Research Realm:Scans/Bricks 'n Pieces
Bricks 'n Pieces was an English-language magazine published in the United Kingdom by LEGO UK Ltd. It ran between 1974 and 2000, making it one of the longest-running LEGO magazines.
It was originally launched under the name Bricks and Pieces as a newsletter in 1974, which is only known to have published occasional issues. It relaunched properly in 1979 as an 4-page magazine published 3 times a year. Its size was increased to 8 pages in Summer 1981, then to 12 pages in Spring 1983. Autumn 1983 saw the return of a numbering system, labeling the 1983 issues as "Volume 1", implying the 12-page version was another relaunch; the numbering was dropped again in 1986 however. 1994 saw a change in the magazine's style, moving away from community news and events and towards advertising new products; it also marked the end of the letters from LEGO UK president Clive Nichols. In 1995 the magazine changed to four issues a year, then five in 1997. In March 1998 the magazine became associated with LEGO World Club. Its name was altered to Bricks 'n' Pieces in January 1999. In March 2000 it merged with LEGO World Club Magazine, though its content remained unique from the other global versions of World Club and more similar to LEGO Mania until all LEGO magazines were merged in 2002.
A spinoff Technic-focused magazine, Techtorque, was launched in 1994. Later renamed to LEGO Technic Club, it ran alongside Bricks n' Pieces until 2000.
Many issues are scanned, though some from the 1990s remain missing. Most 70s and 80s issues have been scanned by Brickset and Miniland Online. Brickset's scans are high-quality and complete through 1987, minus the 1977 Technic issue. Miniland's copies are spottier and use lower-quality scans, though they continue through 1999.
(I don't know why issues 51 and 52 don't have publication dates printed on them. Miniland claims issue 51 is "Begin 1996" but Bricklink says it's the third of four 1995 issues.)
List of issues
First version (1974–1978?)
Initially only three issues and a Technic advertisement were known about, however a Spring 1977 issue has recently been discovered. It is not unlikely that at least a 1978 issue also exists.
| No. | Issue | Scans |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | No. 1 Dec 74 |
Brickset Miniland Online |
| 2 | Spring '75 No. 2 |
Brickset Miniland Online |
| 3 | No. 3 Christmas 76 |
Brickset Miniland Online |
| 4 | No. 4 Spring 77 |
Scans missing (Front page) |
| 5? | Sept. 1977 (Special) | Miniland Online |
Second version (1979–2000)
| No. | Issue | Scans |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | No. 1. Spring '79 | Brickset |
| 2 | No. 2. Summer '79 | Brickset |
| 3 | No. 3. Autumn '79 | Brickset |
| 4 | Spring 1980 | Brickset |
| 5 | Summer 1980 | Brickset Miniland Online |
| 6 | Autumn 1980 | Brickset |
| 7 | Spring 1981 | Brickset |
| 8 | Summer 1981 | Brickset Miniland Online |
| 9 | Autumn 1981 | Brickset Miniland Online |
| 10 | Spring 1982 | Brickset |
| 11 | Summer 1982 | Brickset (missing part of pages 3–4) |
| 12 | Fall 1982 | Brickset |
| 13 | Spring 1983 | Brickset Miniland Online |
| 14 | Summer 1983 | Brickset (part of pages 9–10 cut out but reinserted) |
| 15 | Autumn 1983 Volume 1 No. 3 |
Brickset |
| 16 | Spring 1984 Volume 2 No. 1 |
Brickset |
| 17 | Summer 1984 Volume 2 No. 2 |
Brickset |
| 18 | Autumn 1984 Volume 2 No. 3 |
Brickset (missing most of pages 9–10 and part of pages 11–12) Miniland Online |
| 19 | Spring 1985 Volume 3 No. 1 |
Brickset Miniland Online |
| 20 | Summer 1985 Volume 3 No. 2 |
Brickset Miniland Online (missing part of pages 9–10) |
| 21 | Autumn 1985 Volume 3 No. 3 |
Brickset (missing most of pages 9–10 and part of pages 11–12) Miniland Online (missing most of pages 9–10) |
| 22 | Spring 1986 Volume 3 No. 4 |
Brickset Miniland Online (missing part of pages 11–12) |
| 23 | Summer 1986 | Brickset Miniland Online |
| 24 | Autumn 1986 | Brickset Miniland Online |
| 25 | Spring 1987 | Brickset Miniland Online (missing part of pages 5–6) |
| 26 | Summer 1987 | Brickset Miniland Online |
| 27 | Autumn 1987 | Brickset Miniland Online |
| 28 | Spring 1988 | Brickset Miniland Online |
| 29 | Summer 1988 | Miniland Online |
| 30 | Autumn 1988 | Miniland Online |
| 31 | Spring 1989 | Miniland Online |
| 32 | Summer 1989 | Miniland Online |
| 33 | Autumn 1989 | Miniland Online |
| 34 | Spring 1990 | brick.lore on Flickr |
| 35 | Summer 1990 | Miniland Online |
| 36 | Autumn 1990 | brick.lore on Flickr |
| 37 | Spring 1991 | Miniland Online |
| 38 | Summer 1991 | brick.lore on Flickr |
| 39 | Autumn 1991 | Missing |
| 40 | Spring 1992 | Miniland Online |
| 41 | Summer 1992 | Miniland Online (missing part of pages 11–12) |
| 42 | Autumn 1992 | Miniland Online |
| 43 | Spring 1993 | brick.lore on Flickr |
| 44 | Summer 1993 | brick.lore on Flickr |
| 45 | Autumn 1993 | Miniland Online |
| 46 | Spring 1994 | Miniland Online |
| 47 | Summer 1994 | Miniland Online |
| 48 | Autumn 1994 | Miniland Online |
| 49 | Issue 1 1995 | Miniland Online |
| 50 | Issue 2 1995 | Miniland Online |
| 51 | ? | Miniland Online |
| 52 | ? | Missing |
| 53 | March 1996 | Miniland Online |
| 54 | May/June 1996 | Miniland Online |
| 55 | August 1996 | Miniland Online |
| 56 | October/November 1996 | Miniland Online |
| 57 | January 1997 | Miniland Online |
| 58 | March 1997 | Miniland Online |
| 59 | June 1997 | Miniland Online |
| 60 | August 1997 | Miniland Online |
| 61 | October/November 1997 | Miniland Online |
| 62 | January 1998 | Miniland Online |
| 63 | March/April 1998 | Missing |
| 64 | May/June 1998 | Pending processing - LoreEscape |
| 65 | August 1998 | brick.lore on Flickr |
| 66 | October/November 1998 | Missing |
| 67 | January 1999 | Miniland Online |
| 68 | March/April 1999 | Miniland Online |
| 69 | June 1999 | Missing |
| 70 | August 1999 | Miniland Online VezokofZakaz on Brickshelf |
| 71 | Christmas 1999 | VezokofZakaz on Brickshelf |
| 72 | January 2000 | brick.lore on Flickr |
Third version (2000–2002)
See LEGO World Club
LEGO Technic Club (1994–2000)
LEGO Technic Club was a sister publication to Bricks 'n Pieces that focused on Technic products. It ran from 1994 to 2000. It was originally named Techtorque, renamed to just LEGO Technic Club by 1996. By 1999 it had renamed to LEGO Technic Magazine at some point. Most of its issues are currently missing. The names below for missing issues are taken from Bricklink and may not be accurate (eg. May/June 1998 could really be named May 1998 or June 1998, November/December 1998 could be named Christmas 1998, etc).
Unfortunately the early Techtorque issues are so obscure they are not documented anywhere besides a few photographs; I only realized they existed because they were mentioned here. May 1996 is the earliest known issue for now.
| No. | Issue | Scans |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | ??? | Pending processing - Zanthera/Baraklava |
| 2 | ??? | Pending processing - Zanthera/Baraklava |
| 3 | ??? | Pending processing - Zanthera/Baraklava |
| 4 | ??? | Pending processing - Zanthera/Baraklava |
| 5 | ??? | Pending processing - Zanthera/Baraklava |
| 1 | May/June 1996 | Missing |
| 2 | July/August 1996? | Missing |
| 3 | September 1996 | Miniland Online |
| 4 | December 1996 | Miniland Online |
| 5 | January/February 1997 | Miniland Online |
| 6 | March/April 1997 | Miniland Online |
| 7 | May/June 1997? | Missing |
| 8 | July 1997 | Miniland Online |
| 9 | September/October 1997? | Missing |
| 10 | November/December 1997? | Missing |
| 11 | January/February 1998? | Missing |
| 12 | March/April 1998? | Missing |
| 13 | May/June 1998? | Missing |
| 14 | July/August 1998? | Missing |
| 15 | September/October 1998? | Missing |
| 16 | November/December 1998? | Missing |
| 17 | February 1999 | Miniland Online |
| 18 | March/April 1999? | Missing |
| 19 | May 1999 | Miniland Online |
| 20 | July/August 1999? | Missing |
| 21 | September/October 1999? | Missing |
| 22 | November/December 1999? | Missing |
| 23 | January 2000 | Missing |
