The LEGO Group acquires BrickLink

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The LEGO Group acquires BrickLink

Mensagem por PocasNuckie »

Se havia notícia da qual eu não estava à espera era desta ... a TLG comprou o BrickLink :o :o
The LEGO Group acquires BrickLink, the world’s largest online LEGO fan community and marketplace to strengthen ties with adult fans.

Acquisition will strengthen the LEGO Group’s engagement with its growing community of adult fans.

BILLUND, Denmark, November 26, 2019: The LEGO Group today announced it has acquired BrickLink Ltd (www.bricklink.com), the world’s largest online community of adult LEGO fans from NXMH LLC to strengthen its connection with its important adult fan base.

The BrickLink platform has more than one million members and comprises an online marketplace of more than 10,000 stores from 70 countries; a digital building software where builders can design and showcase their creations; and a vibrant online community where fans share ideas and builds.

The platform was founded in 2000 by Dan Jezek as a way to connect like-minded adult LEGO fans from around the world. It was acquired in 2013 by NXMH, which is owned by Korean entrepreneur Jung-Ju “Jay” Kim. BrickLink is headquartered in Irvine, California.

The LEGO Group CEO, Niels B Christiansen said: “Our adult fans are extremely important to us. They are passionate, committed and endlessly creative. We have worked closely with the community for many years and look forward to deepening our collaboration through BrickLink. We plan to continue to support the active marketplace and evolve BrickLink’s digital studio which allows our talented fans to take their creativity to the next level.”

Jung-Ju “Jay” Kim, owner of NXMH, said: “It has been a privilege to lead the transformation of BrickLink during the past six years. I am grateful to the community for being so welcoming, supportive and constructive. I am constantly amazed by everyone’s endless creativity and their love for building. I am confident the platform will be in good hands with the LEGO Group. As a fan myself, I can’t wait to see what’s next.”

The LEGO Group’s Chief Marketing Officer, Julia Goldin, said: “BrickLink provides the LEGO Group with a unique opportunity to connect with adult fans through new channels and exciting experiences. We’ve recently collaborated with BrickLink on a range of crowd-sourced sets to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the brick. We learned a lot and are keen to explore more ways of working together to create value. We look forward to collaborating further with our adult fans, while retaining and nurturing the independent spirit of the digital platform.”

The acquisition also includes Sohobricks which makes small batches of building elements.

Financial terms of the acquisition were not disclosed. Closing is expected to occur before the end of 2019.
We had an opportunity to speak with Julia Goldin, Global Chief Marketing Officer at The LEGO Group, about this acquisition yesterday.

Brickset: What has prompted LEGO's decision to acquire BrickLink?

Julia: Our love and appreciation for adult fans of LEGO. They have always been very important to us and have contributed so much to helping us build the brand. We feel that we can engage with them in a much deeper way through the ownership of BrickLink. That will enable us to focus our own capabilities and the strength of the LEGO brand to understand better what members of the community want and to improve our service towards them.

Moreover, the acquisition will create an even stronger connection for LEGO to learn from adult fans and we hope this will become an excellent platform to improve that relationship. BrickLink’s global audience is also important, enabling us to broaden our reach to AFOLs around the world.

Can you provide any specific information about how this will improve the relationship between LEGO and adult fans?

Julia: There are many different possibilities but it is too early to give any certain information at the moment. We already piloted the AFOL designer program last year with fantastic results and we can see that there is ample opportunity to support MOCs, particularly with regard to crowdsourcing and insights concerning how we can develop the LEGO System of Play. I believe those are the main things that will emerge in the future.

Do you envisage LEGO making any changes to BrickLink?

Julia: BrickLink has been an extremely successful organisation, inspired by the strong vision from Dan [Jezek] and fuelled by the very committed and passionate people who run the website today. We do not therefore anticipate making any changes. Instead, we hope to support them and maintain some of that independent spirit.

Of course, we will also want to introduce continued improvements and expand the opportunities which are provided to AFOLs through BrickLink. I certainly see some possibilities for development, progress and evolution in those areas, with input from the community.

How might this affect LEGO's existing methods for selling individual parts, such as Bricks and Pieces?

Julia: BrickLink provides an opportunity for us to better understand what needs people have. There are no plans for immediate changes but I think there is potential to evolve and improve that service within LEGO to the AFOL community. At the moment, we have various methods of providing bulk or individual brick purchasing but BrickLink could certainly assist us with continuing development.

Could this acquisition result in any price changes or price setting on BrickLink?

Julia: There are absolutely no plans to change transaction fees or anything like that.

Might there be any influence from LEGO in how elements should be valued, potentially affecting the existing competition between BrickLink stores?

Julia: No. We would seek to maintain the marketplace in a way that is competitively robust and we will continue to allow sellers to operate as they are doing already. LEGO will not be interfering with that in any way.

Can we therefore anticipate that LEGO’s involvement with the BrickLink marketplace will be relatively light?

Julia: Yes, our primary goal with this partnership is to deepen our connection and relationship with adult fans and to service the community more effectively. There is definitely opportunity to enable fans to celebrate their creations more widely, perhaps reaching broader audiences than have been possible previously, for example.

The recent AFOL Designer Program pilot clearly demonstrated the enormous desire which fans have to design their own models. Providing further opportunities there would be our priority, rather than interfering with the marketplace.

Finally, how would you reassure fans who might be nervous about LEGO acquiring BrickLink, given its close integration with fans?

Julia: My first comment would be to emphasise that our acquisition of BrickLink is driven by desire to support our fans more effectively. There should be no concerns about our interference as we realise the platform already works extremely well for many people. I must also mention that our reason for doing this is because we believe there are opportunities to make improvements and respond directly to what the fans really want from LEGO.
https://brickset.com/article/47293/the- ... -bricklink

Claro que a LEGO para já diz que é tudo fixe e nada vai mudar, mas cheira-me que a coisa vai apertar para pior a médio prazo.

Opinem aí.
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Re: The LEGO Group acquires BrickLink

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:o
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Re: The LEGO Group acquires BrickLink

Mensagem por AVCampos »

Vinha aqui agora mesmo divulgar exactamente isso! Quando li o assunto do mail de notificação, fiquei assim:
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Re: The LEGO Group acquires BrickLink

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Eu pensei que tinha tido alguma trip e já era 1 de Abril :D
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Re: The LEGO Group acquires BrickLink

Mensagem por AVCampos »

Também eu, é o tipo de notícia para sair nesse tipo de data. Só falta a TLG também comprar o Brickset! :o

Anúncio na LAN, em que todos podem comentar: aqui: https://lan.lego.com/news/overview/the- ... fans-r243/
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Re: The LEGO Group acquires BrickLink

Mensagem por cloureiro »

Também acabei de ver a notcia agora num outro site, e vinha aqui pedir a confirmação...
Não sei o que dizer ou pensar...
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Re: The LEGO Group acquires BrickLink

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AVCampos Escreveu: 26 nov 2019, 13:45 Também eu, é o tipo de notícia para sair nesse tipo de data. Só falta a TLG também comprar o Brickset! :o
Tem utilizadores distintos dos do Bricklink e ainda assim com dados apetitosos para CRM meets Big Data? Então é uma questão de meses.

Pergunta lá na LAN quando é que (não é se) as contas do BL vão ser fundidas com as do LEGO VIP e as compras de LUGBULK crosschecked com as vendas no BL >:D
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Re: The LEGO Group acquires BrickLink

Mensagem por PocasNuckie »

Eu sei que o meu cérebro hoje só está a 10% mas sinceramente não vejo o que é que a LEGO pode fazer de muito radical neste assunto. Além do value da base de dados (para onde posso mandar o CV para fazer parte da equipa que vai fazer o Data Mining?? ;D ;D ) o máximo que acho que vai acontecer é o BL se transformar num Marketplace da Shop@Home igual ao que existe na Amazon ou nas tecnológicas deste país tipo FNAC e assim ...
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Re: The LEGO Group acquires BrickLink

Mensagem por Conchas »

A pedido, alguns comentários com que tenho participado na LAN sobre este assunto (em Inglês, fast and furious...)
I swear my first reaction was to look at the calendar!...
1st of April? Already!??

I wish this never happened!
And wonder whether Dan would be happy or mad at this moment, if he would be able to see this happen... Didn't his family still have a participation at BrickLink before this deal?

Honestly and despite the LEGO reassurance, I don't see how the community will benefit from this... There were already so many aspects where TLG can and should improve on their own!!
So why this? Other than mining the wonderful set of transaction data that BrickLink can provide?
Data is key, data is king, data is cash nowadays!
Why is this an issue?


I see this as a tremendous issue!
All the justifications and reassurance sounds bad, incomplete and unjustifiable. LEGO has plenty of other successful channels to cooperate with AFOLs.
I don't see LEGO actively feeding stores with more and/or cheaper bricks to supply the demand. They also can't favor ones against the others, or can they?...

The only justifiable purpose seems to be rich data access, mining, business analytics, etc...
I don't want LEGO to know which bricks I buy, at which quantities, at which price, etc... The same if I'd be selling parts or sets, regardless they were new or used!

Things should have been kept separate and independent, for these and many other reasons!
Somehow it remembers me the market monopoly cases in courts against MS and Google...
Congratulations for LEGO!

Nothing to congratulate here IMO... Money can do this! :P
Hello everybody...I am the only who can see some incredible possibilities in this operation?

A new and modern connection between for example stud.io and the Shop @ home?

Easier way to find pieces (already I don't know how)...
Just as if this was not already possible from LDD, which LEGO considerably divest from, for AFOLs misery!...

Now we will get all the weird LEGO color names in BrickLink too... no to mention the absurd part names and so on, and so on!...
Ofc I'm just kind of kidding. There are here several possibilities for improvements in terms of references accuracy, etc... but notice there also tons of possibilities for things getting much worse.
Or nothing happening, as they reassure the intention of not interfering, which is also too bad as well... at least the improvements would be welcome! :P
At this point I think it's better to wait see how it'll unfold, we don't know the real intentions, I'm not even sure if TLG has a long term strategy at the moment. I also see the potential issues and threats but there are also huge potential benefits if TLG uses the data properly. A few examples just from the top of my head:

If a set is popular on the second hand market but was not so popular before getting discontinued they can investigate the reasons
popular limited sets can be made available for a wider audience through official channels
trends can be analysed regarding the most popular discontinued sets and themes, considering to reboot them (also valid for discontinued parts or specific colors)
Since BL does not have the silly limitations of Bricks & Pieces, TLG will be able to see what are the real average purchase quantities for different pieces and it may help adjusting their auto-ban limits or even increase the production volume (and purchase limit) for certain parts
All that would have been possible with a win-win collaboration! Not necessarily with a dangerous acquisition...
Hi Fernando,

I understand you're very upset by this. I can't tell you what the future will hold, but what I can tell you is for us, this acquisition is about investing in the adult fan community – which is important to the LEGO Group. BrickLink is a platform LEGO fans love. It’s a place where they can be creative and entrepreneurial – and we want to continue to nurture these things. And it’s a vibrant community which brings our brand to life / keeps our brand relevant
I appreciate your answer Sara!
I'm upset, but not too much upset. No need for that, this will hardly be the end of civilization! :)

Just wanted to point some perspectives and concerns, and somehow let TLG to know about them, as probably they are also shared with some other AFOLs.
I'm glad to have the opportunity to raise these points here!
What seems logical in this acquisition is that for years LEGO Customer Service reps have told desperate customers that out-of-stock on Shop@Home sets might be found on BrickLink.
So with the right set of actions, we will se the not in production items, to evaporate from BL, much faster than ever before... :D:/:(

Just if the production surpluses could head to BL somehow!?...
Well, I see an opportunity to funnel the LUGBULK program through BL. That could simplify things, remove certain accounting problems and possibly speed up the process.
We have been waiting years for this to flow through LegoShop, but the difficulties seem to be huge, like customs affairs etc... and certainly it won't be BrickLink to make them easier.
If we will just see the efforts restarted towards BrickLink, I guess there are many more years to wait ahead... :D

A discussão na LAN vai deveras interessante, mas como devem compreender não é viável replicar aqui na integra o perto disso.
Com alguns 300 Ambassadores no ativo os posts chovem mais rápido do que lá fora neste momento... :D
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Re: The LEGO Group acquires BrickLink

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For custom parts, again, an important question. We would like this to be a platform for LEGO Bricks and LEGO-branded products, as that was Dan’s original vision. This is an issue we will review as the deal closes.
Although I do not consume these, I see add-on parts (like military artifacts, but not limited to) as added value for the AFOL community.
We understand TLG has not yet thought or have answers to many questions. Maybe they should have been thought prior to this deal announcement, but I just cant't see any way for BrickLink to be kept as we know it today... and I risk to say it won't be in AFOLs best interest.

Dan's original vision has almost 20 years, and BrickLink has evolved a lot since then and since Dan's premature departure. No one in the AFOL community stepped in asking for TLG to redesign the current vision and the natural of things to evolve! :P

Yes, I believe this is a mistake, and regardless of what the future will turn to be, I would not have risked messing with it.
It looks like someone finally managed to put its hands on time travel machine and got the power to mess around with the future... :)
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Re: The LEGO Group acquires BrickLink

Mensagem por Conchas »

Sara, you hit the point!

I think that custom parts should not be sold on Bricklink, the "companies" who creates custom parts have the own website and they must sell on it. It's not fair that they used BL as alternative marketplace.
But it was BrickLink who decided and announced it will be start listing and selling BrickArms catalog!...
https://www.bricklink.com/messageThread ... ID=1065576
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Re: The LEGO Group acquires BrickLink

Mensagem por PocasNuckie »

A LEGO tem de ter cuidado como navega estas águas. É que se deixar as coisas relativamente como estão mantém o controlo. Se muda muito, a malta sai toda para outras plataformas que a LEGO não controla e lá se vai o valor da operação. Vamos ver.
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Re: The LEGO Group acquires BrickLink

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Esse é um dos receios que os outros LAmbs estão a exprimir.

E, pelo que leio entre as linhas das respostas que o pessoal da TLG dá, não estão com muita vontade de manter lá o comércio de material não-LEGO (BrickArms, carris, SBricks, etc.).
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Re: The LEGO Group acquires BrickLink

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Mau, acederem aos meus dados já é mau, confio mais na Microsoft que na LEGO sempre percebem um pouco mais de tecnologia... agora bloquear 3rd parties???
Onde é que eu vou comprar material da 4DBrix sem ter de mandar vir directo dos States???
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Re: The LEGO Group acquires BrickLink

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AVCampos Escreveu: 26 nov 2019, 16:40 E, pelo que leio entre as linhas das respostas que o pessoal da TLG dá, não estão com muita vontade de manter lá o comércio de material não-LEGO (BrickArms, carris, SBricks, etc.).
Pelo que vejo, nenhuma mesmo!!
Regarding custom parts - We would like this to be a platform for LEGO Bricks and LEGO-branded products, as that was Dan’s original vision. This is an issue we will review as the deal closes.
E a resposta de alguém que anda pelo BrickLink à muito tempo...
I just want to clarify that this is actually not true. I have been on BrickLink since Dan's times, and he repeatedly and clearly said that he likes and approves small customizers, but not clone products. So BrickArms, BrickForge, BrickWarriors, Little Armory, BrickTW, Arealight, Christo's Customs, Minifig.Cat, custom chromers, custom train tracks, custom stickers, custom capes, etc. were always welcome, and they all had stores on BrickLink. Many of these customizers set up their own webshops when it became easier to accomplish that, but Dan always welcomed them, and many of them still operate BrickLink stores. In fact, Dan set up a separate section of the site just for custom items. He was however against clone brands like Lepin being sold on the site.
;D :clapping:
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