Random set of the day: Sea Mates
Posted by Huwbot,
Today's random set is 6252 Sea Mates, released in 1993. It's one of 6 Pirates sets produced that year. It contains 32 pieces and 4 minifigs, and its retail price was US$7.25.
It's owned by 1557 Brickset members. If you want to add it to your collection you might find it for sale at BrickLink or eBay.
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Just a couple of buddies having a sword fight—ya know, like pals do.
Pirates in disguise as imperials. That's the only way these guys are mates. I mean, just look at the beard on that one guy sparring with the captain, they're gearing up for something big.
The years of 1993-1994 were sort of the climax of the Pirates theme. These years brought us such magnificent classics as the 6286 Skull's Eye Schooner and the Islanders sub-theme/faction for the Imperial Guards and Pirates alike to contend with. And then there was this set, the battle pack of its day. It's funny; looking back on this time period, I definitely wasn't impressed with the minifigure packs because I felt like it was incomplete without enough bricks to build an actual vehicle or structure! It was all about the bricks for me, and minifigures were second fiddle to the set itself.
I remember getting this one for Christmas! Fantastic. I remember using the connector of the gold pieces as a large "nugget".
Funny, I was just going through yesterday and adding older LEGO that I own but didn't have on my profile yet and this is one of them. Still have this monkey for my zoo!
Arrrrr, a fine box of mates it be.
I feel like there's a lot of risque jokes to be made, here, but I just can't bring myself to do it.
I remember the day I got this set. I wanted to have a redbeard figure so much but we couldn't afford other sets including him. Still, with the monkey and the treasure chest, I was extremely satisfied with this one. Sweet memories...
Another one of those mid-90s sets that I think I have, but am not entirely sure about.
I really need to do a full inventory this summer.
This is an awesome little battle pack. I would sure love a pirates minifig set like this today.
Those four-armed monkeys always freaked me out a bit, but I do appreciate how they can hold stuff and hold onto stuff with their back feet (err... hands), which in my mind makes them superior to those new monkeys coming out this summer.
@CarolinaOnMyMind:
Yup, if you hang them from a vine by their tail, they can go Full Grievous on you with four sabers.
As nice as the new monkeys look to be, these ones will always be the greatest.
That flagpole and canon ball can be used for Black- GURK!
*Stabbed by pirate*
This was my second Lego set ever. Got it on my 4th Birthday. It was also my second pirate set after 1464 Pirate Lookout. Those two sets set me on a pathway that would only be waylaid by Blacktron. Blacktron is what I breath and live, but Pirates has my heart. Can't say enough good things about this set.
Only one minifig from this set has remained completely unscathed throughout the years, other than the multitude of bite marks, and that is the imperial Soldier. I still have every single part from that guy, even his musket. The Imperial captain, I lost his hat (Or the hat from Pirate Lookout, the historians will always argue this) and his weapons, too.
The Pirates fared much worse. Redbeard lost his whole torso, and the other guy lost his head (And likely all their weapons) Together they formed a pirate simply known as "Shirty" I got the Cross Bone Clipper a couple years later, so I had another Redbeard, at least. It wasn't until the mid 20s era when my older brother discovered Bricklink that I finally acquired replacement parts for the two, and now they are whole again, with a couple modifications.
Back to your regular Blacktronizing.
I loved that set. Getting those gold coins as a kid was as exciting as… getting actual gold coins.
Blimey, all those years playing with Pirates as a kid and I never worked out that two of the gold coins would fit in a minifigure hand...
@ogel_chicago said:
"I remember using the connector of the gold pieces as a large "nugget"."
Yeah! It made a great big gold bar.
This must be evidence that by 1993 Pirates was a cosplay sub theme of Paradisa.
8 gold coins in such a small set, that would newer happen today. B-bay is a fantastic set, but had a really low budget so they could not afford to include a single coin :S
The real treasure was nostalgia all along
Pirates and soldiers? Mm... no I don’t ‘see’ mates.
I used to longingly stare at this set on the shelves of Woolworths.
@PurpleDave said:
" @CarolinaOnMyMind:
Yup, if you hang them from a vine by their tail, they can go Full Grievous on you with four sabers."
My monkeys went full Kenobi-Grievous: three sabers AND a pistol.
So uncivilized...
They were originally going to call this set Seamen, but for some reason that didn’t go over so well. :-P jk
Four awesome minifigs, the classic monkey, plus those chrome gold coins. All in one small accessory set.
What's not to love?
What a lovely pack, both for play value and display value. Its precedessor 6251 decorates my 40158 Pirates Chess set.
The coins were also useful in the wider Lego city world, although most were lost or eaten as chocolate, which is a shame as worth around a $ each now so would have paid for the set.
Perfect set.
Ah, the memories... Sets had tons of generic minifigs and then there were these sets to acquire even more minifigs for your ships/cities/islands/forts. Lovely era for sure...
@PurpleDave said:
" @CarolinaOnMyMind:
Yup, if you hang them from a vine by their tail, they can go Full Grievous on you with four sabers."
I got a full visual from your comment, and thus will be smiling most of the day. Thank you so much for that! Now bring it on crappy co-workers!
These small minifig packs from late 80’s and 90’s were great for bulking out the various themes. I have so many of the city ones and the other pirate one (6251) but not this one...
...I just remedy that.
Trades a minifig plus sabre for a monkey and a flag compared to 6251 and of course swaps bluecoats for redcoats. Easy win for 6251.
I think I had this one as a kid. I don't remember the pirate captain figure (and certainly didn't know any pirates' names at the time) but we definitely had the monkey, treasure chest, coins and imperial guards.
I miss these old sets...
LEGO battle packs now look nothing like this and at a huge price jump to boot.
Oh well, I'll at least have my memories.
@BrickBoriqueno:
I’m gonna laugh when the shot reflects off the spinning sabers and your monkey ends up shooting himself in the face like 8239.
The thing I loved most about the monkey figs was that, they had a hole in their chests, so you could attach them to the top of minifig torsos to create a character with a normal body and an entire monkey as their head. I made mine a mechanic (I figure, he had six hands now, so, he'd be a useful engineer).
They are very good mates indeed! Or at least they thought so.
This photo was taken seconds before disaster: The soldier in the background will fire his pistol in his quest to assassinate the parrot, betraying his false friendship with the pirates. Never trust the guy with the generic smiley face.
I miss simple sets like that. Many different minifigures, some extra stuff, for a very affordable price.
I miss the old monkey as well.