These are the basic brick sets sold in North America by Samsonite, the luggage maker, which held the LEGO licence there from 1961. Samsonite made the ordinary bricks itself, first at its factory in Stratford, Ontario, while the special parts came over from Billund, and in 1965 it opened a plant in Loveland, Colorado, used only for LEGO.
1973 LEGO Sets
1973 marked major structural and product milestones for LEGO. The company ended its U.S. licensing agreement with Samsonite and established LEGO Systems, Inc. in Brookfield, Connecticut, giving LEGO direct control over its American distribution. DUPLO was formally branded as a standalone preschool line, expanding on the larger bricks first introduced in 1969. Early Town sets began to appear with simple, posable figures—precursors to the modern minifigure—bringing more life and movement to everyday scenes. LEGO’s catalog continued to grow rapidly, reinforcing its position as a leading global toy brand.