Following my first article for BrickNerd discussing my Autism diagnosis and how this relates to me being an AFOL—especially how LEGO has been a strategy with supporting this—I wanted to gain the perspectives of other Autistic AFOLs. I sought out other AFOLs who felt safe enough to share their experiences. Rather than summarize what they said, I’ve opted to include their own words because I think they are more powerful coming from the source. Here are the interviews I conducted. Molly Belfield: Speaking LEGO As A Common Language Kate: When did you get your diagnosis, and can you summarise, if you’re comfortable, how it affects your daily life? Image by Chris Christian. Molly: I was diagnosed with Autism when I was 21. At the time, I was at university studying to become a paediatric nurse. Although I don't often tell people that I'm Autistic, I now feel so much happier because...

Since the release of Star Wars: The Phantom Menace in 1999, The LEGO Group has produced many sets using the Intellectual Property (IP) of other companies. Harry Potter followed Star Wars in 2001, and over the next two decades, there was a surge of new licenses making it the most important factor in The LEGO Group’s stunning growth. In turn, LEGO fans have benefited from the expanded range which offers a broader array of themes, sets, and minifigures. This has provided expanded play options for kids and a resounding hit of nostalgia for adults. Images © The LEGO Group. Gabby’s Dollhouse 10787 Kitty Fairy's Garden Party But of course, all of this comes at a cost. Using the IP of other another organisation incurs a fee, and a portion of that fee must be passed onto the customer to make the product viable. Still, the increased prices can cause some contention...

Today, we dive into the most beloved part by LEGO GBC (Great Ball Contraption) builders: the chrome cup. This rare and elusive part typically sells for 6 euros ($6.50 USD) on BrickLink and is being hoarded by some of the greatest builders—and it isn’t because it is shiny. Animated gif by Frederik hareide. Where did the part originate from, and why has it only ever been produced in one color? Why is the chrome cup being hoarded by GBC builders? And are there any alternatives? Read on to learn about the legend of the chome cup. History of The Legendary Chrome Cup The chrome cup was released long before the first LEGO GBC ball existed in 1993. It was featured in sets 9701-1 and 9702-1 as part of the Educational & Dacta Control Lab sets. As the BrickLink name suggests, the part’s primary function is to reflect the light in a...

Hawaii Toad comes at us with a high-steaks LEGO build. No, that’s not a typo – someone’s brought a really high steak to this barbeque party! The minifigure accessory piece is already as big as a LEGO person’s head, but this really takes the mickey. It raises a lot of questions left unanswered by the build though. Firstly, what animal lends itself to such a big piece of meat? A T-rex?! I’d like to see the size of the butcher who sells that. For that matter, how big does your grill need to be for this? That’s surely going to take an age to cook if you want it done anything more than the rarest of rare! The post Raising the stakes when it comes to steaks appeared first on The Brothers Brick. Original linkOriginal author: Theo Spencer

This year’s BrickCon, the longest-continuously running LEGO exhibition in the world, is happening next weekend in Bellevue, WA — a month earlier than previous years and across the water from Seattle in Bellevue. The Brothers Brick is a proud sponsor of BrickCon every year, and we’re pleased to continue that sponsorship in BrickCon’s new, larger and more accessible location. To celebrate the big move across Lake Washington, we’re giving away four pairs of tickets for free entry to the public exhibition hours on Saturday and Sunday. The public exhibition happens at Meydenbauer Center from 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM on Saturday, September 9 and Sunday, September 10. To win, just tell us in a comment on this article why you’re looking forward to BrickCon 2023. Make sure to use a valid email address when commenting (we won’t use or share this email any other way), and we’ll draw winners on Wednesday...