The History of Lego Toys

Every toy manufacturer has a dream of dominating the industry by creating the very best toys in the market. When this statement comes to mind, we usually think of electronic toys such as the Nintendo DSi or the Playstation Portable. We have to remember that toys were created long before TVs were even invented. In fact, toys were present even before the creation of the light bulb. It is very hard to compare the old toys with the toys of this generation because of the very big difference in their functionality. Nevertheless, we must pay homage to the great toys of the past. One such toy is Lego which dominated the toy industry for many decades.

Lego and its Colourful History

Lego is one of the most famous child related toys there is. Lego began in 1916 when its founder Ole Kirk Christiansen purchased a woodworking shop. Back then, the company focused on woodworks and furniture. Ole Kirk then expanded his workshop for faster production. During the time of the Great Depression, Ole Kirk had very few customers and had to focus on cheaper projects for the company to survive. He had an ingenious idea of creating miniature models of his products for the customers to view and would only create the actual products upon payment of the customer. This idea inspired him to start creating toys.

The Origins of Lego: From Wooden Toys to a Legendary Name

Ole Kirk’s first toys consisted of piggy banks, cars, and trucks, all of which were made out of wood. The depression did not give his company much revenue though and he still had to make his furniture for better profit. During this time, most people traded food for his toys. In 1934, Ole Kirk decided to name his company and he had to choose between two names. The first name was Legio which was short for legion of toys. The second name was Lego which was a Latin translation of “I assemble”. Ole Kirk decided to name his company Lego.

The Birth of the Iconic Lego Bricks

After the war, the company chose to use plastic instead of the usual wood material for their toys. They also patented the plastic bricks which are now widely used today. Initially, the plastic bricks were not well received because of the locking ability which was not yet very good. Improvements on this factor as well as the subsequent planning of the “town plan” generated enough interest for the plastic bricks to become a phenomenon.

Lego’s Evolution from Wheels to Themed Collections

In 1961, Lego introduced the Lego wheel which gave people the capability to build cars and vehicles. 1963 saw the change from the usual CA plastic to the more stable ABS plastic, which we still use today. ABS was more resistant to heat and chemicals, less prone to discoloration, and was less toxic. 1966 saw the very first Lego set – the Lego Train. Since then, Lego has been creating Lego sets which were designed for a specific target market. Notable Lego sets include the Duplo set for children, the expert set for experienced builders, and the Lego Space set. These sets made Lego a household name and their sales have never been down ever since.