LEGO Historian Posted December 16, 2012 Nothing says Christmas like a nice window display. The only thing missing from the movie CHRISTMAS STORY at "Higby's Department Store" window (where the kids have their "piggy" noses pressed up to the glass... is LEGO in that classic and nostalgic American Holiday movie scene. That movie was set in the late 1940s (or thereabouts)... so here's some early LEGO window displays.... 1959 Chrome & Goldschmidt Detpartment Store Copenhagen.... 1960 Odense Denmark Toy Store window... Detroit Michigan at Christmas 1962.... J. L. Hudson's Department Store Samsonite LEGO window display... And here's a "1960s LEGO Christmas" display that I set up under my own Christmas tree about 10 years ago..... Just some of the images in my LEGO DVD/download chapter on LEGO Retailer displays, glued display models, model catalogs, and retailer accessories. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
LEGO Historian Posted December 16, 2012 (edited) One of my favorite images in my DVD/download is this one that is the first image found in Chapter 9 - Legoland Model Sets 1971-79. This image was from an American toy retailer catalog, and its' purpose was to show the high sales and profit that LEGO would bring to toy retailers. While the image is sort of funny, there are several interesting things about the 1970s sets shown here. All the sets have the USA set numbers. From 1972-79 USA LEGO sets had different set numbers than the rest of the world. Examples such as 384/760 London Bus Set. Or 375/6075 Yellow Castle Set... etc. TLG has never explained this difference. But I have come up with a very good reason... in 1972-73 TLG revoked the license from USA Samsonite... and in order to better monitor that no Samsonite of Canada LEGO sets were being shipped from Canada to the USA.... TLG gave the USA unique set numbers. Of course there were a select few sets that the USA and Canada did share the numbers to... such as the 190 Farm Set (only sold in those 2 countries), and the 575 Coast Guard Set (sold earlier as 369... a year earlier in the rest of the world). As I already mentioned this image shows the American set numbers... but if you look at the 190 Farm Sets on the lower right shelf... you will notice that some sets have a blue background, and others a green-brown background, which makes for an interesting box variation. Edited December 16, 2012 by LEGO Historian Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Crownie Posted December 16, 2012 These are fantastic pictures. I feel a bit odd saying this, but I've always wanted to own my own retail displays, or to display my LEGO sets just like some of the ones in these pictures. There's something so appealing about them - the orderly way they display the sets and the accompanying graphic displays of information. This might be a bit off topic, but is your DVD/Download still available? And can you refer me to where I might find information on it? You've certainly done your homework. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
LEGO Historian Posted December 16, 2012 (edited) These are fantastic pictures. I feel a bit odd saying this, but I've always wanted to own my own retail displays, or to display my LEGO sets just like some of the ones in these pictures. There's something so appealing about them - the orderly way they display the sets and the accompanying graphic displays of information. This might be a bit off topic, but is your DVD/Download still available? And can you refer me to where I might find information on it? You've certainly done your homework. Sorry... I guess it got aged off!!! Here is a link to 5 sample chapters (note some are from earlier versions of my older LEGO CD, and have been extensively updated and added to.... http://www.eurobricks.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=77046 It also it lists the Table of Contents... the 73 chapters (and zillion subchapters) as well as 4 appendices and 2 price guides (dollars and Euros), which has 10,156 prices listed, for older sets before 1980 (the ones rarely found online in Bricklink price guide). And it gives the link for ordering.... a DVD/download will get you a copy of the entire 2,800 pages + 6,000 plus images (688MB)... that can easily be downloaded to your desktop computer (both PC and MAC compatible)... in only about 6-10 minutes... Thanks for inquiring... the original Bazaar entry must have aged off! Edited December 16, 2012 by LEGO Historian Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
LEGO Historian Posted December 16, 2012 (edited) Here's a 2 part display case that came from a 1959-60 continental European Retailer Catalog of LEGO display items... (the entire 24 page catalog is shown in the LEGO DVD/download chapter on retailer catalogs.... And speaking of Retailer Catalogs... here's a page from a 1960 German Retailer catalog on set ordering.... from the same chapter ... and from that same chapter... here's the back inside cover of a 1959 Retailer Binder... love the picture.... I love the old LEGO artwork, fashions, and box images.... And here's another image from the retailer window/counter display chapter... a 1955 Swedish LEGO display from a Goteburg Sweden department store. Note: the 2 dark set types in the left side of the image... those are MOSAIK (mosaic) sets 1300 (smaller) and 1301 (larger). These are so rare, that TLG had to buy the 1300 set on the secondary market for their own collections (only a few are known)... and the larger 1301 set... none are known... but TLG is still looking for this one for their collections (as are about a dozen collectors I know!). Edited December 16, 2012 by LEGO Historian Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
LEGO Historian Posted December 20, 2012 The way toy stores stocked LEGO was different in USA/Canada, than it was in Europe. Here's are 2 images from my Retailer Chapter showing how Samsonite displayed their LEGO in an American Toy Store. Of course the selection of sets in USA/Canada was much different than those sets sold in Continental Europe, Britain and Australia. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
LEGO Guy Bri Posted December 20, 2012 I can't wait to get this! I LOVE seeing store displays, whether it be Playmobile, MegaBloks, or, my favorite, LEGO! This will be a chapter I'll get stuck in... I think the guy in the isle of LEGO, with a long receipt and fan of money is very amusing... Nice to know flashing cash isn't as ghetto as it's portrayed! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
shadowhearth Posted December 21, 2012 I remember about 20 years ago there were shops, which were selling only lego! It was fantastic! All the smaller ones were on bottom shelfs and all the big ones were on the most top shelfs! It's a shame all of them gone. :( there is only one toy store in local town ( it's small town though ) and selection of lego is brutal. The biggest technic sets were yellow helicopter and tow truck, which I bought. :( Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
LEGO Historian Posted December 22, 2012 (edited) In Odense, the coastal shipping capital of Denmark (where many of the large Maersk super container ships are built)... this is a LEGO toy store, with an image taken in 1960.... showing all the new box designs introduced that year. Right now, I am offering a special in the Eurobricks Bazaar, where (from now to Christmas), if you buy one of my DVD/downloads (with over 6000 historic and modern images)... I will also send a (2nd) free download to the LEGO friend of your choice (as a Holiday gift), with a personalized LEGO Christmas greeting from you (total time to send the download is only 5-15 minutes). See my Bazaar ad for details! This offer is good retroactive! Edited December 22, 2012 by LEGO Historian Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
