BrickLink® closures: Official statement

BrickLink®, owned by The LEGO Group since 2019, have apologised for the manner of their recent shock announcement to close BrickLink Marketplaces in 35 countries. They have announced an extension to the closure date and removal of fees, but only provide a vague answer as to why this drastic change has occurred.

We did not post about this shocking change when it was revealed recently, but are united with the community in horror at the impact this will have to individual sellers and the global community of buyers and sellers.

Reuven Kawesch from IsraeLUG put together some sobering figures, pointing out that this affects more than 100,000 BrickLink members globally. (See the raw data and sources). The impact is hard to fathom; however the AFOL community are already rallying together to support one another, and look for ways forward. This may include turning to Brick Owl, another secondhand marketplace, which was not purchased by The LEGO Group.

Official statement from Steven Lee, Head of BrickLink

Dear BrickLink® Community,

I’m writing to share an update on our announcement on November 21st regarding

the closure of BrickLink Marketplace in 35 countries.

First, I want to apologise. We went about informing and engaging our community

and sellers the wrong way. It wasn’t with the care and transparency we strive

for, and you’ve been right to point this out. While some of your feedback has

been tough to hear, we appreciate you sharing your honest thoughts and feelings

on this. It’s what this community is all about.

Deciding to close these markets wasn’t an easy decision for us to make. We know

how important the Marketplace is to sellers and builders all over the world and

understand the frustration and disappointment you feel.

Announcing plans to close the Marketplace just a few weeks ahead of time didn’t

give sellers in those countries nearly enough notice. So rather than close on

December 12 as stated in the forum post, the Marketplace will remain open in

impacted countries until January 31, 2026. We’ll also remove fees for affected

sellers for the months of November, December 2025 and January 2026 (in countries

where fees are currently applicable) to give them the best opportunity to transition

off BrickLink Marketplace.

Building lasting foundations for the next 25 years…

Every builder, buyer and seller matters to us, but we needed to make tough decisions

as operating in numerous regions presents greater complications as we plan significant

upgrades to BrickLink.com. While these closures will affect a small percentage

of BrickLink's global activity, we understand the impact that this will have

on the community in these countries.

During the coming year we’ll continue to make a substantial investment in our

IT infrastructure and make changes to strengthen the platform. Although some

of these backend changes might go unseen, they’re crucial to the future of BrickLink

– so we’re here for another 25 years.

I want to assure you that we’re committed to continuing to make BrickLink the

world’s best LEGO® fan community.

Thank you for your understanding and feedback.

List of affected countries

• 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
• San Marino

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