Difference between US boxes and European boxes.

[jonty14]

Just out of interest. Why do the US Lego boxes have the amount of parts written on them and the European ones don't? Any other differences between them?

Best regards

Jon

[weeble1688]

Well, European sets will not scan on a U.S. Lego Store register, so the barcodes are definitely different. Also, I believe the warnings vary by country or continent, as do the amount of languages used on the boxes, obviously.

[LEGO Historian]

There have always been (for the most part) differences between USA and European sets.. often even between USA/Canada and Europe.

I just posted a batch on my Unofficial Sets/Parts Collectors Guide FB page 3 days ago... so they bear repeating....

The 2009 Star Wars Set... Battle of Endor 8038....

The 384/760 Europe/Canada/USA London Bus Set of the mid 1970s....

The 1979/1981 Yellow Castle Set 375/6075....

The 6090 Knights Royal Castle...

Even an old very rare set, such as the #2 LEGO set of 1977-80, which was only ever sold in Italy and Japan... shows quite a bit of differences between the two....

[Malikon]

The 2009 Star Wars Set... Battle of Endor 8038....

And now I know what Lego lust feels like.

WANT!!! hahaha. They had me at AT-ST

Edited April 15, 2014 by Malikon

[legoman19892]

Required by law in US to show piece count.

[paul_delahaye]

There is also another difference I noted, I bought set 60059 Lego City Logging Truck in December in the Rockafella Lego store in New York, I notice that the box design has the 2 overlapping flaps sealed with a clear piece of tape, however the UK lego store version which I looked at last month had the more traditional European box sealing where you have to puncture the perforated bit with your thumb before tearing open the end of the box.

Personally I preffer the USA style of boxes, these are much easier to store flat packed after you have opened the set.

[jonty14]

Thanks for the information everyone. Most helpful and interesting.

[Blondie-Wan]

There is also another difference I noted, I bought set 60059 Lego City Logging Truck in December in the Rockafella Lego store in New York, I notice that the box design has the 2 overlapping flaps sealed with a clear piece of tape, however the UK lego store version which I looked at last month had the more traditional European box sealing where you have to puncture the perforated bit with your thumb before tearing open the end of the box.

Personally I preffer the USA style of boxes, these are much easier to store flat packed after you have opened the set.

This isn't actually a US / Europe thing; both styles of boxes can be found in the US - even for the same set - and I believe the same is true of other areas. I don't know why; it may have something to do with different production lines and factories that serve the same markets.

I remember specific sets I've seen on store shelves in the US with different box styles, and not just the two you describe here. Up until a number of years ago, another common box style was a two-piece version that had a thinner cardboard outer box, with flaps that tucked in, that fit like a sleeve over a sturdier, tray-like inner box (so that you'd open up the flap and slide out the tray). I can remember specific sets from at least as recently as 2002 that came in both this style and one of the still-current styles, and for which I might sometimes see both boxes for the same set together on store shelves.

The labeling, though, is indeed a regional thing.

One other thing I've noticed about that is that at least once, when ordering here in the US from Shop at Home, they sent me a couple copies of a set (7235 Police Motorcyle) in not the US-style box, with the piece count, recommended age range, etc., but the European-style box, with just the set number, but across the bottom of the box front there was a sticker stuck to the outside of the box, bearing the standardized "Choking Hazard" warning about small parts, apparently to comply with US toy safety product labeling requirements. When I ordered another copy of the set some time later (perhaps a year or so), it came in a US-style box.

[trippybrowneyes]

Speaking of differences between US and European sets - are the instruction booklets different sizes? Modern US booklets appear sized for the English system, but the booklets from my childhood appear sized for the metric system.

[antp]

Well, European sets will not scan on a U.S. Lego Store register, so the barcodes are definitely different. Also, I believe the warnings vary by country or continent, as do the amount of languages used on the boxes, obviously.

Usually the start of the bar code is related to the country of the manufacturer ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_GS1_country_codes )

I suppose that for US/Canada they use their Mexico factory? (and the EU factories for EU markets)

[62Bricks]

Here's an explanation why US and Canada packages have piece counts while EU packages do not, with links.

[alois]

What many Americans seem to forget is that in Europe dozens of different official languages are spoken. Every piece of text has thus to be written in at least the most important languages, such as German, French, Spanish, Italian, English. This makes text on boxes more complicated than in the US of A.

[LEGO Historian]

Well this isn't exactly the best place to post this, but it will do! The LEGO basic set 700/3A, a set that was introduced in 1953 as a size between the larger 700/1, 700/.2 and 700/3 sets, and smaller 700/4, 700/5 and 700/6 sets.

This set was sold in 15 different variations, both box design/language, and contents. Here’s the Danish versions (1953-55 Scandinavian - top, Danish language box 1955-57 - middle, Danish language box 1957-60 - bottom).

Edited May 28, 2014 by LEGO Historian

[Aanchir]

One difference between American and European sets besides the lack of piece counts is which alternate languages are featured. North American boxes feature three languages: English (spoken primarily in the US and Canada), French (spoken primarily in certain parts of Canada), and Spanish (spoken primarily in Mexico and other Central American countries).

In contrast, European boxes might feature a lot of languages. Check out the assortment of alternate character names on this European box for set 70812 Creative Ambush.

[alois]

But on the frontside of boxes, European ones have very little text, just to avoid the language problem. And no part count, but that is a legal thing I think.

[LEGO Historian]

_{I was having problems posting the other day... so I never was able to finish the early sets of 700/3A. Here are the same boxes, but for Norway and Sweden. Both of these countries switched to the international LEGO SYSTEM in 1958, while Denmark kept the local language "System i lek". The box designs are (upper left) the 1953-55 LEGO MURSTEN, (upper right) 1955-57 LEGO System i lek, (lower left) 1957-58 LEGO System i lek, and (lower right) LEGO System...}

_{I was having problems posting the other day... so I never was able to finish the early sets of 700/3A. Here are the same boxes, but for Norway and Sweden. Both of these countries switched to the international LEGO SYSTEM in 1958, while Denmark kept the local language "System i lek". The box designs are (upper left) the 1953-55 LEGO MURSTEN, (upper right) 1955-57 LEGO System i lek, (lower left) 1957-58 LEGO System i lek, and (lower right) LEGO System...}

[Faefrost]

The part count is one of the things I always prefer with the North American boxes. I like knowing that right up front. (I also like having the set name on the front, but fully understand the language issues in Europe.)

[SheepEater]

Topic creator: Why are you comparing a continent with a country?

We Canadians get the same boxes as Americans, you know.

(And Mexicans too, maybe, though I'm not sure since S@H doesn't ship there)

Edited June 1, 2014 by SheepEater

[talos]

I was looking at one of my old sets, "Fire House" (570) which has a flag on top. It had a Lego logo flag in all the photos I've seen, but all the photos on the box clip off the flag. My USA bought example has an American flag, instead of a Lego flag. They made the box more universal that way I think, back then (1973.) Customizing it regionally with the parts included and not have to print a different box for each country it was sold in.

[LEGO Historian]

I was looking at one of my old sets, "Fire House" (570) which has a flag on top. It had a Lego logo flag in all the photos I've seen, but all the photos on the box clip off the flag. My USA bought example has an American flag, instead of a Lego flag. They made the box more universal that way I think, back then (1973.) Customizing it regionally with the parts included and not have to print a different box for each country it was sold in.

I can answer this one.... the wavy LEGO flags (introduced in the fall of 1957) were discontinued in 1972. So the flags used in the sets of that time didn't always match with what was expected, or what showed up on a box top or inside a box, or even in a catalog. The USA 570 set (sold as 357 in Canada, Europe, Australia) had whatever flags were available in inventory. The 939/940 spare parts packs introduced in 1973 had the new straight stickered flags, so all the leftover old wavy flags were relegated to several model sets that had flags. So the USA flag was among the leftovers that TLG used for American sets. In Europe some countries used the LEGO flag for the 357 set. In Germany and the Netherlands a new supply of old flags was created... these were the wavy flags with ridged poles. So the 570/357 sets had whatever leftover flags were still in inventory.

[talos]

I can answer this one.... the wavy LEGO flags (introduced in the fall of 1957) were discontinued in 1972. So the flags used in the sets of that time didn't always match with what was expected, or what showed up on a box top or inside a box, or even in a catalog. The USA 570 set (sold as 357 in Canada, Europe, Australia) had whatever flags were available in inventory. The 939/940 spare parts packs introduced in 1973 had the new straight stickered flags, so all the leftover old wavy flags were relegated to several model sets that had flags. So the USA flag was among the leftovers that TLG used for American sets. In Europe some countries used the LEGO flag for the 357 set. In Germany and the Netherlands a new supply of old flags was created... these were the wavy flags with ridged poles. So the 570/357 sets had whatever leftover flags were still in inventory.

That makes sense, the flag is a straight square, and the flag is a sticker, its still on there well after all these years too! Thanks for the information!

[Wodanis]

There is one notable difference in the past few years. One can break down the NA boxes as they use tape to secure both sides while the boxes in the UK for example still use the punching through the package's side to get into it. Personally the NA version is so much more efficient as you don't have to damage the box and its easier to store too.

[Dr Leg O Brick]

I got a US version of 70706 Crater Creeper, and I must say, in comparison to the European versions I normally buy, not only did it have the necessary text, but it also "feels" better. The cardboard's thicker, it feels more robust, whereas the European versions feel like they're just crumple up and flatten in an uncontrollable way if I apply even the minutest pressure to the tabs.

Edited June 4, 2014 by Dr Leg O Brick

[Artanis I]

There is one notable difference in the past few years. One can break down the NA boxes as they use tape to secure both sides while the boxes in the UK for example still use the punching through the package's side to get into it. Personally the NA version is so much more efficient as you don't have to damage the box and its easier to store too.

That varies. I have some American boxes from last year that were glued, and some non American boxes with the sticky tape.

[letgo]

I've personally found a huge difference of 21110 between EU and US version, not only EU do not show the piece, it even weigh about 40 grams less than US version.