How I Buy LEGO Bricks
Many people have asked me how and where I buy my LEGO bricks, so I thought I should do a quick post on the subject. In a later post I will go into more detail describing the exact methods I use.
I will usually purchase my LEGO bricks in one of three ways:
This is fairly simple. I will purchase sets that are on sale either locally or online. Locally I check the Toyr ‘R’ Us often, as well at Target, Walmart and K-Mart. Many times they have clearance aisles and I do a quick check there. I don’t like to purchase a set unless it is at least 40% off of MSRP. I usually don’t care about the condition of the box or the age of the set, as long as it has pieces I can use.
Sometimes it is difficult to know the MSRP of a set, especially older sets. A great trick I use is to check prices on Peeron.com which lists all sets and historical prices. This is an invaluable site that I will use time and time again. Not only do they list the prices, but they also show the exact pieces in each set, so I can find out if there are items I will use. As I have an iPhone, I can look this up while I am the store.
Bricklink is a site where people can sell their new and used LEGO bricks directly to consumers. Most of the people on the site will buy sets at a discount (see above) and then “part them out” to the individual pieces. Many of the people keep inventories in the millions! I have purchased 10,000 new pieces of the same item on multiple occasions. If I need, say, 5,000 2x4 orange bricks to complete a project, Bricklink is where I will go.
One nice feature of Bricklink is that you can search for the item(s) you need, and see what prices vendors are selling that item for. Then you just choose the best price for your situation (be sure to take into account shipping and insurance) and place your order. The vendor will then send the bricks directly to you.
This can also be used to find rare or hard-to-find pieces that you absolutely must have. For example, when my son was younger he loved what he called “gems.” So the Easter Bunny left him about 100 gems in various colors (which are hard to come by in quantity in sets) and he was thrilled.
The largest order I ever placed on Bricklink was for $5,000 and weighed over 250lbs. The UPS guy loved me for that one!
Most of the 600,000+ LEGO bricks i have came from Bricklink. I have also used them to find items that I couldn’t find anywhere else. It is invaluable if you are building custom designs, and can be used for a variety of uses.
Sometimes I will purchase bulk items on eBay that I find interesting. But that is not happening as much as it used to. It takes a lot longer to buy through eBay than Bricklink, and the prices are usually better on Bricklink. Sometimes, though, I will find a nice set that has few bids and purchase it.
As an aside, I do get pieces from garage sales and sometimes Goodwill, but these are only used to give me ideas. All of the designs I sell utilize brand new LEGO bricks, but I like to have a bunch of different pieces to give me ideas. Having said this, you can sometimes find great deals at garage sales.
Good luck on purchasing your LEGO bricks!
Next post will be on LEGO terminology.
I will usually purchase my LEGO bricks in one of three ways:
- Purchasing sets on sale and “parting them out.”
- Purchasing in bulk on Bricklink.com
- Buying in bulk on eBay or other sites
Purchasing sets on sale
This is fairly simple. I will purchase sets that are on sale either locally or online. Locally I check the Toyr ‘R’ Us often, as well at Target, Walmart and K-Mart. Many times they have clearance aisles and I do a quick check there. I don’t like to purchase a set unless it is at least 40% off of MSRP. I usually don’t care about the condition of the box or the age of the set, as long as it has pieces I can use.
Sometimes it is difficult to know the MSRP of a set, especially older sets. A great trick I use is to check prices on Peeron.com which lists all sets and historical prices. This is an invaluable site that I will use time and time again. Not only do they list the prices, but they also show the exact pieces in each set, so I can find out if there are items I will use. As I have an iPhone, I can look this up while I am the store.
Purchasing on Bricklink
Bricklink is a site where people can sell their new and used LEGO bricks directly to consumers. Most of the people on the site will buy sets at a discount (see above) and then “part them out” to the individual pieces. Many of the people keep inventories in the millions! I have purchased 10,000 new pieces of the same item on multiple occasions. If I need, say, 5,000 2x4 orange bricks to complete a project, Bricklink is where I will go.
One nice feature of Bricklink is that you can search for the item(s) you need, and see what prices vendors are selling that item for. Then you just choose the best price for your situation (be sure to take into account shipping and insurance) and place your order. The vendor will then send the bricks directly to you.
This can also be used to find rare or hard-to-find pieces that you absolutely must have. For example, when my son was younger he loved what he called “gems.” So the Easter Bunny left him about 100 gems in various colors (which are hard to come by in quantity in sets) and he was thrilled.
The largest order I ever placed on Bricklink was for $5,000 and weighed over 250lbs. The UPS guy loved me for that one!
Most of the 600,000+ LEGO bricks i have came from Bricklink. I have also used them to find items that I couldn’t find anywhere else. It is invaluable if you are building custom designs, and can be used for a variety of uses.
Buying in bulk on eBay or other sites
Sometimes I will purchase bulk items on eBay that I find interesting. But that is not happening as much as it used to. It takes a lot longer to buy through eBay than Bricklink, and the prices are usually better on Bricklink. Sometimes, though, I will find a nice set that has few bids and purchase it.
As an aside, I do get pieces from garage sales and sometimes Goodwill, but these are only used to give me ideas. All of the designs I sell utilize brand new LEGO bricks, but I like to have a bunch of different pieces to give me ideas. Having said this, you can sometimes find great deals at garage sales.
Good luck on purchasing your LEGO bricks!
Next post will be on LEGO terminology.