September was a high-octane month; dominated by preparing for, participating fully in, and reflecting on what I learned at BrickCon – our local LEGO convention in the Seattle area. This month’s newsletter includes an update as I put the finishing touches on my book, highlighting a couple new sets this month, and unusually business-focused selection of articles about LEGO from around the web.

The LEGO Parts Guide at BrickCon

BrickCon was the second weekend in September, pushing me to finish the final beta version of my book in time to have copies in hand at the event. Conversations at the event with fellow LEGO builders gave me confidence that the book really is complete and ready for the world. Finally, it gave me the momentum needed to push the book over the finish line in the coming weeks.

I brought a handful of Beta 3 copies to BrickCon to get feedback from the AFOL community.

Only a few changes were needed, based on feedback from beta participants and conversations at BrickCon:

1. Adding an explanation how footnotes work on Page 3, not just in the appendix.
2. Making the preface clear that LEGO organization is highly personal and should focus on your needs as a builder.
3. Added a QR code to explore retired LEGO Electronics online. This provides smooth transition to learn more while keeping the printed guide focused on current parts.
4. Refinements to several part names and categories.
5. Small changes to improve sentence flow and grammar.

These are the kinds of scoped changes that make sense near the end of the editorial process, giving me more confidence that the book is almost ready!

I just uploaded what I hope will be the final manuscript and I can’t wait to publish it in October! It’s the perfect season to cozy up with a new book and to build something awesome using LEGO bricks.

LEGO Designers at BrickCon

I also had a chance to talk with Jamie Berard of LEGO masters and Modular Building Series fame. I showed him my book, and asked for his autograph next to his favorite part (or group of parts) in the book. He signed the page containing the whole range of rollercoaster parts, since he was proud that the team was able to bring that idea to life. Jamie was also the keynote speaker and did a Q&A session for the AFOL attendees. Both offered insights into his life as a LEGO designer and TV star.

Jamie Berard signed my book on the page featuring all of the Rollercoaster parts.

LEGO interaction designer Rina Shumylo gave a presentation explaining how her team brought the LEGO Smart Play system to life. Afterwards, I had the opportunity to interview her for an upcoming article exploring Smart Play in depth, which I’m excited to share soon.

More behind-the-scenes insights for Patrons.
This month, I outlined the 300+ improvements made to the Beta 3 version, including a new section on SNOT Math, and a complete rewrite of both the Preface and chapter on Electronics. I also added 72 retired electronics to the online guide so that it’s a better complement to the print edition. This includes most Power Functions, EV3/NXT, and classic 9V parts.

October 2026 releases for AFOLs

This month, we have a modest selection of new sets of interest to adult builders. This includes #21373 Downton Abbey (LEGO Ideas), which we are still building as part of an upcoming review.

The first floor of #21373 Downton Abbey (LEGO Ideas).

While the full review is pending, I wanted to share that our initial impressions after completing the first floor are mixed. The exterior looks good, although it lacks the iconic tower visible in the TV show. As for the interior, it is quite off-putting that the front door doesn’t open, the windows in the corners are blocked by walls, and the interior of the ground floor includes scenes from the basement instead. It’s not bad, but doesn’t feel quite right either.

Notable 18+ October releases:

• #72154 Iconic Trainer Moments Poké Ball
  In the notably bad value department, there’s this giant Poké Ball, which opens to reveal a minifigure-scale battle between the first minifig-scale versions of Eevee and Pikachu. It feels exploitative to debut characters that kids love in an overpriced set for adults.
  2386 pieces, ages 18+, $300.
• #21373 Downton Abbey (LEGO Ideas)
  Even if it isn’t quite up to standard, this set has a nice selection of figures and a fair price.
  4711 pieces, ages 18+, $350.
• #72306 Playstation
  At the risk of dating myself, the brick-built exterior of the new PlayStation set takes me back to my college common room, where I played Final Fantasy 7 on a CRT projector pointed at a plain white wall. As the first mainstream disc-based game console, it’s weird that they decided to include vignettes from two games instead of a brick-built black disc inside.
  1911 pieces, ages 18+, $180.
• #11379 Bookstore: Book Nook
  This month’s coziest new set is this intricate book nook featuring an ornate book store interior. I suspect many builders will use this as the starting point to create their own bookstore in the Modular Building style.
  1690 pieces, ages 18+, $150.
• #21371 Wallace & Gromit (LEGO Ideas)
  Well-sculpted, well-priced, and expressive, this set is the obvious pick of the month.
  1038 pieces, ages 18+, $100.

#21371 Wallace and Gromit (LEGO Ideas) looks great.

Sets for all ages that you might enjoy:

• #40868 Up-Scaled Red Minifigure (Pokémon)
  930 pieces, ages 10+, $80.
• #76352 Avengers: Doomsday New Avengers Tower
  954 pieces, ages 12+, $110.
• #40865 Buddy the Elf
  713 pieces, ages 12+, $40.
• #40866 Santa’s Holiday Sleigh Adventure
  187 pieces, ages 9+, $30.

As always, you can explore all of the new releases by visiting the lego.com store. (Making a purchase using our referral link helps support this website.)

Best articles from around the web

This month’s links are unusually focused on the business of LEGO, from patents and lawsuits to unit economics and production capacity.

• An Enterprising AFOL: The LEGO Star Trek Set I Wanted as a Kid
  Guest author and multi-hyphenate LEGO artist Samuel Hatmaker boldly goes in multiple directions in this far-reaching article. Ostensibly a review of #11385 Enterprise NCC-1701 Bridge (Star Trek), it’s a personal story showing there’s no one right way to be an AFOL, and a professional story from a toymaker explaining the hidden costs of decorated elements in both action figures and LEGO sets. It’s a great way of explaining why so many sets rely on so many stickers.
  —BrickNerd
• LEGO accused of stealing tech for its popular new Smart sets
  The LEGO Group faces legal challenges for their new Smart Play sets. The lawsuit alleges that the system infringes on three patents held by a company that doesn’t make any related products — aka a ‘Patent troll’. Putting aside the legitimacy of the claims or a patent system that incentivizes troll-like behavior, it is a reminder of the uphill battle companies face when innovating in the world of consumer electronics. It’s hard to avoid prior art when there are so many pre-existing patents with broad claims.
  —Geekspin
• Antoni Porowski’s Queer Eye Leather Jacket Is at the Center of a Consequential LEGO Lawsuit
  When #10291 Queer Eye — The Fab 5 Loft came out, fashion designer James Concannon asked for a few copies since it featured a minifigure wearing a jacket blatantly inspired by his work. When told to buy the set himself, James decided to sue — a lawsuit that could establish precedent around the unauthorized reinterpretation of fashion in another medium. Ouch, maybe they should have sent a couple sets and a nice letter.
  —Them

HEY @lego it was quite the honor to see my art remade by you … I was promised a couple boxes including my remade (and uncompensated) art for my son and I to play with … It was really sad on the release date to be told “we can’t send you a box but you can buy one”.

James Concannon

• Designer Spotlight: yqc (How I fund my LEGO hobby)
  This article offers rare insights into all of the extra work required to create a custom LEGO kit for a client. Obvious constraints include part count and cost, practical concerns include needing to see a building first-hand or delivering the finished kit, and design work includes creating a custom box or booklet.
  —Rebrickable
• LEGO Pick a Brick parts prices have risen: Our analysis of the price change for over 6000 pieces (German)
  Increasing prices for LEGO products is nothing new, but a 600% price spike for Glow in the Dark parts is newsworthy. There must be a reason: Are Glow in the Dark parts a lot more expensive to produce, are they trying to create artificial scarcity, or are they preparing to discontinue the color.
  —Stonewars
• The LEGO Group announces next phase of growth for Monterrey, Mexico manufacturing site
  With a massive new production facility opening soon in Richmond, Virginia, I was surprised to see that the LEGO Group is also investing $400m USD to increase production capacity in Mexico by 35%. Combined with the new facility in Virginia, they are poised to more than double manufacturing capacity in the Americas by the end of the decade. Companies don’t make massive capital investments if they do not have strong projections to support them — it sounds like even more growth is on the way!
  —LEGO