Old LEGO Town Promotional Sets...

[LEGO Historian]

LEGO has had promotional sets since the 1950s. Some, such as Weetabix, Shell, and others are very well known, while some are not.

Here's a few of the lesser known promotional sets...

The 1966 REPAIR SHOP SET of 1985 was a Dutch Unilever Corp. product promoting their UNOX Soup. If you sent in 3 soup labels and some money, they would mail you the set. Although this is a promotional set, the set itself has nothing to do with Unilever or UNOX. However it is a rare set, since it was not sold on the open market....

Unlike the Unilever Unox Soup promotion, the Italian Ovomaltina (Ovaltine in English) promotion was just of regular small sets, found in any toy store. If you sent in 2 proofs of purchase for Ovomaltina, you got either a 600 Police Patrol, 602 Fire Chief Car, or 606 Ambulance set for free.

Unfortunately, these boxes were not uniquely marked, so these sets are just regular LEGO sets not highly valued...

Another old promotional set was the 1620 Chocomel Factory Set of 1978. This set was available for sending in 3 Chocomel proof of purchase stickers, and money.

This is a very highly collectible set... but I'm not sure it will see nearly $6000 in MISB....

http://www.bricklink...10&searchSort=P

A 4th interesting set is the 1601 Schmidt & Co. Factory set. For a long time many folks thought this was a set for a specific company (like the Chocomel set). But this factory set was a promotional set for VEDES... the association of toy stores (with over 1000 member stores in central Europe), with their HQ in Nuremberg, the toy capital of Germany. Schmidt & Co. is a fake company name.

Although this 1976 set wasn't related to a specific company to promote, this VEDES exclusive for Germany is still a very highly collectible set.

These are just a few of the 100+ promotional sets that TLG made... some for specific companies or associations as exclusives... others as promotions using regular LEGO sets. These 100+ sets are discussed in depth in my Unofficial LEGO Sets/Parts Collectors Guide (2800 pages/6000 images) on DVD/download as an Ebook for your PC, iPad or iPhone (or 3 for the price of 1)....

http://www.eurobrick...showtopic=73780

With access to the LEGO Archives, Vault and Collections, I've got images of sets and parts you've never seen before!!

Photo images courtesy of Diana Swartjes and Piergiorgio Andreatini.

Edited August 5, 2013 by LEGO Historian

[Alfadas]

I like this set, and I want I was born 20 years earlier, so I could get this set, and other promotional sets, but unfortunately I was born in 1995, and this action was over on 5 December 1985, that is the dutch version of Christmas, the day you get presents, so I couldn't get this one, just like all the other promotional sets. Thanks for sharing!

[LEGO Historian]

I added a few extra sets...

Jeroenaa.... Unfortunately it sounds like your Sinterklaas Day came several years too late. The Netherlands had many LEGO promotional sets... from Unilever 1592 Town Square (anothe UNOX Soup), the 1620 (Chocomel), 1966 (Car Repair Shop), the Martinair sets of the 1970s and many many more... the Netherlands was well represented back 30 years ago, with many promotional sets!

P.S. It kind of sucks having your birthday and Christmas on the same day... and in the Netherlands Christmas is celebrated on Dec. 5....

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EDIT: Soory Jeroenaa.... when you said "this action", I thought you meant your birthday was on Dec. 5, as well as it being Sinterklaas Day... but it was only one of the 2...

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Edited August 5, 2013 by LEGO Historian

[Alfadas]

Thanks for the extra sets, they all look really nice. But, my birthday is the 9th of June , I didn't say I was born on the 5th of December, that is just the date of Sinterklaas. I don't understand why you think my birthday is the 5th of December . I am not very good in English, so I could have said something English people don't understand, please help me out here??

[Luke_likes_Lego]

Thanks LEGO Historian - for bringing these great bits of LEGO history to the forums to share.

I really enjoy your posts. :thumbup:

Cheers,

LLL

[LEGO Historian]

Two of my favorite sets are the virtually identical 1986 promotional sets... the Swiss TCS (Tour Club Schweiz) 1589, and the Dutch ANWB (Algemene Nederlandse Wielrijders Bond) 1590 (both are Auto Clubs).

What is so interesting about these sets, is that the box/set first page designers and the actual instructions designers must have had a miscommuncation at TLG...either that or someone was dyslexic at TLG... The box top and instructions are identical... but the baseplate/building arrangement in the actual instructions were reversed....

The 1982 introduced 1590 ANWB Breakdown Assistance Set version....

... and the 1986 TCS Breakdown Assistance Set 1589 (image belongs to Leoone)....

Probably the most valuable parts to these 2 sets are the stickered flags or sticker sheets....

The unique 1589 TCS stickered flag...

The unique 1590 ANWB stickered flag....

Edited August 5, 2013 by LEGO Historian

[LEGO Historian]

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OK... now for the embarrassing part...

How is it that 2 almost identical sets... 1590 and 1589... produced 4 years apart (1982 vs. 1986)... both contain the same glaring box top/instruction sheet top... mistake?? Why didn't they correct their error for the 1986 set, via a different box top and instructions top photograph?? What was TLG thinking??!!!

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Edited August 5, 2013 by LEGO Historian

[Carrera124]

The 1966 REPAIR SHOP SET of 1985 was a Dutch Unilever Corp. product promoting their UNOX Soup. If you sent in 3 soup labels and some money, they would mail you the set. Although this is a promotional set, the set itself has nothing to do with Unilever or UNOX. However it is a rare set, since it was not sold on the open market....

That's not 100% correct, set 1966 has been sold at VEDES and Spielzeug-Ring:

(pictures taken from my private collection of old toy store catalogs):

[ManInATopHat]

I do believe I have an ancient Shell Gas Station set, in pieces, unfortunately. It belonged to one of my parents when they were into Lego way back in the day. Thanks for sharing!

[Captain Settle]

I wish LEGO still did promotions like these. These days you're lucky to get Thor with a pile of rocks.

[LEGO Historian]

That's not 100% correct, set 1966 has been sold at VEDES and Spielzeug-Ring:

(pictures taken from my private collection of old toy store catalogs):

Thanks for the information!!

Looks like that Unilver 1966 set was also sold in Germany by the 2 leading toy store associations. This is also true for the 1592 Town Square Set. The UK v ersion was sold as a Weetabix exclusive in the UK... and also by both VEDES and SPIELZEUGRING in Germany (and also possibly in Canada and Japan).

One reason I always like to share information is because others can always "add" to it!

Another very interesting item about the Vedes catalog image is that the 1968 Space set... called "Unknown" or "Nameless" in all online LEGO databases is mentioned in that catalog as "Schwernutzlast-Raum-schiff"... which translates to "Heavy Payload Space Ship".

Edited August 7, 2013 by LEGO Historian

[Carrera124]

I did not realize that the name of set 1968 is a new information. For the first time, I showed these pictures in 2004 at 1000steine.de, and they are online/visible for quite a while at my Brickshelf account.

If you look at the other pictures, you will also find the sets 1593, 8847, 6383 and 6391

[LEGO Historian]

Thanks Carrera124, I saw all of your Brickshelf images... very impressive!! I just mentioned you and your pictures in a post on 1000steine (LEGO Set Ohne Name...1968).

I love these type of magazine or catalog images of old LEGO sets because it gives us so much information on special or promotional sets.

A good friend of mine, Eric Strand of Texas has a great collection fo USA/Canada Samsonite LEGO ads and mail order catatog images.

From 1961-85 there were many USA/Canada sets not sold elsewhere that were exclusives of American or Canadian retailers...

http://www.brickshelf.com/cgi-bin/gallery.cgi?f=136450

Edited August 7, 2013 by LEGO Historian

[Carrera124]

Very nice, too

Do you know how to manage to change the name of set 1968 at BL ? I have no idea how to do this, I guess BL will require a "typical" translation?

I could also provide better quality scans if needed. The pictures shown above were just quick-shots.

[Merkurius]

The 1966 set was (accidently?) sold in Sweden. I got it for christmas 1985. Pity I didn't keep the box, but the instructions is in fine shape! :-)

[antp]

The ANWB set reminds me the more recent one without roadplates: http://www.brickset.com/detail/?set=2140-1

I always found this set really good looking

[LEGO Historian]

The 1966 set was (accidently?) sold in Sweden. I got it for christmas 1985. Pity I didn't keep the box, but the instructions is in fine shape! :-)

Thanks for that information Merkurius.... just like the UK Version of the 1592 Town Square Set, which originated as a UK Weetabix promotional set in 1980, was later sold in Germany, Canada (unknown source), Japan (unknown source), and even in the Netherlands (must have been the leftovers when the Netherlands had their own version of 1592).

So 1966 was sold in the Netherlands, Germany, and now (unknown source) in Sweden.

I wouldn't be surprised if we find more of the "exclusive" promotional sets weren't so exclusive after all!!

Well this is why my Unofficial LEGO Sets/Parts Collectors Guide as DVD/download will have free annual updates... things just keep changing!!

[Merkurius]

Actually, the (in)famous 1593 was sold in Sweden. Got it for christmas 1986. Did my mother have a special deal with LEGO?

Just like the 1966 i lost the box but kept the instructions!

[Carrera124]

In 1987/88, I saw 1593 at an Idee&Spiel store in Germany. Unfortunately, at that I did not have enough money to buy it.

When I had enough money, it was gone...

[LEGO Historian]

Supposedly the 1593 Delta Spacecraft Set was a PERSIL Cleaning Soap Exclusive... sold in Britain, France, Denmark and Germany. I can now add Sweden to the list (do they sell PERSIL there??).

But finding it in a toy store in Germany makes me wonder if any of these leftover sets may have found their way to VEDES or SPIELZEUGRING??

[Carrera124]

Neither VEDES nor SPIELZEUGRING, but IDEE+SPIEL

Picture taken from 1983 IDEE+SPIEL catalog:

The text indicates that 1593 has been an exclusive item for IDEE+SPIEL.

Edited August 8, 2013 by Carrera124

[LEGO Historian]

Just when things get complicated, they get even more so...

PERSIL is a German cleaning soap sold under that name in Germany by German chemical company HENKEL AG, and PERSIL is also licensed to UNILEVER (Britain)... and these 2 companies license the detergent soap name in several European countries under several names. In France both companies sell it under either LE CHAT or SKIP.... in Sweden it's called VIA, in other countries it has other names.

But in UK/Ireland the (Unilever licensed) brand is Persil.

So far the 1593 set appears to have been sold in Britain/Ireland, France, Denmark and Sweden under one of the PERSIL brands, and in Germany as an IDEE+SPIEL toy subsidiary. Whew... that was not easy...

[LEGO Historian]

One of the more interesting promotions was in 1970 by British Kellogg's... It had a LEGO Village set that consisted of many LEGO Town sets (houses, fire station and vehicles)....

[Gioppa]

That's not 100% correct, set 1966 has been sold at VEDES and Spielzeug-Ring:

(pictures taken from my private collection of old toy store catalogs):

sorry for the big quote, but in the left side of the photo i see a female minifig, wich set is that?

[Carrera124]

This is set 710.