Unknown Old LEGO 1x1 Elements....

[LEGO Historian]

For those of you who have my Unofficial LEGO Sets/Parts Collectors Guide (1949-1990s), there's a few new parts for the chapter on Sets/Parts Not Put Into Production....

Those would be these 1x1 square and round bricks without studs. The only known ones were purchased from a former old time LEGO employee... and we weren't quite sure what to make of them.... here they are....

The 2 spare parts packs shown here are a Swedish (left) and Norwegian (right) spare parts packs of 1955, the first year for the 1x1 round and square bricks with the studs. It seems that the studless bricks were added to these early sets at a later date, but were not original to them... but the color (Cellulose Acetate plastic) and size, makes them appear that they are indeed LEGO bricks that were prototypes that "leaked" out of the factory many decades ago.

I checked with TLG Billund Archives, and they have no records of these "studless" bricks.

Well a Dutch collector just recently found some old 1950's LEGO slotted bricks, and a studless round brick was among them. This sort of confirms to me that these were made for possible production, but just never were introduced as such, and the remaining prototypes were either discarded... or... more likely ended up in employee hands.

There are likely more of these out there... and they would likely sell for quite a bit, if they made it to the secondary market.

It's rare old items like this that made me enjoy putting together the collectors guide for rare and common old LEGO... especially ones that TLG has no information on, nor examples in their collections.

I'm sure there are many rare and valuable items still to be found... especially in northern Europe and USA/Canada, where TLG Denmark had somewhat loose controls in the early years as to what was being produced in those countries.....

Enjoy!

[Hey Joe]

Thanks for all of your posts, I always enjoy reading them. I really should buy your book...

[LEGO Historian]

Thanks for all of your posts, I always enjoy reading them. I really should buy your book...

It's now avialble as a download (only takes 6-20 minutes to download 688MB of data 2,800 pages, +6000 images (many historic), 73 chapters, and appendices onto your desktop... and you don't need a KINDLE to read it... each chapter is a PDF file that are linked to the table of contents.

There's chapters on things like LEGO Counterfeits, LEGO history by country, LEGO logos over the last 78 years (over 30), LEGO instructions/catalogs/idea books/pamphlets, box artwork, prototypes, promotional items (Maersk/Ferry Lines, etc)...

But one of the most useful chapters is based on LEGO parts that were ONLY sold in specific countries... this is a good way to identify rare items that a lot of people had no idea were so rare (the major online database list sets and parts, but generally don't mention if their exclusive to some countries...

Examples:

1) 2x8 and 2x10 trans-clear bricks were only ever sold in the USA from 1968-70

2) The 4x4 corner brick (1955-72) was only sold in black in USA/Canada from 1963-66.

3) Green small plates made of Cellulose Acetate (with Pat. Pend.) were only sold in USA/Canada 1963-68.

4) The Canadian flag was only ever found in Canada sets 442 (Decorator Set) as a wavy flag, and set 369 (Canadian version of the Coast Guard) as a stickered straight flag

5) The large homemaker 1x6x10 door frame and 1x6x5 window frame were only found in USA set #5235 Homemaker School Room Set.

7) Green classic windows were only ever sold in Norway

8) A complete yellow windows set was only ever sold in Sweden.

9) 40x40 gray and green thin baseplates were only sold in a USA Samsonite set.

10) Waffle bottom plates in black and gray were only sold in USA Samsonite sets.

11) The rare Faroe Island wavy flag (1966-69) was only sold in the Faroe Islands (pop. 50,000, located in the North Sea between Scotland and Norway). Only 2 known.

12) The rare 1:87 HO Scale 1957-58 Opel Kapitän die cast car was only produced in Denmark and Norway. There are only about 8 of these prototypes known... value about $4000. They show up on the box top of every 1958-60 LEGO basic set... but were never released into production... just the ones sneaked out of the factory.

There's probably at least a thousand other items most people never knew about LEGO that's found in my guide... I got a lot of info from the LEGO Archives/Collections/Vault.... as well as collectors from around the world.

[ShaydDeGrai]

But one of the most useful chapters is based on LEGO parts that were ONLY sold in specific countries...

Examples:

1) 2x8 and 2x10 trans-clear bricks were only ever sold in the USA from 1968-70

Hey, I stumbled across a little zip-lock baggie of these just the other day whilst digging through/pretending to organize some of my older parts bins. I'd never had much use for them, but I had no idea that they were relatively rare US-only parts. Looks like you learn something new every day.

Thanks for that.

[purpleparadox]

4) The Canadian flag was only ever found in Canada sets 442 (Decorator Set) as a wavy flag, and set 369 (Canadian version of the Coast Guard) as a stickered straight flag

I'm proud to own the wavy Canada flag! The only problem...it's chewed by a dog.

[SNIPE]

I'm downloading this book.

Edited August 31, 2012 by SNIPE

[LEGO Historian]

I'm proud to own the wavy Canada flag! The only problem...it's chewed by a dog.

Too bad... in mint I've seen it go for $75-$95! Now there's something to cry about....

I'm downloading this book.

Forum rules prevent me from publicly posting the link (since were not in the Marketplace page)... but if you're not sure where to find the download links... you can private EMAIL me, and I will send you a link with Paypal button.

Also... the nice thing about the download (besides only taking 6-20 minutes to download 688MB)... is that should you ever lose the information (due to getting a new computer or a Virus eats it...).... I re-send the install instructions to old customer for free. I also have a $6.00 referral bonus for bringing me other customers (I'd send it to you via Paypal as well). Thanks!

[Shadows]

Those were probably intended as an early form of tile, for covering exposed studs, but were considered too specialized. Can you imagine what the designers from that era would think of the current trend towards specialty parts?

Fascinating, as always.

I also have a $6.00 referral bonus for bringing me other customers (I'd send it to you via Paypal as well). Thanks!

I've told so many people to buy this that I could probably pay for the latest and final edition download to go along with the previous 2 I bought.

Keep up the good work preserving the history of our favourite brick and system.

[LEGO Historian]

Those were probably intended as an early form of tile, for covering exposed studs, but were considered too specialized. Can you imagine what the designers from that era would think of the current trend towards specialty parts?

Fascinating, as always.

I've told so many people to buy this that I could probably pay for the latest and final edition download to go along with the previous 2 I bought.

Keep up the good work preserving the history of our favourite brick and system.

Thanks Shadows.... unlike the previous versions, this newest much expanced on... as an E-Book download (not a Kindle product) but just an interlinked 83 PDF chapters (as on previous CDs and the DVD))... will have future updates available for folks to download for free. That's why I'm trying to discourage DVDs (especially with all the new technology Laptops and PCs that are eliminating CD/DVD drives)... and make the new E-Book version (both PC and MAC compatible) of my comprehensive guide as a "living document" with future updates and new chapters (bringing it up to the 21st Century).... rather than a static CD/DVD where updates can only be had by buying the next version. Also having a complete 688MB copy on your computer desktop saves having to retrieve a CD or DVD (if you can find it... some previous purchasers told me they lost or misplaced their copy!! ) and it is as easy to get to as is the internet!

So when I said this was my last CD/DVD many months ago... I did not mean that it was the last work on my LEGO sets/parts/items research.... it was just the last time that folks will have to purchase it. Once folks have the new expanded version... all future updates (including new chapters and newly discovered rare items)... will be free for the download for current (and future) owners.... so I'm going from a static unchanging guide... to a fluid ever changing and expanding (probably in 6 month increments) document with more added in the future.... I may get to 2012 yet!

Plus one of the advantages of having an online reference source (most LEGO books are nothing more than picture pages put together with a timeline)... is that I can include external links that provide things that a book just cannot do... such as Chapter 71... "LEGO TV Commercials (1957-1999).

Here's a sample of part of that chapter... (without the 7 images that are included in this short chapter...)

_______________________________________

71.0 LEGO TELEVISIONCOMMERCIALS (1957-99).

LEGO bricks came out around the same time as Television (1949), and although it was only sold in Scandinavia for the first 7 years, by 1957 it had spread to other parts of Europe. The first British LEGO sets were introduced in 1960, and the first USA LEGO sets in 1961. In 1962 it had spread to Canada, Australia and Japan. By the mid 1960s it was sold in 42 countries, and today is sold in over 100 countries.

The earliest LEGO commercial found so far was a 1958 German LEGO Town Plan commercial. This showed the entire family playing with LEGO. The LEGO box tops starting in 1960 showed adults as well as children on many of the box tops. But by 1966 LEGO became exclusively shown as being for children.

Samsonite, the luggage maker, was the licensee for LEGO sales in USA (1961-72) and Canada (1962-85). In Britain, Ireland and Australia, a British chemical and textile maker named Courtauld’s was the licensee there under the name British LEGO Ltd. (TLG bought back the license in 1992). So today LEGO worldwide is produced and licensed by TLG, headquartered in Billund Denmark.

Because there were several licensees selling LEGO worldwide, the commercials they produced varied greatly from region to region (not to mention in the local language).

71.1 LEGO Television Commercials (1957-99).

American LEGO enthusiast Scott Kirkwood has assembled (still a work in progress) a large collection of commercials from different countries and years. These include many different LEGO Systems (Town, Castle, Pirates, Space, etc.) spread over many years.

Scott has generously allowed linkage to his website. These can be viewed here (Copyright by Scott Kirkwood):

http://www.fulori.co...LEGO/index.html

_________________________________________________

There are 5 separate links to different genres of the world of LEGO, such as the evolution of LEGO bricks, USA/Canada LEGO, and the history of the LEGO family that are listed as external references.

Enjoy!

Edited August 31, 2012 by LEGO Historian

[LEGO Historian]

Hey, I stumbled across a little zip-lock baggie of these just the other day whilst digging through/pretending to organize some of my older parts bins. I'd never had much use for them, but I had no idea that they were relatively rare US-only parts. Looks like you learn something new every day.

Thanks for that.

Funny you should say that last line... it's sort of my motto on my new DVD/download/E-Book....

... and as for those 2x8 and 2x10 trans clear bricks... there's fewer than 10 combined available on Bricklink.... they sell for up to $32!!