SOLDIER, TEACHER, AND BUILDER WITH LEGO BRICKS: Mike Bader has done all these things. Living on a quiet street in New City, Rockland County, Mike’s LEGO collection is a considerable one, with stacks of plastic containers, curio cabinets and various sorts of tables either containing or holding pieces, retail sets, MOCs or whatever the latest large-scale project is underway for I LUG NY. Besides running a BrickLink store, Mike also teaches brick building classes at nearby Brick U., co-owned by fellow I LUG NYers, and one of his pieces was recently selected for inclusion in world-renowned artist Nathan Sawaya’s Times Square art show.
Mike, a co-founder of I LUG NY, recently took time out from buying and sorting LEGO bricks to answer a few questions. (Interview by Sid Dinsay with answers edited for clarity and length.)
SD: So I hear you’re one of the more famous members of ILUGNY. I know you’ve been on TV at least twice. Tell me about that.
MB: Famous? Really, I don’t think so but thank you! I have been on TV twice because of my LEGO collection. The first time was two years ago on CBS Sunday Morning. I was interviewed prior to and followed up upon at BrickFair 2011. It was great because the focus was on an orbiter MOC, which won an award from LEGO designer Jamie Berard. I enjoyed my 15 minutes of fame — the segment aired worldwide and I received letters and email from as far away as New Zealand!
More recently I appeared in a piece by Tokyo TV, a Japanese network with a small affiliate in Manhattan. Their focus was on my collection and reselling. They followed me into Toys R Us to shop for “bargains.” Unfortunately, I had to use my credit card — not theirs!
SD: So a common thread of the TV coverage was your massive LEGO collection. How did you amass all those sets and pieces?
MB: Originally I was buying tons while working for LEGO Brand Retail. Monthly and bi-monthly trips to (company headquarters in) Enfield and the company store filled up my parents’ house, my grandmother’s place and my then girlfriend, now wife’s closets. I prefer to impulse shop for LEGO, however that gets me in trouble with the credit card.
The best way to amass a collection is to buy when things are on sale. I prefer to buy at about $0.06 or less per part. I cannibalize sets and sell off what I don’t or will not use. In between building there is lots of sorting, bagging and storing parts which lay in wait to be used.
SD: How long have you been an AFOL? Did you ever enter a Dark Ages?
MB: I have been an AFOL since summer of 1999. On a weekend trip to Long Beach Island in New Jersey, I stopped at one of my childhood haunts, The Haymarket; it was there that I first saw two favorite toys combined: Star Wars and LEGO, a marriage made in heaven! I opened that first SW set — the X-Wing Fighter — and was an instant AFoL.
I had a relatively short dark age which coincidentally made me miss out on one of my favorite themes — Western. I was in those dark ages from about 1994-1999.
SD: You’re a prolific builder. Some of your MOCs have even received special recognition — like your swans, now being featured at the “The Art Of The Brick” exhibit in Manhattan. Tell us about how that happened.
MB: That was purely by chance. A colleague emailed me the entry information about a week before the deadline. I kind of blew it off! But then I had a couple hours free the weekend of the deadline. I had one swan already built, so I used it as a model to create two more; I took some pictures, sent them in and was notified about two days later that I had been selected to have my work in the show. One of my LEGO students’ models was also selected for his age class. It’s pretty cool for us to have our stuff on display together.
SD: I also know a sculpture of yours — a bridge enveloped by fog — took second place at a special event at the LEGOLAND Discovery Center in Yonkers.
MB: The first AFOL night at the Center was a good time. A bunch of I LUG NY members showed up. There was a competition to build a “landmark” in about 25 minutes with mostly red, yellow or white bricks, or multiple shades of green 2×2, 2×3 and 2×4 bricks. I saw lots of red, thought “Golden Gate Bridge” and made a run for it.
SD: You once worked at a LEGO retail store. Any desire to work at the company?
MB: I did, it was a great experience! LEGO is a good company to work for — and that employee discount is a nice little bonus! I would not mind having a few part-time hours at the Lego Brand Retial store just to have the discount back, but generally at that level, there is not much room for creating or being creative.
SD: You mentioned that the Western line was your favorite theme. Any others?
MB: It changes every few years. My first con was BrickFest 2004. (Ed. note — there is, sadly, no more BrickFest!) I won three awards for MOC’s, two being Space-related. Back then every time Todd (Lehman, founder of LUGNET) or any organizer said the word space (in any context) the whole Space crowd would yell “SPACE!”, and that was fun! I move between Space, Town & Train more frequently then the other themes.
SD: What was your first Lego set? Your most memorable one?
MB: Something Duplo? My first “real” set was number 920 Alpha 1 Rocket Base, which is also my most memorable one. It was an early Christmas present from my mom’s uncle. I was way too young for it — probably only 4 years old — but I played with those minifigs till the gold wore off and the chinstraps cracked!
SD: Does your family share your love of Lego?
MB: My wife understands my need to be creative; I tried to hook her with the Harry Potter theme when it first appeared, but could not get her in the boat. My boys play with Duplo: Luke, my oldest, helps me build and sort. The boys will definitely share my love of the brick.
SD: Which AFOLs inspire you?
MB: I actually get a lot of inspiration from the students in my LEGO Afterschool and Library Programs; there is a rough purity children build with!
SD: Tell me about co-founding ILUGNY.
MB: Besides my family, one of the things I am proudest of is co-founding our LUG. Lee Magpili, a former LEGO Brand Retail co-worker turned LEGO Education designer, was a co-founder of our original club, New York Brick Artists, and he introduced me to Brian Wygand. The original founding members are Brian, Dave (no longer active, but he came up with the name I LUG NY), Jon Lazar, Lee (no longer active) and myself. Brian, Jon and I did all the original legwork: acquiring new members, maintaining the relationship with LEGO, creating our website, filling the LUG Showcases. Our growth was slow at first, but look where we are today!
SD: Is it a challenge to recruit and retain members?
MB: It used to be that we would try to recruit members at a LEGO store, hold small build events at libraries, post invitations on our website and our Facebook page. Nowadays, potential members find us. It’s so much easier now.
Looking back, I realize that we have lost some members along the way. For whatever reason, individuals have to bail out. I guess it’s part of the lifecycle of a club such as a LUG.
SD: Finally, what advice do you have for would-be AFOLs and others looking to take up this hobby?
MB: Simple: Find a LUG, go to at least 3 meetings, and participate in a show the LUG hosts. If that’s not enough wood for your fire, you may not like roasting marshmallows after all.
