“Creating LEGO sets” is one of those jobs like astronaut or candy-taster that many kids would like to do at some point in their lives. To be clear, all of these are very real jobs, just by no means common enough for every other second grader to become one at some point. However, if you still harbor dreams of creating your own LEGO set, you might be in luck.

Since 2008, LEGO has had a program titled “LEGO Ideas” where netizens can pitch sets, which, if they get enough votes, end up being made into real sets, with the idea creator getting a 1% royalty.

Now, don’t necessarily get your hopes up, since 2008 (a whole 17 years ago) only 56 sets in total have been picked. It has to get 10000 votes in two years, minimum, as well as a few other conditions, including 100 votes in the first sixty days. Even if it qualifies, it still might not be enough, as some sets have been rejected for copyright or just needing molds that would be too costly to make.

Indeed, there have been entire years where no projects end up being selected. Creativity isn’t enough, after all, LEGO has a lot of creative people already working there. It has to be something LEGO can actually sell (no intellectual property issues), produce (no massively custom molds and new technology and still has to garner enough user support.

If you’ve noticed that many of these come from 2020 or early 2021, you would be correct to assume that lockdowns did spur an increase in interest about LEGO. After all, if you’re stuck at home, buy and building LEGO, or just tinkering with the pieces you have was just one of many ways people did their best to stay entertained.

For example, in 2020, a record 26 projects qualified, while later that same year, 35 more reached the necessary threshold. This doesn’t actually mean this was enough for them to all get put into production and LEGO itself updated the requirements, noting the massive increase in interest following lockdown.