Subject:
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Re: Which set are these from? [50's/60's]
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Newsgroups:
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lugnet.general
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Date:
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Thu, 5 Oct 2000 14:58:39 GMT
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Viewed:
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859 times
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"Whytcross, Benjamin" wrote:
> I just aquired a collection of 50's/60's lego [quite a bit of
> ABS...including windows :) ] and was wondering which set(s) from this time
> came with green 2x4 plates? [so I can try and complete these sets.]
>
> Also, can anyone tell me when TLG stopped using ABS, and when Samsonite
> stopped. [I don't know if the 2 companies stopped at the same time or not.]
>
> Benjamin Whytcross
> BWhytcro@PacificAccess.com.au
> Ph: (03) 9856 5282
> Directory Technology Pty Ltd
> 1/436 Elgar Road,
> Box Hill, 3128
>
> Growing older is compulsory...Growing up isn't :-)
Hi Benjamin,
I think you mean Cellulose Acetate. ABS replaced Cellulose Acetate in the mid
1960's. As to when this actually took place is somewhat speculative. The
Ultimate Lego Book says 1962. But I know of some new sets that came out in
continental Europe in 1963 (Architectural series - 518, 519, 520, 521, 750,
751, 752) that were made of CA. So I think that the rollover happened in that
year in Europe. 1964 or possibly even 1965 would be my guess for USA/Canada
(Samsonite). I think that Samsonite had a bigger warehouse full of CA to clear
out that TLC Europe. And another thing, CA Lego is just not that rare in North
America. If Samsonite switched to ABS plastic at the same time as TLC Europe,
then there would be a lot less CA Lego around than there actually is in North
America (remember Lego was first sold in the USA in 1961, in Canada in 1962).
Benjamin, it sounds like you have some 2x4 CA plates in Green. In 1963 when
small plates first came out, they were sold in parts packs #518 (2x4 plates),
#519 (2x3 plates), #520 (2x2 plates), #521 (1x1 & 1x2 plates). These were sold
on both sides of the Atlantic.
In Europe the only colors available were:
Red, white, black, gray, clear, blue, and yellow (which first showed up in
1965).
In USA/Canada the only colors available were:
Red, white, black, gray, clear, green (no blue or yellow).
So small green CA plates were only sold by Samsonite (USA/Canada). As far as I
can tell, these green small CA plates were NEVER sold in any regular LEGO sets
from the 1960's. When TLC Europe came out with plates in 1963, it was because
they were the primary bricks in the shortlived European Architectural sets
(1963-65). Samsonite must have just gone along and released them in North
America as well, although they were in no known Samsonite set of the era. No
other LEGO sets, except for the parts packs, had small plates in 1963 or 1964,
and possibly even 1965 (not 100% sure about this year).
Here is a website (Bill Katz/Joe Lauher) showing the 1963 USA Samsonite catalog
with the plates shown at the bottom (note: it shows green, but no yellow or
blue).
http://www.chem.sunysb.edu/msl/LEGO/60s_e3.jpg
Here is a website (Horst Lehner) showing the 1963 German Lego catalog, which
shows the plates at the bottom in all the colors (no green, blue is shown,
yellow not yet made available).
http://horst-lehner.mausnet.de/lego/katalog/gk63/GK63-2.JPG
And here is a (Horst Lehner) 1965 Danish catalog, which shows the plates at the
top of the scan in all colors (no green, blue is shown, and now yellow is
available).
http://horst-lehner.mausnet.de/lego/katalog/gk65/GK65D-3.JPG
It is interesting to note that the reason yellow plates didn't show up until
1965 is probably due to the fact that yellow was the only color (besides
green), that was not part of the continental European Architectural sets. In
fact I have no yellow CA plates in my collection. I question whether or not
they were ever released by LEGO.
Getting back to your CA green plates Benjamin..... these are a collectors item
(never sold outside North America). I have some in my collection. As a child
in the 1960's, I purchase a 518 (2x4 plates) and 521 (1x1 & 1x2 plates) in
green. These are among the few items in my Lego collection that I can
absolutely trace back to that era.
Happy collecting!
Gary Istok
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Message is in Reply To:
 | | Which set are these from? [50's/60's]
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| I just aquired a collection of 50's/60's lego [quite a bit of ABS...including windows :) ] and was wondering which set(s) from this time came with green 2x4 plates? [so I can try and complete these sets.] Also, can anyone tell me when TLG stopped (...) (24 years ago, 5-Oct-00, to lugnet.general)
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