Did you miss out on a specific set release by LEGO? Are you looking for a specific minifigure to complete your build? Do you need a bunch of bricks or plates to complete a building or vehicle?
How can you get these items?
There are a lot of marketplaces out there that you can turn to. You can try EBay, various sellers on Amazon.com, Brick Owl, FaceBook Marketplace, Craigslist, but in my opinion, there is only one place to turn.
Full disclosure… I have a store on BrickLink with a bunch of retired sets and minifigures. So while BrickLink isn’t sending me money for this article, I do make money selling on BrickLink.
BrickLink was founded in June 2000 by LEGO fan Dan Jezek. Dan sadly passed away in 2010 after working to build up the marketplace. It was continued by Jay Kim and a team of folks until the LEGO Group purchased BrickLink in 2019. There was some minor turmoil with LEGO buying the secondary marketplace for its product, but it has mostly remained the same marketplace. BrickLink currently boasts over 10,000 sellers from 70 countries with over a million registered members. The total number of items for sale is… I have no idea. Probably in the millions.
So why should you join into the group?
1 - Fans selling to Fans
Many of the sellers on BrickLink are fans of LEGO themselves. They care about the product and aren’t going to send you something they wouldn’t want (usually). That’s not to say there aren’t a few bad apples in the barrel of BrickLink sellers, but overall I have never been disappointed. Read feedback ratings, check on the store terms page, and then see #2.
2 - Ability to verify items, check in on sellers, and select shipping
We’ve become used to placing online orders at Amazon.com, Walmart, Target, or other retailers. We click on the buy button and we expect our order to arrive in a certain period of time as advertised. You can do the same for BrickLink, but you also have the ability to do your research. If you want to buy that old modular building, Series 1 Collectible Minifigure, or 500 1x2 black plates, ask the seller for details. Get a picture of the item. Ask if it is used. What are the details that concern you and get them worked out before clicking on the buy button.
Then verify their feedback. What are other buyers saying about them? Do they ship promptly? Do they pack items well? Do they respond to questions?
And while BrickLink has an instant shipping function, take the extra time to get real shipping quotes. My instant checkout is set up to go from FL to WA (most expensive option). If you live in GA or TN or another closer location to a seller like me in FL, odds are shipping will be less. Ask and save yourself a few dollars while waiting a day or two.
3 - Wanted lists
I don’t build too many MOCs, but when I do, Bricklink is a great place to turn to for parts. I appreciate the Wanted List function. While it may take a bit to insert it all in if you have a lot of different pieces, It can save you in the long run. The system will tell you where you can buy the parts from. Does one seller cover everything you are looking for? While that seller may have a slightly higher price, you save by not having to pay for shipping from multiple buyers. You can also update it when you have acquired some of the pieces you need or maybe you’ve found some in your own collection.
4 - Ratings matter
You often see stories about Amazon.com ratings and how vendors often pay people to write reviews. I’m pretty sure no one on Bricklink has done that. Besides, you don’t get a lot of space to post feedback. If the seller has hundreds or thousands of positive reviews that all seem to say the same thing, you will probably say the same thing too. Yes, there is always that person who leaves a neutral or negative rating, but what do the vast majority of people say?
If the person is new to selling and doesn’t have a lot of feedback, then take the time to ask them questions. Send a message to ask what you are concerned about and to verify how the order will go. If the seller doesn’t respond or doesn’t give you the answers you are looking for, check in with another seller.
5 - You can see all the prices people are charging and work to find the best one
BrickLink will show you a price guide for each set/part/minifigure/item. You can see the last six months of sales and then what is available for sale at the current time. This is pretty useful if you’re trying to find the lowest priced option or to find someone who has 80 1x4 red bricks.
With this information, you can also negotiate if you want to take the time. The seller with the lowest price may have a higher cost to ship. Another seller may have a higher cost, but have a lower shipping cost. Ask the sellers if they can match prices. Will the one lower the shipping cost to make the sale? Will the other lower the item cost to make the sale? If they say no, but you still want the item, you can still purchase it.
6 - Low fees equal lower prices than some other marketplaces (usually)
I’ve had a few potential buyers complain about the price I’m charging for a set. I will then look the set up on EBay and Amazon to see what it’s going for. More often then not, the price is much higher. Some EBay sellers include shipping so that can cut down on the price difference, but look around if you want the best price. BrickLink charges a 3% fee to the seller on top of PayPal or Stripe fees. EBay charges 10% to 12% or so. Amazon can be a fee in upwards of 20%.
7 - If you can’t find it on BrickLink, it might not exist
The stock on BrickLink is pretty extensive. You can find just about any part, minifigure, or set produced. If you can’t find it there, it might not be anywhere else either.
8 - Studio 2.0
BrickLink has its own digital building program. You can build with endless amounts of digital bricks and create whatever you want. Then you can upload it for the world to see or buy all of the bricks you need to make the MOC into reality. While I prefer building with physical bricks, this is a great option if you want to build something large and don’t have all the parts or you don’t have space to build.
9 - Custom sets to piece together
Once you’ve built a MOC in Studio, you can upload it for the world to see. The digital instructions are not LEGO set quality, but you can re-build what someone else designed and it will let you buy the parts as well.
10 - Become a seller
Do you have a bunch of sets lying around you want to sell off? Maybe you have a whole bunch of bricks you no longer want. Well you can apply to become a seller. When I became a seller, I don’t remember the application process so it is either new or wasn’t a big deal a few years back. I don’t know how that works, but once you are in, you can start to sell. I fully admit that it will not lead to instant riches, but I can’t complain about the extra income and my NLS is happy that my store funds my personal brick addiction.
Anything I missed?
Happy BrickLinking!