Answers.Body: <p><strong>Around 18,000 as of October, 2020</strong></p>
  <p>A <a href="https://brickset.com/article/54327/understanding-lego-part-numbers" rel="noreferrer">2020 article on Brickset</a> discusses part numbers that give us a rough idea.</p>
  <blockquote>
  <p>Design numbers identify the shape of the part.
  ...
  Our database contains around 18,000 design numbers but many more have been allocated over the years but are now out of use, following parts being discontinued or redesigned, at which point they are given a new one.</p>
  </blockquote>
  
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 4.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2021-09-30T23:18:56.800Z
Answers.LastActivityDate: 2021-09-30T23:18:56.800Z
Answers.UserDisplayName: wolfcastle
Answers.Body: <p><a href="http://www.infoplease.com/entertainment/toys/lego-background.html" rel="nofollow noreferrer">One source</a> places the number of different types of LEGO elements that have been made at 2,200. It is unclear whether or not DUPLO, Clikits, or Bionicle etc, etc, are included in that count.</p>
  <blockquote>
  <p>How Many Different Types of LEGO Elements Exist?
  2,200 different elements—or types of pieces</p>
  <p>How Many LEGO Elements Are Manufactured?
  Approximately 19 billion each year
  or, 2 million per hour
  or, 36,000 per minute</p>
  </blockquote>
  
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2011-12-28T21:40:04.690Z
Answers.Text: Where did you find that number?
Answers.UserDisplayName: Ambo100
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 4.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2011-12-28T21:17:09.427Z
Answers.LastActivityDate: 2021-10-04T17:18:21.120Z
Answers.LastEditDate: 2021-10-04T17:18:21.120Z
Answers.UserDisplayName: Major Stackings
Answers.Body: <p>It really depends on your definition of a part. Does Duplo count? Do things like Lego branded paraphernalia with studs on them count? What about pre-ABS bricks? The old architecture sets? Do you count all the minor design changes as 'unique' elements? (The classic 2x4 brick has had probably a dozen minor changes to the molds over the decades, for example). You probably aren't considering color variations, but physical shape. Are pieces with differing paint jobs unique elements? A radar dish that is opaque is probably going to get use differently from a transparent one with space ship canopy lines on it...</p>
  <p>I get the nature of your question, but depending on how you define it can have a big impact on the answer. I would throw out an order or magnitude answer and say that there are probably less than 10k physically unique pieces in existence. Anything more is going to involve a lot of decisions around what <em>exactly</em> is 'Lego'.</p>
  <p>Any philosophy majors out there that are looking for a thesis, there you go. That one's on me.</p>
  
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Answers.CreationDate: 2021-09-27T03:17:23.047Z
Answers.LastActivityDate: 2021-09-27T03:17:23.047Z
Answers.UserDisplayName: Roger Hill
Answers.Body: <p><a href="http://www.weser-kurier.de/Artikel/News/Politik/505073/Geschenke-Klassikern-auf-der-Spur:-Lego.html" rel="nofollow noreferrer">One source</a> I found mentions that there are around 4000 different LEGO elements:</p>
  
  <blockquote>
    <p>There are now around 4,000 different elements, as they are called at LEGO: round bricks, square ones, wheels, gears, and bricks with and without knobs.</p>
  </blockquote>
  
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2011-12-28T22:08:06.707Z
Answers.Text: Please add a citation...
Answers.UserDisplayName: daviesgeek
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2011-12-28T22:21:23.623Z
Answers.Text: I have got the info from this German news paper article: http://www.weser-kurier.de/Artikel/News/Politik/505073/Geschenke-Klassikern-auf-der-Spur%3A-Lego.html
Answers.UserDisplayName: Abdelkader
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 4.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2011-12-28T21:51:40.613Z
Answers.LastActivityDate: 2020-05-22T20:04:11.830Z
Answers.LastEditDate: 2020-05-22T20:04:11.830Z
Answers.UserDisplayName: Abdelkader
Body: <p>I was curious and wondering:  How many different types of Lego bricks have been produced since the start of the company in 1949?</p>
  
Comments.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Comments.CreationDate: 2011-12-28T08:05:21.103Z
Comments.Text: How many *different kinds* of bricks... or how many bricks in total? An all-time tally of all bricks ever made would probably be in the trillions.
Comments.UserDisplayName: LegoSonicBoy
Comments.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Comments.CreationDate: 2011-12-28T18:14:08.057Z
Comments.Text: Edited question to be less ambiguous.
Comments.UserDisplayName: daviesgeek
Comments.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 4.0
Comments.CreationDate: 2020-04-26T06:08:57.037Z
Comments.Text: If [BrickLink](https://www.bricklink.com/v2/main.page) toutes already 59,338 items in its "Parts" section, how would we consider 2,200 or 4,000 or 219 even nearly in the right ballpark?
Comments.UserDisplayName: Sander Verhagen
Comments.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 4.0
Comments.CreationDate: 2020-05-22T11:11:27.570Z
Comments.Text: I think that all the other answers are wrong since BL holds nearly 60,000 parts in its inventory and yet we say that 2,200 or 4,000 is right when it's not, as @SanderVerhagen said. This question is impossible to solve, and even if we say that 59,338 elements were made since we rely in BL, *then we would still be somewhat wrong!* There **has** to be some moment in history where BL messes up, no one is perfect!! I think this question should be closed!!
Comments.UserDisplayName: mindstormsboi
Comments.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 4.0
Comments.CreationDate: 2020-05-26T19:20:30.527Z
Comments.Text: @SanderVerhagen We are looking for types of bricks. The 60,000 BL parts are not types. [This similar question](https://bricks.stackexchange.com/questions/8742/averaged-out-as-of-2016-how-many-shapes-has-lego-introduced-per-year-since-bri?rq=1) from 2016 asked for "shapes" which can mean "types". One example: Today, there are more than 4000 different minifig torsos in the BL part list (1 type, 4000 print patterns). So, 2000 to 4000 might even be an upper estimate for 2011 (the year of this question). It definitely is the right "ballpark".
Comments.UserDisplayName: Metalbeard
Comments.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 4.0
Comments.CreationDate: 2020-05-26T22:56:15.167Z
Comments.Text: So... this is at best an ambiguous question? Who gets to decide what the word "type" means? If we're going to be specific about words, what is a brick? Anything that resembles a brick in the real word, or rather Lego "things" that can be connected together?
Comments.UserDisplayName: Sander Verhagen
Comments.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 4.0
Comments.CreationDate: 2020-05-27T09:54:54.853Z
Comments.Text: @SanderVerhagen It is not that ambiguous. The part catalogs from BL or Rebrickable can be analysed quite well. I started with a reasonable definition of "shape" or "type" and came up with around 17000 (upper estimate) in 2016. With more effort you get better estimates, of course. The term "brick" is well defined in the LEGO world by the BL category.
Comments.UserDisplayName: Metalbeard
Tags: <history>
Title: How many different types of Lego bricks have been produced?
UserDisplayName: daviesgeek
ThreadText: # How many different types of Lego bricks have been produced?
  
  (Asked by: username_0 on 2011-12-28)
  
  I was curious and wondering: How many different types of Lego bricks have been produced since the start of the company in 1949?
  
  **Tags:** history
  > **Comments:**
  > **username_1**: How many *different kinds* of bricks... or how many bricks in total? An all-time tally of all bricks ever made would probably be in the trillions.  
  > **username_0**: Edited question to be less ambiguous.  
  > **username_2**: If [BrickLink](https://www.bricklink.com/v2/main.page) toutes already 59,338 items in its "Parts" section, how would we consider 2,200 or 4,000 or 219 even nearly in the right ballpark?  
  > **username_3**: I think that all the other answers are wrong since BL holds nearly 60,000 parts in its inventory and yet we say that 2,200 or 4,000 is right when it's not, as @SanderVerhagen said. This question is impossible to solve, and even if we say that 59,338 elements were made since we rely in BL, *then we would still be somewhat wrong!* There **has** to be some moment in history where BL messes up, no one is perfect!! I think this question should be closed!!  
  > **username_4**: @SanderVerhagen We are looking for types of bricks. The 60,000 BL parts are not types. [This similar question](https://bricks.stackexchange.com/questions/8742/averaged-out-as-of-2016-how-many-shapes-has-lego-introduced-per-year-since-bri?rq=1) from 2016 asked for "shapes" which can mean "types". One example: Today, there are more than 4000 different minifig torsos in the BL part list (1 type, 4000 print patterns). So, 2000 to 4000 might even be an upper estimate for 2011 (the year of this question). It definitely is the right "ballpark".  
  > **username_2**: So... this is at best an ambiguous question? Who gets to decide what the word "type" means? If we're going to be specific about words, what is a brick? Anything that resembles a brick in the real word, or rather Lego "things" that can be connected together?  
  > **username_4**: @SanderVerhagen It is not that ambiguous. The part catalogs from BL or Rebrickable can be analysed quite well. I started with a reasonable definition of "shape" or "type" and came up with around 17000 (upper estimate) in 2016. With more effort you get better estimates, of course. The term "brick" is well defined in the LEGO world by the BL category.  
  
  ---
  
  ## 4 answers
  
  ### Answer by username_5 on 2021-09-30. Score: 5
  
  **Around 18,000 as of October, 2020**
  
  A [2020 article on Brickset](https://brickset.com/article/54327/understanding-lego-part-numbers) discusses part numbers that give us a rough idea.
  
  > Design numbers identify the shape of the part.
  > ...
  > Our database contains around 18,000 design numbers but many more have been allocated over the years but are now out of use, following parts being discontinued or redesigned, at which point they are given a new one.
  
  
  ---
  
  ### Answer by username_6 on 2011-12-28. Score: 4
  
  [One source](http://www.infoplease.com/entertainment/toys/lego-background.html) places the number of different types of LEGO elements that have been made at 2,200. It is unclear whether or not DUPLO, Clikits, or Bionicle etc, etc, are included in that count.
  
  > How Many Different Types of LEGO Elements Exist?
  > 2,200 different elements—or types of pieces
  >
  > How Many LEGO Elements Are Manufactured?
  > Approximately 19 billion each year
  > or, 2 million per hour
  > or, 36,000 per minute
  
  > **Comments:**
  > **username_7**: Where did you find that number?  
  
  ---
  
  ### Answer by username_8 on 2021-09-27. Score: 3
  
  It really depends on your definition of a part. Does Duplo count? Do things like Lego branded paraphernalia with studs on them count? What about pre-ABS bricks? The old architecture sets? Do you count all the minor design changes as 'unique' elements? (The classic 2x4 brick has had probably a dozen minor changes to the molds over the decades, for example). You probably aren't considering color variations, but physical shape. Are pieces with differing paint jobs unique elements? A radar dish that is opaque is probably going to get use differently from a transparent one with space ship canopy lines on it...
  
  I get the nature of your question, but depending on how you define it can have a big impact on the answer. I would throw out an order or magnitude answer and say that there are probably less than 10k physically unique pieces in existence. Anything more is going to involve a lot of decisions around what *exactly* is 'Lego'.
  
  Any philosophy majors out there that are looking for a thesis, there you go. That one's on me.
  
  
  ---
  
  ### Answer by username_9 on 2011-12-28. Score: 2
  
  [One source](http://www.weser-kurier.de/Artikel/News/Politik/505073/Geschenke-Klassikern-auf-der-Spur:-Lego.html) I found mentions that there are around 4000 different LEGO elements:
  
  > There are now around 4,000 different elements, as they are called at LEGO: round bricks, square ones, wheels, gears, and bricks with and without knobs.
  
  > **Comments:**
  > **username_0**: Please add a citation...  
  > **username_9**: I have got the info from this German news paper article: http://www.weser-kurier.de/Artikel/News/Politik/505073/Geschenke-Klassikern-auf-der-Spur%3A-Lego.html  
  
  ---
  
  