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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To ask for help regarding LEGO?

90 replies

KissMyEmbroideryHoop · 20/07/2012 18:36

DD is nearly 8 and has never had any lego as I always felt it was bloody overpred and can't see the point in all those pre designed sets...you know...build Hogwarts for 50 quid....

She wants Lego for her birthday and I don't know what to do...I oved my set as a kid but it was basic...just bricks and windows etc...I found a deluxe box for thirty two pounds...looked good and basic...then I red the reviews ad they were all saying "My 4 year old son loved this"

Confused

Should I be buying some other form of lego? I really didn't want to buy those sets...I do NOT want to get her a pink box...or one of those bloody

"Happy-Twat Girly Vet Shack" sets that they do.

AIBU to not know what to get and to ask for help.

Probably yes...but there you have it! Grin

OP posts:
Markingmyplace · 21/07/2012 10:03

I think maybe having it on the back, as a guide for an adult is fine.

But having it emblazoned on the front does not appeal to "older" kids.

Like you say an older one can do a younger model, but if they are on the cusp of the age, and of course it's always cooler to be older for your age when you are a child, then having a younger kit, that has the age on big number on the front will have an impact on the number of sales.

Iheardthatpardon · 21/07/2012 10:12

Try MSE Lego bargains thread for latest Lego offers or Hotukdeals. Think ToysRUs have 20% off this weekend too if you want to look on there.
Tbh Lego sets are nice as presents but they all seem to go into the general box sooner or later as we don't have space to keep them constructed and on display. Can usually get the big buckets at about half price every now and then from Tesco/Argos/Amazon etc. Just keep an eye out for the offers.
HTH

clayfeet · 21/07/2012 10:14

"Happy-Twat Girly Vet Shack". Love it. I wholeheartedly agree.

jimswifein1964 · 21/07/2012 10:24

spongebob

littlemissbroody26 · 21/07/2012 12:14

If you are worried about other kids having licked it could you buy second hand and soak it in soapy water or even put it in the dishwasher?

Original poster
KissMyEmbroideryHoop · 21/07/2012 13:51

Ooh thanks for all the lovely tips people!

yes Clayfeet...I think we could have lots of set along those lines...

"Simpering Sally's Shit Shop"

"Twatty Tricia's Twinkly-Twit Stall" NOW IN PURPLE AS WELL AS PINK!!!!

(Because little girls only want to help animals or work in shops)

OP posts:
MysteriousHamster · 21/07/2012 14:05

Lego Creator houses that turn into three different houses are fab.

Lego City is not as good as it used to be (mostly law enforcement or vehicles) but some ok sets.

I was dead against the new Lego Friends but despite the colours and new character models the sets aren't too bad - well, the cafe, the treehouse and the house are all right.

A specific set and some regular bricks sounds just right.

clayfeet · 21/07/2012 14:22

And a token scientist, but in flip flops.

PurpleCrazyHorse · 21/07/2012 14:31

If you have an iPhone there's a Lego Instruct app that has loads of little things you can build. Definitely ditch the boxes & mix it up, it's the best way Grin

DH is 33 and has his Lego in really useful boxes organised by colour!! DD plays with it (she's 2.11) but only because she's always been around it and knows not to put it near her mouth. Ignore the ages and buy whatever will spark their imagination.

DowagersHump · 21/07/2012 14:36

As well as the tub, we have a plastic box from Ikea which has loads of little sub-dividers in it so you can sort the people from the wheels and stop all those teeny bits falling to the bottom of the tub so you can't find them.

If you so choose Blush

Ithinkitsjustme · 21/07/2012 15:15

The Entertainer toy shop is selling boxes of roof pieces, boxes of windows and doors etc which are great add ons to boxes of general pieces. I have to admit that my girls have never really been into lego, while 2 of my boys couldn't get enough of it. I do remember having a hospital when I was a kid and absolutely loving it - I don't know why they stopped producing it. Little wheelchairs that the people "sat" in (if you snapped them in half first, Grin it was great!

Shinyshoes1 · 21/07/2012 16:56

There is a man selling 1/2 kg of Lego for £13.99 free p&p on eBay

Shinyshoes1 · 21/07/2012 17:20

Or even better amazon are selling 1.6 kg of lego for £25.99

Mrbojangles1 · 21/07/2012 19:04

My son loves lego still i buy the sets and sometimes just plain old lego off ebay wash it down then put in tissue papper in a nice box and hey presto christmas gift he has never ever mentioned it being seconed hand and actually likes it better as you can get excatly what you want rather than buying sets from the shops

letsblowthistacostand · 21/07/2012 20:50

See now I feel like a bad mum for loving the Lego friends sets! They are fun to set up, esp the little ones, and we get loads of playtime out of them. The treehouse is awesome. I don't think it's any more sexist than Sylvanian families and here's the best thing: they work with the 'boy' lego sets too.

WidowWadman · 21/07/2012 21:20

they only work with the standard lego if you leave out the dolls they have introduced instead of the minifigs

I heartily recommend these videos by Anita Sarkeesian about the issue:

Lego and Gender Part 1: Lego Friends

Lego and Gender Part 2: The Boys Club

belgo · 22/07/2012 09:00

don't feel bad letsblowthistacostand - my girls have Lego friends mixed in with the other Lego - and of course it's all compatible with each other. Even the figure's hair is compatible with the hair from the regular minifigures.

WidowWadman · 22/07/2012 09:11

The hair's compatible but they're much taller.

Original poster
KissMyEmbroideryHoop · 22/07/2012 09:13

I don't want to judge....it is important that girls feel they CAN like things that are specifically gender designed too....I suppose I resent all the pink and the fact that they redesigned the figures to look less interesting in my mind.

My DD is particularly un-girly....she wears pink sometimes but is very vocal about feminism....she's almost 8 and I think my careful explanations about gender expectation have sunk in.....

I'm proud that she loves sewing AND science....that she happily spends hours drawing kittens and yet will also go tree climbing and bug collecting.

If she asked for one of the "girl sets" I would get it.

OP posts:
belgo · 22/07/2012 09:19

My only real problem with the Friends sets is the way they are advertised - in the Lego booklet I got here in Belgium - there was a picture of 'Friends' with the phrase 'now Lego for girls!' giving the impression that it wasn't previously for girls.

belgo · 22/07/2012 09:25

The Friends figures work perfectly with the Doctor Who minifigures here.

belgo · 22/07/2012 09:25

So you can add Daleks to that twatty tree house.

Indith · 22/07/2012 09:26

Belgo I agree. The last lego ctalogue we got had the "friends" range is a separate supplement stamped "just for girls". The sets are actuall quite good and not all stereotypical girl stuff (camper van for example) so why can they not be normal colours like the res of lego and be for everyone? I really like the camper van one and I wish it was normal colours so I could get it for one of my dcs for Christmas as they'd love it and the other campervan set you can get is the super expensive replica VW which is way out of budget!

OP what about the log cabin set? It has a man in a canoe and everything, I want it!

belgo · 22/07/2012 09:28

There is actually a normal Lego city campervan which is almost exactly the same as the Friends version, just cheaper.

belgo · 22/07/2012 09:29

here