Competition: Build a Polybag!
Posted by Huw,
LEGO produces numerous interesting polybags each year, encompassing many themes. These small sets have become highly collectable, and in many cases, very desirable, too.
So, today we are launching our first lock-down competition: design a polybag set!
Your model should be designed as though it was intended for release so should conform to the standard we have come to expect, i.e. it needs to have a limited number of pieces and physically fit in a typical polybag.
You can elect to design a model with a minifigure, or one without, and we will award prizes for both types.
You can read further information about the prizes and how to enter after the break...
Rules:
- Polybags can be inspired by any past or current theme or anything else.
- Polybags may include one minifigure, in which case the part limit is around 30 pieces, excluding minifig parts.
- Alternatively, polybags without a minifigure may contain approximately 50 pieces, following the example of official sets.
- Only elements which would fit inside a standard polybag, measuring 17.5cm / 7" wide and 12cm / 5" in height, may be included.
- Your models should be new and unseen prior to this competition. Significantly updated models are permitted.
- You may submit multiple entries.
- Virtual creations in LDD, stud.io and other CAD program are permitted.
Entries will be judged on the following criteria:
- Creativity and design.
- Building techniques and parts usage.
- Adherence to the rules.
How to enter:
You can submit your entries in three ways:
- Upload a maximum of two images of your entry to the Brickset Flickr group set up for this competition
- Post your entry on Instagram using the tag #BricksetPolybagCompetition.
- Plus, so that even the social-media averse can enter this time, you can also email an image of your creation to [email protected].
Prizes:
- We are hoping to secure two of the upcoming May the Fourth gift with purchase set to use for first prizes, which will be awarded to the best polybag with a minifigure and to the best polybag without a minifigure.
- Additional gift with purchase sets and polybags might also be awarded to runners-up.
Other information:
- Please do not include any references to sex, drugs, alcohol etc. in your entry.
- Custom and non-LEGO components are not permitted.
- Although we will not be judging your photographic skills, please try to light your models evenly and photograph them against a clean background.
- Please upload your entries by 23:59 BST on Sunday 31st May 2020.
- The winners will be announced shortly after.
- The judges' decision is final and no correspondence will be entered into.
Please ask any questions you might have in the comments, and we shall answer.
Good luck!
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64 comments on this article
I'm interested to see all the entries, might even make one myself cause why not :D
Good luck to everyone and stay safe :)
This is an excellent idea. I'm excited to see everyone's entries and make a few myself.
Question: Since this is a competition to design a set, does that mean all building techniques must be legal?
awesome but if you win can you opt for a lower prize? because some of us will get the gwp anyways but might not have other gwp
either way spare pieces is spare pieces
@Mr__Thrawn said:
"Question: Since this is a competition to design a set, does that mean all building techniques must be legal?"
Ideally, yes.
@milflinn said:
"awesome but if you win can you opt for a lower prize?"
Yes I don't see why not.
Ooh, I'll be sure to throw my hat into the proverbial ring.
Thank you thank you thank you. I have always wanted to submit an entry to one of these competitions, but never have because I don’t have social media. Thank you so much for having the email option!
Are we allowed to use licenses that LEGO does not currently have the rights to, and as an extension of that, are we allowed to make our secondary image a mock-up of the front of the polybag including the LEGO logo and the logo of the license that the set is based upon?
Can we use licensed characters? Oops. I found my answer.
@Train_of_Thought_Creations said:
"Are we allowed to use licenses that LEGO does not currently have the rights to, and as an extension of that, are we allowed to make our secondary image a mock-up of the front of the polybag including the LEGO logo and the logo of the license that the set is based upon?"
Anything goes -- bag mock-ups are encouraged but not essential. I'd avoid using the LEGO logo, though.
@Huw
Thanks! What about the logo for the licensee? I'm thinking of basing something off of this: http://appareranman.com/racingcar.html
I don't think it'll be a problem. Nobody is profiting from it, after all.
Should we try to stick to modern parts, or are outdated/retired parts allowed? (using 2, 3, and 4 tooth hinges vs click hinges)
This looks fun. I’ve never shown interest in any of the previous challenges but I think I’ll try this one. I do have one question though, how many entries are allowed per person?
@AgentR2 said:
"This looks fun. I’ve never shown interest in any of the previous challenges but I think I’ll try this one. I do have one question though, how many entries are allowed per person?"
@AgentR2 has a good point. Would it be OK to enter both categories, and if someone wins one, they're not eligible for the other?
@Huw
What is the policy on using pieces that are out of production?
Ooh, neat! :D Thanks for having a non-social-media option to submit entries to, as well! :D
I'm no MoCist, but I might give this one a shot on stud.io, see if I can come up with anything decent ^^
Shameless plug - if you like creating, don't forget the building compo also running in the forum at present:
https://forum.brickset.com/discussion/32031/plague-busting-building-competition-1-over-engineered
You can use any LEGO piece you like: old, new, stickered, printed, whatever.
Finally a contest I can actually enter. As a TFOL I often don't have time to design big things for the Lego Ideas contests.
A contest? Using digital programs? To make a set that’s meant to look authentic and like a real product? With a bag mock-up???
YES! So entering! That’s like my thing!!
To be clear, bag mock-ups are not a requirement but if anyone wants to make them they are welcome to.
I’m really glad we can email it in for those of us who don’t do social media.
Thanks Huw and the Brickset team for organising this and keeping us educated these past few weeks. I'm looking forward to contributing to the contest, it's a great way to keep us creative.
@Huw do the components of the minifig (head, torso etc) count towards the 30 part count?
Interesting contest idea! ;-)
@LegoLitten27 said:
" @Huw, can we sudmit multiple entrys?"
Yes, you can. It says that under ‘rules’
@Huw is there a minimum number of parts we need to have?
Question: Do we have to include a design for the actual bag itself?
@DexThePegasus said:
"Question: Do we have to include a design for the actual bag itself?"
No. Huw said that they poly bag designs were welcome but not compulsory
Glad that non-social media folks (*cough cough* myself) can enter this time!
@SeekerBear said:
"Glad that non-social media folks (*cough cough* myself) can enter this time!"
Same!
Does the Minifigure and all its attendant parts count towards the 30 piece limit?
@Snazzy_Bricks said:
" @Huw , will mocking up bags give a higher score, or will it not matter"
It will not matter, but your entry should be well presented, and not, for example, photographed on a patterned carpet in bad light.
@ResIpsaLoquitur said:
"Does the Minifigure and all its attendant parts count towards the 30 piece limit?"
No.
Nice, finally a competition that's in my budget, heh!
can it go along side a theme e.g. harry potter?
@Huw can it be licensed?
@SiriuslyArchie - Yes, any licensed themes, including Harry Potter, are permitted.
This sounds like fun, let's give it a try... :)
Please read all the comments and the rules before asking any more questions that have already been answered!
Basically you can use *anything* as long as it's LEGO.
Licensed, unlicensed, licenses that LEGO does not hold: anything you like!
@Huw said:
"Please read all the comments and the rules before asking any more questions that have already been answered!
Basically you can use *anything* as long as it's LEGO.
Licensed, unlicensed, licenses that LEGO does not hold: anything you like!"
Poor Huw. He has to repeat himself every half hour :)
Who wants to bet that this years may the fourth poly bag is D-O?
@Huw said:
" @Mr__Thrawn said:
"Question: Since this is a competition to design a set, does that mean all building techniques must be legal?"
Ideally, yes."
For those of us back on the Lego scene and still relatively noobs, what does that mean?
Yay. Just yay.
I like this. A contest almost anyone can join. And the email option is the icing on the cake, allowing me to put off getting a Flickr account for a little while longer!
@Huw: Quick question. Is the part count "binding," so to speak, or can it be exceeded? I'm just curious, as there are polybags with more than 50 or 30 parts or more than one minifig.
Please do not include any references to sex, drugs, alcohol etc. in your entry. Gruesome violence is fine.
Do accessories count as parts?
Thanks for this.
@randomly_generated said:
"I like this. A contest almost anyone can join. And the email option is the icing on the cake, allowing me to put off getting a Flickr account for a little while longer!
@Huw: Quick question. Is the part count "binding," so to speak, or can it be exceeded? I'm just curious, as there are polybags with more than 50 or 30 parts or more than one minifig."
No, 'around' 30/50 pieces, just like polybags.
But, just like polybags, I would not expect to find 50 2x4 bricks in your model!
Ok, I've built mine...now I just need to photograph and upload it....
@LegoLitten27 said:
" @Cooliocdawg said:
"Who wants to bet that this years may the fourth poly bag is D-O?"
I’ll take that bet:)"
Personally, I want it to be Dark Rey with that cool lightsaber. MandRProductions mentioned it in a video a while back and now I can't get it out of my head!
I didn't see anything about this scrolling through. But I use Studio 2.0 to design models. It shows tells me what colors can be used for whichever parts. Am I allowed to use colors on parts that are not available, or is that cheating?
Same question as rcu1995
@rcu1995 and @tspike - Yes, you can include pieces in any colour when submitting digital entries. However, including too many new pieces may count against entries during judging because exclusive parts are rarely created for polybags.
Made a few but I'm going to do the one I really want tomorrow hopefully ,glad I can enter as I'm not a social media tech ,thanks Brickset
@CapnRex101 said:
" @rcu1995 and @tspike - Yes, you can include pieces in any colour when submitting digital entries. However, including too many new pieces may count against entries during judging because exclusive parts are rarely created for polybags."
Does this mean that this "creation" has the potential to become an offical polybag in the future?
@HOBBES said:
"Does this mean that this "creation" has the potential to become an offical polybag in the future?"
No chance whatsoever. It's just for fun, but we are stipulating the same rules that LEGO's designers adhere to.
Can multiple versions of one creation be submitted?
@Goodship said:
"Can multiple versions of one creation be submitted?"
I hope so, I submitted two versions of one creation.
Hey @Huw One quick question: Would minifigure parts with decals be allowed or is it solely unaltered parts? Thanks in advance.
@Huw said:
" @HOBBES said:
"Does this mean that this "creation" has the potential to become an offical polybag in the future?"
No chance whatsoever. It's just for fun, but we are stipulating the same rules that LEGO's designers adhere to.
"
Hello, I sent a pair of pictures using the email and I want to make sure you got them.
So, without the minifigure, the build of mine is 31 parts. But with the minifigure it's more, although I gave them a brick built accessory. Does that contribute toward the 30 pieces?
I'm in the running!