Building Sets are the plain DUPLO brick sets, buckets and boxes of bricks without a story. DUPLO started in 1969, and the name comes from the Latin word for double, because each brick is twice as long, wide and high as a LEGO brick. The studs are made to fit, so DUPLO and LEGO bricks lock together and a builder can move from one to the other. For years the plastic bucket was the usual way to sell them, from the 1980s through the early 2000s, often shaped or printed as an animal, a farm or a circus, and some came as anniversary editions. Later sets switched to cardboard brick boxes with ideas for what to build on the side.
1993 LEGO Sets
1993 introduced LEGO Belville, aimed primarily at girls with larger figures, bright colors, and lifestyle-focused play. DUPLO expanded with new trains and early learning sets, while the Castle line added Dragon Masters, introducing fantasy elements like dragons and wizards. LEGO also reissued Space Police I for a new generation of builders. Facing growing demand and capacity limits, LEGO began reassessing its manufacturing strategy. The year was both a creative and operational turning point as the company prepared for large-scale global expansion.