The BrickLink Designer Program has delivered us some inviting LEGO Pirate set concepts, but alas! Nary a pirate-themed submission splashed into the crowdfunding waters of the program’s 2021 Invitational or 2023 Series 1.
Fear not, for they’ve been granted another opportunity to infiltrate your LEGO Pirate collections…
Take that, ReBrickable!
The official MOC Popup Store webpage states:
Order Your Favorites
For a limited time this fall, BrickLink members in the US and select European countries can purchase digital building instructions and loose LEGO® elements to build these fan favorite BrickLink Designer Program submissions. Browse your favorites, and check out our FAQ for more information including a list of eligible countries.
The MOC Pop-Up Store is a pilot program and orders can be placed between 6 September to 15 November, 2023.
So which pirate-themed submissions be on offer?
Pirate Favourites
Three 2023 Series 1 submissions be available for yer to purchase:
“The Crimson Outpost” by Brick Jester
Parts: 3,812 | Mifnigures: 5 | Difficulty: Advanced ●●○
The Crimson Outpost is located on a small island not far from the pirate town Port Sauvage somewhere in the maze of Caribbean archipelagos. The tower of the old pirate fortress stands firmly, withstanding the waves, and can be seen from afar. The rest of the fortress, on the other hand, has slowly decayed over the years. The fortress was abandoned and uninhabited for a long time. The ravages of time have clearly taken its toll on the old ramparts.
No longer shall yer crew be relegated to hovels and shanties… now they can have their own fort!
“Black Fortune” by BrickMOCBay
Parts: 3,892 | Minifigures: 10 | Difficulty: Challenging ●●●
Arrrr….The Black Fortune pirate ship… Ye’ll be warned! Prepare to be plundered…
Just add sails to complete this formidable vessel and rule the seas
“Imperial Brig” by Arselus
Parts: 1,994 | Minifigures: 5 | Difficulty: Challenging ●●●
Welcome to the Imperial Brig. It is inspired by many classic LEGO Pirates sets and a general interest in pirates and adventures on the high seas.
And if yer need somewhere to incarcerate those cantankerous pirates
What is the MOC Pop-Up Store?
BrickLink provides digital building instructions for select BrickLink Designer Program submissions and then helps yer round up the parts to build them.
Bricklink writes:
We’re testing something awesome.
You are all so creative, we can’t possibly produce all of the best fan designs through BrickLink Designer Program alone! So, we’re launching the MOC Pop-Up Store pilot. For a limited period this fall, BrickLink will make elements for select BDP submissions available for direct fulfillment through the BrickLink Marketplace and LEGO® Pick a Brick (for US and select European countries, see the FAQs for the complete list of countries). Fan designers will sell the digital building instructions for these select designs alongside your loose brick purchase. This way, you can buy the parts and instructions you need to make your favorite BDP submissions that don’t make it into an official Series!
Essentially, it’s a reboot of the MOC Shop concept through a pilot program named the “MOC Pop-Up Store“. The difference be; BrickLink allows members to purchase building instructions and loose parts for fan designs submitted to BrickLink Designer Program Series 1 & Series 2 that were not selected for crowdfunding.
How to Purchase
BrickLink has devised a simple three step process:
Step 1: Choose Your Store
Using the power of the Internet, BrickLink will determine a combination of stores that supply all the pieces you require to build the design. Yer may choose a combination of BrickLink stores and LEGO® Pick a Brick stores to wangle the best deal possible.
Step 2: Check out
To yer cart BirckLink will add the the digital building instructions and elements from the stores you’ve selected so yer can checkout.
Step 3: Get excited!
Now BrickLink now expects you to dance a jig for now they have yer money when yer parts arrive.
Video Tutorial:
Here be step-by-step instructions for placing an order, demonstrated by the Community Engagement Manager for Studio:
How Do I Get My Design Featured in the Store?
BrickLink has invited a handful of fan designers from the BrickLink Designer Program Series 1 and Series 2 whose submissions passed Crowd Validation, but were not selected as one of the 5 finalists.
Here be an infographic to break it down for yer
There be no open submissions in the pilot, so BrickLink won’t be accepting LEGO IDEAS projects and fan designs uploaded to the BrickLink Studio Gallery that did not receive approval in BDP Series 1 & Series 2.
Still Have Questions?
Then yer best read the Pop-Up Store’s Frequently Asked Questions webpage for the intricate details.
What be the Bricklink Designer Program?
The Bricklink Designer Program is The LEGO Group’s crowdfunding initiative that allows AFOL creations to be officially manufactured in limited production runs… if they’re extremely lucky!
This logo be a beacon of hope for future LEGO Pirate designs
It differs from LEGO Ideas in multiple ways:
- BrickLink Design Program submissions must be built digitally using BrickLink Studio as per the Submission Guidelines.
- The number of supporters may influence the submissions the BrickLink Designer Team select as finalists, but the supporter count is not revealed.
- Nor is a minimum of 10,000 supporters required for submissions to enter review.
- Submitted designs only enter production after the minimum pre-order requirement is met (3,000 orders at the time of writing)
- There is a maximum production limit (currently 20,000 sets).
- Customers may only purchase two sets from each series.
Heretofore, “Ominous Isle” by Jazlecraz be the only pirate-themed submission the selected for Crowdfunding, and thus the MOC Pop-Up Store thrusts the BrickLink Designer Program towards a new frontier.
Crimson Output Promotional Video
Fan designer, Brickjester (Tobias Gloor) provides some insight behind the creation of the Crimson Outpost, believing “pirates deserve real homes made from stone and clay“.
This video was originally shared via the BrickLink Instagram profile.
What Do Yer Think?
Is the BrickLink MOC Pop-Up Store a suitable means of procuring new LEGO Pirate designs? Are the designs on offer to yer liking?
Here be what’s on offer in the Pop-up Store
Or be there other designs from Series 1 & Series 2 you’d rather purchase?
Now, it’s time to expand upon your thoughts on the frontier known as the LEGO Pirates Forum. See yer on the other side!
