Why is a luggage company part of this catalogue?

Samsonite held the licence to make and sell the bricks in the United States and Canada during the 1960s.

Is there more than one Town Plan?

Yes. The list contains 725-3 from 1961 and 842-2 from 1969.

Which parent theme does Samsonite belong to?

It is filed under System, the early building system.

Samsonite

Sets: 119
Since: 1961
Newest set: 1971

For much of the 1960s, North American children got their bricks from Samsonite, better known for luggage. This theme collects 119 sets from that licence, dated 1961 to 1971.

Sets per decade

All decades

Sets per year

94 sets from the 1960s

1960s

About Samsonite

The licence years

From 1961 Samsonite produced and sold the bricks under licence in the United States and Canada. The theme is filed under System, the early building system on which everything else was based. Box art, set numbers and names often differ from the European versions of the time, which is why collectors treat Samsonite as a field of its own. The theme holds 119 sets across eleven years, and its entries stop after 1971.

Sets for open-ended building

Most of the larger sets were general-purpose boxes rather than themed models, and their names reflect that. The Master Builder Set (004-1) from 1966 has 817 pieces and the Ambassador Set (080-2) from 1967 has 712. For younger builders there was the Junior Constructor (717-1) from 1961 with 482 pieces. Towards the end of the period came the Imagination sets: Imagination Set 5 (105-3) from 1971 is the largest entry in the theme at 917 pieces, while Imagination Set 3 (103-2) from the same year has 568. The remaining sets in the theme are smaller, down to modest boxes for a first collection.

Town Plans and a storage case

Town Plan appears twice in the list, once as 725-3 from 1961 with 785 pieces and again as 842-2 from 1969 with 799 pieces. The Deluxe Set with Storage Case (502-1) from 1968, with 470 pieces, is a fitting reminder of the company behind the licence. The two Town Plans differ by only 14 pieces, so check the set number carefully when identifying a box.

Sorting out an old collection

Vintage Samsonite bricks often turn up mixed with later pieces. The parts lists help you work out which set a box once was and what is missing from it. Once you know what you have, What can I build? on Bricoria suggests other sets that your vintage bricks could still make.

FAQ

Why is a luggage company part of this catalogue?: Samsonite held the licence to make and sell the bricks in the United States and Canada during the 1960s.
Is there more than one Town Plan?: Yes. The list contains 725-3 from 1961 and 842-2 from 1969.
Which parent theme does Samsonite belong to?: It is filed under System, the early building system.