Based on information from LEGO production, the company believes they started using numbered bags in 1998.
LEGO set builders today are familiar with the convenience of numbered bags, which allow you to build a complex model step-by-step without opening all the pieces at once. While it feels like a modern innovation, this practice has been around for quite some time.
The Beginning of Numbered Bags
According to details shared by LEGO on May 7, 2015:
- Start Year: Numbered bags are believed to have started appearing in LEGO sets in 1998.
- Source: This information comes from the production side of the company.
- Details: The reference from production does not specify which particular products or product lines were the first to include these numbered bags.
This means that if you purchased a LEGO set in 1998 or later, there's a possibility it included the first iterations of numbered bags, though the feature may not have been universal across all sets immediately.
Why Use Numbered Bags?
The introduction of numbered bags significantly changed the LEGO building experience for the better.
- Simplified Building: Breaking down the build into smaller, manageable stages.
- Reduced Search Time: Less time spent searching for specific pieces among hundreds or thousands.
- Enhanced Experience: Making larger, more complex sets feel less daunting and more accessible, even for younger builders or those new to LEGO.
Before 1998, builders would typically have all the bricks for a set mixed together, requiring them to sort or search for pieces throughout the entire build process. The shift to numbered bags was a practical innovation focused on improving the user experience.
While the exact set or theme that first featured numbered bags remains unmentioned in the provided information, the year 1998 marks the approximate beginning of this helpful sorting method based on LEGO's own production records.
