Subject:
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Re: Items removed from Brickshelf
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Newsgroups:
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lugnet.general
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Date:
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Tue, 16 Nov 2004 00:20:21 GMT
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Viewed:
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1014 times
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In lugnet.general, Eric Strand wrote:
> In lugnet.general, Saso Tomat wrote:
>
> > Hi all,
> >
> > I was wondering why does this book have a number 238? I mean, if we take a look
> > at the first scan we can see text: LEGO's Ideeenboek 1
> >
> > Please let me know why this book has number 238 and not number 1.
> >
> > Thanks,
> > Saso
>
> This book is referred to as 238 in the old LEGO catalogs. See
> <http://festum.de/1000steine/myimages/album225/62de1_01> as an example (at the
> bottom).
>
> Eric
Today people expect a set number on every Lego item. Back in the 50's and 60's
that was not the case. Many Lego items were produced back then without numbers.
Wooden box sets are a good example. They were produced as numbers: #700, #700K,
#710, #711, #712, #713, #820, #821, #822, #823. But none of these sets had a
set number on the box. Only in the contents list (usually a sheet of paper with
the breakdown of the parts inside the set) does it say the set number. And most
of these contents lists were lost long ago, leaving Lego collectors guessing. I
have purchased many Lego wooden box sets for a very good price on EBAY because
the seller didn't know what he/she had.
#238 was an example of a Lego book without a Lego number displayed anywhere in
the book. In the USA it was known as "Lego Idea Book", in the UK it was known
as "Lego Idea Book #1, #2 and #3" (3 different versions, all #238), in
continental Europe it was known as "Lego Idea Book #1" (in the local language of
that country). #238 has about 20 different versions, mostly different
languages, but also different years (1960-61, 1962-63, 1964-65, 1966-67) based
on whether they displayed wheels, black bricks, small plates, or small 1:87
metal wheeled cars with plastic garages. Even though #238 came into production
in 1960, it didn't show up in catalogs until 1962-63.
One thing about the 50's and 60's Lego catalogs (and even sets!): they have a
LOT of inaccuracies. A USA collector recently purchased a MISB example of #725
USA Town Plan. When he opened it (the contents are now listed in Peeron) there
were some surprises. It had road signs and painted trees, but no flip up garage
kit (#235). It should not have road signs, the trees should be unpainted, and
there should be a garage kit. I now know of 3 different packing variations on
this set. And even though the box shows a white garage door, all known
variations that do have this garage kit always have a red door.
There many many anomalies (things that are not as they are expected) in 50's and
60's Lego sets and catalogs. It is almost as if TLG put all their quality
control people into producing quality parts, so that no quality control people
were available for set and catalog production.
Note: it is not as though TLG shortchanged anyone with the sets. Even though
some parts were not included (that should have been) TLG seems to always provide
substitute parts of equal value (in the case of the #725 Town Plan, you could
not complete the Esso Service Station without the garage kit, but you got equal
value from the road signs that were not supposed to be included, but were). And
then you could go out and buy the #235 garage kit separately.
My favorite catalog anomaly is the 1975 European Lego catalogs, which show parts
pack #939 as having 2 Lego trees. But the tree diagram shown in the catalog is
a 1950's Pine tree, discontinued by 1960!
Just because 1950's and early 1960's Lego catalog entries fit onto one piece of
paper (front and back), don't expect these years to be easy to identify and
don't expect there to be just a few sets from that era. If you included every
variation on these sets, and in the case of the spare parts pack boxes and
pieces, every box design possibility, and every language possibility, I would
say that 1/2 of all different collectible Lego items EVER PRODUCED were from the
1950's and 1960's!!!
Gary Istok
A Lego Addict since 1960
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Message has 1 Reply:
 | | Re: Items removed from Brickshelf
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| (...) Let me clarify this statement.... there are so many different variations on early sets (the color something is painted, the color combinations, the box picture, etc), that with some sets such as #214 (classic windows/doors spare parts) there (...) (20 years ago, 16-Nov-04, to lugnet.general)
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