LEGO Historian

Well... another new (old) unknown set to add to the next version of the DVD/download (free to current owners).... This previously unknown circa 1966 Department Store Exclusive Set #93. Not found in any online database.... The origins are still a mystery, but this USA Samsonite LEGO exclusive may have been either a Sears or FAO Schwarz (luxury American toy store) exclusive set... probably sold at a very cheap price (perhaps $1.00) to interest parents into introducing LEGO to their Children. As was often the case with 1966-72 USA and Canada Samsonite LEGO basic sets... the set number was also the set part count.

By 1952 the number of colors of 2x2 and 2x4 LEGO bricks jumped from 5 up to at least 24! By 1958 the number decreased down to 5 colors (red, white, blue, yellow, clear).... and then it took another 50 years to climb back up again.... But the 1952 colors were.... (as found in Chapter 49 - LEGO Bricks of my DVD download.... I didn't mention this earlier.... but these 24 colors were NOT all made by LEGO Denmark... some were made by Geas Konstharts (Sweden) and A/S Norske LEGO (Norway) under license to TLG. So none of those 3 countries made all of the 24 shown colors.

The very first Automatic Binding Bricks (LEGO) of 1949 were slotted bricks that came in 5 colors (blue is not shown here). By 1952 there were 24 different colors available. The very first Automated Binding Bricks (LEGO) windows/doors of 1949... were very thin, and fit within the slots on the slotted bricks.... Also included in the first LEGO sets were "Art Cards", 2 in each basic set. Because the LEGO bricks had slots on the sides, you could make a picture frame by building the frame with the art cards fitting within the slots. Interestingly enough the LEGO Archives have no known information on these cards... but all the 1949-52 Automatic Binding Bricks (LEGO) catalogs mention the sets as coming with 2 of these cards. Here is the oldest known card (of about 1/2 dozen known designs)... shown on the 700 basic set box tops.... These images can be found in the LEGO DVD/download chapters on the LEGO Timeline, Automatic Binding Bricks, LEGO Bricks and LEGO Windows/Doors.

Well although the way anniversaries and birthdays are identified, the 65th year of LEGO won't be until 2014... but this year 2013 is the start of the 65th year that LEGO was actually produced... with 1949 being year 1. Up until just a few weeks ago, I couldn't give you a complete idea of what the very first LEGO sets actually looked like... just box top images that were always thought to be cardboard boxes (as even the TLG archives and collections thought). But recent evidence proved otherwise... and the first 3 basic sets (700/1, 700/2 and 700/3) were made of wood instead of cardboard. And until now we weren't even sure that parts packs were part of the 1949 introduction... but it appears that there were 2 parts packs from the very beginning. Here's an image of the middle sized basic set in wood (all 3 sets had the same box top image), along with the first 2 spare parts packs... one with 12 2x2 and 12 2x4 bricks, and the other with 9 early windows and 3 early doors. Also included is part of one of 4 pages of the first 1949 LEGO leaflet/catalog (that mentions the 3 sets pictured below, along with their contents). A unique item that came with these basic sets were 2 art cards (see next post). The next iteration of my Unofficial LEGO Sets/Parts Collectors Guide (on DVD/download as E-Book)... will have this image in it in Chapter 2 - LEGO Automatic Binding Bricks (1949-54). Those folks who ordered the current DVD/download (or have it)... will receive a new upgrade every 6 months FREE of charge. I will likely go from 2,800 pages to almost 3,000 pages by the first upgrade (both PC and MAC compatible). Still available in the Eurobricks bazaar or elsewhere...

I too use both Brickshelf and Flickr. As mentioned the both have their pros and cons. I belong to a group of 15 worldwide historic LEGO collectors (50s,. 60s and 70s LEGO), and we use Flickr instead of EMAIL to discuss some new rare items that no one has seen before, and discuss items, such as TLG display models and old historic photos. In that regard, Flickr functions as Brickshelf cannot. We used to have our groups images private, but have found that by making them public, we get additional feedback, and some collectors of similar interest show off some of their rarities that we may not have seen yet. The 200 limit is a drawback... but I've found that having a Google and Yahoo account doubles that figure, so that I use one for our collectors group, and the other for posting deep link images online in Eurobricks or Lugnet or elsewhere. Periodically I go thru the Flickr images and delete ones that folks have not commented on (or added as favorites)... thus recycling part of the 200 count limit. I avoid deleting ones from the other group (online displayed images)... since that causes broken links image icons instead of the actual photos in Eurobricks and elsewhere. Getting back to Brickshelf... a few years ago it was almost closed down by original owner Kevin Loch... and that was averted when others took over. So with Flickr the future appears more secure.

Well I guess I can be thankful that you didn't say that it belonged to your grandfather.... lol.... This is all LEGO of my childhood.... (long ago)... and you do have many rare baseplates and parts.... It looks as though you have the parts for a 310 Esso Service Station (I didn't see the Esso printed brick, freestanding sign or gas pumps (under 1:87 heading in Bricklink parts)... one of the rarest parts I see is the garage parts... 820, 821, 822 (variations) under parts in Bricklink. The white garage door (counter to what Bricklink says)... was only found in earlier (1956-63) Esso Service Station sets (1310, 310) or early (1950s) 700 wooden box sets, or early (1950s) garage parts packs (1235, 235) or early (1950s) garage sets (1236, 236). The suitcase type carrying case with the Swedish writing on the inside dates to the mid 1960s, and was numbered 710... but yours was a Swedish one (I have a 1965 Swedish catalog that lists it for 65 Swedish Krona)... http://www.bricklink...tem.asp?S=710-2

Good Lord.... 2x2 bricks (which along with the 2x4 brick were the first LEGO bricks introduced in 1949).... have lots of useful uses!!

Although Beanie Babies are not a great analogy.... some lessons from their hype can be learned by LEGO speculators and buyers alike... http://www.worthpoint.com/blog-entry/collectibles-boom-bust-rise-fall-beanie-babies-empire However, unlike Beanie Babies, LEGO has at least intrinsic value as separate parts that can always be parsed out for sale, rather than as a collectible whole. And for those folks who gamble with highly priced LEGO sets or parsed... I am reminded of 2 LEGO items... one a part and one a set... 1) the Maersk blue construction helmet for minifigs.... at one time they were selling for up to $600 each... only ever found in the 1980 1651 Maersk Truck. But in 2011 the Maersk 10219 Train caused the bottom to drop out in their price when that set contained 3 of these helmets. Now granted... the 2 types can be separately identified, but the older one now only commands a price of $80... if they sell... and the new one can be had for less than $2 each. 2) the USS Constellation Hobby Set... the original 398 set of 1978 was produced in limited numbers, and could sell for over $1000 in MISB. When the set was re-issued under the "Legends" line of sets in 2003 as 10021, the older sets dropped very sharply in price, and the newer one can still be found for about $125 in MISB. So, these are all things to take into account when thinking about speculating in rare LEGO sets and parts.

Thanks for the info folks.... it's funny seeing that "LEGO Mayhem" (a lack of any rhyme or reason, or lack of uniformity) still continues at TLG from country to country....

Interesting seeing only a 6 month large catalog. Reminds me of the LEGO mayhem of 1964-65, when continental Europe had 3 catalogs in 2 years (per country).... a Jan.-Oct. 1964 Catalog, a Nov. 1964-April 1965 Catalog, and a May - Dec. 1965 Catalog. Since 1966 they were using mainly annual catalogs with ' * ' (asterisks) showing items that were only starting production at some point during the year... Having a 6 month catalog does seem odd... unless big changes are happening during 2013....

Well it appears to be that my hunch was right.... that "first known" LEGO set did indeed have the earliest known LEGO brochure that came with it, and the bottom of the wooden box had "700/2" stamped with a rubber ink stamp on the underside of the box (that's how LEGO basic set boxes were labeled from 1949-53). To give you an idea of how the early sets (apparently wooden as well as cardboard) were identified, here's a circa 1952-53 bottom of a 700/3 cardboard box (3rd largest size, after 700/1 and 700/2)... and it shows the rubber ink stamp of the set number (rather crude, but that's how they did it in the early years of TLG).... This image is already in my LEGO DVD/download, and the 700/2 box and very first LEGO catalog of 1949 will be in there as well! Finally glad to see that all the LEGO catalog years are finally accounted for (I have a LEGO DVD/download chapter on annual catalogs)... I was missing the first year... 1949. Here's one of the 4 sides to the first 1949-50 LEGO catalog... the side showing images... (the other 3 sides mention sets and info).... http://brickfetish.com/ideas/se/abb_1950_2.html

I just had a longer look at their website... and I have to say that what these guys are doing (coming up with prices as found on EBAY)... is not a problem for me. It's actually a good idea, in the sense that you would want to know if you're paying too much for some LEGO item. The only thing I have a problem with is it being used by speculators... and I guess there's no way to root out a serious LEGO collector from a non-LEGO speculator. So they are providing a valuable service for collectors...

Am I the only one not really happy here?? Granted, I hope for all the success in the world for these guys.... but.... are pure LEGO speculators what we want in the hobby... because this sends a message to folks who are not at all interested in LEGO... but interested in profiteering. And I'm not talking about folks who buy 2 sets 1 to play with and one for the future (whether to trade or sell). And when I think speculations of the past... I think of things such as modern sports cards... Beanie Babies, Hummel Figurines... going all the way back to the Tulip Mania of the 1630s. There's a part of me that is happy that the LEGO secondary market is such a thriving business... but then there's the speculators... who are a fickle group... who once they think LEGO profiteering has reached its' limits go off to some other commodity, thus leaving the true collectors who went along with the frenzy.... left holding the proverbial bag of LEGO. The CMFs are another worrisome area... TLG made millions and millions of each series... and yet look at the exuberance of the prices of these... Like with anything else... tread carefully... and don't put too many eggs in 1 basket...

It belonged to an acquaintance of an acquaintance.... I'll see if I can find out (this was sold a few years ago). I was dying to get an image of the white leaflet, but was told it was never scanned, unfortunately. It could have answered a lot of questions! How much could such a set go for today?? Good question... maybe 2000+ Euros.

Thanks Plage!! So you live in Austria... here is the first Austrian catalog... of late 1957... It's almost identical to the German catalog, but has only about 3/4 of the LEGO items available as the 1957 German catalog... love the cartoon "Mom.... when is Dad going to bed?"..... There's an entire chapter on LEGO catalogs.... this one is not yet in it... I'm trying to figure out how to "square" the image....

Although I haven't heard back yet from the folks at the LEGO Archives (either confirming or denying any knowledge)... I think I may have uncovered the oldest LEGO bricks set ever produced. The very first LEGO bricks sets were produced starting in 1949, and were virtual clones of earlier UK Kiddicraft block sets (which were only patented in Britain, France and Switzerland). From 1949-53 the first LEGO sets were called Automatic Binding Bricks, and had those words written in large letters on the box. It was only starting in 1952 that the word "LEGO" was also found on the box . (Was there a fear of possible litigation that prevented earlier "LEGO" labeling?) Here are the first Automatic Binding Bricks cardboard boxes.... and their approximate years... Note: the box with the red coloring was used in Norway from 1953-54, after Denmark switched over to using the "LEGO Mursten" box labeling. Anyway.... recently this box image was uncovered by my German LEGO collector friend Lothar.... a friend of his owned (and sold) this very old wooden box set).... And the contents.... What makes me think that this is likely the earliest LEGO set type?? Well until the late 1940s wood was their primary material for making toys (they got their first plastic injection mold in 1947), and the earliest boxes for LEGO bricks may very likely have been produced in wood for a very short time before switching over to cardboard. Here are a few reasons.... ------------------------------------- 1) LEGO wooden toys were produced starting in 1932, when the company first started production. In 1948 (the year before the introduction of the Automatic Binding Bricks), TLG produced a set of wooden blocks that came in a wooden box.... (if you click on the left image, it will make it larger)... http://lego.wikia.co...00_LEGO_Klodser TLG may have started making these sets (or just this one set?) in wooden boxes and soon switched over to cardboard). 2) The SERIF font on the box top matches the earliest font on LEGO cardboard boxes (1949-50). 3) The number of 2x2 and 2x4 bricks (the only LEGO brick sizes until 1953)... exactly matches the count on the 700/2 set found here on a 1950-51 LEGO Automatic Binding Bricks catalog (as do the 8 + 8 + 8 window ("vindeur") and 4 doors):: http://brickfetish.c.../dk_1950_2.html 4) The art card that came with this set (used for making a picture frame as seen in the upper left box top image)... matches that image : http://brickfetish.c...700_3_1950.html 5) The white brochure (circa 1949-50) matches a similar one found in a 1950 Swedish language brochure (Automatic Binding Bricks were licensed to Sweden for about a year, but due to poor sales soon stopped)... with the "Automatic Binding Bricks" heading positioned in the same way: http://brickfetish.c...e/abb_1950.html 6) The earliest (1949-50) Automatic Binding Bricks were known to contain 5 different brick colors (red, white, blue, yellow, green). By 1951 this was reduced to 4 brick colors (red, white, yellow, green), and by late 1954 it was reduced to 2 brick colors (red and white). ---------------------------------------- If this wooden box (a 700/2 set) is indeed confirmed by TLG... the folks in Billund Denmark will likely have to search their archives/warehouse in order to find a copy of this set (if they have one)... since it is NOT on display in their collections or in their Vault. These very early Automatic Binding Bricks sets are discussed in Chapter 2 of my LEGO DVD/download... and the 2 images of the wooden box variation will be in the next download upgrade in a few months (free to current/pending 2,800 page DVD/download Collectors Guide owners)....

Actually, it's more likely the case of there not being any patents in place in Scandinavia at the time, since they were all worried about being a clone of Kiddicraft. I believe that the worry about litigation from Kiddicraft is what kept these clones such a secret from an archival perspective (no records, no litigation material). But I do believe that the loose licensing between TLG, Svein Strømber & Co. (of Norway), and Geas Konstharts (of Sweden) made the relationship purposefully vague. And I think that TLG got the other plastics makers subcontracting the toys (except for PRIMA, which I think that the Norway company did in a clandestine manner to get rid of their other plastics). Minitalia is a separate issue. In 1970 the Italian Parliament got a toy import ban in place, and TLG started manufacturing LEGO under the Minitalia name (and using some of their other patents) for a few years, until the laws were relaxed by 1972 or 1973. Even then the excess capacity of Minitalia meant that both products (Minitalia and LEGO) were sold side by side in Italian toy stores until the inventory of Minitalia parts (made of a different plastic as well) were exhausted... again TLG never threw anything away!

No, only the Transparent parts are Polycarbonate... the rest are ABS plastic... but by 1980s.... all elements should be Cadmium free ABS. And since there are no yellow or red "non-transparent" parts to that set, you should be OK. Also, I know you are very cautious due to your acquaintance and his situation with Cadmium poisoning... but I know of no LEGO related health issues... and I'm sure that if there were... in our litigious society today there would have been a class action lawsuit directed at TLG.... which there is none that I know of. Have a safe Holiday, and enjoy your wonderful nostalgic set!

There should be no possibility of any Cadmium in that set. Transparent LEGO parts are NOT made of ABS plastic. ABS in its' natural state is sort of a milky white color, so it is not suitable for trans colored parts. Trans-clear and all the trans colors are made of Polycarbonate, a different plastic. From 1949-63 TLG used Cellulose Acetate plastic to make LEGO parts, including clear parts. But that was not possible with ABS plastic, hence the switch to Polycarbonate for trans colored parts. The color difference between Cadmium and non-Cadmium parts is so slight, that my camera cannot detect a difference. But any of the classic LEGO windows in red with a "long ledge" have Cadmium (except for the earlier orange-red colored Cellulose Acetate ones).

Hi, thanks for your inquiry. The chapter in my LEGO DVD/download that talks about Cadmium is "Chapter 60 - The LEGO Plastics Cellulose Acetate & ABS". Not much information has ever been given out by TLG in regards to the switch from LEGO "with" Cadmium to LEGO without it, except that TLG switched over to Cadmium free LEGO in 1973. However, that doesn't really say a lot. Just look at the switch from old gray to new gray that started in 2003. It took many years for the switch to be complete (old gray elements were still found in LEGO sets for many years). So a 1973 switchover likely only means that the Bayer Corporation stopped sending TLG red and yellow plastic pellets. As for what was still in the TLG inventory.... my guess would be that it continued to find its' way into LEGO sets for several years until the supply of old red/yellow pellets was finally depleted. After all TLG is known to NEVER throw anything away! And yes... it was only red and yellow parts that contained cadmium (according to TLG)... because those were the most difficult part colors for the Bayer Corporation (the makers of the ABS plastic used by TLG) to produce. From what I've been told no other LEGO colors had it. Also from TLG... the major reason for the switch was that eventually cadmium laced LEGO would find its' way into landfills. Supposedly due to the structure of ABS plastic.... Cadmium would not leech out of the plastic, and that if a child chewed on LEGO parts, it still would not leach out. Since the official TLG information on the use of Cadmium in 1963-70s LEGO is not plentiful, nor is it alarming, I mention the switchover at the end of Chapter 60. Red and yellow ABS plastic was darker for older LEGO parts before the switchover. This is especially apparent in the red colored LEGO. One other thing... Britain/Ireland/Australia sold LEGO under license from TLG via British LEGO Ltd., a Courtauld's Corp. subsidiary (Courtauld's is a UK chemical/textile maker). And in Canada Samsonite was the licensee for LEGO products. So a 1973 switchover date by TLG Denmark doesn't necessarily guarantee the same year switchover in those other countries. Also 1973 was the year that Samsonite lost its' license to sell LEGO in the USA, so all USA LEGO would follow the LEGO Denmark switchover. My brother-in-law's brother-in-law is a chemical engineer whom I will see on Christmas Eve. I will ask him many questions about any other potential hazards of Cadmium laced LEGO... but I remember mentioning it in the past, and he didn't seem to think it was a concern, due to the nature of ABS plastic. My LEGO DVD/download can be obtained in the Eurobricks Buy-Sell-Trade forum section under "Bazaar". Right now I'm offering a special on the download (only takes 6-15 minutes to download all 688MB of data, 2,800 pages).

I believe heat will affect stickers.... cold will not. And in this day and age of ABS plastic... generally temps near freezing to those around 100 degrees Fahrenheit (38 Celsius) will not affect your plastic. Over long periods of time it could however affect clutch power, although one would need to be a Bayer Chemical Engineer to really know for sure. However as was mentioned with minifigs... they're not always 100% ABS plastic... often parts are a composite material... so the results of prolonged heat/cold are unknown. One last thing.... LEGO that has gotten the "smoky" smell for a sealed smokers household. The "A" in ABS plastic... Acrilonytrile... is what absorbs the smell of smoke. There is a way to remove the smell completely... but it is not a very practical method... keeping the LEGO in a vacuum chamber for 24 hours will remove the smoke smell completely. Of course you would need a laboratory vacuum chamber to do so.... My LEGO DVD/download has a chapter (one of 73) that deals with many of these issues (but not sticker sheets)... still available on Eurobricks Bazaar with a holiday bonus...

All this fondling and groping of LEGO minifigs... it's so lower middle class.... All those Megablok lovers probably look over and think... "there's those LEGO perverts at it again":......lol.... That brings to mind a USA game show that had a short run at night about 4 years ago... called "1 vs. 100"... with has-been TV star Bob Sagat. Of the 100 non-contestants that populated several tiers of seating.... they often had groups of a particular persuasion... such as one time there were 7 "roller derby chicks"... and Bob asked the last surviving contestant among them what her name was... she replied with a straight face... "Freida"....... "Freida Fondel".... to which Bob Sagat turned beet red.... (true story!)

Interestingly enough I just put some USA only and Denmark-Norway-Sweden only trans-clear parts for sale in the Bazaar. These are all new, and very rare in mint condition.... and at less than 1/2 the Bricklink price...

Selling some very hard to find parts in Trans-Clear..... and other items... for 1/2 the price of Bricklink. http://www.ebay.com/sch/istokg/m.html?item=150969052630&ssPageName=STRK%3AMESELX%3AIT&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2562

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!