How Do You Source Your Parts

[Ricecracker]

This thread is mainly for builders, but anyone can answer of course!

I was just wondering how you builders out there gets your parts for MOCs, so I made a poll.

A) How Do You Get Your Parts?

1. Mainly Sets

-You usually buy sets to part out, but may occasionally buy parts only.

2. Mainly Parts (Bricklink/PAB)

-You usually get strictly parts from sites like Bricklink or your local PAB wall, but may buy sets to part out.

-Most of the sets you buy, you keep for display or to play with.

3. Exclusively Sets

-You only buy sets to part out, and never buy only parts.

4. Exclusively Parts (Bricklink/PAB)

-You only buy parts from sites like Bricklink or your local PAB wall.

-The only sets you buy are for display or to play with.

5. Other

-Something not listed.

-If you answer this, please comment and say what you do.

b) If/When you buy sets for parts, How do you get them?

1. Lego Store

-You go down to your LEGO store to get your sets to part out.

2. Department/Toy Store

-You go to a place like Target, Walmart, or ToysRus to get sets to part out.

3. Small Local Toy Store

-You have a relatively unknown small toy store that you like to go to, that sometime has older sets etc.

4. Lego.com

-You order your sets online at Lego.com

5. Bricklink.com

-You order your sets online at Bricklink.com

6. Other

-Something not listed.

-If you answer this, please comment and say what you do.

C) If/When you buy parts, How do you usually get them?

1. Lego Store/PAB

-You go down to your LEGO store to get your parts from their PAB wall.

2. Lego.com/PAB

-You order online from Lego.com's PAB selection.

3. Bricklink

-You order your parts from sellers on Bricklink.com

4. Other

-Something not listed.

-If you answer this, please comment and say what you do.

D) How often do you gets parts/sets for parts?

1. Daily

-Once everyday you go to a store/online to buy your parts/sets

2. Weekly

-Once every week you go to a store/online to buy your parts/sets

3. Monthly

-Once every month you go to a store/online to buy your parts/sets

4. Yearly

-Once every year you go to a store/online to buy your parts/sets

5. It varies, but usually daily

-For the most part, once everyday you go to a store/online to buy your parts/sets

-On the odd occasion you may wait longer or shorter

6. It varies, but usually weekly

-For the most part, once every week you go to a store/online to buy your parts/sets

-On the odd occasion you may wait longer or shorter

7. It varies, but usually monthly

-For the most part, once every month you go to a store/online to buy your parts/sets

-On the odd occasion you may wait longer or shorter

8. It varies, but usually yearly

-For the most part, once every month you go to a store/online to buy your parts/sets

-On the odd occasion you may wait longer or shorter

For your reference:

Bricklink.com

Lego.com

If this is in the wrong forum, I'm sorry, and can you please move it.

[DarthPineapple]

Mainly sets.

Small local toy store. (Which has cheaper sets than S@H! )

Bricklink.

Varies, but usually monthly.

[CP5670]

A) How Do You Get Your Parts?

Mainly parts. It's more expensive to buy individual parts than sets, but you get exactly what you want that way (so the price ratio of "useful" parts may be better).

Exceptions to this include sets with a lot of specialized parts that I need. If I want to build, say, an Explorien MOC, I take apart a few of my existing Explorien models to get the unique pieces (in addition to Bricklink orders for the more common pieces). However, I don't buy the sets solely for their parts.

B) If/When you buy sets for parts, How do you get them?

N/A

C) If/When you buy parts, How do you usually get them?

Bricklink. The prices on most basic pieces are better than PAB. I have used PAB too at times though.

D) How often do you gets parts/sets for parts?

It depends on whether I have an MOC I'm actively working on, so this can be anywhere between once a week to once in several months.

[Ricecracker]

It's nice to see that other people do similar things to me.

Here is what I answered:

1.

Mainly sets

2.

Lego Store

When I'm in the U.S. I make sure I go to one

Department/Toy store

I usually get them from TRU

Small Local Toy Store

I have this nice little place about half an hour away from me (Linky)

3.

Bricklink

What can I say, it's a Lego heaven

4.

It varies, but usually monthly

I try to at least get a set monthly, to fill my Lego craving.

[ILikePi]

I was just reading legoman's topic about Star Wars Minifigs a few minutes ago, and it got me wondering: how did (or do) you get most of your LEGO pieces (bricks, plates, etc.)?

I get most of my pieces from sets, but I keep the sets built, so that means that I have almost nothing to MOC with.

But maybe that's just because I've been buying/colecting LEGO for only two years or so.

Feel free to add suggestions for the poll (I can't think of many sources right now ).

Edited June 14, 2009 by ILikePi

[Ricecracker]

I made a very similar topic here a few months ago, but it didn't seem to garner much attention. Maybe yours will do better.

[ILikePi]

I made a very similar topic here a few months ago, but it didn't seem to garner much attention. Maybe yours will do better.

Oh, I couldn't find that in a search...

I even voted in that topic.

Edited June 14, 2009 by ILikePi

[Raphy]

Well naturally sets, but I have got at least 3 brick buckets and I just ordered my second bricklink order a few days ago 8)

btw could you please "eurobrickmail" me about how you get those tabs on your sig with "Clone Wars" fan and "lego fan"? thanks Pi :)

Edited June 14, 2009 by Raphy

[mikey]

I think mine is 50/50 with Sets and BrickLink, but recently I have spent more on BrickLink, and I can see that trend continuing. I have most of the City sets I have bought on display, whilst Castle and Pirates are sorted and I mainly MOC with these. I am a great fan of BrickLink, I do not know any other way that you could build up a decent amount of Usefull pieces to MOC with, other than spending unrealistic money on multiple sets.

In hindsight I wish I had understood BrickLink when I started to get back into Lego, as I have bought some sets for pieces (and ended up with things I didn't really want or need). In the future I can see my spending on sets being far less than my spending on BrickLink.

I think if you still really want to keep your sets built on display, you should invest some money on Usefull pieces from BrickLink. If you buy new you are paying a little extra, but you do end up with the pieces that you want and need, so in my opinion it is worth it.

[Da Death Star!]

Sets. But I also have some miscellaneous minifig parts that my friend gave me.

(_)DDS(_)

[KimT]

And topics have been merged.

Happy discussion.

[UserNameInvalid]

I get most of my lego by buying sets. I keep the sets built and 'on display' in a box.

I did buy a couple of PaB buckets from instore, but thats quite expensive and usualy the wall hasn't that what you need.

I am now looking for other sources.

Have just discovered carboot sales -bit of a hit and miss, and very time consuming-.

And am thinking of using Bricklink.

[lego fox]

For me its simmply a haphazerd thang. Like yesterday I spent all day driveing from one gerog sale to the next and all I walked away with was two Lego briks a small rocket buster with fins and a 1 X 4 x 3 or one stud wide four studs long and three threeds tall and a magablock. Slimm pikes in my naberhood. All well I got them for free. But when I've got some exstra mony and I hapen to be near a lokation that sales legos I'll stop in and see if I'm interestded. But otherwisea like I said very haphaverd.

[Rijkvv]

I mostly buy sets I wanted as a kid, sets that are discontinued, and don't use the parts for MOCs. For most of the MOCs I buy pieces from Bricklink.

I have plans to sort all the pieces I already own, so I get a better view at what I have, and what is available (not used at the moment), so I don't need to order every part of a new MOC.

[Tom Bricks]

I use my old sets for parts most of the time but if I need anything new in a large set or quantity then I go to Bricklink. I wish I could go to a PAB but I only go about once a year because it's so far away.

[streifen]

i go on eBay to get parts when i can. i find Bricklink too exhaustive to go through for the parts.

as for getting parts from sets, if i have a spare set, i will scavenge that set for the parts or moc the spare set e.g. Legoredo which i happen to have a spare.

if i have the $$$ now, i will get the Taj Mahal for the tan bricks. so many there!! but the set itself is not cheap.

[Dr. Steve]

Great Poll.

Thank God for Bricklink!

[Broken Bricks]

I wanted to do a poll, but I don't see the option...

Anyway, my question is: where do you get your MOC parts from?

1- Mostly BL/PaB

2- Mostly the sets you own

3- About 50/50 sets and BL/PaB

4- Other

I am curious because I see so many beautiful, intricate MOCs with a such a huge variety of parts that it really makes me wonder how you can amass such a enormous and diverse collection.

Please also discuss any details such as why you do what you do, also any specifics such as, do use use parts from any sets or only certain ones (e.g. sets you don't like, have two of, etc)? Do you buy pieces in bulk randomly or strictly what you need, etc.

[Rick]

For now my 'MOC collection' mainly consists of parts from sets bought with a nice discount and some bulk brick buckets/sets for basic parts.

[escortmad79]

Mainly Bricklink

[Peppermint_M]

My collection, with the odd BL purchase. Not that my MOCs are that intracate.

[blueandwhite]

For me it's been a mix of sets and Bricklink parts, as well as shop@home bricks. When LEGO first introduced their basic bulk brick orders (which were waaay cheaper back in the early 2000s), grabbing bulk bricks on the cheap was pretty easy. It was a great way to supplement less specialized bricks into your collection at an affordable price. Certainly it was far cheaper than what people have become accustomed to paying these days. Bricklink is also exceedingly cheap so long as you aren't going for the in-demand bricks. While hard-to-find minifigs may cost you an arm and a leg, a number of parts can be had for a really low price making it possible to build very large MOCs with some fantastic details on a budget. The trick has always been to stay away from expensive elements and in-demand figures which can just as easily be acquired from a set.

[brickzone]

Sets and second-hand mixed lots off ebay (kilo-ware) are the bulk of my collection, supplemented by bricklink. I did get to visit a Lego store once for PaB.

[NorthernKnight]

Mainly sets, as i like to get a nice variation of bricks. When i buy loose bricks from bl or shop at home i just go for those parts or minifigs i don get enough of in the sets.

[Etzel]

50-50 between sets and BrickLink. I would like to concentrate more on BL but TLG is making too many great sets nowadays