Lego Lost at Sea Dragon

by | Usefulness (↓) | Style (↑) | 0 comment | 1 question

Not just any old Lego dragon, but a real beachcombed Lego Lost at Sea one! This little fellow was one of 4.8 million pieces of Lego lost at sea in a container spill on 13th February 1997. The ship ' Tokio Express' was rounding Land's End Cornwall UK when she was hit by a massive wave during a violent storm. 62 containers were washed overboard - one of them was full of Lego. I found my dragon on Porthcothan beach, North Cornwall, on 3rd January 2016 - 18 years and 324 days after he fell into the sea from the ship. How amazing is that! As beachcombing tradition dictates i did a happy dance on the beach when I found him, and had a fixed smile on my face for days afterwards :-)

Where and how is it used?

He is loved & cherished by our family, and much admired by visitors to my home. He sits on a very special 'Dragon Shelf' made especially for my beachcombing treasures.

What did you or someone else pay for it?

Nil

Why do you want to add it to the museum?

He (in my mind at least) signifies the incredible amount of items that are adrift in our oceans having been 'lost at sea' either from container spills, littering, or accidental loss. Plastic pollution of our water & coastline (by larger items, or microplastics) is a massive issue which we in Cornwall see on our beaches n a daily basis.


How was it made?

Is made in a factory

Is farmed

Is mass-produced

Is produced by local cottage industry

Is made to particular specifications

Is craft / hand-made

Is foraged

Is found

Is colonised

Is a service


Materials & Making

Who made or produced your commodity?

LEGO

Who was paid to make it?

Their employees

What skills does it take to make it?

Design, Injection plastics,

Where was it made?

Denmark

What does it cost to make it?

Unknown

What is it made from?

1. Plastic:

Buying & Owning

Who decides how much it costs?

LEGO Company, and retailers

Who or what assesses its quality?

LEGO

Where is it sold?

Toy shops on High st, online retailers

Who or what sells it?

Retailers

How did this thing arrive from where it was made to where you got it?

On the Oceans waves!

Where is it used?

My home and in our free school workshops

Where is it kept?

My home

How and by whom is it cared for?

Kept safe by me

How long will it last?

For ever!!

Where will it go when it's finished with?

Handed down to my children.

What is it worth?

?? Sentimental value only - no monetary value as it is classed as 'salvage' and therefore should not be sold or given away.


How do you and others value this commodity?

See the values contributed by visitors and those of the donor. And add your own values to this commodity.

Total times valued2
Positive (↑)Style
Negative (↓)Usefulness
Overall Positive245
Overall Negative-15
Controversy58.5 (0 = most controversial)
  

What do these numbers mean?

This data that we have collected over time in our database means nothing without interpretation. A relational database, which we are using here, is technology that enables designers of websites and software to compare, contrast, interrogate and infer relations within data. The act of designing a database is not objective but driven by the agency of its creators and owners.

Within the MoCC Collection data is used to help think through the relations between values, commodities and data. Can we describe our values using sliders and numbers? How do we infer meaning such as controversy from data?

Below is a brief explanation of the some calculations and how these help make decisions about what is shown on the site.

  • Controversy Score:
    (Total Positive Values) + (Total Negative Values)

    The closer the value is to zero the more controversial it is in relation to other commodities. Used to infer that values associated with one commodity divide opinion more than another.

  • Average Value Score (used in the sliders):
    (Total Positive for Value + Total Negative for Value) ÷ Total Times Valued

    Used to infer a collective value associated with a commodity.

How do you value this commodity?

To add your own values click VALUE THIS COMMODITY and move the sliders left and right to add your own values - then click SUBMIT
show donor's original values
- 0
19 +
- 0
17 +
- 0
17 +
- 0
18 +
- 0
18 +
- 0
16 +
- 0
15 +
- 0
13 +
- 0
12 +
- 0
10 +
- 0
9 +
- 0
10 +
- 0
10 +
- 0
8 +
- 0
8 +
- 0
6 +
- 0
6 +
- 0
5 +
- 0
6 +
- 0
3 +
- 0
4 +
- 0
1 +
- 5
6 +
- 0
0 +
- 10
8 +

Questions and answers

Help to reveal unknown quantities, properties and uses of this commodity by answering this MoCC curator's questions.

Question: Has anyone else found any of the Lego Lost at Sea pieces from the 1997 spill?

Answers:

No answers given...yet.

Conversation

Do you have questions about how this commodity is valued? Or want to talk about your own values in relation to it? Share your comments.

Add to the conversation: