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In lugnet.general, Gerhard R. Istok wrote:
> I have been getting a lot of requests recently about old sets on EBAY, or old
> sets that folks may already own. And sometimes I tell the people to avoid the
> set because the parts are not original. Here is an example in the Lugnet data
> base for Samsonite set #708 (USA/Canada 1961-64):
>
> http://guide.lugnet.com/set/?q=708
>
> Whoever purchased this set probably didn't know that some of the contents of
> this box are not original to it. The first indication are the inside plastic
> bins. They don't even fit into the box correctly. The lid won't close
> correctly when it is attempted because the bins are too tall. And much of the
> contents are not original to this set. The sloped bricks, blue/yellow bricks,
> Lego wheels and a small Lego metal wheeled car with its garage were never part
> of this set. The original inside packaging was made of cardboard (not plastic
> bins), and the Lego bricks/base plates were originally place flat (in a
> checkerboard pattern) on top of the cardboard insert.
>
> I am thinking about starting a Lego consulting service for folks who buy (or
> want to buy) old Lego sets, but who don't know a lot about them, and are afraid
> that they may buy a set that is not what it should be (like the #708 set just
> mentioned.
>
> Is there a niche or need for such a service? What would I charge? I was
> thinking about 3 consultations for $10 US, perhaps in a prepay mode, or?
>
> Maybe I will offer it only to those folks who buy my Lego History/Price List CD,
> as an additional service (perhaps a rare Lego mailing list (with permission) for
> CD purchasers?). Or make it available to the whole LUGNET community?
>
> And if I get a request that I cannot handle or don't know enough about, I simply
> won't charge for it.
>
> -------------------------------
>
> Another service I was thinking about offering was what I call the LEGO
> equivalent of "Hamburger Helper" (a USA/Canada food product that requires only
> hamburger beef be added to make a full meal). I would sell partial old sets
> (parts only, from my own rare parts inventory), but only the rare items that
> people cannot find on Bricklink (or cannot find in decent quantities).
>
> Examples: the old Model Builder sets of the mid 70's. I have the rare parts
> for building #396 Thatcher Perkins, #390 1913 Cadillac, #391 1926 Renault, and
> #395 1909 Rolls Royce. I have the large (red and white) and small (red) spoked
> wheels, black axle bricks, rod/piston train works, 1x1x1 yellow classic windows,
> 2x2 outside corner blue slopes, etc. I probably have rare spare parts for about
> 40 (total) of these sets.
>
> For example on the 1913 Cadillac (#390), I would supply the 5 large red spoked
> wheels (with tires and axle bricks), and 4 1x1x1 yellow classic windows.
>
> For the Thatcher Perkins (#396) I would supply the 11 spoked wheels (6 large
> red, 4 small red, 1 small black) with tires and black axle bricks. I would
> supple a #1119 Service pack (from 1975-78) that has the 6 piece rod and piston
> set, 5 full stud yellow minifig head pieces (no faces!) and possibly 1x1 round
> bricks, black and blue sloped bricks, macaroni bricks, and red arches.
>
> Most pieces would be near mint to mint.
>
> --------------------
>
> Another item I am thinking about offering is what I call Fantasy Sets. Those
> are sets that existed (or perhaps never released). I could offer them as an
> embellished set, or as a complete set
>
> Here are some examples:
>
> A complete Town Plan (1960-66). The Town Plan (#810 in Europe, #725 in USA) I
> would offer includes a Town Plan board plus all the buildings. But the
> buildings would be much better (larger, more complex) than the ones in any of
> the Town Plan sets. My buildings would all be of ABS (most Town Plan sets are
> regrettably Cellulose Acetate), except for those rare items only available in CA
> (such as a Esso Service accessories). My Town Plan hotel could be 10 stories
> tall made of ABS classic windows/doors. My Esso Service garage door would be
> the rare (Europe only) white one, not the common red one. I would include some
> metal wheeled cars and trucks, some (continental Europe only) very rare traffic
> policemen, some rare cyclists/motorcyclists, some old road signs, street lights,
> and trees/bushes (hand painted European ones, not the USA/Canada unpainted
> ones), and as already mentioned all Esso Service accessories.
>
> A complete early #717 Junior Constructor set. The early (1961) version was
> probably never released. But I have the plans for building this very rare set.
> And better yet, I have enough parts (all ABS) to build several of these. The
> originals would have all been Cellulose Acetate, but mine would be all ABS
> plastic.
>
> -----------
>
> Another idea was to build a set of twin Thatcher Perkins (#396) antique
> locomotives, but one would have an orange/green locomotive cab and engine, and
> the other would be the regular red/blue of #396. (Note all blue bricks in this
> set are now available in green, and only 2 orange parts are not produced,
> whereas they are in red in the original - the 4 1x6 red arches would be replaced
> by 2x6 orange ones, and the 2 4x2 red gates would be replaced by (rare) black
> ones). I was thinking about making these twin Thatcher Perkins locomotives as
> sort of book ends, where they would be on Lego track (or as close to being
> attached to track as the rubber tires permit), with a gray train tunnel opening
> (6 studs thick) behind them (to look like they just exited the tunnel) with gray
> arches above the black brick opening (to look like a dark tunnel). Another idea
> on this is that instead of bookends, these could be marketted to the train clubs
> as train club SIGNAGE for public Lego train events (the 2 train tunnels could be
> connected with a large "hill" type thin structure that could have the train club
> name on the flat sides.
>
> Oridinarily I wouldn't be giving out these ideas. But I don't think that too
> many people have the resources to attempt these ideas on their own (without deep
> pockets). I've been collecting rare old parts for 25 years (since 1979).
>
> Please feel free to offer feedback!
>
> And if this should be in some other newsgroup, please send it there.
>
> Thanks,
> Gary Istok
> A Lego Addict since 1960.
A followup to the original post.....
There were some other additional supplemental sets I was thinking on offering,
such as supplemental accessories for making the new classic Lego sets (like the
new USS Constellation model, new Main Street set, etc) look like the original
when constructed:
- Offering a supplemental pack of 16 (mint) classic yellow 1x1x1 windows to make
the constructed $60 2003 set #10021 USS Constellation look like the $1000 1978
set #398 version (original was only available in Europe).
- Offering a supplemental pack of (1) tall Cypress tree and the (5) gray "train
level crossing center rail cap inserts" (the new ones are made of long gray
tiles) to make the constructed 2003 set #10031 Main Street look like the $300+
1980 set #6390 Main Street (original was only available in USA).
Other offerings may include:
Offering the (MINT) sticker sheet and 2 unique red plates to make make the
London Bus #384/#760 (Europe & Canada/USA).
Offering mint Cellulose Acetate parts & classic windows/doors for completing
missing parts off old 50's & 60's sets.
Offering mint ABS plastic windows for completing missing parts off old 60's and
70's sets.
Offering a group of all 34 classic windows/doors (major styles only) in mint,
including all rare blue, black, gray and yellow versions.
Offering a group of 56 classic windows/doors (includes CA & ABS, major styles
only), including all rare blue, black, gray and yellow versions.
Offering a group of all 114 classic windows/doors (includes all styles, all
materials, with and without window sill varieties, with and without glass
varieties, and the rare 1957 full stud varieties), and including all rare blue,
black, gray and yellow versions.
Offering a group of Lego pieces "that should not exist". This would include
Cellulose Acetate plates in yellow, blue and green, 2x10 bricks in clear, 1x2
and 1x4 bricks (with posts underneath) in Cellulose Acetate, and 2x8, 4x8, 4x8
curved, and 6x8 (waffle bottom) white plates in ABS plastic.
-------------------------------
And last but not least (I am sneaking this into this post), offering all LUGNET
members who send me an EMAIL (by Sept. 1, 2004) saying that they want to reserve
a copy of my new LEGO history/prices CD (no obligation to actually buy it, but
to reserve it) the following offer:
1) a special "Limited Edition" version of the CD just for LUGNET members and
AFOLs, with different artwork on the cover (only to pre-orders before Sept. 1).
2) all of the "reserved" members will get a special "gift" of some old Lego.
Here is what I have reserved so far (one per customer): (18) 1957 one year only
type bricks with no studs underneath, (12) 1957 (full stud) rare classic
windows, rare Cellulose Acetate bricks.
3) for a random few people the offering will be even better, I will include such
things as 1) London Bus Sticker Sheet from 1975, 2) a 1950' spare parts pack, 3)
a few 1960's spare parts packs, 4) a few 1963-65 Architectural series of sets
plastic box spare parts packs, and some groupings (of 4) of such rarities as:
3x3 low slope outside corner bricks in yellow (only found in 7740 Intercity
Train (1980-82)), 2x2x3 steep slope outside corner bricks in yellow (only found
in 375/6075 Yellow Castle (1978-82)), full stud minifig heads, no faces, in red
(only found in 2 sets, 1977 only).
Gary Istok
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Message is in Reply To:
 | | Future Lego Services.....
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| I have been getting a lot of requests recently about old sets on EBAY, or old sets that folks may already own. And sometimes I tell the people to avoid the set because the parts are not original. Here is an example in the Lugnet data base for (...) (20 years ago, 22-Aug-04, to lugnet.general, lugnet.trains)
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