Hey everybody! Hope January has treated you well. If you’ve been following along on the channel, you’ll know this month has been huge for me, with the LEGO room really coming together, the BRICKSIE wall getting placed, building and placing the new Ninjago Gardens and much, much more.
As the channel closes in on 100,000 subscribers (can you BELIEVE that?!), I wanted to take the time to answer some of the most common questions I get asked on the channel as well as social media. I have made a few videos over the past few years addressing them, but with all the new followers, it might be time for a refresher!
How do I keep the LEGO room clean?
This one comes up all the time. It really depends on how big your collection is, what your home is like, and how much dust you’re really comfortable with. I clean the room fairly regularly with a quick sort of sealed sets, tidy of stray bricks, and vacuum. My house is fairly new and the air is filtered well, so there’s not as much work involved in staying on top of it. LEGO fans in older buildings or dealing with a lot of pets hanging out in the same room as their collections may have more work to do, which is why some place their sets in shelving with glass doors.
When it comes to dusting the individual sets (which I don’t do nearly often enough), I take a quick Swiffer duster to it. Some will get much more intense, using toothbrushes or paintbrushes to go over the studs. It’s pretty unreal!
How do I afford it?
This is probably my absolute most commonly asked question. To be frank, its a mixture of hard work, time, patience, and a little luck!
I worked part time from the ages of 13-18 and full time from 19 onward. I wasn’t really into blowing my money as a kid, so while I was growing up I saved most of what I earned. Between living at home with little to no expenses and being blessed with some wise people to guide me in financial literacy, I built up a pretty great set of saving habits that stayed with me into adulthood when I began working full-time and earning the big money!
When I got into LEGO, I couldn’t imagine the groundswell of support I would receive one day on the channel, which has allowed me to make running the Bricksie community my full-time job. I’m a very lucky man, and very grateful for my fans!
What was your first set?
This one is easy. The 2014 AT-AT Walker (75054)!
I first snagged it on May 4th 2015 after catching a Facebook ad for Star Wars Day sales. I thought it looked pretty fun and took the chance on a new hobby, not realizing what a rabbit hole I had uncovered. Nowadays, I have walkers coming out the wazoo, and they’re still sick!
What about your FAVOURITE set?
This one is kind of a two-parter!
My absolute favourite set of all time was actually a gift. When I hit 50,000 subscribers, some of my longtime fans got together and surprised me with the UCS Imperial Shuttle (10212).
This set was on my wishlist for a long time, and between that and the fact that it represents a huge milestone for the channel as well as an incredibly thoughtful gift from the community, this will probably always be my #1.
When it comes to the LEGO City, my favourite modular has got to be the Creator Expert Detective’s Office (10246). It was my first modular building and it’s what got me into the possibilities of the LEGO City. The channel would look very different if I never pulled the trigger on this set.
Here’s a little more about my favourite sets, least favourites and more:
What’s the deal with fan mail?
Fans have been sending me LEGO and other goodies for a while now, and it’s a huge part of what makes the community really come together!
When it comes to LEGO, some of it will be built on the channel in live streams or reviewed in regular videos! Others will be folded into regular giveaways for channel members to keep everybody brickin’.
Other gifts have included coffee mugs, mouse pads, fan art and more! All fan mail gets opened up on my channel and makes its way to treasured positions around the LEGO room. It makes me feel much more connected to my channel members and helps to bridge gap between my basement and your screens at home. Ideally, I’d like to open a public space for Bricksie HQ someday, so fans can come hang out in person!
To send fan mail, address your shipment to:
PO BOX 63011
1780-8882-170th Street
Edmonton, AB T5T 5X1
Canada
Bricksie 