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Paul,
I share your enthusiam when opening Samsonite packages. I am a fan of Lego
history. I'll try to shed some light on a few of the items you mention.
In lugnet.year.1971, Paul Klenk writes:
> I just received a box of vintage LEGO which I purchased on eBay. It is set
> 120, the Samsonite Gift Set from ca. 1971. Some great pieces in it, and the
> box is to die for!
I've got some of the Samsonite sets pictured on Brickshelf. Here's the page:
http://206.131.246.36/cgi-bin/gallery.cgi?f=4852
I also have a scan of how they described your set
http://206.131.246.36/cgi-bin/gallery.cgi?i=89889
Here's an site devoted to the Samsonite line:
http://www.chem.sunysb.edu/msl/LEGO/samsonite.html
> Before I continue... it may be impossible to verify the vintage.
Depending on which parts are in there, it can be easier than you might
expect. Many of the part/colour combinations only appeared in one set. Of
course, IDing a generic building set or single brick is tough.
> I realize that on a price-per-piece basis, it is not the best investment...
Some of the parts, like p/n 962, have not been made since then, and some
like the blue 33 corner slope were made in much greater numbers back then.
There are several vintage Sam parts that would be worth the investment.
> THE BOX is great, and smells nice and musty! It is in great shape. The
> cover slides off and reveals a box with three cardboard compartments.
Some of these boxes have small plastic trays inside, too.
> FIRST MISSING PIECE I noticed is the gray base piece pictured on the box.
These were the standard bases of most Sam models and should be easy to find.
> CONDITION is excellent -- for its age.
That's a rare find.
> some have specks of who-knows-what on them,
are these white specks? I've seen white specks on several collections I
bought. I orginally thought it was paint splatter, but I keep seeing it. I
wonder if it's something to do with the bricks? I've never succeded in
cleaning it off though.
> GRAY TIRES! so perhaps these wheels are a bonus from a completely different >set.
The grey tyres and the white/red bottomed axle bricks were available as an
add-on set.
> PLATES are white, and are very strange underneath -- they resemble waffles.
> Definitely not like the undersides of today's plates.
These are known as waffle plates. There's a pic of them on my part compare page
http://206.131.246.36/cgi-bin/gallery.cgi?f=8645
If you have any waffle plates in a colour not shown (red, black, white,
grey) let me know. It was only recently that non-white Lego waffle plates
were "discovered."
http://news.lugnet.com/general/?n=18658&t=f&v=a
> 1xN bricks are mostly hollow underneath, with a thin wall of plastic at the
> interval of every two studs.
I call these hollow bottomed bricks. They can be usefull for certain
effects, since they slide along the studs, if placed on fewer studs.
> When these long narrow bricks are fitted together, they don't snap very
> tightly -- in fact, they're quite loose.
> Also, the red is a bit washed out (not faded, just a different shade of
> red), and they are definitely from an era where control of color wasn't as
> scrupulous as it is now.
These two attributes describe Cellulose Acetate bricks, abbreviated CA. That
is a different kind of plastic used on early Lego pieces. It tends to warp &
the red colour is more opaque than modern red. Here's one of many Gary Istok
posts on how to tell the difference:
http://news.lugnet.com/general/?n=24771
> Also, some 2x10 bricks in red are darker than usual.
I've seen this too on my 2x10's. I don't know why though.
> MYSTERIOUS CONNECTOR PIECE... I'll do my best to describe this:
A very accurate description with a funny comparison. This piece is in
Partsref p/n 650 as Hinge Coupling-Nylon. It was used to connect cars &
trailers. The nylon is often brittle with age & will snap if bent too far.
It was common back then, but hasn't been used since. Many folks seem unaware
of this "mystery" piece.
> THE LEGO-IMPRINTED STUDS don't appear to be as "polished" as the new bricks,
> but are a bit rougher in texture (there is a difference in feel). I can't
> really explain this, except the "resolution" of today's molds is a bit finer
> (I apologize if this doesn't make sense to some of you).
This does make sense. Some of the Logos used on Sam bricks were more raised
than current bricks. I've seen several styles of stud Logos, and pictured 3
versions that I found on CA bricks on my part compare page.
> COLORS include red, white, black and clear, with a very few yellow
> (including 1x1 bricks in both round and regular), plus a very few blue
> bricks.
Red and white were the mainstay of 60's Lego. Black & Yellow were less
common. There were many more clear pieces then, since they often replaced
windows & windscreens. Yellow plates were rare (along with green). The lack
of blue is surprising, I normally get a good amount of blue pieces in Sam
sets (although not nearly as much as white & red).
> One blue brick seems suspiciously new to me, as it is a 2x2 Double
> Convex.
If you mean a 45 slope outside corner, these were in use at the time. Some
buildings had blue roofs. There were even add-on packs that contained just
specialty slope pieces i.e. http://guide.lugnet.com/set/283
> I would be happy to hear your comments and answer what questions I can.
I always enjoy Sam boxes. It's good to see someone else that enjoys them, too.
Feel free to drop me a line if you have any questions, or just want to talk
Samsonite.
Happy history,
Clark
Looking for Minifigs or Minifig Parts? Try my helper:
http://home.att.net/~clarkcorner/VisualMiniHelper.html
My vintage parts picture galleries (submissions accepted!):
http://www.brickshelf.com/cgi-bin/gallery.cgi?f=8642
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Message has 2 Replies:
 | | Re: Samsonite Info
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| (...) Hee-hee...are these specks VERY small (>1mm), and vary from bright white to pale grey? Are they nearly impossible to clean off without really digging at them with a fingernail or tool? I thought that they were paint at one time myself, when (...) (22 years ago, 3-Feb-02, to lugnet.year.1971, lugnet.db.brictionary)
| | | Re: Samsonite Info
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| (...) I've been thinking about the old logos. Sometimes they do not all face the same direction. I wonder if they were applied to the mold with a stamping tool, or if these features were inserts to be screwed in. One interesting thing: you can see (...) (22 years ago, 4-Feb-02, to lugnet.year.1971, lugnet.db.brictionary)
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