The Death of the Old Lego

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Alt title: The Death of the original lego...

Lego used to be the most creative toy on Earth.
Then it became something else entirely.
This is the story of how the brand I loved more than anything as a kid slowly turned its back on children, on original stories, on play itself. From the golden age of Bionicle, Power Miners, Atlantis, and Castle to today’s endless wave of $500–$1,000 licensed display models and minifigure chase sets, something fundamental has been lost.
I open with the final scene of Of Mice and Men, because that’s exactly how it feels watching Lego right now: you love it, you remember what it was, but there’s no path forward that doesn’t hurt.
We’ll talk about:

Why minifigures quietly took over and killed real set design
How licensing replaced years of original world-building (and why it was the rational business choice)
The 18+ explosion and the rise of “man-child decor”
The one remaining lifeline: Lego Creator
And why the current model feels like a Ponzi scheme that can’t last forever

If you ever stood in a Toys”R”Us aisle completely overwhelmed by thirty brand-new themes and only enough money for one or two boxes… this one’s for you.
What was your favorite lost Lego theme? Drop it in the comments.

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