Ratoath Vintage Haul: What We Found, What They Are, and What They’re Worth

There are LEGO hauls, and then there are time-capsules. The Ratoath pickup turned out to be the latter: a trunkful of 1970s LEGOLAND goodness (trains! aircraft! furniture sets!), a sprinkling of Classic Space, your Weetabix! and a tidy batch of 2009–2018 era crowd-pleasers. Below is a clean, collector-focused breakdown with set names, short descriptions, piece counts, and today’s realistic value ranges for MSRP (historic where known), sealed, used w/ manual & box, and used loose. Where public sales data is thin, I’ve noted the uncertainty.

Early train & track supplements (mid-60s to mid-70s)

Before minifigure conductors and Power Functions, there was the golden age of 4.5V trains, a hands-on era when railways grew one supplement at a time. These small boxes of straights, curves, switches, crossings, and little scene dressings were the toolkit that turned a kitchen-table oval into a living layout. Collected together, they read like a maker’s dictionary for the mid-60s to mid-70s: modest part counts, punchy artwork, and endless possibility, proof that the magic wasn’t just the locomotive, it was the geometry.

These are the small boxed helpers for the 4.5V train era, modest part counts, but lovely period boxes, and this haul contained lots of them.

• 133 Locomotive (push) (1975, ~82 pcs). A supplemental train engine. There is modest demand for this set
• 146 Level Crossing (1976, ~65 pcs). Little scene with barrier and figure; attractive on a shelf.
• 150 Straight Track (25 rails).
• 151 Curved Track (1966, 25 rails).
• 154 Switch Track (Right & Left; 4 rails total).
• 155 “2 Cross Rails, 8 Straight, 4 Base Plates” (14 elements).

Values (each set):

• Sealed: Rare; €80–€200 is possible for the prettier boxes (esp. 146/155), but comparisons are sparse.
• Used, complete w/ box & manual: €25–€60 (higher for tidy boxes).
• Used, no box: €10–€30 depending on completeness – which is what we picked up in this haul.

Note: We’ll photograph and display these together in a “How 4.5V Trains Worked” panel to aid display value and QR code for audio follow along.

Two substantial vintage train boxes

If the track packs are the grammar of the 4.5V era, 181 and 252 are its poetry, big, boxed statements that turned scattered rails into a living railway. 181 brings the full drama, motor, signals, switchgear, while 252 adds that charismatic locomotive with figures, the kind of centrepiece kids parked proudly in front of the battery box. Side-by-side, they don’t just run a train; they explain the system, showing how LEGO moved from accessory trays to complete, cinematic layouts you could hear humming across the kitchen table. We picked up these 2 sets in our haul:

• 181 Complete Train Set with Motor, Signals & Switch (1972) ~140 pcs, full 4.5V starter with battery motor, signals, and a shunting switch. This is a 1972 release with a 140-part inventory. This is a desirable cornerstone for a 4.5V vignette.
  • Sealed: Rare museum piece; auction-specific (well into four figures is not unheard of if immaculate).
  • Used, complete w/ box & manual: €250–€500+ depending on motor condition, sticker state, and tray/insert integrity.
  • Used, no box/manual: €150–€300 (motor and key parts drive price). This is what we picked up.
• 252 Locomotive with Driver & Passenger (1974) ~115 pcs, bright red/blue locomotive with two Homemaker-style figures; a nice mid-sized train display.
  • Sealed: Scarce; €400–€800 possible based on box grade.
  • Used, complete w/ box & manual: €120–€220.
  • Used, no box/manual: €70–€120. This is what we picked up.

Classic Space royalty

Before the Galaxy Explorer stole headlines, Classic Space earned its crown with a nimble starship and a no-nonsense ground crew: 918 “One Man Space Ship” skimming the void with that iconic trans-yellow canopy, and 897 “Mobile Rocket Launcher” trundling payloads to the pad, often crewed by red and white Classic Spacemen. Released in 1979 and numbered for the European market, the pair reads like a mission team: 918 scouts the skies while 897 feeds the frontier, together laying down the blue/grey design language and LL-markings that defined the era.

• 918 One Man Space Ship / Space Transport (1978/79), 86 pcs, 1 classic spaceman. The little blue ship that launched a thousand nostalgia feels; heavily collected. This set came with 86 pcs and notes the modern homage by set 10497. Market listings show strong used-complete demand.
  • Sealed: €800–€1,000+ (condition-led; ultra rare).
  • Used, complete w/ box & manual: €150–€250 (higher for crisp box plastics). This is what we got in this haul.
  • Used, complete, no box/manual: €50–€110 depending on canopy/print wear and minifigure visor integrity.

Keep or sell? There is only one answer at Redmond’s Forge. Keep. Keep. Keep. Keep for a Classic Space pedestal – add these to sets 497 and 928 as Set 918 is a perfect “icon-size” anchor.

LEGOLAND aircraft & vehicles (1973–77)

• LEGO Set 213 – Airplane Ride (Building Set with People, 1977) – A small prop airplane with a maxifigure “pilot/rider.” Simple 2-colour airframe with spinning prop, classic ’70s proportions. Brickset lists the current value around ~€39 new and ~€6 used as baseline guides; boxed, tidy examples typically command more in EU collector markets.
• LEGO Set 250-3 – Aeroplane and pilot (1974, Building Set with People) – From the Maxifig era, this 90-piece prop plane and pilot has that charming pre-minifigure personality. Released in 1974 with RRP £1.40, it’s the European counterpart to 195. Brickset’s guide pegs new ~ $65 and used ~ $30, with premiums for crisp boxes and intact stickers. A lovely bridge piece between Homemaker interiors and the later LEGOLAND Town aircraft.
• LEGO Set 371-3 – Sea Plane (1977, LEGOLAND Town) – A compact 47-piece seaplane with 2 early minifigs (European version of 712), released in 1977. Brickset lists used ~ $13 as a baseline; boxed examples present much better in a display and typically command more. Perfect to sit alongside 661 Spirit of St. Louis and 687 Caravelle in your “first planes” mini-gallery.
• LEGO Set 382 – Breakdown Truck and Car (1973, LEGOLAND) – A tidy 1973 UK release with 91 pieces and an original RRP of £1.65. It’s the European twin of 710, pairing a compact tow truck with a small car — perfect for a “service vehicles” shelf. Brickset’s current used guide sits around ~$20 (box/condition can swing this). Great colour blocking and those early 1970s proportions make it a crowd-pleasing vignette.
• LEGO Set 653 Ambulance and Helicopter (1973), ~37–42 pcs, micro ambulance + micro chopper. There is an uplift value for sealed examples.
  Values: Sealed ~€90–€150; used complete €6–€25 depending on variant/condition, which is what we got in the haul.
• LEGO Set 661 Spirit of St. Louis (1976), 51 pcs. Classic silver monoplane; EU counterpart to US 456. When new/sealed expect around $150 with live sealed listings in that band and up.
  Values: Sealed €140–€250; used complete €20–€45, which is what we got in the haul.
• LEGO Set 687 Caravelle Aeroplane (1973), 49 pcs, a charming Sud Aviation homage.
  Values: Sealed ~€80–€120 (rare); used complete €10–€30, which is what we got in the haul.
• LEGO Set 695 Racing Car (1976), 67 pcs, the F1-style single seater, a frequent nostalgia pick.
  Values: Sealed €90–€140; used complete €10–€25, which is what we got in the haul.
• LEGO Set 699 Photo Safari (1977), ~130 pcs + minifigure, early “adventure” DNA.
  Values: Sealed €120–€160; used complete €20–€40, which is what we got in the haul.

Keep or sell? Keep. These will go on a single shelf titled “When LEGO first did planes” with 250, 371, 653, 661, 687. As resale, sealed boxes do well; loose copies are better bundled.

Homemaker & furniture micro-scenes

Before minifigures moved in, LEGO taught “home” at Homemaker scale, clever little vignettes that turned studs into pianos, wall units, and office desks. These furniture micro-scenes (think 293 Piano, 294 Wall Unit, 295 Secretary’s Desk) are pure 1970s design language: bright blocks, simple geometry, and loads of imagination. They’re tiny, yes, but together they read like a show home from the pre-minifigure era, perfect for a museum sidebar that lets visitors peek into LEGO interiors before minifigure hands could play the keys.

• 293 Piano (1973), 90 pcs although sometimes quoted as 131 pcs (variant counting). Either way, it’s the uprights + bench vignette collectors love.
  Values: Sealed ≈ €276 modelled; used complete typically €11–€18 (more with box in nice shape – which we don’t have).
• 294 Wall Unit (1974), 59 pcs (Homemaker shelving).
  Values: Used complete €8–€20; sealed, if found, is collector-led and fetches a lot higher.
• 295 Secretary’s Desk (1970s), piece count not consistently published on main sites; values tend to track 293/294 if complete.

Display idea: Build a mini 1970s living room tableau (293+294+295) with a “Pre-minifigure interiors” story card.

The quirky headliners: the three Weetabix 1976 promos

Just when we thought the Ratoath haul had shown all its cards, a delicious curveball surfaced: three un-numbered Weetabix promos from 1976. Unnumbered means they slipped past LEGO’s usual set-number canon, true oddities that collectors whisper about until one (or all 3) lands in your hands. The moment we clocked those tiny village silhouettes, the mood shifted: this wasn’t just another vintage find; it was a cereal-aisle time capsule and a bona fide conversation piece for the Museum.

What they are: A trio of UK cereal-promo “village” builds, two small houses and a windmill, sold via Weetabix in 1976 for £4.45. They were unnumbered in retail catalogs and are catalogued as 00-2 House 1, 00-3 House 2, and 00-4 Windmill. House sets are ~139–141 pcs; the Windmill has 114 pcs and 2 figures.

Typical values (each, when complete):

• Sealed: Extremely scarce; treat any sealed price as boutique/auction-dependent (no consistent public data).
• Used, complete with box & instructions: ~€60–€120 (higher for the windmill).
• Used, complete (no box): ~€35–€60 which is what we discovered in the haul.
• Used, partial or no instructions: ~€25–€40.

Keep or sell? Keep, Keep, Keep. This has created the Museum’s “LEGO x Cereal” mini-exhibit; paired with a display card telling the UK-promo story.

Printed ephemera (booklets, catalogs)

Before there were YouTube reveals and glossy D2C pages, LEGO told its story on paper—idea books, seasonal catalogs, club leaflets, and technical flyers that turned new parts into possibilities. This printed ephemera is the context layer for our vintage sets: Your Guide to the World of LEGO (’74–’75) shows how families were meant to play, A Guide to LEGO for the Whole Family (’76) captures the pre-minifig vibe, and the Technical Sets material (’78) charts the leap toward engineering. Condition matters—spines, folds, and completeness—but even a well-loved copy brings provenance. On display, these pages will sit beside their matching sets, transforming a shelf of bricks into a time-boxed story of how LEGO imagined our builds, decade by decade. The following is what came in this haul:

• LEGO Your Guide to the World of LEGO 1974 & LEGO Your Guide to the World of LEGO 1975; New Sets from LEGO 1975; A Guide to LEGO for the Whole Family 1976; Technical Sets – New for 1978.
• 221 Idea Book (1973) and 222 Idea Book (1975) also appear frequently in 70s lots. Expect €10–€50 for typical catalog leaflets in good condition; Idea Books can range higher based on grade; individual comps vary and are heavily condition-sensitive.

Tactics: For Redmond’s Forge these catalogs make fantastic context panels next to the sets they advertise.

Modern era (2009–2018): quick, confident valuations

These are well documented; nice for modern corners of the Museum.

• 8978 Bionicle: Skrall (Glatorian, 2009) — 50 pcs, RRP $12.99/£8.79; values now frequently €60–€110 sealed depending on condition; €18–€25 used complete.
• 9394 Technic: Jet Plane (2012) — 498–499 pcs. MSRP ~€49.99, today sealed ≈ €70–€80, used €21–€35.
• 10672 Juniors: Batman – Defend the Batcave (2014) — ~150 pcs, RRP €29.99. Typical sealed €55–€70; used €25–€45.
• 31071 Creator 3-in-1: Drone Explorer (2018) — 109 pcs, RRP €9.99; sealed €18–€22, used €7–€12.
• 42007 Technic: Moto Cross Bike (2013) — 253 pcs, RRP €29.99; sealed €60–€80, used €25–€45.
• 44002 Hero Factory: Rocka (2013) — 43 pcs, RRP €9.99; sealed €30–€40, used €10–€20.
• 44004 Hero Factory: Bulk (2013) — 50 pcs, RRP €12.99; sealed €35–€45, used €10–€22.
• 70910 The LEGO Batman Movie: Scarecrow Special Delivery (2017) — 204 pcs, RRP €19.99; typical sealed €27–€35, used €15–€22.
• 75118 Star Wars: Captain Phasma (Buildable Figure, 2015) — 82 pcs, RRP £19.99/$24.99; sealed €32–€50, used €10–€12 (figure condition matters).
• 75167 Star Wars: Bounty Hunter Speeder Bike Battle Pack (2017) — ~122–125 pcs, RRP €14.99; sealed €45–€55 (minifigures drive this), used €30–€40.
• 75195 Star Wars: Ski Speeder vs First Order Walker Microfighters (2018) — 216 pcs, RRP €19.99; sealed €23–€32, used €15–€18.

Museum vs Marketplace:

• Display heroes: 75118 Phasma (striking silhouette), 42007 Moto Cross Bike (clean Technic geometry), 70910 Scarecrow (great tie-in wall).
• Display worthy: 75167 (minifig-led heat), 8978 Skrall (Bionicle fandom), 9394 (steady Technic exit prices).

Tying it all together into an exhibit to display the Ratoath Haul

1) “From Cereal Box to Classic Space” (Lead section)
Open with the Weetabix trio as a fun hook (“Yes, Weetabix once sold you a LEGO village”), glide to 918 as the emotional apex of late-70s design.

2) “Trains at 4.5 Volts” (Feature panel)
Show 181 and 252 together. Add an inset explaining battery boxes and the pre-minifigure era. Credible counts: 181 (1972, ≈140 pcs) documented via BrickLink; 252 (1974, ≈115 pcs) likewise.

3) “When LEGO First Took Flight” (Grid of four)
653 Ambulance & Helicopter (1973), 661 Spirit of St. Louis (1976), 687 Caravelle (1973), 250 & 371. Include a notable stat below each tile, e.g., 661 piece count 51; 653 micro-duo; 687 49 pcs UK release note; 695 sealed value trend.

4) “Homemaker Mini-Worlds” (Sidebar)
293 Piano (1973, 90 pcs), 294 Wall Unit (1974, 59 pcs), and 295 Secretary’s Desk (1970s). Use a period color palette in the photo.

5) “Modern Highlights” (Callout list)
Quick-hit cards for the moderns with ROI arrows: 75167 (minifig heat), 8978 (Bionicle collectors), 9394 (Technic steady), 70910 (Batman tie-in), 75195 (bundle with other Microfighters).

Our valuation worksheet (how we priced this lot)

• Sealed: Based on BrickEconomy modeled values and live listings where available (vintage sealed is rare; auction results can overshoot). Examples: 661 sealed ≈ $150, 695 sealed ≈ $115; 918 sealed ≈ €900+; ranges above reflect EU market conversions.
• Used, complete w/ box & manual: Pulled from recent BrickLink/Brick Owl list prices and completed sales ranges; premiums awarded for crisp trays/inserts. Examples: 918 used w/ box+manual ~€150–€250; Weetabix windmill ~€60–€120.
• Used, complete (no box/manual): Discounted 20–50% depending on set and scarcity (Battle Packs defy this due to minifigs).
• Loose/partial: Valued as parts or display fillers; for trains, the motor and unique prints dominate the price.

Pricing notes: Vintage markets are volatile and condition is everything. Values below are recent typical ranges in EUR for EU/UK markets (rounded). For modern sets, MSRPs are those at release (or UK/US equivalents converted notionally). Sources include BrickLink, Brickset, BrickEconomy, Brick Owl, and ToysPeriod; key facts are cited inline.

What this means for Redmond’s Forge

1. Museum heat: 918, 181, 252, the Weetabix trio, and a small “first planes” wall (653/661/687) together tell a gorgeous 1970s story in under one meter of shelving.
2. Cash-flow candidates: 75167 (bounty hunters), 8978 (Skrall), 9394 (Technic Jet), and even 70910 (Batman) are efficient flips to fund cabinets and lighting.
3. Documentation wins: For early supplements (150/151/154/155) and the “mystery numbers” (47/250/371/382), photograph everything and inventory against BrickLink before pricing. Many of these are worth more together as a curated 4.5V bundle than parted individually.

Mini index: names, pieces, values (quick reference)

(All values EUR; see sections above for nuance and condition notes.)

• Weetabix House 1 (00-2), House 2 (00-3), Windmill (00-4 / 114 pcs) — Used CIB: €60–€120; used no box: €35–€60; sealed: scarce
• 133 Locomotive (push) — Used CIB: €25–€50.
• 146 Level Crossing (~65 pcs) — Used CIB: €35–€60.
• 150 Straight Track / 151 Curved Track / 154 Switch / 155 track pack — Used CIB: €20–€60 (set dependent).
• 181 Train Set with Motor (1972, ~140 pcs) — Used CIB: €250–€500+; sealed: auction-level.
• 252 Locomotive w/ Driver & Passenger (1974, ~115 pcs) — Used CIB: €120–€220.
• 293 Piano (1973, 90 pcs) — Sealed ≈ €276; used complete €11–€18.
• 294 Wall Unit (1974, 59 pcs) — Used complete €8–€20.
• 653 Ambulance & Helicopter (1973, ~37–42 pcs) — Sealed €90–€150; used €6–€25.
• 661 Spirit of St. Louis (1976, 51 pcs) — Sealed €140–€250; used €20–€45.
• 687 Caravelle Plane (1973, 49 pcs) — Sealed €80–€120; used €10–€30.
• 695 Racing Car (1976, 67 pcs) — Sealed €90–€140; used €10–€25.
• 699 Photo Safari (1977, ~130 pcs) — Sealed €120–€160; used €20–€40.
• 918 One Man Space Ship (1978/79, 86 pcs) — Sealed €800–€1,000+; used CIB €150–€250; used no box €50–€110.
• 8978 Skrall (2009, 50 pcs) — RRP $12.99; sealed €60–€110; used €18–€25.
• 9394 Jet Plane (2012, ~498 pcs) — MSRP ≈ €49.99; sealed ≈ €70–€80; used €21–€35.
• 10672 Juniors Batman (2014, ~150 pcs) — MSRP €29.99; sealed €55–€70; used €25–€45.
• 31071 Drone Explorer (2018, 109 pcs) — MSRP €9.99; sealed €18–€22; used €7–€12.
• 42007 Moto Cross Bike (2013, 253 pcs) — MSRP €29.99; sealed €60–€80; used €25–€45.
• 44002 Rocka (2013, 43 pcs) — MSRP €9.99; sealed €30–€40; used €10–€20.
• 44004 Bulk (2013, 50 pcs) — MSRP €12.99; sealed €35–€45; used €10–€22.
• 70910 Scarecrow Special Delivery (2017, 204 pcs) — MSRP €19.99; sealed €27–€35; used €15–€22.
• 75118 Captain Phasma (2015, 82 pcs) — MSRP £19.99/$24.99; sealed €32–€50; used €10–€12.
• 75167 Bounty Hunter Speeder Bike BP (2017, ~125 pcs) — MSRP €14.99; sealed €45–€55; used €30–€40.
• 75195 Ski Speeder vs First Order Walker (2018, 216 pcs) — MSRP €19.99; sealed €23–€32; used €15–€18.

Final call

Museum gems from this haul, 918, 181, 252, the Weetabix trio, and a small grid of 653/661/687/695, can anchor a “LEGO in the 1970s” alcove that visitors will feel even before they read the captions. Meanwhile, the modern hitters (75167, 8978, 9394, 70910, 75195) can be displayed in their appropriate section.