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These are some of the non-LEGO pieces I had in my LEGO collection when I was a child, and I was told they were old LEGO, but any site on the history of LEGO completely failed to show anything like this, so they have to be knock-offs.

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They are likely made in the 60's but it could be earlier. It's compatible with LEGO, except that the studs are higher, so you can't put a thin brick on top of them. The plastic is softer and just slightly translucent. I like their solution for the underside, very neat, and a clever attempt to pass by the LEGO design patents. I don't know the manufacturer, and would appreciate any information.

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    My eagle-eye stepdad noticed there was writing between the studs. Turns out they are dutch and called "MONTINI".
    – Lennart Regebro
    Nov 26, 2015 at 11:06
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    architoys.net/toys/toypages/montini.html
    – chicks
    Nov 26, 2015 at 15:26
  • I am from Indonesia, I remember having these bricks when I was like 5-6 years old. That was way back in 1970. I had enough of these plastic bricks to build a house, complete with "glass" door and "glass" windows. The plastic was not shiny like Lego pieces. My sister and I had quite a lot of fun with these Montini bricks. Our mother, who always complained there was "too much stuff" in the house, gave our Montini set away once we outgrew it.
    – Kandi Dahlan
    Aug 14, 2019 at 15:11
  • I grew up in South Africa and Montini was a huge hit long before I ever heard of Lego. I assumed Lego was the knock-off of Montini blocks. Montini had lots of different bases, bricks, colors, windows, doors, wheels, etc.
    – user17360
    Dec 22, 2020 at 12:09
  • Bought mixed batch off eBay, Lego, Duplo & other, which = Montini, can only join Lego to 1/2 the positions under if not using hollow stud Lego such as windows.
    – Andrew Hodson
    Feb 7 at 16:49

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As others have pointed out, these are Montini building blocks.

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Montini building blocks were produced by Berco Lux in Tiel, The Netherlands between 1960-1969. The plastic is much softer and the colors are a little different.

In 1969 production was stopped because of the Lego patent.

Montini history and the conflict with Lego ( in Dutch)

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