard to proofread before I post.

rancorbait · July 2013

[Edit] removed

chuxtoybox · July 2013

Shouldn't your avatar be a Gamorean Guard? :} (Comment made in jest to rancorbait)

Pitfall69 · July 2013

http://www.bricksetforum.com/discussion/2798/abbreviation-acronym-list-collectors-edition#latest

rancorbait · July 2013

^^ Hehe, hows' this for some bait?

@skeet318 I might even give the pig a weedeater ;-)

Pitfall69 · July 2013

I can see the Europeans scratching their heads..."What is a weedeater?"

A sheep? Hahahaha

chuxtoybox · July 2013

Hey,there's a slash in the title! Thank you, Brickset gods!
I'm assuming what your calling a weedeater is what I call a weed whacker. Have fun with that one. And the Gamorean Guard should be running away from us, squealing, the axe discarded on the floor. :}

rocao · July 2013

There are a few interesting posts in this thread, and a good deal of the rest are irrelevant jokes carried over from other threads with irrelevant jokes. Shame.

Beav · July 2013

I'll second the acronym shout, I still dont know a lot of them but im getting there.

I suppose the biggest thing ive learnt is how expensive sets can get once theyve retired, especially sets like Cafe Corner etc, I had no idea what they were worth.

Venunder · July 2013

After a year here I have learned that
1) You should always buy lego sets if you see a bargain below 50%, because by the time you return they will be gone.
2) Always try to buy Lego at 33% below RRP.
3) After 2 years as an AFOL you will need a bigger house. :)

caperberry · July 2013

rocao said:
There are a few interesting posts in this thread, and a good deal of the rest are irrelevant jokes carried over from other threads with irrelevant jokes. Shame.

I second that - much as I'm in favour of very silly threads every now and then, I'll try to steer this good topic back on track now, or at least send it down a different blind alley. [edit: Sorry - in hindsight this comment has turned into a freakin essay]

Something I've learnt is what a tight community AFOLdom is. This was very apparent when I became involved but it's easy to get so used to it that you forget. Stopping to think about it and putting aside the occasional bicker, spammer and person who says M***B***** without using asterisks, we are pretty 'united' considering there are so many of us from so many backgrounds across the globe with but one thing in common. The Power of Bricks is a curious thing (as Huey Lewis and the News never once said. They did say "stronger and harder than a bad girl's dream", which has disturbed me for nearly 30 years. What's with those bad girls anyway?). Of course all AFOLdom is the same as Brickset, but I stuck around Brickset as it is special somehow. Sir Kevvy Hairy Fairy's inspirational doings are ample evidence of how special.

But I've also learnt (not necessarily from Brickset alone) that there ARE some mild divisions in our community, or rather just overgeneralised categorisations of people that float about. Specifically the "Builder", the "Collector" and the "Reseller". I'll make clear straight away I find these to be ridiculous stereotyping and in varying degrees consider myself to be all three (plus more) of them. To be transparent I will clarify - I perceive myself as mostly a builder; but objectively if I look around my tiny flat I increasingly collect vintage sets and a few new sets kept MISB that might become desirable; and I'd like to do some reselling soon for the experience, the financial reward and to make some bloody space in said tiny flat for building. Please be aware the assertions and terms I write here are gross generalisations. They are not opinions I hold of you, they are my opinion of how the community can pigeonhole itself at times. The reason I find them interesting are the inherent concepts of purity behind them and the 'social standing' they infer and my intentions in stating them are not to establish them further but to weaken them.

Builders reside at the top of the social standing, because they are imaginative and creative; pure and true to the original concept of System of Play. I say they're top not because they're better, although I've heard some often shocking remarks (not on Brickset, one reason I love it here) that made it clear many Builders think themselves to be superior. But what I have heard many times on Brickset are people saying "I wish I could MOC" as though that's the holy grail of LEGO aspirations, and hence why I place Builders on 'top' in this perceived class system. Builders are often collectors of parts though, which is seen as distinct from collecting sets. Builders cannot comprehend why someone would not open a set.

Collectors - here I'm grouping those that like to build official sets plus the MISB collectors that don't sell - are in the middle. They are pure and true to the core of LEGO's business today; a company that release high quality model kits. But they are not imaginative and creative like Builders are. They find joy in following official instructions and being accurate and completist with their collections. I'd actually place a lot of KFOLs in this category.

Resellers are frowned upon by both Builders and Collectors, and significantly also by TLG. They are 'the ones that spoil it for everyone else' because they're greedily hoovering up all the cheap sets for personal financial gain and making Brand Retail tighten up AFOL benefits in the longer term. Builders and Collectors fear that they make TLG think that AFOL = Reseller. These evil monsters are impure to the central tenets of LEGO's value as a System of Play and collection of high quality model kits.

So what has Brickset taught me about these types? That like sexuality, it's a fluid thing with fifty shades of bley. I've learnt that the Builders who don't frequent this site miss out on a lot - good bargains to boost their part inventories, well-priced copies of EOL sets they would like to own, awareness of new sets and parts, interaction with a significant chunk of the community; the list goes on. Brickset has shown me how fun and fulfilling Collecting is and that this is as valid a use of LEGO as free building. Brickset is a welcome home for Resellers and has shown me the myriad types of Reseller out there and their value to all. At one end, the extreme stereotype I've described above does actually exist here - in fact even 'worse', this Reseller doesn't even like LEGO and is just after a means to make a fast buck on the back of others' freely provided suggestions. At the other end, close to Collectordom, is the Reseller who garners genuine joy from predicting the rarity of sets and making a little business out of selecting, purchasing, storing then selling these on to Builders, Collectors and Little Timmy. And Big Timmy.

rocao · July 2013

Thumbs up for the well thought-out post.

It's interesting to note that the original intent of the forum was to cater to collecting, which obviously is a focus of Brickset and an underrepresented aspect of existing discussion forums. As you say, we have come to encompass both building and reselling, and that speaks to how interrelated and fluid the various aspects of the hobby are.

rancorbait · July 2013

chuxtoybox said:

I'm assuming what your calling a weedeater is what I call a weed whacker.

Yup

Yellowcastle · July 2013

^^^ I like the post but think the generalizations are definitely to the extremes. Those of us that don't MOC might simply be lacking for time to do so as opposed to being unimaginative. That's whats great about Brickset, if not the community as a whole, everyone is welcome. But this is just the opinion of one KFOL.

caperberry · July 2013

You're right I was being deliberately extreme to make the point, and to highlight the silliness of those who actually think that way. Collectors and Resellers are as equally imaginative as Builders, and of course there are very few people who are actually purely a Collector, Reseller or Builder anyway.

You're a KFOL? How did an under-16 get on the forum, let alone become an admin? ;O)

CapnRex101 · July 2013

"I wish I could MOC."

That is an interesting comment, as is the rest of your post @caperberry. I must say I have heard the same statement made on numerous occasions here on Brickset and other sites. To quote a fictional character from a Pixar film, "anyone can cook" in just the same way that "anyone can build". Whether you are the one inventing the use of flippers for roof tiles (for example) or somebody imitating it, just because you did not originally come up with an idea does not make one a 'bad builder' in my book.

To be honest, in my opinion all types of LEGO fan are equal, although I would agree that some are frowned upon while others are aspired to in general. I would divide LEGO fans into more categories personally (although this is equally a vast generalisation).

Builders are those of us who see LEGO in a very different way to others. They see uses for parts which a collector for instance would never notice and this skill is one to be envied. On the other hand though, while the task of a builder is of the utmost importance, I imagine it is often thankless as the moment you publicise an innovative use for a piece, others are using the same technique on their own models, and often improve upon it.

OOSB (Out Of Sealed Box) Collectors make up the majority of Brickset I would hypothesize. They open sets up and build them, studying their positive and negative attributes before putting them on display or, dare I say it, playing with them. In fact, any KFOL or TFOL who plays with a set would fall into this category if you ask me. A subset of this category would be the...

Reviewer, who rather than buying a set for play or display, might purchase it only for the sake of reviewing it. There are plenty of members of the LEGO community who are more than capable writers, which is a skill put to good use when reviewing sets in my opinion. While often looked upon as not embracing what LEGO was created for, reviewers provide a valuable service and I am always delighted to sit down and read or watch a well structured and informative review.

Photographers are another subset of OOSB Collectors. One often sees LEGO fans simply photographing Minifigures or sets in LEGO settings or even in real life locations. Brickfilmers come under the same category in my view,

MISB Collectors are those of us who buy sets simply for the thrill of having them. The 'gotta catch 'em all' attitude can take over and lead to rooms filled with sealed sets. Personally, I find this incomprehensible, although if that is what 'floats your boat' then the best of luck to you. I would imagine that this is the least populated category of all, thanks in no small part to the financial aspect of being a MISB collector.

Resellers could perhaps be labelled as the smartest of us. There is money to be made in trading LEGO and despite the occasional greed which often comes with making money, in just about anything reselling is an inevitability and one which I think should be accepted.

There are doubtless other categories and sub-categories, but I think I have covered most of the bases with that. I am quite certain that everyone looks at LEGO collecting in a different manner and to place everybody in a specific category would be nigh on impossible. Apologies for the length of this post, the fact that the categories inevitably overlap in places, and also for the accidental creation of OOSB as an acronym. :o)

EKSam · July 2013

I prefer to be in the "stealth mode" so I do not post much. :-) I have learnt that there are
1) knowledgeable people who will quote dates, statistics and pretty much the history of all things Lego.
2) deal hounds :-)
3) people who will argue just to get the last word in ( nothing new there) :-))
4) yes, there are infinite number of tangents to a discussion ...err I mean circle.:-)
But most importantly there are kind people who are always willing to help, be it with words of encouragement, praise, suggestions,answers or much needed parts. :-). This is what makes Brickset very special. :)

EKSam · July 2013

^ sorry cannot edit the previous post, I also learnt that I tend to go overboard with the ":-)".

TheOneVeyronian · July 2013

What I've learnt from Brickset is that not all AFOL's will treat all themes with some degree of respect like I do. But I respect everybody's personal opinion on that sort of thing regardless and will always try to avoid starting arguments, usually by not commenting :-)

But other than that, the main thing I've learned from reading Brickset is that I initially thought my love of Lego throughout my entire life was just brought on by my mental health condition, but I guess I'm actually perfectly normal with regards to being a 19 year old student who still loves Lego :-)

But the Brickset community are all very good and helpful here regardless of opinions, and I hope it never changes :-).

And on the brief time I've been here, less than 2 months, I've already made over 300 comments. How did that happen? ;-)

Yellowcastle · July 2013

@CapnRex101 - I would venture a guess that most of us MISB collectors are so by circumstance and not so much original intent. For me, it probably began as just never finding time to build a set only to to have that set turn into two, then three, etc. Throw in a lack of display space and fledgling parts sorting and you end up with me. :o)

LegoMom1 · July 2013

One thing I've learned is that my desire for more Lego sets increases with each visit to this site.

CCC · July 2013

CapnRex101 said:
OOSB (Out Of Sealed Box) Collectors make up the majority of Brickset I would hypothesize. They open sets up and build them, studying their positive and negative attributes before putting them on display or, dare I say it, playing with them. In fact, any KFOL or TFOL who plays with a set would fall into this category if you ask me. A subset of this category would be the...

The important thing missing here is that these collectors keep sets as sets. No mixing parts or minifigs between sets or especially themes, no modifications to design, everything built to lego's instructions.

Most KFOL I know then do not fall into this category. They tinker with designs, mix sets up, etc.

CCC · July 2013

Venunder said:
After a year here I have learned that
1) You should always buy lego sets if you see a bargain below 50%, because by the time you return they will be gone.

Only buy cheap sets if you want them. Chima speedorz are nearly all 50% off on [email protected] Yet they are still in stock.

So I've learned not to go by discount vs RRP, but to go on the value to me.

CapnRex101 · July 2013

@CCC - That's very true, I suppose KFOLs would need their own category in that case, perhaps slide into the builders section.

rocao · July 2013

I think caperberry's point, which you also encapsulated with your initial categorizations, was that quite often a single category doesn't define a LEGO user and so we shouldn't allow ourselves to stereotype based on them.

Thus, rather than trying to classify each type of user, I like the approach of classifying the use of LEGO, and then it's more obvious that any given person might have multiple involvement. I collect, build official models, build MOCs, resell, discuss online, and participate in a local LUG.

chuxtoybox · July 2013

I've learned that CapnRex101 never met a Mixel he didn't loathe with all the fiber of his cloned being.

CapnRex101 · July 2013

@chuxtoybox - :o) I am not a fan of them, although I don't doubt that they could well be popular. As I have mentioned, although I personally dislike them, they were not made with me in mind and I cannot deny the usefulness of some of the new parts.

greekmick · July 2013

I have learned not to purchase items as soon as they are released as 99% of the time they will be discounted in the UK.

caperberry · July 2013

Thanks CapnRex101. Thankfully there are more types of FOLs than could ever be categorised :O) but to stay in the spirit of your list, I would suggest including Reviewers within something wider... like "Content Makers"! Or some such. To cover off things like the ever-increasing amount of software, apps, websites, blogs, user-generated content channels etc. about LEGO. And traditional print authors too - look at the influx of LEGO-related books in 2013!

CapnRex101 said:
Builders are those of us who see LEGO in a very different way to others. They see uses for parts which a collector for instance would never notice and this skill is one to be envied.

Agreed, and to widen it out, I think your description could apply to many 'categories' of FOL if you replace the word "parts" in your example with other innovative things that FOLs do. Take a recent example; Huw envisioned uses for LEGO's publicly accessible data of element images & metadata, and created a new kind of parts search tool here on Brickset. His innovation benefited the community instantly - users spotted unreleased S10 CMF elements and compiled possible figs in Photoshop!

The term "Innovators" was applied to FOLs by Yun Mi Antorini who is now a Community Strategist at TLG. In her 2007 thesis "Brand Community Innovation, An Intrinsic Case Study of the Adult Fans of LEGO Community" she noted that not all FOLs are necessarily Innovators, and the innovations range from minor to first-of-type, but what I found most enlightening was that she identified Innovators across all of AFOLdom, i.e. all the 'categories' we've been discussing here. To me this justifies my standpoint that Builders are to be no more revered than Resellers. The categories I listed are widely held conceptions that whilst handy, can also be divisive. If we are to envy others, which admittedly is a human trait, I'd nominate those that create innovations as a 'category' worthier of our respect. But perhaps celebrate is a better word than that deadly sin of envy.

klatu003 · July 2013

I learned that I'm a OOSB (Out Of Sealed Box) Collector with a side helping of Builder that should not start a thread about M***B***. Also, I now have a Brickset.com addiction to go with my Lego addiction.

chuxtoybox · July 2013

klatu003 said:
I learned that I'm a OOSB (Out Of Sealed Box) Collector with a side helping of Builder that should not start a thread about M***B***. Also, I now have a Brickset.com addiction to go with my Lego addiction.

Ditto. I can't afford to buy sets just to keep them sealed. And don't start a thread about adult MOCs either. LOL :}

Yellowcastle · August 2013

^ Or just try and keep at least a 30 to 1 Comment to New Discussion ratio... ;o)

MorkMan · January 2014

I've learned that there are people on this forum that are younger than I would have thought. And I've learned that it doesn't matter what age you are! All FOL are welcome! I've also learned that BS'ers (that's BrickSetters) are way helpful and encouraging. In the almost 2 years of being on the forum, I've had sets sent to me for no reason except that members "felt the need" to do it.

I've also learned that instead of categorizing ~~others~~ myself, it's OK to be "me" - since I'm a collector, a builder, a wanna-be-reseller, a MOC'er, and an ambassador of LEGO to my own circle of friends/family in real life.

Finally, I've learned that there are threads that I've missed and are extremely enjoyable. You leave for a while (yes, it's happened) and you miss a ton!

rancorbait · January 2014

So I've learned a few more things since July already.

1) How addicted to Brickset I am. A while ago I was trying to access the forum but the site wasn't working. It was only for about 10 minutes but I was already freaking out!
2) That I am just not meant to write reviews. It seems like every time I try to review a set Google crashes or my computer freezes.
3) I learned that the difficulty of finding a limited edition set is diminished with @Margot around ;o)
4) I also learned that you had better be prepared to change your pants if you're going to read any of @legomatt's posts

There's a lot more, but its getting late...

DrLegOBrick · February 2014

I've learnt:
I'm not the only one who's crazy
How to use cunning quotes to relate to the topic, no matter how unrelated, and spectacularly derail the topic in a huge fire ball
That using obscure abbreviations means I'll get “burned”, I believe
How to go of topic while making a topic
How to spend a months earnings in five minutes on Amazon
Ruin a perfectly good keyboard by giving it a light showering of tea
How to learn about some damn strange and questionable competitions
How to get something red to stand by

On a more serious note, I've learnt that this is quite possibly the best site I've been on, I'm not nearly as much active as I should be, or would like to be. It's so much more friendly here, you feel you don't have to go through an initiation ceremony or the path to Kal'Hyah, no battle to the death's, no great sacrifices, your accepted. It's much more like a community, and as a result, it feels less hostile than other sites. The work you do for Charity, and for all AFOLs is beyond words. Nuff said from me I believe.

Lego_Lord_Mayorca · February 2014

I learned that you all like to make jokes, including corny ones. I've always been a fan of never taking things too seriously on the Internet, so I am glad to have found so many kindred spirits here.

I've also learned that a whole lot of you are much older than me and carry on quite a bit too much at times about raising kids, pet names for your spouse (simultaneously conjuring up lots of posts written in the first person plural, like some kind of alien hive mind), and how Lego in the 90s was pitiful. In spite of all this, one thing is constant, and that is the underlying love for the Lego brick and the sets they make up. And that fact more than makes up for all the other stuff that 25 year-old, childless, single, 90s kid-me doesn't understand or appreciate (yet).

This is amazing, considering on the Internet, you all are nothing more than avatars and text, and no matter what, some things about who a person truly is never translate perfectly to this medium. That's true for every community on the Internet, but unlike most Internet groups that I've been a part of over the years, I've actually met some of you. Not anyone on Brickset in particular, mind you, but AFOLs. I remember attending my first-ever Lego convention in 2010 at Brickworld Chicago and upon arriving at the convention center, my initial reactions were more or less what I wrote above. "Why are there so many old people with kids?" "Where is the diorama tribute to Blacktron II and Time Cruisers?" OK, maybe that last question was a bit of stretch, but as I spent time strolling around the convention center and gaping at all the amazing things my fellow fans of Lego had built, I couldn't restrain my curiosity about some of the more magnificent models. At a huge Classic Space layout, complete with 9V space trains and monorails, I approached a friendly-looking gentleman who wore one of the attendee badges and struck up a conversation with him about the layout which he contributed to.

Let me tell you, that was one of the most exciting conversations I've ever had. I never owned any monorail sets, so I had lots of questions and the guy was more than happy to take one of the trains off the tracks and let me examine it to see how it worked. Then we got to talking about Lego Space in general, how jazzed I was at seeing a Spyrius Robo Guardian in gray, blue, and yellow, and how we had collected sets over the years. Eventually, his wife came over with a baby stroller and he went off to attend to his child for a while. I left him to his paternal duties and continued to check out the display, but the conversation lingered in my mind as an amazing first: the first I ever spoke face-to-face with another fan of Lego without having to explain terms, themes, or any of the other quirks that are part of Lego fandom. We immediately understood one another in spite of the gap in age and purchasing power (I was only an intern at the time).

I'd like to imagine that if I met any of you all on the street or at a Lego convention, a similar incident could occur, and that brings a warm feeling to my heart. And this time, I can talk about monorails since a year later, I bought one myself. But I won't hedge on my love for Space Police 2, Royal Knights, or Aquazone. Haha.

rancorbait · February 2014

Good to hear that i'm only an avatar and text in this forum! :o/

;oP

legomatt · February 2014

^ 'Only' you say. It's going on my CV (Resumé).

chuxtoybox · February 2014

I just learned that Han Solo's parka on Hoth was actually brown, not blue. Lego and Kenner had me brainwashed all these years.

Bluefairy_56 · February 2014

I also haven't been a collector from very long. This month only actually, so everything is all new to me.
What I have learned:
1. That this is a great forum for like minded people.
2. That I was so excited that I could now describe a Lego piece properly, 1x2 plate, 2x2 brick, etc
3. I don't care whether you call it. Lego or Legos, I know what you are taking about.
4. I need to learn what every one of the abbreviations mean...I can guess some, but most of them are way beyond my understanding.
5. I can now come out of the closet and admit I like playing with Lego on my own, and not with my grand kids wanting to build it too. The easy ones, fine. But not my pride and joy big sets, they are mine - mine I tell you!

Lynn

rancorbait · February 2014

@Bluefairy_56

This might help :o)

AFFOL_Shellz_Bellz · February 2014

I've learned there are a lot of really nice people in the AFOL community, and the few scammers are likely only pretending to be AFOL's.

rancorbait · February 2014

^ Right you are!

After joining the forum I was a little hesitant to get involved being 'the new guy', but that soon changed after watching others here. No other forum that I know of has people like this one, who are very generous and willing to help out, who respect you even if you think and believe differently. Each one does their part to make Brickset an awesome place and make you want to come back every chance you get! Thank you @everyone for making Brickset an awesome place to hang out! :o)

rancorbait · April 2014

Geez, its not easy being a TFOL!

Good grades + Brickset = No sleep.

Good grades + Sleep = No Brickset.

Brickset + Sleep = Bad grades.

Can't have it all I guess :oP

Praias · May 2014

I think I've registered here a year ago or so. No clue. Have kids so time is a blur at best of times.

What I've learned:

Me and my partner aren't totally weird - other adults are worse than us in their Lego addictions.

The more you collect Lego, buy Lego or visit Brickset, the worse your addiction becomes.

Lego fans of all ages, love their Lego with a passion, and still are generous enough to share this with others, either helping others with their collecting or even donating their own Lego.

What have you learned about AFOLs/The LEGO Community from reading the Brickset forum?

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