Samsonite

The Samsonite Corporation was an American manufacturer of LEGO sets. It makes luggage, with its products ranging from large suitcases to small toiletry bags and briefcases. It was launched in Denver, CO, in 1910 by Jesse Shwayder, as the Shwayder Trunk Manufacturing Company. Shwayder named one of his initial cases "Samson", after the Biblical strongman. After the success of the Samsonite luggage, the Shwayder Brothers began marketing all of their products under the Samsonite brand by 1941. It wasn’t until 1965 that the company changed its name to the Samsonite Corporation.
Godtfred Kirk Christiansen signed an agreement with King David Shwayder, the son of the founder, and the then-current president of the company . The result was a 9-year license for exclusive North American distribution rights. Shwayder Brothers began marketing sets under the name LEGO by Samsonite in the US in 1961 and Canada in 1962.
Initially, Samsonite manufactured the basic bricks in their existing Stratford, Ontario factory and imported the specialty pieces, such as the trees and HO 1:87 Vehicles, from Billund.
 
The original US retail assortment was not the same as the European assortment but was, at least, marketed similarly: they offered a series of sets, including the large 725 Town-Plan and the 717 Junior Constructor, which was unique to Samsonite, as well as several smaller 700 series “Gift Sets” and a number of Supplementary Sets.
 
In April 1965, Samsonite opened a second plant, a 50,000 ft² facility in Loveland, Colorado, devoted exclusively to LEGO manufacturing and by the mid 1960s Samsonite was marketing an almost completely different assortment than in Europe. A licensing dispute ended the arrangement in the United States in 1972, but Samsonite remained the distributor in Canada until 1988.
== List of Sets Produced by Samsonite ==
* 00-5 Puppet Set
* 1 Mini-Wheel Model Maker No.1
* 2 Mini-Wheel Model Maker No. 2
* 3 Mini-Wheel Model Maker No. 3
* 001 Gears
* 002 4.5V Gears Motor Set
* 003 Master Mechanic Set
* 004 Master Builder Set
* 021 Wheel Set
* 022 Doll Furniture
* 041 Pre-School Beginners Set
* 042 Jumbo Brick Pull Toy
* 044 Jumbo Bricks
* 045 36 Assorted Basic Bricks - Clear Plus One Red 10 x 10 Stud Base Plate
* 049 14 Assorted Windows and Doors, Trees and Bushes Plus one 10 x 10 Stud Red Base Plate
* 057 4 Large Wheels
* 058 8 Small Wheels
* 059 49 Bevelled Bricks
* 060 Jumbo Brick School Set
* 061 Puppy
* 061 10x20 Baseplate
* 062 10x20 Baseplate
* 063 10x20 Baseplate
* 064 10x20 Baseplate
* 065 Garage Door
* 066 Basic Building Set
* 069 Rack Contents
* 078 Roadway Baseplate
* 079 Giant Baseplate - Grey
* 079 Giant Baseplate - Green
* 080 Ambassador Set
* 080 Basic Building Set with Train
* 78 Basic Set
* 102 Super Value Set
* 105 Pre-School Beginners Set
* 105 Imagination Master Set 5
* 107 4.5V Reversible Power Unit
* 157 Four Car Auto Transport
* 248 Factory
* 256 Police Officers and Motorcycle
* 285 Medium Basic Set
* 300 Jumbo Bricks
* 301 Wheel Toy Set
* 310 Motorized Truck Set
* 311 Remote Control Car Set
* 312 Remote Control Supplement
* 315 European Taxie
* 320 Aeroplane
* 321 School Set
* 322 Educational Gear Set
* 343 Ferry
* 345 House with Mini Wheel Car
* 346 Jumbo Jet
* 348 Mini-Wheel Car and Truck Set
* 349 Mini-Wheel Construction Set
* 360 Ambulance
* 361 Tow Truck
* 362 Delivery Van
* 363 Antique Car
* 367 Mini-Airport and Vehicles
* 414/1R No. 1 Assorted Windows, Red
* 414/1W No. 1 Assorted Windows, White
* 414/2R No. 2 Assorted Windows, Red
* 414/2W No. 2 Assorted Windows, White
* 414/3R No. 3 Assorted Windows, Red
* 414/3W No. 3 Assorted Windows, White
* 414/4R No. 4 Assorted Windows, Red
* 414/4W No. 4 Assorted Windows, White
* 414/5R Doors, Red
* 414/5W Doors, White
* 415 2 x 10 Bricks
* 415 16 Stud Beams, Assorted Colors
* 416 20 Stud Beams, Assorted Colors
* 416 4 Sixteens 2 Twenties
* 424 Curved Bricks, Assorted Colours
* 425 6 & 8 Stud Beams, Clear 
* 425 6 & 8 Stud Beams, Assorted Colours
* 426 Names, Numbers, Alphabet 
* 427 4 x 8 Assorted Base Plates 
* 430 Assorted Trees, Bushes, Flags 
* 431 Garage Door and Esso Pumps 
* 432 Road Signs and Street Lamps
* 441 Wheel Accessories 
* 442 Decorator Set
* 443 Doors & Windows 
* 444 Truck Accessories 
* 445 Roof Set 
* 446 Special Building Bricks 
* 447 Garage Kit & Street Signs 
* 448 Base Plates
* 449 Giant Base Plate 
* 456 Lighting Device 
* 481 Assorted Roof Tile, Clear 
* 481 Assorted Roof Tile, 5 Colours 
* 615 Samsonite Gift Set
* 702 Beginner Set
* 703 Basic Set
* 705 Medium Basic Set
* 708 Large Basic Set
* 717 Junior Constructor
* 801 Space Rocket
* 802 Player Piano
* 803 Seesaw
* 804 Building Crane
* 805 3 Little Indians
* 806 Cowboy and Pony
* 842 Town Plan
* 7000 Educational Set
* 7100 Large Educational Set
* 7170 Educational Refill Pack
== Trivia ==
* Although Samsonite created some toys, they are actually suitcase & luggage producers. But somehow, they also made folding furnitures.
== Gallery ==
File:1955 Lego System Commercial|A 1955 commercial for LEGO products produced by Samsonite
*
Category:Themes introduced in 1961