dozens of wooden cars, trucks, boats, trains, animal-shaped pull toys, and other early products of the Lego company.

Along one wall of his living room are rows of scale-model trains built of Lego bricks, and boxed sets of vintage Lego toys perch on the fireplace mantel. More trains line the overhead roof beams.

While Beth admitted she is not as Lego-crazy as her husband, she said, “I do have some of my own favorite things,” such as the tiny Lego home furnishings, kitchen gear, TV sets and jewelry displayed on another wall of the living room.

Michelle has her own Lego table and bin of bricks in the corner of the room.

Todd works as a heating and air-conditioning repairman at the Marine Corps Recruit Depot in San Diego. His spare timeis devoted to Lego. He has helped set up a Lego train display at the San Diego Model Railroad Museum in Balboa Park, and he and his wife have also installed a Lego village in the front window of the Swirlz candy shop on Grand Avenue in Escondido.

Todd wants to start a real museum to display his collection and the creations of other Lego enthusiasts. He has formed a board of directors, and also created a nonprofit to run the “L Gauge Museum.” Now all he needs is a place to house it.

“There is no public museum in the world where people can go learn the history of the toy and where it started,” Todd said.