Cobi (building blocks)

Last updated
Cobi S.A.
FoundedApril 1987;38 years ago (1987-04) in Warsaw, Poland
FounderRobert Podleś
Headquarters
Warsaw
,
Poland
ProductsToys
OwnerRobert Podleś
Website cobi.pl

Cobi is a Polish toy company headquartered in Warsaw, Poland. Founded in 1987 as a brand of puzzle and board games, it is now known for producing Lego-compatible building block sets, specifically military-themed ones.

Contents

History

Cobi was founded in Warsaw on April 1987 as a producer of puzzles and board games. In 1992, the company started producing their first Lego-compatible building block sets. [1] [2] Due to the growing popularity of their early building block sets, Cobi began to prioritize the production of such product. [1] [2]

In 2001, Cobi opened two new offices in Slovakia and the Czech Republic. [1] [2] Then on 2 February 2006, it was announced that British brand Best-Lock would purchase a part of Cobi as part of a merger agreement. [3]

Products

Cobi products are all produced in a factory located in Mielec. [1] One of their most popular product range are replicas of historic and present military vehicles and equipment, recreated in building block form. [1] [2] These sets have also been sold as exclusives at The Tank Museum in Bovington Camp, Dorset. [4] Cobi has stated that their models are not intended as a glorification of war, rather, they are only meant to be replica creations akin to model kits. [5]

An example of a minifigure produced by Cobi. Cobi 5804 Minifigur.jpg
An example of a minifigure produced by Cobi.

Aside from military replicas, Cobi also produces licensed models of cars and vehicles from leading automobile brands like Maserati, Jeep and Renault. [1] Cobi has also moved into ancient history themes, with sets based on the Roman Empire. [1]

Licensed products

Cobi has acquired licenses from leading automobile brands including Renault, Maserati, Jeep and Volkswagen. [1] It has also made licensing deals with video games like World of Tanks and Company of Heroes 3. [6] Cobi has also produced licensed product for Hollywood films like Top Gun: Maverick. [7]

Differences from Lego

Unlike Lego, Cobi produces sets that involve warfare and are replicas of real-world military vehicles. [5] Lego, on the other hand, does not produce sets that involve realistic weaponry. [8] There have, however, been exceptions to such a rule, for example the release of the Lego Creator Sopwith Camel set in 2012. [9]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 "COBI SA". Cobi.eu.
  2. 1 2 3 4 "About COBI Bricks - USA Store". War Bricks USA. 2021-07-10. Retrieved 2025-04-03.
  3. ↑ "Best Lock Group Ltd. Is Pleased to Announce Its Merger with Cobi". Business Wire. 7 February 2006. Retrieved 25 November 2015.
  4. ↑ "Cobi Models". The Tank Museum. Retrieved 2022-10-24.
  5. 1 2 "Tanks and vehicles". Cobi.eu. Retrieved 2025-04-03.
  6. ↑ "Cobi toys: internet shop - Company of Heroes 3". cobi.pl. Retrieved 2022-12-16.
  7. ↑ "Top Gun / Maverick - Cobi toys: internet shop". cobi.pl. Retrieved 2022-10-24.
  8. ↑ "Why Lego won't ever make 'realistic' military-related toys". ZME Science. 8 April 2019. Retrieved 14 October 2020.
  9. ↑ "LEGO 10226 Sopwith Camel". Brickset.com. Retrieved 2025-04-03.
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