Throwback Thursday: Galaxy Explorer
Posted by Huw,
LEGOLAND Space sets were first introduced during 1978 in the USA and in the following year in Europe, when a whopping 13 were revealed in the consumer catalogue.
Galaxy Explorer was launched simultaneously in both markets in 1979, but with different names and numbers. It was common for sets to be given different names in different markets until the 1990s, and for a time in the 1970s identical sets were allocated different numbers as well.
This particular set was marketed as 497 Galaxy Explorer in North America and 928 Space Cruiser And Moonbase in Europe. As was often the case, the US name is much cooler than the British one!
In preparation for our review of 10497 Galaxy Explorer which we'll be publishing next week, I borrowed the original spaceship from local Brickset member scrawshaw to enable me to take comparison photos, so while I have it I thought it would be worthwhile taking a closer look at it.
The spacecraft was accompanied by two baseplates and a very small moonbase. Neither are included in the new version.
There are, however, the same number of minifigs in the new set, two red and two white. It looks as if the only differences between them is the strengthened chin strap and printing which, I hope, is less prone to being rubbed off: a common problem with figures of this age. The four here are in remarkably good condition given they are over 40 years old.
Galaxy Explorer was the largest of three craft that share many design traits and features. The mid-sized one 487 Space Cruiser was the first to be released, in 1978 in the USA and a year later, as 924 Space Transporter, in Europe.
Did kids in the USA wonder why the number printed on the bricks in 487 and 497 were different to the set number?
The smallest one, 918 Space Transport, had the same set number on both sides of the Atlantic, but was named One-man space ship in the UK. I told you US names were better...
The 338-piece Galaxy Explorer originally cost $32 in the USA and £14.29 in Argos in the UK (see the catalogue page here) which is about $130 and £55 in today's money according to online inflation calculators (USA | UK).
It's about 35cm long so must have seemed really awesome to a 7- or 8-year-old who would not have seen anything like it back in the '70s!
I would argue that its understated but classic colour scheme has not been bettered since.
The four engines look like a bit of an overkill for such a small craft!
The outstanding play feature was of course the rear doors that opened to reveal stowage space for the small rover, and a ramp to drive it out.
The cockpit is accessed by means of a hinged plate. It's a bit cramped and featureless inside, though, with room for just two figures sitting in tandem, and nothing inside except a couple of control panels and a steering wheel. I guess the other two figures man the moonbase that came with the set.
After all this time it remains one of the most influential and fondly remembered LEGO sets ever produced. If you were a kid in the 1970s you either had it, or wished that you did!
I look forward to building 10497 Galaxy Explorer and comparing the two side-by-side next week.
Did you have the original set? Do you still own it? Are you looking forward to buying the new version? Will you be buying three copies, so you can build new versions of 918, 924 and 928 simultaneously? Let us know in the comments!
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The one that got away... because Star Wars toys captured my heart. I had to have the Kenner Millennium Falcon that Xmas.
Now, I get another chance thanks to the re-release! So far, I have 2 copies on pre-order.
My dad always wanted this set as a child. Now we are both very happy that 10497 came out. Maybe one day I will buy the original Galaxy Explorer, but in used condition, because those in the new one have crazy prices.
Seeing as how the original came out two years before I was born, I don't have the original. I've already pre-ordered the remake, which won't be my first homage to 497, as I already have 11021. And you have to admit that the UK name was at least more descriptive!
I didn't have them, missed them by a few years... had to wait for that new thing, the Internet, to get them. Now I have the entire Classic Space line.
Love the photos! The sea of gray, blue, trans yellow and the bumblebee stripes are iconic and will always make me nostalgic. Cannot wait for your review of the new set.
Galaxy Explorer is the one set I always wanted, and my parents gave it to my brother instead. He likes it too, but he's not an AFOL. The new set will fill that gap in my wishlist and I can't wait to see what my son will make of it.
When I came out of my Dark Ages in 2010, I managed to build this again, one of the few sets from my childhood that I kept the instructions for. Still my favourite Lego set of all time.
I cannot wait for 10497, I have bought most of the Classic Space nods since 2010, mainly the Exo Suit and the 2 CS sets from Lego Movie 2, it will go great with them.
Imagine I bought one last for about 25€! OK, 30% of parts were missing, but I managed to complete it for less than 20 more bucks. Except for the one Antenna piece and instructions, but hey, I thought I'd never own one!
10497 is the August buy for me, but one copy has to be sufficient.
Good on scrawshaw to allow you to borrow the set. Shoutout to that member!
I still have all three originals.....
I've got all three. I had 419 & 928 from childhood and I purchased 924 about a decade ago including the predictably dodgy spring on the cargo lifter.
All three are great sets and given the suggestion that instructions will be made available to build modern versions of 419 & 928 I might need 3 of the new set . . . . .
I had 918 as a child. I always thought 928 was a cool ship so after the dark ages I eventually bought a used copy.
I am really quite tempted by strong nostalgia vibes to get the new Galaxy Explorer. I never had the original but I did have the rocket base and I loved the moon baseplates with it, though I remember coveting the landing pad included with this as I thought it would connect better with my road plates (roads on the moon? Why not!)
Absolutely great article! Thank you @Huw
I had 918 , 928 and most of the first generation of Classic Space sets in the late ‘70s but sadly, no longer do. About 40 years ago, they went to a family that couldn’t afford LEGO.
I was given 918 for my 7th birthday, I think by an Aunty in Australia, as LEGO was rare in New Zealand at the time.
Having seen 928 in the brochure that came with my birthday present I was very keen to get it! Some family friends were about to go on holiday to America, where LEGO was much cheaper, so I gave them my savings and requested that they buy 928 for me, which they graciously did. Huge excitement when they arrived back with it!
My original 40 year old 928 now has a few broken parts, but is mostly intact. I've recently also acquired a second, more complete, 2nd-hand set, and have two copies of 10497 on order. I'm looking forward to building all three variations!
918 was my second ever LEGO set and it still stands proudly at the center of my collection.
Will your review of 10497 include the alternate models. Do we really need 3 copies of it to build them all together ? I was hoping we could build both with only one (though now that I look more closely I see there are quite a few pieces that seem to be used on both models). Ah well, we'll see, I guess...
I'm much younger than those sets, but I have the 6929 Starfleet Voyager. Not the same color scheme as it is more gray and white. But i guess it's time to rebuild it ! Alongside my complete rainbow classic space minifigures and my Starfleet Voyager, the new Galaxy Explorer will be fantastic !
@Yellost , unfortunately, no, not next week because the alternate instructions have not yet been published.
Is it just me, or do the three of them look almost exactly alike? Other than their size of course.
That logo on the front looks very modern. …With the clean crater details. Very cool.
I received mine for my 9th birthday in July 1981, I was so exited I couldn’t sleep so was just pretending and remember hearing my parents sneaking into my room to leave it by my bed, I waited until they had gone and still remember opening the false lid marvelling at the wonderful packaging and peering through the plastic window at the unbelievable (at the time) number of parts I had to contend with, Over the next few weeks I must have built and rebuilt that ship so many times I could build it from memory, It was one of the best moments of my childhood, I still have a many of the original parts some faded some scratched one engine even chewed by a beloved dog long gone, this one sparked a love of Lego that has never faded, Now I am 50 and 10497 is nearly here I suspect on the 31st of July I won’t sleep much as I prepare to travel to my local Lego Store to get in the queue ridiculously early not to miss out on a so precious piece of my personal history that is so-beautifully re-created. Thanks Lego you have made an old boy very very happy.
Oh my, LEGO (Classic) Space was a revelation back in the '70s!
Up to that point, I was thoroughly engaged in shipbuilding and harbor and docks. But when I first saw those space sets, my LEGO world turned upside down. I quickly dismantled my harbor and started building space ships and a space base. My first set was 885 "Space Scooter", which I loved dearly. I had a spaceman!
Waiting for my birthday and for 928 took forever, but when it finally did I was in LEGO heaven. During the following years, I received more space sets, including a second 928, which I dismantled soon after building in order to use the parts for my ever-growing space base moc.
One has to look at the catalogs that preceded Classic Space to appreciate how inventive and revolutionary it was. There was nothing remotely like it, and, to boot, the first two waves were executed to perfection.
So, yes, I'm sure going to get 10497, and probably a second set for the variants.
Thanks, Huw, for this lovely Throwback Thursday!
Unfortunately I never owned this set. I was 5 when for Christmas 78 I received 483. From there is was hooked on classic space and would amass over a couple dozen sets over the next seven years.
Sadly, I played (excessively) with my Lego sets and all these sets have broken, missing, discoloured, faded printed bricks and even (family dog) chewed bricks. I would love to re-own these sets but prices are just too high.
Looking forward to 10497!!
Easily my favourite set from my childhood. Just looking at those pictures makes me want to take it for a flight around the living room and then off upstairs to explore planet Bedroom! Ah, such care-free happy days... (sigh).
I managed to get one of the originals, along with a few smaller space sets, for a fiver a year or two ago. It's not quite all there, and a couple of pieces are so brittle they broke when I tried to disassemble it. It now lives, intact, in a bin until I can make a place for it with those amazing moon baseplates.
@Timsterino, that's a lovely story, thank you!
I never had any of these magnificent early CS sets. My first one was 6861 X-1 Patrol Craft for Christmas in 1981. I’m sure I asked my parents for one of these beauties thanks to the catalog, but they may have been hard to find by 1982.
One thing I do regret that I remember clearly. I had a choice between 6980 Galaxy Commander and some other set, and for some reason I picked the other set! I can still see it, clear as day, sitting on that shelf, calling out to me. I can’t even remember what that other set was now.
I cannot wait for the new Galaxy Explorer. I will get as many as I can! I do wish we could see new canopies in other CS colors like trans dark blue and especially trans green. But I’m thankful for what we have!
I was 8 years old when Classic Space came out, so of course I wanted all these sets! And of course we couldn't afford them...
Flash forward to the year 2000, I'm now a single, 30-year-old with a decent job and just awakened from the dark ages, and all three of these space ship sets became mine at last (for a pretty penny, but boxes included for 497 and 487). One of the things I always liked about the original Classic Space was the commonality of design between sets; the rovers all shared a common chassis, and the ships were obviously from the same "designer" as well. It's impressive to have all those sets on display (later Space themes just don't have the same "fit" despite the color coordination...and of course you can sell more sets as each one is "unique"). All these years later, 497 is still my all-time favorite set.
It will be pricey, but I plan to get 3 copies of 10497 to build and display all 3 models simultaneously. Hopefully LEGO will lift the "limit 2" restriction at some point!
I remember everyone going for 928 rather than 924, so sold out in all our local toy stores a month before Christmas and my dad had to go all the way to Hamleys in London (a 100 mile drive away) to collect a copy. He phoned beforehand and they put a reservation on it, but even so he was still nervous about whether the person on the phone would pass the message on. In the end we received a copy and they did a re-release. My Dad's only regret was he didn't buy a few copies as was available for another 6-12 months, but £15 was still 100 packets of sliced Hovis bread back then.
I’m several decades too young to have gotten this when it came out, but I begged for it until I got a secondhand copy for Christmas several years ago. It absolutely deserves to be called one of the greatest of all time- it’s not only a great design in its own right, it’s emblematic of a style and it’s a foundational design for every LEGO spacecraft since.
886 was my first ever LEGO set, and even though it was the smallest of the 1979 first wave, it sparked my love for Classic Space, which is still my all time favorite LEGO theme.
I also got 897 and the two baseplate sets as a kid, but none of the other sets from that first year.
Fast forward to the late Nineties when ebay was starting to become a thing. Over the course of around ten years (while otherwise still in my first dark ages) I managed to obtain all of the 1979 sets, as well as several others I missed out on as a kid. Just recently I found 6952 for a reasonable price in as new condition including the box. Turned out some pieces were missing after all, but as always in such cases Bricklink came to the rescue.
Will definitely be getting at least two of 10497.
Happy memories - loved this set as a kid - so wish I'd kept it....... can't wait for the new set
Just need another release of 8860 make my day
I have the original, handed down to me by my cousin who "grew too old to play" with Lego, like 25 years ago. Still built, but it has many missing parts. No matter though, I still love it. New version also looks awesome. I was on the fence about buying it, but now, after seeing the alternative builds, I'm thinking about buying 2.
Great article. I think I got this as a joint birthday/Christmas present (advantage of a December birthday). Having then lived in a cupboard at my parents for years it was one of the few things I kept when I cleared the house about 6-7 years ago.
I rebuilt it and I think it was about 99% complete but the parts are now somewhere in a couple of loose pieces boxes. 10497 is a must buy so I might see if I can recover all the parts so I can display them together.
I have a couple of 928 plus about 2/3rds of the parts for a third. Add to that a 924 and a couple of 918
Yeah, I want this to sit alongside them and Benny's 70816
Thank you all for posting your memories!
@Timsterino said:
"I received mine for my 9th birthday in July 1981, I was so exited I couldn’t sleep so was just pretending and remember hearing my parents sneaking into my room to leave it by my bed, I waited until they had gone and still remember opening the false lid marvelling at the wonderful packaging and peering through the plastic window at the unbelievable (at the time) number of parts I had to contend with, Over the next few weeks I must have built and rebuilt that ship so many times I could build it from memory, It was one of the best moments of my childhood, I still have a many of the original parts some faded some scratched one engine even chewed by a beloved dog long gone, this one sparked a love of Lego that has never faded, Now I am 50 and 10497 is nearly here I suspect on the 31st of July I won’t sleep much as I prepare to travel to my local Lego Store to get in the queue ridiculously early not to miss out on a so precious piece of my personal history that is so-beautifully re-created. Thanks Lego you have made an old boy very very happy."
I think im about the same age as you with a similar fondness for 918. I can't remember if I asked for it or it was a surprise but it was great. I think ive still got the box, which was way better than most similar sized sets. Landing platform on the back, the see through section and a tray. I think ive still got it, the only box from the 80's as I remember my mum asking me to "get rid of all of those old boxes" We compromised and I kept the front and backs of the other smaller boxes inside 918. Then the backs had alternative builds on. The only thing I didn't like were the easy to knock of landing feet. I used to replace with the sleds from later sets, 6822 etc. I added extra guns too. Not sure ill be queuing but I will get the new one early and know I know they have Alt builds maybe 2 in time.
Like the first commenter, I got Star Wars instead of LEGO, though I can’t remember the years.
I caught the Star Trek and Star Wars bug big time in my youth and never looked back. Kenner got most of my parents money instead of LEGO. I didn’t start getting into LEGO for real until a high school girlfriend turned me on to it, and even then I wasn’t the fan of it I am today. My true “love” of it blossomed in my, aherm…let’s just say later in my life after my kids started getting into it.
This review is awesome. Really cool. Would love to see more of them, though I suspect so would Brickset…just getting the material to review must be very difficult.
I wasn’t even born for a a couple of decades after this set was released, but I know what it means to a lot of people. I pre ordered a copy of the new one as a graduation gift for myself, so maybe in 40+ years I will be telling my tales of this set. That may be the best thing about LEGO remaking this classic. That a new generation can have fond memories of the same set that their parents/grandparents had.
Many many years ago, back when Macy's in Manhattan had a full toys section, I remember a full-scale version of the 487 Space Cruiser hanging from the ceiling. I have not been able to find a photo of that model, but I did find a photo of a large scale 497.
https://images.brickset.com/library/view/?f=bricksAndPieces/1979-1%20Spring (last page)
I just noticed that the colour version of the official NASA seal, introduced in 1961, bears quite a resemblance to the LEGO Classic Space logo.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NASA_insignia/media/File:NASA_seal. svg
I was a 487 Space Cruiser kid & was happy with that one. The station in the Galaxy Explorer set felt/looked like a tacked-on afterthought to me even way back then. & the rover vehicle was also very basic.
I was 6 when Legoland Space launched in 1979; as a realist (my layout under the teak sideboard in our terraced house was based on 'urban realism' - and my current town still is!), I was never really into space although I always appreciated this set and marvelled at the opening doors at the back especially. I did pick up a couple of the space sets at the time though, but just to get parts in light grey which you just couldn't get anywhere else. I am not sure how my 6 year old self would react to the range of colours these days... Oh and can I have a time machine to visit Argos to pick up a few of the sets shown please?
Only had the smallest spacecraft as a kid. Bought 2nd hand versions in quite good and complete shape a few years back.
Cant wait to get some copies of the new model, and using the alternative instructions, build myself modern versions for all 3 ships.
Oh, my, here we are, with one of my all-time personal holy grails. Oh, how I yearned for this set, and still do.
I had a number of CS sets, but lacked many, many more, including this, perhaps my single most-desired set ever. What can I say about it that hasn’t been said here already? This is simply an ultra-classic design, archetypal of the whole range, the platonic ideal of LEGO spaceship design, and in over four decades has never lost its power to make my heart beat a little faster. I will probably go to my grave still wishing I had one.
As a child, my brother and I had a number of smaller Classic Space sets and also a 6970 Beta I Command Base each, but none of the larger ships, not even 918.
My Dark Ages came to an end when I started playing with my daughters and our old Lego at my parents' house and I put all of those sets back together. And then brought them all home!
Subsequently, I have managed to acquire nearly all of those early Classic Space sets that were predominantly based on the Grey / Blue / Trans Yellow colour scheme, including 918, 924 and 928, as well as a few other slightly later sets.
I will definitely be buying at least one of 10497 and very likely a second, so that I can build at least one of the other models at the same time.
928 was owned by my cousin and the source of my eternal envy, whenever we had a chance to play with his Lego (which happened regularly but never enough, in my opinion ;-)) this was my go-to set. Half a decade ago I finally got my own copy, I thought €60 for the set in great condition was still a lot but it's been worth it, even my kids still think it's the coolest spaceship we have!
I had the original back in the day. And can't wait for my pre-ordered new one to arrive just in time for my Birthday
I was 11 in 1979, when I bought my first LEGO Space set, 897 - and I was immediately hooked! I saved up my pocket money to get as many sets as I could - my favourites were the swooshable 918 and 891, and the elegantly simple 885 and 886. Sadly I could never afford the gigantic beast that was 891, with an equally gigantic price...
A few years later, disaster struck when my parents gave everything away to a jumble sale without asking me, and I slipped into the Dark Ages...
But, when I reached 40, I decided on a project to re-buy what I'd lost - and this time, that would include a 918 ! I now have the entire range of 1979 sets, all proudly on display for everyone to see.
With a 10497 on order, I can't wait to update the collection! :-)
Were the moonbase and plates not sent alongside it? The review feels a bit incomplete without them...
But I'm always glad when there's a throwback Thursday!!!! :D
^ No, and it's not a review, but a retrospective look back at the spaceship prior to our review of the new version.
I got 918 for my "A-Diploma", just barely 5 years old, very proud to get that swim certificate as the youngest in the pool and then getting that wonderful set, very big for me and quite an expensive set for my parents. Very dear to my heart and I really feel like rebuilding it.
I picked up 928's instructions, baseplates, some bricks and astronauts (dish and antennae!) for €3 at a flea last april, but at today's prices I'm afraid it won't get better than that for me. Again inspired to make a modern version myself.
I think these are the most positive comments I've ever seen on a Brickset article...
I first became aware of Lego in the age of Exploriens, Insectoids, and UFO, but I never liked all the neon colors and bits and bobs and widgets anywhere. I couldn't hardly tell which end of the big spaceships for those subthemes was which, or where the engines were, etc. I just wanted a sleek, simple spaceship I could make sense of. It was a revelation when my parents gave me Dorling Kindersley's "Ultimate Lego Book" for Christmas and I saw a picture in it of the Galaxy Explorer. Such a sleek spaceship! Such sleek, simple uniforms for the astronauts! Why can't Lego make spaceships like this anymore, I wondered in my little kid mind. Later, I loved looking at Classic Space sets on Brickset and Classic Space builds on Brickshelf and Flickr, but it wasn't until 2016 when I bought a used copy of the 928 on eBay. It's still one of my most prized sets. After that, I built many variations on the 918, 924, and 928 in Studio. Last year I finally bought physical parts for a few of those. The 10497 set is a dream come true in so many ways, I can't wait for the review.
For those born in the early 70s, 1978-1979 was a difficult time (from a certain point of view).
My first space set was 442 - I was completely enthralled. This was followed by 926. From then on, all my pocket money and small opportunity for gift went into: 462, 452, 885, 886, 889, 6821, 6841, 6901. Since I already had 926, one of my most coveted set back then was 483 and as someone else also mentioned above, I also thought that 497 Galaxy Explorer was an overgrown expression of 487 Space cruiser which I found aesthetically more pleasing - plus it had a space lift truck! (the cool thing with GE was that it could carry the vehicle in its cargo bay - Space Cruiser could not). I never had the blue spaceships and from time to time I shop for them and wonder if I should finally buy them. For the first time ever in my Lego buying history I pre-order 10497 on day one. I also created a MOC of the baseplate on a 48x48 plate with a scaled-up drawing of the original landing plate (this will be extremely expensive part-wise - all tiled up). Once I see the instructions for the smaller models, I may order some more (It would be very nice if Lego could produce an add-on kit with the printed proper numbers for the alternate models)
You may ask: why was it a difficult time? Simply because in 1978 there was an 'explosion' of new Lego themes: all at once we got: Space, Castle, Town (police, fireman, construction, boat) but also Expert Builders (now Technic). I did not pursue Space because I was also hooked on Technic (money was limited as always). After that, when I was building spaceships, they had mechanical functions in them! I managed to get 853, 855, 857, 852 - to me, the ones that got away were 851 and 856 - with the parts I had I could build 854 and 850 (in different colours). For the 40th anniversary of Technic, I was hoping for a modern remake of those sets...
@Darth_Dee said:
"I think these are the most positive comments I've ever seen on a Brickset article..."
Just goes to show how much of an impact this set has made on so many people, be it as kids back in the day or as adults much later, perhaps then yearning for a time machine ;-)
I know from when I was about nine years old (that was in 1986) I thought how sad it was that the sets from that first wave were gone from toy stores forever and that it was likely that I would never own any of the "holy trinity" (918, 924, 928), let alone some of the cool smaller bases like 920-2 and 926.
How could I have known that there would be something like an "Internet" one day, or ebay, Bricklink and other quasi-time-machines for getting historic LEGO sets :-)
Like many others, 497 Galaxy Explorer escaped me in my youth, for whatever reason, but I pined for it ever since first setting eyes on it. I consider myself lucky to have had 6970 Beta I Command Base as the crown jewel of my childhood collection, but...would have loved to have had the Queen of the Fleet. I will be purchasing as many copies of 10497 for personal use as I can without being forced into therapy.
It still just looks so beautiful!
As a kid I had a handful of Classic Space sets (305 , 885 , 886 and most notably 452) but mooned over the spaceships in the little catalogue dioramas.
As an adult I was on holiday in Austria once and stumbled onto a 493 : Space Command Center in a toy shop and had a 'Ratatouille' moment. I had to bring it home, thus ending my Dark Age. After that I just had to track down as many Classic Space sets as I could and am lucky enough to have the three of these blue lovelies. Simply wonderful.
@HOBBES said:
"For those born in the early 70s, 1978-1979 was a difficult time (from a certain point of view).
You may ask: why was it a difficult time? "
Of course, not unlike today, there was also run-away inflation, recession, an oil embargo, wars (Vietnam just ended, Faulklands about to begin, Middle East, Ireland was a mess, Iran hostage crisis, Soviet Afghanistan invasion) and political disaster (Watergate/Ford's pardon).
@RaiderOfTheLostBrick said:
"Is it just me, or do the three of them look almost exactly alike? Other than their size of course."
I was always under the impression that this was intentional/by design in order to accommodate customers with varying price-point thresholds.
@Huw: "Did kids in the USA wonder why the number printed on the bricks in 487 and 497 were different to the set number?"
Yes. Yes, we did. Although, admittedly, I never actually owned either of them.
I was gifted several Classic Space sets as a kid, with the first one being 889. My favorite was 6950 ... until the super cool 6954 came along and blew my 8-year-old mind.
^ I love the asymmetry of 6954.
I picked up the mighty trio from someone on craigslist 10 years ago. They weren't cheap, but they were fairly priced, and only missing a handful of common pieces. I've never regretted the purchase. Can't wait to get 10497!
Had them as a kid, and played the crap out of them…. I have most of the pieces somewhere.
Adult me is cursing the kid me for not taking care of it… but the kid me, had the best frickin time with the ships! Hahah
@StyleCounselor said:
" @HOBBES said:
"For those born in the early 70s, 1978-1979 was a difficult time (from a certain point of view).
You may ask: why was it a difficult time? "
Of course, not unlike today, there was also run-away inflation, recession, an oil embargo, wars (Vietnam just ended, Faulklands about to begin, Middle East, Ireland was a mess, Iran hostage crisis, Soviet Afghanistan invasion) and political disaster (Watergate/Ford's pardon)."
As you say, the usual. ;-)
That said, none of those are a real concern for a 5-10 years old living in a western country.
Reading the comments, it seems that it was really a hard times for kids, not only they had to chose their Lego themes but sometimes they had to select another toy company altogether (for Star Wars or Star Trek or else). Tough times...
Still such great sets, so iconic! As a kid I indeed wished I had these, I have more than once tried tried to built something similar back then, but with the pieces I had back then it never turned out that great. And with mostly old pieces from the 60s, don't even think of swooshing it around...even when it wouldn't disintegrate entirely you would lose lots of parts....
Can't wait to see it next to the 10497!
Yeah, got 928. It's bashed but it was played with relentlessly.
Anybody else ever manage to figure out the crazy build on the back of the box? The rest were easy, but rhe other one bugged me and still does!
10497 will be ordered when it becomes available.
I had the 928 when I was kid. It was Christmas present. It is not an interestin statement, but I was kid behind the iron curtain where you couldn't go a shop to buy products from any western country. So my mom had wait for hours front of a shop where you can get Lego sets, not entirely legally.
When I unwrapped the Christmas box I was shocked, I knew it was huge sacrefice from my mom to buy this set. It was so cool. I never ever felt so happy from a present than that from that one.
Naturally I will buy multiply copies of the new set.
@rdn said:
"I had the 928 when I was kid. It was Christmas present. It is not an interestin statement, but I was kid behind the ironcurtain where you couldn't go a shop to buy products from any western country. So my mom had wait for hours front of a shop where you can get Lego sets, not entirely legally.
When I unwrapped the Christmas box I was shocked, I knew it was huge sacrefice from my mom to buy this set. It was so cool. I never ever felt so happy from a present than that from that one.
Naturally I will buy multiply copies of the new set. "
This is actually a very interesting statement. All of the life necessities, somehow, it is astonishing that a black market was established for Lego sets.
Around the age of 10 I decided that I REALLY wanted 6927, but this would have been circa 1988 and the shops had long sold out, even the ones in France that often had old stock on the shelves years after they were no longer in the catalogues.
Fortunately Mum saw a classified advert in the local newspaper for Space Lego, phoned up to enquire and discovered that 6927 was one of the sets for sale. What’s more, there was a 6929 and a 928 too, all complete and boxed. She bought all three, gave them to me for a birthday or Christmas, and I am very lucky to still have them. I recently rebuilt 928 with a view to selling it, but haven’t been persuaded to part with it just yet.
I got this for my birthday either in '82 or '83 so it was around for a while. My dad went so far as to build and paint a wooden moon back drop. Basically a box missing the top and one side. I re-built this thing so many times over the years. It's currently not assembled but I always keep the printed parts for it separate so I can easily put it back together. Luckily managed to pick up most of 924 in a bulk lot some years ago but needed to use parts from 928 to put it together so have never displayed them side by side.
I was lucky enough to buy this towards the end of its shelf-life. Lifting the lid to see the three circular sections holding the bricks, with the baseplates peeking from below. Then opening the side to have the whole lot tumble into the floor, creasing and cracking the clear plastic insert forever :-). Love this set and all of its alternative builds - https://www.backoftheboxbuilds.com/set-928/
I used the wing plates to build a big Phoenix from Battle of the Planets (Jason is still cool, by the way). I know they were grey not blue but they were the nuts. I don’t know how you could build something today that’s so iconic with so few bricks relative to the models of today.
The Autumn 1983 copy of Bricks’n’Pieces shows legendary LEGO UK modelmaker David Lyall’s 6x 928 built for the LEGO Rally show in 1979. It’s on page 5 - https://images.brickset.com/library/view/?f=bricksAndPieces/1983-3%20Autumn
Wonderful model, bettered IMO only by 924 :-)
Ive had all three, not when I was a kid, but out of my Dark ages and pieced sets together from eBay lots. Sadly I have sold them all off as I was running out of space, but I have another lot that has been patiently sitting sealed in my garage that is all later 70's early 80's with a tone of Classic space waiting for me to break into it and start parting out these lovely sets again...
Fortunate that my parents didn't throw this out and a couple of other classic space sets from the early 80s, and stoked to discover it again number of years ago. Though some of the grey pieces need replacing as they have snapped. These weren't cheap in australia at the time, so I must of pestered for a long time and it was probably the one and only present I can only assume.
I got 928 in 1983 for my 8th birthday. It was the third, and last, Lego Space set my parents got me. It's the one I wanted the most, and for once my parents came through. (On virtually all other occasions, my well-meaning parents seem to have believed that it builds character if children don't exactly get what they wished for...)
Of all the Lego sets I own(ed), and maybe even of all my toys, this is the one I was most proud of. My friends - even my Lego Space-collecting friends - didn't have this particular set. And it was so cool because it offered so many play opportunities, mainly revolving about the rear loading bay, which could fit other (small) sets, or a squad of astronauts, or building material for a moon base, etc. pp.
It also had the coolest parts, specifically the large slope with the Lego Space symbol, and the two 2x2 slopes, one grey and one blue, with the large computer screen print.
And far from wanting to correct Huw, but 928 seats three figures in the cockpit if one is willing to move the steering wheel forward one stud (which there is enough room for), and if they "cuddle", that is, put their feet under the oxygen tank of the astronaut in front.
@AustinPowers said:
"I just noticed that the colour version of the official NASA seal, introduced in 1961, bears quite a resemblance to the LEGO Classic Space logo.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NASA_insignia/media/File:NASA_seal. svg "
Nice find! That's really freakin' awesome!!!!
497/928 was a holy grail and all...no overstating that. 487/924 was also a hit for reasons beyond its own merit. While I don't recall ever seeing it in shops, 487 sparked a lot of childhood imagination thanks to 6000 LEGOLAND Idea Book. The message being that, an adorable little couple can watch a movie, be inspired, and then $%&* off to space if they like.
https://images.brickset.com/library/ideasbooks/6000.pdf (pg. 50 - book/pg. 54 - .pdf)
@Draykov:
That is a great Idea Book! I love the expanded version of the 483 base (so many computers!) and the alien/droid minifigs with blocks instead of minifig heads!
Sadly 487 is one of the few remaining Classic Space spaceships that I have yet to acquire. Once I got 497 and 918, I figured that I wouldn't really need a 487...
This set was before my time, wasn’t born until 1980. However, I still have my entire Classic Space collection from the early to mid 80’s (and my King’s Castle that is also getting a re-release).
Anyways, I’ve purchased a handful of smaller Classic Space sets I never owned, but these larger ones are just way too expensive to justify. I did pre-order the new one, so at least I’ll have a version of it to add to my collection.
Like many people here, 928 was the dream set when I was a kid. I never got it - I recall getting 918 from my parents, and I was hooked for life. Our family didn't have a lot of money when I was young, so I never got the bigger sets. I ended with a few of the smaller ones, including multiple copies of 6801, which I think was from a promotion where there was a token on a box of oats and you needed multiple which you then sent away with a small amount of money and got the set. When I looked at what the sets cost originally on release I understood why I never got the 924 and 928, they were far more expensive.
Seeing Neo Classic Space MOCs online in the mid 2000s brought me out of my dark age in a big way. I then subsequently bought boxed copies of 928, 924, 918, and also 920, which all are on permanent display in my Lego room. Everytime I look at them they bring me joy.
Owned it. First Lego Model I "mod-ed" (I just changed the wings a bit so instead of 2 long then 2 short, went 2 short then 2 long, OR 1 long, 1 short, 1 long, 1 short) Loved the set.... got lost somewhere in the moving issues I had over the years.
Also had 487, and always wanted 918. 918 was never in any "big toy store", did find one in a small "independent toy store" in the early 1980 on vacation -- could not afford it, I was 10 at the time. :(
I got both 918 (iirc, u very first Lego Space set) and 928 as a kid. In fact I saved up all my pocket and birthday money for an entire year to be able to afford "the big one". I was super stoked when i finally got it.
Pre-ordered 100497, although I really wish they would have given it 100928 as set number.
Just the one copy though.. maybe I should order another?
I own the 928 and - not very surprising - this is my "presious". (ok, one of few) I wanted this set when i was a child but never got it. So i bought it some years ago - and payed a lot for it.
The new set is definitely a must have. What else :-)
I never got 928 - a friend had it - but I absolutely loved the idea of a spaceship where a smaller vehicle could fit unobtrusively inside. I attempted to replicate 928 in various ways but never had the pieces to pull it off *convincingly* - I had to use parts like 3640, 3639, and 3324ac01 from 6870 to get the effect. I also liked the idea of powerful hidden weapons, kind of like the laser cannon thing in X-Bomber ('Star Fleet'), so tried to figure out ways of doing this with the same sort of pieces. 928 was inspirational.
@dcmal said: "It's the one I wanted the most, and for once my parents came through. (On virtually all other occasions, my well-meaning parents seem to have believed that it builds character if children don't exactly get what they wished for...)"
Ha! Our parents must have read the same parenting books. I never received what I wanted. Furthermore, birthday gifts were skimpy- under $20.
One of the reasons I didn't try to get this set for Xmas is because my mother would've given me a non-comprehending look and said, "just go build it out of the box of legos you already have. " That was pretty much just 2x4s BTW.
Instead, I pleaded for months to get the Kenner Millennium Falcon ($35). But, on Christmas morning there was next to nothing under our tree. Yet, somehow, someway, and never-to-be-repeated-again, the Force rewarded me underneath my grandparents' tree. The Toys that Made Us!
Am I the only one who thinks this one looks better, or at least less toy like, than the new one, particularly with the less visible interior?
I had this set (and currently have it displayed in the Lego room) when I was a kid. I got it for Christmas and later found out that my parents had stayed up quite a bit of the night to put it together for me for Christmas morning. I had the one man ship too and only later managed to get the third in the series.
I cant wait to get the new iteration of it - the only question is - do I order it from Lego and get it straight away, or do I wait a couple of weeks until the 18th and buy it on the opening day of Ireland's first Lego Store... I think I'm going to be waiting but there are quite a few sets I want to pick up (Ninjago City Gardens, Boutique Hotel, Optimus Prime, Obi-Wan/Vader Brickheadz, the new Speed Champions...).
@dcmal said: "Yet, somehow, someway, and never-to-be-repeated-again, the Force rewarded me underneath my grandparents' tree. The Toys that Made Us!"
The Christmas I asked for the Kenner Millennium Falcon, it was delivered to my grandparents house waiting for me to show up! Must've been a worldwide conspiracy!
I'm very lucky to have the complete collection of Classic Space sets. I cherished the ones from my own youth, but sets like 928 were before my time. Eventually I managed to get all of them together after years of searching. The ones that I had as a kid are in some cases visibly played with, so most of the other ones are in better condition. But it would be silly to replace them. I had so much fun with them and I still love the look of them all.
@StyleCounselor said:
" ... because my mother would've given me a non-comprehending look and said, "just go build it out of the box of legos you already have.""
You _really_ must be a long-lost sibling of mine because this is *exactly* what my parents used to say!
Canada used the European set number 928.
This one was out of my range back then. Just tried to create something similar with what bricks I had.
Is the new version a Lego store/website exclusive or will it appear on Amazon/Smyths/Argos etc?
Going to buy one set.
Might Bricklink one or both of the alternative builds. It depends on the price and availability of the parts.
It's been fun to read everyone's stories.
I had a few of the smaller classic space sets and they were always a surprise from my parents. I think when the blue team came along is when I said that I wanted a set with a Blue Spaceman. The set didn't matter. I needed a Blue in my crew of Red, White and Yellow.
As much as I like Benny I still would like to see a Blue Spaceman with a smiley face and a unscratched torso.
@Huw said:
"Thank you all for posting your memories!"
And thank you for the article, plus the link to the Argos catalogue excerpts. A trip down memory lane in itself.
I have just checked the box of my 928 and it still has a sticker on one side bearing the 351/0968 Argos reference number.
@RaiderOfTheLostBrick said:
"Is it just me, or do the three of them look almost exactly alike? Other than their size of course."
They certainly give the impression of having come off the same drawing board (as does 885, actually, though on a much smaller scale).
I was a few years too late for the original 928 as a child (though I think I remember seeing it in catalogues). I've since pieced one together, along with a 918 and 924 -- all in Blacktron black rather than blue/grey, though.
I pieced this together after acquiring a few of the important parts in loose lots, and realizing I had both baseplates. No regrets. It's very much a product of it's time, but awesome nonetheless.
I still have my 497 Galaxy Explorer in the original box with some slightly yellowed (due to age) plastic liners that came with it. I only ever collected the first and second years of the Space System in its entirety and thereafter a set or two afterwards. Nothing in my opinion beats this set. As a kid, I would dump out all my space sets onto the sheet of plywood and build whatever came to mind. One of these creations was a "Super Galaxy Explorer", based on the original in design, but on a much grander scale. I must say, looking back at the only picture I have of it, it is even bigger than the re-release model I pre-ordered. To give an idea, the cockpit is 12 studs wide outside (10 inside). Believe it or not, my model also had a scientific area behind the large cockpit and computer area besides the cargo bay. When I say the re-release model online, I knew I had to find the picture of my 1984 creation and compare. I was surprised at how close I was to the new model but using only the parts available in 1984 (and that was not a lot). Needless to say, I am going to thoroughly enjoy building and displaying the new one once it is delivered. I only wish there was somewhere for me to upload the picture of have of my old creation. Oh well!'
@Muftak1 said:
"I had this set (and currently have it displayed in the Lego room) when I was a kid. I got it for Christmas and later found out that my parents had stayed up quite a bit of the night to put it together for me for Christmas morning. I had the one man ship too and only later managed to get the third in the series.
I cant wait to get the new iteration of it - the only question is - do I order it from Lego and get it straight away, or do I wait a couple of weeks until the 18th and buy it on the opening day of Ireland's first Lego Store... I think I'm going to be waiting but there are quite a few sets I want to pick up (Ninjago City Gardens, Boutique Hotel, Optimus Prime, Obi-Wan/Vader Brickheadz, the new Speed Champions...)."
Wow. Your parents got to build it and watch your reaction and you playing with it?! That's truly 'it's better to give than receive.'
@dcmal said:
" @StyleCounselor said:
" ... because my mother would've given me a non-comprehending look and said, "just go build it out of the box of legos you already have.""
You _really_ must be a long-lost sibling of mine because this is *exactly* what my parents used to say!"
I guess they taught us to go out there and get what we really want for ourselves. I appreciate their tough-love, but I can't replicate it for my kid. I do wonder sometimes if it stunts his ambition?
@Huw said:
"As was often the case, the US name is much cooler than the British one!"
We seem to have a knack for marketing in general on this side of the pond (think Apple, etc) ;)
I'm really glad there was a NA contribution to classic space!
Great article! thanks for posting it. It gets the little red spaceship around own round yellow hearts pumping!
I was a bit too young for this set unfortunately. Castle remains my 1, but these nostalgic stories are great and reminiscent of some of my own. I have a handful of classic space sets and was excited to get some Benny figs and his buddies. I will buy at least 2 of these (gotta save room for the big castle, too though!!).
@StyleCounselor said:
" @dcmal said:
" @StyleCounselor said:
" ... because my mother would've given me a non-comprehending look and said, "just go build it out of the box of legos you already have.""
You _really_ must be a long-lost sibling of mine because this is *exactly* what my parents used to say!"
I guess they taught us to go out there and get what we really want for ourselves. I appreciate their tough-love, but I can't replicate it for my kid. I do wonder sometimes if it stunts his ambition?"
Ambition means different things for different people.
It certainly isn't a bad idea to make someone work for what they want. Be it good grades, chores, saving up pocket money, etc. I think they appreciate the rewards even more.
And sometimes the hard work doesn't get rewarded. And then overcoming the disappointment becomes the challenge that helps them grow.
Unfortunately not every kid will realize what you're doing. Some will grow up and see how you helped them build character and pass it on. While others will just resent that you made them work for something you could have given them.
It's something that I've seen often and don't understand. I just want to point out that there are no guarantees in life, except one.
In the end all that matters is the intent of your actions. Take the steps that you feel are best and accept that you can't control everything.
@Feroz said:
" @StyleCounselor said:
" @dcmal said:
" @StyleCounselor said:
" ... because my mother would've given me a non-comprehending look and said, "just go build it out of the box of legos you already have.""
You _really_ must be a long-lost sibling of mine because this is *exactly* what my parents used to say!"
I guess they taught us to go out there and get what we really want for ourselves. I appreciate their tough-love, but I can't replicate it for my kid. I do wonder sometimes if it stunts his ambition?"
Ambition means different things for different people.
It certainly isn't a bad idea to make someone work for what they want. Be it good grades, chores, saving up pocket money, etc. I think they appreciate the rewards even more.
And sometimes the hard work doesn't get rewarded. And then overcoming the disappointment becomes the challenge that helps them grow.
Unfortunately not every kid will realize what you're doing. Some will grow up and see how you helped them build character and pass it on. While others will just resent that you made them work for something you could have given them.
It's something that I've seen often and don't understand. I just want to point out that there are no guarantees in life, except one.
In the end all that matters is the intent of your actions. Take the steps that you feel are best and accept that you can't control everything."
Wise words indeed. That's the rationale I use to allow myself to 'spoil' my boy. He definitely doesn't want for Lego.
He's really a good kid, and works hard at a wide variety of activities. Yet, it's unlikely he'll ever have the fire that his parents have. Hopefully, he'll be happier for that. As you said, we can't control everything (or perhaps truly, 'anything').
My best friend had this set. I had the Space Cruiser and loved it. I used the "LL924" pieces in several spaceships that I built over the years. Would have loved to have the entire series, if only to have built multiple ships with their own call numbers.
I desperately wanted this set for Christmas ‘79 and did not get it, so I saved my money earned by mowing lawns the next summer to purchase it, and I never found one in the store. When I came out of my dark ages in the mid-‘90s, I discovered that my wife had owned this set and that it( along with many others) were still stored in my in-law’s basement! I have enjoyed owning it ever since.
Funny: I always get the "Transport" and the "Cruiser" mixed-up; because my mind thinks "Transport 'transports' stuff (duh), and the Cruiser...well, is for 'cruising'..."
The other funny thing is: I only ever had the single-engine Transport...twice over. Got both set on my birthday that year, and even though my parents offered to take their set back (the other being from my grandparents); I said "no"...and those two ships sat 'bookending' my Space-stuff for years...And (no kidding) I rebuilt one just just by memory; no instructions (and waaaay before the internet)...and I could probably do again, though I'm still wanting to build a 'Mega-Explorer' first...after the 'Neo-Explorer'...:)
As a kid, i had 918 and 924. But my cousin had the 928 and I was fascinated !
If I remember, we built a massive spaceship inspired by the 928, combining parts of 918 and 924, with other parts. The rear end was equipped with a sophisticated opening system, with hinges in different directions, giving access to a cabin equipped with beds for the crew.
I found a 928 on eBay around 2010. No picture, no mention of 928 in the title, just in the description. I got it for 30 euros. Nobody else than me took the risk. And all the parts were perfect : no scratches, no yellowing, perfect antenna. Love this big ship.
Now I really want the new one. It looks so good. The Lego Movie Spaceship 70816 was a first attempt of Classic Space rebirth, but the design wasn't satisfying.
I had this set as a kid and loved it dearly. I was very rough with my Lego back then and the pieces were broken, faded, yellowed, etc. So I bought one off ebay recently and then painstakingly upgraded each piece with vintage ones to make a great condition set I will treasure for the rest of my days.
@Huw - Can we get an interview with the original designers??
@Rumble_Strike : Weeeell...I found the 'Neo-Explorer' on Walmart Canada's website:
https://www.walmart.ca/en/ip/lego-icons-galaxy-explorer-10497-toy-building-kit-1254-pieces-multicolor/6000205086532
Reported it to this site...never got back to me on it...:(
Thank you for the retrospective! While Kenner Star Wars was becoming THE toy that sucked the oxygen out of all others in my toy box, at the age of 9, I was fortunate to have my mom purchase the 497 for me in 1979 and I’ve kept her (instructions, baseplates, minis and bricks) in mint condition since. Ironically, my step father recently came across ALL of the parts (printed as well) to build another 497 in a lot of Classic Space, Knights and LEGOland sets (random bricks and minis in a box) that I have been sorting through to identify all of the others. The translucent windows and printed parts are in even better condition than my childhood version and I will build her in advance of the remake. So excited!
As a kid I had a 918 and so badly wanted the 924 and 928... but they were too expensive as birthday presents at the time. Next year there were other sets that had to be acquired so I never got to own the 924 and 928 as a child. Now I have solved this and I now own 7x 924 and 4x 928 besides my 17x 918. Things got a bit out of hand but... they make me happy. So I guess I'll just need to buy at least three of the 10497 to get all three versions for my display :)
I have the regular 928, and a custom one in the 6980 color scheme. The new version looks nice (and is fairly priced), but I prefer to buy parts for a third variant of the TRUE one - haven't decided yet if it will be a Blacktron or a M-Tron version ^^
I have a lot of fond memories of playing with this set as a kid. Alongside our pile of LEGO "junkyard" which the astronauts would explore looking for space treasure. That was usually four different color 1x1 semi-transparent "crystal" plates sandwiched between two 2x2 plates. I think I may have started calling it "the matrix" around or about 1986... ??