Set Numbers

[The Guy]

Sorry if this has been asked before, but I've always wondered about set numbers. I'm betting it's larger the size, higher the number, but I'm not sure. Can someone please enlighten me on this?

[buhs]

I didn't feel like writing out an explaination myself, so a quick Google search resulted in the following from http://askalfan.wordpress.com:

There are patterns of LEGO set numbering but they are not always followed by TLG. Sets from the 1960’s have two or three digits. In the 1970’s most sets had three digits. Around 1980 sets with four digits began to appear. Current retail sets have four digits while LEGO exclusives usually contain five or six digits.

Each theme had a range of numbers that most of its sets belonged to. Castle was 6000, Space was 6800, and so on. Every year a theme usually had five or six new sets. The last two digits of the set number were based on the size of the set. Check out the 1984 Castle sets: http://www.classic-castle.com/sets/oop1984.html

A small set like 6010 Supply Wagon received a low number while a large set such as 6080 Kings Castle had a high number. Lego gradually filled in the missing numbers with new sets in a theme over the 1980’s and 1990’s. Eventually they had to move themes to new number ranges.

Some sets do have different numbers depending on the country where the set was released. This is most common with small boxed or polybag sets such as the Wizards Cart ( http://www.classic-castle.com/sets/archives/1736.html ).

A few sets even share the same number. 6077 Forestmen’s River Fortress shares a number with the North American version of 6077 Knight’s Procession ( http://www.classic-castle.com/sets/archives/0677.html ).

The numbering system has changed in recent years. Now new sets in a theme tend to be in numerical order. The five Lego Pirates sets found in all retail stores are numbered 6239-6243 while Pirate exclusive sets and impulse sets have higher numbers.

Think this pretty much sums it up.

[The Guy]

Thanks, and sorry.

[buhs]

Thanks, and sorry.

Oh no! No sorry required, it is I that am sorry if I came across as a grump. Good question, there are no dumb questions, only dumb answers; and if someone gives you a dumb answer then they probley don't know and you should ask someone else!

[meeotch]

...there are no dumb questions, only dumb answers...

I used to feel this way. Now, not so much.

[legofett]

I never payed attention to the #'s because I thought that was just technical stuff. So I felt dumb when I would say which AT-ST fo you mean? They would say 36456 7420 7627 53628362 676 363232531 etc. I would be like WTH? I just say "The first one" or "second one" or "Battle of Endor one".