Yellowing or not - that is the question

[GCO]

Hi everybody,

I just started sorting my old Lego from my childhood and noticed differences in colors with grey parts. At first I thought the just yellowed over time, even though they were stored in boxes in a dry and dark cellar. Then I searched the forum and finally checked Bricklink's color charts. But I am none the wiser! Can someone confirm that my parts are different in color or are they definitely yellowed?

The comparison parts to the left could be "Dark Bluish Grey" and "Light Bluish Grey" and the parts to the right could be "Dark Grey" and "Light Grey" or they are just yellowed...

Thanks for your help!

Edited January 14, 2015 by GCO

[antp]

Isn't that the opposite? The bluish version on the left and the old/yellowed on the right?

From what I see on that pic, they do not seem yellowed, that's just the old grey color, that is naturally more yellow than the new one (which is more blue, hence its name)

[GCO]

You are right! Mixed it up... Corrected now...

And thanks for your advice. Now I have to sort them again in four different color boxes...

'antp', you said "old" grey color, does that mean it's not available anymore in current sets?

Edited January 14, 2015 by GCO

[1974]

Was discontinued about 10 years ago. The AFOL world exploded back then, plenty of info at LUGnet etc ..

Edit : Here's a good read ..

http://news.lugnet.com/general/?n=47149&t=i&v=a

The OP is an official statement from TLG, the rest are AFOLs going

Edited January 14, 2015 by 1974

[antp]

Indeed when I say "old grey" I mean the grey from before 2004: one was replaced by the other.

Until 2004 there was light grey & dark grey

Since 2004 there is light bluish grey & dark bluish grey

Only the latter ones are still produced by Lego and so can be found in current sets.

All can be found on Bricklink, though that usually the older ones are only available as "used" parts.

[1974]

All can be found on Bricklink, though that usually the older ones are only available as "used" parts.

There are still large stocks of NEW grey parts at BL, that is until I've bought the lot

Cheers,

Ole

[GCO]

Thanks for clarification, Ole and 'antp'!

[GCO]

After reading your link, Ole, what was the initial reason for TLG to change the colors?

[1974]

Focusgroups said they looked snappier and TLG thought that AFOLs wouldn't notice. It was part of a general 'colour cleenup' in that troubled period of TLG's history

[Slick Willie]

I rather like the new "snappier" colors, and find them a vast improvement over the old gray colors.

The best part about the new Bluish-Gray colors are that they actually look gray under these new CFL light bulbs they make us use today. Put your old gray bricks under a CFL light bulb, or any flourescent light bulb, and they will turn a shade of green-gray. It is especially noticable with the old dark gray pieces, as they will turn a shade of leftover pea-soup greenish gray. Put those same bricks under an incandescent light, and the color difference between the bircks is much less subtle and a lot harder to notice.

Here is a hint for sorting your mixed up bricks: Do it in a well lit room under bright flourescent lighting. No incandescent lighting, or sunlight from outside, should be present in the room or at your work bench. The color difference between the bricks under this lighting is not subtle at all. It will save you a lot of resorting later.

[1974]

CFLs are crap light and not good for the enviroment at all. I find bley to look like a cheap knock-off brand, which is not helped by the poor current colour consistency

All my lights are proper colour LEDs, no problem sorting here (but then all my bley have been dumped off at BL now)

[antp]

Do it in a well lit room under bright flourescent lighting. No incandescent lighting, or sunlight from outside, should be present in the room or at your work bench. The color difference between the bricks under this lighting is not subtle at all. It will save you a lot of resorting later.

Natural light (but not sun) works well to see the difference. Alternatively, an incandescent lights like Philips' "Daylight" bulb works well too (that's what I use on my Lego building & sorting table).

The CFLs that I have give the same yellowish light as traditional incandescent bulbs, so they do not help at all to differentiate the colors.

Edited January 14, 2015 by antp

[VintageLegoEra]

Glad BL has new of these parts. I am buying now new parts to replace the old/yellowed one for my old sets..costly but having fun.

:-)

[GCO]

I was afraid to ask... so I asked Google... and now I know why some of you use the term "bley"... :laugh:

Thanks for the hints regarding sorting. I have to do it all over again.