Are you looking for parts to build your own creations? Or maybe you’re a parent like me and have kiddos who like to build and want some additional parts.
I have a parts collection back in the US in storage, but we have a big plastic bin of random parts here to free build with (as you can see below).
So where can you find cheaper parts?
Bricks and Minifigs is an after market store in the US and Canada. It is franchise owned and more seem to pop up every year. It’s been a few years since I have been to one, but I used to live by the Albuquerque, NM store. The store had 2 large tables of loose bricks. They buy used pieces and then re-sell them at a higher price. You can pick the size container/bag you want and then sort through the parts to find what you want. I was usually able to find some great parts in great condition. Usually I could get it down to somewhere between 3 and 5 cents per piece. Definitely check them out if you live nearby.
The LEGO Classic line is a great place to look. While you don’t get the exact parts you want, you can find them at a lower price and brand new. I recently got the set pictured here for 28% off. It worked out to around $0.03 per piece which is a great deal. You might not get minifigures, but they usually have a great color scheme and some cool parts. It’s definitely worth it to look for sales on the Classic line. Especially before Christmas time.
Now we tread into the unknown… there are numerous ways you can buy used bulk LEGO parts and sets from garage sales and Craigslist, to EBay and Amazon. There’s a lot out there and it can be hard to know what you’re going to get. You may be getting a bin from an expert who has picked out the “good” parts and left you with items you may not want. Or you may end up with a gold mine of old disassembled sets that you can re-assemble. Prices may vary, but usually you can get a decent deal here. Just the quality may not be where you want it. So let the buyer beware…
Is it worth it to go straight to the source? You can get the quality of part and the type of part that you’ll want, but you’ll pay. Online orders can get pricy so it might not be worth it unless you are trying to get that one hard to find piece. In store may offer you some savings. Purchasing a cup full of parts can be good if you know how to pick and stack smartly. I am not an expert there by any means, but I recommend you look online for videos from people with tips on how to stack and fill your cups at the LEGO store. My last trip to the LEGO store was a while ago, but it was around $18 for the large cup. Is that still right? In the past I’ve been able to get parts for around $0.04 per piece or so, but usually the pieces are smaller so it’s hard to make a judgement there.
The secondary market… It’s actually pretty large. You can get specific parts on numerous sites from EBay to Amazon to BrickOwl, but I will focus on Bricklink.com for now since I am most familiar with it. Bricklink is now owned by The LEGO Group so it’s the secondary market owned by the primary market. The downside is that most sellers are AFOLs or people knowledgeable with bricks so finding great deals on parts is probably tough. The plus side is if you can’t find it on Bricklink, it probably doesn’t exist. You can also work with (some) buyers to get discounts if you are buying large lots or if you become a regular customer. You can get a lot of opinions about Bricklink so I’ll stop there. Bottom line is, lots of available parts, but not always the lowest price.
There are probably a few other niche areas like if you are in a LUG and can participate in the LUGBULK program. What else am I missing? What has worked the best for you?
Please post in the comments or send me at note at store@bricksforbricks.com and I will add to the post.
Happy building!