Featured set of the day: Shell Service Station
Posted by Huw,
minifig_jez highlights a set from the first year of proper minifigures:
Being the youngest of three brothers, in my early years there was lots of Lego around the house, but it was all late 60’s early 70’s basic brick sets, some Homemaker sets with their huge figures, and a few of the old non-articulated Minifigures.
But when Christmas 1979 came along my parents bought me my first proper Lego set of my own, 377 Shell Service Station.
We had the tradition of going to church on Christmas morning. I remember being desperate to finish building it before we had to go, and as the time to go loomed, I started begging my parents if I could miss it, but I had to break from building for an hour (which seemed like an ice age to my 7-year-old self!) but once home, I finished building it and played with it for the rest of the day.
Not only was it my first proper Lego set, it was my first set with minifigures that had arms, legs and faces! The only downside was that we were still in the era of having cars that they couldn’t actually get inside, but this didn’t hinder my 7-year-old imagination.
It was also the first road plate in the house, and how I longed for additional ones to make a more substantial roadway.
(From Reddit)
Also, all the buildings I had made up to that point had 1960s basic doors that were not only too small for my faceless minifigs, but they couldn’t open either:
But this new set had a lovely black panel door that was not only tall enough for my Minifigs, but it also swung open to allow them in!
It was a great build, I especially liked the white and yellow stripes around the red roofs, and little details like the matching striped spare tyre holder which I swapped tyres off onto the car.
However, my favourite part was the black 1x2 stickered tile, which I only found out quite recently (from BrickLink’s inventory) is meant to be a spare car battery. I’m not sure what I thought it was aged 7, but I knew a smooth Lego brick without studs was very cool!
Jump forward a few decades...
I got married in 1995, but being the youngest, my two older brothers had got married and had children long before, and on a fateful visit to my parents house in 2000, I thought I’d pop into their loft to see my old minifigures, but found all the Lego had disappeared!
Apparently, it had been split 50/50 between the children of my two brothers, and not just their old basic brick sets, but all my town, classic space and technic Lego too!
That day was the exit from my dark age and from then on, I started to re-collect (via BrickLink and eBay) many of the sets that I had as a kid, as well as ones I wished I had, and of course a lot of new sets too.
In 2004 my wonderful Lego-tolerant wife bought me a perfect condition 377 Shell Service Station for Christmas. 25 years to the day after I got my original one. It got packed away when we moved house in 2011, but for a long time it was one of my pride of place sets in my Lego room.
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17 comments on this article
Thank you for the trip down memory lane, I had forgotten how much young me wanted this set (and it's successor 6371). I had 6610 and 6628 but always wanted this set, and that's without knowing about the amazing battery sticker until now!
Also, is there a reason the pic from Reddit is a modern update on 377 and not an actual pic of the set? I do like the modernsation that's been done so just wondering.....
I love these vintage service station sets. I've been looking for one for about a year, but they are so expensive. The more affordable ones of course are not in good condition. Wish I could go back in time....
One of my first sets, I was 4 in 1979.
The fact that it was Shell and that I used to pass by a real Shell gas pump near my house, made it real and I loved it!
I understand the reasons why they don't do that anymore ("Octan" is certainly better), but it was really cool.
Oh, yesterdays frustration: Tried to built the car. Well and found several red 4x8 and a 4x12 plate… everything else was there :/
@jason1976 said:
"Thank you for the trip down memory lane, I had forgotten how much young me wanted this set (and it's successor 6371 ). I had 6610 and 6628 but always wanted this set, and that's without knowing about the amazing battery sticker until now!"
You’re welcome for the trip!
I too have 6610 and 6628, but never got the 6371 successor (I think I mainly wanted it for the cool blue motorbike that set had)
No specific reason From me for the updated version picture, I presume it’s just one that @Huw found to add to my words.
Love this - my type of set and my era too; its interesting about your point that cars minifigs couldn't fit in and all the other discrepancies between the early minifig sets and todays much more realistic sets is that the early sets required imagination to work properly which is key to play - whilst I appreciate as an adult all of the additional parts we now have to add realism to sets, I regret the loss to imagination that this has.
One of the first sets I bought with my birthday money aged 7, so very much has a soft spot for me. I was so pleased with the road plate in 377 that I also bought 300, 301 and 302 road plates at the same time. Instant Lego town - and all birthday money spent in about 10 minutes. I then saved up the Weetabix tokens and added 1589 main street - and set the scene for a bigger town.
I do remember the black door in 377 opened 2 ways - not just opening outwards like later moulds of the door.
@mdonahue7 said:
"I love these vintage service station sets. I've been looking for one for about a year, but they are so expensive. The more affordable ones of course are not in good condition. Wish I could go back in time....
"
@mdonohue7, I think I have this in storage in great condition. It may be a few pieces short, but it also has more than half the stickers still on the sticker sheet. Just haven't got round to bricklinking it. Shout if your interested and I'll share pics.
RIP LEGO/Shell partnership.
A beautiful and colorful set. Thanks for reminding the good old days.
Classic
This was my first ever lego set too! I got it for my 6th birthday. It has remained one of my favourites ever since.
Classic PIGTAILS!!! PLEASE LEGO, if you are reading these, PLEASE make pigtails again and in white!
I wasn't sure what my first set was (or at least, my brother's first set as he was the one who got the LEGO when we were growing up) but I remember this set and the pieces as well as few space sets (this was back in the 70s) so when this set was posted I got excited because I remember it clearly now that I've seen it! My brother and I used to collect chestnuts to make roadways and we created a whole city in our driveway using this set and MOCs. Great memories; thank you for sharing this and jogging my memory *smile*
Can someone explain the Lego/Shell relationship? I remember it being prominent though in the Lego Ideas book that it warranted its own stickers
This set was my first Lego set that I got for christmas in 1979. No one even know the Lego brand in my family. I have played some bricks in the kindergarten and fallen in love immediately. This set has a road plate and remained my only one till my darke age. So this set was center of my Lego Town till mid eighties. The looks of the car, the building was really aged at that time but I really like to play with it. Great set, I still have it.