The Lego theme is an easy one for the GeoKs! We’ve been adult fans of Lego (AFOLs) ever since Mr. GeoK spotted the pneumatic crane set 8460-1 a in a toy shop window in France in 1995. After carefully breaking down the box to lie flat in his pack and fitting the sealed bags of bricks in among his clothing, Mr. GeoK packed that set around Europe for a few weeks before we flew back to Canada and it was the set that started it all….

1. Lego Room

The Lego room in our basement is a pretty good indication of how seriously Mr. GeoK takes his Lego collection. Some unopened sets are on the lower shelves of the standing-height work table, which doubles as a display space. The open shelves on the far end of the room showcase (mostly Technics) vehicles. The shelves behind the work table hold our Lego Star Wars collection. The colourful Lego dots on the end of the work table are attached with magnets, so we can take them with us if/when we ever move out, leaving a generic hobby room behind for next occupants.

2. IDEAS Catterham Seven 620R

In 2008, the same year Lego bricks turned 50, the Lego company co-founded a website where users can submit IDEAS for new sets. IDEAS must fit within Lego’s guidelines, which change from time-to-time. Beyond that, IDEAS that garner 10,000 votes from IDEA users over a set timeline earn the right to be formally reviewed by Lego. If, after the review, Lego approves an IDEA for production, the creator receives a small royalty on every sale. Since the program’s inception, 22 IDEAS have been approved. As of now, twenty IDEAS have been produced, including the lovely Catterham Seven 620R.

3. Original Millennium Falcon

The first Lego Millennium Falcon appeared on toy store shelves in 2000. Set 7190 retailed for US$100. A couple of years after it came out, NMIB (new, mint, in box) Millennium Falcon sets were commanding several hundred dollars on after-market sites like e-Bay. Once Lego introduced a second version of the Millennium Falcon (set 4504), the value of the original version started to drop. As of now, 4 full-sized, 2 ultimate collector’s series, and (I think) 9 midi-, mini- and micro-sized Millennium Falcon sets  have been produced. A quick check of e-Bay indicates the first model has roughly held its original value over the years. The canopy over the pilot’s cockpit is unique to the original set. The slanted brick just above and behind the cockpit was originally produced for Lego train sets. The set includes 6 minifigs, including Han Solo, Chewbacca, Luke Skywalker, Princess Leia, C-3PO and R2-D2.

4. Our Oldest Lego Figure

Chief Bertie Bulldog from the 1984 Fabuland set 3664 is the oldest Lego figure in our collection. It’s something that was traded into a Lego minifig-themed geocache we placed in west Calgary (since archived). The printing on Bertie Bulldog’s nose is a bit faded, but he’s otherwise in pretty good shape. This figure is about twice the size of the wide variety of mainstream minifigs that Lego has produced since 1978.

5. Lego Math Problems

There are all kinds of math problems that challenge (usually) students to figure out how many ways there are to connect 2 or more Lego bricks of specified sizes. I am pretty sure that there are 48 possible combinations of 2 different-coloured 2 x 4 Lego bricks (please correct me, if this is incorrect). This photo shows just seven of the possible combinations. There are quite a few websites that talk about Lego math problems, including this one that I found interesting because it disputes a widely-shared calculation done by the Lego company in 1974, which found that the number of ways to combine six 2 x 4 bricks of the same colour is 102,981,500. The article shows another approach to the problem that produces a solution of 915,103,765 possible combinations!!

Whether accidental or planned, our PBC organizer selected Lego as the theme for the month that Lego celebrated the 60th anniversary of Lego blocks. Astoundingly, two LEGO bricks produced 60 years apart can fit together! Check the link up to see what the other participants built with Lego this month.

And if you’re looking for a way to stay motivated to improve your photography skills, consider joining PJ’s photo blogging challenge. The monthly themes make for a low stress “photo assignment” with plenty of time to get creative. New participants are welcome any time. The key requirement is five photos; the amount of accompanying text is up to you. The next theme will be posted at a ‘lil Hoohaa on February 1st.