...but first, a bit about me

As this is the first post here at All About Bricks it seems to make sense to give some sort of introduction. This blog will be home to a weekly article with opinion and commentary on some aspect of the LEGO hobby, and in between will feature certain news bites that seem worth reporting. To give some hints as to what aspects of LEGO I’ll be talking about here at All About Bricks, a bit about LEGO and me…

My introduction to LEGO came as a child, and that time being the late eighties and early nineties meant I was treated to the classic LEGO Pirates line. I had a little Castle, a bit of Town, some Technic, but the main focus was on Pirates. A favourite set from that time remains the Imperial Trading Post (6277), which I remember building, dismantling and re-building endlessly. As Pirates came to an end, the Western theme caught my eye and I collected that range in its entirety. After completing that collection, I felt I had ‘out grown’ LEGO.

Thankfully, it was for only two years that I was away from the LEGO brick. In 1999, an endcap of the first wave of Star Wars LEGO sets in Toys R Us was all it took to tempt me back into the world of LEGO. I have enjoyed Star Wars almost as long as LEGO, and the combination of the two captured me immediately. Since then I have collected almost every Star War set released, and spent £349.99 on the Ultimate Collector’s Series Millennium Falcon (10179), making it the most expensive single item in my collection. Due to my passion for Star Wars, I also contribute to the UK fan site JediNews.co.uk, where LEGO is my particular niche.

In 2005 I dipped my toe into LEGO City, and since then have been picking and choosing the City sets that I like, with plans to put together my own town and add my own creations. This has also led me into the fantastic exclusive range of modular buildings.

Other short-lived ranges that I have picked up are Indiana Jones, the return of Pirates, and just when I thought I could stick to Star Wars and City I’m going to be going after the Pirates of the Caribbean range. It’s going to be another expensive year, but with this many exciting releases that’s best not thought about.

To check out my collection (since 2006), visit my BrickSet page here. And if you’re not using it already, you should be!
I hope this gives an idea about me and what LEGO ranges make me tick, but don’t worry if they’re not your thing - this blog will also cover other LEGO themes and more general LEGO commentary. Happy building!

- Graham