“What does I LUG NY mean?”
In this case, LUG stands for LEGO User Group. We are an adult LEGO fan group comprising of members from the greater NYC metro area (NYC, Westchester, Rockland, Long Island, southern Connecticut, northern New Jersey).
“What does I LUG NY do?”
We have monthly meetings where we get together, hang out, talk LEGO, plan events, show off projects we’re working on, and do LEGO activities like parts drafts, speed builds, and MOC (My Own Creation) competitions.
A few times a year we get together and display our LEGO creations at public exhibits at libraries, cultural centers, museums, and LEGO fan conventions.
We also have a member forum and a pretty-active live chat on the messaging app Telegram.
“Can my child join? He/she is a LEGO expert!”
Nope, sorry! I LUG NY is for adult fans of LEGO (AFOLs). You need to be at least 18 to join. In the meantime, we recommend checking out the LEGO Club and FIRST LEGO League. You can also ask your local school or library about LEGO programs.
“How much does it cost to join?”
We have two membership levels, Casual (free) and Pro ($60/year).
Casual members can attend meetings, get access to our member forum and live chat, and generally hang out. You’re just here for friendship and community and that’s awesome!
To get the full LUG experience though, you can upgrade to Pro Membership ($60/year, $5/month).
Pro members are:
-eligible to win free LEGO sets in the form of attendance, competition, and participation prizes.
-able to get 15% off at LEGO Brand Retail stores on AFOL Days with a digital AFOL sticker on their VIP card.
-able to participate in our annual LUGBulk order (program where LEGO allows recognized LUGs to bulk-order LEGO elements once a year).
-given other freebies and perks as available.
The membership dues help cover our operating expenses (expendables, advertising materials, web hosting, storage fees, etc…). If you’re consistently active, you can easily get your money’s worth.
“When/ where is your next meeting?”
Check our Events Calendar for details. Meetings are generally held on the third Saturday of the month. Interested in checking out the LUG? E-mail us at contact@ilugny.org to RSVP to an upcoming meeting.
“How do I book you guys for an event?”
Send us an e-mail at contact@ilugny.org and we’ll get the ball rolling. We’re always looking for new venues to host displays. We love to show off our creations at libraries, museums and cultural centers, and anywhere that will have us! We try to get events sponsored when we can, but we’re highly flexible with costs and happy to work with whatever budget level and available space, whether it’s a library display case, a gallery space, a multipurpose room… anything has potential to do something cool! We also do workshops and interactive activities for kids.
“What if I’m just starting out or don’t have much LEGO?”
Joining a LUG is a great way to develop your skills and to beef up your collection. We constantly share techniques and offer feedback on each other’s builds. We also help each other out by sharing sales, deals, and clearance LEGO we find. Sometimes we are even given discount opportunities directly through LEGO.
As an officially recognized LEGO User Group, LEGO also sends us support sets to give out as participation and competition prizes. So you might just get free LEGO for showing up and participating in LUG activities!
“Do you accept donations?”
Yes! If it’s clean and in decent condition. We’ll make sure it gets put to good use. No clone brands, please.