Any adult LEGO fan have run into a similar problem. It is enormously enjoyable to set up the sets, but once finished comes the drama: where do we place it? The lack of space in modern homes or the impossibility of collecting several sets due to the space they occupy has led to the creation of a business especially aimed at those who do not want to give up building new sets, but do not need to keep them. Brick Borrow rents LEGO sets… which are then returned.
How it works. Brick Borrow offers users the possibility of renting iconic sets by paying a fixed fee, always for an unlimited time. The amount of the fee determines what can be rented as follows:
- Mystery Set (9.99 euros): Brick Borrow chooses which set to send. Only one set per month.
- Builder (14.99 euros): The customer chooses what they want from the Brick Borrow catalogue. Unlimited loans every month. Only one set at a time. There is an annual version with a small discount.
- Master (24.99 euros): Like Buider, but with two sets per month.
There are dozens of available setsin a catalog that is constantly growing, and as expected, we can find some of the most iconic: Mario Kart, the Shire from ‘The Lord of the Rings’, the Temple of the Golden Idol from Indiana Jones, Snow White’s cabin, the Creeper from ‘Minecraft’, the house from ‘Up!’, the ship from ‘Jaws’, a Concorde, Hogwarts, the Infinity Gauntlet, a bonsai, Sonic’s first level, Darth Vader’s helmet and a long etcetera…
The wonderful world of AFOLs. This is a service clearly aimed at adult LEGO fans (or AFOL: Adult Fans Of LEGO), a typology that ranges from rigorous collectors to creative builders who see LEGO as a form of artistic expression, and who often value the building experience as much or more than the result. Rental introduces an interesting dimension for them: it democratizes access to complex or expensive sets that are sometimes inaccessible to a large part of the community. Aspects that a child does not appreciate, such as completism or playing with rare sets, are thus more accessible to this type of adult fans.
To ride. It is more than proven therapeutic value of play in adults. But in addition, services like Brick Borrow (there are others, especially in the US: NetBricks, Brick Library, Blockria, Brickdrop, Lend A Brick, Chorley Bricks and many more) allow us to focus on an aspect of LEGO that sometimes goes unnoticed: building rather than enjoying the finished set. The activity of assembling blocks works as a mental escape and relaxation, similar to meditative or creative practices. The concentration on small pieces and the satisfaction of seeing a structure take shape generates a binding pleasure that transcends simple fun.
The economics of access. There is a global trendlinked to a market increasingly dominated by subscriptions and temporary access to goods, for people looking for andxexperiences without the burden of storage or constant spending. Brick Borrow is not a unique experiment: we have seen it before on platforms that rent luxury clothing either technology. It implies a more responsible use of the product, promoting the so-called economy of access and reuse, repair, recycling and waste reduction, unlike the traditional linear model of “use and throw away”. The products and materials thus maintain their value for as long as possible, minimizing the environmental impact and promoting sustainable consumption.
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