The morning after: LEGO BrickLink Designer Program Series 4

Now the dust has settled on the initial crowdfunding race for BrickLink Designer Program Series 4, here’s a recap of how it all went down – and which fan-designed LEGO sets are still available to pre-order.

Series 4 of the BrickLink Designer Program has served up another five new LEGO sets designed by fans and fulfilled by the LEGO Group, and it’s fair to say this was the smoothest crowdfunding experience so far. The LEGO Group and BrickLink have mostly ironed out the issues that plagued previous series, from technical hiccups to accidentally overselling stock, ensuring a relatively stress-free time for most of us.

There were a couple of tiny exceptions, and of course the supply of at least a couple of these sets has inevitably failed to keep up with demand – but three sets are still available to buy at the time of writing. Relive or catch up on the Series 4 crowdfunding process below, then keep reading to find out what’s left.

Jumping the gun

While BrickLink ticked over at 4pm GMT / 8am PT on the dot, the five Series 4 sets could actually be pre-ordered a few minutes earlier by clicking through direct links to LEGO.com (including those in the table further down this page).

It wasn’t really early enough to impact things too much – you weren’t going to miss out if you were buying at 4pm rather than 3.57pm – but it did mean anyone heading through those links had an even easier experience than expected, checking out before there was even a chance for a technical malfunction.

Regional railways

While much of this crowdfunding round was smooth sailing, some fans north of the border reported initial issues placing orders for one specific set. According to users over on reddit, Canadians were unable to pre-order the Wild West Train for at least an hour after crowdfunding went live (as if Canada hasn’t had enough to deal with this week already). Thankfully that issue now looks to be resolved – and stock is still available, so you can try again now if it didn’t work for you yesterday.

The clamour for castle

No surprises for guessing which of the five BrickLink Designer Program Series 4 sets sold fastest. Both LEGO Castle-themed models were the first to be fully funded, reaching 3,000 backers each in a matter of minutes, and have also been the first two sets to sell through their total allocation of 30,000 sets. In fact, Siege Encampment and Medieval Seaside Market both sold out within four hours of going live, proving once again that there’s a real demand for new LEGO Castle sets among the adult audience.

Chugging along – and a slow start

All five sets in this round (as they have in all previous series) reached the minimum number of backers to enter production, so all pre-orders will now be fulfilled in roughly six months. The other three have not quite kept pace with their medieval compatriots, but the Wild West Train isn’t far behind, with nearly three-quarters of its 30,000 copies snapped up so far.

The Merchant Boat and Riverside Scholars are not performing quite as well at the moment, and at this stage look unlikely to sell through their total allocation. But those who do want them will be relieved to know that they’ve at least proven successful enough to get funded.

Remaining LEGO sets in BrickLink Designer Program Series 4

While the Wild West Train looks sure to sell out next, it’s still available for the time being – while supplies are plentiful of both the Merchant Boat and Riverside Scholars. Click through the links below to add them directly to your basket at LEGO.com. Your bank may place a temporary hold on the funds on your card, but you won’t be fully charged until the sets ship, which is likely to happen around July or August.

Crowdfunding for Series 4 of the BrickLink Designer Program closes on March 1, 2025 at 8pm GMT / 12pm PT, or once all sets sell out. Head here for more info on how the program works.

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