I haven’t actually been able to get to one yet, but when I do, I will be dressing up. I think it’s fine if you do it at conventions, it’s almost expected. But having a club that meets often and requires you to come in full trooper gear is a little….abnormal.

BTW, I collect LEGOs, mostly SW and HP sets. I also sell on BrickLink.

Why? Hmm, not sure. To “play” at being a Jedi for a day? Because cloaks/robes are more fun to wear than jeans and a t-shirt? Would it be that much different than acting in a play? Without a stage, mind you.

What is the line between a “big fan” and a “freakdom”? Well, I’m not sure. Many of my hobbies can be considered really “odd” by some. I’m into board gaming and lego. Those are weird. I have ~300K lego pieces. That’s sorta freaky. I guess the closest I would come to calling someone’s hobby freaky would be if they had no other interests. If they did nothing except eat, breath, sleep, and talk Star Trek. When they correct everything anyone says about it. You know, the guys who try to figure out the physics of warp core drives and quote exact episodes for technical details. The ones who wear their uniforms to the grocery store.

But if you like something and even have a costume and have read every novel out there on the topic, so long as you enjoy other things and can hold a conversation with someone not interested in your hobby about something else then you probably haven’t crossed “that” line.

I collect SW LEGO sets. The discontinued ones, especially, are hard to find and expensive. I really want the Trade Federation MTT, which retailed at $49.99.

Several months ago, these were available on e-Bay and I kept getting outbid every time. The most expensive final price was around $80 (of all the ones I bid on/watched).

Now, there are two available in the U.S. that I know of, and they cost $199.95 and $125. I hate to pay that much, but I guess I could be considered a “serious” collector. I’m thinking of purchasing one, but not anytime soon. Also, the sets are brand new, which I prefer. I like opening the box myself. It feels like Christmas or my birthday.

I think it is a fine line. Like so many other things, there is only one step between going to conventions and believing you are a character. Hmmm.

Anyways, these fellows payed $550 for a lightsabre which made all the noises etc. Brought it into the office one day, odd.

So what’s their deal? Do you know what motivates them? And have they crossed that line into freakdom?

“We have some fellows at work that dress up as stormtroopers and go to conventions. Hmmm.”
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I can understand people dressing up for conventions, but I still don’t understand the seriousness in which costumers take this. That 501st Legion is really organized, with “garrisons” all over the world and everything. That’s a lot of commitment, it seems.

Like I said, we got some fellows who have the whole stormtrooper kit. Strange.