Brickset vs Bricklink - Database Accuracy

Comments

• Huw Administrator Posts: 7,087

  June 2018

  Brickset of course...
  
  They were released in Europe earlier than in the U.S. which might explain it although the U.S. sets had different numbers .

  

  7
• Huw Administrator Posts: 7,087

  June 2018

  To which sets do you refer?

  0
• linzello Member Posts: 22

  June 2018

  All classic space sets from 1978...
  https://brickset.com/sets/theme-Space/year-1978
  
  The release date matched Bricklink until very recently, but Bricklink has changed.

  0
• CCC Member Posts: 20,526

  June 2018

  Your question was answered on the BL forum:
  
  
  

  

  1
• linzello Member Posts: 22

  June 2018

  Ah okay it looks like I made a mistake. I often browse brickset and click through to Bricklink, which is perhaps where the confusion comes from.

  0
• Istokg Member Posts: 2,363

  June 2018

  Uh-Oh..... If Brickset sticks mostly with the LEGO Collectors Guide.... BIG MISTAKE!
  
  That guide is just riddled with errors.  They supposedly used the LEGO Archives info for putting their book together... mistake #2.  I have had many dealings with the LEGO Archives and Collections folks over the years in putting together my Unofficial Sets/Parts Collectors Guide (computer desktop guide)... and while they are really nice people... I have had to discard at least 20% of all the info they have ever given me... because I have found proof to the contrary on LEGO set information.
  
  Just look at pages 599-600 (LEGO Collectors Guide 2nd Edition) for 2004 Harry Potter sets 4750-4757.  The guide says these 8 sets were only sold in Europe.  But if you Google each of these 8 sets... you will find North American boxed versions (English/French/Spanish with parts counts) exist for each of these sets.
  
  That guide also doesn't show the 310/1310 Esso Service Station (1956-66)... nor the continental European 810 Town Plan set (1961-67)... I can find at least 100 other errors in it.
  
  My own 2012 version of my collectors guide shows all years as 1979 for the first space sets... but the current version (coming out by the end of the year)... does show corrections, with some USA sets as 1978... 
  
  
  
  

  0
• LusiferSam Member Posts: 574

  June 2018

  You beat me to the punch on the Lego Collector's Guide.  They are nice books and a good starting point.  The first edition is nearly unusable because of the number errors.  The second edition is better but still problematic.

  
  

  A number of the US Space sets have a copyright of 1978 on them.  They don't show up in the US catalogs until 1979.  When were they first sold and when were they indented to be first sold?  I have no idea.
  

  0
• Istokg Member Posts: 2,363

  June 2018

  Agree @LusiferSam!  Sometimes even the copyright dates are a problem. 
  
  The early 1101-1128 Service Packs have a copyright date of 1977.  But the actual packs themselves didn't get into production until 1980.  From 1977-79 TLG sold these packs as loose parts put into plain baggies by the retailers, under weird numbering systems (1-28 in Germany, Sp.1- Sp.28 in Italy, Britain and Australia, and S.1-S.28 in the Netherlands).
  
  Even LEGO catalog can be misleading.  The LEGO catalogs of 1962 show no LEGO wheels.  But the (1st year) 1962 introduced Australia catalog of March of that year does show them as newly introduced. 
  
  LEGO Mayhem....

  0
• drdavewatford Administrator Posts: 6,755

  June 2018

  linzello said:

  Could this be because they have access to an official lego database and have updated their sets accordingly?
  

  There doesn't appear to be an "official LEGO database" - when I've spoken to LEGO employees they've often told me that they use Brickset as there isn't a reliable and comprehensive internal resource.

  

  15
• stlux Member Posts: 2,450

  June 2018

  Same experience here @drdavewatford. When talking to designers about The Vault and other internal resources they have to reference sets, their response was "I simply go to Brickset".
  

  

  1
• 560Heliport Member Posts: 3,901

  June 2018

  So can we assume Brickset is the best- because even LEGO uses it instead of creating their own database? I like it!

  

  1
• pxchris Member Posts: 2,388

  June 2018

  stlux said:

  Same experience here @drdavewatford. When talking to designers about The Vault and other internal resources they have to reference sets, their response was "I simply go to Brickset".
  

  For some reason, I just absolutely love this.

  

  1
• linzello Member Posts: 22

  June 2018 edited June 2018

  Update for anyone who wasn't following the related thread on the Bricklink forum:
  The Bricklink database shows the dates for these sets matched Brickset until early 2009 (shortly after the "Official" Lego Collectors Guide came out)...
  
  So it's Bricklink that's closely following the guide in this case. I guess Brickset is going off the boxes which all say 1978.

  

  1