Bricklink Designer Program - Series 3 Finalists Announced

It seems like it wasn’t too long ago when I announced the series 2 finalists, but here we are with 5 more potential LEGO sets.

If you fall in love with any of the below designs, then you should set a reminder for October 2024… because thats when you can pre-order one of these sets. And if at least 3,000 pre-orders are made for that set then it will be produced (up to 20,000 sets of that design, a maximum of 2 can be ordered by a single household). Then you just need to wait for roughly another 6 months to receive that set… so if you like it now, think how much you could love it by 2025!

Harbormaster's Office

by Rich_Herbert

An office on a wooden dock, with sealife visible below, this 2,395 piece design has chosen to ignore the water’s surface and show… well, not really the ocean floor because the blue tiles suggest the water continues… but it shows some of the seaweed and fish that lurk beneath the dock. The separate boat has some of the water surface visible, and again some of the sea floor… But my critical eye digresses from the neat, modern office atop the dock. The office can be removed, as can the roof and first floor bedroom, making accessibility and playability easier and more enjoyable for those looking for a play-set to add to their harbourside LEGO town.

Camping Adventure

by thepresident14

This caravan on an autumn camping trip looks a little cramped on the inside, but is quite picturesque on the outside in its setting with the family by a campfire. Inside the caravan you’ll find a bed, stove & sink among other features; outside the caravan it has a number of nice details throughout the build giving it enough life not to be a boring looking set. It has 643 pieces, making it the smallest set of the series 3 finalists, but this will also make it the most affordable and more likely to get produced in my opinion. This design made an appearance during the previous series, and apparently had a few minor adjustments to improve the set, including the shape of the tree.

Forest Stronghold

by Krackenator

This set also appeared amongst the series one submissions, under a different title though it is unknown to me if any changes were made since then. It is, however, a fun looking play-set if you like the medieval theme as I do. It isn’t a full 360 degree construction like the above designs, but instead is open at both the rear and one side to allow access to rooms within the stronghold. The interior includes a treasure room, a bedroom, kitchen, and access to the watch towers where a flying fox style rope is set up. The bridge between the two halves of the stronghold can be removed to create two separate towers, adding to the flexibility and fun one might have when playing with this set. At 3,208 pieces it is one of the larger finalists this round.

Lost City

by letsgolegobrick

I love ancient ruins entwined by vegetation just as much as the next person, and this LEGO version depicts it well I feel. The images do leave me wondering what is beneath the ‘water mirror’, or pond… and what is beneath the ruins? There are no images of the rear of the build, so it is hard to know what else there could be hidden in the build. The side images seem to suggest there is a lower level which hasn’t been revealed in the images, and it makes me want to explore it just as if it were actual ruins. The tree growing through the roof was roots hanging down within the structure, and there looks to be roots growing out of numerous places around the ruins which is pretty cool. The design has 3,332 pieces giving it the most for this series’ finalists. One concern I would have was the integrity of the design though, as the many columns are single-stud and look a tad flimsy. We’ll have to wait and see what the ‘Model Governance’ team do, and if any final adjustments are made before production.

The Art of Chocolate

by brickester

This is the design I thought would definitely be in the final five; the designer had a design make it to the final selection in series 2 as well (Brick Cross Train Station). Both designs have curved roofs, giving a unique look to the builds… which is a positive aspect. This 2,574 piece ‘House of Chocolate’ contains the chocolate workshop, kitchen, chocolatier’s room, and a tasting room; it shows the whole process of the chocolate production ‘from bean to bar’ as the sign proclaims above the front door. The internal rooms are accessed by the rear walls splitting in half and folding outwards on hinges, making it both a beautiful display set, as well as a great play set. The snow collecting on the roof and on ledges would allow this build to fit right in amongst your other winter village sets… in fact it will likely outshine those official LEGO sets in my humble opinion. I enjoy looking at detail in a set, and this has a lot, but without it looking too cluttered or cramped. I would have to see an actual build of this design to know if it is a spacious inside as the photos make it appear, but I think this would be a very nice set to add to any collection (unless of course your collection is of a single theme, such as Star Wars... then it may look a little out of place).

--- So, a friendly reminder that the Bricklink Designer Program series 1 finalists will be available for pre-order/crowdfunding in February 2024. There will likely be more series happening, with more finalists announced between now and the series 3 being available, so you will have plenty of options for a unique LEGO set... its just deciding how many you can afford once they announce prices, and whether you wait for another set and miss out on some you were considering to get... which is what LEGO collecting is all about I guess; where does one stop? ---

[All images are from bricklink.com]