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This article is from the Lego FAQ, by Tom Pfeifer pfeifer@fokus.gmd.de with numerous contributions by others.

16) Substitutes / compatibles / clones (Lego)

Finally some information about similar products. Most people state
that the quality is much lower then original LEGO pieces.

erikred@uiuc.edu (Erik Robert Wilson) TYCO are reported to have sold
(up to approx. 1995) compatible basic bricks in 500/1000-piece buckets
for approx. $0.03 per piece. They also made that LEGO-looking
telephone. There are LEGO compatible "superblocks" as well as DUPLO
compatible ones. They are of fair quality (for a clone) in different
colors (orange, green, hot pink, neon yellow, regular pink, violet,
sky blue, pastels), including 1/2 height plates (not LEGO 1/3). If you
mix them with your originals, you can use non LEGO colors so they are
easily distinguishable.

Mini-Micro Blocks are found in 1000-piece buckets about $0.02 per
piece. There are large quantities of the basic 2x4, 2x2, and 1x2
bricks, more tight but reported to be fully LEGO-compatible. Made by a
company called Ritvik, which also makes Mega-Micro blocks.

ed@odi.com: The Ritvik Mega-Blox are giant-scale; a 1x1 brick is about
2cm x 2cm by 8 cm. The knobs are only a tiny bit shorter than the base
of the bricks, and they don't hold together via friction; turn a model
upside down and it falls apart. The charm is that they're great for
very small (pre-Duplo) children who don't have the strength or
coordination to play with Duplo or LEGO.
Ritvik Toys Inc., P.O. Box 1408, Champlain, NY 12919
HQ in Quebec, Canada. Offices in U.K., Australia, and New Zealand.

Ken Koleda (KOLEDA_K@msb.flint.umich.edu):
Tandem Bricks, made in Taiwan Tandem Toys, Rolling Hills, CA 90724
Notes: Largest brick is the 2x4 full height. A large portion of these
bricks are 1x flats. The flats are the same height as LEGO (1/3).
Colors are similar to lego, except with a good number of gray flats
and greens bricks. Quality is similar to other clones, generally
somewhat below LEGO (loose, but workable).

PEDLO is reported to be similar, but not compatible with LEGO. Their
plates are only 1/2 height of full bricks, not 1/3 like LEGO.

mckinney@adonis.ee.queensu.ca (Alexander (Sandy) McKinney):
Qubo ville Basic Building Bricks, look identical except for the LEGO
missing from each of the studs. Assortment of 23 standard pieces, 2x4,
2x2, 1x4, 1x2, 1x1, about CAN$ 2.95
Made in Italy by GOMPLA S.n.c. di Bisello D.&C., Via Emila Romagna
13/15, 35020 Saonara (PD) - Italy Imported by Wallace Companies Inc.,
USA, 175 Citation Court, Birmingham, Al 35209 CANADA, WSP Marketing
Int., 49 Valleybrook Dr., Con Mills, Ontario, M3B 2S6

elgaard@diku.dk (Niels Elgaard Larsen) and
fischer-mellbin@fischer-mellbin.com (Franz-Michael S. Mellbin) says:
Some years ago LEGO did have a lot of trouble with a Chinese company
that made LEGO clones called "0937". I wonder if they placed them
upside-down in the stores. Now they changed their product name and the
style to military dark green bricks and weapons.

There are more clones playing with the brand name, e.g. 'ELGO'.

perryda@sol.acs.uwosh.edu (Russ Perry Jr):
Glow-In-The-Dark BetterBlocks^TM, usable with Lego^R, Tyco^R and Micro
Bloks^R, 200-piece set $25, The Lighter Side, 4514 19th Street Court
East, PO Box 25600, Dept L9501, Bradenton FL 34206-5600, USA

tore.eriksson@mbox325.swipnet.se (Tore Eriksson):
In Sweden we have two clones: Byggis abd Bricks. Probably from the
same factory. Sometimes they have a 'B' printed on each stud. The
quality is almost LEGO-like.

ats@acm.org (Alan Shutko) knows:
Rokenbok systems (http://www.rokenbok.com) has LEGO compatible
deckplates and ramps, although their building materials are not
aesthetically compatible (and I don't know if you can build Rokenbok
structures on LEGO baseplates).

 

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