As someone who doesn't actually work at LEGO, it can be hard to judge just how popular new sets are for any given month. One of the easiest ways to gauge general audience interest is to keep track of whether or not LEGO puts a set on backorder. Usually this only happens to one or two sets each month, but for September that number is already up to six. This latest batch of LEGO sets already seems to be incredibly popular and we're only halfway through the month

When you look at the list of what's already on backorder, it shouldn't really be all that surprising. These are some of the coolest new sets we've seen all year and many of them are targeted specifically at adults. Some of these are LEGO exclusives, like the Arkham Asylum set, which means that anyone looking to buy it would only be able to snag one from the LEGO Store directly. However, other sets on this list are actually available at other retailers and still managed to get put on backorder – which is a testament to just how popular they are.

Popular New LEGO Sets on Backorder

For fans of LEGO and Disney, it's not hard to see why the first two sets on this list are here. It's been eight years since the last Pirates of the Caribbean movie, but when we first announced this Captain Jack Sparrow Pirate ship, the response from that fandom was incredible. Even with the massive price of $380, that set went on backorder almost immediately after it became available to buy. With that set being exclusive to the LEGO Store, it was inevitable that LEGO wouldn't be able to keep up with initial demand. The Wall-E and EVE set is an entirely different story because it's been available at every major retailer since day one and is still on backorder at LEGO. With a lower price point and it being made specifically for adult builders, however, it's not surprising just how popular that set has been so far.

As for the two Wicked sets, it would seem that being aimed at an adult audience has really helped that specific theme this time around. I actually noticed that both of the 18+ LEGO Wicked builds were already on backorder only days after they first released and it would seem that trend has only continued. As a theme, the LEGO Wicked line has only been around since last year and most of the sets have been made for a younger audience. The popularity of the two new sets in the adult market have proven that LEGO has found the right audience for such a collaboration. As someone who got the chance to build the Wicked bookends, it warms my heart to see just how many fans of Wicked and LEGO seem to be lurking out there.

LEGO popularity continues to be fueled by adults

You may have noticed that almost all of the sets on this list are specifically LEGO sets for adults. And if you haven't been paying attention to LEGO releases over the past few years, that may come as a surprise. LEGO has always been marketed as a toy meant for "all ages", but in 2020 LEGO officially started labeling some sets as 18+ builds. Since then more and more new releases have been targeted at adults, including entirely new themes like LEGO Art and LEGO Architecture. Even looking ahead to next month, two of the biggest upcoming sets are the LEGO GameBoy and a massive LEGO Death Star set that are specifically meant for adult builders. This trend isn't going away any time soon.