kelceycoe Posted Monday at 08:48 PM Posted Monday at 08:48 PM (edited) As many of you know, I have spent days trying to zero in on making this issue much more clearer than what's already out there, sort of a "one stop shop." After spending countless hours studying, analyzing many sealed copies of the 4 big Pirates sets from 1989 (because they had open flaps) from UPC codes to the numbers beside them to the numbers printed on the back of the boxes and in some cases inside front flaps, I sadly can conclude the following: The ONLY way to accurately know which cannons your set had is If you got a photo of the set, with flap opened -- or a photos of you with the set just after opening it. The cannons must be visible for this to work. As you can about imagine, I am very sick my research didn't turn out any results other than studying boxes is an absolute waste of time. I am devising a cheat sheet that could, in some sense, help you to identify which ones you have -- but this will require having a good memory. I'm known throughout many fandoms for finding answers and many times rare items and how something that seemed so easy turned into one of my worse losses ever. If you feel something is inaccurate or would like to add to it please comment. WHICH CANNONS DID YOU GET WITH YOUR PIRATE SETS SOLD IN AMERICA 1989-1990? ALSO INCLUDES HELPFUL DATA ABOUT MINIFIGURE HEADS, TREASURE CHESTS, AND FLAGS As many of you know, we Americans were screwed by The Lego Group in 1990 and beyond due to unsourced "safety concerns." I have not found one piece of evidence connecting why The Lego Group - who originally packed the sets here in the USA with shooting cannons - changed the cannons. Any contact anyone made with The Lego Group and they'd just respond with "safety laws" or the like. The Lego Group's 1989 sets were already compliant with then THEN voluntary ASTM-F963-86 safety standards which covered small parts/choking hazards and projectiles. Actual laws in effect during this time affected the materials used in the plastics, ensuring they did not have lead in them - Federal Hazardous Substances Act An amendment was made - Toy Safety and Child Protection Act - ad had it been passed it would have been effective January 1, 1990 -- but as far I can tell this didn't actually become law until 1994, where it first went int effect January 1, 1995 and had minor revisions/effective dates throughout 1995. Ever since this went into effect, The Lego Group has been printing Choking Hazard warnings on their boxes. This cheat sheet is based on information I collected and observed over the years from fans who posted to Bricklink, Brickset, Brickopedia, Facebook and EuroBricks and therefore may not solely be accurate. It should honestly be truthful for any region that followed the typical release dates for the Pirates line, except Europe always received shooting cannons with their sets. I can also confirm, that unless your box had a open flap (the big four sets definitely had this, the rest could be hung on a wire hanger), NO IDENTIFYING NUMBERS INCLUDED SMALL NUMBERS PRINTED ON THE BOTTOM OF THE BOXES OR THE INSIDE OF THE FRONT COVER OR IN/AROUND UPC CODE COULD BE USED TO IDENTIFY WHICH CANNONS WERE INCLUDED WITH YOUR SET; THE INSTRUCTION BOOKLETS ALWAYS REFLECTED SHOOTING CANNONS, AT LEAST THROUGH 1990. I am not sure when the tall brown ladders changed from 27 to 28 studs in length. Also, when Bricklink lists a part as a "counterpart," this is where you'll find the part was substituted in older sets; so the actual parts listed above is the best data to use for when the piece debuted. Early means the first six months of the year and late means sometime during the last six months of the year. If your sets were manufactured in early 1989 and released in August/September 1989... Note that the original Pirates line was made available throughout much of Europe July 1989 and catalog customers in the USA could buy ONLY THESE FOUR smaller sets in August 1989: 6251 Pirate Mini Figures ; 6257 Pirates Raft (later called Castaway Raft); 6260 Pirates Treasure Island (later called Shipwreck Island); 6265 Governor's Fortress (later called Sabre Island), but the big four Pirate sets would first be sold to American retail stores (the USA catalog claimed that was the only way to get these 4) in September 1989. In some sets your flags may have been white flags with stickers. This has only been suggested on Bricklink with no actual evidence or dates suggested. You got shooting cannons You got heads with a solid stud Treasure chests had no slots and the lids had very thin hinges that wore out when played with too many times. Sets, with coins, came with 8 coins. If your sets were manufactured in later 1989 and released later in 1989 or later... Your flags were printed. You got shooting cannons You got heads with a solid stud Treasure chests had no slots and the lids had very thin hinges that wore out when played with too many times. Sets, with coins, came with 8 coins. Some reported disabled cannons showing up in sets purchased in late 1989. Because I got two of my sets in October and the one I got for Christmas likely had been bought earlier (I'm guessing my parents bought them for me - I was 6) all of my sets came with printed flags and shooting cannons. If your sets were manufactured in early 1990 and sold early 1990 or later... Buried Treasure, Harbor Sentry, Shipwreck Island, Sabre Island, Castaway Raft, Pirate Comic, Pirate Minifigures are officially released to retailers in the USA. Pirate Decorative Elements is released to the USA catalog. Harbor Sentry, Shipwreck Island, Sabre Island officially debuted the disabled "transitional" cannons. These cannons included a black handle with the spring removed but could "shoot" at a limited distance with a flick to the handle. Previous four sets rumored to have disabled cannons. Your flags were printed. You got heads with a solid stud Treasure chests had no slots and the lids had very thin hinges that wore out when played with too many times. Sets, with coins, came with 8 coins. If your set was made in later 1990 and sold late 1990 or later... You should now have disabled cannons. These includes the crossed canons insigna, a wick, a raised semi-circle. Your flags were printed. You got heads with a solid stud Treasure chests had no slots and the lids had very thin hinges that wore out when played with too many times. Sets, with coins, came with 8 coins. If your set was made early 1991 and sold early 1991 or later... You should now have disabled cannons. These includes the crossed canons insigna, a wick, a raised semi-circle. Your flags were printed. You got heads with a solid stud Treasure chests now had slots and the lids had very thick hinges that have lasted the test of time. Sets, with coins, came with 4 coins. If your set was made late 1991 and sold late 1991... You should now have disabled cannons. These includes the crossed canons insigna, a wick, a raised semi-circle. Your flags were printed. You got heads with a solid stud Treasure chests now had slots and the lids had very thick hinges that have lasted the test of time. Sets, with coins, came with 4 coins. If your set was made early 1992 and sold early 1992 or later... You should now have disabled cannons. These includes the crossed canons insigna, a wick, a raised semi-circle. Your flags were printed. You got heads with an open stud Treasure chests now had slots and the lids had very thick hinges that have lasted the test of time. Sets, with coins, came with 4 coins. Imperial Guards introduced. Unnamed Pirate Captain with legs (referred to as Captain Iron Hook in Europe with a Dark Red/Brown (varies under lighting/angles)) released. If your set was made later 1992 and sold late 1992 or later... You should now have disabled cannons. These includes the crossed canons insigna, a wick, a raised semi-circle. Your flags were printed. You got heads with an open stud Treasure chests now had slots and the lids had very thick hinges that have lasted the test of time. Sets, with coins, came with 4 coins. Imperial Guards introduced. Unnamed Pirate Captain with legs (referred to as Captain Iron Hook in Europe with a Dark Red/Brown (varies under lighting/angles)) still released. No enemy mini-figures are seen with him If your set was made early 1993 and sold early 1993 or later... You should now have disabled cannons. These includes the crossed canons insignia, a wick, a raised semi-circle. Your flags were printed. You got heads with an open stud Treasure chests now had slots and the lids had very thick hinges that have lasted the test of time. Sets, with coins, came with 4 coins. Imperial Guards introduced. Imperial Soldiers sets are still sold alongside these sets. Skull's Eye Schooner replaces Black Seas Barracuda; however many catalogs in the US continued to sell Black Seas Barracuda throughout most of 1990s. Unnamed Pirate Captain with legs (referred to as Captain Iron Hook in Europe with a Dark Red/Brown (varies under lighting/angles)) still released. No enemy mini-figures are seen with him. If your set was made late 1993 and sold late 1993 or later... You should now have disabled cannons. These includes the crossed canons insignia, a wick, a raised semi-circle. Your flags were printed. You got heads with an open stud Treasure chests now had slots and the lids had very thick hinges that have lasted the test of time. Sets, with coins, came with 4 coins. Imperial Guards introduced. Imperial Soldiers sets are still sold alongside these sets for the final year. Skull's Eye Schooner replaces Black Seas Barracuda; however many catalogs in the US continued to sell Black Seas Barracuda throughout most of 1990s. Unnamed Pirate Captain with legs (referred to as Captain Iron Hook in Europe with a Dark Red/Brown (varies under lighting/angles)) still released with no enemies. If your set was made early 1994 and sold early 1994 or later... You should now have disabled cannons. These includes the crossed canons insignia, a wick, a raised semi-circle. Your flags were printed. You got heads with an open stud Treasure chests now had slots and the lids had very thick hinges that have lasted the test of time. Sets, with coins, came with 4 coins. The Islanders are introduced and exclusive enemies of Captain Iron Hook in the sets; however, in the American commercial, Captain Red Beard invaded them not Captain Iron Hook. Imperial soldiers officially retired by this time. Imperial Guards are still relevant and fight with Captain Red Beard. Skull's Eye Schooner replaces Black Seas Barracuda; however many catalogs in the US continued to sell Black Seas Barracuda throughout most of 1990s. Unnamed Pirate Captain with legs (referred to as Captain Iron Hook in Europe with a Dark Red/Brown (varies under lighting/angles)) still released BUT ONLY IN NORTH AMERICA EXCLUSIVE - BARNACLE BAY AS 1873 Pirate Treasure. He still has no known enemies while he has legs. This same Captain aka Captain Iron Hook now has peglegs in both FORBIDDEN COVE and ENCHANTED ISLAND. The Islanders are his enemy. If your set was made late 1994 and sold late 1994 or later... You should now have disabled cannons. These includes the crossed canons insignia, a wick, a raised semi-circle. Your flags were printed. You got heads with an open stud Treasure chests now had slots and the lids had very thick hinges that have lasted the test of time. Sets, with coins, came with 4 coins. The Islanders are introduced and exclusive enemies of Captain Iron Hook in the sets; however, in the American commercial, Captain Red Beard invaded them not Captain Iron Hook. Imperial Guards are still relevant and fight with Captain Red Beard. Skull's Eye Schooner replaces Black Seas Barracuda; however many catalogs in the US continued to sell Black Seas Barracuda throughout most of 1990s. Unnamed Pirate Captain with legs (referred to as Captain Iron Hook in Europe with a Dark Red/Brown (varies under lighting/angles)) still released BUT ONLY IN NORTH AMERICA EXCLUSIVE - BARNACLE BAY AS 1873 Pirate Treasure. He still has no known enemies while he has legs. This same Captain aka Captain Iron Hook now has peglegs in both FORBIDDEN COVE and ENCHANTED ISLAND. The Islanders are his enemy. If your set was made early 1995 and sold early 1995 or later... You should now have disabled cannons. These includes the crossed canons insignia, a wick, a raised semi-circle. Your flags were printed. You got heads with an open stud Treasure chests now had slots and the lids had very thick hinges that have lasted the test of time. Sets, with coins, came with 4 coins. The Islanders are introduced and exclusive enemies of Captain Iron Hook in the sets; however, in the American commercial, Captain Red Beard invaded them not Captain Iron Hook. Imperial Guards are still relevant and fight with Captain Red Beard. Skull's Eye Schooner replaces Black Seas Barracuda; however many catalogs in the US continued to sell Black Seas Barracuda throughout most of 1990s. Unnamed Pirate Captain with legs (referred to as Captain Iron Hook in Europe with a Dark Red/Brown (varies under lighting/angles)) now has peglegs in 1788 Treasure Chest. The Islanders are his enemy. If your set was made late 1995 and sold late 1995 or later... You should now have disabled cannons. These includes the crossed canons insignia, a wick, a raised semi-circle. Your flags were printed. You got heads with an open stud Treasure chests now had slots and the lids had very thick hinges that have lasted the test of time. Sets, with coins, came with 4 coins. The Islanders are introduced and exclusive enemies of Captain Iron Hook in the sets; however, in the American commercial, Captain Red Beard invaded them not Captain Iron Hook. Imperial Guards are still relevant and fight with Captain Red Beard. Skull's Eye Schooner replaces Black Seas Barracuda; however many catalogs in the US continued to sell Black Seas Barracuda throughout most of 1990s. Unnamed Pirate Captain with legs (referred to as Captain Iron Hook in Europe with a Dark Red/Brown (varies under lighting/angles)) now has peglegs in 1788 Treasure Chest. The Islanders are his enemy. This is the last appearance of Captain Iron Hook in a new set. If your set was made early 1996 and sold early 1996 or later... You should now have disabled cannons. These includes the crossed canons insignia, a wick, a raised semi-circle. Your flags were printed. You got heads with an open stud Treasure chests now had slots and the lids had very thick hinges that have lasted the test of time. Sets, with coins, came with 4 coins. The Islanders are introduced and exclusive enemies of Captain Iron Hook in the sets; however, in the American commercial, Captain Red Beard invaded them not Captain Iron Hook. Imperial Guards are still relevant and fight with Captain Red Beard. Skull's Eye Schooner replaces Black Seas Barracuda; however many catalogs in the US continued to sell Black Seas Barracuda throughout most of 1990s. Unnamed Pirate Captain with legs (referred to as Captain Iron Hook in Europe with a Dark Red/Brown (varies under lighting/angles)) now has peglegs in 1788 Treasure Chest. The Islanders are his enemy. If your set was made late 1996 and sold late 1996 or later... You should now have disabled cannons. These includes the crossed canons insignia, a wick, a raised semi-circle. Your flags were printed. You got heads with an open stud Treasure chests now had slots and the lids had very thick hinges that have lasted the test of time. Sets, with coins, came with 4 coins. The Islanders continue and exclusive enemies of Captain Iron Hook in the sets; however, in the American commercial, Captain Red Beard invaded them not Captain Iron Hook. Imperial Guards are still relevant and fight with Captain Red Beard. Red Beard Runner replaces Skull's Eye Schooner and Black Seas Barracuda; Black Seas Barracuda no longer appears for sale in Holiday 1996 US catalog. Unnamed Pirate Captain with legs (referred to as Captain Iron Hook in Europe with a Dark Red/Brown (varies under lighting/angles)) now has peglegs in 1788 Treasure Chest. The Islanders are his enemy. This is the last appearance of Captain Iron Hook in a set sold in the catalog until a year or so later. The Imperial Armada are introduced as the final enemies of Captain Red Beard. If your set was made early 1997 and sold early 1997 or later... You should now have disabled cannons. These includes the crossed canons insignia, a wick, a raised semi-circle. Your flags were printed. You got heads with an open stud Treasure chests now had slots and the lids had very thick hinges that have lasted the test of time. Sets, with coins, came with 4 coins. The Islanders are discontinued along with Captain Iron Hook. Imperial Guards are discontinued. The Imperial Armada are introduced as the final enemies of Captain Red Beard. Red Beard Runner replaces Skull's Eye Schooner and Black Seas Barracuda; Black Seas Barracuda no longer appears for sale in Holiday 1996 US catalog. Note: Islanders and Imperial Guards sets do appear in Holiday 1997 US Catalog but did not in either Spring or Summer catalogs. JANUARY 1998 US CATALOG Pirates were officially removed in the January 1998 US catalog. SPRING 1998 US CATALOG Pirates were officially removed in the January 1998 US catalog. 6204 Buccaneers set promoted as a surprise set through the Magical Box of Surprises offer. NO OTHER DATA FROM HERE RESEARCHED. Edited Thursday at 03:55 AM by kelceycoe Quote
Admiral Bejaune Posted Thursday at 02:05 AM Posted Thursday at 02:05 AM Wow! Impressive research. I enjoyed reading this post. Very interesting! Thanks for the hard work! Quote
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.