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Retailer Display Models
Istokg
Member Posts: 2,362
in Collecting
Several of my LEGO collectors friends collect retailer display models, that were always glued together at the model shops, and either sold to the retailers in the early days of LEGO, or used for promotional displays with large size models today. Now we have models such as Darth Vader or other licensed characters made of LEGO.
In the 1950s and 1960s, there were entire catalogs of models that retailers could buy from TLG to display at their local toy store. Many of these were geared to the Town Plan in the early years, although larger models were also produced.
Here's a display item that has been puzzling many of my old time LEGO collector friends, but I think I have finally figured out what this model was, owned by my Dutch collector friend Henk..... I'll see if anyone can guess what this was....
Here's a model from circa 1960-61 of a LEGO house. Sloped bricks were first sold in 1958-59 in red, and starting in 1960 in blue. This is a nice house model with classic LEGO windows/doors.... and an oval LEGO logo with the "dog bone"" font....
Those of you familiar with the Palace Cinema Modular set.... here was the first Palace Cinema of the UK around circa 1961. You can tell that the parts are of Cellulose Acetate, due to the warping showing between the bricks....
And for those of you who know the name Big Ben.... well that is know officially known as the Elizabeth Tower.... here was an early 1960 restored model of that tower....
I have two chapters of my Unofficial LEGO Sets/Parts Collectors Guide, one devoted to retailer display models, the other devoted to retailer LEGO furnishings, shelving, signage and display areas.
In the 1950s and 1960s, there were entire catalogs of models that retailers could buy from TLG to display at their local toy store. Many of these were geared to the Town Plan in the early years, although larger models were also produced.
Here's a display item that has been puzzling many of my old time LEGO collector friends, but I think I have finally figured out what this model was, owned by my Dutch collector friend Henk..... I'll see if anyone can guess what this was....
Here's a model from circa 1960-61 of a LEGO house. Sloped bricks were first sold in 1958-59 in red, and starting in 1960 in blue. This is a nice house model with classic LEGO windows/doors.... and an oval LEGO logo with the "dog bone"" font....
Those of you familiar with the Palace Cinema Modular set.... here was the first Palace Cinema of the UK around circa 1961. You can tell that the parts are of Cellulose Acetate, due to the warping showing between the bricks....
And for those of you who know the name Big Ben.... well that is know officially known as the Elizabeth Tower.... here was an early 1960 restored model of that tower....
I have two chapters of my Unofficial LEGO Sets/Parts Collectors Guide, one devoted to retailer display models, the other devoted to retailer LEGO furnishings, shelving, signage and display areas.
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Comments
http://www.youblisher.com/p/789575-LEGO-Retailer-Store-Chapter/
Of course if you're going to have a model of the Elizabeth Tower (Big Ben)... it would much better if it were with the rest of the Palace of Westminster (Houses of Parliament), as seen in this historic early 1960s USA Samsonite display model at a USA department store....
The number of 1x1x2 white classic windows in this model is mind boggling...
However, with regard to the current store displays - is there a market for such things?
How would one go about contacting such collectors and asertain value?
Here is a 1962 toy trade publication mentioning the Detroit model shop (all USA/Canada LEGO set boxes also came from a Detroit Samsonite factory)... which produced the Houses of Parliament model shown above,
http://www.ebay.com/bhp/lego-star-wars-display
My Dutch friend Henk... we fondly call him 'the glue sniffer"... because he's always restoring (with glue) old damaged LEGO display models....
Here's one of my favorites of his... from the inside......
And from the outside.... a 1963 built skyscraper....
The market for store displays (where the sets are glued) isn't very large. However, the "big figs" that are 19" and above command quite a sum. I've sold a few for $2,000 plus to buyers overseas.
And don't get me started on Westminster Hall!! :)
That skyscraper reminds me of the President/Lord Business's from the Lego Movie.
"as seen in this historic early 1960s USA Samsonite display model at a USA department store" - Looking at the floorspace used and the sign hanging above - would this display be more akin to a travelling exhibition? I can't imagine that the average department store would sink that much floor space (and cost of the built models) into a fixed display in the one location. (though happy to be corrected!). My guess on the 'object' in the first post - I think its a lightbox to hang inside the front door (with a little Lego dude waving hello and goodbye to everyone)...
LEGO retailers had binders that they stored their TLG produced products into....
And they were subdivided into sections.....
And updates would become available from year to year.... for displays, and other items....
You would get annual updates for different LEGO items.... such as display models...
And retailer accessories....
Here is a historic image (from my LEGO Collectors Guide chapter on LEGO Sales by Country)..... from 1976 with the opening of new LEGO Sales Offices in the Netherlands.. with LEGO owner Godtfred Kirk Christiansen showing Prince Claus of the Netherlands (late husband of former Queen Beatrix) a unique LEGO model of his home Soestdijk Palace, during the opening of the new LEGO offices.
And now many years later, here is the reconstruction of this once ruined model being repaired.
This model is now fully restored and one of my favorite images in my collectors guide! :)
I believe that this was merely used as a container sitting on a LEGO retailer counter filled with LEGO bricks.... waiting for curious customers (LEGO was not universally known back then) to just reach in and pick out a few bricks and just assemble them to see how well they stick together, and also to see how many different ways they can be assembled.
This was only for continental Europe, and just for small toy stores display counter. By 1961, there were over 11,000 independent small toy stores in Europe selling LEGO.
Other hands-on items for customers were available from TLG for Retailer sales, but none so fancy. :)
A 1957 Image of a continental European display counter.... (with mom and child, retailer, and a LEGO sales rep all displayed).....
Here's a display counter image from 1959, from a 1960 LEGO Retailer Binder....
Here's a 2 piece counter display unit that you could purchase separately from a LEGO retailer catalog.....
And here is an example of the lower unit that is owned by my LEGO friend Thorsten in Germany. That this has survived intact for 1/2 century in such pristine condition is amazing. This is the type of item that TLG would love to get their hands on for the LEGO HOUSE being built in Billund. :)
All images form my collectors guide chapter on LEGO Retailer Items.
I'm not sure if it ever sold on Ebay... since shipping alone was $100. Today shipping would probably be much more than that. Also, filling a display such as this one would be very difficult, because these spare parts packs rarely come up for sale. In fact on Bricklink, the garage door kits are the only items that have even been available in the last 6 months. USA/Canada spare parts packs of the 1960s are much rarer than their European counterparts.
It's hard to describe, something along the lines of a space aircraft carrier. It was probably about 3 feet long, maybe a 1-2 feet wide and 1 foot tall, with sloped ends. It was made mostly of white bricks, but had black opening/closing hanger doors with white brick built numbers on them. It may have also had some lighting inside as the display was big enough for an interior and had space for ships sold at the time, like the 6803 Space Patrol, to fit inside.
I tried searching for pics but couldn't find any. However, I thought I would mention it in case you were looking for more retail displays for your guide.
I've just one little display for Lego Duplo. LOL
And about the last display you showed: that garage with box:
Also from the international version of this same 238 Idea Booklet is what I always thought was just artwork... but it is a colored in actual model (you can tell by the shadow of the Victoria Tower in the left foreground. This may have been the model that was shown in a USA department store a few posts back....
This model was Interstellar BEFORE Interstellar was Interstellar!
This model is of a German famous half-timbered house in Hildesheim Germany.... which shows up in the 1960-64 238 Building Idea Book....
This model is pretty much 2 dimensional... and is even more beautiful in real life (although Henk says it hasn't been restored yet).....
This is a beautiful model... and will make a nice addition to my LEGO collectors guide chapter on LEGO retailer display models!! :smiley:
Or later half timbered house made with only fence pieces for windows....
Well I guess that's enough for one chapter of my LEGO collectors Guide images... plenty still left of mammoth cruise ships and airplanes.... as well as a million other subjects! :)
.
Nice info and images @Istokg
A couple of years ago I saw this in an Antique shop. The scales that the Mouse & fish were on moved up and down while the cats head moved side to side (Trying to decide what to have first no doubt).
Was pretty cool, but at over $800 it was a bit steep for me.
To be frank, I think it detracts from the display.
And it has the same type of 4 spoked turntable on the lower left side....
Although this was seen in a 1976 photograph... the LEGO logo in the corners dates to about 1968-72, thus putting this model at that time frame. But the castle model has a large LEGO logo that dates to 1973 or later. So mid 1970s sounds about right....
Here are some of Deco Jim's designs... spending over $10K on Bricklink parts alone...
Deco Jim and Michilug (Michigan LEGO User Group) do annual shows at Detroit's Henry Ford Museum and at the city's historic Orchestra Hall.
Here are some of the original buildings from an aerial view....