What set/theme ended your dark age?

RichardAM · Post by **RichardAM** » Sat Jan 19, 2008 11:58 am

I stopped buying Lego in about 2001, because I was supposedly 'getting too old for it'. Ludicrous of course, but the constant rolling of family eyes meant that I would put a halt to my childhood interest in Lego, thankfully not being stupid enough to throw it all out or make a few hundred sales.

Fast forward a relatively short few years to 2004 and i'd be on holiday, inside a toy-shop. The Adventurers would've been my favourite themes previously, and with the shop stocking the Orient Expedition sets released the previous year, I would end-up buying 7409 and 7412. When I got home, all the boxes previously in storage came out, and it set about a chain of events that would lead me to here posting this and now spending £100 on Lego every month.

Your turn.

(the story is optional!

)

Sir Kohran · Post by **Sir Kohran** » Sat Jan 19, 2008 12:26 pm

I stopped Lego in 2000 because KK1 was such a letdown to me. I continued solely with Bionicle for the next few years.

Then, in 2004 - this may sound bizarre to some - KK2 brought me back to Castle; for the first time in years I had found a brick-based Lego theme that I genuinely liked.

- Matt

Scnicker · Post by **Scnicker** » Sat Jan 19, 2008 1:56 pm

I had a really long dark age really:from 1998 to 2003. During 2003, I found some of my pirate sets and wanted to sell them

. Later on, my love for Lego rekindled and you know the rest

.

Demmue · Post by **Demmue** » Sat Jan 19, 2008 3:03 pm

I love LEGOs pretty much since I can remember with Castle and Pirates being my favorites. Around 98 or so the Pirate theme was at an end and thus was forced to buy Castle sets only and unfortunately the castle sets in 1999-2000 were already in a downward spiral that didn't end until 2007. In 2007 I was just going through the toy aisle at my local Target and saw the new castle line and while I hated the gimmicky Skeleton faction I was pleasantly surprised to see the return of a solid knight factions, no more weird colored knights or outlandish set designs.

Now I have every new castle set (at least one of each) and I have actually gone back and bought all the "golden age" sets I couldn't afford back in the day. in 07 alone I spend over $1,500. This year will probably top that!

Life_Unscripted · Post by **Life_Unscripted** » Sat Jan 19, 2008 3:58 pm

Lol You know, I don't think I ever had a "dark age". I told myself when I was a kid that I would be playing with legos forever and I was pretty serious about that. They didn't seem like just a toy to me. I am however a cheapskate so I don't buy many sets anyway. I guess I was not actually playing with lego from about 1998 to 2006 I guess.. But I was buying sets here and there still in that time. Now I buy legos at the best place to find old ones (Flea markets

)

Post by **rogue27** » Sat Jan 19, 2008 4:14 pm

10000 Guarded Inn ended my dark age in 2002.

My dark age began in 1992 as I started to feel embarrassed buying LEGO at K-mart when I was 15.

Spongey · Post by **Spongey** » Sat Jan 19, 2008 5:16 pm

I never really had a dark age, but my obsession with LEGO started when I began my pursuit of a 6285, Black Seas Barracuda. When I finally got my hands on one, the LEGO fire had been kindled, and I moved from being a pirate fan to mainly a castle one.

Brickzone · Post by **Brickzone** » Sat Jan 19, 2008 6:24 pm

The instigator of my dark ages was the era 96/97 when there were far fewer sets I was interested in. In 98 I would have been interested in Ninja and Adventurers but by then I was in college where I was busy and every penny counted.

Later I was put off new Lego by the KK stuff, expensive Harry Potter and Star Wars (the former of which I now really appreciate having got cheaper second hand, and the latter I daren't get into).

The new City sets; 6 wide vehicles etc. ended my Dark ages, as well as the Vikings. The Ambulance, Airport Fire Truck and police car were the first new sets I got. The toy depts. in Munich also helped, with fantastic Lego dioramas and plenty of sets and great Christmas atmosphere.

STK · Post by **STK** » Sat Jan 19, 2008 7:50 pm

My Dark age began with the ninja theme. I always loved the european knights and the pirates, so the eastern was nothing of interest for me. I still don't like it yet.
Like Rogue27 the 10000 Guarded Inn brought me back into lego after i just wanted to look, what was happening with lego castle in the last years. But still i bought nothing newer set until 2007. (In this time i bought some older sets from a good known internet auctioneer)

RichardAM · Post by **RichardAM** » Sat Jan 19, 2008 9:31 pm

Brickzone wrote: The new City sets; 6 wide vehicles etc. ended my Dark ages, as well as the Vikings.

Absolutely, and same here- once i'd rebuilt all of the Adventurers sets and scoured the internet for more, the Vikings and new town only helped reinforce my revived interest.

It was a little odd seeing six-stud vehicles though after an entire childhood of only four-stud ones.

Donut · Post by **Donut** » Sat Jan 19, 2008 9:39 pm

rogue27 wrote: My dark age began in 1992 as I started to feel embarrassed buying LEGO at K-mart when I was 15.

The same thing happened to me when I entered my "Dark Ages", I felt really embarrassed buying LEGO. I stopped around 2000, so I missed the BF fortress and Guarded Inn

. Fortunately my dad bought the pirate Legends so I don't have too much to regret today. I came by to LEGO when my friend introduced to me an online forum. He sparked my interest in buying LEGOs again, but unfortunately the rainbow Knight's didn't appeal to my interest. I sticked to eBay during the meantime and hooray, there's castle 2008! I don't think I am gonna go down the dark path any time soon.

Blueandwhite · Post by **Blueandwhite** » Sat Jan 19, 2008 9:56 pm

The Star Wars line in 1999 got be back into LEGO something fierce. When I saw that LEGO was producing Star Wars sets (a movie franchise that I loved), I was hooked. I had to buy myself the X Wing immediately. That being said, I didn't really latch onto the Star Wars theme. Almost as soon as I started collecting again, I started looking for more old castle sets and grey bricks. The Legends line that followed a few years later only made my hunger for bricks worse!

Remyth · Post by **Remyth** » Sat Jan 19, 2008 10:21 pm

Hmm..

I think I would have to give credit to the Legends 3-pack back in 2001. I didn't do a lot with LEGO until 2002 after that, but it ended my not doing anything with LEGO Dark Age.

In Christ,

doc069 · Post by **doc069** » Sat Jan 19, 2008 10:43 pm

A good topic to be sure.

I stopped playing with Lego around '86. I even remember making fun of a buddy for buying some of the pirate sets back in the day.

Fast forward to 2002 and my son wanted his room to be in Harry Potter. We bought all of the '01 & '02 sets to populate his room. Then my father suggested eBay to pick up some more bricks and the rest is history.

Star Wars is one of my favourite themes (I am only missing a couple of the episode I, II, III sets). But LOTR would have to be the force that brought me out of the dark ages, and I have been working on collecting figs for this since about '03. More then ever over the past 2-years.

As for total spent - a lot. As I have mentioned before, enough to pick up a new 335xi (? and a smart car).

Lee.

wunztwice · Post by **wunztwice** » Sun Jan 20, 2008 12:49 am

Remyth wrote:Hmm..

I think I would have to give credit to the Legends 3-pack back in 2001. I didn't do a lot with LEGO until 2002 after that, but it ended my not doing anything with LEGO Dark Age.

In Christ,

You know Thomas, I think it was MY Legends 3-pack that got you moving.

But really, it was those sets that inspired me to break out my LEGO.
Although I never really stopped being interested in LEGO, I didn't really do much with it around High School (probably about 1998-2004ish)

I don't know why I stopped really, but one thing is for sure, it was those three castle sets that brought me wheeling back to LEGO-dom!