If you have children, chances are you have Lego. Even if you don’t have youngsters, chances are you will have played with Lego in your lifetime! It is a great toy; wonderful for inspiring imagination, encouraging manual dexterity, and helping children to learn how to create.
However, the price can start to build up, especially if you find yourself buying the more expensive Lego building sets that are becoming more popular these days; you may end up feeling like you’re supporting a whole factory of Lego makers! So just why is Lego so expensive?
What is Lego?
Lego is a plastic construction toy, that consists of a great many different shaped, interlocking bricks. There are a huge number of different shaped pieces, that fit together in different ways to create a variety of different toys and playthings.
Lego as a toy has been around since 1949 (quite young when you compare it to Meccano sets), and its popularity is only growing – in 2015 it was listed as the world’s most powerful brand, and there have been times when investing in Lego sets was more lucrative than investing in gold!
As well as the standard interlocking bricks, Lego now comes in sets that are designed to build specific models, and the iconic Lego mini figures were introduced in 1978 to add another dimension to the bricks that are used for creating objects and buildings.
Lego is extremely versatile; pieces from the original sets of Lego can still be used on modern sets, with the same degree of precision – this makes Lego, more than some other toys, a timeless creation that stands the test of the decades.
Why is Lego so expensive?
Lego, by itself, is not a ridiculously pricey piece of toy equipment. For the standard Lego that is used to build houses, trains, cars and other flights of imagination, you won’t have to spend a lot. However, for the Lego sets that are based on films, you will pay a bigger buck.
This may seem unfair at first, but there are reasons for the hike in price. Lego pays a substantial licensing fee for those sets that are linked to the movie franchises, such as the lucrative Star Wars franchises, and it is this extra price that is passed on to the consumer.
Lego is a more expensive brand than some other copycat brands out there – but this is because it is manufactured to very high standards of quality, and also because it is a very well known household name that people will happily pay more for.
What can you do with Lego?
The only thing that limits the building of Lego creations is the imagination. You can make literally any type of structure with Lego, as you will see if you have ever been to an exhibition or the iconic Legoland (the largest ever Lego model was a 1:1 scale model of an X-wing fighter; it used more than 5 million bricks! Other creations include a 34m high tower, and a railway that stretched 2.5 miles!)
You can make anything, from machines to buildings, to animals, to pretend swords with which you can battle monsters. The imagination really is the only limit.
You and your children can also create collection pieces, by buying one of the Lego kits that are designed to create specific items, often based on favourite films or games – these are wildly popular with young people these days.
Lego has also branched out into the world of films and gaming – you have probably heard of the Lego Star Wars, Lego Harry Potter, and other Lego based adaptations of favourite films and books that are everywhere these days. If you love Lego, you can find it just about anywhere!
How can I afford Lego?
If you are on a budget and cannot afford the more expensive Lego sets out there, don’t panic.
Lego is a product that lasts and lasts, and it is very difficult to break or ruin the bricks, which means that you can happily buy second hand sets and know that they are just as good as the brand new ones that you can buy off the shelves.
Car boot sales, second hand shops, local groups, and online selling platforms such as eBay are great for picking up Lego bargains, and putting grins of delight on your children’s faces. Y
ou could also get together with other parents and Lego enthusiasts, and swap various items so that there is always something new to play with.
Final words
Lego is a great toy, that can allow literally hours of fun. It helps children learn motor skills and how to use their imaginations to create whatever they want to, plus it can inspire a love of building and engineering that can last a lifetime.
If nothing else, Lego is a fun way for kids to start to explore the world around them and can be a great bonding exercise for parents and children. It can be a little pricey if your kids only want the newest sets – but think of it as an investment. Remember that it was once more expensive than gold!
