Bricklink Designer Castle 2024

[MAB]

6 hours ago, DaleDVM said:

I am not certain how I feel about these sets.  I am not exactly a fan of "unofficial" LEGO sets floating around.  I also do not like how TLG is (IMHO) taking advantage of AFOLs to do their set designing for them.  

I don't think the designers feel they are being taken advantage of, I imagine it is an honour to have their MOC created into an official LEGO set (that is, one with the LEGO logo on the box). There is choice to enter a design or not, there is no compulsion that LEGO is taking designs and telling designers they have to agree.

6 hours ago, DaleDVM said:

I am a LEGO castle collector.  I am only short 6 tiny sets from having a complete collection a few times over.  And yet, I don't feel the desire to get these sets at all.  They are hard to get, pricey, and really do not offer anything that makes them unique.

To me, the BDP sets are not Castle, in the same way that the Blacksmith, the Castle from Monster Fighters and the new ICONS set are not Castle. Everyone gets to define what their collection should be composed of. If someone wants them in their Castle collection, that is fine. If someone doesn't, that is also fine.

6 hours ago, DaleDVM said:

They are well designed and beautiful.  But I feel like I am buying somebody's MOC.  Just my opinion. 

This is exactly what they are, just in a box with the LEGO logo (and BL logo). I also don't buy them. I find they are expensive for what they are and I prefer my MOCs to these. My MOCS might not be quite as detailed or use as many small, greebly parts but I prefer them as they are mine and therefore mean more to me than following someone else's plans. But it seems that there are many AFOLs that collect and/or build but don't MOC these days, and these sets fill a niche that LEGO designed sets don't quite fill. They also act as a "community engagement" tool allowing AFOLs to interact with the company in a way not possible before. I think the BDP (or what was previously the AFOL Designer Program) was a major influence in the purchase of Bricklink. By having it run by a separate company, the BDP does not overlap too much with the LEGO-controlled IDEAS.

 

Edited May 17, 2023 by MAB

[HothFan1987]

So when do these sets go on sale?

[MAB]

31 minutes ago, HothFan1987 said:

So when do these sets go on sale?

https://www.bricklink.com/v3/designer-program/series-1/main.page

They go on sale (to crowdfunding) Feb 2024. Expect delivery end of '24 or early '25.

 

[HothFan1987]

37 minutes ago, MAB said:

https://www.bricklink.com/v3/designer-program/series-1/main.page

They go on sale (to crowdfunding) Feb 2024. Expect delivery end of '24 or early '25.

 

Ah, a while away yet - thank you. 

[Yoggington]

On 5/17/2023 at 2:26 AM, DaleDVM said:

I am not certain how I feel about these sets.  I am not exactly a fan of "unofficial" LEGO sets floating around.  I also do not like how TLG is (IMHO) taking advantage of AFOLs to do their set designing for them. 

Apart from the prestige that MAB mentioned, the winner designers are also financially compensated.

I would approach this from the point of view of; if you were building a MoC anyway, and it wasn't a whole lot of work to bring it to the standards required, sure it's no harm entering it and trying your luck.

Quote

Compensation for Winning Designs: Designers of Submitted Designs that are selected for commercial production will be compensated at the rate of 5% of the Sale Price for all sets sold and shipped (up to a maximum of 20,000 sets). “Sale Price” means the price paid for the item sold, exclusive of VAT, sales taxes, and shipping charges. The Sale Price of each BDPS set will be determined by Sponsor in its sole discretion. The LEGO Group will also provide Fan Designers of realized Designs with three copies of the finished product (the value of which will be added to total amount of the designer compensation to be reported to tax authorities, as may be required).

 

 

[Follows Closely]

The castle has 3,000 pieces so it will be no less than $300.

20,000 * $300 = $6,000,000

$6,000,000 * 0.05 = $300,000

$300,000 is a lot of money for most people.

Edited May 19, 2023 by Follows Closely

[LegoAUT]

3 hours ago, Follows Closely said:

$300,000 is a lot of money for most people.

Indeed! 

[DaleDVM]

I did not know that they were now compensating people 5% for their designs?  Is that figure correct?  If so, that is a step in the right direction.  

If people do not know.  Several years ago TLG hired a bunch of business types that have no interest in LEGO to run their business.  It used to be that if you worked for the company in any capacity you had to be a LEGO fan.  Those suits fired a bunch of experienced set designers because their salaries were considered too expensive.    I know a couple of those set designers.  They were middle aged people in the prime of their earning potential.  And yet...  their salaries weren't even 6 figures in USD.  The new management thought those people wanted too much and they were let go.

TLG then hired a bunch of young twenty something AFOLs on the cheap to save money.  This saved the company a few million dollars when they were already making billions.  But hey, the suits justified themselves getting hired by cutting company costs.  I know this is typical corporate behavior, but when I started collecting LEGO, this company was family run, and it did make a difference.

@MAB I also imagine for some people it is an honor to have your set made by TLG.  That is the problem IMHO.  When people feel honored, they do not properly value their labor, then they may get taken advantage of, and somebody loses their occupation.  Just my opinion.  

[LegoAUT]

1 hour ago, DaleDVM said:

I know this is typical corporate behavior, but when I started collecting LEGO, this company was family run, and it did make a difference.

Well, the company is still family owned.. seems the family wanted even more money..

[Yoggington]

On 5/21/2023 at 12:31 PM, DaleDVM said:

I did not know that they were now compensating people 5% for their designs?  Is that figure correct?  If so, that is a step in the right direction. 

 

From their FAQ: https://www.bricklink.com/v3/designer-program/faq.page

Quote

 

Do fan designers receive a percentage of sales?

Yes. Fan designers receive five percent of the net sales price of BDP sets that are sold.

 

 

Something similar happens with Ideas sets. https://ideas.lego.com/guidelines (under Prizes & rewards)

$500 USD worth of Lego just for hitting the 10,000 approval ratio (which might explain why we continually see Modulars and Castles despite no hope of production)

and then a 1% of sales if the idea is approved. I have a recollection that this was previously a higher figure (3% maybe?), but I've no source for that expect a vague memory.

 

[Follows Closely]

On 5/19/2023 at 1:06 PM, Follows Closely said:

The castle has 3,000 pieces so it will be no less than $300.

20,000 * $300 = $6,000,000

$6,000,000 * 0.05 = $300,000

$300,000 is a lot of money for most people.

Make that 30,000 copies: $450,000

[kchan98]

After a few minutes of timeouts I was able to get through. I don't think this one will sell out as quickly as the last one.

[Ixen Darastrix]

Took me closer to 25 minutes, rather annoying since it is 3am here and got up to ensure did not miss out

[Follows Closely]

Direct Link: https://www.lego.com/en-us/cart?product=910029

Edited February 7 by Follows Closely

[GeoBrick]

't Was hit&miss with the browser window(s), but eventually I could order&pay for it. Then, when I shopped for a second set of this series the fortress was in my bucket again! Took the order anyway, and once I got confirmation mails for both orders, annuled the first one to give someone else a chance.

[Follows Closely]

Moving, moving, moving!
90.32% https://www.lego.com/cart?product=910029 Mountain Fortress
71.01% https://www.lego.com/cart?product=910030 Snack Shack
66.80% https://www.lego.com/cart?product=910033 Old Train Engine Shed
50.25% https://www.lego.com/cart?product=910031 General Store
39.20% https://www.lego.com/cart?product=910032 Parisian Street

[Westbrick]

It took me a solid 15 mins of refreshing to get one. 30k of them (and possibly the price point!) meant it didn’t sell out within 5 mins like some of the previous ones. 

[Lionbear8]

it's sold out

it's already been listed for 3 x the price on ebay 

Edited February 7 by Lionbear8

[Follows Closely]

2 hours ago, Lionbear8 said:

it's sold out

it's already been listed for 3 x the price on ebay 

That is crazy. The price will settle down at $550 methinks as there are no special pieces or even a sticker sheet. So any gains is just the box.

[hikouki]

Bummer, I missed out on this one.

I was at work and by 10AM it was all gone!

[Artanis I]

Got up at 3AM to place an order, (someone warned me it would be sold out by the time I'd normally be up,) and of course the site was down... I eventually got through to checkout by 3:30, and saw that the progress bars weren't too far along. When I got up to go to work later, it was sold out, comments were saying it took 3 hours. Relieved, but very disappointed in the process, and especially for the large number of comments I read of folks that were gutted to miss out.

On the plus side, all of the parts should be available (even if some become rare) on Bricklink, and the instructions as a printable .pdf file. Should be cheaper than the scalpers prices.

[Captain_SoyBeard]

What so there's no chance to get this? Why don't they just produce more?

[Artanis I]

They said they'd make a maximum of 30000. They have increased the number in the past, (and it's only scalpers that would be negatively affected,) but I think it might take a lot of folks whingeing about not getting one, for them to add more this time. It's possible, but I wouldn't bank on it.

[RichardGoring]

They previously talked about booking time/space in the LEGO production cycle is what limited the runs of them. And I think they said it was Bricklink staff doing the packing, so they had limited resources on that too. Things may have changed so those points aren't as valid anymore, but the idea of producing more comes back to the same point that LEGO has about reproducing old sets. Mostly, the market for a repeat product is far smaller than the market for a new product. They have two more round finalized (and they look amazing!), plus one going through voting, and another three planned after that. They clearly do have finite production capacities and there is a finite market potential, so they're trying to maximize what they can get.

Also, not all of these may sell out, and trying to anticipate demand and so predict peak production numbers/capacity is also hard.

Turning around and immediately listing the Fortress for $1000 on eBay is pretty despicable though. It's why I got so cross watching the Solid Brix Studio review of the castle, as he spent a good amount of time being misleading about the relationship between these sets, Bricklink, and LEGO, and hyping up the investment potential. Whereas I think all other reviews focused on the builds themselves and encouraged people to actually build them and not to speculate on them (if it was even mentioned at all). We don't need more hype on these sets that encourage more scalpers.

[MAB]

21 hours ago, Artanis I said:

They said they'd make a maximum of 30000. They have increased the number in the past, (and it's only scalpers that would be negatively affected,) but I think it might take a lot of folks whingeing about not getting one, for them to add more this time. It's possible, but I wouldn't bank on it.

The only time they increased the number produced above what was advertised is when they messed up and took orders for too many. They increased the numbers for the other sets in the same round to make it fair to other designers.