Vintage set of the week: Police Headquarters
Posted by Huwbot,
This week's vintage set is 585 Police Headquarters, released during 1976. It's one of 28 LEGOLAND sets produced that year. It contains 300 pieces.
It's owned by 417 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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41 comments on this article
They called it a headquarters 'case that was the only body part they had
I believe this was in the video game "Lego Star Wars II - the Original Trilogy" in the "Lego city" bonus level, if my memory is correct. (The creepy mannequin people / living statues and the cars were not included, though.)
I don't think I've ever seen that sign piece.
@GSR_MataNui: No, they had torsos and legs, too. Although they didn't have arms. Is this like Defund the Police? Disarm the Police?
They're almost like tadpoles. They just haven't quite reached that point in their metamorphosis to become fully functioning minifigures.
I received (and still have) this as a 7 year old and it brings back so many great memories of lying on the carpet racing the Police bikes around. That they weren’t proper mini figs never mattered. My Dad was a Police Motorcyclist so in my little brain they were all him. :)
@GSR_MataNui said:
"They called it a headquarters 'case that was the only body part they had "
It's an unarmed police force.
@GSR_MataNui said:
" 'case "
becase
@Mikey_1703 said:
"I received (and still have) this as a 7 year old and it brings back so many great memories of lying on the carpet racing the Police bikes around. That they weren’t proper mini figs never mattered. My Dad was a Police Motorcyclist so in my little brain they were all him. :)"
I got it at almost the same age and also have fond memories of it. My first big set as a kid. I thought minifigures with arms were weird when they appeared soon after.
@TheOtherMike:
Well, you’ve got to do them like Darth Maul before they can even ride their motorcycles. Then again, I’ve got a Dodge Tomahawk where you have to pull the legs off the hips so the rider can straddle it. And Batman has a variant of the same thing.
Love this set ??
@R1_Drift said:
" @GSR_MataNui said:
" 'case "
becase"
Guess that's what I deserve for not rereading my message fifty times like I do the BIONICLE ones (though even with those I always miss something!)
Oh wow. I had some of these policemen in my collection as a kid. Perfect timing, too, as I bought 2 of the new 60312 set of the small police car at Walmart tonight.
And every police headquarters set since then has been pretty much the same, just higher-res graphics.
It would be 40Dolars today even if they would upgraded figs and added some interior.
Neat
@kingalbino said:
"Love this set ??"
I did, did you?
I like this set but I prefer the ones with minifigs
At least no Clikits on Saturdays.
@Polynices said:
"I thought minifigures with arms were weird when they appeared soon after. "
I had had some ‘slabbies’ (static figures) before I first saw pictures of articulated minifigures in a LEGO catalogue or leaflet. For a few moments after seeing those pictures, I thought the new minifigures were also static, i.e. there were various moulds each in a different position. When I realised they were articulated, I thought they were the coolest thing ever. 43 years later, I still do!
My first Lego set, and one of the first toys I remember playing with. Love this set. I was thrilled to build it in that Lego Star Wars game bonus level as well.
I got this set when I was a kid…and I still have the very same set! And in the original box, which is a bit deafen up but in pretty good shape, all things considered. I absolutely loved playing with this!
What I find most interesting about the set isn't the proto-minifigs, or the intriguing part use for the motorcycle handlebars; it is the three instances in an official set of an "illegal" technique i.e. the 1x8 plate and the two light blue 1x1 plates. In the absence of brackets I think it works well; but you won't see TLG doing the likes of that anymore (that was a dig at TLG's policy on "illegal" techniques).
The first of many. Bit more compact than some of the others but I suppose the budget went into that armada of vehicles
One of my first sets. I wish I could say that I loved it, but I never did. Shortly after receiving this set, I was given 590 Engine Company No. 9, with minifigs that had movable arms and legs, as well as vehicles they could sit in. That just made 585 seem inferior in every way. However, 770 Rescue Set was just awesome. It also had the early minifigs, without the movable arms and legs, but that didn’t matter because the helicopter was awesome. I took it apart and rebuilt it so many times that I probably could have built it in my sleep or awake with my eyes closed.
@kyrodes said:
" @GSR_MataNui said:
"They called it a headquarters 'case that was the only body part they had "
It's an unarmed police force."
They're plain-clothes police, too.
Although the presence of an illegal technique on the vehicle roofs stinks of corruption
To the people talking about illegal techniques: They cant be illegal if the police are using them!
A complete headquarter building, a car, a van, two motorcycles, a helicopter, plus decoration - from 300 pieces!
That was classic LEGO and I love it.
Today, the helicopter alone would probably have 300 pieces and still not look much better.
Nostalgia is a helluva drug
@GrosPanda1979 said:
"What I find most interesting about [...] is the three instances in an official set of an "illegal" technique i.e. the 1x8 plate and the two light blue 1x1 plates. In the absence of brackets I think it works well; but you won't see TLG doing the likes of that anymore (that was a dig at TLG's policy on "illegal" techniques)."
Like the horses' ears in 375
So far I'm batting 7 from 10 with VSOTW
Have: 4
Have the EU/UK/AUS version: 2
Currently n transit from a BL store: 1
One of my first sets as a kid. I still have it and rebuilt it a few years ago with my daughter.
@GrosPanda1979:
Note that each of these three pieces is centered between two rows of studs, which does help somewhat. One of the problems with pinching a plate like this is that the distance between the stud and the edge of the plate is about half the height of a stud, so if you do it “on grid”, the pinched plate won’t fully seat between the pinching studs. Going half a stud over lets the pinched stud nest between two pinching studs, which fits a lot better. Why they didn’t just attach plates directly to the studs for the squad cars, I have no idea. Even in the absence of brackets, four years later the mast on the station would have been possible by attaching it to the face of a headlight brick. For added stability, adding two 1x1 plates and another headlight brick will connect to two studs with a 1x3 footprint.
@mediAFOL:
Ah, but that is _not_ an illegal technique! Tiles are fine. Not only do they not have anything that will intersect with the pinching studs, but tiles are a bit thinner than plates. Since this proves this technique predates 375, maybe the tile geometry was changed with this in mind. The reduced height also keeps hinged walls from dragging across the surface, but this may explain the exact height chosen. BTW, a pinched tile was most recently used in 21309/92176. They used this to add the US flag to the moonscape, since any other solution would be too bulky at that scale.
This was my first “big” LEGO set, back in the day. My grandparents bought this for me at K-Mart using their “MasterCharge” card. Great memories. I still have her, box, instructions, all bricks, etc… I rebuilt her a few years ago and posted pics for their Anniversary. LEGO saw them and asked for photos for their archives. How cool was that? Much love, to my grandparents. =) A side note, just to share… I bought my grandparents old home, fully restored it, myself in 2021-2022 (talk about real life building) and now my USA “LEGO Room” is the very same room (former Living Room), where I built that first set, in the early 70s.
@Murdoch17 said:
"I believe this was in the video game "Lego Star Wars II - the Original Trilogy" in the "Lego city" bonus level, if my memory is correct. (The creepy mannequin people / living statues and the cars were not included, though.)"
I kind of wish I had it now— there’s a chance I have half of the parts already and I’m very liberal* about replacing the ones I don’t.
*I don’t mean that in a political way :P
@Nytmare said:
"And every police headquarters set since then has been pretty much the same, just higher-res graphics."
Except THAT one.
You know which one.
@biffuz said:
" @Nytmare said:
"And every police headquarters set since then has been pretty much the same, just higher-res graphics."
Except THAT one.
You know which one."
Which one, the City Center one in 2000 with the juniorized green windows?
Or the mountain, swamp, forest and sky police ones?
Btw, those transparant clear doors are nice :D
@biffuz:
10278?
One of our first vintage (1958-1977) sets we got a few years ago! I recently got one of those trans clear doors to help complete it. Later I got one with box and instructions as well. Great set, my kids loved playing with it and didn’t mind the protofigs at all.
I had the 445 Police Units set as a kid, but this was the flagship of Legoland at the time, and I'm happy to have acquired it many years later. Lots of unique parts and nostalgic techniques, great set!
@Astrobricks said:
" @kingalbino said:
"Love this set ??"
I did, did you?"
The ?? are an emoji that BrickSet interprets as ??
Never understood what's the meaning behind "L 10". Anyone could shed a light?
@ronvining said:
"This was my first “big” LEGO set, back in the day. My grandparents bought this for me at K-Mart using their “MasterCharge” card. Great memories. I still have her, box, instructions, all bricks, etc… I rebuilt her a few years ago and posted pics for their Anniversary. LEGO saw them and asked for photos for their archives. How cool was that? Much love, to my grandparents. =) A side note, just to share… I bought my grandparents old home, fully restored it, myself in 2021-2022 (talk about real life building) and now my USA “LEGO Room” is the very same room (former Living Room), where I built that first set, in the early 70s. "
Great story! We now live in the house that I grew up in and where I learned to love LEGO. My son is currently finishing up 60350 in the very spot that I would have built 6950, which is celebrating its 40th anniversary this year!