What items go into our set database?

Free is my favourite price too!!!

@Star Wars Fan. Life can give you a lot of things for free, but you don't have an important link on your profile : the "Contact" one.

I agree on your take as BL and the voted "moc/sets" are something not easy to bypass.
And now we reach the focal point: MUJI SETS!!! I don't believe how something so innovative stopped to exist!!!

You could add an unofficial category or Bricklink category.

This is great information! It is definitely a good thing to know where to draw the stud. :)

Could we also get an article that provides the part requirements as well since there are several sets that have a pretty low part percentage rate?

I prefer looking at sets and parts here versus anywhere else, and then if the situation requires it, I'll go to the other site(s) to do the rest of the process. (i.e. purchasing)

Or if the requirements are set for the parts, is there anything that we can do to fill in the "missing" unlisted parts that the sets show?

Wouldn't have bothered me either way, but I appreciate the transparency.
I do think LEGO is only going to do more of these unconventional ventures/collaborations, though, so I'd keep that in mind.

where do the video games fit in because you have added some of them, but not others?

Thank you for the prompt and well-reasoned clarification. Much as I'd like LCP sets to be catalogued somewhere on the site I certainly respect your decision not to, and I appreciate the distinction between them and the Bricklink sets--as well as your decision to include the Bricklink sets on Brickset!

Thanks for these insights!

I thought a lot about that categorising stuff and came to the conclusion that there cannot be a perfect way to tackle it, due to the sometimes confusing history of these things. Also one has to take into consideration different priorities of certain interest groups (at least I think).

However I think the way Brickset handles it currently is a quite good way to do so and the majority of the community is probably well accustomed to it. Not including unofficial items (no matter how good they might be) is something I appreciate here.

However, while on the topic, I am sceptical about the inclusion of so-called 'Virtual Product Collections' - as far as I am aware these are practically just LEGO LEGO.com price deal offers, so are no 'real' (thus 'virtual') collectable thing at all (unlike special box Value Packs for example, that at least have a unique box and mostly a unique number). Same might be considerable for unreleased Value Packs (very common around 2004-2008) that were probably added automatically from Lego's database.

Categorising 'Sub-Themes' is a completely different and much much more complicated situation I guess... :)

That's helpful, Huw. And I thought Brickset included everything. Lol.

Theres a few KeyLights which are missing from your database. I have 4 or 5 recent Star Wars ones which are not shown here.

Sounds right to me

Hm. This, to me, is not different enough from the LCP sets to add to the DB. However, since so many people have requested it, it would make sense - it's obviously in demand.

My bigger issue is with the categories. Many sets are now categorized in category X for traditional purposes (e.g. Advanced Models) even though TLG now treats those sets as another theme. Perhaps it's time to refactor the DB model to support multiple categories per item?

Thanks @Huw for allowing the Bricklink sets into the database. I have pre-ordered "The LEGO story" and look forward to seeing it here on Brickset as part of my collection.
Thumbs up!

Thanks for this.

Sadly, I'm a bit disappointed by decision to add BL sets. Rules are rules and need to be followed.

I'm glad the AFOL designer sets will be added in general given that LEGO is making it possible by manufacturing and outright endorsing it.
However, I'm a bit offended that on a website filled with adults who like kid's toys HUW is assuming that certain books and such are "not of interest to AFOLs." I actually enjoy reading the Ninjago graphic novels, which are pretty well done, and some of the activity books are cheap ways to get
uncommon minfigures. I'm not asking them to be added to the database, I just think it's ironic that an Adult Fan Of Lego would assume other AFOLs would not recognize different AFOLs have different interests.

I know I've asked this before, but I wish you'd reconsider your stance on video games and add all Lego video games regardless of whether or not they're sold on shop.lego.com. You make an exception for books, including unofficial ones, but licensed Lego video games are arguably even more high-profile and important to the overall Lego sphere of influence. Not to mention video games have a collector's appeal just like Lego sets do, so I think a lot of collectors using the database would appreciate it.

I know you're trying to keep the scope of the site in check, but considering you've already got one foot in the door with a bunch of video games in the database already, I don't think rounding out the video game entries would be much of an overreach at all.

@AustinPowers - Huw and his team (a handful of whom are actually employees) may be doing something they love by working on Brickset but they do indeed get paid for their time and effort! The company behind Brickset has net assets in excess of £500k (€440k, $565k), an increase of almost £100k over the previous year. That's without factoring in wages/Director drawings/costs/etc.

I love this site and Huw and his team deserve all the rewards they receive from it - they've built a community here that's able to earn the company revenue for doing nothing other than something they'd already be doing. Everybody wins.

^Yes, Huw build a successful business - congrats!

Taking up the Bricklink Sets is the best descission, in particular lego itself is involved.

This site is from AFOLs for AFOLs and the sets are from AFOLS for AFOLS too...So everything right

As one of the fan designers for ADP I think this decision builds the AFOL community which Huw and his colleagues have been a big part of over the years. LEGO was an active part of ADP from the first workshop that I was in last year. They partnered with BrickLink to create the program as a 60th anniversary event; LEGO designers were part of the team that reviewed and improved the sets in Billund; LEGO is fulfilling the bricks. Recognizing these sets in Brickset encourages LEGO to collaborate with the AFOL community in future, which is good for all of us. Thanks Huw!

Many thanks Huw, a very wise and supportive decision to include ADP Sets to the database. It is a great help to have all owned sets on brickset for collection management accuracy.
I agree to what Galaktek said. In some way it is similar to LEGO Factory theme where LDD was used and LEGO produced the sets themselves. ADP will hopefully open the eyes of TLG and show them the importance of the AFOL community and some forgotten themes like Wild West and Classic Castles.