Don’t be afraid to try something new

Evolution of my Lego hobby

I was driving home from work one afternoon after a rather tiring and stressful day and my mind began to wander to the next Lego set I was going to build.  Thinking about the backlog of sets I have yet to build, I was having a difficult time deciding my next set.  The problem is, I was not overly excited about any of them.  Which is strange as they are all sets I purchased with the intent of building and enjoying in the not so distant future.  My backlog consists of sets within several themes like seasonal holiday sets, Star Wars, Speed Champions, and Brickheadz sets that are sitting unbuilt in my closet.  In total, I have over 30 sets in my backlog, however the few sets I really want to build I don’t currently own and would have to purchase.  So then my mind immediately turns to justifying why I need to buy those sets and leave my current backlog untouched….again.  The struggle is real my Lego friends, haha.  

I almost convinced myself to go ahead and purchase the latest sets on my want list, then logic entered the room and it made me realize that I have plenty of Lego to build without spending another dollar.  Damn you logic and common sense…

So what is my problem?  I want to build Lego and I have a closet full of amazing unbuilt Lego sets. But for some reason I am no longer excited to build them.  Am I just chasing the next new shiny thing?  

Choosing a Lego set to build should not be a stress inducing situation.  As I alluded to earlier, I am not overly excited about the sets in my backlog but I know those are the sets I need to build.  Historically, most of my builds have been Star Wars or Brickheadz, so I may be a little burnt out on building another vehicle in medium stone gray color.

Aside from being a Lego collector, I am also a Lego investor.  Meaning I have purchased numerous sets with the sole intention of holding and selling at a later time.  So I decided to browse my inventory to see if anything piques my interest.  After switching my frame of mind from an investor to a collector, I found a few sets that I previously had not considered for my own collection.  The short list includes 80112 Auspicious Dragon, 71469 Dreamzzz Nightmare Shark Ship, and 41238 Technic Ford Mustang Shelby GT500.

After I got home from work that day and spent some time with my family, I ventured down to the basement and browsed my Lego investing inventory to find the sets mentioned above.  Now that I narrowed down and located the sets I want to build I then had to decide again and pick just one (decisions, decisions…)  

I finally settled on 80112 Auspicious Dragon as it had such a variety of different colors and parts I had not built with before.  To say I was blown away by this set is an understatement!  Just an incredible build!  Starting with the amazing details of the base featuring water with small waves and the rock formation protruding from it, all for the purpose of sturdily displaying the dragon.  I was surprised to find that over half of the build focused on the base.  The reason I chose to build the set was because the dragon looked freaking awesome, I barely noticed the base.  I enjoyed building the base of the set as much as the dragon itself. 

I am not much of a Lego set reviewer other than I can tell you if I like a set or not, so I’ll spare you from those details.  However, here are a few pictures of Auspicious Dragon after I completed the build.

80112 Auspicious Dragon

My unexpected enjoyment with this set has changed my perspective as a Lego collector forever.  I have learned to broaden my horizons and try new things.  Also, that's great life advice I have come to find out through other interests of mine outside of Lego.

I really love the collection of colors and detailed pieces to represent a scale like exterior of a dragon.

I’m a little late to the party in talking up this set as it retired in 2024.  The only way to purchase is from the secondary market on Bricklink, eBay, Walmart, or Amazon.  MSRP was $89.99 but the aftermarket value has climbed to $110 to $150 depending on where you look.  Still reasonable if you missed out on this set.  But the longer you wait the more expensive this set will become.

How has your Lego collection, or collection interests changed over time?

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Until next time AFOLs….