Want some old-fashioned Legos

jim

When I was a kid, Legos were probably my favorite toys. Now, my kids are really into the Lego Friends kits, and I've bought several sets for them. That's all fine and well, but I would like to get my hands on some of the old-time bricks to stimulate their imaginations more. I mean, building Andrea's bedroom or the Dolphin Cruiser is fun, but it's just a matter of following instructions. With the old-time bricks I had when I was a kid, I built robots and bridges and forts and whatever else I could come up with.

You know the ones I mean. The 2x4 full-height red or white was the staple brick. Then there were the 2x8, 2x10, 1x6, etc. Some had little holes in the sides for wheels to be popped on. The #105, 120, 135, 835 kits are the kind I'm talking about. Maybe a manual with a few "suggestions" of things you could build, but for the most part, they left it to the kids' imaginations.

Yes, I see plenty of them on ebay. But I'm reluctant to buy them there. First of all, I'd rather buy NEW bricks than ones that have been in who-knows-what baby's mouth (or worse). I guess I could just wash them in the dishwasher, but still, on the whole, I'd rather just have new bricks. Second, you never know if the kits are going to be complete, or if you're even going to get them at all, with all the ebay/craigslist scammers out there. Third, the prices people want for those old kits, especially if they're in pristine condition, is pretty astronomical. I'm not looking for a mint-in-box set to collect, I'm looking for bricks that my kids can play with.

Problem is, as far as I can tell, Lego does not make those kind of sets anymore. I've seen lots of lego-compatible brick makers, but even among them I see no general building sets; they're all "kits" to build a particular thing.

I did a search on these forums but did not come up with what I was looking for. If anyone can point me to a source where I can buy some general lego (or lego-compatible) sets at reasonable prices, I'd really appreciate it. Again, I would prefer new sets but will consider used ones, especially from reputable sellers, if that's all I can get. Thanks very much!

Jim

Goldchains

Why not buy one of the basic buckets? Such as #10662 or one of the basic blue or pink buckets you can get almost anywhere. They are basically for imaginative play, and can make whatever you want. I can also highly recommend, if you have a Lego store near you, to do the pick-a-brick wall. You grab a paper box, fill it up with the bricks of your choice, pay a varied price, and go.

Bumblepants

Yeah try browsing the Bricks and More theme on Lego.com or the main Brickset page. Lots of basic brick packages out there. You might also find the 3-in-1 Creator sets to your liking or the Master Building Academy series.

binaryeye

#6177 is probably closest to what you're looking for. It has been out since 2008, though, so I wouldn't be surprised if it's discontinued soon.

If you're in the US, choices are a bit slim in this category. #10664 is a nice, large assortment of mostly basic bricks but is not available in the US.

drdavewatford

Here are a few sets to get you started:

http://brickset.com/buy/vendor-amazon/country-us/order-percentdiscount/theme-Bricks-and-More

MorkMan

Browse this site for the sets you like, then go off to bricklink.com and buy them there. If you really want to get Old sets that are NIB, you will pay for it. It may be better to just buy a bunch of new red and white bricks and make your own creations... Like we did in the past!

Dad

You can also buy boxes of roof tiles and wheels.

Louise

Why not dismantle the Friends sets, mix-up the parts, maybe add in a couple of other sets (Creater sets are good for this), ignore the instructions and build whatever you & your kids like?

Just because something is a set, it doesn't mean you have to build the model on the box.

madforLEGO

^-- This, or if you want those sets intact, then just get some other lesser cost Friends sets and break those up. Great if you can find them in a BOGO50 (buy one get one 50% off) at RRP) or on clearance at Target or Walmart. If your kids want to build those too then I would say @Louise says the Creator line house sets are great foundation sets to break apart and use for buildings, or just parts to add onto other sets (as they are mostly brick still). Examples currently out are #31010, #31012, #7346, #31025, even #31009 can still be found (but try to find them under 20 dollars as they are small) Most sets are a bit high in price IMO, so I would say wait until Amazon.com, Walmart, or Target have them on sale
I can tell you right now, of all the sets I have given my nephews, only one is still recognizable as the #4207 parking garage, the rest is all mixed and matched. :-)