This early September, third-party LEGO-selling platform Bricklink dropped a bombshell when they announced a new crowd-funding initiative in major partnership with LEGO itself. This was the AFOL Designer Program, which aims to showcase AFOL-submitted MOCs which can be supported and crowd-funded into limited-release box set with revenues to the creators.
Bricklink has already laid down specific details about the AFOL Designer Program, which comes off as an alternative to LEGO Ideas, but which will have the resulting sets be limited-edition only for the 60th anniversary celebration of the LEGO brick. Oh, and they also gave a date for when entries will begin to be accepted for the program: right now.
That’s right, Bricklink is now ready to accept MOC designs from AFOLs aspiring to have their builds be included in this limited-time wave of LEGO sets that will be coming out next year. The start date was September 18 and will last until November 18, after which they will be evaluated under the supervision of “a celebrated LEGO designer with unique expertise and a historical understanding of the LEGO system”.
All AFOL MOCs that make the cut for Bricklink’s Designer Program will then be out forth for crowdfunding throughout the month of February. They will then be put on a limited production run in time for release in April 2019. When total sales revenues arrive in the future, the lucky AFOLs will receive 10 percent of it, no questions asked.
Unlike the LEGO Ideas path, these limited sets that will be born out of the program will not be official releases, though they will likely be comprised of authentic LEGO pieces. Still, for the time they’ll be available, these uncommon sets from AFOLs’ dreams will be a true part of the ongoing grand global celebration for 60 years of LEGO.