LEGO Finland.... "The Cow House of Idiotsville"

Istokg

I swear, you can't make this stuff up!! ;-)

In my LEGO Collectors Guide... "Chapter 73 - LEGO Sales By Country"... I show this image of Boris Strömsholm, the licensee for LEGO in Finland from when it started in 1959, until the relationship ended in 1976. Also shown is the the barn (Cow House) where 70% of LEGO sold in Finland was produced. After WWII Finland, like many European countries, had a toy import ban... and that of Finland required that at least 70% of a toys production were made in Finland.

More to follow...

Istokg

Well although LEGO production moved to Denmark by the later 1960s... the building still exists... and this barn building is next door to a restaurant... and a Finnish AFOL recognized the image I posted... and said that he was recently at the restaurant and saw the barn was still standing.

Here's a story, from a Finnish LEGO fan, about that barn, and the town of Bemböle where it is located... not far from the capital of Helsinki...
http://questforbricks.wordpress.com/2013/09/07/old-lego-factory-in-finland/

Istokg

And here is a story about a Finnish AFOL, who was asked to build a LEGO replica of this barn... which he called "Cow House".... in the city of Bemböle... which he said translates from Finnish as "Idiotsville".... ;-)

http://l-rides.com/kuvat/creations/cow-house.htm

This has to be one of the most interesting... and oddest LEGO stories in a long time!

More about LEGO in Finland to come...

Istokg

With at least 70% of LEGO production being produced in Finland from 1959 until the mid 1960s... that would mean that the basic bricks and windows/doors were likely made in Finland... and specialty parts came from Denmark.

The one group of specialty parts that were exclusive to Finland were the named beams. Finnish is the majority language in Finland... and it is not related to other Indo-European languages. So many of the common printed bricks, such as ESSO SERVICE... were not sold in Finland. Here is a group of Finnish bricks... very rare and highly prized/priced by collectors.... and their service station brick was "ESSO HUOLTO".... from Chapter 48 - Printed & Painted Bricks... of my collectors guide...

Istokg

Oppps.... just found the latest addition to the Finnish named beams... from the 308 Fire Station set of 1957-62...

legogal

WOW! This so cool because Finland is such a neat country. It looks a lot like Alaska from the top to the bottom of both places. For a fun trip take your Eurail pass train all the way to Rovaniemi in a a loop around Scandanavia. I took Mom there in about 1978 the first year Eurail offered that route, and it was lovely. And Finland with its long dark winter days is a wonderful place for a large LEGO collection. Never knew so much LEGO production occurred in Finland. Nice bricks, Gary!

Istokg

Nice story legogal! You and I both were good to our mom's! :-) I took mine (while visiting grandma in Germany) on a tour of the Alps in Germany, Austria and Northern Italy in 1983.

Here is a very interesting 16 page 1967 Finland LEGO catalog (from my LEGO Collectors Guide Chapter on old LEGO catalogs)...

madforLEGO

You had you me at the title of the thread (lol)..great story