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Rows of LEGO minifigures lined up at Brick Palooza on November 23, 2024.photo credit: Michelle Marques for KRCB
A popular toy since its 1949 inception in Denmark, enthusiasm for LEGO keeps growing in Sonoma County and around the world. KRCB explores the local focus on the ever-expanding LEGO universe.
Since 2005, when LEGO Star Wars: The Video Game was released, annual revenue for the company has grown from $1-billion dollars to nearly $10-billion dollars in 2023, according to data compiled by Statista. LEGO ranks as one of the top toy companies in the world, ahead of competitors like Mattel and Hasbro.
And it’s not just for kids anymore.
Caleb Raff, owner of Sonoma County-based The Brick Hutt, says the breakdown between kid and adult customers is surprising.
"Probably 50-50. And most adults I know that aren’t familiar with the dark LEGO world of adults, they’re shocked when I tell them that. First thing they think of is, you know, kids’ toys. As you see, it’s not. It’s a serious thing," said Raff.
Raff is not just the owner of an online LEGO store, he’s also a magnet for other LEGO fans, bringing them together for the annual Brick Palooza event, and even helping others launch their own stores. Like Christy Murphy, who owns California Brick Chicks in Penngrove with her wife, Theresa.
“It’s actually all Caleb’s fault. He had an event years ago when he owned The Brick Hutt in Rohnert Park. And they were selling the Ewok Village for – it wasn’t complete, it was like a partial set, and so I bought it, and then we started putting it together and finishing it, and then it just snowballed," said Murphy. "We started doing shows with Caleb, and then we’re like eventually, ‘You know, we should probably open up a store.’”
She says adult customers like the nostalgia of LEGO, as well as the kind of therapeutic play it offers.
“I find a lot of people are into it because it relaxes them. It gives them like a time out from media and everything else that’s going on," Murphy said.
Michael Boettner, who is retired from the military, has spent 15 years working on an expansive LEGO city scape, which filled the back of the main hall at the Santa Rosa Vets Building at this year’s Brick Palooza event.
“This haunted house started out as a, just a small Monster Fighters set, and then I got a second set and made it bigger. And then I added a lot of additional parts, and it has inspiration from the Addams Family, and the Winchester Mystery House. Right next to it is a church that I made. It was originally a Harry Potter set, but then I made it look like the church from Home Alone. So there’s a lot of movie references in here and pop culture references, throughout the city with a lot of the little details,” Boettner explained.
Boettner uses a U-Haul truck to move the cityscape from his home to set it up at events. KRCB News asked what his wife thinks of this hobby?
“She… This is a quote! There’s a lot worse things I could be spending my money on," Boettner said with a laugh.
LEGO is also connecting generations together, like for Neil Whitsit, who has been building a vast space port with lights and moving parts for the past 5 years. A new figure has shown up on his build that doesn’t look much like the rest of the scene.
“So actually, that was done by my middle grandson. He designed that for me and so that’s kind of like the latest thing for this display. The aliens are gonna start coming out of the abyss and start attacking," Whitsit laughed.
Joe Bergmans, a former engineer who has spent 9 years constructing a huge castle big enough for an adult to walk under, said LEGO is constantly innovating.
Bergmans said, “I could not have built this even two years ago because the pieces to make it did not exist.”
Of course, kids also love LEGO, like Katie, who attended the LEGO event with her brother.
“I like all of the LEGO buildings, and I also like the Haunted House." said Katie. KRCB reporter Michelle Marques asked, "What do you like about the haunted house?" Katie replied with enthusiasm, "Because it’s super freaky!”
Katie's older brother Colin chimed in.
“I’m impressed with LEGOs because you could basically make whatever you want. Even combine – make friends with people from different universes like Marvel and DC," said Colin.
Fans will have to wait for next November for what's billed as Northern California's only LEGO festival.
