As I recall, LEGO's oldest weapons were actually wooden ones, from before LEGO started making plastic building bricks! LEGO had several wooden guns, like this one in the 40's and 50's:Within the building toy lineup, LEGO's had a very gradual increase in the amount of weapons that they've featured. LEGO used to have very conservative values, and attempted to avoid any sort of weaponry, religious symbols, or other controversial items. They even used to avoid making standard green, brown, and gray bricks-- supposedly because these facilitated making military models!LEGO's first representation of a weapon in a building set (that I'm aware of) was a gun in the 1976 set 210 Cowboys:Of course, as you can tell, it's not really a "gun" element-- it's just a black 1x2 plate that's being held as though it were a gun. Clearly the intention is there, even though you could probably argue that it's something innocuous like horseshoes instead!Beyond that, LEGO started putting out more weapons in 1978 in its castle lineup.
That initially featured swords, lances, and axes, but would later go on to include other weapons like bow & arrows, spears, halberds, and more:These are a far cry from modern weaponry, though, and were deemed acceptable. After all, it would be hard to make a castle theme without them!In the meanwhile (also starting in 1978), LEGO Space sets had a fair number of "gun-like-things", which designers and kids clearly interpreted as guns. But the official policy was always that they weren't weapons-- they were intended to be futuristic sensors and tools-- not guns!In 1989, LEGO pushed the line again when it came out with pirate sets. These featured cannons, pistols, sabres, and rifles. But they still clearly didn't look like modern weaponry-- and this is likely when LEGO decided on its policy which was roughly: "Weapons are ok, as long as they're in a historical context":That thinking, however, paved the way for "more modern" guns that were featured starting in 1996 with the Wild West lineup, which featured pistols and more modern-looking rifles.
In fact, many have argued that the Wild West weapons were SO similar to modern guns that the two were virtually one and the same.In 1999, LEGO had to again make some adjustments to their "policy" when LEGO Star Wars came out. They featured futuristic weapons (clearly not historical) that were clearly weapons. Hence, the thinking became that weapons were ok in licensed sets, as long as they looked more like futuristic/fantasy weapons, and not modern-day weapons.Finally, in 2006, LEGO started making more realistic modern weapons. This time, it was for the Batman sets, which were exceptions because they were from a licensed lineup:Since then, LEGO's occasionally put out other more modern-ish weapons, so you'll see them sprinkled here and there in several different lineups-- Indiana Jones, Super Heroes, etc. But also even within non-licensed themes like Agents, Monster Fighters, and Collectible Minifigures!LEGO still tries to avoid blatantly modern military, like tanks and fighter jets.
But these days, I don't think anything's off the table. They'll probably opt for a less-violent theme if they have a choice, but they've come a long way from their old policies of having nothing (or very little) violent in their sets.As Peter Hale says, it's been a gradual transition... flintlock pistols and blunderbusses date back to the late 1980s and the first Pirate sets. Colt revolvers and rifles date back to the Wild West line of the early 1990s, and there were additional weapons in the Indiana Jones sets of the early 2000s but for the most modern weapons you can thank Batman :)Average Review Rating: 5 / 5 Stars (2 Reviews)4Items related to LEGO 6384 Police Station available on external websites:Buy vintage legoland 6384 lego city police station completeBuy lego legoland 6384 vintage police station -100% complete w/box - 4the collectorBuy lego town classic police station (6384) vintage, rareBuy lego 6384 police station from 1983-100% complete free shippingFree Building Instruction Scan Download For LEGO 638412345678- or - Full Download (PDF)Henrik rates this set 5 of 5 stars.
I got this set when I was 4 and I will try to build it again with my daughter 35 years later. Loved it as a kid and she loves it too.Rogdush rates this set 5 of 5 stars./index.php?exec=lego_sets&sets_mode=detail&sets_id=265Your ReviewOwn this LEGO set? Tell everyone what you like about it - add a review.Name:Review:Rating: 1 2 3 4 5Cañon City police on Sunday arrested a man suspected of bilking about $14,000 from several victims in an international Star Wars Lego scheme. William Murray, 49, is accused of computer crimes, theft and fraud in the case, investigators say. “Murray was advertising Star Wars Lego sets on various webpages for a range of amounts,” police said in a Monday news release. “Murray would request the victim send the money prior to him sending the Lego set. Upon receiving the money, Murray would stop any communication.” Police say his victims, who lived throughout the United States and beyond, never received their Legos. June 7th 1984 saw the release of the blockbuster film Ghostbusters.
To celebrate its 30th Anniversary in 2014 I present my rendition of characters Peter Venkman, Ray Stantz, Egon Spengler and Winston Zeddemore, their Ectomobile "Ecto-1" and the fan favourite ghost "Slimer".The EctomobileBased on a 1959 Cadillac Miller-Meteor Ambulance, The Ectomobile or Ecto-1 is one of the most famous movie cars in the world, instantly recognizable even to those not familiar with the films. Decked out in all manner of ghost catching equipment and an over abundance of sirens, it's sure to catch the attention of any person, ghost or demi-god in the vicinity.From Left to Right, Winston Zeddemore, Peter Venkman, Ray Stantz and Egon SpenglerWe're ready to believe you!Keep checking back regularly, as you can see I have more on the way!NEW SEALED LEGO Creator Emerald Night Train set (10194) in BoxCriminal gangs around the world are targeting a new, lucrative and almost untraceable commodity – Lego. Sets of the brightly coloured plastic bricks can sell for thousands of pounds on online trading sites prompting thieves to target toy shops from America to Australia.
The trend came to light this month when US police revealed back-to-back cases in New York state and Arizona worth almost $300,000 (£181,000). Caleb Raff, who runs the Brick Hutt Lego shop in Santa Rosa, California, said he knew of several similar thefts near his store. Mr Raff, who earlier this year sold a single piece for $15,000 (The Platinum Avohkii Mask of Light, custom made by Lego for a competition) said criminals seemed to be getting wind of the collectability of some sets. “If you look at other makes – Kenner, Hasbro, Fisher Price – those have always been collectable,” he said. “With Lego, it’s a new trend and if you know what to get then there’s value.” Lego’s popularity is soaring after years of crisis saw the Danish family business turned over to new management. Tie-ins with movies, such as Star Wars and Harry Potter, have helped it connect with a new generation of young builders and quadruple its revenues in less than a decade. Expensive specialist kits include Tower Bridge or the Ewok village, from Return of the Jedi, which retail for $249.
But that’s nothing compared with how prices can rise for unopened, discontinued lines, such as a 2,899-piece Statue of Liberty, released in 2000, which now sells for $10,000. With that has come a lucrative online trade – and black market. Police in Phoenix spent four months investigating thefts from toy shops, monitoring CCTV footage before identifying four suspects. When they made their move last week, they found 18 pallets of Lego sets stored in the garage of one the suspect’s homes, worth more than $200,000. That case was followed by a case in Long Island, New York. A 53-year-old woman was arrested after allegedly taking $60,000 of Lego sets from a storage facility and trying to sell them on eBay, the Nassau County Police Department said in a statement. And detectives in Australia are hunting a gang behind a string of thefts in two states, using angle grinders to cut their way into stores. Two years ago, a Silicon Valley executive was caught sticking fake bar codes on collectible Lego sets, buying them at huge discounts before raking in a profit by selling them on eBay.