About COBI Bricks

About COBI Bricks

We were a little apprehensive when we bought our first Cobi set, (M5 Stewart Tank).  We have all experienced the poor quality that is typically associated with anything but LEGO and so, like you we started doing our homework.

The first thing you should know are that Cobi brick sets are TOP QUALITY! In fact, in some cases they have higher quality parts then those found in the “other brands” sets.   What we recommend is that you try a small set like we did to test the water! You won’t be disappointed. You can read our COBI vs LEGO article here.

Additionally, as we stated above, Cobi parts work with LEGO.  You should not read this to be “knock off” as every Cobi set features unique parts that we guarantee your child or the most esteemed COBI Collector will appreciate.  This unique approach requires imagination and makes each set more realistic.  

About Cobi SA 

Cobi S.A was founded in 1987, in Warsaw, Poland (Part of the European Union) and started out making board games and puzzles.  In 1992, Cobi established a production line of plastic construction blocks.  In the same year, a mould factory was opened under the name “Colbert”.  

Due to growing demand and popularity, Cobi quickly implemented a dynamic development program establishing new models and production techniques at their new (1997) factory in South Poland.  The factory was opened under the name COBI S.A. and was built in Mielec Poland in a Special Economic Zone.

In 2001, Cobi, opened two new offices! One each in the Czech Republic and Slovakia.

2010 saw remarkable growth for Cobi and they finished an expansion of the Mielec factory.  2011 saw additional demand for Cobi block sets and by 2011, production at the facility was barely keeping up with demand.

Today, Cobi is the biggest manufacture of construction blocks in Central and Eastern Europe, with sales offices in Czech Republic, Slovak Republic and a sales network in over 60 countries worldwide.

Cobi manufactures their building blocks entirely in house in Mielec Poland.  Sets typically start with an idea which then transforms into moulds, production and then sales. thanks to their in house design and manufacturing process, Cobi is able to offer their customers high quality products made of select EU originated materials that are certified by EU laboratories.  Additionally, rigid quality and security controls result in short production nd delivery lead times.

The high quality of Cobi toys was resulted in licenseing agreements with Vodafone, McLaren and Mercedes  The success of their first licensed line triggered work on other licensed collections. Presently, COBI offers the Jeep collection of historical Willys (licensor Chrysler Group LLC, the line was launched in 2009), Renault F1 team (licensor Renault, the collection was launched in 2010), Boeing famous Dreamliner Boeing-787 and Boeing-767 (licensor Boeing Management Company, the product was launched in 2010) and McLaren F1 line which we are carrying till now. This year we have started production of Doctor Who licensed series for Character Option Ltd.  Additionally, Cobi is in the process of licensing rights to produce scale models of the famous aircraft from the new Top Gun Maverick Movie.

THE COBI MISSION

The COBI “Smiling Sun” goal is to see children’s faces beaming with joy and happiness. They do their best to ensure colorful and happy childhood and lay the foundations for successful and creative adult lives.

Warbricks USA Mission:

With all the above being said, we believe that you will absolutely love COBI building bricks and we encourage you to give them a try. We started Warbricks because we believed in the product ourselves and you can read more about our homeschool business model here.

Have experience with COBI Bricks? answer up in the comments below.

10 thoughts on “About COBI Bricks”

  1. Hi, I’m interested in COBI Brand products. I just would like to find out is the product manufacturing in China as I saw there is a flagship store selling COBI products @ taobao.com.

  2. Raymond, thanks for reaching out. No, COBI bricks are made in Poland, EU. To our knowledge there is no Manufacturing in China. It would most likely be a huge mistake if they did. All our sets display the made in EU seal.

  3. Hello COBI,

    Of all of the brick-based kits I’ve seen, your aircraft are by far the best looking. I’m curious as to whether you have plans to offer a kit of the Boeing F-15E Strike Eagle, which is the 2-seater version of the F15 Eagle.

    Thanks and keep up the great work!

    1. Bruce,
      Thanks for asking. We have not heard anything from COBI regarding a strike eagle but we totally agree with you that it would be a great set. Thanks for checking in!

  4. Hello Warbricks, I stumbled across the COBI kits while looking for WWII “LEGO” style building kits. the first one I ordered was the AU-1 Corsair (by far my favorite WWII fighter planes and IMO one of the most beautiful aircraft in the world,) the gull wing look sets it apart from all other aircraft especially WWII warbirds.

    I found your website along with another COBI distributer here in the US and I no longer get the COBI kits off of Amazon, I don’t have a problem paying a few dollars more buying from a US business and giving as little of my money as possible to Amazon since I am on a fixed income. I spilt my orders with you and Miltary Bricks (Warbricks edited to remove link please remember we price match).

    I am a retired firefighter from Texas, I have loads of friends and family who are either veterans or are currently serving in the US military. I am a huge military buff, both WWII and modern military with emphasis on armor and aviation and some ships.

    The COBI kits look more like a scale model than a toy like LEGO brands do, the COBI team in Poland does an excellent job on their research and do not hesitate to leave out small details (which I think makes the models way more realistic) Since LEGO will not produce (war) kits or sets (yet they produce Star Wars set, kind hypocritical IMO,) I no longer buy anything LEGO.

    I have recommended COBI to many of my friends who are tired military and they have been as impressed with the COBI products as I have and COBI is about 1/4 the cost of LEGO but with much more detail and true to scale features.

    I am currently sitting at 14 sets with another 5 arriving by this Saturday, I have been browsing EBAY for COBI sets that have been discontinued, or were special edition or are just out of stock on the COBI distributer pages. There are several sets no longer in production I have my eyes on EBAY for and yes I am on your waiting list for quite a few sets that are out of stock.

    There are some new sets I would like to see COBI produce, I have emailed them directly with no response (I am assuming it is a language barrier issue because getting replacement parts for those that have been missing out of a few of the sets has been a quick and painless process.)

    Here are the sets I would like to see COBI produce and after speaking with many collectors that have the COBI brand on their radar or are current COBI customers, they agree with me, these would be great sets and big sellers for the company.

    WWII aircraft
    Douglass A1-D Skyraider
    Grumman TBF Avenger
    North American P-61 (twin Mustang)
    Boeing B-29 Superfortress
    Bell P-63 King Cobra
    Douglass A-26 invader
    Consolidated B-24 Liberator
    Curtis C-46 Commando
    Curtis P-40 Warhawk
    Grumman F8F Bearcat
    Grumman F6F Hellcat

    Vehicles (tanks, trucks, self propelled guns, armored carriers, MISC)
    DUKW – Amphibious truck
    M35 2.5 ton 6×6 truck, 1000’s were used by US military and exported yet no BRICK company makes a kit of this iconic vehicle
    T-19 105mm Howitzer motor carriage
    M16 multiple gun motor carriage (half track with quad .50’s) discontinued by COBI
    M15 multiple gun motor carriage with armored turret (half track)
    M4 tractor used to pull M2 “Long Tom” 155 howitzer 8″ battleship gun (M2 kit discontinued by COBI, would like to see it come back with executive edition including the m4 tractor)
    US military rail mounted Naval Artillery like “Anzio Annie,” “The Gladiator,” “The Peacemaker.”
    ANY towed US Howitzer, cannon, or artillery
    M18 Hellcat Tank Destroyer
    M3 Scoutcar (armored Jeep)
    M35 2.5 ton 6×6 truck in fuel or water configuration or fire truck configuration

    I have so many COBI kits built and on order I had to buy a 72″Hx56″Wx24″D oak China hutch to dsiplay my COBI military models and it is almost full.

    1. Thanks so much for the great comment! We appreciate your support and we happily price match both amazon and the other cobi seller you mentioned. Regarding COBI responding, they do not respond to suggestions from their customers or retailers and that is a huge problem for us. Unfortunately it is not a language barrier but company culture issue.Thanks again!

  5. Thank you for responding to my rather lengthy comment. That is really unfortunate that COBI does not take suggestions for new sets or to bring back older sets that are popular, from their customers or distributers had I been aware of COBI when they first CANE onto the brick scale model scene, I would have all the kits I am interested in that are no longer produced by COBI, I have a foamily tie to the M$ tractor and M2 155 mm towed Howitzer (an 8″ battle ship or naval gun mounted on wheels for use in the field.)

    My Grandfather Colonel Buford Austin Merritt US Army serve din three wars, he was a Major in WWI, and Lt. Colonel at the beginning of US involvement of WWII and a full Colonel by the wars end, he served in both theatres and went back to Japan to be a part of the US occupying force following that war. He was also involved of the 4th Army’s Liberation of the Birkenau Concentration Camp.

    After his service during WWII he became the CO of an artillery division at Ft. Sill Oklahoma, the unit he commanded had the M2 155 mm Howitzer and M4 to pull the gun around. (I really want the M2 COBI set, the cheapest I can find it anywhere is on EBAY for $76 shipping from Paraguay. COBI as of yet has not produced a set for the M4 tractor, the M2 & M4 would make an EXCELLENT WWII Executive Edition set should they be paired together in one set, I would gladly pay $150 for that set, I can actually visit both of the real M2 and M4 at the 45th Infantry Division Museum here in OKC, it is by far one of the best mechanized infantry, artillery, and general service military units. The Thunderbirds are no longer an active duty unit but are instead the National Guard Unit for the entire state of Oklahoma. The museum sits on a 15 acre plot of land, they have over 60 vehicles on display in their outdoor exhibit (with approximately 30 other vehicles on display in their indoor exhibits. Including armor, air craft both fixed and rotor wing, missiles, equipment from the Civil War all the way through our modern military history.

    After WWII and his time as part of the occupying force in Japan, my grandfather was stationed in Los Alamos, NM to work on the US Nuclear Weapons Program, my Grandfather retired from the US Army at the beginning of the Viet Nam war, he had a very long and very interesting career with the US Army, there are still some of his service records that have not been de-classified.

    The Museum has a huge indoor exhibit that takes up almost every inch of the old 45th Infantry Division HQ along with several large outbuildings that are packed full of exhibits that the museum just does not have to room to display. The 45th Museum is probably the best National Guard Museum in the US and even give the Army Museum at Ft. Sill stiff competition as to the history represented, the amount of indoor and outdoor exhibits on display and the sheer number of artifacts, official records, photo and film collections and the LARGEST COLLECTION Adolf Hitler’s personal siler collection that was liberate from Hitler’s Berlin Apartment.

    The museum also has a large and VERY, VERY emotionally stirring Holocaust Exhibit. There is a lot of family history with my family on both parents sides with the 45th Infantry Division. Here is an interesting bit of trivia, prior the the US official entry into WWII, the insignia on the unit patch for the 45th infantry was a yellow swastika on the red background (the swastika they used was the “good luck swastika” which faces the opposite direction than the Nazi one faced) on many Buddhist statues, artwork, sculptures, it was quickly changed to the current version of the unit insignia of the Thunderbird for obvious reasons.

    I anticipate collecting every US COBI set from WWII and many modern US military sets even if I have to pay exorbitant prices for discontinued sets from EBAY, I will definitely use your price matching tool whenever possible. I am super impressed with the kits COBI has produced so far, their attention to details, (many small and insignificant to the uneducated eye, these small details make the models even better IMO. I am looking forward to see what other sets COBI is going to produce in the future, they have a loyal customer in me as long as they don’t change the quality of their sets or the research that goes into each set before it is placed in production. IF only money were no object if you know what I mean.

    I cannot wait to spend more money with your company and the other US distributer and add to my quickly growing collection.

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