T-Shirt Envy

[Vitalis]

Explain yourself ...

[bust]

I want one in black!

[Jimaz]

• LEGO Historian - Eurobricks Forums
• Istokg — Brickset Forum

[Gistok]

LOL... oh my.... yes that is me... someone else photoshopped an image of one of my LEGO buildings onto a white Tee Shirt.

There's an entire thread about me and my LEGO story. I've been a LEGO fan for 53 years... and am now considered the leading authority [outside of the LEGO company] on the history of LEGO. I have nearly 35,000 images of LEGO sets/parts and historic images, and am working on finishing a 9 volume [4000 page] LEGO Collectors Encyclopedia... nearly finished. I've got a publishing house in China, as well as English language version in North America planned for a release next year.

People used to make fun of me on this forum and the forum that will not be named [which consisted of DYES rejects]... but now LEGO is very "up market"... 5% of all LEGO sales today go to adults [called AFOL... or Adult Fans of LEGO]. The adult LEGO fanbase is increasing by 1/2 million each year... so while some folks made fun of "me and my kids toy"... you would not believe some of the celebrities who are into LEGO as adults... Daniel Radcliff, Robert Pattinson, Chris Pratt, late author Norman Mailer, Britney Spears, David Beckham, Mark Hamill, Brad Pitt... etc.

So I've got my own Facebook page for LEGO... there are over 1000 LEGO related FB pages. And I am doing quite nicely thanks to my current 2800 page digital download Unofficial LEGO Sets/Parts Collectors Guide.

[bust]

Also love Legos, not as much as you.
A more Legoey typeface, shirt in't black: still in.

2 sets a kid,
Can't count, a parent.

[Lowell]

We're honored to have Gistok, a giant of the LEGO world on this forum. Count my son as an AFOL. I value the many hours I spent with him growing up with Legos and watching his mind grow with his own creations.

LEGO seemed overly-protective of its brand for a long time until they finally figured out crowd-sourcing, created their own creation software inspiring and rewarding their audience to create some of their new sets. As Gistok notes this has expanded their market and, in particular, with adults with the money to spend big. Their near indestructibility make them multi-generation.

While it is a toy and classed as such, I always considered Lego far more than a toy because the pieces can be reconfigured into so many possibilities that one can seemingly make anything with them. I know. I've done it. If they were called something like free form sculptural material or architectural design units, their potential beyond toy kits might be more apparent to those who think them childish.

[Gistok]

Thanks Lowell!!

There's a group of adult LEGO collectors/builders that formed MichLUG [LEGO User Group]. I'm not a member... but I have seen their spectacular work. By far the greatest builder is a fellow from Oakland County named Jim Garrett [DecoJim]... who has built some really spectacular huge versions of Detroit buildings, such as a 7ft. tall Penobscot Building. But my favorite of his buildings is the Guardian Building... just amazing.

Here's his FLICKR page... and each building has many images when you click on them and go thru a slideshow.

https://www.flickr.com/people/decojim/

The group has put on many displays... at Cobo Center [in 2015 for the NMRA... North America Model Railway Association], at The Max, at The Henry Ford, and also in Novi.

Just an amazing group of LEGO builders!

[Hamtragedy]

I still want a theater tour this summer.

[Gistok]

I still want a theater tour this summer.

If there is a tour this year... I'll be at the Fillmore... the first tour since the glorious restoration of the Auditorium. It was restored by late 2018, but the 2019 tours didn't include the Fillmore due to a booked engagement, and in 2020 there were no theatre tours due to the Pandemic.

Discovered something new in the past year about that theatre that had never been mentioned in any Preservation Wayne/Preservation Detroit document. When it was opened in 1925 as the State Theatre... it was referenced as "Loew's State Theatre" in advertising.

Like downtown Chicago... where major theatres were run by Balaban & Katz circuit, and downtown Detroit... where most major theatres were run by John Kunsky, both towns lacked a Loew's theatre. Loew's was the largest theatre chain in the country, and of course their studio was MGM. The State Theatre was the Detroit theatre for MGM films in the 1920s, and impressario Marcus Loew had a deal with John Kunsky to call the State Theatre "Loew's State" in advertising when showing their movies... even though it didn't have Loew's on the marquee or blade sign.

The HQ for Loew's theatres and MGM studio was 1540 Broadway Ave. in NYC... and their flagship theatre in New York was at that building address and was also called Loew's State.

[Kathleen]

Gistok: Sorry to report that Preservation Detroit is not doing the annual theatre tour in 2021.
https://preservationdetroit.org/cemetery-theatre-tours

After months of discussion and planning, our walking tour season is scheduled to start up on June 5.
https://preservationdetroit.org/pres...-walking-tours

[Gistok]

^ Yeah Kathleen... I just heard from Michael Hauser today about that. Since none of the venues are even open yet, it isn't even possible to plan this out... with most of their staff still laid off.