At 8:00 AM Pacific Time on June 10, 2025, The LEGO Group’s official crowdfunding project “BrickLink Designer Program: Series 5” (BDP5) began. BrickLink is a parts trading and database site under the group’s umbrella, and this project is an official initiative conducted on that platform.
The BrickLink Designer Program follows a format where 5 works are selected each time, and orders for commercialization are collected over approximately one month. In past series, the order limit for each work was clearly set at 30,000 units, and this number guaranteed the “limited quantity” nature.
※BDP5 submitted works
However, in this Series 5, just before the start, a notice was posted at the crowdfunding venue stating that “production numbers may be increased depending on the situation,” indicating a different policy from before.
Additionally, after the start, it was confirmed that the order quantity limits were actually raised, with changes made that could be interpreted as effectively “removing the cap.” While specific quantities have not been disclosed, compared to the past when popular works sold out within hours of sales start, it appears that considerable increases have been made.
Among the works gathering popularity is “Adventure in Transylvania,” themed around a vampire’s castle. In the comments section of this work, a person calling themselves a “LEGO® set investor” has expressed strong dissatisfaction with the quantity limit relaxation measures. The relevant user’s comment is as follows:
I paid $160 for bot services to buy multiples of this set to sell in the secondary market. This helps me recoup the cost of the set and gives me some extra change for other Lego/bricklink sets. What Lego did is disingenuous raising this “limited” set to basically unlimited cap. There will be alot of cancellations.
It’s disingenuous for switching up the rule of the game at the very last minute. Alot of us investors paid for bot services and opened new credit cards for points to buy up these sets to sell in the secondary market. Lego/Bricklink effectively killed the secondary market for this set by printing it down to the grounds. This is not uninvestable. Good luck trying to get investors in future sets. We provide Lego the upfront cash/liquidity and free up storage for future sets.
To summarize, the content expresses the sentiment: “We prepared for multiple purchases seeing it as a viable investment opportunity precisely because it was limited quantity, but with the retroactive effective unlimited production, the resale value has collapsed.” This user also revealed paying $160 for bot purchasing services, indicating they had made considerable preparations in advance.
However, many users are critical of this comment, with voices saying “purchasing for resale purposes is problematic in the first place” and “this misunderstands the purpose of crowdfunding.”
LEGO® set reselling is currently not a field where much profit can be expected. Even popular sets like LEGO® Icons have stable inventory, and situations like “winning if you can buy it” as in the past are rarely seen anymore.
For example, this Boutique Hotel (10297) is expected to be discontinued soon, but it’s currently available as a very popular LEGO® Icons building set.
LEGO(R) ICON Boutique Hotel 10297
A stylish Southern European-style building
Lose yourself in this hands-on project as you build the hotel’s guest rooms, penthouse suite, lobby, terrace and staircase, plus the neighboring art gallery and coffee cart
Also, while there haven’t been many long-term shortages recently, the LEGO® Ideas Minifigure Vending Machine (21358), which is exclusively sold at the LEGO® Shop official store until June 30, continues to be in considerable shortage due to its popularity.
LEGO(R) Minifigure Vending Machine Minifigure Vending Machine 21358
Fully functional and playable
Build minifigures referencing various classic LEGO themes and sub-themes, including Castle, Paradisa, Fabuland® and more
Furthermore, among the 7 products in the “LEGO® ONE PIECE” series scheduled for release on August 1st and currently accepting pre-orders at various shops, “The Going Merry (75639),” which is particularly popular, may experience temporary shortages immediately after release.
LEGO® ONE PIECE The Going Merry Pirate Ship 75639
Set sail with the Straw Hat crew
The large ship with mast, sails, figurehead, and helm features cabins, kitchen, storage for food and wanted posters, and an accessory workshop below deck
However, even with the Minifigure Vending Machine and The Going Merry, cases where they remain difficult to obtain for long periods until sales end, as in the past, can hardly be anticipated. Currently, even products with high publicity don’t necessarily sell out immediately, and it has become an era unsuitable for treating LEGO® sets as short-term investment targets.
On major online shopping sites, businesses specializing in LEGO® sets have clearly decreased, and the presence of resellers who once held a certain influence is rarely seen anymore. While there are still those who purchase for resale purposes, the reality is that obtaining profit requires years of storage, and even that is not guaranteed.
However, production systems are regularly reviewed as part of business strategy, and in cases of concentrated demand or unexpected surges in popularity, it cannot be said that there’s absolutely no possibility of temporary supply shortages or stock shortages.
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