Identifying Vintage Legos

KellyAnn

In reviewing some of the bulk legos I picked up for my kids, I've identified some older pieces. The non-brick items are easier to identify, and the plate differences are really apparent when you look underneath. The bricks are trickier, although I've noticed the logo is stylized differently and there is a lighter red for some of them. Does anyone know of some good visuals for identifying the types and years?

Jay37

Hi, I don't claim to be any kind of expert but as you've discovered with plates, the underside of the brick may give a clue as to a general age. For example 3001 (2x4 brick) comes with and without cross supports, the latter being older and discontinued since the mid-80s (the same applies to 2x3 bricks). Again you've noticed colour differences with the red and I believe Lego produced bricks in another type of plastic (I don't know off the top of my head which) which feels lighter and in my experience is more prone to warping. Hopefully others here may be able to add info and/or correct me if I'm wrong!

James

Pretty_Pieces

Side moulding pips (Injection points). Easiest to spot on 1x1s, they look like a single, identical tooth mark. On later bricks, the injection point was moved to the center of a stud on most bricks.

robernat

@KellyAnn Looking at your description you came across a lot that might contain bricks with what we refer to as being 'CA' bricks (Cellulose Acetate). Long before LEGO started using ABS (the plastic they still use today), they used this CA material, more translucid, unfortunatly also not stable, so many bricks tend to 'warp'.
The old LEGO logo on the bricks where used since 1955 'till about 1965, the newer logo appeared around 1962. In 1958 LEGO deposited 'patent', as of then many bricks also carry the 'pat.pend' stamp underneath, up untill +/-1974, after that the 'pat.pend' was 'obscured' > 1979. That year LEGO started the modern bricks, as of 1985 they put the partnumbers on the bottom of bricks.

So if indeed you came across a lot from the 1958-1970 period you might find some real gems, in all honesty: not te be played with if in good condition, a lot of collectors search those bricks to finish up vintage sets. Obviously many of those bricks will have toothmarks (no brickseperators back then), but still very valued by some, even in that condition.

You can read a lot more here:
https://www.leggodt.nl/items/lego/date-patpend.php?language=en

Some of the pages are not translated in EN, so for certain pictures ( logo and parts section) you need to switch to Dutch to see images.

Have fun, Eric