Cheapest way to obtain parts for MOCs?

[monkles]

So how do you do it? I've trawled garage sales and bulk Lego sets being sold by parents, but most of them are typical City vehicles - not really useful for architecture.

Looking for incomplete modulars for sale online seems to be the cheapest way I can imagine.

Edited January 19, 2017 by monkles

[Sammael]

The cheapest is probably Pick A Brick (for small parts that you can stuff a lot of in a cup) and TLG's LUGBULK program (1/year, must be a member of one of the participating RLUGs). Other than that... follow Bricklink and seize good deals.

[Stefaneris]

You might also want to look at Creator Sets, for example the houses which provide bricks and windows. Before you buy a set I would look at the inventory, one way to do this is via Bricklink.

When you have enough parts (even if they don't have the right colour) you can build your MOC and bricklink the parts you have in the wrong colour. So you only buy what you need.

[mikeright]

1 minute ago, Stefaneris said:

You might also want to look at Creator Sets, for example the houses which provide bricks and windows. Before you buy a set I would look at the inventory, one way to do this is via Bricklink.

THIS, Bricklink is an amazing resource for seeing what sets contain. Look into sets that have a piece you're looking for, it may end up having some other very useful and interesting pieces. While I dislike the minidolls from Friends and Elves, the pieces in some of those sets are phenomenal for MOCs. Residential city buildings? Creator and Friends are where it's at. The older elves sets were great for trees and castles.

[Littleworlds]

I would also look at special offers in stores. They sometimes, especially when the new sets come out, are really desparate to clear their shelves. Even if its a theme you are not interested in, there might still be very useful parts included 

[dr_spock]

There is Pick A Brick Online and Pick A Brick Wall in the LEGO Stores.  The PaB Wall is cheaper if you spend the time carefully packing as many pieces as you can into a cup.  The cheapest I found so far is winning contests with LEGO prizes. 

 

 

[NewTown]

Other than the PAB wall, if you have the time I have found the best way to get pieces is using a combination of Pick a Brick and Bricks and Pieces. The nice thing is that if your order contains some PAB pieces you can combine the dollar amount from that order with the BAP portion of the order to get the free shipping amount on the Lego site. Also, the selection of colours and elements is MUCH higher on BAP than PAB. I check prices between the two and end up usually getting parts from both as the same element can vary substantially in price even though they are both from Lego. PAB is easy to find on the Lego site.

To find BAP click on "Missing Parts" at the bottom of the page on the Lego site, then click on "Buy Bricks", when done add to cart. Then do your PAB order and they will combine for free shipping if over the required amount ($35 in Canada).

BAP is unavailable right now until Feb 1 due to the Christmas rush.

Hope this helps! I have built 10 modular MOCs and never paid a dime in shipping. I am fortunate I get to travel for work so when near a Lego store I grab a cup or 2 as they all seem to have different elements on the wall as well. Happy building!

 

Edited January 19, 2017 by NewTown

[koalayummies]

^^ That is an ok method if for some reason one must have brand new bricks but the selection, availability and pricing is still better on bricklink which also has brand new bricks, not to mention the shipping is usually much faster and cheaper if you aren't always placing a big order over the Lego free shipping amount. A lot of the large bricklink sellers buy many sets for pieces they want and sell the unused bricks at very competitive prices. Only a fraction of every brick in every color ever made is available at any given time on bap, while just about every single brick in every color is on bricklink. They even have long since discontinued brand new bricks on bricklink, stuff you won't ever find again on bap.

[NewTown]

The shipping from Lego definitely is painfully slow, that's for sure, more so PAB than BAP. I always figured by the time I buy $5-10 each from a handful of sellers on Bricklink paying shipping on each I may as well just do one order and get directly from Lego. Plus no worries about wrong colours. I like new bricks, call me neurotic ;)

If buying say 100 1x4 bricks (which are the staple of my modulars) Bricklink does look to be cheaper.

Lately I have been finding a lot of 1x2 jumpers on the PAB walls which helps a lot when doing offset windows. Slopes too for roof lines for a winter village.

 

Edited January 19, 2017 by NewTown

[ReplicaOfLife]

I usually watch out for Creator house sets on sale...and often, I manage to combine a sale with a coupon and save even more.

I also sometimes check ebay for used copies of current modular buildings when they've been around for a while. For example, I obtained two copies of Pet Shop at about three quarters of the original price, which meant a PPP ratio of about 0,05€ per part. A great deal, I think.

[BlockLogo]

Other than BL, PAB, B&P, clearance set, etc, I have had some good luck buying sets without miniugs for super cheap on ebay, especially IP licensed sets, and especially right after they come out, as that's when the seller can get the most money for the figures and can sell off the remaining parts quickly on the cheap. I've bought multiple copies of Mos Eisley Cantina, Battle on Takodana and the doctor strange set that way.

Edited January 20, 2017 by BlockLogo

[peedeejay]

I think 75% of my parts collection is from BL, PAB and B&P. I don't know whether it was the cheapest way, but I steadily keep amassing more bricks. When I build a new MOC I first look at BL vs. B&P prices and order a large chunk from B&P (usually all small plates and tiles are cheaper there). When doing so I "round" up my lots to optain additional pieces to stock up slowly but steadily.

I do the same when ordering from Bricklink. This is usually due to a seller having a minimum buy. I fill up to the minimum buy amount with additional pieces or round up pieces I'm buying. I always keep a "Wanted List" with general stuff in there (like 1x2 bricks for walls or plates, tiles, etc.).

For PAB I usually check the PAB wall in Hamburg every two weeks and when I see useful parts (again plates, tiles, 1x2 bricks) I fill up one or multiple cups. I must've bought something like 30 large cups by now which should be something like 18.000 parts (average of 600 parts per cup, maybe more) for around 525€, so around 0,03€ per piece.

I rarely buy any sets to part them out, but I plan on doing so more often. If modular buildings are on sale and end up with a price per ratio of about 0,05€ it's an awesome deal, since you have to keep in mind that you also receive a lot of special parts which you would never get BL, PAB or B&P for 0,05€ per piece. You also get minifigs. Even if it hurts to part out modulars, there is hardly any better way to stock up on pieces for modular MOC'ing. You have to throw in some other bricks however, otherwise your MOC's will all loke like alternative builds for the existing modulars due to color schemes. ;-)

[monkles]

3 hours ago, peedeejay said:

I think 75% of my parts collection is from BL, PAB and B&P. I don't know whether it was the cheapest way, but I steadily keep amassing more bricks. When I build a new MOC I first look at BL vs. B&P prices and order a large chunk from B&P (usually all small plates and tiles are cheaper there). When doing so I "round" up my lots to optain additional pieces to stock up slowly but steadily.

I do the same when ordering from Bricklink. This is usually due to a seller having a minimum buy. I fill up to the minimum buy amount with additional pieces or round up pieces I'm buying. I always keep a "Wanted List" with general stuff in there (like 1x2 bricks for walls or plates, tiles, etc.).

For PAB I usually check the PAB wall in Hamburg every two weeks and when I see useful parts (again plates, tiles, 1x2 bricks) I fill up one or multiple cups. I must've bought something like 30 large cups by now which should be something like 18.000 parts (average of 600 parts per cup, maybe more) for around 525€, so around 0,03€ per piece.

I rarely buy any sets to part them out, but I plan on doing so more often. If modular buildings are on sale and end up with a price per ratio of about 0,05€ it's an awesome deal, since you have to keep in mind that you also receive a lot of special parts which you would never get BL, PAB or B&P for 0,05€ per piece. You also get minifigs. Even if it hurts to part out modulars, there is hardly any better way to stock up on pieces for modular MOC'ing. You have to throw in some other bricks however, otherwise your MOC's will all loke like alternative builds for the existing modulars due to color schemes. ;-)

What is B&P?

[Stefaneris]

4 hours ago, monkles said:

What is B&P?

B&P is short for Bricks and Parts. It's something like an expanded version of Pick a Brick.

 

22 hours ago, NewTown said:

Other than the PAB wall, if you have the time I have found the best way to get pieces is using a combination of Pick a Brick and Bricks and Pieces. The nice thing is that if your order contains some PAB pieces you can combine the dollar amount from that order with the BAP portion of the order to get the free shipping amount on the Lego site. Also, the selection of colours and elements is MUCH higher on BAP than PAB. I check prices between the two and end up usually getting parts from both as the same element can vary substantially in price even though they are both from Lego. PAB is easy to find on the Lego site.

To find BAP click on "Missing Parts" at the bottom of the page on the Lego site, then click on "Buy Bricks", when done add to cart. Then do your PAB order and they will combine for free shipping if over the required amount ($35 in Canada).

BAP is unavailable right now until Feb 1 due to the Christmas rush.

 

[mattmarsden]

I bought 3 of the Ghostbusters HQ when I was building a dark red train station - lots of useful pieces and the minifigs can be ebayed for almost half the cost of the set!

[lordarnold]

On 1/19/2017 at 10:36 AM, mikeright said:

THIS, Bricklink is an amazing resource for seeing what sets contain. Look into sets that have a piece you're looking for, it may end up having some other very useful and interesting pieces. While I dislike the minidolls from Friends and Elves, the pieces in some of those sets are phenomenal for MOCs. Residential city buildings? Creator and Friends are where it's at. The older elves sets were great for trees and castles.

I agree, there are some awesome pieces in the Friends & Elves sets. I dislike the figures but my daughter {10} really likes them

On 1/20/2017 at 0:20 PM, mattmarsden said:

I bought 3 of the Ghostbusters HQ when I was building a dark red train station - lots of useful pieces and the minifigs can be ebayed for almost half the cost of the set!

Thats a good idea if the sets you buy has decent minifigs

[koalayummies]

On January 20, 2017 at 9:20 AM, mattmarsden said:

I bought 3 of the Ghostbusters HQ when I was building a dark red train station - lots of useful pieces and the minifigs can be ebayed for almost half the cost of the set!

Have you actually sold the minifigures for that price? I see a few of the listings but if people are actually paying those prices then they need help however that does bring the price per brick for the rest of the set down a lot. 

[Andy D]

I think the least expensive way is to buy large sets. For example the new modular building Assembly Square has 4002 pieces for $279.99 that's about $.07 per piece. Usually modular buildings and other large sets have a good variety of parts as well. I frequently buy 2 copies of each new modular. One to assemble, one for parts. In general just look for any large set that had parts you would like to accumulate.

just MHO, YMMV,

Andy D

Edited January 22, 2017 by Andy D

[monkles]

I'm a bit hesitant to sell off minifigures because that cuts the resale value pretty low. Modulars on sale are far below their bricklink market price per part, and I guess regular plates and bricks can be bought cheaply via a lego store.

[legotrainfan]

This is now slightly off-topic, but has anybody noticed that on Pick a Brick you can find the train wheel holder and the black train wheel, but not the axle you need to connect to wheels and which you then squeeze into the train wheel holder? That's a bit strange and also a bit annoying. 

[koalayummies]

1 hour ago, legotrainfan said:

This is now slightly off-topic, but has anybody noticed that on Pick a Brick you can find the train wheel holder and the black train wheel, but not the axle you need to connect to wheels and which you then squeeze into the train wheel holder? That's a bit strange and also a bit annoying. 

You can get the other train wheel that uses the Technic axle. Some don't like that one (because they use power functions and claim those wheels and axles have more resistance) but I actually prefer that style.

http://brickset.com/parts/design-57999

[dr_spock]

7 hours ago, legotrainfan said:

This is now slightly off-topic, but has anybody noticed that on Pick a Brick you can find the train wheel holder and the black train wheel, but not the axle you need to connect to wheels and which you then squeeze into the train wheel holder? That's a bit strange and also a bit annoying. 

You can also make your own.  DIY: train wheel metal axles

 

10 hours ago, Andy D said:

I think the least expensive way is to buy large sets. For example the new modular building Assembly Square has 4002 pieces for $279.99 that's about $.07 per piece. Usually modular buildings and other large sets have a good variety of parts as well. I frequently buy 2 copies of each new modular. One to assemble, one for parts. In general just look for any large set that had parts you would like to accumulate.

just MHO, YMMV,

Andy D

Buying large Technic sets also works for Technic pieces.  Although there is not too much Technic in modulars, pins, bricks, 32L axle for elevator, etc.