Old 2x4 bricks

LegoKockica

Hi guys,I have found some vintage bricks so I need your help. I have googled it and I think some of them are 'Samsonite' bricks from 70's. Do they have different price from new regular bricks? I have found only 2 types here on Brick owl:
LEGO Brick 2 x 4 (Earlier, without Cross Supports) (3001)
and regular LEGO Brick 2 x 4 (3001 / 15589)

Here are the pictures,any help would be useful. Tnx!

Calibrick

Unnamed (1) looks like LEGO Brick 2 x 4 (Earlier, without Cross Supports) (3001); it is missing those bars that you see on some but not all of the red. The red might be that brighter and a softer plastic: I actually recycle those when I run into them, as they're very difficult for people to match their builds to. I can't tell from the front of unnamed.png, though that's certainly an older LEGO logo (bricks go back to the 50s, I believe).

Area 51 Bricks

lol... @LegoKockica I started almost the same discussion just last week. https://www.brickowl.com/forum#/discussion/10861/2x4

LegoKockica

https://www.inverso.pt/legos/Textos/bricks/2X4brick_vs02.htm
I have found this link,and it seems those bricks are even older. I don't know how to storage them and what price to put,very tricky 😃 What have you done guys?

Jay37

The Cellulose Acetate (CA) bricks are the very earliest and have a slight translucence to them. They are/were prone to warping, hence @Calibrick is right to point out that the clutch is often not good. Some stores do make a point of noting they are CA, not the more stable and current ABS, so you could see what sort of price they charge. Some people, myself included, may see them from a historical point of view and there are definitely people who collect 2x4 bricks, so I wouldn't discount them completely.

The picture showing the red bricks is pretty useful in terms of the basic differences, but the middle two are the wrong way round; the brick with the split tubes appeared in the early 70s (I believe 1973), but were quickly superseded by the early incarnation of the modern 3001. The one above it in the picture has a 'flowrib' that runs the length of the underside inbetween the tubes, and these were the first ABS bricks that came after the CA bricks, from the mid-1960s through to the early 70s.

There are many sub-variations, relating mostly to mold pip placement and whether they are 'Pat. Pend.' as well as the introduction of part numbers and internal structural supports, but from a BO catalog perspective there are just the two; with and without supports.

I have come across a wealth of information on Flickr regarding the history of the 2x4 brick, and I should stress that I am only referencing their work, which is well worth tracking down if you need further information.

LegoKockica

Thank you very much @Jay37

One_Click_Off

@mfav has a great picture of all these variations on the Forum thread “Bricks weighing heavier?”. They seem to make a difference in bulk - 🧐