US LEGO Sales Information (1961-72)
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From the period of 1961 to 1972, Samsonite had the license to manufacture and distribute LEGO in the United States. While sales numbers were never officially reported, many sources exist that give clues as to exactly how well LEGO sold.
This article will serve primarily as a reference for these sources/numbers. Do note that there is a difference between projected sales and sales numbers themselves, as estimated numbers (especially from Samsonite) would very likely be skewed upward. A similar caution should be taken regarding favorable characterizations, as Samsonite executives could and very likely did bend the truth into their favor.
Another thing to keep in mind is that throughout this time, Samsonite consistently hit and reported new record sales for their company as a whole (in the tens of millions up to 100+ million). So LEGO, comparatively, was very small.
Each source should be evaluated for its limitations. Hence why we bring them together like this, as every source can hold other sources accountable for what they report. More sources will be added as they are found.
...the toy line, now entering its third year, is expected to show a profit for the first time this year.
In four years, Samsonite has sold more than $5 million worth of Lego sets. At the present rate of operation, the factory in Loveland is turning out additional sets at an annual rate of 1.5 million.
Since 1961, Lego building toy has become the largest selling toy in the construction category.
For our toy division which had booked extensive losses in 1971, we were hoping that the completely revamped, redesigned and repackaged line would be well received in the market and enable the top division to break even for the year — even after charging off as current expense the heavy costs involved in all the new tooling, dies, design and production, [King Shwayder] said.
By the end of the toy show in March, market reaction was so favorable that we began to think the toy division might rise significantly above a break-even... we're glad we didn't fully express just how good the market reaction looked because the division ran into severe delays in getting delivery of the new tooling necessary... A substantial volume of sales of our sprint and summer-selling items were lost, and delays in the early orders appear likely to substantially reduce our expected reorders over the late summer and fall season.
As a result, we can now see no possibility of the toy division breaking even in this year... we now forsee the possibility of the toy division loss being very substantial for the year—possibly in the same range as that of a year ago.