LEGO Historian

Yes those fuzzy mists of time were my earlier years! lol.... The garage kit, available as a 235 parts pack (1955-70)... had a baseplate with a pushdown front... which caused the garage door to open... because the back counterweights make it heavy enough for the door to rest in the open position. There were 5 parts in this arrangement.... 1 garage baseplate... 1 garage door frame, 1 garage door, and 2 garage counterweights... which once inserted into the back of the garage door would likely never come out again.... http://www.bricklink...Pic.asp?S=235-2 Ironically the plain 236 garage set... also produced from 1955-70... came in 8 different box types! Also... those early LEGO Town System sets... flat box sets with the parts nicely placed into inserts.... they can fetch $500-$1000 easy!! And the rarer (Swedish, German) Esso sets... even more!

New updates to the DVD download (available for free to current owners)... will be coming out in a few months. Already 3 new chapters are completed... including a new chapter on Japanese LEGO... http://www.eurobrick...showtopic=81168

I usually post over in General Discussions, but this topic was more LEGO Town related. Many folks think of old Town sets as those from the 1990s .... but really old LEGO means the 1950s! The first LEGO Town System sets came out in 1956. (Actually there were 4 very tiny buildings on 4x8 or 6x8 plates in 1955, but they fit into small parts pack boxes.) The first real Town set was an Esso Service Station Set of 1956... #1310 (Denmark, Norway, Sweden) and #310 in the rest of Europe. Here are 3 versions of the Esso Service Station boxes (bottom to top... 1956, 1958, 1960).... Then in 1957 new sets came out.... #306/#1306 VW Service Set (lower left)... #307/#1307 VW Showroom Set (lower right)... #308/#1308 Fire Station (with printed brick in local languages, upper left)... and the #309/#1309 Church Set... In the past year some new variations on the old Esso Service Station set boxes have been found.... these 1956-57 set boxes were used in Denmark (top, Esso Service), Germany (middle, Esso Wagenpflege), and Sweden (bottom, Esso Service, different box color).... These images are found in my Unofficial LEGO Sets/Parts Collectors Guide available as DVD/download (for your desktop viewing pleasure).... with 2,800 pages and over 6,000 historic and modern images.... still available in AmeriBricks Bazaar. Future download updates will be free to current owners!

Well OLO helped... but it didn't totally solve the distribution problems for LEGO. So in 1986 TLG took a different approach (got this info recently from the LEGO Billund Archive folks and LEGO Japan). The LEGO Dacta division in Japan was already well established in schools by the the 1980s. So TLG tried a new approach. They produced a LEGO Japan "only" set 1400... which was technically a Dacta set.... Japan LEGO Dacta sent a brochure home with school children of Japan in 1986. This brochure showed this LEGO set 1400. Parents were told that LEGO would help their children learn. This was a good reason for many Japanese parents to order the set thru schools across the country. It was delivered to the schools for the children to take home. This introduction of LEGO to Japanese parents caused some parents to go local toy stores and ask about LEGO products. For those stores that didn't carry it, one would imagine that a few inquiries about it from parents would make the toy stores want to carry LEGO products. How well this actually worked is a TLG secret... but I'm sure it did help increase the availability of LEGO across Japan. Just how much... we don't know. This was a repeat of a similar scenario in 1956 when LEGO sets first came to Germany.... but there LEGO toy stores in northern Germany were skeptical about importing a Danish toy. A few media ads by local media around the northern German city of Hamburg... caused inquiries to be made of local toy stores (none of which had carried LEGO)... and the final result is one of the highest saturations of LEGO in any country in the world (not of course directly related to this one action). This newly discovered Japan only 1400 set (not found in any online database).... is part of my next updates to the LEGO DVD download (still available in AmeriBricks Bazaar)... and current owners will get free future download updates... such as this newly discovered 1400 set, and an entire chapter devoted to OLO. (I spent the last 3 weeks working on 3 new chapters... one on the "pre-history" of LEGO Minifigs.)

Holy Crap! Been gone for 2 weeks and all hell breaks loose here!! At first I thought I had been hijacked to another site.... Anyway.... any ever hear of something called "OLO"??? I thought not... neither did I... But just as Italy had Minitalia LEGO in the 1970-76 era.... it seems that Japan (first LEGO sold there in 1962)... also had an identity crisis of sorts... and it was called OLO... As with other imports... the Japanese never made it easy for imports to flourish there... even the Japanese themselves never much cared for a lot of foreign items. But due to a restricted distribution network and lack of accessibility to toy stores... TLG licensed a Japanese company called Fujisho Co. to make LEGO type sets for the Japanese market... from 1970-78... and this product was called OLO. OLO used the same type of "X" bottom bricks as Minitalia did in the 1970s in Italy. This was one of several patents that TLG had for their LEGO product... but this brick patent was apparently only used in Italy and Japan... and only in the early to mid 1970s. Here's the front of an OLO catalog.... And what is the difference between old Minitalia and OLO??? Minitalia on the left... OLO on the right... And here's the real reason that we know this to be LEGO.... the last page of the 1970 OLO catalog shows the parts packs available for the OLO system... and these are LEGO parts packs... with LEGO bricks (regular tube bottom). So OLO was sold in Japan alongside regular (not selling well) real LEGO... and OLO basic sets were about 1/2 the price of comparable sized LEGO basic sets. I've spent the last 2 weeks working on new chapters (yes there will be more than the current 73 chapters)... of my Unofficial LEGO Sets/Parts Collectors Guide... and these are just 3 of about 20 images of the rarely seen 1970s OLO sets from Japan. This chapter will be alongside the Italian Minitalia (1970-76) LEGO sets.... Gary Istok

The quality of the sets may have improved... but not so with the quality of the colors of the parts! The point of production coloration creates minor (and not so minor) differences that are noticeable. Back when Bayer Corp. was producing the color pellets, the color process was much better... but when you have over 40 colors, the old way of doing things (storing over 40 pellet collors) did not make good business sense!

Well I've got some space minifigs from the late 1970s... and the finish on them has lost a lot of its' strong coloration (even when kept away from sunlight for many years. But I don't know how that relates to new minifigs. In the early days decorations were applied differently than they are today. But as for the minfigi plastic itself... no changes since 1979.

Well heymikep.... I've got good news and I've got great news... the good news is that you do have a 695 Bulk Extra Parts set of the early 1970s, and also a 1965-72 285 Samsonite set... which is a basic set where the set number matches the parts count. Both very nice examples! Now for the great news... you have 6 1:87 LEGO vehicles... #261-#268 1:87 cars in garages + 2 VW Beetles that are loose. If the front and back bumpers of the loose VW Beetles (part #261) are totaly intact, and they are in good condition, then they could easily sell for $50-$100 each. But as for those 4 in clear plastic garages garages with gray door and base... those are #261-#268 (I don't see a convertible... so a #266 Mercedes 190 SL is not among them).... Those are HIGHLY collectible, and I would value them at approximately $150+ each, especially if the blue "banderole" around the garage is still totally intact. Those are MISB cars in gages, and were produced from 1962-66.... and are very sought after by not only old time LEGO collectors, but also cast HO scale model car collectors. The price on these can go into the hundreds of dollars each if it's a rare color of the particular model (I saw recently a black Vauxhall Victor Estate go for $2500 in USED condition, without a box, and black Fiat 1800 go for $3235). Here's an image of a 698 and 699 multipack 1:87 boxes (very rare) that show many of the models that can be found as individually packed LEGO cars and trucks... all very valuable!! (Image from a Danish magazine).... My 2800 page Unofficial LEGO Sets/Parts Collectors Guide as a DVD download (downloading takes only 6-15 minutes).... has a chapter on all the 1;87 cars and trucks, and which are the rare colors for each auto/truck type.... it's available in the Eurobricks Bazaar listing, on my website, or on Ebay for $29.95.... as a 688MB 73 chapter desktop refrerence guide, with information not found elsewhere...

Yes there is the "LEGO Collections" Vault... the real one I want to visit... this one is likely off limits to most everyone, since it's not made for visiting.... but it's the one I would like to see (actually I'd like both!)... Here are some images from there... things you likely won't ever find in any collections... The 1954-55 700 b/c Danish Retailer Windows/Doors Box (none known in private hands).... The 1952 700/5 Basic Set... again none known in private hands (this may have been only a prototype).... And the 1955 (first non-structure) LEGO Mosaik set... only 1 known in private hands... These are all new images that will be in the next version of my Unofficial LEGO Set/Parts Collectors Guide as DVD/download... free to current owners... when released in a few months! As for the visitors vault... they don't take care of sets as well as they should there... I have seen stacks of heavy boxes on top of much smaller lighter ones... but again... they're not there for historica purposes... just legal ones...

I would think that white gloves should be required for wearing when handling those boxes... we humans do have oily skin... and repeated handling of the boxes cannot be good for them!

Sttinky, unfortunately the Vault does NOT have every LEGO set ever made. There are some significant gaps... such as many sets made prior to 1957... many of the Automatic Binding Bricks sets, many early Norwegian and Swedish sets, many USA/Canada department store catalog sets, and most of the 80+ different wooden box sets. But for modern years they do have all LEGO sets. Just prior to 1970 they have some gaps... but are always on the lookoout fo find samples on the secondary market. Unfortunately I've not been to the vault... except I've seen hundreds of photos from it. And I don't have a clue as to how to get an invite... although I have been personally invited. Gary Istok

1974... no... the models weren't the most complex building models of all time... just the assortment of all 11 variations and language versions made for over 20 different... that was the most complex part... the vast and varied collection of books under the same number. I probably should have used different words!

You all do know what this means, don't you?? TLG will NEVER create the other arm!! They've been toying with me for 25 years... as long as I've been collecting 2x2 trans-clear 45 degree slopes... waiting for the day when they created a 2x2 outside corner slope for me to make trans-clear pyramids from... waited 25 stinking years.... and still waiting!!

Another very rare LEGO 1:87 model... this time it's a "KØLEVOGN" Danish promotional VW Van (#258) of circa 1961-63. Due to the hunchback top, this model is made of Cellulose Acetate and has warped somewhat. These 258 vans were almost ALWAYS 2 colored... where the top half would be a lighter color, and the lower half would be a darker color. The solid color vans were always promotional items (some promotionals were 2 color as well). This one sold for $1,035 , in Mint it would have sold likely for more than twice that. (Scroll down) http://www.ebay.com/...cvip=true&rt=nc Some of these old vans had stickers (such as this one), others had water decals. There are about 8-10 different known names on these vans.... all very rare and extremely valuable.

Stinky... back then the ONLY unusual part "trickery" was SNOT. No other special ways to manipulate the "System".

Unfortunately with a LEGO image collection numbering about 10,000 images, it becomes hard to upload images all the time to Brickshelf or Flickr. Recently I posted a thread in German on 1000steine about the 238 Idea Book... arguably the most complex building idea book of all time. It was also the first international idea book, sold in many variations in countries around the world.... This book is known in 11 variations from 1960-67. The earliest were produced in English (Britain), German (Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Luxembourg), French (France, Switzerland, Belgium), Flemish (Belgium), Dutch, Danish, Swedish, Norwegian, Finnish and Italian. It was produced from 1960-62... until wheels and black bricks were introduced. Here are 5 versions of the blue 238 book... as well as 4 further USA/Canada Samsonite LEGO versions. _________________________ The first type shows the same train page in Flemish, Dutch and German (1960-62). Then the 2nd type with wheels shows the intro of Wheels and black bricks in German (1962-63). Then the 3rd type was USA and Canada (bilingual)... without wheels (1961-63). Then the 4th type was UK/Ireland/Australia... with wheels but no black tires (1962-63). Then the 5th type was the International type (no language) with wheels, black bricks and small plates (1963-65). http://www.1000stein...d=30004#id30004 After the blue cover types (with globe and flags)... there are the 4 USA/Canada Samsonite types... USA (1964, 1966, 1967), and Canada (1966). __________________________ Then there are also several other 238 Idea Book varieties from 1964-67 sold in Germany/Austria, the rest of continental Europe, Britain/Ireland, and Australia. These 238 books look like none of the other books, but are still found with the 238 number in many LEGO catalogs. of 1964-67. This link shows the German/Austrian 238 Idea Book shows many of the pages in German. Then it shows a white square 238 Idea Book sold in the rest of Continental Europea, and then what looks like an identical 238 sold in Britain/Ireland and Australia... although the images in the books are different. http://www.1000stein...d=29544#id29544 ________________________________ These images are from my LEGO Collectors Guide DVD/download found in the LEGO bazaar, Ebay and on my website. New language versions are added. Chapter 37 covers all the LEGO Idea Books from 1950-75, and Chapter 38 covers all the magazine type Idea Books from 1972-90.

LOL... they're intimidated.... politically speaking she is the worlds most powerful woman...

The place one would be most likely to see your final stop action video.... Youtube..

Unfortunately I am very familiar with the predesessor garage doors (found in the the 235/236 sets of 1955-70) which are gravity opened with counterweights, but not not the mechanism of the 348 doors. The baseplates are inexpensive enough on Bricklink... http://www.bricklink.com/catalogItem.asp?P=820a As would be a 4th dioor (required to make 2 garages).... http://www.bricklink.com/catalogItem.asp?P=GrAutoDoor However none of these doors even mention the spring mechanism that would be required to make the doors open, when pressing down on the garage baseplate tab in the front of the doors. The only mention of this spring is found on Lugnet... (scroll down for comments)... http://guide.lugnet.com/set/mdata.cgi?q=348_1&v=n

Here are some images of the bottom of several of the LEGO 1:87 cars from my friend Jeroen... these will be in my next version of the LEGO DVD/download... since he was able to photograph them as close to professional as one can get... A general comment about the 1:87 vehicles... most of those from 1955-64 only say "LEGO" on the underside... most of those from 1964-67 have "LEGO" plus the specific model name and number on the underside. There are many variations to the underside configuration... some even come in trans-clear undersides. #671 Vauxhall Victor Estate (1962-66)... #259 VW Pickup (1962-64)... #250 Bedford Esso Tanker Truck (1956-64).... 2 types of VW Beetle... the lower older #261 Beetle (1961-64), and middle newer #661 Beetle (shorter, 1965-67)... #668 Ford Taunus (1964-67).... #667 VW 1500 Limousine (1965-67).... #603 Citroen DS 19 (1965-67)....

You should have had 4 of those red garage doors as well as 2 gray baseplates that came in 2 of the 348 sets. Also those garage doors should have had springs in them (which they likely no longer have)... so that when the garage was built, and you pressed down on the front of the garage baseplate, the garage doors would automatically open. Also there would have been 2 1x6x2 (3 pane) windows in white for each 348 set. This set was introduced in 1971... and in 1970 new classic windows without the long ledge (window sill) was introduced. The instructions still show the old (1956-70) type windows... and I was wondering which type the 4 (or so) 1x6x2 (3 pane) white windows came with your lot? Those 2 black train 1x2x2 windows are indeed VERY rare and collectible... due to the fact that they were only found in a select few circa 1980 train sets. Back in the 1980s I found a pair of them in mint (as well as 1 of the rarer 1x1x2 black windows w/o glass) in a German retailer spare parts box. Nice addition!!

The 1:87 scale cast LEGO cars of 1955-70 are VERY highly sought after... by both LEGO old time collectors, as well as other model car collectors (this is in the HO railroad scale). The 670 Jaguar and 671 Vauxhall Victor Estate cars were sold ONLY in Britain, Ireland and Australia in small plastic garages from 1963-66... as found here on Bricklink (although Bricklink is missing an entry for the 671 Vauxhall in a garage)... http://www.bricklink...orID=9&in=A Because the majority of these cars were white, black and red Jaguars and Victor Estates are rare... with black being the rarest. So this price... although pretty high... is not unexpected. I've seen a 1966-67 black #601 Fiat 1800 selling for $3235 (only about 1/2 dozen known in black). And I've seen a prototype (1957-58) Opel Kapitän (only about 8 known in all colors)... sell for over $4000. Here is a (rather fuzzy) image of 1:87 670 Jaguars and 671 Vauxhall Victor Estates.... photo from my friend Jeroen in the Netherlands... The black Jaguar is even rarer than the Vauxhall Victor Estate in that color! I'll most some of the rarer 1:87 scale car/truck images found in Chapter 36 - LEGO Cars/Trucks with Metal Wheels (1953-70) of my LEGO Collectors Guide as DVD/download... Gary Istok

Well Fugazi, looks like you wee correct! I asked the folks at the TLG archives, and they have no records of the 6661 set having a "WDR" image on any of the 6661 truck panels. They asked the German sales offices, and the German offices asked some of their senior sales folks about the 6661 "WDR" version. Here was their German reply.... ----------------------- "Liebe Kirsten, Die 6661 aus dem Jahre 1989 kenne ich. ABER ICH KENNE NICHT DAS WDR AUTO! Ich denke das hier vom WDR ein Aufkleber auf das Fahrzeug geklebt wurde. Ich habe auch schon bei älteren Kollegen nachgefragt, ob sie das WDR Auto kennen. Leider kennt keiner das Auto. In München wird das auch niemand wissen. Ein schönes Wochenende und liebe Grüße" ------------------------ So it looks like this was an inside job done by WDR, just like the "STEYR DIESEL" I mentioned in a previous thread. This would mean that every one of the 6661 sets with this panel with sticker over assembly was an opened set! I would still assume that the value of this set is more than a regular 6661, but it was not a TLG sanctioned set. Cheers, Gary Istok P.S. Will still include it in my next LEGO DVD/download version... but in a footonote as a "doctored" set.

Very nice old wooden LEGO set and toy!! The increase in value of old LEGO sets has been matched by a great increase in value of old LEGO toys, especially those that still carry a LEGO logo or sticker. Here are the major LEGO logo's of the last 80 years... the upper left was the LOGO used on wooden toys from 1934-44, and the 2nd upper left is the 1944-53 wooden toy logo. From 1953-60 this same logo was produced for wooden toys with a "dogbone" going thru it (as seen in the 2 lower left logos). The LEGO Klodser logo was rather unique with "LEGO" in block letters and "Klodser" in script. A red wooden box very similar (but wiith a sliding lid) was used for the very first LEGO "Automatic Binding Bricks" sets the first year they came out in 1949. These are just 9 of the 40 or so LEGO logos that were used by TLG, which are from a chapter on LEGO logos in my LEGO DVD/download. Gary Istok

Yes... I have sveral LEGO friends who collect PAT. PEND. LEGO.... the bricks from the early 1970s and before that still had the "PAT. PEND." on the underside of the elements (mainly bricks and plates). And in their collection are tan and dark grey parts. In fact the Tan colored LEGO bricks were really introduced into the Modulex LEGO Archurtectural System (smaller than and not compatible with LEGO bricks). of 1963.