Skip to main content

I wish LEGO sets were more affordable

As parents, some of the happiness from raising kids is watching them grow up, and seeing the smile on their precious little faces while shopping for toys. My daughter adores playing with LEGO pieces, and I'm really happy about it because they are excellent learning tools. LEGO improves motor skills. It boosts problem solving capabilities. And above all, it develops creativity. But LEGO sets are not cheap, and retailers are taking advantage of the popularity of the brand by keeping prices as high as they can. The last time I checked on Amazon.com, the LEGO Bricks and More Creative Bucket cost $114, while the DUPLO Brick Set (144 pieces) cost $43.

   There were many material things I never received as a child because my parents couldn't afford them. One of them was LEGO. Sure, I had a few bricks, I even had two minifigs, but I never had the chance to build a replica of anything. I would often criticize my parents for not allowing me to have more because I did not understand how money works, and I had no idea that a huge LEGO set "costs too much."

My daughter likes to knock over whatever was built before.
 
   When LEGO opened its first official store in the Philippines last month, I got really excited because I thought I could get those colorful interlocking plastic bricks for less than the average prices at Toys R Us or Toy Kingdom. There were awesome designs inside the shop such as the 75051 Jedi Scout Fighter set, which requires 490 pieces to build. There was also a Build A Mini corner where you can create unique minifigures. But when I got to the Pick a Brick section, I was surprised to find out that 100 grams of assorted bricks cost P650 (about $15). I thought to myself, how am I supposed to build my daughter's LEGO playhouse?

A set of three minifigs costs P500 (about $11).
I'm planning to build her something like this, but bigger.
   Sure, there are cheaper (often half the price) LEGO clones out there like Mega Bloks and Kre-O, but they have poor quality. When I was nine years old, my ninong gave me a box of LEGO ripoffs. The pieces were very ill-fitting, and, about half way through the build, some bricks would pop off when I pressed a piece on.

   Last week I met this guy who used to be a LEGO collector, and he wanted to sell his old bricks. Toddlers hardly ever understand the concept of 'brand new' so I grabbed the opportunity and bought two large bins of used LEGO pieces for just P3,500 (about $78). They were dusty though, and I had to wash them twice.

   Few toys have caught the imagination of kids everywhere more than the LEGO, and, aside from time and attention, these colorful bricks are one of the most precious gifts you can give to your children. But if you are a parent on a tight budget, choose your toys wisely or buy second hand. Seeing the joy on our kids' faces is priceless, but supplying them with toys should not break the bank.
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Dealing with Job Rejection

Rejection takes many forms: The varsity team, Tinder, the credit card, the university, the girl next door, Google AdSense, the job. Growing up, I never wanted to be a journalist. I wanted to be a pilot, or a shipmaster, like Captain Nemo. And then in my second year of college, I decided I wanted to be in public relations. After graduation, I applied to seven PR firms in Manila and got seven rejection emails. The job seemed perfect. The interviews went smooth. I was optimistic. But, they hired someone else.    Being rejected after a job application can seriously break your self confidence and morale. I was devastated when I got turned down too many times, and I became depressed, angry and quite difficult to live with. However, I realized that wallowing in misery and regret will never help. So I took a step back, analyzed my job search strategy and determined my flaws.    Have you been rejected recently? Cheer up! Just because someone says no today doesn't mean it'...
Post a Comment
Read more

Brett Kern fuses 80's pop culture icons into Hellenistic sculptures

Brett Kern is best known for making ceramic art pieces that deceptively look like inflatable toys . But over the course of the last few months, the West Virginia-based clay master and professor have been working hard at finishing a new series of sculptures.  The series is based on 80's pop culture characters and inspired by the Hellenistic period. In this set, you'll find everything from a drunken E.T. (a recreation of the The Barberini Faun ) to a Rafael/ The Dying Gaul mashup. Perhaps my favorite of the bunch (pictured below) is ALF Strangling Cat , which is based on the Greek original Boy Strangling Goose . "I am choosing characters that I sympathize with in some capacity," Brett was quoted as saying by Nerdist.com . "When I used to play Ninja Turtles, I pretended to be Rafael because he was the badass rebel that didn't want to listen to anyone else. Fittingly, my older brother was Leonardo and we clashed often."   Br...
Post a Comment
Read more

The Salimbaa

Here's a strange tribal instrument I never heard of before now. Originally from the Tinananon tribe of southern Philippines, the bowl-shaped Salimbaa is made of metal and wood, has 30 bronze wound strings, and is played using two small sticks.  Caleb Byerly, who makes lost/extinct musical tools in his North Carolina workshop, has an interesting story on how he made his first Salimbaa. WATCH: More details about Caleb and his craft over at  Our State .
Post a Comment
Read more