While staying in Venice, Italy, I came across a shopping window with what looked like a LEGO set of a gondola - except that the familiar white letters in the red top left square said "IDEA" rather than "LEGO".

I failed to take a picture back then, but a picture is available e.g. in an expired online auction. The description on that page actually makes it sound like these were repackaged LEGO pieces from original sets or something similar. And someone else posted an even clearer picture, but without any description, on their Facebook page.

What is this product? Is it a clone brand, or is it repackaged original LEGO? Or is it even a promotional set produced by LEGO that is, for some reason, not labeled "LEGO"? Is it part of a larger series that includes more sets?


Apparently these are designed and distributed by a Venice shop holder, named Steve


  • This sounds like a good lead (+1 for that). I won't mark the answer as accepted yet, though, as I'm still hoping for some additional confirmation. What's written in that blog may very well be true; on the other hand, store owners in tourism hotspots who can tell the most wondrous stories about their products and themselves are far from unheard of. – O. R. Mapper Apr 25 at 20:38

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