kelceycoe

I may be generalizing too much. You can tell the difference between an American box and boxes that many fans claimed are from the UK but may just as well be European boxes. For the 1989-1992 (about that time) American boxes had the ages listed on the front. European boxes listed these on one of the sides. That's the only way to tell looking at the boxes online. I've never had an European box so I am unable to know much else (like weight difference, dimensions, etc).

After doing some more research, a user on Facebook gave some brief info about the set, saying it was a promotional limited set and gave box pics: https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1DFo2zNeSg/ And the guy who supplied the info for this post talked bout it possibly being a Woolworth exclusive: Quote: My original info is still what I have and had it kind of confirmed by some more online research. The set was only sold during a brief period in 1990 in Woolworths UK. I also heard it got handed out as part of a promo, but that would be contradicted by the price label (so at least no free promo). Maybe it was a set you could get for a low price as a store bonus or something like that. Information is still VERY scarce. If you have any more info (or even photos of other sold sets with price stickers), please let me know!"

Under normal circumstances I'd agree but I cannot when the price is wrong lol. As for 1680... The ONLY evidence in existence that hints it was sold in the UK is the UK box found for this set on Bricklink: And this older listing on facebook complete with a woolworth price sticker: It was sold recently in E-bay from a seller in Bulgaria for over $300 USD - ONLY the parts and instructions and that person did list the full instructions, confirming that version of the set was made in 1990. https://www.ebay.com/itm/277008332939?_skw=lego+1680&epid=9053424680&itmmeta=01K7FWCDEESQ0GC90V68XMYTHS&hash=item407efbb88b:g:9GkAAOSwMKFn8SCn&itmprp=enc%3AAQAKAAAA8FkggFvd1GGDu0w3yXCmi1eNLZvw3DrfpGhZiHaFxIsDua%2BZNLlntY2fTGU75LBj%2BJlwsqkypWea4WOVws2cBbgqOCD52bvbMx8SPWERJZJ0TZ340CVMi%2BDPQ%2B5YeM7tI7yYcEpOs8AGL92eS%2BI5x6FppPSOD%2FIZldIs6259OyPwImUrizd33UyJA5tSQ1T4AI3XrWWvX3%2Fi3z0cdjkq0M3lUeylKbScrWb5TOH3lbxO9DR57szMjgw9WUVsv9GAe39%2BQLmvWyhR2zZ%2B18R51MTnBaDBgMXssqQunhPm00e0HpcvI6%2B4w8NmSMs%2FC4HOLg%3D%3D|tkp%3ABk9SR7DXsfy7Zg Also, in reference to 1877... pretty much any Value Pack I have found back then was only sold in the USA. I did not see it or 1680 in the 1990 UK catalog so

Those were both done by a flat bed scanner. Some of mine were done using a phone because my flat bed scanner has issues.

For 1680, I just bought the 1877 set and bought a separate extra minifigure because it was way cheaper than buying 1680 outright. That sold was sold in stores here in the United States. UPDATE; Photos removed because I linked to the 1989 Value pack set with the cart with the black fences. I cannot find any instance of 1680 in any UK catalog but 1877 does appear in the US Medium catalog on the Futuron page.

That is 100% correct! I had the Black Seas Barracuda, Eldorado Fortress and Forbidden Island in the same year (1989) and mine all had firing cannons!

Yes that is accurate. Those sets came to retail stores officially here in the USA in 1990. I do not know anything about Canada yet. As you will see in the page from the 1989 Shop at Home Catalog here in the United States, these four sets were available to those of us here in the United States starting August 1, 1989: Pirate Mini-Figures, Shipwreck Island, Castaway Raft, and Sabre Island They were also for sale in the Holiday 1989 catalog: https://www.flickr.com/photos/203530674@N07/albums/72177720329114990/with/54797131271/ As mentioned already, Lego Club members here in the United States could ONLY buy Buried Treasure and Harbour Sentry from the club magazine. If you look here, this is a Christmas catalog from Sears USA from 1989. This link should take you directly where the Lego Pirates sets are listed - only the "big four" I call them. They were marketed as having working cannons as well.

I posted somewhere else on this board that, yes while the first 4 big Pirate sets were first made to us in 1989, through the 1989 SAH catalog we could buy most of the other sets the UK got. And that bundle was a cool thing Leo did for club members. To clarify: As far as I can tell, only 6285 Black Seas Barracuda, 6276 Eldorado Fortress, 6270 Forbidden Island and 6274 Caribbean Clipper were actually sold in stores. The others COULD be bought here in the US but either through the 1989 shop at home catalog or that club magazine.

I thought everyone knew about these lol! I found a bunch of ads from Donald Duck on Archive.org a couple weeks ago. I searched for "donald duck" "lego" 1989 or something and found many that way. Our Medium catalog for 1989 only contained the four big pirates sets here in the USA. The 1990s one looked almost identical to the UK one above, minus the minifig set and comic book. Here's a 1990 NL catalog scan: https://archive.org/details/netherlands-Katalog_Lego-1990/page/n19/mode/2up

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In my continuation of updating vital Pirate information so everyone has the correct information - especially Influencers - I found a very good reliable source that dispels the full details to how it began. Across the Internet fans had hinted on it but never demonstrated any evidence that connected what we knew to actually how Pirates originated - until now! If you read the article published by Blocks Magazine, Issue 100, we learned - from Niels Milan Pedersen again - that in 1986 The Lego Group had actual Pirate models completed and ready to go BUT WAS DELAYED UNTIL 1986 because the Castle theme was so successful. But now - thanks to the book, The Secret Life of Lego Bricks, we actually learn - again through Niels Milan Pedersen - that Lego Pirates' origins began IMMEDIATELY after the launch of the Castle theme in 1984. https://www.flickr.com/photos/203530674@N07/54816846910/in/album-72177720329308752 I uploaded the pages from The Secret Life of Lego for everyone to read and see and learn about the Western theme's early cancellation (which most of us knew) but also details on Europa and Roman themes that haven't really been discussed anywhere else. I am still reading Brick by Brick. That book - which goes back and forth too much - has a lot of factual information about the rise/fall of Lego in the 1990s. Many of the wikis have the specific reasons correct but they're incorrect with the dates and I'll put the details about that in the appropriate forum at another time. TIMELINE OF Niels Milan Pedersen / PIRATES LINE: Summer 1980: Niels Milan Pedersen is hired by The Lego Group 1984: Castle is relaunched / Pirates are automatically envisioned 1986: Pirates theme / models completed and ready for launch ; 1986: Pirates Launch DELAYED due to success of Castle theme 1989: Pirates theme is launched throughout the world. 1990: America releases the rest of the 1989 Pirates line the rest of the world got in 1989 Are there any other magazines I should be made aware or books that give the full facts? I am NOT considering The Lego Book (all editions) valid due to the enormous amount of errors and how they're hastily organized/published.

Right now on here and in the minds of every archivist. I'm trying to redo my web site but at the same time having this info is helpful so the Influencers can get it right and stop passing off misleading info as correct. For example, I just read a about about Lego that discusses the origins of Pirates. Seems like everyone thinks they conceived it in 1987... but that's when they began devising plans for the comic book. The research I'm about to gather will "shake up" the Pirate community while revealing details about the Europa theme, the never-released Romans theme, and more and I'll include photos as well.

Also just confirmed from a seller on Ebay... Bonus Pack #1900 was also listed in the 1993 Summer SAH US 32page catalog. This same seller is selling 1464 - The polybag. So I imagine these were available in 1900 as polybags but also sold separately. I was more frugal as a kid so I likely opted against buying this set especially since I wasn't a fan of this pirate and its lack of accessories. Neither bonus pack was listed in 1993 SAH Imagination Book, 48 pages, which only had 2 pages devoted to Pirates. It did list Rock Island Refuge, a 1991 set, but introduced as new 5059 (Pirate elements with Islanders pieces a whole year before their debut) and 6252 Sea Mates

Yes when you get a chance please grab photos of the Australian 1992 catalog. Information is like is desperately needed to help collect data and provide accurate information. I didn't want to come of as an arrogant American but in my experience Australia is somehow connected with the UK and in one of the companies I work with if you're in Australia and buy something it's shipped from a UK warehouse so I suspected Australian catalogs were almost carbon copies with only prices differing.

That's good to know, photos would be nice. Did you buy yours directly from a retail store in Australia or from a seller who may have imported it from Europe? Did Australia normally get the European versions of sets, for some reason?