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Lego accused of muscling in on fans after BrickLink takeover
| News Media Commentary | |
|---|---|
| Title: | Lego accused of muscling in on fans after BrickLink takeover |
| Commentator: | Zoe Wood |
| Date(s): | December 20, 2019 |
| Venue: | The Guardian newspaper |
| Fandom: | Lego |
| External Links: | The Guardian article, Archived version |
| Click here for related articles on Fanlore. | |
Lego accused of muscling in on fans after BrickLink takeover is an article from the life and style section of The Guardian. The article discusses the move by the Lego corporation to purchase BrickLink, a comprehensive site for Lego fans to buy used parts and sometimes fanmade unofficial Lego sets (aka MOCs), complete with directions.
The article takes a positive approach to Lego fans and fandom, relaying the concerns of fans neutrally and without any condescending asides. Further, the article indicates that the purchase by Lego was designed to understand fannish behavior, not suppress it.
Excerpts
"But last month online brickhead forums and blogs lit up after it was announced that the Danish toymaker had taken over the site, giving it a foothold in this lucrative secondhand market and a chance to see inside the heads of a passionate fanbase."
"Adam White, editor of the Bricksfanz site, said fans’ reaction had been mostly negative. “It’s because BrickLink was an independent platform,” he explained. “Lego has its own part ordering service, but it sets the prices and the range is not as big. People are asking: are prices going to go up? I don’t think Lego is a big bad corporate but everyone thinks this is about cleaning up in the secondhand market.”
"But many adult Lego fans prefer free play, creating elaborate models (my own creation or MOC in Lego parlance] that belong on an episode of Lego Masters. They sell instructions for these unofficial sets, which range from an epic “Hogwarts diorama” to souped up Batmobiles. There are close to 20,000 MOC designs listed on BrickLink and fans fear this unauthorised creativity is vulnerable with “Big Brother” watching."
"But Minifigforlife owner Andrew Watts, who has been selling on BrickLink for nearly 17 years, is sanguine about the deal. Yes it gives Lego a stake in the secondhand market, he says, but eBay and Facebook are far bigger markets for used bricks. He suggests the biggest prize is the treasure trove of data provided by the site’s passionate users"