I don't really get this take. We've had endless Trains and Train Stations. Modulars get a set or two every series. The small set has consistently been a small City style set. If "The Forest Merchants" wins, it'll be the 4th set from this "Mountain Windmill" Series. Mushroom Village will be the 2nd of it's kind. There is no over representation of Castles. They've been basically the fastest selling out sets when the sales period opens. People want castles precisely because LEGO has been massively neglecting them. Pirates sets in both Bricklink and LEGO have been almost as represented (maybe 33-50%) as actual Castle sets that have actually gone into production. They've also had several Steampunk type of sets. Really, they just need to allow more sets to go up for crowdfunding... that would stop this bickering over what gets these very few spots...
Allowing more sets to go into production would be an interesting idea. While it would be better to give us more options, it does take away the novelty of the limited nature of the BDP. It would also force consumers to be more stringent with their purchasing which would not doubt have to cut down on the units or unit requirement somewhere. Bricklink has a really good thing going right now as far as overall set production so I doubt they'll rock that boat. I guess the best we can do is sit back and hope all our wishes are met with Series 5 😅. It's only reasonable!
I agree with what you're saying, but here are some counterpoints: 1) Bricklink already bumped up production to 30k sets from 10k. I think they did this because people were complaining about not having a chance to buy. Even then Mountain Fortress sold out in 2.5 hours. So I think that demand ithere. Also greater production means better economies of scale. These sets are getting sold in 30 countries. 2) While I understand why LEGO would rather you buy official LEGO sets, LEGO is at least getting a portion of the cut now since LEGO owns Bricklink. That might make expanding the program more likely than in the past. 3) You still have the exclusivity that each run is only 30k. More sets wouldn't impact. I still missed out on Mountain Fortress even if they make 7 sets instead of 5. 4) Not expanding risks disillusioning creators if the same individuals get picked, which is less variety for people to choose from. I don't buy modulars but there are at least 3 solid modulars this round that are all different. If one (or none) get selected will the designer stick around? Designing these is an insane amount of work. 5) Likewise, fans get disillusioned if "another castle" gets picked (or doesn’t). In my case, I collected LOTR, Star Wars, and am now getting Castle, Pirates and Christmas themed. A lot of Duplos too... I might pick up a one off Ideas set, but no way am I going for another theme (even though I think the modular city sets are awesome). So, if its not castle or pirate I'm not buying it (Transylvania set might be an exception). I think there are a lot of fans in my situation. Even more so than the cost, it's the space. 6) Bricklink does serve as an outlet for pent up frustration for fans to get more varied sets (trains, castle, pirates, etc). Getting a set on Bricklink that is slightly more costly than an official set is still cheaper and more preferable than buying individual pieces. So, as a castle fan its a huge win for me, just for the parts. I think the biggest threat from expanding for Bricklink is lower quality sets making it, when quality is already an issue. But, more sets is more revenue which could allow them to fill positions internally to improve that for all final sets. Losing creators would also result in lower quality too though, and i think the top sets from each style are probably all of higher quality.
I think the real concern is that LEGO is worried that if this grows too large (in volume of sets produced and the number of sets each round), it might cut into actual LEGO set sales. I think thats why the quantity is limited. But with LEGO owning Bricklink its not as much as an issue. They do get a lot of free ideas from this, and there is less overhead in terms of LEGO employees with salaries and benefits. The sets are also manufactured and shipped right to the customer. They don't sit in a warhouse taking up space and collecting dust and needing sales (if they don't sell).
@@JohnDoe-lo1uf If you would like to get specific answers to your questions, id encourage you to stay tuned to the channel. I've had a unique opportunity to speak with those at the very head of the selection process and may be able to shed some light on their ideas for the future of the program.
Another awesome design from you! I love the "story-book" type build to allow for multiple display options in this design as well as The Art of Chocolate! I'm also excited to see Brick Cross sell out in record time this Thursday!
Sleepless knight is a guy and I hope they make this Transylvania castle or better yet hire him on as a Lego ideas creator for castle. His mountain fortress is so good and takes so much from what made the lion knights castle an absolute 10/10 and just expands on it
I love this program but Lego really needs to commit to dedicated themes that people want within the Lego branding to provide consistency of themes and builds. These are great sets...love the mushroom village.
You nailed the exact sets I think are going to be produced. I think the Bricklink Designer Program is sticking with certain designers to get the whole program off the ground without massive complications. The last round there were a couple of 1800's ships I thought for sure would have been produced, however, it seemed like Bricklink wanted to keep it 'safe'.
Yes, it's quite interesting that out of the 5 fan designers that were chosen in series 4 only 1 wasn't a previous finalist, so maybe they prefer previous finalists or are they just more popular? The 1 new finalist in series 4 does have a sizable online following.
Over the past couple series, I've always gotten at least 1 or 2 correct in the "guessing" phase! If historic trends have anything to say, I think I may have another 1 or 2 in this batch as well . I recall the exact ships to which you're referring and I loved those! Unfortunately I agree that BL doesn't seem to want to have much to do with those huge ships. Maybe in a later series or program...
My top 5 in no particular order would be the Bandit Bend, the Green Hills Keep, the Raider Defense, the Privateer Frigate Fortuna and the Thieves of Tortuga. There are many more amazing castle and pirates themed sets, but I think I like these the most so I hope some of these will be chosen.
The portal set was so unique and well-built that I couldn't ignore it! It's piece count is a bit high, and I doubt they will want it to compete with the existing D&D set so unfortunately I couldn't put it in the top 5. Regardless, huge props to the designer for creativity and execution!
Out of the twenty sets 6 maybe 7 if you include the ominous isle island castle thing are "Castle" so over a third of all the sets done so far are castle.
Lego ain’t done with castle. They just released the medieval town square and these bricklink designer programs are voted on by fans and the castle ones always sell out first and with in either the same day or a few days after crowdfunding starts. Since lego owns bricklink they track these sales. The resale value alone on these sets is high
BDP Series are only supposed to have 1 castle set per wave so this was an unfortunate anomaly. Or as I like to call it in "different" terms, a "Mistake"
Great video! Sad that none of the ones I want got on the list, but we'll see, haha! My most wanted set from this round is the modular Cargo Delivery Depot or the Old Quay. They are both modulars that add something to a Lego city that I genuinely don't think Lego will ever do themselves. And they add enough content that I could justify the price and size in my budget Lego city. For the smaller price ranges, I hope we get either the Lifeguard Lookout, or Coconut Cafe, to go with the Snack Shack from Series 1.
Thanks so much for your review of the ice fishing shack! It’s back up for series 6 with some cool updates. Excited to see your takes on the builds for this season!
I honestly wish they would end this program, or make them regular retail sets. I always miss out getting these sets because I hear about them too late, or don't have the time to sit in front of a computer and furiously hit refresh as the limited quantity quickly disappears. That being said, I hope Lego never stops making castle sets.
So, first of all, I really like a lot of these sets. I like the ice fishing shack a lot, actually, and the transylvania set is stunning 😍 More importantly, though, I wonder if Lego could do better at advertising this program. It feels like we're getting a ton of the same designers putting out sets. They do good work, but there are other talented people out there who I'd like to see trying their hand at the BDP. But on the other hand, this may breed unnecessary competition between BDP and Lego ideas. Idk I just want more designers! No hate to these designs, though, they're awesome!
I think the answer might be in your initial thought process. The last thing LEGO would likely want would be IDEAS to compete against the BDP. I have noticed that LEGO has done very minimal broadcasting of the BDP, and honestly I believe the designers appreciate that more. It's certainly more prestigious to win as a BDP finalist than an IDEAS finalists! After all, the IDEAS program is only grabbing the "idea", while this is grabbing the set design 1 for 1 with only sparse structural changes. I believe it's only a recent development for Series 1 that they actually sent a couple out to members of LAN! I also can't imagine how many more designs they would have to sift through if they advertised hard for this program 😂. So I can't entirely blame them there! But I do always look forward to these designs because they're always a cut above the rest
Thank you so much my good friend for the review you know I’m fun of your videos! Thanks for the compliment really appreciate it. It’s meant a lot to me.
It wouldn't have felt right to do a BDP video without one of your designs in the mix! It was super tough to limit the number of sets in my own "final" mix. So many amazing sets in that 3,000 - 4,000 piece section that the judges are going to have a tough job on their hands!
The new project by Sleepless Night is amazing, but so is the Portal of Shadows! I also like the small viking ship and the Governor outpost, which would look splendid next to the Eldorado Fortress!
It's such a gorgeous set! DelusionB always does an amazing job with his designs. The tough part for me is in the piece count. It's just passing that 3,000 count which pushes it into upper $200's, and I know the program will want a wide spread of sets. I'm still hopeful 🤞🏻
I'm glad you stumbled upon this video! And thanks of the sub 😎. The BDP has quickly become a main passion of main with me getting my first set once Series 1 ship! Can't wait. I'm also excited to see how the Mushroom House does this Thursday! Rumor has it that it's going to be a hot buy!
I am so tired of this utter Castle frenzy Lego is having on BDP, series 4 has three castles, series 3 has 2 castles. If I never see another Lego castle it will be too soon.
I don't really get this take. We've had endless Trains and Train Stations. Modulars get a set or two every series. The small set has consistently been a small City style set. If "The Forest Merchants" wins, it'll be the 4th set from this "Mountain Windmill" Series. Mushroom Village will be the 2nd of it's kind. There is no over representation of Castles. They've been basically the fastest selling out sets when the sales period opens. People want castles precisely because LEGO has been massively neglecting them. Pirates sets in both Bricklink and LEGO have been almost as represented (maybe 33-50%) as actual Castle sets that have actually gone into production. They've also had several Steampunk type of sets. Really, they just need to allow more sets to go up for crowdfunding... that would stop this bickering over what gets these very few spots...
Allowing more sets to go into production would be an interesting idea. While it would be better to give us more options, it does take away the novelty of the limited nature of the BDP.
It would also force consumers to be more stringent with their purchasing which would not doubt have to cut down on the units or unit requirement somewhere. Bricklink has a really good thing going right now as far as overall set production so I doubt they'll rock that boat.
I guess the best we can do is sit back and hope all our wishes are met with Series 5 😅. It's only reasonable!
I agree with what you're saying, but here are some counterpoints:
1) Bricklink already bumped up production to 30k sets from 10k. I think they did this because people were complaining about not having a chance to buy. Even then Mountain Fortress sold out in 2.5 hours. So I think that demand ithere. Also greater production means better economies of scale. These sets are getting sold in 30 countries.
2) While I understand why LEGO would rather you buy official LEGO sets, LEGO is at least getting a portion of the cut now since LEGO owns Bricklink. That might make expanding the program more likely than in the past.
3) You still have the exclusivity that each run is only 30k. More sets wouldn't impact. I still missed out on Mountain Fortress even if they make 7 sets instead of 5.
4) Not expanding risks disillusioning creators if the same individuals get picked, which is less variety for people to choose from. I don't buy modulars but there are at least 3 solid modulars this round that are all different. If one (or none) get selected will the designer stick around? Designing these is an insane amount of work.
5) Likewise, fans get disillusioned if "another castle" gets picked (or doesn’t). In my case, I collected LOTR, Star Wars, and am now getting Castle, Pirates and Christmas themed. A lot of Duplos too... I might pick up a one off Ideas set, but no way am I going for another theme (even though I think the modular city sets are awesome). So, if its not castle or pirate I'm not buying it (Transylvania set might be an exception). I think there are a lot of fans in my situation. Even more so than the cost, it's the space.
6) Bricklink does serve as an outlet for pent up frustration for fans to get more varied sets (trains, castle, pirates, etc). Getting a set on Bricklink that is slightly more costly than an official set is still cheaper and more preferable than buying individual pieces. So, as a castle fan its a huge win for me, just for the parts.
I think the biggest threat from expanding for Bricklink is lower quality sets making it, when quality is already an issue. But, more sets is more revenue which could allow them to fill positions internally to improve that for all final sets. Losing creators would also result in lower quality too though, and i think the top sets from each style are probably all of higher quality.
I think the real concern is that LEGO is worried that if this grows too large (in volume of sets produced and the number of sets each round), it might cut into actual LEGO set sales. I think thats why the quantity is limited. But with LEGO owning Bricklink its not as much as an issue. They do get a lot of free ideas from this, and there is less overhead in terms of LEGO employees with salaries and benefits. The sets are also manufactured and shipped right to the customer. They don't sit in a warhouse taking up space and collecting dust and needing sales (if they don't sell).
By free ideas, I mean they get pitched 300+ ideas and get to pick the very best.
@@JohnDoe-lo1uf If you would like to get specific answers to your questions, id encourage you to stay tuned to the channel. I've had a unique opportunity to speak with those at the very head of the selection process and may be able to shed some light on their ideas for the future of the program.
that vampire castle is sick
Thank you very much for your review of my project! I'm glad you like it that much, let's see what happen in the review phase. Fingers crossed!
Another awesome design from you! I love the "story-book" type build to allow for multiple display options in this design as well as The Art of Chocolate!
I'm also excited to see Brick Cross sell out in record time this Thursday!
Sleepless knight is a guy and I hope they make this Transylvania castle or better yet hire him on as a Lego ideas creator for castle. His mountain fortress is so good and takes so much from what made the lion knights castle an absolute 10/10 and just expands on it
I love this program but Lego really needs to commit to dedicated themes that people want within the Lego branding to provide consistency of themes and builds. These are great sets...love the mushroom village.
I really want a castle and a pirates themed set in series 5, previously it was only 1 or the other or 2 castle sets like in series 4.
If history has anything to say, then you will certainly be getting one of your wishes!
You nailed the exact sets I think are going to be produced. I think the Bricklink Designer Program is sticking with certain designers to get the whole program off the ground without massive complications. The last round there were a couple of 1800's ships I thought for sure would have been produced, however, it seemed like Bricklink wanted to keep it 'safe'.
Yes, it's quite interesting that out of the 5 fan designers that were chosen in series 4 only 1 wasn't a previous finalist, so maybe they prefer previous finalists or are they just more popular? The 1 new finalist in series 4 does have a sizable online following.
Over the past couple series, I've always gotten at least 1 or 2 correct in the "guessing" phase! If historic trends have anything to say, I think I may have another 1 or 2 in this batch as well .
I recall the exact ships to which you're referring and I loved those! Unfortunately I agree that BL doesn't seem to want to have much to do with those huge ships. Maybe in a later series or program...
That dracula castle is just on a different level
My top 5 in no particular order would be the Bandit Bend, the Green Hills Keep, the Raider Defense, the Privateer Frigate Fortuna and the Thieves of Tortuga. There are many more amazing castle and pirates themed sets, but I think I like these the most so I hope some of these will be chosen.
The Portal one is amazing. Also like the Viking boat to go with the Village.
The portal set was so unique and well-built that I couldn't ignore it! It's piece count is a bit high, and I doubt they will want it to compete with the existing D&D set so unfortunately I couldn't put it in the top 5. Regardless, huge props to the designer for creativity and execution!
@@cpafol I agree which is upsetting as personally much prefer it to the D&D set as just completely different and doesn’t feel castle related.
I really like the thieves of tortuga one, I would also like to have that privateer frigate fortuna. Otherwise I like the anchor cove too.
Too many amazing options! I partly wish I was on the BDP panel of judges, but on the other hand, that would be a tough job...
Out of the twenty sets 6 maybe 7 if you include the ominous isle island castle thing are "Castle" so over a third of all the sets done so far are castle.
Lego ain’t done with castle. They just released the medieval town square and these bricklink designer programs are voted on by fans and the castle ones always sell out first and with in either the same day or a few days after crowdfunding starts. Since lego owns bricklink they track these sales. The resale value alone on these sets is high
BDP Series are only supposed to have 1 castle set per wave so this was an unfortunate anomaly. Or as I like to call it in "different" terms, a "Mistake"
Great video! Sad that none of the ones I want got on the list, but we'll see, haha! My most wanted set from this round is the modular Cargo Delivery Depot or the Old Quay. They are both modulars that add something to a Lego city that I genuinely don't think Lego will ever do themselves. And they add enough content that I could justify the price and size in my budget Lego city. For the smaller price ranges, I hope we get either the Lifeguard Lookout, or Coconut Cafe, to go with the Snack Shack from Series 1.
Thanks so much for your review of the ice fishing shack! It’s back up for series 6 with some cool updates. Excited to see your takes on the builds for this season!
I honestly wish they would end this program, or make them regular retail sets. I always miss out getting these sets because I hear about them too late, or don't have the time to sit in front of a computer and furiously hit refresh as the limited quantity quickly disappears. That being said, I hope Lego never stops making castle sets.
So, first of all, I really like a lot of these sets. I like the ice fishing shack a lot, actually, and the transylvania set is stunning 😍
More importantly, though, I wonder if Lego could do better at advertising this program. It feels like we're getting a ton of the same designers putting out sets. They do good work, but there are other talented people out there who I'd like to see trying their hand at the BDP.
But on the other hand, this may breed unnecessary competition between BDP and Lego ideas.
Idk I just want more designers! No hate to these designs, though, they're awesome!
I think the answer might be in your initial thought process. The last thing LEGO would likely want would be IDEAS to compete against the BDP. I have noticed that LEGO has done very minimal broadcasting of the BDP, and honestly I believe the designers appreciate that more. It's certainly more prestigious to win as a BDP finalist than an IDEAS finalists! After all, the IDEAS program is only grabbing the "idea", while this is grabbing the set design 1 for 1 with only sparse structural changes.
I believe it's only a recent development for Series 1 that they actually sent a couple out to members of LAN!
I also can't imagine how many more designs they would have to sift through if they advertised hard for this program 😂. So I can't entirely blame them there! But I do always look forward to these designs because they're always a cut above the rest
I think the Vampire Castle is the best. It's a shame that it's the same designer, but he knows his thing ... count me in !
Thank you so much my good friend for the review you know I’m fun of your videos! Thanks for the compliment really appreciate it. It’s meant a lot to me.
It wouldn't have felt right to do a BDP video without one of your designs in the mix! It was super tough to limit the number of sets in my own "final" mix.
So many amazing sets in that 3,000 - 4,000 piece section that the judges are going to have a tough job on their hands!
Transylvania gotta get chosen
Couldn't agree more 😎
The new project by Sleepless Night is amazing, but so is the Portal of Shadows! I also like the small viking ship and the Governor outpost, which would look splendid next to the Eldorado Fortress!
I really like that navel shipyard and would definitely D1B
It's such a gorgeous set! DelusionB always does an amazing job with his designs. The tough part for me is in the piece count. It's just passing that 3,000 count which pushes it into upper $200's, and I know the program will want a wide spread of sets. I'm still hopeful 🤞🏻
Open back sets: EEWWWWW BROTHER WHATS THAT ???!!
great video, subrscribed! Ill be picking up Jonas's mushroom house so I am excited to see he is continuing the series!
I'm glad you stumbled upon this video! And thanks of the sub 😎. The BDP has quickly become a main passion of main with me getting my first set once Series 1 ship! Can't wait.
I'm also excited to see how the Mushroom House does this Thursday! Rumor has it that it's going to be a hot buy!
The castle sets are better.
I am so tired of this utter Castle frenzy Lego is having on BDP, series 4 has three castles, series 3 has 2 castles. If I never see another Lego castle it will be too soon.
Be careful about spreading too many facts! The castle fans may get scared 👀