By Jonathan Klotz
| Published 1 hour ago
Out of everything that older generations say Gen-Z doesn’t appreciate, it’s not smartphones, online gaming, or the way we used to do math that leaves me stunned: it’s Lego. The world’s most popular toy is filled with licensed properties ranging from Star Wars and The Avengers to Harry Potter and Ghostbusters, but it wasn’t always that way.
Back in my day, we had Town, Castle, and Space, and kids today don’t understand how lucky they are to have Luffy’s Going Merry pirate ship from One Piece.
Lego has been around since 1932 as wooden blocks, becoming plastic bricks after World War II, and it wasn’t until 1978 that the classic Lego minifig appeared for the first time. A few years later in the early 80s, the Castle, Town, and Space lines were relaunched for North America, with massive sets, at the time, including “Knight’s Castle” with 380 pieces and six minifigs, “Main Street” included 548 parts and eight minifgs, and “Galaxy Commander,” clocking in at 412 parts and five minifgis. They seem quaint today, but these sets were huge when they came out, and each of them would include “alternate build” suggestions.
The True Meaning Of Lego
The original three themes were designed to let kids use their imagination to build whatever came to mind, instead of feeling the need to follow the instructions step by step. Not only was that the plot of 2014’s The Lego Movie, it was a real debate taking place on dining room tables across the country for decades.
You could argue that the loss of creativity with the rise of licensed sets has forever tarnished what Lego used to mean. On the other hand, how cool is the Lego Death Star?
How Star Wars Saved Lego
By the mid-90s, it was becoming clear that Lego had to change with the rise of other licensed toys stealing their market share and bringing the company to the brink of bankruptcy. A licensing deal for Star Wars wound up being what kick-started the company, with the 2005 launch of the Lego Star Wars video game exploding in popularity and setting Lego on the path to becoming the most valuable brand on the planet.
There was no going back, which is what brings us to today, and the availability of Lego sets for every single property you can think of.
It’s clear that most of the Lego sets today are banking on nostalgia from the adult audience that grew up playing with the Castle and Town sets, unless Gen Z wants to build Jerry Seinfeld’s apartment. There’s an entire Simpsons line of playsets, Gizmo from Gremlins, the recently released boat from Jaws, a Game Boy, and a Transformers Generation 1 Optimus Prime. Everything that a child of the 80s would have killed to have back then is available today.
The Modern Argument Against Lego
As a kid, I remember being excited when I opened “King’s Mountain Fortress” for my birthday, and as an adult, I have the Horizon: Zero Dawn Tallneck on my Amazon wishlist. Who hasn’t stared longingly at the massive Death Star or Barad-dûr? A love for Lego doesn’t stop when you get older; it only gets more expensive.
The modern argument against Lego is how pricey the sets have become, with sets approaching a thousand dollars, and $350 is standard for the large licensed playsets. Kids are getting priced out of some of the coolest sets.
Then again, even in the 80s large sets would run $80 to $100, limiting them for most kids to birthdays and Holidays. Putting together colored blocks in the shape of the Infinity Gauntlet has always been an expensive hobby.
They Don’t Know How Good They Have It
Lego is one of the noticeable hobbies that’s been targeting Gen X/Millennial nostalgia though sadly for those that fit the demographic, we’re only a few years from playsets aimed at Gen Z. Brace yourself for more Fortnite and the inevitable launch of Five Nights at Freddy’s Lego playsets.
Kids today will never get to know the rush of excitement over the arrival of a new line of Lego sets, like 1993’s Wolfpack for the Castle line, but they do get a new set for every Marvel movie and season of Stranger Things.
They don’t know how good they have it
