Help finding an old set

[Gakusei]

I spent the better part of today searching Brikipedia and Google images for a particular set from at least the mid to early 90s. However, I had no luck in finding such a set, which is disappointing in the age of being able to find instructions on how to build an atomic bomb and where to buy the needed uranium (amazon.com, for those curious). In any event, I'm trying to find this set for several reasons. Not so much the set itself either, rather the instructions.

The set in particular was a boat, and not any of the boats with easy build hulls. This set was a fairly good sized boat, had a forward cabin area and a flat heli-pad in the back. I recall its colors to the typical blue and white, common with some Lego boats. The hull was built piece by piece by sloped bricks. It was a pretty solid boat, fun to play with and modify to my hearts content. I don't remember much else, such as whether it came with a helicopter or even mini-figures.

In any event, it would be nice to have those instructions for nostalgic sake. I wish I knew at least the year it was made, I'm sure it would make it easier, but all I know was that it was my dads. It was later given to me by my mom after my parents divorced back in the mid-90s (a woman scorned, ha).

[architect]

Could it be either of these two sets?

http://www.peeron.com/inv/sets/6353-1
http://www.peeron.com/inv/sets/6541-1

You may find this book helpful for recording old sets:

http://www.bricklink.com/catalogItem.asp?B=810003

Ben

[Gakusei]

Sadly, neither of those sets are the ship. The one I'm thinking of is actually larger, but doesn't have a lot of 'fluff' so to speak. Its almost along the line of the creator sets, its built to look nice and then sit there (or be taken apart for more ideas).

That guide book looks like it can be useful though! I'll have to look into the possibility of buying that here in the near future.

[Memsochet]

I've always used bricklink. There used to be a site that if you knew the set # or w/e you could get the instructions for it. I did that for a few sets I either used to have or missed getting, but knew I either had the parts for or could easily get(I care little for MSRP when it comes to Lego).

[Bruce N H]

Hey,

Is there a possibility it is one of the boats from the Divers subtheme? There are several sets with blue and white hulls with the bridge forward and a space behind - not sure if any of these have actual helipads, though. I suspect if it was one of these you would remember the diver figs and the sharks and octopuses (octopi?), though.



There are also some great blue and white ships in the Nautica subtheme:

[JoshWedin]

Looking through the collector's book from 1975-2000, I've found the following types of boats built from slopes:

http://www.bricklink.com/catalogItem.asp?S=1955-1

http://www.bricklink.com/catalogItem.asp?S=1575-1

Everything else was made with floating hulls or large purpose-built hull slopes.

Does it look anything like those?

In 2004 Lego made the Maersk container ship, which fits some of your criteria, but the "Cabin" is at the rear and there is no helipad.

Also, do you still have the pieces? I'm asking because it occurred to me that it might have been a MegaBloks set.

Josh

[Count Blacktron]

Was it the Divers subtheme of Town from 1997?

Check the links for Brickset and Peeron here:

http://www.brickset.com/search/?subthem ... &Year=1997

http://www.peeron.com/inv/theme/LEGO/SYSTEM/Town/Divers

6560 Diving Expedition Explorer wasn't in the main line catalog as it was a USA S@H special and most of us only knew of it through the mail order catalog. There were no LEGO stores in the US at the time that I would be aware of and so that set would have been shipped from their (then) Connecticut HQ. I do recall the boat was BIG and the rear "pad" at the back could have been mistaken for a helipad, but it was actually for the smaller explorer sub included with the set. Seems like so long ago...

[Kosh]

Not helping find the boat but the Mall of America (MoA) LEGO Imagination Center opened in 1992.... That's likely a Major reason it's undergoing a compete teardown/rebuilt style remodel at the moment (if you care to look there are pictures on Flickr atm) and yes they are in a temporary locations until they get back into thier permanent location again.
It did Not have any USA retail siblings for a number of years but now has a number relations dispensing bricky-blocky goodness

[Gakusei]

Unfortunately, none of the sets you have provided have been it. I remember the diver sets, but it wasn't apart of any of those, and like I said, the set is pre-1995 for sure. I have thought about whether it may have been another set from either Tyco or MegaBlocks, but I specifically remember the box having the Lego logo and pretty Lego packaging (I believe that including the flap on the front lifting up to show windows of what was inside).

I have some of the parts in storage somewhere, but I have absolutely no clue where. My family has 3 15'x15' storage units packed completely full of stuff, it would take weeks if not months to try to sift through everything and find my Lego collection of my youth.

[Bruce N H]

it would take weeks if not months to try to sift through everything and find my Lego collection of my youth.

Ah, but it would be so worth the effort once you actually found them. I remember opening up my box of old LEGO (mostly Classic Space) that was in my parents' basement. Now that was a very happy day.

Oh, on Kosh, above. I don't know when they opened, but I think the LEGO Imagination Center stores outside of Disneyland and Disneyworld were also around pretty early, long before official LEGO retail stores became relatively common.

Bruce

[Kosh]

it would take weeks if not months to try to sift through everything and find my Lego collection of my youth.

Ah, but it would be so worth the effort once you actually found them. I remember opening up my box of old LEGO (mostly Classic Space) that was in my parents' basement. Now that was a very happy day.

Oh, on Kosh, above. I don't know when they opened, but I think the LEGO Imagination Center stores outside of Disneyland and Disneyworld were also around pretty early, long before official LEGO retail stores became relatively common.

Bruce

I agree reclaiming the LEGO of your youth if you can is worthwhile.

On the stores I believe the stores outside the theme parks (Carlsbad at first and others like the Disney stores) are actually referred to as LEGO Discovery Centers (Verus being LEGO Imagination Centers) as I believe the stores outside the themeparks are run by the Company that now runs the parks. Not a major issue and getting off topic from finding the set for the original poster.

Went browsing Brickset by year and found this http://brickset.com/detail/?Set=Minneapolis-1

[Gakusei]

Finding the Lego of my youth would be nice, but finding the time to search is the problem, especially since the family storage unit is a half hour drive in another city. Nonetheless, I need to do it. Perhaps I can even find the ship and, even better, the instruction manual, intact in a box somewhere. Plus, I could also get all my old toys out as well as a small library's worth of books.

[Frank_Lloyd_Knight]

Finding the Lego of my youth would be nice, but finding the time to search is the problem, especially since the family storage unit is a half hour drive in another city. Nonetheless, I need to do it. Perhaps I can even find the ship and, even better, the instruction manual, intact in a box somewhere. Plus, I could also get all my old toys out as well as a small library's worth of books.

If you do manage to find the old ship, I hope you might consider posting a photo or two -- I think you may have piqued everyone's curiosity about the set you describe. Even if you only manage to find a brick or two which you are certain are from the set, if you post them, that can help in narrowing down the search.

[davee123]

I think this might be it:
http://www.brickset.com/detail/?Set=720-1

Instructions:
http://www.peeron.com/scans/720-1/

DaveE

[Gakusei]

I think this might be it:
http://www.brickset.com/detail/?Set=720-1

Instructions:
http://www.peeron.com/scans/720-1/

DaveE

I am 80% certain that this is, in fact, the set that I was looking for. Or, at least, very similar to it. Though, oddly enough, I remember the ship... bigger, like, 3 times that size. No I really want to look for my old Lego. Last time I saw that ship was when we moved, that was like... 14 years ago... I was only 11 at the time.