During 2023 early rumours began swirling around the Internet about an upcoming remake of the Classic LEGO Pirates set, 6278 Eldorado Fortress.
Some LEGO Pirates fan refused to believe this could be true. While others grew extremely excited and awaited further details with great anticipation.
And then came the official announcement, dispelling all doubts.
But like all products, 10320 Eldorado Fortress has a production cycle, and that cycle is expected to end late 2024. I.e. SOON!
Here’s what we know…
When will 10320 Eldorado Fortress Disappear?
Let’s assume as far as LEGO.com and retail stores are concerned, it will be available while stock lasts.
How much stock remains is anybody’s guess; so Eldorado Fortress may not disappear over night, but typically the price of retired LEGO sets sky rocket on the aftermarket (eBay, Amazon, BrickLink) very quickly!
This is the situation on eBay as of November 2024
So what’s available on retail store shelves may be purchased for future resale at a significantly higher price.
Four sets deep on the top shelf – November 2024
And the further into retirement LEGO sets venture, the higher their price becomes. So you could easily be paying 200-300% for a MISB copy in the near future.
How Do We Know?
The LEGO Group doesn’t officially announce the exact date when sets will be discontinued, but they do offer a LEGO Sets Retiring section on LEGO.com.
Other LEGO fan sites specify 31 December, 2024 as a potential deadline, but let’s assume that’s arbitrary rather than official.
This is just a screenshot – take a look on LEGO.com for yerself
If we take a moment to browse the Sets Retiring Soon section on LEGO.com, you’ll observe 10320 Eldorado Fortress is right there in the first row!
So it’s definitely slated to end production in the near future, if production hasn’t ceased already and The LEGO Group are just clearing out their inventory.
Pick A Brick
Next, if we browse Pick A Brick, we observe the blue coat Governor and Soldier torsos have disappeared into the wind!
No more blue coat army building via Pick A Brick
Yet, at the time of writing, the Governor’s bicorne hat and shako are still available – but let’s assume this won’t be the case for much longer…
Unless they remain because Imperial Guards are on the horizon… but don’t get your hopes up!
BrickLink Designer Program
During September 2024 we unfortunately discovered that the BrickLink Designer Program Series 6 palette no longer offers the blue coat Soldier parts.
No more Soldier torsos, hats and flags… all Soldier parts are gone!
As these parts are no longer circulating, this may indicate blue coat Soldiers are entering indefinite hiatus; so fans hoping for a 6274 Caribbean Clipper remake are plumb out of luck!
But you don’t have to miss out completely… Scrap for 10320 for parts and minifigs!
Have you bought a 10320 Eldorado Fortress?
While the remake generated a vast amount of excitement, it didn’t lack of heated criticism either.
After all, remaking a classic LEGO set is an extremely bold venture because fan expectations often fly through the roof.
Even Governor Broadside has one!
Because no matter how well executed a set is, the The LEGO Group cannot emulate your childhood from three decades ago… simply because you’re no longer that child and the world has moved on.
At the very best, they can release a product that evokes sufficient nostalgia to subdue your adult reality for a momentary respite.
Maybe the design was a deterrent and you refrained from buying one. But hey, this is LEGO – you can tweak the fortress to your satisfaction.
So now is your last chance to consider… least you face the dreaded FOMO…
What Do Yer Think?
Yer Opinion
Did 10320 Eldorado Fortress hit the mark? Or was it so atrocious you can’t wait to see it disappear over the horizon?
Or have yer reconsidered and decided to acquire one at the last minute to avoid Fear of Missing Out?
A FREE cutter with every fortress!
In the future we shall explore some fan mods and other design possibilities for this set.
But in the meantime, tell us how many 10320 Eldorado Fortresses you did (or did not) purchase in the LEGO Pirates Forum.
Unofficial Countdown
Again, let’s assume that 10320 Eldorado Fortress will be available while stock lasts; meaning it could vanish at any moment!
But based on fan sources, let’s use 31 December, 2024 as an unofficial deadline.
So if you were considering buying one, yer better act now or it might be too late!
