Complete List of American/Canadian Only Pirate Sets, 1989-1997

[kelceycoe]

As an American I concur these are accurate to the best of my knowledge. I chose to borrow this list from the perspective of somebody from Europe - Steve's Blogs - not only because great detail was given but since he lived in Europe he has better access to its resources and availability. Being an American kid, I knew these sets existed because I either seen them in person at the stores, catalogs, or I owned them, but I could not have known for certain if these were exclusive to my country unless I had actually left my country as the World Wide Web wasn't established well enough to know about regions being excluded from certain sets.

Pretty much all of these were either sets included in Value Packs, as gift packs or bundles. Trust me Europeans, these were usually crap-designed and just impulse buys/money grabs but a cheaper way to add more mini-figures and accessories to our collection. They should only be sought after if you're a completionist otherwise you're basically just buying a remake of a remake of an existing set (see Buried Treasure and its many remakes).

Note: I am the original owner of a few of these sets, many I frankensteined together from repeat sets or the Mini Figures set.

1991:

1481 Pirate Desert Island (US and Canada Only) - Part of a 5 set Value Pack - 1476 5 Set Bonus Pack-

1992:

1492 Battle Cove  (US and Canada Only) (Polybag)

1889 Pirate Treasure Hold  (US and Canada Only) - Part of 1891 4 Set Value Pack

1993:

1970 Pirate Gun Cart (US and Canada Only) from 1967 Bonus Pack

1994:

1729 Barnacle Bay Value Pack  (US and Canada only) (I owned this set)

1995:

1788 Treasure Chest (Box was shaped like a treasure chest, I got it for Christmas; appeared one of the Lego SAH catalogs in 1996 but I thought it was stores only at first)

1996:

1795 Imperial Cannon  (US and Canada Only) from the 1723 Castle / Pirates Combo Value Pack

[TalonCard]

As a young Pirates fan these sets were a fun surprise. Most sets appeared as a whole wave that you'd see all at once, or if you didn't see them on shelves you'd at least see them in one of the in-set catalogs. But if you didn't get the Shop at Home catalog, the only way to know these were even around was to happen across them in stores. Barnacle Bay was a very exciting find for me because I just so happened to have exactly enough pocket money to buy it as soon as I saw it. (I had been hoping against hope that a Skull's Eye Schooner was marked down enough to get it, lol, but a previously unknown Pirate set was a fine consolation prize. )

 I saw this set unopened in a Bricks and Minfigs store 10 years ago for $30; I wish I'd bought it!

And the 1788 Treasure Chest set was just an incredible treat to see on store shelves; the box shape and art, the novelty of the flag use on the raft, the fun hidden compartment, the inclusion of pirate and Islander figures... I think that was the last time I walked into a store and saw a Pirate set i didn't know about, outside of my dreams anyway. 

Edited 8 hours ago by TalonCard

[kelceycoe]

I loved the feeling of walking down the isle and finding a new set too! The SAH catalogs made me feel like a Lego expert so I was surprised with very happiness when I did find - and buy - sets like Barnacle Bay and Showdown Canyon, for example. I do remember passing on the 1990 Pirate Comic Book thinking it was silly to buy a comic book and 2 Pirates when I already had the ship and I also remember passing on a Adventurers Desert set that came with the mummy because I thought it was the more popular version I already had. Yeras later I bought both of them.

Wal-Mart still sells Value Packs and seems to be the only store who does so for the most part (then again there's really not many stores left to do so). I bought the Batman set last year - it came with the smaller 1989 Batmobile, Batman Returns Bat symbol and I thought something else and maybe a Lego drawstring bag. I remember buying the girl from The Lego Movie era - she came with a few sets inside a carrying case. So all is not lost.

Edited 5 hours ago by kelceycoe

[kelceycoe]

I am updating with a second list but I want to keep this list separate since it covers another topic - Polybags and Special Sets, No Matter the Region. If it wasn't promoted with the main themes or were known as polybags or special gift sets they appear here.

I haven't went through the catalogs and named the "Kits" - from my knowledge those were just a name given to a bundle of sets in the USA SAH catalogs, although I think i did list one from Bricklink as Bricklink listed it.

Polybags Value Packs, Gift Sets and Special Sets, No Matter the Region - Pirates 1989-1997 (Basically if it didn't come in a standard box it appears here) Credit: Steve's Blogs for most of it

1989 (Europe) 

6255 Pirate Comic 

1989 (USA)

6200 Pirate Double Pack - Buried Treasure / Harbor Sentry (Brick Kicks Fall 1989 Club Members only offer; unknown if these came as separate sets or in a package bundle) This one very likely had shooting cannon and was the ONLY time Harbor Sentry came with a shooting cannon in the USA

6265 Sabre Island Bonus Offer with LEGO Backpack (Listed as 6265 -2 on Bricklink: From submitter: Austrian only release as a bonus offer for summer holiday ('Ferien-Abenteuer') including the set 6265-1 together with a LEGO backpack. The discount price is specified in Austrian Schilling (the currency before Euro).)

1990 (USA):

6255 Pirate Comic 

 1991:

1481 Pirate Desert Island (US and Canada Only) - Part of a 5 set Value Pack - 1476 5 Set Bonus Pack-

1992:

1464 Pirate Lookout (it was strangely later boxed as 1696)

1492 Battle Cove  (US and Canada Only) (Polybag)

1889 Pirate Treasure Hold  (US and Canada Only) - Part of 1891 4 Set Value Pack

6271-2 Imperial Flagship with Free Storage Case (looks USA only): Violet Storage Case with Two Latches 40 x 48 x 13 studs

VP31 Pirates Bundle Pack (Sets 6247 and 6261 with Captain Red Beard Activity Book) USA (possibly Wal-Mart Exclusive) See images here: 

https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/1337898001669210/

and

Special Note / Dick-head alert: A submitter listed this on Bricklink and links the Captain Roger Activity Book (I happen to own this version and I can tell you it's the European version of this activity book). I asked the submitter for better pictures and got a rude response and no clarification just that he added the book to the inventory.

1993:

1970 Pirate Gun Cart (US and Canada Only) from 1967 Bonus Pack

1994:

 1713-1 Shipwrecked Pirate polybag

1729 Barnacle Bay Value Pack  (US and Canada only) (I owned this set)

1995:

1788 Treasure Chest (Box was shaped like a treasure chest, I got it for Christmas; appeared one of the Lego SAH catalogs in 1996 but I thought it was stores only at first)

1996:

1795 Imperial Cannon  (US and Canada Only) from the 1723 Castle / Pirates Combo Value Pack 

1802 Tidy Treasure polybag