The LEGO Originals Wooden Minifigure Celebrates a Lineage of Wood Toys

Many current LEGO fans may not know it, but when master carpenter Ole Kirk Kristiansen started making toys, the first offerings from LEGO were handcrafted from wood. It wasn’t until wood became scarce in the aftermath of World War II that Kristiansen turned his attention to plastics, eventually birthing the famous bricks that spawned an empire.

Tapping into a lineage that includes both wood and plastic toys, the LEGO Group and Room Copenhagen are introducing LEGO Originals, a new range of products “dedicated to fans who love a bit of LEGO nostalgia and playful interior design.”

Unveiled today at the LEGO Originals Pop Up Store and Gallery in Covent Garden, London, the LEGO Originals Wooden Minifigure is an upscaled 5:1 version of the classic minifigure that kids of all ages have been playing with since it first debuted in 1978. The 7-inch, handcrafted Wooden Minifigure comes in a premium gift box packed alongside a selection of LEGO bricks and a 28-page booklet that celebrates the legacy of the minifigure while showcasing the development of the wooden model.

“I have always been committed to making the nicest and most robust objects, and just like other carpenters I believe the best type of advertising is when the product promotes itself,” said Kristiansen in 1950. “Our purpose is to produce a really good, solid and finely crafted piece of work, and ensure LEGO products always be known for their exceptional quality.”

The Wooden Minifigure is handcrafted from FSC-certified oak, with adjustable yellow plastic hands just like today’s LEGO minifigures. Its release comes on the 60th anniversary of the last LEGO product to be manufactured using a combination of wood and plastic — the 1130 Bedford Firetruck from 1959.

It is expected that the LEGO Original Wooden Minifigure will be viewed as a blank canvas ripe for customization by designers and artists around the globe.

The LEGO Originals Wooden Minifigure is available to purchase this weekend at the pop-up store, and will be available to LEGO VIP members through LEGO.com beginning Nov. 3. Global orders for the general public will accepted beginning Nov. 8 while supplies last.

About the author

James Zahn

James Zahn, AKA The Rock Father, is Editor-in-Chief of The Toy Book and Co-President of The International Toy Magazines Association (ITMA). He is also a Senior Editor at The Toy Insider and The Pop Insider, and Editor of The Toy Report, The Toy Book‘s weekly industry newsletter. As a pop culture and toy industry expert, Zahn has appeared as a panelist and guest at events including Comic-Con International: San Diego (SDCC), New York Comic Con, Wizard World Chicago, and the ASTRA Marketplace & Academy. Zahn has more than 30 years of experience in the entertainment, retail, and publishing industries, and is frequently called upon to offer expert commentary for publications such as Forbes, Marketwatch, the Wall Street Journal, the New York Times, USA Today, Reuters, the Washington Post, and more. James has appeared on History Channel’s Modern Marvels, was interviewed by Larry King and Anderson Cooper, and has been seen on Yahoo! Finance, CNN, CNBC, FOX Business, NBC, ABC, CBS, WGN, The CW, and more. Zahn joined the Adventure Media & Events family in 2016, initially serving as a member of the Parent Advisory Board after penning articles for the Netflix Stream Team, Fandango Family, PBS KIDS, Sprout Parents (now Universal Kids), PopSugar, and Chicago Parent. He eventually joined the company full time as a Senior Editor and moved up the ranks to Deputy Editor and Editor-in-Chief.