This Exists: AFOLs, The Adult Fans of LEGOs

At the Guy office we often come across things that make us blink very hard (and that’s not because of the overzealous air conditioning blasting our faces.) Occasionally we find cause to marvel, and those are exactly the things we like to share with you. We hope that your world will expand at least one iota, knowing that these strange and wonderful things exist.

It’s hard to think of a toy more universal than the LEGO brick.  On average, every single person on the planet owns 75 bricks.  It’s such a ubiquitous brand that it’s been named the toy of the century twice.  A bucket o’ bricks can provide endless hours of playtime for children, allowing them to become little gods, creating and destroying worlds and cities at will.  For many of us, wielding these godlike powers of creation and destruction doesn’t end when puberty arrives.

More than just a pile of bricks to the true enthusiast

In the LEGO community, LEGO Guys (and Gals) are called AFOLs (Adult Fans of LEGO) and account for about 5% of total LEGO sales annually.  While that percentage is only a small piece of the total pie, it equates to just under $100 million annually.  Taking into account that AFOLs are a fairly small population, that $100 million figure puts the per capita sales for AFOLs several orders higher than the average child who may get a few hundred dollars of LEGO sets per year.  It is not uncommon for AFOLs to spend several thousand dollars per year on their “toys.”

For many of us, wielding our powers of creation and destruction doesn’t end when puberty arrives.

Classifying the LEGO brick as simply a toy is a heresy in the AFOL community! Considering some of the amazing creations crafted out of piles of bricks, the term “medium” is a much more accurate description. AFOLs have built massive mosaics and sprawling cities made up of hundreds of thousands of bricks, giant dinosaur sculptures, scale model skyscrapers, and even a machine that can automatically solve a Rubik’s cube in seconds.

AFOLs are legion — a legion of proud LEGO lovers, that is. Here’s a breakdown of the anatomy of modern LEGO enthusiasts:

Loyal:

AFOLs are a loyal group.  The LEGO brand began in the early 30s with a wooden-toymaker in the small village of Billund, Denmark.  Today, Billund is still the home of LEGO and is considered a Mecca in the AFOL world.  A plaque that hung in the woodshop set the tone of the toymaker for generations to come.  It read, “Only the best is good enough!”

Classifying the LEGO brick as simply a toy is a heresy in the AFOL community!

AFOLs have definitely taken this phrase to heart.  Mere mention of Megablocks, Best-Loc, or Tyco bricks is enough to raise the ire of some in the AFOL community.  These brands might be LEGO-compatible construction bricks, but to the die-hard LEGO enthusiast there is only one word to describe these faux-LEGOs: “clones.”

Creative:

One of the greatest things about the LEGO System is its versatility.  “The possibilities are endless,” reads a LEGO advert from the early eighties. The AFOL takes that phrase to heart, whether it is a tiny robot figurine make up of a handful of pieces or a giant space station made up of hundreds of thousands of pieces.

Every AFOL is able to build what appeals to them, drawing from their other interests such as movies, video games, history, and pop culture.

Obsessive:

The most hardened AFOLs consider LEGO to truly be a lifestyle.  Whether it involves buying multiple copies of every set (some for play, some to remain in the box as collector’s items) or incessantly organizing and re-organizing their stashes.

A skilled creation takes planning and precision

It is not uncommon for AFOLs to devote a room or several within their domicile to LEGO.  There are several sites devoted to helping AFOLs catalogue and track their collections.

Proud:

There are entire online communities devoted to allowing AFOLs to share their creations.  Websites like mocpages.com and brothers-brick.com feature some of the best LEGO creations on the web.  A certain degree of one-upmanship and healthy competition fosters the creativity and innovation that result in even bigger and better creations and new building techniques.

Active:

AFOLs have created a vibrant and active community that hosts hundreds of LEGO-themed events all over the world.  These events are a great opportunity for the AFOL community to show off just how cool LEGO is.  It’s not uncommon to see children and parents alike in awe of the creations on display.  AFOLs even sponsor several charitable events that allow them to donate time, talent, and (of course) LEGO bricks to children’s hospitals in need.

Every AFOL is able to build what appeals to them, drawing from their other interests such as movies, video games, history, and pop culture.

AFOLs are as serious as any group of enthusiasts as you will find.  Though their focus may be a considered a children’s toy, in the right hands, it can truly become art.  So break out that old bucket of bricks and start building, the beauty part it that it’s never too late. Besides, you never know what you might come up with…