Is LEGO destroying its community?
4.12.2019
Translation: Jessica Johnson-Ferguson
BrickLink was the largest independent LEGO marketplace in the world. Now that LEGO has snatched it up, the community is concerned. Is this the end of an era?
BrickLink was founded in 2000 by Dan Jezek. His vision was to connect like-minded adult LEGO fans from all corners of the globe. Over the years, the platform has become the largest LEGO database in the world. Meanwhile, the site has more than one million users. BrickLink is not just a platform for LEGO fans to exchange ideas and buildings, it also features around 10,000 stores from 70 countries. The stores sell second-hand LEGO sets, individual bricks, minifigures and MOCs. BrickLink also offers free software that lets you build your own creations from all kinds of LEGO bricks. Check out the following one-hour video by Held der Steine to see how it works:
On 26 November, the LEGO Group issued a press release saying that they had signed a final purchase agreement with BrickLink. The acquisition is expected to be completed by the end of 2019. Niels Christiansen, CEO of the LEGO Group, says the following:
Our adult fans are extremely important to us. They are passionate, committed and endlessly creative. We have worked closely with the community for many years and look forward to deepening our collaboration. We plan to continue to support BrickLink’s active marketplace and evolve BrickLink’s digital studio which allows our talented fans to take their creativity to the next level.
His promise sounds nice; however, the acquisition could have a negative impact on BrickLink. That’s why many fans from the community have recently expressed their concerns.
What is the community afraid of?
The primary concern is the loss of BrickLink's independence. Many LEGO fans are afraid that LEGO will apply its brand strategy, thereby controlling the second-hand market. Currently, prices on BrickLink are regulated by supply and demand. LEGO could now change this and raise prices at random. As LEGO is a profit-oriented company that wants to promote the sale of new sets, this could mean the end of individual bricks available on BrickLink. Although most of BrickLink’s range consists of original LEGO bricks, there are also a few third-party products and custom parts. These will most likely be removed from the range – a move that would annoy many fans. A further concern is the BrickLink database. Every single LEGO brick is registered there and all sets are listed in detail. Users carefully collected the data over the years and the result is a database that’s far more extensive than LEGO’s one. Should this data disappear, it would be the death of BrickLink.
It remains to be seen what the consequences of the takeover will be. Despite all the worry, it could well be an enrichment for the community. But only if LEGO does not exert too much influence on the independence of the community.
Riding my motorbike makes me feel free, fishing brings out my inner hunter, using my camera gets me creative. I make my money messing around with toys all day.
