BrickLink Designer Program Series 5 crowdfunding starts today: everything you need to know
Crowdfunding for Series 5 of the BrickLink Designer Program gets underway today, so from new maximum limits to which LEGO sets could sell out first, here’s everything you need to know…
While we’re still waiting for Series 4 sets to ship (and doesn’t it feel like we were only just pre-ordering those?), Series 5 of the BrickLink Designer Program is already upon us. Crowdfunding gets underway later today and things are slightly different this time round, so here are all the details in one place before the main event kicks off.
When does BrickLink Designer Program Series 5 crowdfunding start?
If you only take one thing away from this page, let it be this: crowdfunding for Series 5 of the BrickLink Designer Program starts at 8am PT / 4pm BST today, June 10. You’ll want to have your finger on the trigger pretty much as soon as the sets go live to have the best chance of ordering the ones you’re after.
You can order yours directly from BrickLink (which will take you through to LEGO.com to finish your purchase), but if the website creaks and groans – as it often does under the pressure of high-volume traffic on crowdfunding days – we’ll have a list of links to each set that should also add them straight to your cart at the official online store. Check the homepage from 4pm BST for those.
Which sets are included in Series 5 of the BrickLink Designer Program?
Five sets are available to crowdfund in Series 5 of the BrickLink Designer Program, ranging in size and subject matter to ensure there’s something for everyone. Castle and Pirates fans will be drawn to Adventure in Transylvania and The Thieves of Tortuga respectively, while anyone without the budget for those two Series 5 titans will want to look to the Antique Shop and Popcorn Wagon.
| BDP Series 5 set | Price | Pieces | Designer |
|---|---|---|---|
| Adventure in Transylvania | £299.99 / $349.99 / €349.99 | 4,056 | SleeplessNight |
| Antique Shop | £129.99 / $149.99 / €149.99 | 1,918 | ThatOneGuySteve |
| Mushroom Village | £189.99 / $209.99 / €209.99 | 2,436 | JonasKramm |
| Popcorn Wagon | £49.99 / $59.99 / €57.99 | 594 | Mictur |
| The Thieves of Tortuga | £299.99 / $339.99 / €339.99 | 4,002 | Krackenator |
How many sets are available to pre-order in Series 5?
Here’s the thing: the LEGO Group won’t say. Previous series have offered a maximum 30,000 copies of each set for pre-order, but BrickLink says it’s ‘teamed up with our manufacturing friends to make more sets available’ for Series 5. The individual set pages still say ‘up to 30,000 of each set’ will be produced, but the timeline on the general Series 5 page simply says ‘a limited production’ of each model will be manufactured.
It’s safe to say that there should be more than 30,000 copies of each Series 5 set available to pre-order – or at least those the LEGO Group has deemed will be most popular – which is good news for collectors who have previously missed out, but does create a general air of the unknown around this series. In the best way, of course…
Which sets are likely to sell out first in BrickLink Designer Program Series 5?
It’s tough to say how quickly any of the LEGO sets in Series 5 will sell out given the unknown quantity available, but it’s still a safe bet that the first two to be snapped up – however long that might take – will be Adventure in Transylvania and The Thieves of Tortuga for their hooks to retro LEGO themes. They’re both getting shown a lot of love in the comments over on BrickLink, too.
That said, this might also be the first series where all five sets sell out completely (depending on those increased limits). Smaller and more affordable sets tend to do well, which bodes well for the Popcorn Wagon, while the Mushroom Village is a follow-up to a similar project from an earlier series, so is starting with a pre-installed fan base. The biggest question mark hangs over the Antique Shop, and even then it’s really only thanks to the price.
If you’re considering either The Thieves of Tortuga or Adventure in Transylvania, you’ll definitely want to have your finger on the trigger the moment crowdfunding starts regardless of the increased production numbers.
When does crowdfunding for Series 5 of the BrickLink Designer Program end?
Perhaps linked to the increased production numbers for Series 5 sets, crowdfunding this time round will only be open for two weeks. That’s about half the duration of previous series’ crowdfunding windows. You’ll have until June 24 at 12pm PT / 8pm BST, or until all sets sell out, to pre-order your copies. Only those sets that reach a minimum of 3,000 orders will enter production, but it’s difficult to imagine any of these not reaching that mark.
When will BrickLink Designer Program Series 5 sets ship?
BrickLink says Series 5’s LEGO sets will ship approximately six months after pre-ordering, which would put these on your doorstep in early December. The timeline for Series 5 has ‘October 2025’ listed under ‘Production and Shipping’, so presumably that’s when the LEGO Group will begin manufacturing them – and they could conceivably arrive earlier than December as a result.
As with previous series, the LEGO Group will create a temporary hold on your credit card when you place your order, but the funds won’t actually be taken until the sets ship.
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So, I paid 4 the set, then days, maybe a week or more, the money was put back into my acct. What happens when you ship and the money’s gone? I paid, you held the money, then gave it back. Free set?
Reservation only, you will be charged as they ship your order.