Like Lego, but different...

corblimey

As a child, I remember buying and playing with what would these days be termed 'a construction kit'. It was like lego, but slightly different. The couple I had were both space ships, smaller parts than lego and they came with fully-formed spacemen with AFAIR white space suits.

Does this sound familiar to anyone? It's a bit difficult looking online when I can't even remember what it's called, but I'm sure someone will jog my memory.

humanji

I think I remember those. They weren't called Duplo or something like that?

Crucifix

Duplo bits were bigger than lego though. And possibly made by lego.

Mossy Monk

wasnt Duplo Lego for toddlers?

byte

Was it by K'Nex by any chance?

corblimey

Sorry, byte, not K'nex. I'm a lot older than I look I'd say this would have been the early to mid 80s that we're talking about.

Ahhh, Duplo. (sigh). But no

Grand_Izer

Sounds kinda familiar...

Did the spacemen have detachable arms? Very small detachable arms (which every child would inevitable lose and you'd end up with a crew of armless spacemen). The studs in the bricks also differed from lego in that they had small holes in them, where you could attach the spacemen or items like an antenna.

kenmc

Grand_Izer wrote:

Sounds kinda familiar...

Did the spacemen have detachable arms? Very small detachable arms (which every child would inevitable lose and you'd end up with a crew of armless spacemen). The studs in the bricks also differed from lego in that they had small holes in them, where you could attach the spacemen or items like an antenna.

i used have some of them-rubbishy things - would invariable get mixed into the lego box. never fitted the lego bricks. some cheapskates would buy them as pressies thinking "ah he's only 9, he'll never know the difference..." grrrr

corblimey

Grand_Izer wrote:

Sounds kinda familiar...

Did the spacemen have detachable arms? Very small detachable arms (which every child would inevitable lose and you'd end up with a crew of armless spacemen). The studs in the bricks also differed from lego in that they had small holes in them, where you could attach the spacemen or items like an antenna.

The antenna sounds *very* familiar, although I don't remember detachable arms. I thought the actual spacemen came as one piece (instead of the ...er 3 piece Lego spacemen) but I was drinking quite heavily around the time

klong

Mossy Monk wrote:

wasnt Duplo Lego for toddlers?

yes it was

byte

http://www.constructiontoys.com/

Any of the makes listed on left?

corblimey

Nope, none of those look like it, byte, but in fairness, that site seems to list those that are *still* available, so it's definitely not exhaustive. Didn't realise there were so many different types of construction sets!

For the record, the set was bought in Cornelscourt in, I'd say, the early 1980s. I don't remember seeing it anywhere else, so it may have been a 'Dunnes exclusive', ie, imported from Eastern Europe at low cost and sold to people who couldn't afford Lego.

The pieces were, AFAIR, around the same sort of spec as Lego, but smaller and the resulting spaceship was around the size of a fag box. The spaceman included was all white, and if I remember correctly had just a black slit across his face to denote the faceplate of the helmet. So he looked more like an all-white bike messenger than an astronaut.

(How do I remember WHERE it was bought, but not WHEN?!)

bombidol

It was Lego Technics if the punters were fully formed. it was like the teenager lego.

corblimey

Yeah, I know what you're talking about, but isn't Technics more like Meccano than Lego, all steel and big wheels?

That wasn't it. I don't think I'm ever going to find out what this was...

Grand_Izer

The spacemen were about an inch tall? Technics figures were much taller...

corblimey

Inch, posssibly even smaller. And not as 'bulky' as Lego.

Are you onto something, Izer?

goin'_to_the_PS

geomag?????

Grand_Izer

Tente! A Spanish lego clone manufactured from 1979 onwards.

corblimey

Even before I clicked that link, I knew that was it. It all came rushing back. I'm now off to eBay to find if anyone is selling the blasted things.

Ah, the rose-tinted glasses of nostalgia...

Thanks a mil, Izer, you're a star.