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Last LEGO Line of Your Childhood


Master Inika

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This is something I'm not entirely sure how to word properly, so I'll start with the thought process that got me to it.

 

I was born in 1996, so, I was too young to get into Slizer/Throwbots or early BIONICLE. My first set was Tahnok-Kal when I was seven, the target age for that set. BIONICLE has been one of the main things in my life since then, and I never had a "dark age" (time when I lost interest in LEGO and rediscovered it as an adult). For me, it was kind of a mark of honor to become a TFOL and later AFOL. BIONICLE was always my favorite LEGO line, but I was also interested in Star Wars, X-Pod, Knights' Kingdom, Exo-Force, and Aqua Raiders.

 

BIONICLE getting cancelled in 2010 was a depressing thing for me, but I stayed a LEGO fan. I tried getting into Hero Factory, but even I couldn't pretend it was the same. I did enjoy the Atlantis sets that came out in 2010. They reminded me a lot of Aqua Raiders. Later, Star Wars became my obvious favorite active LEGO line, then The LEGO Movie became one of my favorite movies in 2014. But I was already 18 by that point. For reference, months after seeing The LEGO Movie and loving it, I voted in my state's gubernatorial election. I was able to appreciate TLM as an adult and appreciate how universal its appeal was to kids and adults.

 

I also saw LEGO Batman and LEGO Ninjago, and specifically, I got The LEGO Ninjago Movie on DVD recently and rewatched it. It was then that this line popped into my head: "I wish I was a kid again so I could enjoy this the way I enjoyed BIONICLE." It was the first time that I saw being an AFOL as a limitation and not a supplement to how much I could get out of LEGO. I felt very nostalgic for enjoying it on a more primal level, not enjoying it because I understood on an analytical level why it was enjoyable.

 

So this brings me to my question: what is the last LEGO property you enjoyed as a member of that property's target demographic? You can use the age recommendations on the boxes if you want, but personally I think it's more important for each individual to realize when they began to enjoy LEGO as an adult. For me, without BIONICLE, it probably would have happened earlier. My own answer to my question is: in 2010, when I was 14, trying to replace BIONICLE with Atlantis and Hero Factory. Everything after that I took in as if I was living in a twilight age, like what I was experiencing was the antiquated ruins of a long-fallen empire.

 

The LEGO Ninjago Movie and some reviews of it made me interested in checking out the TV show, which I've never followed, from the beginning. Even if I do enjoy it, though, it gives me a strange, existential feeling that I'll enjoy it as a peripheral demographic. It's like I "lost my chance" to "really" experience it.

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Definitely Bionicle for me. When Bionicle went under in 2010 I lost all interest in Lego entirely up until 2015 when the reboot arrived. Throughout 2017 I was convinced that this time my interest in Lego as a whole would persist but now it seems that once more I'm drifting away, with my only intention being to complete by G1 and G2 Bionicle collections, moccing, and maybe pick up a few Technic sets. I have basically zero interest in System related sets and themes anymore. At most, I'd buy sets for parts for moccing unless it's particularly unique, and stick to bricklink or bulk lots to fuel my parts pool. If Lego ever brings back Constraction, I'd be on board again, but until then I'm jumping ship to Transformers. 

 

When I was a lad during the run of Bionicle I enjoyed other themes as well, but they were always secondary in importance. I genuinely liked G2 a whole lot but I was already an AFOL when that was running, which is why I'd say Bionicle G1 was both the first (it got me into Lego) and last theme that I enjoyed as the target audience. I still intend to one day max out my collection.

 

:kakama:

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:kakama: Stone rocks :kakama:

Model Designer at The LEGO Group. Former contributor at New Elementary. My MOCs can be found on Flickr and Instagram

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I'm not really sure what to say. I don't really buy LEGO sets anymore, I just buy pieces that I need online (I do pick up the odd set occaisonally). Even when I did buy themes though they were usually retroactively. (Buying 90s sets in the 2010s etc). The one theme which has persisted through all of this though is Star Wars! hands out to you my friend!

My Youtube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UClo2J14RKmVtcnoJTv7g6PA , Bionicle films coming soon!

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Hmm, interesting question. I didn't exactly have a "dark age" because I continued to collect Bionicle throughout Gen 1, but I definitely stopped purchasing System sets for a couple of years. By the time Indiana Jones came out in 2008 and reignited my interest in System, I was already beyond the age limit.

 

I guess the last System sets that I got when I was within the age limit were in 2000 and 2001. I can't remember exactly which theme was "last" but the three I collected from were Adventurers Dino Island, Arctic, and Soccer. After that, it was just Bionicle for many years. B-)

 

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I turned 18 in March 2009, so the final LEGO themes of my childhood would've been the things I was collecting in the first few months of that year, which as far as I can remember would have been Bionicle, Power Miners, and Agents. I didn't have a "dark age" of any sort. Perhaps Bionicle helped carry me through that, since besides collecting Bionicle throughout G1, a lot of my purchasing decisions in my teen years were focused on themes that I first became interested in due to having parts that looked useful for Bionicle MOCs (like Knights' Kingdom II, Vikings, and Exo-Force).

 

After Bionicle, I continued focusing mostly on colorful action/adventure themes with 7-and-up builds, though I took a very brief hiatus from constraction themes until the CCBS launched in 2011 and pulled me right back in. So even with Bionicle over, my collecting habits didn't really change much.

 

Right now the main themes I focus on are the LEGO Movie and spin-off themes, Ninjago, and Elves.

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I think for me... yeah, that would be Exo-Force too. I was at the upper end of the age bracket in 2006, when the theme started; but even despite the way the comics depicted the characters as humans rather than the familiar shape of minifigures, it still managed to very effectively captivate the remnants of my childhood imagination and draw me in. Beyond that, no other new theme managed that feat... I kept an eye on them all for a few years after, I will grant, but the interest in them was gone and I only really invested in Bionicle and Star Wars after that. Even those, my interest in waned in 2009, only that year's Toy Story sets were able to tempt much money out of me... and that, on nostalgia value as much as anything else, because TS2 had been a huge part of my childhood.

 

Nowadays, it's more nostalgia that drives my Lego interest than anything else, so I guess that was the beginning of my approaching Lego from the perspective of someone outside of the intended target audience?

 

 

Meaning in that case... yeah, the answer to your question would definitely have to be Exo-Force for me.

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I mean I guess it would depend on how you define childhood. General consensus nowadays seems to be that kids stop being kids between the ages of 10 and 12. So that would probably leave it at alien conquest (pretty cool line). And trust me there is no such thing as too young to get into something. I got into bionicle somewhere between the ages of 3 and 4 and I know I wasn't the only one like this. 

It's time to move on.

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Depending on how you interpret the question, there could be several answers:
  • Bionicle was probably the last one I was following with any enthusiasm: I started it in 2001, and continued until around 2008.
  • I did start following some other lines after 2001 (e.g. Drome Racers, Spybotics, Vikings), but by 2008 I'd either stopped following these or they'd been discontinued.
  • I bought some random City sets in the late 2000s, but I'm not sure this really counts as 'following' the line.
  • I did try to collect some of the early lines of Minifigs, but by then I was no longer a 'child' (at least, not in name: in reality, I'm pretty sure I was mentally still a child :P !)
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Designer sets, then Make and Create, then Creator. Those were the only sets I saw as a kid, asked for, even got. :) A few Star wars sets as well, when Revenge of the Sith came out. Was too young to see it but I got a couple of cool sets, along with some mini models. We really didn't have money for many Legos, so my parents were most interested in giving me a set with longevity, like Designer sets. And darn right they were too!

 

As much as I wanted Alpha Team at the time! :D

 

As far as dark ages... Legos are not bad. But all things in moderation. For some an adult Lego habit can be ok, but for many it could be an unhelpful drain on cash and time, not to mention coming off as immature. (I mean my male acquaintances, in your 20s and 30s, spending cash on Elves sets for themselves?!?) For myself, I don't foster an AFOL habit. I keep a few cool sets on display (sold off the rest) since they cheer me up to see them. Rahaga Pouks, the Rock Raiders Rapid Rider, Uxar. Uxar was a treat I bought when I was going through a painful surgery. That was the last (one of the only?) "modern" set I got for myself, from Lego, on release.

 

I buy my sisters a ton of Ninjago tho. They're addicted. :D :P

Edited by Noble Tehurye
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As far as dark ages... Legos are not bad. But all things in moderation. For some an adult Lego habit can be ok, but for many it could be an unhelpful drain on cash and time, not to mention coming off as immature. (I mean my male acquaintances, in your 20s and 30s, spending cash on Elves sets for themselves?!?)

 

If you think there's something wrong with folks like my brother and a bunch of my friends/fellow MOCists enjoying one of the best new LEGO themes of the past five years, you're the one who comes off as immature, my dude. Heteronormativity is boring! And even besides that, some of the Elves sets like 41179 and 41194 are aimed at an even more advanced building level than most Bionicle sets, while Elves sets in general tend to be more advanced than a lot of the themes like City and Castle that the wider AFOL community tends to think of as respectable adult interests.

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By the way @Master Inika, I do hope you'll enjoy the Ninjago Show! :D It's quite fun but it's most fun when watched with someone of the target demographic. That way you get your perspective and theirs! I don't bother watching it alone but I massively enjoy watch it with my younger sisters - it's much more fun with their commentary! It's full of great quips and cooky humour. :)

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Heteronormativity my friend?  ^_^  Now there's a generic nebulous pejorative word I wouldn't have heard save in today's curious political climate.  ;)  When I was younger we boys played with Legos that helped us feel like strong men - certain City service roles, Pirates, Knights, robots...  we had no interest in playing strong feminine roles because we weren't feminine. I can buy getting the sets for MOC elements, but why should I want to trade in my masculine interests any more than my sisters would trade their feminine interests?

No

 

Just no

 

Stop

 

:kakama:

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:kakama: Stone rocks :kakama:

Model Designer at The LEGO Group. Former contributor at New Elementary. My MOCs can be found on Flickr and Instagram

:smilepohatunu: :smilehuki:

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Heteronormativity my friend?  ^_^  Now there's a generic nebulous pejorative word I wouldn't have heard save in today's curious political climate.  ;)  When I was younger we boys played with Legos that helped us feel like strong men - certain City service roles, Pirates, Knights, robots...  we had no interest in playing strong feminine roles because we weren't feminine. I can buy getting the sets for MOC elements, but why should I want to trade in my masculine interests any more than my sisters would trade their feminine interests?

No

 

Just no

 

Stop

 

:kakama:

 

 

For reals though. Is "today's curious political climate" code for  "LGBT people existing much like they always have, except with a somewhat better chance of not having to keep that part of themselves secret for their own survival"?

 

It's absurd to think that you would be any less of a man or I would be any less of a woman by enjoying and telling stories about characters of a different gender, with cool characteristics that ANYBODY (whether boys, girls, men, women, or none-of-the-above) can enjoy. Plus, there's nothing inherently masculine or feminine about robots, knights, mechanics, etc.

 

Nobody's saying all men and women ought to like the exact same things, just that there's no reason everyone's interests ought to be strictly segregated according to gender. If you really want people to embrace their differences, isn't that best served by giving everyone complete freedom to pick and choose what parts of the human experience appeal most to THEM? Why limit that based on certain interests being randomly stigmatized as "for girls" or "for boys" (even if in a different place and time, those same interests might have been associated with a different gender, or not associated with any particular gender at all)?

 

I also have to wonder… do you have these same sort of bizarre hangups about the various women (including me and many of the MOCists and artists I admire most) who enjoy more traditionally boy-targeted brands like Bionicle, Ninjago, or Transformers? Or is there something about "girl stuff" that you find uniquely demeaning?

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  • 3 weeks later...

As for the topic, My last line was definitely Exo-Force. It came out during my early interest in Manga styled artwork, and the Japanese text helped me with my Japanese Language class in High School. The story was just as captivating that first year as Bionicle had been, and the sets were inspired. After Exo-Force ended, the first line I became interested in was the Architecture series, and it is aimed toward older audiences. That's when I knew I wasn't a kid anymore. And yes, I do count my teenage years as part of my childhood (thanks to PTSD caused faulty pre-teen memory).

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This is kind of a hard question to answer... I was born in 1999, and only got into Bionicle in 2005 through 2010, though I really grew to love it. I was a fan for a couple of years prior to that (I remember seeing the Bohrok commercials and playing Mata Nui Online Game on my family's computer) though I was too young until then, when I got Hordika Vakama and Nuju for my 5th birthday. The last theme that I collected as a child probably was Bionicle G1, or if you look a bit later, Bionicle G2, of which I'm fortunate to have a mostly complete collection along with some LEGO Movie sets. My first adult theme was probably when I started collecting modular buildings at the same time. 

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Current! Although I still have my bionicle stuff, as a 19-year-old, I have definitely outgrown it. I still have it for nostalgia's sake rarely take it out or do much with it. It's still a goal of mine to get the last big sets that I've wanted since childhood (the manas and exo-toa come to mind), but, being a busy college student with an actual life, I can't justify spending three figures on a relatively small set. Now that I'm older, I still love lego, but my focus has shifted from the play aspect to the building aspect as I've grown. I love the creator expert sets, especially the modular buildings, and, since most of them are marketed towards 16+ I can say I fit in that age range. Since they're so expensive, they have become more of a once or twice a year kind of thing, but I still enjoy the experience tremendously. On top of that, I made pretty good money over the summer working at the lego store in my hometown, and, coupled with my employee discount, I was able to pick up a couple really fun sets for myself.

I like BZP so much, I named my Minecraft account Dimensioneer.

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  • 4 weeks later...

My interest in Bionicle diminished once they announced that the Toa team for 2008 was going to be the Nuva team again. I had grown fond of the Inika/Mahri characters, but I also thought, per the Mata/Nuva, the Metru/Hordika, and then the Inika/Mahri, that each team got 2 iterations and that was is it.

 

Knowing that, however, the last set of my childhood that I got was Lego Star Wars. I got a good bit of the '08 and '09 Lego Star Wars sets prior to losing interest in lego all together. (I joined here because I refound that interest later on though :) )

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  • 2 years later...
  • 6 months later...

Last theme I played with as a child was mindstorms, I went to the FLL state championships three times in my life in the most active state for FLL. It kept my interest in Lego and bionicle past its temporary resurrection in 2015 and then started my dark ages when I could no longer participate in FLL. My dark age only really lasted for about 1 or 2 years and when I got back into Lego I had a lot of parts I could resell.

Bazinga! I've been a Bionicle Fan since early 2015 and have been aware of it since 2008. Was a bit late to the party due to my age, but that doesn't matter now. Looking for krana and sealed G1 sets at below market value if possible, (otherwise it'll be a few years before I care to collect sets I don't care as much about) Bohrok Kal and Krana Kal Mask Pack sets are ones I am particularly looking for atm.

I go by Nektann or Marcato usually online.

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I'm not an adult yet so I'm not sure if 'childhood' has ended really. I'd say Galaxy Squad (2013) was a last range I remember, it was okay, not a very inspired range same with the Castle range around that time. Chima was also around at that time.

Ranges I enjoyed though would be Atlantis, Mars Mission, Exo Force, Vikings, Dino Attack, all that juicy mid 2000s stuff.

 

 

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  • 3 weeks later...
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It sort of depends where you draw the line... I had a hardcore Bionicle Dark Age (2010-2020), but I never had a generalised LEGO Dark Age. In general, I'd draw the line when I made the decision to take all my sets apart and keep them apart, after a childhood of always reverting to keeping my sets built. Granted, over the last 15 years or so, I've been rebuilding more and more, so that most of my childhood sets are restored, but that was the big dividing line: 2004. It also matched up with the brown and grey colour changes, my first online activity as a fan, and I was in high school (and my college years were my Dimmest Ages).

So... I guess I'd say that the Orient Expedition theme is the last one I remember getting sets from before that cut-off. Though it did straddle it and I picked up more during/after the Great Take-Apart.

Honestly, the last big LEGO theme I got into as a kid was Bionicle itself, which probably crested for me around Mask of Light in late 2003.

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So I never had a dark age....so I guess I'll let you know when I do have a dark age.

 

Serious time. I never stopped buy/collecting Lego however I would say the last Lego theme I truly wanted all the sets two for the fact they were cool and wanted them more for the models than the parts would have to maybe be Bionicle Gen2. Since then I don't think I have bought close to a full wave of anything. Also seemed even before Gen2 I was loosing interest in many system lines as I don't care much for licensed themes.

Now if we look at the last theme of sets I bought to PLAY with as a kid.....

 

Bionicle Gen 2. No I won't say how old I was when I got them.

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  • 1 month later...

Bionicle ended right as I was starting college, so I'd say that bionicle was the last line of my childhood. During college I did collect (and still collect) lego sets, I really enjoyed the LotR and Hobbit sets (Helms deep was one of the coolest) and I still grab the good star wars set. I got a bit into Ninjago, but I stopped following the story after the 2nd year with the serpentine. I haven't collected a new line the same way that I did with Bionicle.

However, now that there are more 18+ sets, I've been collecting more and more of those, I enjoy displaying those. :D

 

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  • 7 months later...

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