BrickLink

BrickLink
FormerlyBrickBay
Company typePrivate
IndustryE-commerce, internet forum
Founded19 June 2000
FounderDan Jezek
Headquarters
Irvine, California
,
United States
Area served
Worldwide (35 countries suspended)
ProductsLego parts
Number of employees
< 30
ParentThe Lego Group (2019–present)
Websitewww.bricklink.com

BrickLink is the largest online marketplace for reselling Lego products. Its website also offers resources for Lego fans, including an extensive catalog of products and parts and community forums.[1]

History

BrickLink was founded by Dan Jezek, who had made it after other online sellers were impressed by the website he made for his own Lego store. Originally named BrickBay, the site started operation on 19 June 2000. After online retailer eBay challenged the use of "Bay" in the name, it was renamed BrickLink in 2002.[2]

In 2010, Jezek died suddenly,[3] and his mother Eliska Jezkova succeeded him as CEO. In 2013, the site was acquired by Nexon founder and CEO Kim Jung-ju, who transferred its assets into BrickLink Limited, a Hong Kong-based company.[4] Kim, a Lego fan himself, created some of the most important features of the current BrickLink website, including the BrickLink AFOL Designer Program (now the BrickLink Designer Program) which sold top-rated fan designs as packaged, unofficial sets, and the BrickLink Studio digital design software.

On 26 November 2019, The Lego Group acquired BrickLink Ltd. for an undisclosed amount.[5][6][7]

Other projects

Studio

Main article: BrickLink Studio

BrickLink Studio (initially Stud.io) is a freeware computer program for creating virtual 3D models with Lego bricks. It was released on BrickLink as an open beta on 13 December 2016.[8] The next major update to the program, version 2.0, was released in open beta on 18 July 2018. Multiple features were added to the program, including a photo-realistic rendering option, BrickLink integration for ordering parts to recreate the model physically and an instruction manual generator.

In January 2022, The Lego Group announced that BrickLink Studio would replace the Lego Digital Designer (LDD) software as the official virtual Lego building software going forward.[9] PartDesigner is a companion program for creating virtual 3D models of the Lego bricks and custom bricks as parts to be used in the Studio software.[10] It is supporting various file formats, including LDraw File Format, STL and other.

AFOL Designer Program

In 2018, to celebrate 60 years since the modern Lego interlocking brick design was created and patented, BrickLink teamed up with The Lego Group to create the AFOL Designer Program. It allowed users to upload their own Lego set designs into a competition. The winning designs had the opportunity to be crowdfunded and, if successful, sold on the BrickLink marketplace.[11] The program was similar to Lego Ideas, where the designs that get more than 10,000 likes get accepted to finals and the winning one becomes an official Lego set.

Main article: BrickLink Designer Program

A crowdfunding program ran through BrickLink since 2023 where a selection of sets designed by Lego fans are produced for a limited time. Builders use BrickLink Studio to create models which are then submitted. After a voting process and review, five designs are selected, which are then crowdfunded into production and pre-ordered for a limited period of time.[12]

Marketplace operations cease

Mainland China

On 13 June 2024 it was announced that all BrickLink member accounts based in mainland China were to be deleted on 30 September 2024. This was to comply with the Personal Information Protection Law of the People's Republic of China, or PIPL, which states that generated information in mainland China must be held within the mainland Chinese borders. BrickLink was not able to comply data privacy requirement, as it doesn't have a separate platform contained within China. Buying and selling privileges were revoked on 1 August 2024. BrickLink Studio can still be used but no online transactions can be used.[13]

Philippines

On 19 May 2025, BrickLink members in the Philippines had their buying and selling privileges suspended, following the company's difficult decision to cease marketplace operations in the country. This move is in response to the local tax collection requirements in the country that the company was unable to comply with. Despite the change, users in the Philippines will be able to access most account features, such as placed and received orders, wanted lists, the catalog, and the BrickLink Studio.[14]

Other countries

On 31 January 2026, BrickLink members in the following countries will no longer have buying and selling privileges on the marketplace: Indonesia, Turkey, South Africa, Taiwan, Ukraine, Brazil, Serbia, United Arab Emirates, Kazakhstan, Peru, Israel, India, Morocco, Chile, Vietnam, Georgia, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Oman, El Salvador, Bahrain, Azerbaijan, Armenia, Pakistan, Egypt, Moldova, Ecuador, Argentina, Costa Rica, Colombia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Turkmenistan, Greenland, and San Marino.[15]

According to member statistics, approximately 82,791 members are affected, and 646 sellers are suspended in countries where BrickLink has ceased marketplace operations.[16]

Bricklink added that they will review this discussion regularly, and they hope to open the BrickLink marketplace in the future.[17]

See also

References

  1. ^ Nightingale, Laura (30 January 2021). "The Amazing Lego Trading Website to Buy and Sell Parts and Sets". SurreyLive. Retrieved 21 July 2024.
  2. ^ Wingfield, Nick (20 February 2002). "EBay Settles Site Name Disputes With BidBay.com, BrickBay.com". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved 28 November 2022.
  3. ^ "Bricklink Founder Daniel Jezek Has Passed Away [News]". The Brothers Brick. 27 October 2010. Retrieved 28 November 2022.
  4. ^ "Nexon Chairman Acquires Bricklink". The Korea IT Times. Seoul, Korea. 10 June 2013. Retrieved 28 November 2022.
  5. ^ Wood, Zoe (20 December 2019). "Lego Accused of Muscling in on Fans After BrickLink Takeover". The Guardian. Retrieved 21 July 2024.
  6. ^ "The Guardian View on Lego for Adults: Play Is a Serious Business". The Guardian. 17 January 2020. Retrieved 21 July 2024.
  7. ^ "Nexon Founder Sells BrickLink to LEGO in Streamlining Move After Botched Gaming Deal". Pulse by Maeil Business News Korea. 28 November 2019. Retrieved 28 November 2022.
  8. ^ "BrickLink - Stud.io (Archived)". 5 January 2017. Archived from the original on 5 January 2017. Retrieved 26 February 2019.
  9. ^ "BrickLink Studio Replacing LDD". BrickSet. 12 January 2022. Retrieved 28 November 2022.
  10. ^ "PartDesigner". BrickLink. 12 January 2026.
  11. ^ "AFOL Designer Program [BrickLink]". BrickLink. Retrieved 17 April 2024.
  12. ^ "Designer Program". BrickLink. Retrieved 31 January 2026.
  13. ^ "BrickLink Help Center". BrickLink. Retrieved 18 March 2026.
  14. ^ "BrickLink Discussion Forum - Message 1515612". BrickLink. Retrieved 28 November 2025.
  15. ^ "BrickLink Help Center". BrickLink. Retrieved 28 November 2025.
  16. ^ "BrickLink Members by Location". BrickLink. Retrieved 28 November 2025.
  17. ^ "BrickLink Discussion Forum - Message 1531488". BrickLink. Retrieved 28 November 2025.
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