A couple of days ago, I got a friendly reminder from the BrickLink team that the crowdfunding stage of the AFOL Designer Program is ending today, April 15th, so I thought to remind our readers as well. As you may remember from our previous discussions (see links at the end of this post) the LEGO Group and BrickLink.com is currently running a joint venture called the AFOL (ADULT-FANS-OF-LEGO) Designer Program. LEGO fans could submit their own custom designed models, judges selected what they felt were the best projects, and the sixteen finalists are currently available for pre-order. But today is the last day!
Before the April 15th deadline, you can pre-order any of the sets and get free shipping. Free shipping applies to both domestic and international orders. (Keep in mind that if you are a backer from the UK and Europe, you may need to pay VAT charges and processing fees, so check your postal regulations.) Those who order after April 15 during the general sales period will have to pay for shipping. The sales period will last until the end of June.
At the time of this writing, thirteen of the sixteen projects are already fully funded, which means that they are definitely going to be produced. There is a 2,500 production-limit for each set, so make sure you put your order in before the limit is reached (a couple of them are getting close). Backers can pre-order as many projects as they like, but there is a purchase limit of three per set.
If the project you backed during the crowdfunding phase is successfully funded, your payment method will be charged the full amount after April 15, 2019. The projects are going to be packaged with instructions and placed in a special box to become a limited edition 60 Years Anniversary set, exclusively available via BrickLink.
Speaking of packaging, a few days ago, the BrickLink team revealed what the packaging is going to look like, it is actually far better than anticipated! Whether you ordered a small design like Steampunk Mini Chess, or an extra large one like Löwenstein Castle, it will come in a box that’s just the right size. Each design gets its own unique sleeve with photos of the fully built model. The designer’s BrickLink username, country, as well as info about the set like total and unique element counts will also be included.
But that’s not all! Each design has been paired with beautiful scenery, which is placed inside the box’s sleeve. This allows you to take photos of the assembled design and get great surroundings, right out of the box. What a wonderful idea!
So, again, if you have been thinking about backing any of the projects, or even multiple projects, today is your last chance! You can check out all of them at the BrickLink AFOL Designer Program Page. A bit of a suggestion is that if you are interested in any of the project, click on its name for more details. You will be taken to the project details page, where you will find additional information like set description, parts count, number of unique parts, dimensions, notes from the designer, comments from the judges, more pictures, and even video footage so you can see the project from all angles. Again, today is the deadline, so don’t miss out.
What do you think? How do you like the AFOL Designer Program and the AFOL Designer Program projects? Did you support and pre-order any of the sets? Which one is your favorite? Feel free to share and discuss in the comment section below!
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