ThrowbackThursday: 1987 Ideas Book
Posted by Huw,
This week's historical article has been contributed by Lord James:
Like most of you, I get fuzzy memories when revisiting all the good LEGO times of yesteryear. Even from an early age – I was born in 1984 – I saved every catalogue for posterity because I figured that there would be no other way to look back years later at all the amazing sets, along with the vibrant diorama photos that accompanied them.
Unbeknown to many, once every few years LEGO also produced the Idea Book, containing the same LEGO charm that we have all come to expect from those catalogues, but seemingly inhabiting an alternate reality. There, instead of all our beloved vintage sets, we get a glimpse of the often weird and always wonderful parallel universe of LEGO ideas.
I must have acquired the 1987 edition of the Idea Book, 250, a couple of years after it was released because I distinctly remember noticing that some of my personal favorite series – Pirates, Blacktron, and Forestmen – were nowhere to be found. The latter two factions made their debut the same year that the book was printed, but somehow they missed the publication deadline. Despite these omissions, the Idea Book served me well as an historical record of the LEGO system as it appeared in the age before my fandom had begun.
Since I got my first non-Basic sets around 1988, I had just missed out on the Classic Space era that so many AFOLs now recall with such fondness. For five-year-old me, Classic Space took on another meaning; it was already an ancient and unreachable realm. So I marveled time after time at the sheer awesomeness of scenes like the one shown on pages 32 and 33.
If you ever wondered how the LEGO design team would have built a space set if they had completely ignored production costs, it might look like this. Note the proliferation of vintage trans-yellow canopies and funky blue and grey robot arms. Masterpiece.
Obviously, the Idea Book also offered instructions for all kinds of builds, provided that they were small enough that the directions wouldn’t occupy more than a couple of pages.
At the top of every instruction page is a small scene showing a variety of other models. Of course, these are merely suggestions intended to inspire creativity in the builder. Because, with your imagination, anything is possible and so forth! It’s with that kind of can-do spirit that the Medieval knights on pages 40 and 41 apparently opted to bypass the Renaissance completely and dive straight into the Industrial Revolution.
You will notice that they took their innovative sawing machine to the next level in the magnificent display on pages 44 and 45. It’s the same Classic Castle standard that we all know and love, but on a grander scale and with plenty of – at that time – new uses for many of the common parts that any resident LEGO maniac would have had lying around.
Those black cranes might have been harbingers of a similar feature on 6276 Eldorado Fortress, which would hit the shelves along with the rest of the Pirate line in 1989. In fact, a number of the models throughout the Idea Book appear to have been forerunners to eventual sets. The carnival of drinking and merriment on page 46 – note the rudimentary barrels of “apple juice” – provided an early look at kind of revelry that wasn’t included in an official Castle set until the release of 1584 Knight’s Challenge in 1988.
One of the key merits of the Idea Book is that it displays the many sides of everyday life in LEGO form, which we now seldom see apart from some of the Creator sets or the works of particularly committed AFOLs. The scenes in the Town section hearken back to a quaint time in LEGO history when minifigures returned to their cozy little houses in the evening after a day of protecting the streets or driving formula-one cars.
Or perhaps some folks yearn for the good old days when anyone could casually stroll over from a nearby petrol station onto an unfenced airport runway just as planes were taking off or landing.
Undoubtedly, the 1980s were a splendid epoch for those of us who grew up on bricks. I’m not here to start any arguments over when LEGO had its golden age; I happen to think that one could make a solid case for the present day, and I’m sure the company’s accounting office wouldn’t dispute that. Golden age or not, the 1987 Idea Book remains a perfect example of what we 30-somethings remember best about childhood, when our world was populated with plain smiley faces and all of our favorite things came in big yellow boxes.
You can view the Idea Book in its entirety at Peeron.
Would you like to contribute a historical article to Brickset? About a particular year, catalogue, theme, or something else entirely? If so, get in touch!
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32 comments on this article
Great article. Even though I owed this book I had totally forgotten about it. This brings back so many memories. Mostly those lamenting the fact that I couldn't build anything shown with my modest collection.
This is just great. I got it from my friend as a gift quite recently. He told me that he wanted to build that space station so much, but he did not have enough pieces. Sad story...
Wow, that brings back memories. Had this book (I was 8 at the time) and also the older Ideas Book 226 from 1981 (http://brickset.com/sets/226-2/Building-Ideas-Book). Most stuff I couldn't build because I didn't have the parts, but I remember staring at the awesome ski lift on pages 70-71 from 226 for hours on end (http://www.peeron.com/scans/226-1/70). It even uncharacteristically had 4 pages of instructions for the ski lift.
I miss those scenes. they are so full of life and great ideas!
This was my first ever Ideas book, as well. My copy is in tatters (after thirty or so years), but I still own it, and I love all the Town and Basic sets. They were brilliant.
A big amen!
Yes.... I remember these, I've just realised I made 3 of the Space vehicles in the Ideas book that don't have instructions..... which impresses me now without Bricklink to simply order bits from.... must have broken other models..... Wonder where they are now...... ?
I love this; I never saw it before but I'm feeling incredibly nostalgic right now and contemplating buy it on Ebay for too much money just to enjoy it as a tactile object. That's what Throwback Thursdays are for! :D
I miss the idea books. I have the Technic ones and there are some really great builds in there! It did become frustrating, however, NEVER having all the required parts in the correct colors. As I got older I realized the purpose was not to build new models, but to get inspired to create my own. One summer I created a 4x4 truck (before Lego ever did) with a working clutch. I've never had enough free time since :(
I just went back to my childhood reading this article. I grew up in the eighties. I own the ideas book from 1985 and I thought that was the only one out there until I discovered internet.
I loved these books. I would look at them for hours as a kid. But they also made me sad... I never had the right pieces or enough pieces to build the things in the books!
My brother and I had this one too, I believe one of us still has it, I hope it's me... Will have to look it up tonight. It has been taped together several times, really a wonderful book. At that time most large build were way out of reach, but maybe now as AFOLs we can take a new look and get inspired (again)!
They had one of the best, most charming MOCs in there. Just imagine if they release something like that Classic Space station today. They won't however... because only certain AFOLs would be interested.
Wow, I'm surprised, I never heard anything about LEGO producing Idea Books. Never seen them
Wow I had completely forgotten about these, but as soon as I saw this pictures it brought back very found memories of the idea book from childhood. I remember being particularly inspired by that castle scene and some of the elements in the city scene.
This is a very well written piece. Good job Lord James!
Thanks all for the tremendous feedback! I had hoped that this would strike the same chord for many of you.
I'll make a case that this was the Golden Age, and that led in turn to the Silver Age now. Because (like many of you) its my incredible memories of these sets and all the fun I have that turned me into such an avid LEGO collector today. Never would have happened otherwise!
Just found the two Idea Books I own, and this is one of them. Stickers and all sit unmolested between the pages. My kids keep asking me to build that massive Classic Space base on pages 32 and 33!
The Ideas books were great for Town collectors because they came with sticker sheets that often had copies of stickers from official sets. They were great for the MOCs I made since I couldn't afford the real sets.
It would be great to see this kind of book applied to today sets.
I had the no.200 book growing up. I got the no.250 later after my dark ages. Like others I marveled at the designs, but also was frustrated I did not have enough parts to build a lot of it (if any of it). Also wish LEGO would have made the 3 lane roadway plates found in the 200 idea book as well. The stickers were great as well and never used any, but I can think of using a bunch of those today in MOCs
I have this book now, it came with all my old lego from when I was young... but I don't actually recall anything about having it back then. Weird :)
Maybe the best article yet in this fabolous series :-)
I remember owning the 1990 Idea Book and then the one from 1987. After wearing both of them out I owned (still do) another copy of the 1990 version. Long after I bought the one from '87 and the other Idea Books on eBay or BrickLink.
Neither I could build any of the models presented in the Idea Books as a kid, but you set up goals in life and sometimes you achieve them, 25 years on.
Awesome! Brings back a lot of memories. I have this book somewhere, along with the ones numbered 200 and 220 too - they all look familiar.
I loved looking through them and being inspired by them, but sadly didn't have the pieces for most of the larger models shown in the pictures.
Like Darthmar I only had one ideas book growing up (though it was 7777 in my case) and had no idea of the existence of others until stumbling upon them on Peeron a few years ago. Thanks for the article on this one - a great nostalgic read :)
I Only have 260-1; I'll have to revisit it. Those Classic Space and Castle dioramas are quite impressive; but clearly you need multiples of certain sets to complete them.
I truly miss when Lego provided alternate builds (but no instructions) with each set.; they definitely need to bring that aspect back.
Classic Space and Castle are rudimentary to today standards but were impressive with what piece were available during the late 70s and early 80s...I miss those times.
I was a young child when this book came out, and I too had this book. I remember being able to build one small thing only with the pieces - had, and even then, I had to swap colours
Ah, I too have very fond memories of this book, I bought it mainly for the free sticker sheet, to replace all the old stickers lost from my classic sets.
I too dreamed of building the space station, I did manage to build the other classic space models fairly well. f=For those who are still young, it must seem hard to realise that before the internet, once a set was gone from the shops, that was it, although I agree the 80s was a great time for lego sets, we're in a different world now, the second hand market is available to all, and great sites like Brickset and Bricklink offer us the chance to see and buy things long after their time.
Those robots at the top of page 35 look like they're about to have a good time!
I don't get it. I really do not have any memories about Lego from when I was a kid except those iconic green trees and the iconic windows that would swing open. So strange
Great book - looks to be up there with the all time classic 6000 and 7777 books.
I'd say there is no way the current time can be considered a Golden Age, unless it is in a commercial sense - Lego is heavily focused on commercial licenses and practices these days, to the detriment of the core themes. There are some amazing sets released these days, but they are too far between to call it a golden age. Whereas in the 80s, the core sets, even smaller ones were for the most high quality and often exceptional, these days its only the big, expensive and infrequent sets like modulars, UCS and exclusives that are really exceptional. Thats before you even get into commercial decisions that have diluted quality such as no longer including base plates with town sets or alternate builds with most models.