[fphhotchips]

I think there's a nice middle ground in there. You can make the pirate ship, or the TIE fighter or whatever... And then make a pirate tie fighter, with wings and a sail! What I never got was the "make a set and then glue it all up and put it on the mantelpiece" attitude. That's doing it wrong to me.

[pbhjpbhj]

IIRC sets used to have instructions for multiple models you could make, which helped to support the idea of making different things. My kids want to make the model and put it on the shelf - they're deaf to my protestations.

[mcphage]

> IIRC sets used to have instructions for multiple models you could make

They still do sometimes—they even have a line where every set has instructions for 3 different models.

[fastball]

That's why you gotta ignore the instructions from the get go.

[mcphage]

The instructions are good at teaching you a variety of ways the bricks can be used, help understand how to make larger structures from them, etc. And hell, following the instructions is fun, too.

[tonyedgecombe]

What I never got was the "make a set and then glue it all up and put it on the mantelpiece" attitude.

On the other hand I used to love making Airfix models.