Finally, a Lego Store In Utah!

It's been seven years since I last visited a Lego store, in Disneyland California. All I remember about it is that they had Mars Mission a month before it came out everywhere else. Since then, I have waited patiently, wondering if a store would ever be built close enough to visit regularly. Now the wait is over, and there is a Lego store practically on my doorstep: Fashion Place Mall in Murray, Utah.(Its location can be found here.)

The new store is smaller than the others I have seen, but it still has everything a Lego store should: walls full of boxes, sets in display cases, even tiny displays embedded in the walls, only visible through small holes. And, of course, the signature wall of pieces. The selection isn't great, but it's a pretty good deal if you find yourself in need of those particular bricks.

The walls full of different sets

The wall of bricks

This display contains large insects.

This one is a movie theater full of minifigures.

This one has butterflies in several colors.

I attended the grand opening on October 4th. there were so many people there, they handed out tickets and issued updates whenever another group was permitted inside. It was about an hour and a half wait, so we went hunting for series 11 minifigures (I found them at a different store and came away with seven: the Blacktron robot, the yeti, the climber, the tribal warrior, the barbarian, the scarecrow, and the welder), and then went out to dinner. By the time we got back, it was time to go inside. Inside, there were tables where anyone could build random stuff, and also a stand where custom minifigures can be made and purchased (also slim selection, but fun). I talked to an employee for a while, and he was impressed that I could give the name of any set he described (particularly space sets from 1988 on). Any in attendance could also witness and assist in the construction of an eight foot Hulk sculpture. It was about half finished when I went.

The custom minifigure table

One of several tables of random stuff

The sculpture is constructed of scaled-up bricks made of many smaller ones.

This is a scaled-down version of the monstrous sculpture.

All in all, I am very excited to have a Lego store so nearby, and I plan to go regularly. Happy building!

A Brief Lesson in Lego Terminology

Do you ever get irritated when someone makes a grammatical error? Are you irked by linguistic discontinuities that seem blatantly apparent to you, but unbeknownst to the speaker? Well, chances are you are not just a victim, but also a perpetrator. To put it plainly, there is a decent chance that any given reader uses the term "Legos" to describe everyone's favorite toy. We appreciate the effort, but unfortunately this is WRONG.

This police officer knows what he's doing. Notice the handcuffs.

LEGO is a brand name, and therefore should not be pluralized to describe its products. Proper form is to use "LEGO" as an adjective, with a noun behind it. For example, instead of "Legos", one should say either Lego bricks, pieces, parts, or elements (the latter being the most formal). "Blocks" is also regarded to be incorrect. To describe an entire product, say "Lego set". Kit is incorrect. Also, use minifigures (or minifigs, for short), instead of "people". If my word is not good enough, I have found some official statements from the company. The first was originally issued in 1980, and is still upheld. The second is an excerpt from the Lego company's trademark infringement rules.

“The word LEGO is a brand name, and is very special to all of us in the LEGO Group Companies. We would sincerely like your help in keeping it special. Please always refer to our products as “LEGO bricks or toys” and not “LEGOS.” By doing so, you will be helping to protect and preserve a brand of which we are very proud, and that stands for quality the world over. Thank you!”

Proper Use of the LEGO Trademark
"If the LEGO trademark is used at all, it should always be used as an adjective, not as a noun. For example, say "MODELS BUILT OF LEGO BRICKS". Never say "MODELS BUILT OF LEGOs".

Exceptions

First off, I will make the note that official form for multiple building elements is "LEGO® brand building bricks," but honestly that's ridiculous and nobody really takes the time to say that every time. Most often, builders will use just LEGO, though it is generally also accepted to capitalize only the "L" in an informal setting. I do it that way because if you put LEGO in all caps too many times in an entry, I find it distracting.

According to official rules, it is also incorrect to refer to The LEGO Group as simply "Lego" (It's officially TLG), and also to refer to "your Lego collection". These two rules can usually be safely disregarded during casual use, because there isn't an easier but still respectful form. The former should probably be observed if you own any different products similar to Lego, but if you despise and eradicate these knock-offs like I and many fans do, you're fine. It is also usually acceptable to address Lego bricks as simply "Lego" in a casual setting, but NOT "Legos".

These guidelines are nothing new, the first statement having been issued thirty-three years ago. It may also be helpful for you to notice that no official statement from the company has ever used the term "Legos", and some word processors even treat "Legos" as a typo, while accepting the proper form. So, out of respect for the company and for the sanity of nerds everywhere, kindly try to use proper terminology. Happy building!