Bricks and Pieces magazine archive

 

  • Bricks and Pieces magazine archive

    Posted by Huw, 18 Aug 2010 09:09. Filed under Brickset.

    I've been threatening to add these to Brickset since April. Now, at last, I've had time to scan and prepare them as PDFs and create the Bricks and Pieces magazine archive.

    Bricks and Pieces was the UK LEGO Club magazine in the 1970s and 1980s. Unlike today's effort which is little more than a glorified sales brochure, it was a real magazine that contained news, interesting articles and building inspiration.

    Today I have uploaded 5 issues from 1981 and 1982. The first issue is interesting in that it contains a lot of information about the 'new' 12v train system which was about to be introduced (somewhat belatedly) into the UK.

    Another thing that's interesting is that the kids' models in the centre pages are actually quite good, and not the thrown-together bolocs models featured in today's issues. I wonder why that is?

    I won't rant on about these any more, I'll let you read them for yourself to see what they are like, but I will just urge you to check out he David Lyall feature, which is usually on th back page of each issue. He was LEGO UK's display model builder until 1983 and has reached legendary status here in the UK where his models are now much sought after.

    Do let us know what you think of them. I will be adding more issues in the coming days, so check back often.

    Update: 1983 and 1984 issues are now available for download.


    14 comments, latest one posted 33 months ago. (Commenting has ended on this article)
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Comments

Posted by jonbuddy in United States, 18 Aug 2010 09:47

Where are the PDFs? I'm glad they're not bolocs. Most custom creations in the Lego Club mag aren't.

P.S. I just learned what bolocs means. :-)

Posted by Toa Of Justice in United States, 18 Aug 2010 10:34

@jonbuddy: Click on the magazine cover image to access the PDFs.

@Huw: Thank you so much for making Bricks and Pieces available on Brickset--it's an awesome magazine. I agree with you about the current LEGO Club Magazine. I believe the current magazine uses less text to appeal to multicultural audiences who may not have a strong command of English. As for the bolocs, some kids these days just seem to lack a proper sense of color coordination. Also, there are many more colors to mix up now than there were in the 1970s and 1980s.

Posted by legoDad42 in United States, 18 Aug 2010 10:53

These are really fun magazine's. Gives you more of the LEGO culture going on with well written articles.

I agree with Toa of Justice, the new magazines which I get for my kid are light on articles probably to appeal to a wider audience that don't speak/read English too well, glorified ads to sell sets of course and to appeal to the youngest with the large pictures throughout. The current Brickmasters mags are still good though. They have comic strips I have fun reading to my kid, puzzles, 3D glasses, etc. but the old mags look well thought out with more of a 'LEGO News' look, feel and content. They were the blogs before the blogs.

I have to admit some of the creations from kids in the current magazines are nice. Not all but a fair amount but your right on about the color schemes from the kids models in Bricks n' Pieces. They seem to have a nice color sense and balance and not a hodge-podge of color.

Posted by Alemas in Germany, 18 Aug 2010 11:07

You're right about the "glorified sales brochure" part; THESE magazines are actually quite good. Heh, there's even a LEGO Tardis there! The kid-built creations are ACTUALLY good! Now, where are the Clubcodes... :D At this rate, the best source of LEGO News is either Brickset... or LNSA(http://messageboards.lego.com/en-GB/showpost.aspx?PostID=2668873). :D

Interesting to point out that in these old magazines they called minifigures "LEGOLAND figures"!

LOL: http://www.1000steine.com/brickset/miscellaneous/BricksAndPieces/1982-3%20Autumn.pdf Look at page 3! :) SOMEONE has filled the crossword!

Also, Huw, will you release 1970s Brick and Pieces Magazines too?

Posted by cjg in United States, 18 Aug 2010 12:38

In the Autumn 1982 one it has an ad for LEGO salt and pepper shakers. My mom got those at Legoland last year and they look exactly the same still!!

Posted by Brick114 in United States, 18 Aug 2010 13:11

@toa of justice, @legodad42 there you go blaming the people who can't speak english for the lack of text on a magazine aimed for kids. what current kids publication is mostly text? they all have mostly pictures because thats what kids like, it has nothing to do with people who can't speak english becus this mag isnt distributed outside the US, becus if it was it would be translated into french or spanish. if lego decided to put less text on the page its because of their own choice and not as a result of any demographic. the lego club from the 70s was probably aimed at adults more than it is today.

Posted by voyanui8768 in United Kingdom, 18 Aug 2010 14:32

I like that lego delivery truck! £5 is WAY better than the £20 you have to pay for today's one. 25p p&p 'aint bad too ;-)

Posted by absolutelylez in United Kingdom, 18 Aug 2010 16:32

BTW.. Bricks and Pieces was the name of the Legoclub magazine for most of the 90s too, it certainly was when I was a subscriber, 1998 to 2000something.. and those were still pretty good (though nowhere as brilliant as these here from the 80s).

These mags are excellent to read! Thanks for the upload!

Posted by iow dude in United Kingdom, 18 Aug 2010 17:24

I love these club magazines they are fantastic. I have them from 1982 to 1990. My fave is in the center pages where members pictures of their own creations were printed. The cartoon strip of captain indigo and polka dot is also good. I was planning on getting a scanner and uploading them on the net but i guess ive been beaten to it now :)

Posted by legobob in United States, 18 Aug 2010 19:00

Huw I don't see anything wrong with bolocs

Posted by robbiew in Hong Kong, 18 Aug 2010 23:35

Thanks Huw, these are great. The difference in the standard of kids' models is quite incredible. Would you be allowed to post the early lego ideas books too?

Posted by meccanotwitch in United Kingdom, 19 Aug 2010 03:33

I had all of these from the start and can remember going to Bond Street shopping center in 1981 and competing in the elastic band powered car race. These mags were way better than todays rubbish. Thank you for making these available, what memories.

Posted by StormSworder in United Kingdom, 20 Aug 2010 06:57

This brings back memories. I joined the Lego Club in about 1982 or 1983. Lego really was the thinking person's toy back then. Thanks for uploading.

Posted by legoDad42 in United States, 23 Aug 2010 11:02

@Brick114...sorry about that Brick114. Slight misunderstanding. I wasn't trying to offend anyone but I was (and I admit wrongly) thinking along the lines of Brickmaster appealling to a larger group that even if you don't speak/or read English, the magazine can still get it's message accross (selling the kits) to a bigger group with it's 'ad' style layouts. I apologize for coming accross as silly on that.

You're right...upon looking at Brickmaster again, it's just a big gloriefied Lego ad magazine. With extra's like 3-d glasses, posters, comic strips, extra booklet (like the Hero Factory one)...all geared as ads. Even the puzzles and games are ad designed too.

Brickmaster is definitely for 4-10 yr. olds rougly while Bricks n' Pieces seems to be for 12 on up and much more fun to look at and definitely a better read. I'd love to get a hold of these for my collection.

As far as kids magazines go I got my kid a Bakugan collector's mag. that had ton's of articles on the Bakugan tournaments, conventions, real life kid profiles(collector's and tournament winners), collecting, price guides, etc. Not just large ad pages. Alot of content.
So there are some kid magazines out there that aren't just big ad books. I actually wish Brickmaster would look at that mag. and the old Bricks n' Pieces as inspiration to give us better content and coverage in the future. One can hope.

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