We’ve discussed my exceeding oldnessness on this blog a few times. For instance, I remember when there there as only three channels, and the remote control looked a lot like me, because it was me. I remember lawn darts, pong and Star Wars action figures being “new”. And I remember a time before all these magnetic mediums by builder Cha Mi, and their inevitable demise.
No one brings the nostalgia with a subtle unique style quite like Chris McVeigh. His creations are so cleanly built and beautifully photographed you know they're his as soon as you see them. This is an update of one of his earliest computer builds, and it's awesome. Being an old school Amiga man, I have a soft spot for Commodore, and the 64 is an undisputed legend. You can build your own soon when he publishes a building guide to his website.
Listen up you young'uns, you don't know how good you have it. When I was in high school this is what we learned to type on, a typewriter. OK granted there was a computer lab right next door, but they still had a load of these antiquated devices and they were hellbent on using them. So this lovely and clean little MOC by cmaddison stirs up a weird combination of nostalgia and post typographic stress disorder.
Yes, that title is based on a true story. This computer reminds me of my wife's first computer, a 386 beast from Hewlett Packard, and it would have looked right at home on this wonderful retro desk by Chris McVeigh. There's so many details to love here, from the insertable floppies to the what is certainly a bit of a squeaky chair. There's even hidden details in the drawers that open. Stay tuned for building instructions too!
You always knew it was going to be a pretty chill day when you got to the classroom and one of these was sitting in the middle of the room. Well, this type pre-dates my school days, but you get the picture. That's right, when we wanted to see projected moving pictures back in the day we used one of these, and threaded film through it, and it was noisy, and pretty bad, and we loved it. A wonderful does of nostalgia from builder Carlmerriam.
Here's a little dose of 8-bit nostalgia, the Sega Master System. We never had a Sega system in our house until the Dreamcast came along (man, what a system) but they enjoyed a fair amount of popularity. Builder Old School Brick was clearly a fan, and built this rather convincing replica.
You kids with your multi-cores, iPhones and fancy color computers, you don't know the struggle. You haven't lived until you've installed a program from 15 floppy disks, or accidentally erased your new game by putting your headphones down on the tape, and don't get me started on modems...
A lovely bit of old school computing nostalgia from Powerpig
Back in the day if you wanted to record some audio you used one of these, a cassette recorder. They were huge, they were clunky, they were crude and they were awesome. This one was build by Nathan Wells for the brickfilming documentary Bricks in Motion (in which I make a brief appearance!). It's 1:1 scale and amazingly accurate, brings back a lot of memories.
This brings back memories. The first computer in regular use in my life was my wife's college computer, a Packard Bell 386, not unlike this brilliant MOC by powerpig. Among it's many impressive specs was a whopping 20MB hard drive. Yes, that was cutting edge back then, about the size of three mp3's these days. And what's amusing is we wondered how we could EVER fill it.
Tomorrow I will break out the Christmas carols for the first time of the year. We usually decorate for Christmas after feasting on Turkey and we'll listen to carols as we do it. Especially fun when I break out the vinyl, since I have all the records we listened to as a child. Back then they were played on a console very similar to this brilliant old school turntable by Yul Burman Karel.
September has arrived with a fresh selection of LEGO contests and challenges. Don’t miss your chance to build a MOC and maybe even win some awesome LEGO prizes. With SHIPtember, the Brick Train Awards, and the return of the BrickLink Designer Program, there’s plenty of inspiration to start building!
Why is this small, shiny LEGO chrome cup so expensive? And why is it so beloved (and hoarded) by builders of GBC modules? Today, we explore the legend of the chrome cup.
LEGO waterfalls are magical because they are both a memorizing moment frozen in time and also incredibly varied in how to build them. Here are some LEGO waterfall techniques from around the AFOL community, but be warned, you might get wet!
Ever wonder what goes into the design of LEGO set packaging? BrickNerd has you covered as we dive into the rules, standards and design sensibilities that go into creating an appealing product for store shelves.
What happens when a lifelong Trekkie, AFOL and professional toy designer finally gets an official LEGO Star Trek playset? Samuel Hatmaker explores the new Enterprise bridge and shows why playing Star Trek matters as much as displaying it.
We spoke with several Autistic AFOLs who shared their experiences with LEGO regarding coping, community, collecting and catharsis. And we found that Autism can be both a challenge and a superpower when it comes to LEGO.
What do you do when a LEGO Pokémon set doesn’t quite hit the mark? Take it apart and create an alternate build using only the pieces from the original set! But how do you level up a character as recognizable as Pikachu?
BrickNerd is your source for all things LEGO and the LEGO fan community
Like what we're doing? Become a patron to show your support, get early access, exclusive swag and more. Or leave a one-time donation by hitting the yellow button. Everything is appreciated!
BrickNerd is not associated with The LEGO Group.
Opinions shared on this site are our own and not the opinions of LEGO or The LEGO Group.
LEGO® is a trademark of The LEGO Group which does not sponsor, authorize or endorse this site.
Copyright © 2013 - 2026 BrickNerd. All Rights Reserved.
Contact Us
Change was in the air for Bio-Cup 2026 Round 2 as builders tackled the theme of Metamorphosis. From fatherhood and molting to decay and rebirth, these are some of the transformations that caught our eye as the competition moves toward its final rounds.