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WhiteFang

Celebrating 40 years of the LEGO Minifigure - Old minifigures' advertisement (1980-1982)

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Dear Eurobricks Community, 

To continue the celebration of the 40 years anniversary of the LEGO Minifigure? I had dwell deeper into the LEGO promotional advertisements provided by TLG (The LEGO Group) which I am going to share between 1980 to 1982. It is the dawn and the beginning of the Golden Age. I was not exactly born during this period yet but this period is an important milestone for the LEGO Minifigures to embrace a whole new level of interchange playability of parts through mix and match, looking at the lens and the art of minifigures' role playing in our day-to-day lives.

The original super detailed high resolution images provided by TLG can be found in this Flickr Album

I have also included Brickset (excellent database for set catalogue) for links as part of my short article write up as well as my past reviewing images, where applicable. 

Henceforth, allow me to first share the humble beginnings of some these promotional advertisements from 1980-1982. 

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The first LEGO Minifigure is the Classic Police Officer - was a part of the LEGO Town Theme in early 1978 (which I forget to mention in my first topic). As the years goes, there are more varieties of town occupations ranging from doctors, drivers, construction workers, chefs and etc, appearing in LEGO Town. The beginning of 1980s were a golden age because many young builders including myself and discover these attractive, simple, classic playsets with minifigures in there. It was a successful hit in global regions. 
 

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LEGO was able to capture many young builders and during this period, LEGO was still conservative in their set releases until 1983 onward where more themes and varied sets designs increased significantly. The iconic 6381 Summer Cottage first released in 1981 could be spotted in the town setting in this German advertisement. Will you be able to identify the rest of the Classic Gems in this promotional advertisement? :look: 

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LEGO Town's integral transportation hub rely greatly on trains and trains had appeared as early as 1966. In this case, these trains come with train conductors. These 12 volts train are amazingly incredible and highly detailed. Are you even aware that there are 13 train sets recorded for the release in 1980. Anyone got the slightest idea on what the black locomotive is from? :look: 

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Then, moving forward slightly where space adventures are very excitable and real due to US and Soviet Union arms race towards intergalactic space travel in 1970s. Space became real and so real life and imagination seems limitless. The beginning of 1978 introduced Classic Space are really the best Classic Space sets ever released. Even those sets were not released at the time when I was born, I had to admire from past promotional images and imagine right in my mind. I am sure no one will dispute the fact that it is a winning formula if proper Classic Space or *ahem* Neo Classic Space ever returns to TLG product launches. :sweet: 

I like to share some other nice images before I sign off for this short write-up. Stay tuned for more time capsule and blast into the past! 

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WhiteFang

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yes, that brings up a lot of memories. Lego-wise, 1979 - 1983 was more or less my "golden era". I also still have several comic books with Lego commercials like the ones you're showing here. I guess Lego was pulling out every penny it had to turn the Minifig-lego sets into a smashing success.

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1979-1983 were also my golden years. Around 1984 I started getting into Transformers and my allowance went to buying them instead of Lego. But I love those pictures of those old sets because it takes me down memory lane. 

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I wish lego would do something like neo classic space with the old colors ... just for us afol's - should be enough coin if done as good as the mocs around

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