Cobi (building blocks)

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Cobi S.A.
FoundedApril 1987; 38 years ago (1987-04) in Warsaw, Poland
FounderRobert Podleś
Headquarters
Warsaw
,
Poland
ProductsToys
OwnerRobert Podleś
Websitecobi.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.

History

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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

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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.

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

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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

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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]

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See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f g h "COBI SA". Cobi.eu.
  2. ^ a b c d "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. ^ a b "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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