May 23, 20168 yr Author This weekend I was able to build most of 7964 Republic Frigate (90%) and a complete 79103 Turtle Lair Attack. The Frigate is missing basic pieces I just need time to find, and the TMNT set is missing the stickers. Pics to follow soon!
May 24, 20168 yr I am jealous Where do you guys usually find LEGO lots like that? I've tried ebay and yard sales but ebay's usually overpriced and I rarely ever find LEGO at yard sales.
May 25, 20168 yr I've had decent luck finding bulk lots on Craigslist and OfferUp. You have to be patient, though, and examine the listings carefully. Many bulk listings are grossly overpriced (the sellers add up the amount they spent on the sets in the lot and maybe knock off a paltry discount). Others have a lot of off-brand blocks (or random action figures etc.) mixed in with the Lego. If you're persistent though, you'll occasionally come across a lot that's both in decent condition and comes in at about five bucks a pound. If the listing images contain distinctive pieces from known sets or pieces in rare colors, even better. If the listing mentions that it contains minifigs, better still. If I have enough money in my monthly budget left to buy, I'll jump on these immediately. I prefer lots around 10 pounds of bricks - big enough to contain a few whole sets but not so big as to be really expensive or a lot of hassle to sort through.
May 25, 20168 yr Thrift stores are a good place. I paid $15 for a lot of late 1990's Lego at Deseret Industries once. Great deal!
May 25, 20168 yr I live in a large metropolitan area and the thrift stores are usually picked clean. Goodwill knows that fans will pay top dollar for Lego and usually sells them in their own auction site (where they get snapped up instantly). I've had much better luck with Craigslist and other classified ad sources.
May 25, 20168 yr Author Yes, Craigslist is also a good place, but patience is the key. You almost have to be ready to leave your seat the moment you see the ad. And yes, pricing varies wildly. You will always see people stating something like, "Legos like this sell for over $18/pound easy. I'll sell it to you for $15!" I steer clear of them because they have really unrealistic expectations. I always ask a few basic questions before committing: Is the lot a whole collection, or were parts already sold off? What sorts of sets might be included? When were they purchased? If it's not the whole collection, chances of putting together full sets is slim. I offer less for these. If it contains Star Wars, Harry Potter, etc. I'm willing to pay more. If it's older Lego, it won't contain newer colors or newer parts. I offer less in theses cases. And I have had ZERO luck at Goodwill type places.
May 25, 20168 yr I've heard of people having crazy good luck at Goodwill, but all I've ever found is a boxed 70720 Hover Hunter (http://brickset.com/sets/70720-1/Hover-Hunter) for $25 . I've had much more luck at local, smaller thrift stores, especially Arc, a Colorado chain. I've found soooo many huge bags of Lego that I snag for $10-$15. I've only found Craigslist useful for Bionicle: https://www.flickr.com/photos/126609959@N02/26507242914/in/dateposted-public/ https://www.flickr.com/photos/126609959@N02/26822508846/in/dateposted-public/ https://www.flickr.com/photos/126609959@N02/27200667735/in/dateposted-public/
May 26, 20168 yr Goodwill is sometimes good, but will not usually be. Butter Pun there. It's very spread out... I have a few sleazy places I frequent that almost always have large sets, mostly new .but I can't go too often or they'll recognize me as "The LEGO Purchaser". If that happened, I can guarantee their prices for me would shoot up. It's weird like that. I look forward to seeing what else you have in store for us, Mister kibosh!
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