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Hello, Most of you haven't heard from me for a while..... I have been busting
my butt trying to finish the Lego CD. I said a year ago I would be done soon...
and here I am... still finishing it. The saying "Biting off more than you can
chew" is very appropriante. I was overwhelmed. The amount of variations and
details in early Lego sets is mind numbing.
I don't have an announcement date yet for completion, but at 590 pages so far
(and that's without any pictures included yet!) I am finally seeing an end in
sight. Some chapters (bricks and plates) were absolutely brutal (I needed lots
of Coffee for those chapters!), while other chapters (Lego parts packs) were fun
to put together.
I thought I would give you folks a few small excerpts from the Lego CD, although
it is mainly just text and tables.
Here's a sub-chapter on 2x2 bricks (starting in 1949). The problem with early
Lego (1949-72) is that there is so much overlapping of old versus new parts.
Just like the old versus new gray in Lego sets today.
Anyway, enjoy!
Gary Istok
P.S. The headings are BOLD in the original document, which makes it easier to
read than shown here.
16.4.1 - 2x2 Bricks (1949-79).
The 2x2 bricks were first produced in 1949 in Automatic Binding Brick sets.
These bricks had a hollow bottom, and slots on the sides (for use with the
windows/doors of that era). These early 2x2 bricks had no “LEGO” printed on the
studs, nor printed underneath. Then in early 1950 new molds were used that had
“LEGO” printed on the underside in block letters. These new molds were used
concurrently with the old ones for several years. There are 2 major variations
to the block letter font, a large font and a small font. Around 1954 an
additional new font was introduced, the “dog bone” font. As was the case
before, the 2x2 molds with different fonts were used simultaneously.
From 1949-56 the 2x2 bricks were produced in a wide variety of colors. Most of
these colors were sold only as individual bricks from Danish retailers. The
retailer would purchase boxes of 200 2x2 bricks in different colors from TLG,
and dump them into a colorful large wooden retailer box for individual sales.
These were not available in Norway, Sweden or Iceland, which explains why 2x2
bricks were produced in fewer colors there than in Denmark.
In 1956 TLG came out with a new window/door system that no longer required
slotted bricks. So that year the first non-slotted hollow bottom 2x2 bricks
were put into production. These bricks had “LEGO” printed on the studs, but no
longer printed underneath. These bricks were only produced in 5 colors (red,
white, blue, yellow and clear) for general sales, but it appears that some other
colors of these bricks were still available as individual brick sales in
Denmark.
In 1958 the 2x2 bricks changed again, with tubes being added to the bottom of
the bricks. This is the style still in use today.
The next change to the 2x2 brick happened when black 2x2 bricks were put into
production. This happened in 1962 in continental Europe, and 1963 elsewhere.
In 1963 the plastic was changed from Cellulose Acetate (CA) to ABS plastic.
However, in the USA Samsonite was still selling red and yellow Cellulose Acetate
bricks as late as 1970.
From 1963-72 there were 3 different fonts used on the studs of 2x2 bricks (as
well as most other sizes). There was the 1950’s italicized font, the USA/Canada
Samsonite font, and the modern font. The 1950’s italicized font was used from
1955-62 in all countries, but appeared as late as 1970 in USA/Canada. The
USA/Canada Samsonite font was found only in those countries from 1962-72. The
modern font was first used starting in 1962 in all countries, and is still in
use today. In the 1960’s, it was common to have all 3 fonts in USA/Canada Lego
sets. Other countries did not have this mix. In those countries the switch to
the modern font was much quicker. Note: due to the fact that all Lego molds
are slightly different, there are many variations to these 3 main fonts.
Gray 2x2 bricks were first sold in 1978, joining red, white, blue, yellow, clear
and black. Other colors were to follow later. The 2x2 brick is still in
production today.
_______________________________
CA - SLOTTED HOLLOW BOTTOM 2x2 BRICKS (DK/NOR/SWE/ICE) 1949-56.
Variations of slots on slotted 2x2 bricks:
1) - on 1 of the sides only.
2) - on 2 opposite sides.
3) - on 2 adjoining sides.
Variations of Lego logo on slotted 2x2 bricks.
Slotted Bricks without Lego logo: 1949-56
Slotted Bricks w/ block Lego logo on bottom: 1950-56
Slotted Bricks w/ dog bone Lego logo on bottom: 1954-56
Slotted Bricks w/ logo on studs & dog bone logo on bottom: 1955-56
Colors available in Denmark/Sweden (1949/50-56).
Red, white, yellow, yellow-orange, light blue, green-blue, blue, dark blue,
light green, green, dark green, clear, gray. Note: some of these colors may
have had very limited production, such as medium blue, clear and gray.
Colors available in Norway (1953-56).
Red, white, blue, yellow, light green.
Colors available in Iceland (1955-56).
Red, white, blue, yellow.
_____________________________
CA - NON-SLOTTED HOLLOW BOTTOM 2x2 BRICKS (CONTINENTAL EUROPE) 1956-58.
Variations of Lego logo on 2x2 bricks.
Non-slotted bricks with open “O” Lego logo on studs: 1956-58
Colors available in Denmark (1956-58).
Red, white, blue, yellow, clear, green.
Colors available elsewhere in Continental Europe (1956-58).
Red, white, yellow, blue, clear.
______________________________
CA - TUBE BOTTOM 2x2 BRICKS (EU/UK/AUS/USA/CAN) 1958-63.
Variations of Lego logo on 2x2 bricks.
Tube bottom bricks with open “O” Lego logo on studs: 1958-63
Tube bottom bricks with “modern” Lego logo on studs: 1962-63
Tube bottom bricks with Samsonite Lego logo on studs: 1962-63 (USA/CAN)
Colors available EU/UK/AUS/USA/CAN (1958-63).
Red, white, yellow, blue, clear, black (black started 1962 in EU, 1963
elsewhere).
NOTE: Some CA plastic bricks in red and yellow were sold in all 3 Lego logo
variations in USA until 1970.
______________________________
ABS PLASTIC - TUBE BOTTOM 2x2 BRICKS (EU/UK/AUS/USA/CAN) 1963-80.
Variations of Lego logo on 2x2 bricks.
Tube bottom bricks with open “O” Lego logo on studs: 1963-64
Tube bottom bricks with “modern” Lego logo on studs: 1963-Present
Tube bottom bricks with Samsonite Lego logo on studs: 1963-73 (USA/CAN)
Colors available EU/UK/AUS/USA/CAN (1963-80).
Red, white, yellow, blue, clear, black, gray (1978).
_____________________________
___________________________________________________________________
Lego 2x2 Bricks Spare Parts/Packs (1953-72).
___________________________________________________________________
Pack# Years Location Sold * Description
___________________________________________________________________
#700 1/2 1953-58 DK Individual 2x2 Bricks
#1219 1955-58 NOR, SWE, ICE 20 2x2 Bricks
#220 1956-58 EU (Central Europe) 20 2x2 Bricks
#220 1958-62 EU 20 2x2 Bricks
#220 1958-65 DK Individual 2x2 Bricks
#220 1960-65 UK 20 2x2 Bricks
#220 1961-66 USA 33 2x2 Bricks
#220 1962-65 CAN 29 2x2 Bricks
#220 1962-65 AUS 20 2x2 Bricks
#220 1963-65 EU 19 2x2 Bricks
#420 1966-68 EU 33 2x2 Bricks
#420 1966-72 UK/AUS 20 2x2 Bricks
#420/1 1966-68 CAN 2x2 Bricks (3 colors)
#420/2 1966-68 CAN 2x2 Bricks (3 colors)
#919 1969-72 EU 1x2, 2x2, 2x3 Bricks
___________________________________________________________________
* - EU = Continental Europe UK = Britain AUS = Australia
USA = USA CAN = Canada DK = Denmark NOR = Norway
SWE = Sweden ICE = Iceland
__________________________________
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Message has 1 Reply:
 | | Re: Finishing the Lego Part/Set History CD.
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| Here's another example of a Lego table in the Lego CD. I use a LOT of these types of tables to show the variations in Lego parts/sets. And it is much easier to read than just text! Here is a table of all the Lego windows and door varieties. (...) (18 years ago, 5-Apr-06, to lugnet.general)
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