Subject:
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Things you didn't know about Lego
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Newsgroups:
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lugnet.general
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Date:
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Fri, 4 Feb 2005 07:19:39 GMT
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Viewed:
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625 times
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I haven't posted in a while, since I have been busy trying to tie up the loose
ends to the Lego CD. Eric Strand has found sooooo many new things that I didn't
even know about, such as USA/Canada only department store sets only found in
Mail order catalogs. I hope to have this thing finished by the end of the
month, but there may be a few more items to add, so who knows. Sometimes I
discover somethings that ask more questions than they answers.
But anyway, I wanted to let you folks in on a few Lego secrets (known to few)
that happened in the 50's and 60's. No, I'm not trying to tease you, but to let
you in on a few more secrets that I will be talking about in more detail in the
CD.
1) Waffle bottom plates were made in Europe from 1955-63. But in USA/Canada
they were in existence until 1972. Why? More than likely TLG sent (or sold?)
all their unused (but obsolete) waffle bottom plate molds to Samsonite (USA and
Canada). The circle bottom plates were produced starting in 1962 in Europe. In
Samsonite sets (USA/Canada) they were (as already stated) used in sets until
1972. But in later 60's and early 70's sets they were mixed in with circle
bottom plates.
2) Waffle bottom plates use up approximately 1/3 more plastic than circle bottom
plates. I weighed a 6x8 waffle and circle bottom ABS plates. They circle
bottom plate weighed 9 grams, the waffle bottom plate weighed 12 grams.
3) Samsonite of Canada appears to have gotten some 2x4 waffle bottom plate molds
(probably intended for Europe, but never used there). This size waffle bottom
plates are unknown in Europe and the USA, but appear to have circulated in
Canada. Canada may also have 2x2 and 2x3 waffle bottom plates, but I haven't
spotted any yet. Note: All 1x1 plates ever produced are waffle bottom plates.
;-)
4) The #238 Idea Book (1960-68) came out in so many variations, styles and book
size/colors, that 1/2 of the chapter on Lego idea books (1957-80) is about #238.
There are 6 major variations, with many subvariations. When you factor in all
languages available, there are about 30-40 different collectible variations to
#238.
5) Macaroni bricks came in 4 different variations from 1955-57 (1/4 circle with
notch, 1/4 circle without notch, 1/2 circle with notch, 1/2 circle without
notch). It appears that the #224/#1223 (Central Europe/Northern Europe)
macaroni bricks spare parts packs of 1955-57 had no parts counts in catalogs of
the era. This set had red, white and clear macaroni bricks mixed together. It
appears that the mix was random, and no 2 sets had the same brick counts, color
counts or 1/4 & 1/2 brick counts. I know of no other Lego set of that era to be
totally random in the contents. Of course we have a new set that came out a few
months ago that has random parts. I know there are others.
6) USA Samsonite was the licensee for Lego from 1961-72. Sometime around 1971
something happened. Relations must have soured (or they did previously). USA
Samsonite sets in 1971-72 were like no other in the Lego world. They looked
very strange, and by 1972 the word "SAMSONITE" was dominant on the box with
"LEGO" in smaller letters. 1972 was the year TLG took back the license from USA
Samsonite. But Samsonite must have pulled a fast one, and dumped HUGE
quantities of Lego parts into some very large sets (one had 1241 pieces, another
1252 pieces) and sold them to department stores as catalog items. Even though
TLG took over in 1972, Samsonite Lego sets were selling in catalogs as late as
August of 1973. As I have stated I think that things must have soured between
TLG and USA Samsonite. Perhaps there was litigation? As proof, TLG uses the
1972-73 begin date for USA LEGO. Just look at the 1998 25th Silver Anniversary
Bucket (or was that 1997?). In the USA we should be celebrating 45 Years of
Lego in 2006 (starting back to the 1961 Samsonite Lego start date). In 2007
Canada will be celebrating 45 years of Lego (they had Samsonite of Canada from
1962 to 1986). The transfer of Lego from Samsonite of Canada to TLG in 1986
went smoothly, no bad blood. So it seems silly that we get penalized 11 years in
the USA, probably due to the bad blood between TLG and USA Samsonite.
Gary Istok
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Message has 1 Reply:
 | | Re: Things you didn't know about Lego
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| (...) Here is a picture of a 2x4 waffle plate in a 1967 Eaton's Canada catalog: (URL) (...) Here are some comparisons between the 1971 and 1972 box styles. The 1971 style says "LEGO by Samsonite" and by 1972 the SAMSONITE becomes much more prominent (...) (20 years ago, 4-Feb-05, to lugnet.general)
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