Bricklink Helper Tool

[Bob De Quatre]

Hi,

I've developped a web app to help me manage stores and prices for a large wanted list (427 lots and 5135 parts) and I thought it might be usefull to others.

It's not finished, and it answer only to my needs, but if people are interrested, I could develop it further.

Bricklink Helper 1 by BobDeQuatre, on Flickr

Bricklink Helper 2 by BobDeQuatre, on Flickr

The app can be tested here: http://bakahomepage.com/BLH

How it works:

- First you enter your Bricklink login and password (these are not stored in any way!)

- The app will get your Wanted Lists

- When you select one of your Wanted List, the "stores", "summary" and "bricks" section appear. They are all empty for the moment.

- On the Wanted Lists list there are buttons that will update the bricks for a WL. It will store the parts, colors, quantity and condition. All these info appear in the "Bricks" section.

- Then you have to add stores to get prices from. In the "stores" section, click on the "add a store" button and type in the vendor name. The store is added to the list.

- To get prices from a store, you need to click on the "update store prices" button in the stores' list.

- The "bricks" and "Summary" sections will show various information, like the total parts cost based on stores prices.

There might be a few bugs and there are things that don't work. The app is only in euro for the moment.

Thanks in advance for your feedback.

[Lego Otaku]

Looks good. BL's wanted list by store has some drawback: you can't see the price unless you checked each store, then it'd take a while to juggle multiple stores to get the best price.

One recent example, I was putting together a moc with about 300 pieces. The only store that had all of the pieces I wanted checks out at almost $80 (YIKES) but when I checked the next 3 stores and juggled, 30 minutes later I got grand total of only $30. Still it took me a while and that was only 300 pieces. I have a few more want list that I need to go through eventually, over 3,000 pieces total.

If you could expand on that and make it work, and release it to public I could take advantage to shop around.

[Bob De Quatre]

Looks good. BL's wanted list by store has some drawback: you can't see the price unless you checked each store, then it'd take a while to juggle multiple stores to get the best price.

One recent example, I was putting together a moc with about 300 pieces. The only store that had all of the pieces I wanted checks out at almost $80 (YIKES) but when I checked the next 3 stores and juggled, 30 minutes later I got grand total of only $30. Still it took me a while and that was only 300 pieces. I have a few more want list that I need to go through eventually, over 3,000 pieces total.

If you could expand on that and make it work, and release it to public I could take advantage to shop around.

That's exactly what the app does.

In the app I get my wanted list, add my favorite stores and the one with the most lots (from BL's wanted list by store) and click the buttons to get the prices... it takes something like 5 minutes and I get the grand total with the best prices from each stores.

I've done this in an Excel sheet for a 3000 bricks project and it took me days... For my latest project it took me 30 minutes with the app

[heyster]

I've tried it and I must say that it's just great.

It's easy to use and it does exactly what you wrote. It needs some tweaking but it's very useful.

[Bob De Quatre]

I've tried it and I must say that it's just great.

It's easy to use and it does exactly what you wrote. It needs some tweaking but it's very useful.

Thanks

I'm trying to fix bugs and finish the few functionnalities that still miss.

[kr-lik]

hey... i just found this topic out... the idea of the site is great... but somehow the site don't fetch the prices from a store... could this be bacause of different currencies ? (also I cant seem to change the default currency)

*EDIT*

i just checked it and yeah... the default currency is set to EUR and it only fetches prices from stores which currency is EUR.

*AND ANOTHER EDIT*

USD -> EUR convertion works... it seems that PLN -> EUR conversion won't :d

***

other than the currency issue I have to say that this is one amazing tool :]

Edited June 24, 2014 by kr-lik

[Bob De Quatre]

Hi,

The tool isn't really finished, mostly due to lack of interest from people other than me

I'm aware of the currency problem... In fact I had to map the Bricklink currency identifier to the corresponding international currency notation. And I only did it for the ones I use...

Also some option don't work, like changing the currency used for display.

Edit: added PLN currency for conversion

[kr-lik]

:O ! big thanks!

I personally think that with proper "promotion" this could be the ultimate bricklinking tool. It works really nice already and if it had one more option (which probably isn't easy to create)* it would be simply perfect.

* - the option I'm thinking of is that for example a store A has only 5 parts "xzc" and your wantlist has 6. Right now I believe it doesn't "find" that part in the store A (since the min quantity is not met). It'd be amazing if it actually did take them anyways. That way the lots could be divided into store and make it even cheaper.

[maniacman50]

Hi I just start trying to use this and found an error with the currency select, it wont stay on AUD (edit: sorry didn't see it was only in euro)

Would also love an update all stores for getting prices

Edited July 1, 2014 by maniacman50

[demarne]

Hello,

Sorry to take this topic back up.

It seems i can't login anymore into this tool.

It says I'm logged in with no account, Loggoff won't help.

Seems to be when brick link updated to the new version.

thanks

Arne

[Calabar]

Maybe the issue is due to the changes recently happened in bricklink.

You should wait that the developer will fix the web application. If that don't happens, you could try to contact him with private messages (you have to reach 10 messages to unlock PMs).

[Bob De Quatre]

The problem is msot likely due to the recent changes in Bricklink. I'm sorry but I won't correct the software.

[demarne]

Hello,

Thx Bob for the quick answer.

I'll will look for another software to compare prices on bricklink.

As I'm using a mac your website was a fantastic tool for me.