To those who buy custom instructions: I want to ask you something

[jedisquidward]

I have started fully getting into designing my own custom builds and am interested in the idea of possibly selling instructions for them. I have a few designs completely built and ready and a couple more which will be finished soon. I'm currently making an alternate build for a modular Lego Brand Store, but before I really get into it, I feel a bit weird about it and want to gauge interest. The main thing that places doubt in my mind is that I really want to use 2 copies of 40305 from 2018 and 1 copy 40105 from 2014. This allows me to add a lot more detail, but given that the main point of alternate builds is the ease of getting the parts for them, I wonder if also requiring this other set would completely diminish it. Then again, the market for custom instructions is hardcore and niche enough that I feel it wouldn't be a problem for people.

Now I realize I may be coming off very money-minded here, and normally I would just build what I like, but for some reason I'm having mixed initial thoughts about this model. I also applied to my local Lego Store recently since I am a student; maybe there's a subconscious connection there that's contributing to my anxiousness.

[peedeejay]

Gauging interest is very very difficult. The market for custom building instructions is a very special market and also quite small. Unless you have a small customer base (which you need to build ober years), there is no good way of gauging interest. Especially not on a forum, where most people are MOCers themselves which reduces the possibility of them buying custom instructions.

Just build what you like. Create an instruction if you like, then put it on Rebrickable and see what happens. :)

[jedisquidward]

Just now, peedeejay said:

Gauging interest is very very difficult. The market for custom building instructions is a very special market and also quite small. Unless you have a small customer base (which you need to build ober years), there is no good way of gauging interest. Especially not on a forum, where most people are MOCers themselves which reduces the possibility of them buying custom instructions.

Just build what you like. Create an instruction if you like, then put it on Rebrickable and see what happens. :)

Hmm, alright. Thank you.

[MAB]

If you want to do alt builds based on specific sets, then make sure those sets are reasonably cheap. I have often not bought MOC plans because the designer has used expensive parts and the design would not be the same without those parts. And if I had to redesign to get round them, then I'm not paying for the instructions. Not that I buy many MOC instructions these days. Too many people are churning them out for sale, and it seems often without actually building the set to test it, instead just doing it virtually without caring about strength.

[Options]

The instructions need to be for something that, for lack of a better word, appears outstanding to a collector/builder.  And, unique. Another 3 story restaurant isn’t going to cut it.  A great example for an alternative build is the AS alternate build. While it is still an ‘eatery’ at heart, the design is outstanding and NO additional pieces outside of what you get with Assembly Square are required. I don’t think the extra parts needed to complete the design should cost more than 10% of the base set.

I’ve lost a lot of interest in custom builds since the manufacturers in Asia are cranking out large modulars with quality parts, no missing pieces and coherent instructions.  Things have changed a lot in the last few years.

[blondasek]

As you did ask, I will tell you this.

I believe that most of the "best sellers" for modular MOC are trully an alt of the available sets. That is it :)

I do not have time nor patient to play with Bricklink order, as well as I prefer to have everything from one box. For last few years I am buying at least two copies of each modulars, with hope that if someone will create a great alt MOC out of it, I will have it ready to build. That is it :)

Have a great weekend :)

[AndreMW]

There definitely is a better market for instructions using Multiples of existing sets since it is the easiest way to get all needed parts. There are some interesting rebuilts out there that only after buying them tell you that you need lots of additional bricks and that really annoys me a lot. So, try instructions for rebuilts, but use as much parts from the original sets as possible.