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Hi neighbors to the north (well for me that would be neighbors to the east,
since I live just 10 miles from the Canadian border north of Detroit)...
I have been working on putting together an entire set history and LEGO
development history of LEGO in Canada to add to my next version of my Unofficial
LEGO Sets/Parts Collectors Guide, which is now only a Computer Desktop download
(over 668MB of data).
I am also compiling a reference list of all Canadian LEGO catalogs from the
first one of 1962, until the last one of 1994 (before merger with the USA
catalog).
I've had a very generous donation of the scans of all Canadian catalogs from
1976 until the last one in 1994, and also have those from 1962-65... but am
looking for those from 1966-75. My goal is to post them all online as a
reference guide for all you neighbors to the north.
There's a good for this... of all the different regions in the world where LEGO
sets were produced, (the largest ones being continental Europe,
UK/Ireland/Australia, and USA)... the Canadian region was the smallest, and the
sets were uniquely bilingual during the 1962-94 era. When you factor in the
fact that the Canadian market was smaller than the other 3 major markets, this
makes sets from Canada more valuable and therefore more desirable to own...
except the rest of the world doesn't quite know enough about that just yet! ;-)
Samsonite of Canada was the producer of LEGO sets from 1962 until 1988.
In 1986 TLG bought the license back once the Beatrice Corporation (owner of
Samsonite since 1973) was dismantled and Samsonite was spun off as an
independent company once again... but without the LEGO license... which TLG
bought back. However the Startford Ontario plant continued to produce LEGO
sets for TLG until Oct. 1988, when production was moved to Enfield
Connecticut, and the remaining factory supply of LEGO was bagged up and sold
off to a closeout sale when 3,000 folks showed up at the Samsonite plant.
Besides getting all the Canadian catalogs together, I'm trying to identify those
sets that WERE produced in Canada... all the online databases and the Fantasia
Book generally lump all of Canadian LEGO under a "North American" heading... and
that is not often the case.
Also, I am trying to piece together all the pieces of the puzzle about LEGO in
Canada, such as sets not produced elsewhere (and there were a few), as well, as
uniquely packaged sets and in a few rare instances, parts not produced
elsewhere.
I'm trying to get this all together for my next update to my Unofficial LEGO
Sets/Parts Collectors Guide (desktop download)... which is has gone from a 1000
page CD 8 years ago, to a 2800 page DVD or download 2 years ago... and is now
heading for a 3500 page download in a few months.
If any of my Canadian friends can help me in this, it would be much appreciated.
Thanks!
Cheers,
Gary Istok
P.S. If you already own my DVD or download... all future updates are going to
be free. If you have one of my older CDs... give me a holler... "I've got
such a deal!" ;)
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Oppps.... almost forgot...
I was planning to make the Canadian catalogs available in a fashion similar to
this....
http://www.youblisher.com/p/1028567-1979-Canada-LEGO-Catalog/
http://www.youblisher.com/p/1028569-1980-Canada-LEGO-Catalog/
http://www.youblisher.com/p/1028879-1981-Canada-LEGO-Catalog/
http://www.youblisher.com/p/1028883-1982-Canada-LEGO-Catalog/
Getting a complete set would be awesome! (eh!)
Thanks!
Gary Istok
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Canadian LEGO sets from 1962 until circa 1990 would be worth more than
comparable sets sold in other markets if they were more well known.
Here's an example.... the London Bus Set... known as 760 London Bus in the USA,
and 384 London Bus in Canada and Europe/Australia. However... the boxes of
Europe/Australia are quite different, and not as rare as those bilingual boxes
from Canada (middle)...
https://www.flickr.com/photos/82930629@N08/11409334173/sizes/l
Here's the famous Yellow Castle Set.. 375/6075. It was sold as 6075 in the USA,
and as 375 in Europe/Australia and Canada. But the Canadian 375 version (not
shown here) would again have different packaging with English/French writing,
along with a parts count (like USA sets have). Any Canadian 375 set would
definitely be more valuable than a European or USA set...
https://www.flickr.com/photos/82930629@N08/11409154283/sizes/l
One of the more interesting sets was the 858 Auto Engine early Technic Set. It
was introduced in 1980 in the USA under the 8858 number, and in Canada and
Australia under the 858 number... but never introduced in Europe. The Canadian
version of this set is very rare (strangely enough it came with the USA 8858
instructions).
https://www.flickr.com/photos/82930629@N08/16115540681/sizes/o/
Also Canada liked to do things differently than other countries... such as not
number multipacks.... here are 2 examples... not found elsewhere...
https://www.flickr.com/photos/82930629@N08/11821345774/sizes/l
https://www.flickr.com/photos/82930629@N08/11765928634/sizes/l
And then there are other things unique to Canada, such as this, the very first
Space Poster... from 1979.... #001...
https://www.flickr.com/photos/82930629@N08/12646315265/sizes/l
And then there a set that has yet to ever be found... the 750 Educational Set
(also sold in the USA) of 1963-66... here's a promotional Canadian flyer for
this still unknown set (no examples exist in the Billund Vault)... but one of
you lucky Canadians is going to find one of these in some dusty attic
somewhere.... the only Canadian wooden box set...
https://www.flickr.com/photos/82930629@N08/8232132292/sizes/l
Or find rare Canadian versions of these USA Samsonite sets of the late 1960s....
https://www.flickr.com/photos/82930629@N08/15847465427/sizes/l
And then there's these rare beauties from the 1960s... I call this "Poetry in
LEGO"... the 3 largest sizes are from Canada, the 2 smaller ones from Britain...
spare parts pack boxes with a picture of the contents on the side of the
boxes....
https://www.flickr.com/photos/istokg/9114197622/sizes/l
Or these Canadian spare parts packs, sold in this type of box or with these set
numbers nowhere else... with the 442 Decorator Set being the only known source
of the very valuable Canadian Maple Leaf wavy (non-stickered) flag (introduced
in 1968, only 3 years after the Maple Leaf flag replaced the red Dominion
Flag)...
https://www.flickr.com/photos/istokg/5245514305/sizes/l
What really piqued my interest in Canadian sets and their value among LEGO sets
was an event that happened about 5 years ago. I saw the USA version of the
1963-66 Samsonite LEGO "Double Wheel Toy" locomotive set... sell for $18 as a
tall box set on USA Ebay...
https://www.flickr.com/photos/82930629@N08/16491935880/sizes/l
Then a short time later I saw the Canadian version of the 610 set, which comes
in a long box instead of a tall one... go up for auction on USA Ebay... and it
sold for $343!!
https://www.flickr.com/photos/82930629@N08/16491921310/sizes/o/
So there is definitely a reason for Canadian sets to be identified, since they
are probably only 1/10 as common as the same USA sets!
The history of LEGO in Canada is unique, and needs to be told.... so I'm trying
my hardest to do so.
But if anyone can help, it would be greatly appreciated. :) Thank you!!
Cheers,
Gary Istok
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