• Discover LEGO History

• Select and Collect LEGO

• Find LEGO on eBay

• Buy LEGO with Confidence

Discover LEGO History

Discover LEGO History

LEGO, which gets its name from the Danish words “leg godt” (“play well”), started in Denmark as a carpenter shop in 1932. But it wasn’t until 1949 that they introduced the “Automatic Binding Brick,” the predecessor to today’s LEGO. The rest, as they say, is history.

• 1954: LEGO “Automatic Binding Brick” is renamed the “LEGO Mursten” or “LEGO Brick” and is officially trademarked. After an initial lack of interest at a German toy fair, the “LEGO System of Play” the familiar stud and tube coupling system was developed to make the toys more stable.

• 1959: LEGO spreads across Europe and opens offices in France, Britain, Belgium, and Sweden.

• 1961: LEGO establishes sales in the U.S. and Canada through a distribution deal with Samsonite. There are 50 sets, 15 vehicles, and numerous loose kits available.

• 1964: Building sets with instructions are sold for the first time.

• 1966: By the end of the year, 57 sets and 25 vehicles are available for sale.

• 1967: DUPLO is produced.

• 1973: LEGO USA is established.

• 1977: LEGO TECHNIC line is introduced.

• 1978: First mini-figures, with movable arms and legs, inhabit LEGO worlds.

• 1980: 70% of all Western families with children under 14 have LEGO toys in the household. Over the next 10 years numerous product lines are developed including LEGO Castle and LEGO Pirates.

• 1990: The LEGO Group is one of the 10 largest toy manufacturers in the world.

• 1999: LEGOLAND opens in Carlsbad, California. A new line of construction sets based on the wildly popular Star Wars movies are launched. Fortune magazine names the LEGO brick one of the products of the century.

• 2001: Bionicle is introduced, becomes incredibly popular with children, and spawns a movie. Mindstorms also are launched—LEGO building kits that come with microprocessors, making them truly robotic toys.

• 2001-2005: LEGO continues to release many lines based on popular movies, books, and television series.

Select and Collect LEGO

Select and Collect LEGO

LEGO encourages children of all ages to use their imagination and teaches them fundamentals of construction and physics. The only rule to collecting LEGO is to enjoy yourself. From there though, your imagination is the only limit.

Select the right LEGO

LEGO toys range in ages from 0 to adult, so no matter who you’re buying for, there’s sure to be a LEGO toy to suit your needs.

• Babies and toddlers (ages 0-2): Toddlers can begin learning the basics of building with DUPLO LEGO blocks and QUATRO LEGO blocks that are larger and more easily manipulated by smaller hands. Some DUPLO LEGO play sets even feature their favourite characters, such as Winnie the Pooh, Dora the Explorer, Thomas the Tank Engine, and Bob the Builder.

• Young builders (ages 3-5): More advanced DUPLO LEGO sets are available for older children. For freeform building, brick and bucket LEGO sets are available. Favourite kids themes include all sorts of animals, dinosaurs, and police and firemen. DUPLO storage tables are also available to serve as a building base and make cleanup simple.

• Master builders (ages 6+): Kids of all ages enjoy LEGO, and with a wide variety of themed sets, from LEGO pirates and castles to Harry Potter LEGO and Star Wars LEGO sets, there’s plenty of room for growth. Action sets, such as LEGO cars and trucks—and even NBA LEGO—are equally popular with adults. Competitions, free form sculptures, and robotic sets, such as Mindstorm, can also take building to a whole new level.

Collect LEGO

As always, it’s a good idea to pick a focus for your collection. You may want to select a special interest, such as ninjas, LEGO trains, or the military, or popular collectable themes such as Harry Potter and Star Wars. Because sets and pieces can be relatively inexpensive, it’s easy to start a decent collection right away on eBay.

LEGO has released a number of exclusives and special edition LEGO pieces in the past. Items like the Red Baron’s Fokker triplane, the U.S.S. Constellation, and the Death Star II (over 2 feet tall) are some of the more hard-to-find and, therefore, highly desirable pieces.

Some collectors even attempt to collect every unique LEGO brick that’s ever been made. While this is an enormous task, some enthusiasts relish the challenge.

Many sellers on eBay sell LEGO bricks by the pound. These bulk purchases are great for completing large projects or sculptures.

Find LEGO on eBay

Find LEGO on eBay

Once you know what type of LEGO you want, go to the Toys & Hobbies portal, click Building Toys - LEGO, and start searching for item listings on eBay.

• Categories: The Categories list on the left side of each page will help you narrow down your listings by item type. You'll find links for bulk bricks, Bionicles, DUPLO, and more. As you dig deeper into the site you'll also be able to narrow down your choice by brand.

• Keyword search: Search eBay listing titles for specific words. For example, if you want to find Bionicle s, type "Bionicle" (without quotation marks) into the Search box. Click "Search title and description" to expand your results. Visit eBay's Search Tips page for more tips on searching with keywords.

If you can't find exactly what you want, try shopping eBay Stores, tell the eBay Community what you want by creating a post on Want It Now, or save a search on My eBay and eBay will email you when a match becomes available.

Buy LEGO with Confidence

Buy LEGO with Confidence

Before making your purchase, make sure you know exactly what you're buying, research your seller, and understand how eBay and PayPal protect you.

Know your purchase

Carefully read the details in item listings.

• Figure delivery costs into your final price. If you spend a lot of money, make sure the seller will insure the item when it ships.

• If you want more information, ask by clicking the "Ask seller a question" link under the seller's profile.

• Always make sure to complete your transaction on eBay (with a bid, Buy It Now, or Best Offer). Transactions conducted outside of eBay are not covered by eBay protection programs.

• Never pay for your eBay item using instant cash wire transfer services through Western Union or MoneyGram. These payment methods are unsafe when paying someone you do not know.

Know your seller

Research your seller so you feel positive and secure about every transaction.

• What is the seller's Feedback rating? How many transactions have they completed? What percentage of positive responses do they have?

• What do buyers say in their Feedback? Did the seller receive praise?

• Most top eBay sellers operate like retail stores and have return policies. Do they offer a money-back guarantee? What are the terms and conditions?

Buyer protection

In the unlikely event that a problem arises during your transaction, eBay and PayPal are there for you.

• Pay safely with PayPal: PayPal enables you to pay without the seller ever seeing your bank account or credit card numbers. In fact, PayPal protects buyers 100% against unauthorized payments from their accounts. Plus, with PayPal Buyer Protection, your purchase can be covered up to C$1,250.

• eBay Security & Resolution Centre: Visit the Security & Resolution Centre to learn how to protect your account and use eBay's quick and efficient resolution tools.