LEGO set 700/? (1952?)
set from the collection of Richard Bintanja
images supplied by fellow collector Richard Bintanja
     
 

This is an old set from the early years of LEGO, when the construction toy was called "AUTOMATIC BINDING BRICKS". The name "LEGO" does not appear on the box or bricks.

   

The complement of the box is 138 (amazing!) 2X4 bricks, ten 2X3 bricks and sixty 2X2 bricks, all of the type I call "target bricks".

The detailed count is:

– 2x4, one slot, green (16x), white (5x), yellow (15x), red (28x);

– 2x4, two slots, green (21x), white (3x), yellow (16x), red (34x);

– 2x2, one slot, green (8x), yellow (8x), red (7x);

– 2x2, two slots, green (12x), yellow (12x), red (13x);

– 2x3, two slots, corner right, green (1x), white (4X), yellow (1x), red (1x);

– 2x3, two slots, corner left white (1X), red (2x);

Other contents:

– Doors, red (1x), green (1x), white (1x), yellow (1X);

– Window 8 pane, red (3x), green (3X), white (3x), yellow (3X);

– Window 6 pane, red (3x), green (3X), white (3x), yellow (3X);

– Window 4 pane, red (3x), green (3X), white (3x), yellow (3X).

 

A NOTE FROM ME: There are several unresolved mysteries related with the beginnings of LEGO's construction toy, foremost of which is, in my opinion, the absence of any brand recognition name or logo at a time when other LEGO products were carefully marked. Another mistery is the occurrence of LEGO construction sets sold under other, different brands. Other aspects to be resolved are the exact set references and their contents in the different production years.

Some of the doubts pointed will benefict from the publishing of data on as many sets as possible and I invite collectors to send me pictures and information on the first Automatic Binding Bricks sets. I shall publish the pictures and data in pages like this one, with due credit given.

João Manuel Mimoso

February 14, 2010
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