A/S Norske LEGIO - Norway's First LEGO Posted by Huw, 29 Sep 2020 16:30 Here's an article about a fascinating aspect of LEGO's early history, written by the world's leading authority, Gary Istok: LEGO bricks were first sold in Denmark as Automatic Binding Bricks in 1949, then switched names to LEGO Mursten in 1953. The first country besides Denmark that sold LEGO bricks was Norway, starting in 1953. Norway had a toy import ban after the war, which continued until 1961. So, LEGO partnered with a Norwegian plastic maker based in Oslo by the name of Svein Strømberg & Co. In 1953, they created a subsidiary called A/S Norske LEGO, which had to be renamed A/S Norske LEGIO in 1954, for legal reasons. Apparently "LEGO" as a company name was already trademarked in Norway by someone else. Continue reading »

Building Community: UNLEASH Posted by MeganL, 28 Sep 2020 15:00 A new series here at Brickset is Building Community, where we highlight members of the LEGO community taking time to share their love of LEGO with others. Today we're chatting with Loretta Sanford, the founder of UNLEASH - United Network of LEGO Enthusiasts At Senior Housing. How would you describe UNLEASH? UNLEASH is a group dedicated to providing senior citizens with an opportunity to create, build, meet, share ideas, and display their creativity. The members are older adults living in senior housing and are guided by volunteers at each facility. I work with residential service coordinators in senior living facilities across New England. Continue reading »

Review: 75288 AT-AT Posted by CapnRex101, 27 Sep 2020 17:20 View image at flickr Countless impressive vehicles were introduced during Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back, including the monumental AT-AT. Several renditions of the memorable walker have been created and 75288 AT-AT is the biggest among them, containing 1267 pieces! The model looks absolutely outstanding based upon official images and its announcement provoked considerable excitement, particularly since this rendition of the AT-AT is larger than previous versions. Additionally, I think the new model appears exceptionally accurate and the interior detail has been significantly improved. Continue reading »

Argos sale continues Posted by Huw, 27 Sep 2020 10:19 The Argos toy sale, which includes dozens of LEGO sets discounted by 33% or more, continues until Tuesday. After several years of absence, Argos is back in our Buy listings, so you'll be able to easily determine what's discounted and what's new. The data is imported daily. Happy shopping!