Made to be Played: Scala
Posted by Huw,
This is the third in our series of Made to be Played articles that highlight how LEGO's durability and quality enable it to be passed on to future generations one way or another.
I would have liked to have written about how I handed down the sets I had as a kid in the pre-minifig 1970s era on to my two daughters to play with, but it didn't work out like that because I traded them with a collector in the USA in exchange for Technic and Blacktron at the dawn of the Internet, and I was not unhappy with the swap.
There's no need to feel sorry for my daughters, though, because they certainly didn't go short and, very fortuitously, they were just at the right age when LEGO introduced Scala. They had a large collection that we bought on the many visits to LEGOLAND Windsor during the late 1990s which is now in my loft, waiting for the time when it can be passed on to their children.
So, instead of writing about handing down my old sets, my daughter Alice and I have retrieved the Scala from storage to rediscover what's there, and to determine whether it'll be usable by future generations.
Scala was released at a time when the company was seeking to expand into new areas, seemingly without a cost benefit analysis of doing so. Some experiments were successful, such as Bionicle, some less so, like Galidor. LEGO presumably felt it needed something to compete with Barbie, so a whole new range of sets containing large-scale dolls and pieces to go with them was developed, very different to anything that had gone before, but still compatible with it.
Virtually every piece in the sets was produced specially for the theme, so the tooling costs must have been astronomical. Some elements introduced with the theme are still in use today (we wrote an article about them a few years ago) but the majority are too specialist to be used as anything other than large doll accessories.
But, that's not to say that they are unusable: those in our box will be enjoyed by a new generation when the time comes.
So, let's take a look inside the box...
The first thing you notice is that the parts look like regular pieces, but are quite different. The primary connection points are flower-shaped but remain compatible with regular bricks.
2x2 bricks fit onto the 'flowers', and round 1x1s can be inserted into the holes in the middle of them. 1x2 pieces can't be used, however.
I suspect that any future grandchildren won't be too concerned about that: they'll be more interested in the dolls and animals, and what magnificent creatures they are! The horses in particular, with their long flowing manes, are wonderful, and sure to grab their attention.
We have quite a collection of dolls and clothes, which, like those for Barbie, were sold separately at pocket money prices.
The males had to make do with moulded hair, but the females have 'real' hair that can be styled, and by the looks of it my girls had fun doing so. As a result, some of them look like they could do with a trip to the coiffeur.
The dolls come in two sizes and every major joint is articulated: they are very well-designed and must have cost a fortune to produce and assemble.
A whole range of new pieces was introduced for furniture and other accessories, and they are as good today as when new: the white pieces are still white and the foam cushions have not deteriorated.
The main picture shows about 1/3rd of the collection and, as you can see, most of the pieces are jumbled up, but 3242 Bathroom seemed to be bagged up separately, so Alice built it so we can have a closer look.
It was one of the first to be released, in 1997, and is designed to complement the large houses, 3290 The Big Family House and 3270 Dream Cottage. Consequently, it does not come with a baseplate, the idea being that you'd incorporate it into one of those.
It has all the mod cons: shower, sink, wardrobe...
Even a water closet...
Alice and I had fun looking through all the parts, remembering how she played with them, and especially finding out that they are as good today as they were 25 years ago, even the foam and fabric pieces.
Many of the parts might not look LEGO-like but they are all compatible with that made today, and I think it's safe to say that LEGO won't make anything like Scala again, so I'm glad I've kept it all.
Should I be gifted with grandchildren, I very much look forward to playing with it with them. I am sure they'll have as much fun sitting dolls on the toilet as we just have...
#MadeToBePlayed
If this article has piqued your interest in Scala you might like to read these articles that we published a few years ago.
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39 comments on this article
The poll lacks at least one answer: yes, my current collection will be for kids as soon as they are in appropriate age.
How about an "Yes my children are slowly getting it handed down at the moment" answer?
Scala costs must have been huge but they are significantly better quality than Barbie of the same era
What about - No, I don’t have children or younger relations to pass my Lego onto so likely to be sold on EBay or Bricklink :-)
Article about Scala without mentioning 3220 “My dad”? Travesty! :-)))
For the uninitiated, see the discussion here https://brickset.com/article/57248
I'm planning on keeping my Lego thank you very much.
And Scala will probably be the most un-Lego Lego theme, ever (Excluding Galidor) The theme seems more like barbie than anything.
Having not yet read the article, "What a sick joke".
When I got to the photo of the jumbled pile of bodies, I couldn't help the thought, "My Dad strikes again!"
My sister loved Scala when she was younger, or at least the house we had in that range. I suspect it was rather more cost-effective than an equivalent product would be today.
Reading this review, I had to keep reminding myself that somehow, some way, these were real LEGO products
@myth said:
"Article about Scala without mentioning 3220 “My dad”? Travesty! :-)))
For the uninitiated, see the discussion here https://brickset.com/article/57248
"
I was wondering what all that was about...
I am now a true Bricksetter!
And that's what everyone was doing three days after lockdown started.
The Scala horses are wonderful.
The cover images of dolls standing in a pile of chaos dreaming of order always amuses me, particularly 3144.
I firmly believe that no horse, ever, has stood in a pile of chaos dreaming of order. In my experience they stand plotting chaos, no matter what the starting point….
@Black_Falcon_UK said:
"What about - No, I don’t have children or younger relations to pass my Lego onto so likely to be sold on EBay or Bricklink :-)"
Agreed, that should be included.
What I love about Scala is how amazingly modular it is as a system despite being specialised. The same cabinet can be a book case, fridge, sink, oven, anything. The legs from the bed can make a coffee table. The sofa can be a bunk bed. The bookcase can attach to the wall and become a cabinet. I had endless fun playing with my little sister with these.
@MisterBrickster said:
"What I love about Scala is how amazingly modular it is as a system despite being specialised. The same cabinet can be a book case, fridge, sink, oven, anything. The legs from the bed can make a coffee table. The sofa can be a bunk bed. The bookcase can attach to the wall and become a cabinet. I had endless fun playing with my little sister with these."
Yes, it does not get much love nowadays but it was a very well designed system, and actually very cheap considering the amount of ABS you got for your money. I think the big house was only about £70, and ended up being available for half that in some shops.
yknow, im so used to gawking at how unusual this line is in the lego catalogue, but seeing it as it is in play, without the overly saturated and age-crusted box photos, this actually looks like a pretty good doll line. i especially like how much articulation they put into the figures, a lot of dolls stop at five poa but these have shoulders, elbows, presumably knees, i could see this giving barbie a run for her money on play value.
@myth said:
"Article about Scala without mentioning 3220 “My dad”? Travesty! :-)))
For the uninitiated, see the discussion here https://brickset.com/article/57248"
One of my biggest regrets regarding my time here is that I didn't get in on the discussion that day. Be interesting seeing what happens if the figure from that set ever gets chosen for RMotD. It was fun enough when another Scala set was chosen. https://brickset.com/article/102085/random-minifig-of-the-day-scafema01
@LefterisPrime: The figures do have knees, as seen here: https://brickset.com/minifigs/scaFemA01/scala-doll-female-adult-(caroline)
@LefterisPrime said:
"yknow, im so used to gawking at how unusual this line is in the lego catalogue, but seeing it as it is in play, without the overly saturated and age-crusted box photos, this actually looks like a pretty good doll line. i especially like how much articulation they put into the figures, a lot of dolls stop at five poa but these have shoulders, elbows, presumably knees, i could see this giving barbie a run for her money on play value."
Every limb joint except wrists and ankles.
no children, but hoping a niece or nephew expresses interest in LEGO down the road - and has room enough to store all of it!
Way better than Barbie in terms of quality and design and I love the vintage design aesthetic! The saturated colours oddly have a sort of beauty to them
Sadly, I don't have own children, but maybe I'll give my collection to my nephew. He's already a big fan!
Funny to read about “LEGO's durability and quality” a day after I broke 9 brown bricks while dismantling 21310 , a 7 year old set.
Nothing will be handed down. It will all be bitterly fought over, like any good family funeral.
I am still surprised that I had never heard of Scala until I found this site. I guess that speaks to how well it was advertised in my area; but given I was the right age at the time it's surprising. I've obviously never played or built with it so I've no idea how it stacks up but the animals look amazing. They must have made a significant loss on every set they sold..
All that said, it doesn't look like Lego to me and I very much doubt I'd go looking for any on the secondary market. Much like Znap I suppose.
Great article though!
"I traded them with a collector in the USA in exchange for Technic and Blacktron at the dawn of the Internet, and I was not unhappy with the swap."
Any trade where one ends up with more Blacktron is a good trade.
@mrzeon said:
"Funny to read about “LEGO's durability and quality” a day after I broke 9 brown bricks while dismantling 21310 , a 7 year old set."
Nothing ruins your day quite like reddish-brown.
What about 'I've given my old Lego to my children already'?
As I had only brothers we never had any of these although my youngest brother would have been about 10 when Scala came out. I have picked up some Scala parts from bulk lots (like a saddle for those horses, not the horse itself sadly) and also some Belville sets. Those printed Scala dogs sure beat the monochrome Belville dogs I've found though!
@myth said:
"Article about Scala without mentioning 3220 “My dad”? Travesty! :-)))
For the uninitiated, see the discussion here https://brickset.com/article/57248
"
Why is this Christian bringing gifts?
@mrzeon said:
"Funny to read about “LEGO's durability and quality” a day after I broke 9 brown bricks while dismantling 21310 , a 7 year old set."
That was common thing: from like 2009 to around 2019 color such as reddish brown, dark brown, dark red, and sometimes blue were brittle. Reddish brown and dark brown were the worst offenders. AFAIK it was due to a non-temperature controlled color storage combined with an issue from the plastic pellet provider, if I remember correctly.
They have since fixed this problem, as announced in 2019.
@Murdoch17 said:
" @mrzeon said:
"Funny to read about “LEGO's durability and quality” a day after I broke 9 brown bricks while dismantling 21310 , a 7 year old set."
That was common thing: from like 2009 to around 2019 color such as reddish brown, dark brown, dark red, and sometimes blue were brittle. Reddish brown and dark brown were the worst offenders. AFAIK it was due to a non-temperature controlled color storage combined with an issue from the plastic pellet provider, if I remember correctly.
They have since fixed this problem, as announced in 2019."
Has anyone tried to get replacement parts from Lego CS because of this issue?
I haven't tried because I've already had to request enough replacements (really wonky droids, crumpled stickers, missing, etc.) that I'm always on the 'recently banned,' just came off the 'banned,' or about to be on the 'banned list.'
All the dark red or brown bits I've snapped are either easily replaceable or discontinued so only amenable to an expensive Bricklink purchase.
My son is finishing his last year of high school. But, I'm one of those plan ahead investor types.
I have purchased several large sets (71040, 43197, 43225) that remain sealed in box in the hopes that, as @Huw put it, someday I am "blessed" with a granddaughter.
@StyleCounselor said:
" @Murdoch17 said:
" @mrzeon said:
"Funny to read about “LEGO's durability and quality” a day after I broke 9 brown bricks while dismantling 21310 , a 7 year old set."
That was common thing: from like 2009 to around 2019 color such as reddish brown, dark brown, dark red, and sometimes blue were brittle. Reddish brown and dark brown were the worst offenders. AFAIK it was due to a non-temperature controlled color storage combined with an issue from the plastic pellet provider, if I remember correctly.
They have since fixed this problem, as announced in 2019."
Has anyone tried to get replacement parts from Lego CS because of this issue?
I haven't tried because I've already had to request enough replacements (really wonky droids, crumpled stickers, missing, etc.) that I'm always on the 'recently banned,' just came off the 'banned,' or about to be on the 'banned list.'
All the dark red or brown bits I've snapped are either easily replaceable or discontinued so only amenable to an expensive Bricklink purchase."
There's always Pick A Brick, which can sometimes be cheaper than Bricklink. Not often, but sometimes.
@Murdoch17 said:
" @StyleCounselor said:
" @Murdoch17 said:
" @mrzeon said:
"Funny to read about “LEGO's durability and quality” a day after I broke 9 brown bricks while dismantling 21310 , a 7 year old set."
That was common thing: from like 2009 to around 2019 color such as reddish brown, dark brown, dark red, and sometimes blue were brittle. Reddish brown and dark brown were the worst offenders. AFAIK it was due to a non-temperature controlled color storage combined with an issue from the plastic pellet provider, if I remember correctly.
They have since fixed this problem, as announced in 2019."
Has anyone tried to get replacement parts from Lego CS because of this issue?
I haven't tried because I've already had to request enough replacements (really wonky droids, crumpled stickers, missing, etc.) that I'm always on the 'recently banned,' just came off the 'banned,' or about to be on the 'banned list.'
All the dark red or brown bits I've snapped are either easily replaceable or discontinued so only amenable to an expensive Bricklink purchase."
There's always Pick A Brick, which can sometimes be cheaper than Bricklink. Not often, but sometimes."
The expensive parts I've had to Bricklink are discontinued: large dishes, canopies, ball turrets, and stairs in brown and dark red for sets like 7662 and 8078.
@Murdoch17 said:
" @mrzeon said:
"Funny to read about “LEGO's durability and quality” a day after I broke 9 brown bricks while dismantling 21310 , a 7 year old set."
That was common thing: from like 2009 to around 2019 color such as reddish brown, dark brown, dark red, and sometimes blue were brittle. Reddish brown and dark brown were the worst offenders. AFAIK it was due to a non-temperature controlled color storage combined with an issue from the plastic pellet provider, if I remember correctly.
They have since fixed this problem, as announced in 2019."
I already had this happen with reddish brown pieces from 2006.
Well, if I'll ever have any.
@ElephantKnight said:
""I traded them with a collector in the USA in exchange for Technic and Blacktron at the dawn of the Internet, and I was not unhappy with the swap."
Any trade where one ends up with more Blacktron is a good trade."
Having just recently acquired 6987 I can definitely concur with your comment ;-)
@AustinPowers said:
" @ElephantKnight said:
""I traded them with a collector in the USA in exchange for Technic and Blacktron at the dawn of the Internet, and I was not unhappy with the swap."
Any trade where one ends up with more Blacktron is a good trade."
Having just recently acquired 6987 I can definitely concur with your comment ;-) "
Blacktron isn't my favorite faction or anything, but I'm still extremely jealous.
Those who weren’t around for the My Dad article, it’s definitely worth a read.
Also, don’t listen to huw. It’s not Christian, he’s dad through and through.
How about, "Yes, once my kids, have kids of their own." I say this cause they wont be in a box. They'll be within reach on my shelves. I presume my adult children will put them in boxes to transport them but once they reach their destination I fully expect them to get everywhere but that box lol.
@Huw, I just noticed that these articles have the "Sponsored" tag. Why is that, out of curiosity?