Forget pork belly futures; I'm investing in Lego

My nephew is going to be 18 months old at Christmas time, and I've already started shopping for presents. If I'm being honest, I must admit that I've already bought too many gifts, many of them too old for him. I'm collecting future gifts in boxes in the basement and I'm starting to fill shelves and a space under the bed with toys and books to share with young guests. I've already bought the entire Bunnicula series - good for eight-year-olds.

I'm buying things now because it is a good excuse to shop for toys, but also because I worry that good toys might disappear and good books might go out of print. I remember that there was a time when all the Lego available seemed to be simplistic kits: make a spaceship by clicking three pieces together; nothing else could be made of those pieces because they only fit together the one way. Now, good Lego - big boxes of loose pieces in primary colours that can be made into anything - seems to be back in style, and I want to buy a couple of pounds of it while I can. It looks like kids can start using Lego as young as three years old, so it isn't too early, really. Besides, Russ and I can play with it in the meantime... to make sure it works properly, of course.