Mastering LEGO Set Buying
Ole Kirk Christiansen, who started making wooden toys, ironing boards, and stepladders in his Billund, Denmark workshop, probably did not imagine that his colorful bricks, which he made in his workshop, would later be the most sought-after toy manufacturer in the world.
His son and Godtfred were able save Lego from disaster by taking the building in a different direction.
Ole Kirk Christiansen
Ole Kirk Christiansen, a carpenter from a small village in rural Denmark, turned his love of whittling into one of the world's most beloved toys. The construction toys, known as LEGO bricks, are sold in over 130 countries worldwide are loved by kids as well as adults.
In 1924, Ole's woodworking shop was completely destroyed by fire. The fire was caused by two of Ole's sons who had started the flame using shavings of wood. Despite a lack of material, Ole rebuilt and soon expanded his company through the sale of wooden toys.
In the yoyo boom in the 1930s, the factory produced too many yoyos which were not sellable. The company was close to bankruptcy. Vejle Bank provided a loan and Ole was able to rebuild the factory. Ole rebranded the company Leg Godt (Danish for "play well") to reflect the new direction it was taking.
Godtfred Christiansen
Godtfred Kirk Christiansen died in his home in Billund, Denmark. He was the son of a businessman who helped his father grow his business of wooden toys into a global empire. He was 75.
After a fire destroyed the wood toy factory owned by the family, Godtfred decided the company should concentrate on toys made of plastic. His brothers, Karl and Gerhardt--who had been the directors of plastic and wood product manufacturing respectively--disagreed.
During a ferry ride to the London toy fair, Godtfred had a conversation with a buyer who opined that instead of making singular toys, the makers of toys should create a system in where sets of toys are interlocked. This resulted in the creation of the modern Lego design, which has tubes and studs, which was patentable on the 28th of January 1958.
The Kiddicraft brick
In the late 1940s, a firm known as Kiddicraft introduced "Kiddicraft Self-Locking Building Bricks". The blocks were hollow rectangular with four studs at the top. Each stud was inserted into studs of a different block which allowed them to be stackable.
Kirk Christiansen, Godtfred and Godtfred, a British supplier of the first machine for injection molding were shown the bricks by a salesperson to demonstrate the kind of toys that they could design. Whether Kirk realized that these bricks were patented or not He copied them and called them Lego. The result was a toy business that continues to generate billions of dollars every year. Hilary Fisher Page committed suicide in the year 1957. She was the creator of Kiddicraft.
The plastic injection molder machine
The Lego bricks are now one of the most well-known toys around the globe. Their popularity stems from the fact that they're kid-friendly, durable, and flexible. Children have designed everything from spaceships to cities using these blocks.
Godtfred's thought process for the stud and tube system was a result of an exchange with a buyer. The buyer suggested that toy makers create a system where sets of toys could be interconnected and used to build various types of structures. If you liked this write-up and you would certainly like to obtain more information concerning Lego sets for beginners kindly see our own web site. The Lego system was born out of this concept. Sets containing furniture pieces and dollhouses were introduced in 1971. Additionally, the company's transport options grew with ship and boat sets that included hull pieces that floated.
The Town Plan
Lego's Technic series, which contained mechanical components that were detailed set the standard for the 80s. Nine years later, it introduced the Minifigure citizens in yellow who now appear in themed play sets. Lego introduced Duplo that same year as an expanded line of blocks aimed at kids who have difficulty handling the original small bricks.
Lego has developed into a worldwide toy empire, with 10 theme park and movie franchises. It's also a brand that has a loyal customer base, even after all this expansion. This loyalty is rooted in the fact that Lego appears less like a commercially oriented business than an old family friend.
The Ninjago theme
Lego has evolved into so much more than it's a basic toy. In 1998, it was dubbed Toy of the Century, surpassing Barbie and teddy bears and has developed into a media conglomerate with books, TV shows and theme park experiences.
The company also has a line of Mindstorms of programmable robots that has shaped its education strategies. Its basic educational concept that was influenced by Seymour's constructionism, is that kids learn best by building things.
Ninjago is currently the main theme of Lego conventions, and the movie inspired massive builds that are collaborative. The first LEGO set, Ninjago City, 70620, has influenced the other LEGO themes.
