Older SNOT elements are largely holding their own against a competitive parts landscape, while newer parts keep climbing the charts.

Plant, Flower, Minifig Accessory with 7 Thick Petals and Pin Plant, Flower, Plate Round 1 x 1 with 5 Petals As you can see, almost every plant/foliage element is gaining popularity. The world our minfigures (and minidolls) inhabit is getting greener, literally. Technic Pin Long with Friction Ridges Lengthwise and Stop Bush Technic Bush 1/2 Smooth with Axle Hole Semi-Reduced Technic Axle Pin with Friction Ridges Lengthwise Given the huge increase in system-based sets aimed at the AFOL community, Technic elements appear to be decreasing in popularity over time. I do not think that there is anything especially sinister at play here, but rather that LEGO Technic is a small and stable product line with around 15 new sets a year. While they remain extremely common, it is clear that tiny parts, and parts used for smooth detailing in particular are putting the squeeze on the most iconic pieces.

While we are only talking about a drop of two spots in the rankings, these classic parts are getting squeezed out of the top spots.

That said, these parts, and the classic 1×1 tile in particular are especially popular in sets aimed at AFOLs, and there have been a lot more of those sets in recent years! The fall of basic bricks and plates My cynical theory is that The LEGO Group is using this tiny and inexpensive part to inflate part counts, especially with the (likely profitable) DOTS line. This is a meteoric rise, especially when you consider that both of these tiny parts have now surpassed every single ‘brick’, including the iconic 1×2 brick. Even the classic 1×1 Tile just broke into the top 10 list. The quarter round piece has jumped to 9th place this year, up from 14th last year, and 36th place the year before that. Year after year, some of the very smallest LEGO pieces continue to rise to the top of the charts. My LEGO Brick Labels collection contains labels for almost every part on this list! The rise of tiny pieces Rather than simply highlight specific parts, I’m trying something new by highlighting some broader trends which are visible in the data It’s also worth noting that the top 8 parts remain unchanged from 2107-2021, suggesting that recent shifts (including changes that made the 1×1 round plate more common than the 1×2 plate) are here to stay. Here are some key parts that have increased or decreased in popularity versus 2017-2021. By doing this analysis at least once a year, I’m able to highlight parts which are skyrocketing in popularity, as well as those which are slowly (or quickly) falling out of favor.

The exact dimensions of a lego brick