First introduced in 1978, Lego space sets featured spaceships and astronauts. It is also one of the biggest and most expansive toy sets that Lego has produced. It has about 200 individual sets, which when connected formed one big outer space set. The first of the Lego space sets that were produced were considered to be a great leap forward in terms of design. It has since become one of the most loved and cherished Lego toy building sets, putting it upon the same pedestal as the Lego train sets, pirates Lego themed sets and the medieval castle sets. In comparison to the former space set releases which included the Rocket Base, Space Rocket and the Moon Landing sets, the newer and better themed Space and Mars showcased new building techniques as well as Lego parts that were previously unseen. Even though the traditional Lego bricks were still present in these new sets, they also had some finer details, which enabled more multi-purpose space vehicles and smoother looking battleships.

In the early space sets there were certain oddities such as the use of a steering wheel to drive the spacecraft and even though it lacks any on board pilot protection except that of the space suit, it was still fancy enough to spark the imaginations of kids back then. From battleships and the basic 4 wheeled vehicles, the theme further developed and was often said to be following the trends of science fiction movies prevalent at that time. As their development continued, the vehicle designs became more advanced as well. The addition of Lego minifigures, robots, space bases, buggies, as well as, larger battleships soon followed. These early sets, though perhaps rather humble when compared to today’s standards, were some of the most modern among other sci-fi inspired toys during that time. They were simple yet very charming toys that kids adored. Eventually, gray become a major color for this theme which well fitted to its very futuristic and utilitarian theme. There were also more building base plate type Lego parts, in that color, that were being made. More often than not, these gray parts were paired with green, which can be seen in the space ships windows. Other dominant colors also included yellow and blue.

The most recent of space Lego sets would be Life on Mars, which included interaction between the human Lego minifigs and the Martian ones. It shows a very peaceful co-existence between both races and was released during a time when there was much interest and curiosity surrounding the red planet and the possibility of other beings living on it. The new set incorporated what was thought to be very reminiscent of a Martian landscape, thus the sand that was colored in green, red and purple. Though not as colorful as the previous sets, it did feature a first, which are the transparent brown windows for the battleships. Following the release of Life on Mars, 2007 saw the debut of Mars Mission, which is the second installment in the series of Mars related sets. Unlike the early ones where the humans and extra terrestrials existed peacefully, these sets saw them being pitted against each other which was what the children did with the first set anyway. Up to date Lego space sets are sure to be released in keeping with the advances in today’s space technology.

For those of you who don’t know what Lego Star Wars Minifigs are , and I had never heard of them until my 6-year-old showed me some, then quite simply they are superb little renditions of the Star Wars characters made from Lego.

Lego Star Wars minifigs come in a huge range of designs and feature all of the main characters from both the Dark Side and the Rebel Alliance. They also cover all 6 of the Star Wars films and several other parts of the Star Wars universe. There are some designs available from the manufacturers, but for me the most remarkable thing about Lego Star Wars minifigs is the huge community that has sprung up dedicated to creating new and unique designs.

Many of these hand built minifigs are lovingly crafted from spare parts and include hand painted faces, metallic bodies and even light up eyes, light sabres and weapons. Some have hats, headpieces and even additional clothing – truly amazing! There have also been licensed Lego Star Wars minifigs which have featured unique head sculpts that differ from the traditional cylindrical shape. The first was Jar Jar Binks and Yoda and C-3PO have also made guest appearances.

Other variations of the standard Lego Star Wars minifigs included the light-up lightsaber (LULS) minifigures. These were released as a part of the more expensive Star Wars Episode III sets in 2005, and look like standard minifigs but contain internal electronics. When the head is pressed down, an LED lluminates the lightsaber blade – how cool is that!

So as you can see Lego Star Wars Minifigs are not just toys, they are true collectors items. This is even truer of the latest addition to the line – a solid gold C3-PO – now that’s a toy I wouldn’t mind playing with.

Since its modest beginnings in 1932, the Lego company continues to make adults and children alike happy with new play sets being continuously released in the toy market. Lego is popular with many adults for purely nostalgic reasons while kids simply love playing with the toy sets while unknowingly developing their building skills! The nostalgia angle is a great marketing pitch, but to be able to survive, Lego must do more than to depend on nostalgia. Lego has always been known for the innovations in its products and the system utilized to make these products, but without a solid offering, it could very well remain on the sidelines while other toy companies rise to the top. Lego executives understand this situation and have made aggressive marketing and production campaigns promoting the products and the brand.

Lego has released thousands of themed play sets over the years, including dinosaurs, medieval castles, robots and train sets, to name a few. While this surly helped Lego capture a larger market share, the company showed great vision and further widened its lead in the building toy market by partnering with companies that own super franchises such as Harry Potter, Indiana Jones, Harry Potter, Sponge Bob Squarepants, Star Wars and, of course, Batman. These franchises were transformed as Lego toy building sets using toy bricks, blocks and pieces, much to the delight of both movie enthusiasts and Lego buffs.

One of the most profitable among the successful franchises that have made it to the Lego ranks is Batman. Batman sets are scenes from Marvel comic book’s movies and cartoons. Lego has turned famous Batman scenes and locations as well as vehicles into building sets that provide hours of entertainment. Of all the vehicle sets, the Batmobile is, of course, the most popular. Other Lego sets are Robin’s Scuba Jet, the Penguin’s submarine and Mr. Freeze’s jeep. What are even cooler are the Batman mini-figures that come with these vehicles. This is but a few of the Lego Batman sets available today.

Batman is a very profitable franchise that really needs no promotion. However, the partnership with Lego was a wise move on the part of both companies as they are able to reap the benefits from each other’s loyal following. A prime example of the effect of this strategic alliance is that Lego collectors and Batman memorabilia collectors can be one and the same. A Batman collector who collects anything Batman is also likely to buy Lego as long as Batman is the theme. It won’t matter what type of play set it is, as long as it’s Batman related. This buying behavior applies to Lego collectors as well. The Batman product and Lego marriage means more than just short-term profits. One has to take into account the long-term aspect of the merger. The more Batman products Lego releases, the higher the probability for increased customers and profits.

Lego Batman sets will always be popular with Lego enthusiasts and collectors alike. It also stands to reason that if a parent is into either or Batman and Lego, the chances of their kids being into the Lego hobby is likely as well. This continuing cycle is a winning situation for the consumer and the marketplace as well!

Lego Pirates themed sets were first released for sale in 1989. The Lego Pirates sets included the first mini figures without a very realistic looking head that only had two dots for eyes and a drawn smile. The faces of these mini figure pirates did vary from the ones that had painted eye patches and drawn beards and hair. Along with the Lego pirates sets, Imperial Soldiers with blue coats were also released to pursue the plundering pirates (1989 – 1991). These toy soldiers had a definite European look about them. A Lego comic book, The Pirates, and titled as The Gold Medallion was debuted in 1989 as well. The blue-coated Imperial Soldiers were replaced in 1992 by Imperial Guards, which were on duty through 1995. During this period Lego Pirate sets took on a definite Spanish feel. During 1996 and 1997, the Spanish Armada was on the scene, patrolling the pirate-controlled seas.

1997 saw the last few Lego Pirate toy building sets being released. This came as a surprise to the many fans of the famous Lego Pirates and their surrounding sets. These beloved sets had become one of the company’s best selling product lines. A few pirate sets have since been re-released and the pirate theme can be found in a few Lego Duplo sets as well. Captain Redbeard, also known as Captain Roger, was one of the characters in a Lego Pirate set released in 1989, and he quickly became one of Lego’s most popular pirates. He and his first mate, Rummy, could often be found on a ship in the open seas doing what pirates do best. Robbing and pillaging!

There has recently been some very good news for Lego pirate enthusiasts. The company is coming out with more brand new pirate sets in their 2009 releases, which can already be found at some online stores. Lego’s timing is on the mark to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the first pirate sets from 1989. The new Lego Soldier’s Fort set and Brickbeard’s Bounty set are but a couple of these new releases. Welcome back!

In 1990, Ladybird books, based on the Lego pirate theme were published. There are four books in all. Adventure on Shark Island, Captain Roger’s Birthday, Will and the Gold Chase, and The Royal Visit. These entertaining books were based on the crew of the Dark Shark and their sea going adventures and clashes with the Broadside Imperial Guards. The stories created a lasting identity for the characters and as a result, expanded the universe of the Lego pirate themed sets. Captain Foul, who was in command of the pirate ship “The Barracuda,” was introduced as one of the main characters in the books. Captain Foul, however, never made it to any of the Pirate sets created by the Lego company.

For a lot of adults, especially those who enjoyed the first releases of the Pirate adventure themed, Lego sets, the toys are not just mere toys. They are more like childhood souvenirs that they have spent many hours with and can still be enjoyed, eventually handing them down to their own children. Lego toy brick sets, being durable enough to last at least two or more generations, could easily become family treasures handed down from generation to generation! Educational, entertaining and long lasting are just some of the attributes that people love about Lego toy building sets.

Lego toy is never going to be out of the date. It has been a part of childhood for more than three generations. Almost everyone under 50 years old has played with these plastic bricks of imagination.

The earliest form of Lego toy is designed in 1949, Lego company introduced the automatic binding bricks which could be assembled together as they are having four to eight studs. The first 200 pieces of different Lego toys was born then in Denmark.

Creativity is the key to Lego. Children and adults alike can use their imaginations to design whatever they can picture. The easy to manipulate and interlock blocks allow for easy construction of projects. The sets can all be interchanged, so it is possible to use parts and pieces with one set in combination with another. They can assemble those plastic toy bricks that can be easily changed into buildings, space ships, vehicles, boats, trains and other toys.

The key is that the child gets to assemble the toy from the basic building blocks. Each toy can be assembled, disassembled and reassembled in enough new shapes and forms to tickle the imagination and stretch the young people’s creativity.

As time goes by, there are remarkable development in Lego Company, and Lego toys are also improved in their designation, materials, technical, customize and imaginations. The Lego fans also increase from young kids to all age of people. Lego is much more that the simple blocks invented in 1949. It spreads from toys to theme parks, movies and CDs. Lego building blocks and other products are distributed around the world. The reputation of Lego products is as same as Disney land. That’s really a great success of these tiny plastic bricks which symbolize the great creativity.

The video game was first released in 2005 and is based the actual Star Wars Trilogy that began in the late 1970’s and early 1980’s. Many parents feel that children spend too much time with high tech toys and are forgetting about the traditional fan toys. Lego is able to help your children to develop creativity, imagination as well as motor skills in building and constructing their mind pictures and projects. Children of all ages love Lego, and with the new theme packages even adults will enjoy playing. The good news for the parents is that you can have good chance to build love relationship with your children if you play Lego with them.

For the Star Wars and/or Lego fanatic in all of us, Lego brought a new era of enjoyment when they agreed to a license with Lucasfilm, enabling them to produce a unique Star Wars line of Lego toys. The Lego Star Wars series has been available since 1999 and has been continually expanded upon. It was introduced with characters and vehicles from the original Star Wars trilogy (Episodes IV-VI). Since then, there have been new sets and releases that encompass the prequel trilogy (Episodes I-III) and even the latest Clone Wars animated film and TV series.

All of the mainstays of the Star Wars franchise are available in Lego form. The characters, for the most part, maintain the typical Lego figure. That means that they have a square body with a block shaped head with just slight variations such as colors and accessories like capes or hats/helmets. However, due to the wide discrepancy between the shapes and sizes of many of the Star Wars characters, unique and original molds were created for the Lego Star Wars line. Darth Vader for example, has his own easily recognizable head and head shape, as do the Stormtroopers, Yoda and many other aliens and characters. Yes, the light sabers are available with some figures as well!

Outside of the characters, Lego Star Wars also produces all of the recognizable and famous ships and vehicles from the franchise. This includes the ultra-popular Millennium Falcon, which has been tweaked and improved upon since its original release. Also available of course is the X-Wing fighter. Other available vehicles and ships include the Imperial AT-ST, TIE fighters, a Rebel Blcckade Runner (the starship you see being chased by the Imperial Star Destroyer in the opening scene of the original movie) and several speeder crafts. There are also location sets including the Death Star, the Hoth Rebel base and more.

In addition to these characters and vehicles, Lego has released a vast array of Star Wars products, including several additions to their Technic line, which is based on complex parts and movement and are less reminiscent the classic block look, feel and construction of Lego figures. Also released was a mini figure magnet series with a dozen Star Wars characters. Additionally, Lego released several Star Wars products for their Ultimate Collector Series, which are large and highly complex designs. The Millennium Falcon for this series, with over 5,000 pieces, was the largest and most complex Lego product ever released for the public.

The single most popular Lego Star Wars product however would have to be the videogame series. These videogames sold tremendously well and reached critical acclaim across both the Star Wars and videogame community. The first game was based on the prequel trilogy, and the second game was based on the original trilogy. Afterwards, both were released together in one complete addition.

Lego Star Wars toys, figures and products are fun for just about everybody. Whether you are an adult reliving his childhood, or a child discovering the series for the first time, Lego Star Wars combines the best of two great franchises into an amazing line of products that should give you hours upon hours of entertainment.