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Anyone Collect Duplo Promotional Bricks?

bluemoosebluemoose Member Posts: 1,716
edited July 2012 in Collecting
Most people are probably aware of the multitudinous Duplo promotional bricks that have been released over the years - see some examples in the attached pictures.

Capturing info about all these bricks in the Database is something we've shied away from, mostly because it seemed like such a huge, and endless, task to track them all down, record them, get decent photographs, maintain the entries over time, etc.

However, now that we've got such a large & vibrant user community here, it might not be that big a task if we tackle this as a community project?

So do we have any Duplo promotional brick collectors in the community here? I don't consider myself to be a collector of them, but I've picked up around a dozen different ones over the last 14 years, a small fraction of all the different versions that have been produced. Hopefully we have some much better informed folk around here somewhere ... our preference would be for the info to come directly from owners of the bricks; we're reluctant, for various reasons, to just poach the info from other fan sites.

We'll need to think about how best to record them in the Database, if we are to take this forward. Would they count as 'sets', or are they 'gear', for example? Things we would need for each entry might include -
(a) a decent photo/scan of each brick, showing both sides (if printed on both sides)
(b) a naming convention for the bricks to identify them in the database (and maybe a categorisation scheme)
(c) info about where the brick came from - some are from Legoland parks, some from store openings, others from store promotions or from Lego Club, etc.
(d) an (approximate) year of first release, or even specific dates (if known, e.g. the 'Bricktober' bricks)

Anything else?

One of the nice things about them is that they are very easy to trade :-)

If you can help with info, photos/scans, etc., or are otherwise interested in this community project, please post below & we'll see if there is enough interest to make it worthwhile taking forward. If there is, we'll move discussion over to 'The Database' area.

There are also a load of regular 'System' promotional bricks, but we can worry about them later :-)
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Comments

  • collect_thatcollect_that Member Posts: 1,327
    edited July 2012
    @bluemoose

    @Huw currently has a small portion of my collection awaiting to be photographed, with the intention being once he has done these to be swapped for the next portion and so on... I have quite a few!

    I have also gathered a list of all (?) promo bricks I can possibly find or find reference to again with the intention of listing. I have so far listed a couple here and there a few weeks back in the database just to gauge interest. All release information recorded in notes.

    http://www.brickset.com/browse/themes/?theme=Promotional&subtheme=Bricks
  • atkinsaratkinsar Member Posts: 4,258
    Whilst I don't actively go after them, I have picked up a few over the past few years (maybe 6 or so). I'd like to see them in the database and will be happy to help where possible.
  • Russell844Russell844 Member Posts: 2,420
    I have about 50+ Duplo promo bricks in my collection.
  • atkinsaratkinsar Member Posts: 4,258
    ^ jackpot!
  • prevereprevere Member Posts: 2,923
    Funny this posting started today. I just found some 2011 DUPLO Kids Fest Duplo Bricks and they sold instantly on Bricklink at $5 each.
  • legoDadlegoDad Member Posts: 529
    I love these little printed Duplo's. Fun to collect and I sometime include them in trades I've had with fellow collectors. I'll post my small collection.

    These were given out(w/any purchase big or small) at the Lego Store Queens Center Mall Grand Opening (July 2010) when they had the Master Builder Event: 8ft. R2-D2...
    image

  • legoDadlegoDad Member Posts: 529
    These were supposed to be given out with a $35 purchase in Aug. 2010 at the Lego Store but they didn't get them in on time. So we got them at the August Hero Factory Club Meeting...
    image

    This one is from the Rockefeller Lego Store. If I remember it was another promo if you spend like $35 sometime in Sept. 2010 (I'm not entirely sure on the details...my memory is fuzzy. Gettin' old).
    image
  • legoDadlegoDad Member Posts: 529
    Correction on above...the Lego Club Duplo was given at the September 2010(not August 2010 Hero Factory Club Meeting.

    These four (plus the 2x8 brick) I got from a great friend @bmwlego. I believe these were given out each week in October 2009 at TRU with $30 purchase each time(?)...Brian...is that correct amigo?
    imageimage
    Chrisbstm
  • legoDadlegoDad Member Posts: 529
    Another gift from @bmwlego...Brian, do you remember where you got this one? I think it was from the Roosevelt Field Mall Lego Store Grand Opening in Long Island 2009?
    imageimage

    This one is another Rockefeller Store brick. From their Grand Opening June 2010 w/$35 purchase...
    imageimage
    Chrisbstm
  • Russell844Russell844 Member Posts: 2,420
    Speaking of trades, @legoDad, would you be willing to trade an R2-D2 brick for one of these? :)

    http://www.bricklink.com/catalogItem.asp?P=4066pb247
  • prevereprevere Member Posts: 2,923
    Wow. I never new there were so many really cool DUPLO promo bricks. I can see the interest here.
  • The_MackThe_Mack Member Posts: 239
    I have quite a few of these from Legoland California... 2004-2007.. I can start photographing some of them.
  • AFFOL_Shellz_BellzAFFOL_Shellz_Bellz Member Posts: 1,263
    I also collect them. Sorry, can't take pis with large bandage from hand surgery. Have about 50 or so, and lots of extras for trade as well. Would be happy to provide scans of them when I can. I tend to display the front and back of a double sided brick so it's hard to know exactly how many there are without taking them out of the case they are in.
  • BrickDancerBrickDancer Member Posts: 3,639
    ^Do you have the R2D2 and NY ones for trade Shellz? Not sure of all possible choices since I never looked until now upon seeing this thread, but mostly looking for anything StarWars, Superheroes, or Locations.
  • AFFOL_Shellz_BellzAFFOL_Shellz_Bellz Member Posts: 1,263
    Here is my trade list, I can provide pictures once my hand is out of this bandage.

    Duplo collector bricks

    Single sided:
    Factory Tour, Green - Minifig dressed in blue w/wrench in hand, 2009 (10+)
    Factory Tour, Purple - red brick design makes face, 2010 (3)
    Brick or Treat, black - w/ghost 2006 (3)
    Brick or Treat, dark gray - w/ghost 2009 (3)
    Kids New Years Eve 2009, red w/fireworks (1)
    Lego Club 2009, Yellow. (1)
    Lego Club, Join Now, Yellow, 2010 (3)
    Lego Club, White, 2010 (2) 
    Lego Club Aug 14-15 2010, White, w/die (1)
    Star Wars Days, Aug 7-8, 2010, white (2)
    Prince of Persia, Tan, 2010. (1)
    Legoland Holly Jolly Holidays white w/red and green brick design, 2009 (8)
    Legoland 10 years of fun, yellow, 2009 (4)
    Legoland, trans blue w/minifig bursting thru wall 2009 (2)
    Land of Adventure, tan, w/minifig with map, 2008 (2)


    Double sided:
    Happy Halloween, orange w/minifig ghost Lego logo on reverse (3)
    Brick or Treat, undated, white w/ghost - Very yellowed Legoland California on        reverse w/red Lego flag on stem of N. (1)
    Brick-Tober Toys R Us, set of 4, yellow (1). NOT DUPLO
    Brick-Tober Toys R Us, week 3 and 4 only (1) NOT DUPLO
    Dino Island/Legoland California, tan, 2004 (2)


    New in package:
    SpongeBob SquarePants 2011 (2)
    Alien Conquest 2011 NOT DUPLO 2x4x3. (1)
    Best Friends Set NOT DUPLO (1)
  • bmwlegobmwlego Member Posts: 819
    @legoDad
    The Buzz is from the Roosevelt Field Store Grand Opening correct but it was in 2010, not in 2009.
  • khmellymelkhmellymel Member Posts: 1,313
    Oh darn, Buzz was the build I did in Calgary when the store opened, wonder if I missed a brick there but I didn't see anything about it! I only have a couple of the Duplo bricks tho so I guess it's not like I really collect them, I just like 'em.
  • AFFOL_Shellz_BellzAFFOL_Shellz_Bellz Member Posts: 1,263
    edited July 2012
    The dates found on the bricks are production dates, not the date they were given out, thus it's often hard to date these bricks.

    I should have mentioned, my preference is to trade for other bricks rather than sell. If anyone has an extra Buzz I'd love to make a trade. Most of the bricks I listed are in good to very good condition.
  • lluisgiblluisgib Member Posts: 225
    One of the biggest collection of PromoBricks are from a German guy (Tobias Reichling) If you want to see his collection, go through this link and you'll see a hugue amount of those

    http://www.t-reichling.de/en/promobricks_duplo.shtml

  • AFFOL_Shellz_BellzAFFOL_Shellz_Bellz Member Posts: 1,263
    Does anyone have bricks they want to trade? Or did I miss a thread on it?
  • XModeldesignerXModeldesigner Member Posts: 1
    I just llisted 40 Legoland California promo bricks that span 2000 to 2005..
    There are a couple of real rarities, such as the Star 107 FM Party , and the Life on Mars, The Show bricks included...

    LEGOLAND PROMO BRICK Auction
  • AFFOL_Shellz_BellzAFFOL_Shellz_Bellz Member Posts: 1,263
    Wish there weren't so many duplicates of what we already have, that's a really nice lot aside from duplicates.
  • promobrickspromobricks Member Posts: 8
    Hi, my name is Michael and I am a Promobricks collector from Germany. I am the owner of promobricks.de website, where I would like to establish a catalogue of all available Promobricks around the globe. My german collection is nearly complete, UK collection the same. But there are many US bricks missing ...

    Are there any active collectors around? Maybe we wan swap some bricks.

    My Promobricks website is in German, but I'm planning a translation especially for the catalogue. The website is still in progress, the catalogue is not open to the public at the moment because of a recent change of the Wordpress Theme.

    Michael
  • plasmodiumplasmodium Member Posts: 1,956
    Wow, some of those bricks are really cool! I had no idea promo Duplo bricks was even a thing! I'm really a sucker for exclusive printed bricks of one sort or another (heck, even nicely detailed bricks/minifigs in normal sets)...Is there any way of predicting when/where they release them (ie, are they announced in store catalogues or whatever?).

    Part of me thinks they'd make awesome billboards/posters if you built them into the side of proper Lego-sized City buildings (but that's probably sacrilege to the die-hard collectors here! They might get exposed to UV light! ;-)).
  • GreenArrow57GreenArrow57 Member Posts: 71
    plasmodium said:

    Wow, some of those bricks are really cool! I had no idea promo Duplo bricks was even a thing! I'm really a sucker for exclusive printed bricks of one sort or another (heck, even nicely detailed bricks/minifigs in normal sets)...Is there any way of predicting when/where they release them (ie, are they announced in store catalogues or whatever?).

    Part of me thinks they'd make awesome billboards/posters if you built them into the side of proper Lego-sized City buildings (but that's probably sacrilege to the die-hard collectors here! They might get exposed to UV light! ;-)).

    I'm thinking the same! Didn't realise how good they were!

  • danny316pdanny316p Member Posts: 13
    edited July 2014
    I have gotten into collecting these lately too. I'm actually running an event at BrickFair Virginia this year where we'll be discussing and trading promo bricks and other promotional LEGO collectibles. You should come and bring your duplicates!

    My own collection is actually pretty small so far, but after seeing a number of AFOLs try to sell DUPLO Promo Bricks at the "yard sale" (a private flea market at BrickFair), I saw a need to encourage people to trade these instead of selling them. I'm hoping we'll get a good turnout and rekindle interest in collecting these.

    I have been curious, though - does anyone know why Promo Bricks seem to be going away? LEGOLAND California and LEGOLAND Florida seem to have phased them out, and they seem to have vanished from Master Builder Events lately too. Not only are my contacts at LEGO clueless on this, but they don't even know who to try asking to figure this out.
  • ChrisbstmChrisbstm Member Posts: 151
    I've got three I picked up at the swap meet, and they're pretty cool
  • jadedancjadedanc Member Posts: 1,302
    Just started collecting them when someone at my LUG brought back a bag from the Behind-the-scene-tour in California. It's the only one I have but I am hooked too. They are so many neat ones out there. :)
  • rockyctrockyct Member Posts: 4
    danny316p said:

    I have gotten into collecting these lately too. I'm actually running an event at BrickFair Virginia this year where we'll be discussing and trading promo bricks and other promotional LEGO collectibles. You should come and bring your duplicates!

    My own collection is actually pretty small so far, but after seeing a number of AFOLs try to sell DUPLO Promo Bricks at the "yard sale" (a private flea market at BrickFair), I saw a need to encourage people to trade these instead of selling them. I'm hoping we'll get a good turnout and rekindle interest in collecting these.

    I have been curious, though - does anyone know why Promo Bricks seem to be going away? LEGOLAND California and LEGOLAND Florida seem to have phased them out, and they seem to have vanished from Master Builder Events lately too. Not only are my contacts at LEGO clueless on this, but they don't even know who to try asking to figure this out.

    Supposedly they now have to package the bricks in a small bag with a warning label on them about them being a choking hazard. The cost as a result has gone up a lot so it no longer cheap enough to give them out.
  • BrickDancerBrickDancer Member Posts: 3,639
    ^I think I first saw that with the "Hulk" promo brick.
  • dannyrwwdannyrww Member Posts: 1,394
    I've been into these (and Similar Lego bricks). I have a Ninjago Lego brick, a friends brick (that splits like a friendship necklace), and I've got a friends one, and the factory tour one from lego land discovery center. I'm actually picking up a Chima one tomorrow that they were kind enough to save for me at the center.
  • dannyrwwdannyrww Member Posts: 1,394
    oooo and I have a spongebob
  • ChrisbstmChrisbstm Member Posts: 151
    They should definitely add this to the database
  • plasmodiumplasmodium Member Posts: 1,956
    ^Yeah. These are quite a cool thing that I never had any idea existed. I would love to see them in the database, I think the problem is there are so many of them and no one has them all, so it would be hard to get a consistent record of them all.
  • CCCCCC Member Posts: 20,526
    BL has a fairly decent record of them. Loads seem to be given out in Germany, and still some in Denmark.
  • bmwlegobmwlego Member Posts: 819
    edited July 2014
    These are great little display pieces in your build area. I've got:
    R2-D2 (2009 and 2010 copyrights) 2 separate LEGO Store building events
    Yoda (from a BFVA trade with Brickapolis)
    SpongeBob (Elizabeth, NJ build)
    Buzz Lightyear (Garden City, NY build)
    NYC Promo Brick (Rock Center build)
    Big Apple (Rock Center)
    Ninjago (BFVA trade with @brickriver‌)
    LEGOLAND Discovery Center Westchester grand opening brick
    LEGOLAND Discovery Center Factory Tour
    Various LDC California Bricks via trade with Joe Meno at BFVA
    LEGO Universe promo/LEGO Club (@ store)
    Bricktober 2009 weeks 1-4 skeleton bricks

    Thinking about photographing them, posting them to flickr and starting a marketplace thread here for us to trade extras? I've got extras of several of these and tons of the Bricktobers to trade (3 of the 4 weeks I've got extras of).
  • legomasonlegomason Member Posts: 190
    rockyct said:



    Supposedly they now have to package the bricks in a small bag with a warning label on them about them being a choking hazard. The cost as a result has gone up a lot so it no longer cheap enough to give them out.

    They should switch to printing them on 2x2x2 Duplo bricks. I doubt those are choking hazards: http://www.bricklink.com/catalogItem.asp?P=31110

  • danny316pdanny316p Member Posts: 13
    rockyct said:

    danny316p said:


    I have been curious, though - does anyone know why Promo Bricks seem to be going away? LEGOLAND California and LEGOLAND Florida seem to have phased them out, and they seem to have vanished from Master Builder Events lately too. Not only are my contacts at LEGO clueless on this, but they don't even know who to try asking to figure this out.

    Supposedly they now have to package the bricks in a small bag with a warning label on them about them being a choking hazard. The cost as a result has gone up a lot so it no longer cheap enough to give them out.
    This sounds like a plausible explanation. Still, it would be nice if they'd do them more frequently (particularly at the US parks), since it's apparently not too prohibitively expensive for LEGOLAND Germany, LEGOLAND Discovery Centers, or LEGO Kids' Fest.
  • danny316pdanny316p Member Posts: 13
    bmwlego said:

    These are great little display pieces in your build area. I've got:
    R2-D2 (2009 and 2010 copyrights) 2 separate LEGO Store building events
    Yoda (from a BFVA trade with Brickapolis)
    SpongeBob (Elizabeth, NJ build)
    Buzz Lightyear (Garden City, NY build)
    NYC Promo Brick (Rock Center build)
    Big Apple (Rock Center)
    Ninjago (BFVA trade with @brickriver‌)
    LEGOLAND Discovery Center Westchester grand opening brick
    LEGOLAND Discovery Center Factory Tour
    Various LDC California Bricks via trade with Joe Meno at BFVA
    LEGO Universe promo/LEGO Club (@ store)
    Bricktober 2009 weeks 1-4 skeleton bricks

    Thinking about photographing them, posting them to flickr and starting a marketplace thread here for us to trade extras? I've got extras of several of these and tons of the Bricktobers to trade (3 of the 4 weeks I've got extras of).

    Flickr is a good place to post photos of these. I've been posting mine here: https://www.flickr.com/photos/dp3/sets/72157635320379651/ (you need to scroll down a bit to get to the DUPLO Promo Bricks in particular)

    Since I see you've been to BFVA and traded with friends of mine there before, I would highly encourage you to go to the Promo Brick event there this year (and bring your duplicates). Trading in person at a large event like that is much easier than trading online, and the future of promo collectible trading events depends on this year's event being successful.
  • bobabricksbobabricks Member Posts: 1,842
    I've only got R2-D2. :P
  • promobrickspromobricks Member Posts: 8
    Do you know my promotional bricks website? There is a catalog with several promobricks as well. I have a nice collection, but no time at the moment to upload more pictures . In two weeks I am on holiday and I hope to get this finished.
  • danny316pdanny316p Member Posts: 13
    promobricks said:

    Do you know my promotional bricks website? There is a catalog with several promobricks as well. I have a nice collection, but no time at the moment to upload more pictures . In two weeks I am on holiday and I hope to get this finished.

    I found your site and plan on directing people to it as a collecting resource. I'll probably also borrow a few of your pictures (crediting promobricks.de of course) to discuss newer bricks and the switch to polybags with warnings. I seem to be having trouble digging into the catalog, though - I see a few bricks from 2013 and 2014, but I don't see the rest.

    I've also tried to get in touch with the guy who ran the old promobricks.com site - I dug it up on the Internet Archive (see: http://web.archive.org/web/20100317150825/http://www.promobricks.com/ ), and it has some great information on older bricks, but I feel strange referring people to a website that isn't readily available (not to mention not up to date).

    As long as I'm posting links, here are my other two sources of information (I know others are out there, but I'm going to try to avoid out-of-date sources when all their information can be found elsewhere) - two more incomplete online catalogs:
    Brickipedia: http://en.brickimedia.org/wiki/Promotional_Bricks
    BrickLink: http://www.bricklink.com/catalogList.asp?catType=P&catString=506
  • danny316pdanny316p Member Posts: 13
    The event at BrickFair was unfortunately a bit of a bust - only a few people showed up. I did acquire quite a few new promo bricks, though - a few during the trading portion of the BrickFair event, a few more purchased later on at BrickFair (I even won a charity raffle for one), and a few dozen (!!) just before the event by a friend who wanted me to have more handy to show there.

    I hear that LEGOLAND (FL and CA) will be getting promo bricks in again for Brick Or Treat this year. I'm planning on hitting that the weekend after BrickCon, and I'll see about taking newer photos of my collection after that.
  • jadedancjadedanc Member Posts: 1,302
    Congrats @danny316p‌! I only have 8 so far lol. See you at Brickcon!
  • bluedragonbluedragon Member Posts: 506
    Hi promo brick collectors,

    I just came across a few of these- I have:
    - R2-D2 store building event
    -1700's (NYC Flatiron store opening) (3x)
    -1840 (NYC Flatiron store opening) (2)


    I don't collect these and would like to trade for 2015 SH minifigs. Please PM if you're interested
  • TarDomoTarDomo Member Posts: 515
    I didn´t even know that those exist... Should have guessed, though.
  • ladybpeladybpe Member Posts: 1
    I have over 200 promo bricks. Love collecting them. Bricklink has a catalog.
  • MattsWhatMattsWhat Member Posts: 1,643
    I turned this up today with a bunch of random stuff that came in to the nursery. Anyone know anything? Or want to trade as I can't get into another collecting hobby! 

    SlapNuts
  • ToddMyersToddMyers Member Posts: 403
    I have this one from a Master Builder Event.  If anyone is interested, send me a PM.


    dannyrww
  • SlapNutsSlapNuts Member Posts: 39
    MattsWhat said:
    I turned this up today with a bunch of random stuff that came in to the nursery. Anyone know anything? Or want to trade as I can't get into another collecting hobby! 

    I got one when visiting my nieces in TX. They do a little tour when you first enter on how the bricks are made and hand those out to the kids. I had to ask for one lol.
    https://www.legolanddiscoverycenter.com/dallasfw/
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