Suggestions For the Lego Company - I Will Accept Payment in the Form of Bricks

Despite the risk of great personal injury (that being mostly...okay, entirely emotional injury via guilt), I decided to buy the Lego Millennium Falcon (#7965) at my local Target the other day.  While I look very much forward to assembling it tomorrow evening over a few beers and allowing my sons to help if they so choose, I still have this nagging feeling in the back of my head that causes me to wonder if spending so much money on a set that was expressly for myself, not my children, was worth it.


Don't get me wrong, I have no intention of returning it even despite the crazy looks I get from people when I explain that it is mine and, no, it was not a gift for a special occasion or birthday.  In fact, just to make sure neither I nor (more likely) my wife are tempted, I have already shredded the receipt.  Sorry, honey, it's staying.  It's a part of our family now.


The guilt I'm wrestling with will, no doubt, dissipate over time.  I anticipate it will be completely gone by the time I place the final brick onto the massively awesome set.  If it isn't gone by then, racing through the house with it shouting "PEW! PEW!" and staging dog fights with my sons' tie fighter ought to eliminate it once and for all.


Still, once the guilt is gone, the realization that it was not a financially sound decision may rear its ugly head from time to time.  When I open my wallet to buy some groceries or pay my sons' upcoming book fees, there may be a little sting.


That got me thinking, which is dangerous business.


I thought about the fact that many people would love to buy larger Lego sets for either themselves or their children.  Some of these people know very well that the set will be coming out soon, just as I anticipate the Black Pearl being released in November.  Many more are not aware of the scheduled release dates of particular sets because their attention is diverted by some other details, like adult life (sadly).  However, these poor souls surely know it is only a matter of time before a Lego set that they suddenly need inevitably hits shelves across the country.  At moments like that time is of the essence, but the money necessary to make the purchase might not be readily available.


Thus, I suggest Lego begin a savings program.  Perhaps a direct deposit system could be established where Lego removes, say, five dollars from each of your paychecks over time.  You choose the increments, but the results are the same no matter how much you choose to subtly have set aside each month.  You will see a set that you know you must have and instead of forgoing groceries for the week, you dip into your Lego savings account credit and pay off at least a portion of the cost.


Call me insane if you will, but how awesome would it be to see a $100 set on the shelf that you didn't even know was coming out and be able to have money already set aside specifically earmarked for the purchase of Lego?  There could even be a penalty involved if you use the money for something else.  Or that might at least be what you can tell your spouse when they question how much money is being wasted and set aside for such silliness.


I see the future of Lego addiction, my friends, and it is glorious.