10 years later... the preview... PAB Haul July 2007

On August 7, my YouTube channel, one of my most prized possessions per se, is about to turn 10 years of age.

It has had an interesting history. For one, the channel has been built from the ground up. It started as a rogue attempt at vlogging LEGO stuff and eventually evolved into a local railfanning and model train channel. I still do LEGO videos time to time, like the 10159 City Airport reboot video I just published.

But what this particular entry is about is a celebration of one of the leadups and Precision Hobbying elements I have enjoyed about ten years ago. From July 17-21, 2007, I went to Orlando and visited Epcot and Animal Kingdom. I was a seasoned LEGO and somewhat-Disney geek. (I still follow WDW, as does just about everyone I know). Aside from some family memories I enjoyed at those parks, and a few scoots around Downtown Orlando and Winter Park, including the sight of Amtrak #97, I had an immense and influential haul from the Downtown Disney LEGO store. This haul has done some serious damage, and I mean it in a good way.

That point in time featured the Pick-A-Brick Tub. Member that? Oh I MEMBER. $100 and supposedly you get about 12 pick a brick cups worth of brick. Maybe a little less, but I digress. The first haul included a ridiculous 5,300 pieces in the tub, plus a couple of cups. What was on the wall? Dark blue plates, tiles, and dark green plates. Dark orange corner plates. Dark red bricks. Dark tan tiles and medium stone gray plates and tiles. Trans elements. I hit the jackpot that week.

This turned my status in the LEGO hobby from a bud to a rose. Well, almost literally, when you consider those flower sprue elements that took over my future city builds. I was finally able to build city sidewalks, landscaping, and some buildings. My first navy blue CSX locomotive was possible in L-Gauge alongside some brick I ordered from Factory (now online Pick A Brick). 

The total haul was on the order of 6,200 pieces. Plus, I got my hands on the City Gas Station and Cement Mixer.

All the advances that happened to my hobby and layouts that have come forth since go back to this week. If you look at the models, it's never been more evident. Sidewalks adapted to the GFLUG standard. CSX motors whizzing by in perfect YN3. Dark tan sidewalk accents. Red petal flowers. Cell towers and bridge piers, where applicable with gray column bricks. 

Going back, the LEGO Imagination Center, which is where the parts were sourced, was a different place. It is difficult to believe that it would transform to what it is today. It had Make and Create models scaled up outside. The PAB wall was bigger, and arguably better. Nowadays, the wall is OK, but I would argue the old days had just as much variety to offer. Festival of the Masters was a thing and GFLUG participated. Just you wait until I recover the video I shot in November. 

2007 was the dawn of a new Golden Age for LEGO and it showed. 10 years later, I unfortunately have used PAB less and less as Bricklink became more popular, and more parts are available and inexpensively. But then again, it is almost impossible to keep up with the selections offered in sets nowadays.

10 years later, my collection has grown further. It's stunning to think that this was an impressive haul at one point. Nowadays, I've taken on more color, introducing the Sand tones and Friends tones, in quantities unimaginable back then. I build my locomotives using a shade of yellow not nearly as abundant back then. LEGO has come a long way since then. Advances of technology? Better marketing? Recovery from their dark ages? Who knows. 

It is interesting to think as I am doing some cutbacks, a lot of these parts remain in use and in demand for my models. Sure I have overestimated, especially with the Trans Yellow bricks, but back then the wall literally had just what I needed.