Member Profile: Toby Mobbs

As with many Adult Fans of LEGO (AFOL) I began building with LEGO at a young age. As with many other children, this building fostered growth of imagination, creativity, and problem solving skills. Today, while these skills still remain, so does a love for LEGO collecting and building. Currently, this collection keeps to limited edition and custom sets such as the ‘IDEAS’ range. These are custom MOCS (My Own Creations) built and voted on by the public to be eligible for official production by the LEGO Company for a limited release. Garage sales also give the chance of spotting second hand LEGO to re-home. This longevity of LEGO products is due to its production quality and ability to last. This enables it to be passed on to many generations to appreciate.

At age 25 my own nostalgia for earlier sets has begun. For older collectors this nostalgia comes from series such as classic space, castles, pirates, and trains. For me, the LEGO Aquanauts series from the 1990s bring this nostalgia with their vibrant yellow and blue colours and underwater scenes. This nostalgia for collectors enables a large market for those seeking to find and purchase specific LEGO sets to relive their childhood.

Along with collecting I am also a regular at the annual Canberra Brick Expo, which raises money for PaTCH (Paediatrics at The Canberra Hospital). In 2015 the Expo was able to raise and donate $70,000, with a total of $250,000 since the Expo’s beginning in 2008. While LEGO lovers of all ages attend to view the displays through the day, the night provides a chance for adults to hear from guest speakers at a VIP session over a cocktail dinner and drinks.

It is these groups and LUGs (Lego User Groups) that provide an opportunity for LEGO lovers like myself to relive their childhood and meet up with other like-minded builders and collectors.