LEGO sets, colloquially known as "Lego" or "Legos," are a line of toys featuring
colorful plastic bricks, gears, characters, and other pieces which can be assembled to create realistic or fanciful models of
cars, planes, trains, buildings, castles, pirate ships, spaceships, moon bases, or just about anything else from fantasy, science
fiction, or the real world. The sets are produced by the LEGO Group, a Denmark-based
company. High production quality and careful attention to detail ensures that LEGO pieces can fit together in a myriad of
ways.
History of LEGO toys
The LEGO Group had humble beginnings in the workshop of Ole Kirk Christiansen, a poor carpenter from Billund,
Denmark. His innovative family-owned business would one day grow into one of the most
respected toy companies in the world.
Beginnings
In 1916, Christiansen opened a woodworking shop in Billund, and earned his living by constructing houses and furniture for farmers in the
region, with the help of a small staff of apprentices. His workshop burned down in 1924
when a fire, lit by his two young sons, ignited some wood shavings. Undaunted, Ole Kirk took the disaster as an opportunity to
construct a larger workshop, and worked towards expanding his business even further; however, the Great Depression would soon have an impact on his livelihood. In finding
ways to minimize production costs, Ole Kirk began producing miniature versions of his products as design aids. It was these
miniature stepladders and ironing boards that inspired him to begin producing toys.
Ole Kirk's shop started making wooden pull toys, piggy banks, cars and trucks. He enjoyed a modest amount of success, but
families were poor and often unable to afford such toys. Farmers in the area sometimes traded food in exchange for his toys; Ole
Kirk found he had to continue producing practical furniture in addition to toys in order to stay in business. In the mid-1930s,
the yo-yo toy fad gave him a brief period of activity, until its sudden collapse. Once
again, Ole Kirk turned disadvantage to his favor, turning the disused yo-yo parts into wheels for a toy truck. His son Godtfred
began working for him, taking an active role in the company.
It was in 1934 that the company name LEGO was coined by Christiansen from the
Danish phrase leg godt, meaning "play well." The LEGO Group
claims that "LEGO" means "I put together" or "I assemble" in Latin [1] (http://www.lego.com/eng/info/default.asp?page=timeline7), though this is a rather liberal
translation of a verb form that would normally translate as "I read" or "I gather."
When plastic came into widespread use, Ole Kirk kept with the times and began producing plastic toys. One of the first modular
toys to be produced was a truck that could be taken apart and re-assembled. In 1947, Ole
Kirk and Godtfred obtained samples of interlocking plastic bricks produced by the company Kiddicraft. These "Kiddicraft
Self-Locking Building Bricks" were designed and patented by Mr. Hilary Harry Fisher Page, a British citizen. [2] (http://isodomos.com/technica/history/1940/1949.php) [3] (http://www.best-lock.com/new/page.html) In 1949 the
LEGO Group began producing similar bricks, calling them "Automatic Binding Bricks." LEGO bricks, manufactured from cellulose acetate, were developed in the spirit of traditional wooden
blocks that could be stacked upon one another; however, these plastic bricks could be "locked" together. They had several round
"studs" on top, and a hollow rectangular bottom. They would stick together, but not so tightly that they couldn't be pulled
apart. In 1953, the bricks were given a new name: LEGO Mursten, or "LEGO
Bricks."
The use of plastic for toy manufacture was not highly regarded by retailers and consumers of the time. Many of the LEGO
Group's shipments were returned, following poor sales; it was thought that plastic toys could never replace wooden ones. Despite
such criticism, however, the Kirk Christiansens persevered. By 1954, Godtfred had become
the junior managing director of the LEGO Group. It was his conversation with an overseas buyer that struck the idea of a toy
system. Godtfred saw the immense potential in LEGO bricks to become a system for creative play, but the bricks still had
some problems from a technical standpoint: their "locking" ability was limited, and they were not very versatile. It wasn't until
1958 that the modern-day brick design was developed. The bricks were improved with hollow
tubes in the underside of the brick. This added support in the base, enabling much better locking ability and improved
versatility. That same year, Ole Kirk Christiansen died, and Godtfred inherited leadership of the company.
Growth
The LEGO Group matured substantially over the coming years. In 1959, the Futura division
was founded within the company. Its small staff was responsible for generating ideas for new sets. Another warehouse fire struck
the LEGO Group in 1960, consuming most of the company's inventory of wooden toys;
fortunately, the LEGO brick line was strong enough by then that the company decided to abandon production of wooden toys. By the
end of the year, the staff of the LEGO Group had grown to 450.
1961 and 1962 saw the introduction of the first
LEGO wheels, an addition that expanded the potential for building cars, trucks, buses and other vehicles from LEGO bricks. Also
during this time, the LEGO Group introduced toys specifically targeted towards the pre-school market, and made an arrangement
allowing Samsonite to begin producing and selling LEGO products in Canada, an arrangement that would continue until 1988.
There were more than 50 sets of bricks in the LEGO System of Play by this time.
In 1963, the material used to create LEGO bricks, cellulose acetate, was dropped in
favor of more stable acrylonitrile
butadiene styrene, or ABS plastic, which is still used as of 2004. ABS is non-toxic, is
less prone to discoloration and warping, and is also more resistant to heat, acids, salt, and other chemicals than cellulose
acetate. LEGO bricks manufactured from ABS plastic in 1963 still hold most of their shape and color 40 years later, and still
neatly interlock with LEGO bricks manufactured in 2003.
1964 was the first time that instruction manuals were included in LEGO sets.
One of the LEGO Group's most successful series, the LEGO train system, was first released in 1966. The original train sets included a 4.5-volt motor and rails; two years
later, a 12-volt motor was introduced.
On June 7, 1968, the first LEGOLAND Park was
opened in Billund. This theme park featured elaborate models of miniature towns built entirely from LEGO bricks. The three acre
(12,000 m²) park attracted 625,000 visitors in its first year alone. During the next 20 years, the park grew to more than
eight times its original size, and eventually averaged close to a million paying visitors per year. More than eighteen million
LEGO sets were sold in 1968.
In 1969, the DUPLO system went on sale. This was a newly developed system, targeted
towards younger children; DUPLO bricks are much larger than LEGO bricks, making them safer for very young children, but the two
systems are compatible: LEGO bricks can be fitted neatly onto DUPLO bricks, making the transition to the LEGO system easily made
as children outgrow their DUPLO bricks.
The 1960s were such a period of growth for the LEGO Group that by 1970, one of the biggest questions they faced was how best to manage and control its expanding market.
Expansion
By 1970, the LEGO Group had a staff of more than 900. The coming decades marked
considerable expansion into new frontiers of toy making and marketing. LEGO began to target the female market with the
introduction of furniture pieces and dollhouses in 1971. The LEGO universe expanded its
transportation possibilities with the addition of boat and ship sets, with hull pieces that actually floated, in 1972.
During this same period, Godtfred Kirk Christiansen's son, Kjeld Kirk Kristiansen, joined the managerial staff of the company,
after earning business degrees in Switzerland and Denmark. (Kjeld's surname is spelled with a "K", instead of a "Ch", due to a
mistake on his birth certificate; he kept the spelling.) One of Kjeld's first achievements with the company was the foundation of
manufacturing facilities, as well as a research and development department that would be responsible for keeping the company's
manufacturing methods up to date. Human figures with posable arms made an appearance in 1974 in "LEGO family" sets, which went on to become the biggest sellers at the time; in the same year, an early
version of the "minifigure" miniature LEGO person was introduced, but it was not posable and had no face printed on its head. A
LEGO production plant was opened in Enfield, Connecticut
in the United States.
"Expert Series" sets were first introduced in 1975, geared towards older, more
experienced LEGO builders. This line soon developed into the "Expert Builder" sets, released in 1977. These technical sets featured moving parts such as gears, differentials, cogs, levers, axles and universal joints, and permitted the construction of realistic models such as automobiles, with functional rack and pinion
steering and lifelike engine movements.
Finally, the LEGO world came together in 1978 with the addition of the LEGO "minifigure"
that is still known today. These small LEGO people have posable arms and legs, and a friendly smile. The figure was used in many
varieties of LEGO sets, allowing consumers to construct elaborate towns with buildings, roads, vehicles, trains, and boats, at
the same scale, and populated with the smiling minifigure LEGO citizens.
Another significant expansion to the LEGO line occurred in 1979, with the creation of
LEGO Space sets. Astronaut minifigures, rockets, lunar rovers and spaceships populated this successful series. FABULAND, a
fantasy series targeted towards younger children, debuted in this year as well, as did the SCALA series, featuring jewelry
elements marketed towards young girls. Kjeld Kirk Kristiansen became the president of LEGO in this year; another decade concluded
with LEGO toys still going strong.
LEGO bricks had always had a constructive potential that was seen by some educators as being an invaluable asset in helping
children to develop creativity and problem-solving abilities. Since the 1960s, teachers
had been using LEGO bricks in the classroom for a variety of reasons. In 1980, the LEGO
Group established the Educational Products Department (eventually renamed LEGO DACTA, in 1989), specifically to expand the educational possibilities of their toys. A packing and assembly factory opened in
Switzerland, followed by another in Jutland, Denmark that manufactured LEGO tires.
The second generation of LEGO trains appeared in 1981. As before these were available in either 4.5 V (battery powered) or 12 V (mains powered), but a much wider
variety of accessories were available, including working lights, remote-controlled points and signals, and even decouplers.
The "Expert Builder" series matured in 1982, becoming the "Technic" series. August 13 of
that year marked the LEGO Group's 50th anniversary; the book 50 Years of Play was published to commemorate the occasion.
In the following year, the DUPLO system was expanded to include sets for even younger audiences, particularly infants; new sets
included baby rattles and figures with adjustable limbs. In another year, LEGO minifigure citizens gained a realm of knights and
horses, with the introduction of the first Castle sets. Light & Sound sets made their appearance in 1986; these sets included a battery
pack with electrical lights, buzzers, and other accessories to add another dimension of
realism to LEGO creations. Also that year, the LEGO Group's educational division produced the Technic Computer Control, which was
an educational system whereby Technic robots, trucks, and other motorized models could be controlled with a computer. Manaus, Brazil gained a LEGO factory in this year, as well.
In 1986, the Technic line was expanded with the addition of pneumatic components.
In August of 1988, 38 children from 17 different countries took part in the first LEGO
World Cup building contest, held in Billund. That same year, LEGO Canada was established. The LEGO line grew again in 1989 with the release of the LEGO Pirates series, which featured a variety of pirate ships, desert
islands and treasure; the series was also the first to depart from the standard minifigure smiling face to create an array of
piratical characters. The LEGO Group's Educational Products Department was renamed LEGO DACTA in this year; the name is derived
from the Greek word "didactic", which roughly means "the study of the
learning process." MIT's Dr. Seymour Papert, from the Laboratory of
Computer Learning, was named "LEGO Professor of Learning Research," after his ongoing work in linking the Logo programming language with LEGO products.
A new series designed for advanced builders was released in 1990. Three Model Team sets,
including a racecar and an off-road vehicle, featured a level of detail and realism not previously seen in any LEGO series. Where
Technic was mechanically accurate, Model Team was visually and stylistically accurate. The LEGO Group became one of the top 10
toy companies in this year; it was the only toy company in Europe to be among the top
10. LEGOLAND Billund had more than one million visitors in this year, for the first time in its history. The first-ever "LEGO
Professor of Business Dynamics," Xavier Gilbert, was appointed to an endowed chair at the International Institute for Management
Development in Lausanne, Switzerland. LEGO Malaysia was
also established in 1990. In 1991, the LEGO Group standardized its electrical components
and systems; the Trains and Technic motors were made 9V to bring the systems into line with the rest of the LEGO range.
Two Guinness records were set in 1992 using LEGO products: A castle made from 400,000 LEGO bricks, and measuring 4.45 meters by 5.22
meters, was built on Swedish television, and a LEGO railway line 545 meters in length, with three locomotives, was constructed. DUPLO was
augmented with the addition of the Toolo line featuring a screwdriver, wrench, nuts and bolts; the Paradisa line, targeted towards girls,
brought a variety of new pastel colors into the LEGO system. 1993 brought a DUPLO train and
a parrot-shaped "brickvac" that could scoop LEGO pieces up off the floor.
The most common colors of basic LEGO bricks are red, yellow, blue, black, white, and light grey. Other colors joined the palette in the late 1990s. The LEGO Group
avoided making green bricks for a long time, fearing they would be used to build modern
military vehicles and use LEGO bricks as a war toy, but that fear seems to have abated. LEGO
does however manufacture a line of armed 'Indians', knights and pirates and exploited the Star Wars success.
Early prototypes of the LEGO minifigure had a variety of skin colors and facial expressions, but production designs used only
a yellow skin color and standard smiling face. LEGO Pirates in 1989 expanded the array of
facial expressions, and licensed series such as LEGO Star Wars and LEGO Harry Potter gave minifigures the persona of specific characters from their
cinematic counterparts, but it wasn't until 2003, with the introduction of LEGO Basketball,
that the palette of skin tones broadened to include more lifelike colors. [4] (http://www.lego.com/eng/info/default.asp?page=pressdetail&contentid=2490)
In 2004, the LEGO Group decided to replace some of their colours (grey, dark grey, brown and violet), of which the first two
are core colours of the system. A large part of the fandom considers this a very bad idea, and even the company itself admits it
to be a mistake, although they decided against fixing it.
Manufacturing LEGO pieces
LEGO brick design can be deceptively simple. The vast array of pieces in the LEGO System of Play seem to require no
explanation; since they are made for children, they are designed to be so straightforward as to require little or no instruction
in how to use them. To achieve such apparent simplicity, a considerable amount of engineering and precision manufacturing must go
into the creation of each LEGO piece.
One of the key features of LEGO bricks throughout their history is that they are, first and foremost, part of a system.
Each new series and set that is released is compatible with the rest of the system; LEGO pieces, regardless of their size, shape,
or function, fit together with all other LEGO pieces in some way. The gear and motor mechanisms that come with the most advanced
Technic sets, designed for teenagers, can be almost effortlessly attached to the DUPLO bricks designed for three-year-old
children. This characteristic enables the LEGO system to grow and adapt as children get older; the infinite possibilities
presented by the system keep many adults fascinated, as well.
Manufacturing of LEGO bricks occurs at a number of locations around the world. As of 2003, molding is done at one of two plants in Denmark and Switzerland. Brick decorations and packaging may be done at plants in Denmark,
Switzerland, U.S., South Korea and the Czech Republic. Annual production of LEGO bricks averages approximately 20 billion (2 × 1010) per year, or about 2.3 million per
hour.
Bricks, beams, axles, minifigures, and all other elements in the LEGO system are manufactured to an exacting degree of
tolerance. When snapped together, pieces must have just the right amount of "clutch power"; they must stay together until pulled
apart. They cannot be too easy to pull apart, or the result will be LEGO creations that are unstable; they cannot be too
difficult to pull apart, since the disassembly of one creation in order to build another is part of the LEGO appeal. In order for
pieces to have just the right "clutch power", LEGO elements are manufactured within a tolerance of two thousandths of a millimetre (0.002 mm), or eighty millionths of an inch (0.00008 in).
One of the techniques that help to maintain this high degree of quality is the small capacity of the molds; some toy
companies, in order to cut manufacturing costs, use molds capable of stamping out sixty pieces at a time. LEGO molds generally
have a much smaller capacity, and are precision-machined, often costing tens of thousands of dollars. The injection molds are
equipped with sensors to detect fluctuations in pressure and temperature, either of which can degrade the quality of the
resulting piece. Human inspectors meticulously check the output of the molds, to ensure that there are no significant variations
in color or thickness. Worn-out molds are encased in the foundations of buildings to prevent their falling into competitors'
hands. According to the LEGO Group, its molding processes are so accurate that only 18 bricks out of every million fail to meet
its stringent standards. It is thanks to this care in manufacturing that the LEGO Group has maintained such a high degree of
quality over the decades; it is also part of the reason that pieces manufactured 30 years ago still interlock neatly with pieces
manufactured today.
The LEGO Group today
Since it began producing plastic bricks, the LEGO Group has released many thousands of play sets themed on space, robots,
pirates, medieval castles, dinosaurs, cities, suburbia, holiday locations, the Wild
West, the Arctic, boats, racing cars, trains, Star Wars, Harry Potter and more. New pieces are
being released constantly, allowing LEGO sets to become more and more versatile.
There are also motors, gears, lights, noisemakers and cameras available to be used with the other LEGO components. There are
even bricks that can be programmed with a personal computer to
perform very complicated procedures. These programmable bricks are sold under the name LEGO Mindstorms.
In the late 1990s, the LEGO Group brought out a series of new and specialized ranges
aimed at particular demographics. The Bionicle range uses Technic pieces and
specialist moldings to create a set of action figures for boys, while Belville is a
more conventional line aimed at girls and featuring large posable figures like those in the Technic range. A "LEGO 4
Juniors" group features medium-sized figures with jointed arms, and longer legs than the classic LEGO minifigure. In 2003, the LEGO Group introduced a completely new system, Clikits, aimed at girls and consisting of
customizable plastic jewelry and accessories.
LEGO bricks have now been used for purposes beyond play. A cult following of people who
have used LEGO pieces to make sculptures, very large mosaics and complex machines has developed. Some sculptures use hundreds of
thousands of pieces and weigh tens of kilograms. Large mosaics, fully functional padlocks and pendulum clocks, and even a
harpsichord have been constructed from LEGO pieces. One such masterpiece solves a Rubik's Cube through the use of LEGO motors and cameras, a task that many humans cannot accomplish. Photos of
many fan creations like these can be seen at Brickshelf (http://www.brickshelf.com/) and at
MOCpages (http://www.mocpages.com/). A group which calls itself "AFOLs" (for "Adult Fans of LEGO") is
an important demographic for The LEGO Group, which has recently begun reintroducing popular sets from previous years to appeal to
this group.
LEGO toys have been used in a number of unexpected ways. For example, at The Brick Testament (http://www.bricktestament.com/) the 'Reverend' Brendan Powell Smith has painstakingly built
the Bible in LEGO pieces. The site features over 2,000 photographs of Biblical scenes.
The website theory.org.uk (http://www.theory.org.uk/lego.htm) (by academic David Gauntlett) features LEGO versions of social
theorists. A set of software tools called LDraw can be used to model possible LEGO creations in 3D. Because of the high degree of uniformity in LEGO bricks,
they have also been used in fields such as computer vision, in which
knowing the exact dimensions and relative positions of objects is useful for creating test data.
Economic difficulties
In 2003, the LEGO Group faced a budget deficit of 1.4 billion DKK (220 million USD at then current exchange rates), causing president Poul Plougmann to be fired and Kjeld Kirk
Kristiansen to take over. In the following year, almost one thousand employees were fired, due to budget cuts.
However, in October, 2004, as the LEGO Group faced an even larger deficit, Kristiansen once again stepped down as president,
while placing 800,000 DKK of his private funds in the company.
Future plans for getting the company back on track include selling the LEGOLAND entertainment parks to another of the
Kristansen family held companies and reducing its workforce. Moving production of its bricks to China like so many toy companies has also been mooted but is unlikely to occur within the next 5 years.
The LEGO system in art
One hobby among enthusiasts is to re-create popular scenes from famous movies, using LEGO bricks for the scenery and LEGO play
sets as characters. Such movies are called "LEGO movies", "brickfilms", or
"cinema LEGO". For example, the Monty
Python and the Holy Grail DVD contained a version of the "Camelot" musical sequence
redone with LEGO minifigures and accessories.
Artists have also used LEGO sets with one of the more notorious examples being Polish artist Zbigniew Libera's "LEGO
Concentration Camp," a collection of mocked-up concentration
camp-themed LEGO sets.[5] (http://users.erols.com/kennrice/lego-kz.htm)
Another notable example is the award-winning Music video for the song
"Fell in Love With a Girl" by the White Stripes. Director Michel Gondry filmed a live version of the video, digitized the result, and then recreated it entirely with LEGO bricks.
Several webcomics are illustrated with LEGO, notably Irregular Webcomic!.
LEGO itself sells a line of sets named "LEGO Studios," which contain a LEGO web
cam (repackaged Logitech USB Quickcam), software to record video on a computer, clear plastic rods which can be used to
manipulate minifigures from off-camera, and a minifigure resembling Steven Spielberg.
The LEGO trademark
The LEGO Group's name has become so synonymous with its flagship toy that many use the words "Lego" or "Legos" to refer to the
bricks themselves, and even to any plastic bricks resembling LEGO bricks, although the LEGO Group discourages such dilution of their trademark name.
LEGO catalogs in the 1970s and 1980s contained a
note that read:
- The word LEGO® is a brand name and is very special to all of us in the LEGO Group Companies. We would sincerely like your
help in keeping it special. Please always refer to our bricks as 'LEGO Bricks or Toys' and not 'LEGOS.' By doing so, you will be
helping to protect and preserve a brand of which we are very proud and that stands for quality the world over. Thank you! Susan
Williams, Consumer Services.
"LEGO" is officially written in all uppercase letters. The company asserts
that to protect its brand name, the word LEGO must always be used as an adjective, as in "LEGO set," "LEGO products," "LEGO
universe," and so forth.
Since the expiration of the last standing LEGO patent in 1988, a number of companies have produced interlocking bricks that are similar to LEGO bricks. The toy company
Tyco produced such bricks for a time; other competitors include Mega Bloks and COKO. These competitor products are typically
compatible with LEGO bricks, and are marketed at a lower cost than LEGO sets. Such brands are somewhat troublesome to the LEGO
Group, due to concerns about possible confusion between genuine LEGO products and LEGO product imitators.
One such competitor is COKO, manufactured by Chinese company Tianjin COKO Toy Co., Ltd. In 2002, Swiss LEGO subsidiary INTERLEGO AG brought lawsuit against the company for copyright infringement. A trial court found many COKO bricks to
be infringing; COKO was ordered to cease manufacture of the infringing bricks, publish a formal apology in the Beijing Daily, and
pay a small fee in damages to INTERLEGO. On appeal, the Beijing High People's Court upheld the trial court's ruling.[6] (http://www.ccpit-patent.com.cn/News/2003041001.htm) In 2003 the LEGO Group won a lawsuit in Norway against the marketing group
Biltema for its sale of COKO products, on the grounds that the company used product confusion for marketing purposes.
[7] (http://www.lego.com/eng/info/default.asp?page=pressdetail&contentid=2484&countrycode=2057&yearcode=2003&archive=true&bhcp=1)
Also in 2003, a large shipment of LEGO-like products marketed under the name "Enlighten" was seized by Finland customs authorities. The packaging of the Enlighten products was similar to official LEGO packaging.
Their Chinese manufacturer failed to appear in court, and thus LEGO won a default action ordering the destruction of the
shipment. The LEGO Group footed the bill for the disposal of the 54,000 sets, citing a desire to avoid brand confusion and
protect consumers from potentially inferior products.
[8] (http://www.lego.com/eng/info/default.asp?page=pressdetail&contentid=13026&countrycode=2057&yearcode=&archive=false)
The LEGO Group has attempted to trademark the "LEGO Indicia", the studded appearance of the LEGO brick, hoping to stop
production of Mega Bloks. On May 24, 2002, the
Federal Court of Canada dismissed the case, because
the LEGO brick's design is functional and therefore ineligible for trademark protection.[9] (http://www.marquedor.com/telemarque/archives/02-06-01b_en.htm) The LEGO Group's appeal of the
decision was dismissed by the Federal Court of Appeal on July 14, 2003 [10] (http://www.marquedor.com/telemarque/archives/vol10no8c_an_detail.html) but an appeal to the
Supreme Court of Canada is schedule for the spring of
2005.
LEGOLAND and retail stores
LEGO has built several theme parks around the world, each known as LEGOLAND, featuring large-scale models, particularly of
famous landmarks. The oldest of these is located in Billund, Denmark. Others
followed: "LEGOLAND Windsor" (in England), "LEGOLAND California" in Carlsbad, and "LEGOLAND Deutschland" in Günzburg, Germany.
When the Mall of America opened in 1992, one of its premier attractions, attached to the Camp Snoopy
amusement park, was the LEGO Imagination Center. Two other LEGO Imagination Centers are located in the Downtown Disney areas of Walt Disney World and the Disneyland
Resort. These two locations are large LEGO stores with lots of displays of LEGO statues as well as a play area with bins of
bricks to build with; they offer a large selection of LEGO sets for sale, including sets which are advertised in LEGO catalogues
as "Not Available In Any Store."
October 2002 saw a significant change in the LEGO Group's direct retail policy with the
opening of the first so-called "LEGO Brand Store" in Cologne, Germany. The second, in
Milton Keynes, UK, followed very
quickly - several dozen more opened world-wide over the next few years, and most of the existing stores have been remodelled on
the new "Brand Store" template. One of the distinctive features of these new stores is the inclusion of a "Pick-A-Brick" system
that allows customers to buy individual bricks in bulk quantities. How a customer buys LEGO at a Pick-A-Brick is quite simple;
Customers fill a large or small cup or bag with their choice of LEGO bricks from a large and varied selection and purchase it.
The opening of most of these stores, including the 2003 opening of one in Birmingham's Bull
Ring shopping centre (England), have been marked by the production of a new,
special, limited edition, commemorative LEGO piece.
Trivia
The LEGO Group was named one of the 100 Best Companies for Working Mothers in 2004 by Working Mothers magazine.
"Legot" (or "leegot"), plural form of "lego" (or "leego") is also used as a Finnish slang term for human teeth, because of the rectangular shape of the
teeth.
External links
Enthusiasts' projects
References
- Henry Wiencek, The World of LEGO Toys. Harry N. Abrams, Inc., Publishers, New York. ISBN 0-8109-2362-9.
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