Lots of rare American LEGO sets have left for Europe/Australia

[LEGO Historian]

I've been noticing a trend for a number of years... while so many American collectors are preoccupied with all the new LEGO sets that have been coming out in the last decade or two... many European and some Australian collectors have been buying up a lot of the old Samsonite LEGO sets (USA/Canada) of the 1960s and 1970s.

Generally American collectors have not been all that interested in the older LEGO sets, but Europeans have always been so... since LEGO collecting does go back to 1949 for the Europeans.

Of all the old time LEGO collectors I know (and there are a lot)... more of them come from Europe (with some from Australia) than from the USA. The Dutch and Germans seem to be especially prolific in buying old American sets.

Part of the reason is that USA/Canada had LEGO sets that were different from 1961-72, than the rest of the world... which basically all sold the same LEGO sets. And in the USA specifically there was never more than $5 million in LEGO sales annually during the entire time Samsonite had the USA LEGO license... which was one of the reasons that TLG litigated to get the USA LEGO license back (which it did by 1972).

After TLG did get the license back, the USA LEGO production in Loveland Colorado ceased, and production in Brookfield and 2 years later Enfield started up. Whereas the USA LEGO production was only a fraction of what it was in West Germany, LEGOs largest worldwide market at the time... by 1977 USA had overtaken West Germany for the #1 spot.

So while many USA collectors are focusing on all the licensee and modular sets... many of the truly rare stuff has been slowly making its' way to Europe and Australia... and has been doing so for many years...

First USA/Canada catalog sets...

Very rare 1963 USA/Canada 7100 Educational Set in wooden box... with regular Samsonite sets...

1971-72 last of the line of USA Samsonite sets...

1970-711 USA Sear's Mail Order Catalog exclusive Samsonite LEGO set..

1962 USA Department Store Samsonite LEGO sets and display models....

All images from my DVD/download...

Gary Istok

[Herky]

Historian - interesting, are these collectors just using ebay? I have picked up a lot of older sets myself in the past year from this era, mostly the 1970's. It is not easy to find the older 1960's set in complete sets, but I still have all my sets from a kid and have picked up the cheaper other ones. By and large the 1970's sets do not go for really high prices, but trying to collect those along with new stuff eats up the expendable cash quickly. Still you can find good stuff on ebay at decent prices. I have been on the lookout for the town plan at a good price, one of the harder ones.

I have asked you a few times about set 310-5, the esso filling station that seemed to be in the town plan but also sold separate as well. Have only ever seen one for sale, but price was too high. I think I have a part of one already. 1957, 95 pieces...see this link: http://www.toysperiod.com/lego-set-reference/classic/town-plan/lego-310-5-esso-filling-station/

I use that site for education as well on old sets. Interested on where the collectors overseas are getting their stuff. I have recently picked up a few items from Denmark myself so looks like things are crossing the pond on a regular basis.

[LEGO Historian]

Herky.... the 306-307-308-309-310-311-312 sets all from the 1956-65 era are among the most expensive sets to be found... especially since these have cardboard cutout inlays for holding all the parts in place.

These type of inlay model and basic sets were discontinued in 1965 in favor of sets of loose parts in boxes.

Ironically one can get all the parts (including the rare 1:87 cars) generally for about $50-$150... while the sets with boxes run $500-$1200 with boxes and inserts.

Here's a history of just the 310/1310 set including all the box types... this is included in my Unofficial LEGO Sets/Parts Collectors Guide, where I have been collecting over 10,000 historic images for about a dozen years... (this is in German)... in my guide it's in English....

Just the gas pumps alone come in over a dozen different variations.

Also... there has been a big uptick in fake boxes and fake inserts. In my 3000 page collectors guide (as a DVD/download)... I have a separate chapter that includes showing the production and telltale signs of fake collectible items...

Gary Istok

[LEGO Historian]

When I mentioned that a lot of early American LEGO has found its' way to Europe, I forgot about my good fellow Michigan friend John P. from Bricklink. John and I both grew up on the east side of Detroit in the good old days (we never knew each other of course).... and John happens to have been quite the collector. Almost to the point of OCD... but in the nicest way....

John was an avid collector of American Samsonite sets... and to this day I still have to laugh that he once owned 39 copies of the Christmas 1965 introduced (sold until 1973) Samsonite LEGO Gear Set 001...

Of course just like so much of Samsonite LEGO... things end up just a little peculiar...

The 001 set was also included (same inserts and all) as parts of LEGO sets 003, 004, 005 and 704...

And then there were several other versions of the 001 Gear Set...

The 001 Mail Order Set for Department Stores (shipped in this box)...

The 001 Gear Set as an Educational Set....

The Gear Set plus LEGO bricks known as the 322 Educational Gear Set....

Samsonite never did things the normal way for LEGO... and these unusual 1965-73 Gears were the precursor to the 1970-76 European Gears with axles and axle bricks (sets 800-814)... which later became the the precursor to LEGO Technic (1977-Present).

These images are from my LEGO DVD/download chapters on Basic sets (1965-72), Samsonite Department Store Catalog Set (1962-75), LEGO Educational Sets (1961-90), and LEGO Gears, Motors and Technic Sets (1965-90).

Gary Istok