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Subject: 
Re: Help identifying a set
Newsgroups: 
lugnet.general
Date: 
Wed, 13 Feb 2008 06:38:27 GMT
Viewed: 
6025 times
  
In lugnet.general, Nathan Todd wrote:
   Hey all,

Just wondering if anyone could tell me anything about this set? I can’t find it in the Lugnet database and I really don’t know anything about older sets. Could someone even identify the era for me? Suggestions on the appropriate newsgroup are also welcome ; )



box front...

Thanks and God Bless,

Nathan

Clark Stephens brought this set to my attention. It is a Canadian set that is not found in Canadian catalogs of that era. Neither is Canadian set #88.

http://guide.lugnet.com/set/882

From 1962-72 USA/Canada Samsonite LEGO sets were often sold thru Department Store Catalogs. In USA Sears, J.C. Penney, FAO Schwarz, Kaufmann’s, etc... and in Canada such department stores such as Eatons sold Samsonite LEGO sets thru their department store mail order catalogs.

During the 1962-72 era most Canadian Department Store sets were the same Canadian Samsonite LEGO sets that were sold thru regular store sales (and found in annual Canadian Samsonite LEGO catalogs)... although Sears of Canada had a few exclusives (#704, #706, #710) that were also sold exclusively thru Sears in the USA.

But in the USA, there were a lot of department store exclusives. USA Samsonite LEGO examples included #223 Adventure Set, #244 Explorer Set, #326 Suburban Set, #536 Designer Set, #630 Diplomat Set, #835 Advanced Builder Set and #842 Town Plan set were only sold in the USA by certain department stores as exclusives. These were NEVER found in regular Samsonite LEGO catalogs of the 1962-72 era, nor were they sold in regular toy stores.

Then in 1972 the USA Samsonite LEGO license was revoked by TLG. But in the 1970’s and early 1980’s Samsonite of Canada was still the LEGO licensee (they followed the TLG corporate line better). So it appears that a few department store exclusive sets were produced by Samsonite of Canada in the 1970’s. 330 piece #78 appears to be one of these sets (doesn’t the box have a shipping label on one side?). Another appears to be 88 piece #88 set. Both sets appear to have a similar looking box writing layouts.


The mystery is... which Canadian Department Store sold these exclusives? It could be Eaton’s, or another Canadian Department store. We need to get some of our Canadian friends to check out any 1970’s (or early 1980’s) Canadian Department Store catalogs to find out which store sold LEGO sets that were not found in regular stores or found in the annual LEGO catalogs. There may be other unknown or obscure Canadian Department Store exclusive sets.

For those of you who have my LEGO Sets/Parts Collectors Guide (1949-80), check out Chapter 9 - USA/Canada Department Store Exclusive sets.

Cheers, Gary Istok



Message is in Reply To:
  Help identifying a set
 
Hey all, Just wondering if anyone could tell me anything about this set? I can't find it in the Lugnet database and I really don't know anything about older sets. Could someone even identify the era for me? Suggestions on the appropriate newsgroup (...) (17 years ago, 5-Feb-08, to lugnet.general, FTX)

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