The Unofficial LEGO Collectors Guide RAFFLE

[legomaniac83]

Here's one I would love to have...

On USA Samsonite retailer reorder forms it's known as "470472"... with 472 being the set number.

What this is, is a box of 72 LEGO Town Plan era 1:87 cars that come in their own small clear plastic garage, and sealed with a paper wrapper (much like USA 100 $1 bills are sealed with a band when coming from the bank). These are called "banderoles".

A 1:87 car with garage and sealed with a banderole is worth about $150-$200 each (or more, depending on the rarity of the color of the vehicle). So a sealed box of 72 of these would be worth in excess of $10,000!!!!

(NOTE: This individual image is from a 1964 USA Sears catalog, and lists they type of cars that could be found in the garages.)

I was searching through ebay today and came upon the Mercedes 220 with Garage. It's not sealed, however. Would that price be fair on this set?

[Fugazi]

Less than 48 hours left to enter the raffle or to submit your quiz answers!

Prizes:

1 of 5 downloads of Gary Istok's extensive 'Unofficial LEGO Sets/Parts Collectors Guide 1949-1990s'

How to enter:

In this thread, tell us which mint LEGO set you would pick up were you able to choose from all the sets ever made!

Improve your chances of winning:

PM me the answers to the quiz questions -- for each correct answer, one extra chance in the draw!

Find all the details in the original post.

[NickAb]

It is hard to choose. It definitely will be some dream set from my childhood. There were lots of good sets, especially technic ones, back early 90s when I was introduced to LEGO. But if I had to chose one it will be 6991 Monorail Transport Base. Monorail. Space. Best things combined together.

[Daala]

I have already built the Star Destroyer 10130, it was great !!! Now my dream is to have a Lego Mindstorms ... I hope to have it a day ;))

Daala

[csiquet]

it would be the 10179 UCS Millennium Falcon

[LEGO Historian]

I was searching through ebay today and came upon the Mercedes 220 with Garage. It's not sealed, however. Would that price be fair on this set?

The answer is NO... the color is a very common color (I list colors/rare colors in my DVD download chapter on 1:87 vehicles)... also the auto is used. Perhaps if the Mercedes were new, it wouldn't be too bad of a price, but it's not a new vehicle. Also... these are notorious for having their headlights fall out. The headlights are trans-clear, and no larger than the head of a pin... but it does detract from their value when one or both headlights is missing. And the garage by itself, depending on condition is worth about $5 (for very used) to about $20 for relatively new. I would pass on that auction...

[RubeusHagrid]

I'd have to go for 4757, because of the daft prices for Trelawney!

[ShaydDeGrai]

I always wanted the 8880 super car. Even now, some 15 or so years later, I remember calling Lego shop at home to order one only to be told that they'd been discontinued and they didn't have any more in inventory. I scoured every KB Toystore and ToyRUs in the area in the hopes that there might still be one on the shelves somewhere and came up empty.

[shackleton]

I would chose the Minitalia set #1 because I only have 1 minitalia brick and would love to have the first set they came in. It would go well with my collection of historic LEGO sets. They include the wood ferry boat from 1947, a complete town plan set, and many sets from each decade to present(if you don't know where something has come from, how can you appreciate what they are doing now?), but my favorite being a piece of the Loveland,Co LEGO plant facade(one of the large stud sections that lit up at night). Of course I would love to have an original wooden duck toy too!

[LEGO Historian]

I would chose the Minitalia set #1 because I only have 1 minitalia brick and would love to have the first set they came in. It would go well with my collection of historic LEGO sets. They include the wood ferry boat from 1947, a complete town plan set, and many sets from each decade to present(if you don't know where something has come from, how can you appreciate what they are doing now?), but my favorite being a piece of the Loveland,Co LEGO plant facade(one of the large stud sections that lit up at night). Of course I would love to have an original wooden duck toy too!

Would that be from the front of the plant that opened in 1965 (model of LEGO).....

Or taken recently from the back of the plant (now no longer owned by Samsonite.....

They're both located in the DVD/download!!! :-D

[LEGO Historian]

SHACKLETON....

One other thing... since TLG is celebrating 80 years now... it's ironic that for USA LEGO they date the start to 1973... and not to 1961 (when the first Samsonite sets were produced for USA, followed by the first sets for Canada in 1962). So because the USA LEGO license was revoked (after litigation) in 1973, due to underperforming LEGO sales... that part of the Loveland plant... would not be officially sanctioned LEGO!!

[yumiyoshi]

Uuuuh! How can I pick only one!?

I'm torned between the Cafe Corner e the Market Street.

I'll pick the Market Street 'cause I'd like a blue spot on my collection.

[Friccius]

Hi Folks!

Second time for me to post at Eurobricks after reading here for a few years. I'll choose the 6285 "Black Seas Barracuda".

Ciao, Andreas!

Edited August 15, 2012 by Friccius

[Fugazi]

The Unofficial LEGO Collectors Guide Raffle has now ended, and the names of the winners will be announced within 24 hours or so!

Thank you to all who entered, your participation and input were appreciated! It actually allows me to present the very unscientific but nonetheless interesting...

TOP 4 of Eurobricks' most desired LEGO sets of all time!

Tied for 4th place:

6086

Black Knight's Castle

(1992)

6285

Black Seas Barracuda

(1989)

10030

Imperial Star Destroyer

(2002)

In 3rd place, ex aequo:

6399

Airport Shuttle

(1990)

4000001

Moulding Machines

(2011)

Tied for 2nd place:

375

Castle

(1978)

497

/928

Galaxy Explorer

(1979)

5571

Black Cat

(1996)

8880

Super Car

And the most desired LEGO set by a large margin is:

10179

Ultimate Collector's Millenium Falcon

(2007)

The raffle is now closed to new entrants, but feel free to use this thread to discuss the poll results or tell us about your own most desired set if you haven't done so already! Next up, the winners.

[PsyKater]

Wow, according to these results, I own two of the most desired LEGO sets of all time :D Nice!

Thanks for the great raffle and for summarizing the results. I am curious about how this is gonna be discussed.

[Fugazi]

Here's a quick collage of a random selection of your choices that didn't make the Top 4... this would make for an awesome collection!

[The Joker1]

Thanks Fugazi for running the contest. it has been most interesting seeing what suggestions people have come out with. Also that top 4 list was most interesting (I am quite suppriesd by a few of the results!). Also a big thank you to Lego Historian for all the time you put into creating this fantastic guide. And finally food luck to everyone in the contest .

Edited August 15, 2012 by The Joker1

[Plastic Nurak]

In my choice, Black Cat truck, Technic Space Shuttle and Black Seas Barracuda were fighting for the first place. But #8880 is #8880 .

[PsyKater]

I am still surprised about 8880. Though it is one of the best Technic sets ever, it is sold in Germany for about 50€ (often less).

Edited August 15, 2012 by PsyKater

[LEGO Historian]

Well I''m very impressed with the list of the runners-up (as well as the winning sets).... some of those sets truly are great sets (and some are very rare... here's some random thoughts...

1) Thatcher Perksins 396 - I have always loved that model of the 1863 Western American train... it just seems right in every way... colors, function, "curb appeal".... you name it. It is IMHO the best of all the Hobby sets, and is the only set that I display publicly in my house.

2) the 698 12 Car 1:87 Multi-Pack.... WOW.... some of my old LEGO CDs must have sunk in on some of you!!

That set is sooooo valuable and collectible (and had such a short production period from 1965-66), that a shrinkwrapped set with all the cars inside in their rarest color combinations... could probably fetch up to $6000-$8000!

3) 7740 Intercity Train.... I've never been a LEGO train collector... but back in the 1980s when I was in a toy store in Germany, I saw a stack of 20 of those... and seriously studied buying one. So many rare parts... such a beauty!!

4) 810 Town Plan set. Interestingly enough that picture of the brown haired girl and boy.... that was the last LEGO set image that Kjeld Kirk Kristiansen ever graced the cover of. He was already in his early teens, and getting to old for the box top.... But the set... the 810 Town Plan set is a real beauty, absolutely crammed full of rare specialty parts... especially of the UK unique type (road signs, street lights, Esso pumps and freestanding sign). Plus the Town Plan board was a nice touch. The thing about this set, (and the 725... the USA/Canada counterpart)... was that that (unlike many of today's models)... building was only half the fun... once you finished the Town Plan... then it was time to start playing with it... for hours on end.

5) 1592 Town Square Set.... whether it's the British Weetabix version of 1980, or the Dutch (Unilever) UNOX Soup version of 1983... this set is the European version of the 6390 Main Street Set... and should have been a regular set... not a promotional set.... but it's a classic beauty!

6) ... and speaking of Weetabix (a British/Irish/Australian Cream-of-Wheat like cereal unknown to Americans) that un-numbered castle set of 1970 is a classic, using all the colors of the era and all those cool small classic windows that were unfortunately discontinued in 1986.

7) You folks are definitely more sophisticated about early LEGO that I imagined... that #2 Italy-Japan (only) Minitalia set of 1977-80) was the precursor to modern LEGO windows and doors... only in black!! It took so long for black to come out in either windows or doors....

8) the 310 Esso Service Station... this 1956-65 set is the ultimate Art Deco Moderne LEGO set of all time. Macaroni bricks were likely made so this set could look so cool! And the Esso pumps, sign and tanker truck make it look more realistic than almost any LEGO set ever!

9) The 215 Indian Set... those sets with "big people" were an interesting addition to 1980s sets, especially the Homemaker sets. But none was more unique than the 215 set... not only a group of Indians in a canoe... but the only use of a solid stud red minifig head used as a head!

A very impressive group of votes!!!!!!!!!! KUDOS!!

[Fugazi]

A total of 126 members have entered this raffle, thanks to every one of you for your enthusiasm!

Before announcing the names of the winners, here are the correct answers to the quiz questions:

Question 1: In what year were the 1300 and 1301 Mosaik sets first produced?

Answer: The 1300 and 1301 Mosaik sets were produced in 1955.

Question 2: Which former LEGOLAND park is currently known as Hansa-Park?

Answer: LEGOLAND Sierksdorf (1973-76) is now known as Hansa-Park.

Question 3: What LEGO-related tragedy happened on February 4, 1960?

Answer: That was the day the LEGO wooden toy factory/warehouse burned down.

Note: Many variations on these answers were accepted.

And the lucky winners of Gary's 'Unofficial LEGO Sets/Parts Collectors Guide 1949-1990s' download are:

cava

erined5

happymark

Richie

TheLegoDr

Congratulations! I will contact each of you shortly with the details of how to claim your prize.

And to those who haven't won, I can't recommend strongly enough to grab your own copy of the Unofficial LEGO Collectors Guide. It's a monumental piece of work the like of which has never been written before, and an essential reference for all LEGO collectors and history lovers. Head to Gary's online store for the ordering details.

[Darkdragon]

Congrats winners!

And yay, i got all the answers right!

[Dane]

Well I never seem to have the luck in raffles but still a big thanks for hosting this, it was very interesting and a big congrats to the lucky winners!

[Darth Hagrid]

Congratulations to the winners! Money's tight, so I don't think I'll really be able to justify buying the book, but it looks amazing. Maybe come Christmastime, some understanding soul will supply me with it.

[peterab]

Congrats to the winners. I'll probably buy Gary's book eventually.

My pick would have been 343-2, the train ferry from 1968. I've wanted it for 39 years :-) since I first saw it in a catalogue. So far I have one hinge.

Edited August 16, 2012 by peterab