What do you do with your sets/MOC once you've built them?

[Solitary Dark]

Between my son and I we have about 400+ kits and most of them are now bagged with the instructions and in storage.(Including a bunch of Bionicle's + Racers Tiny Turbos + Polybags) That way when he wants to build he gets a set out and builds, then disassembles and puts back into storage.

The only sets on display are his AT-TE, Motorized At-AT and my 2005 Turbo Tank.

I then have 2 stack boxes full of MOC's that I have decided will never come apart - The biggest is a train that is 8 wide 20 long 12 high, so the whole box does not take up much room.

Everything else I build gets built, photographed, then dismantled. Just dont have room for it, despite it all being in my Potter-like cupborad under the stairs.

[CP5670]

Any MOC I've put a decent amount of effort into stays built forever, although I often make small changes and updates to it over time. Most of my sets remain built for many years too (and I typically only buy a set if I like the model enough to keep it built, possibly with modifications), although I sometimes take them apart if a MOC requires many rare parts from it. In most cases though, if I need parts for a MOC, I go to Bricklink instead of scrapping sets.

[Flipz]

I never actively disassemble anything, I just stick it on a shelf and slowly watch it disappear as I cannibalize parts for other projects. On the plus side, if I ever want to rebuild a particular set or MOC, I usually have about half of it left and can reconstruct it from there.

Some things are just too sacred to deconstruct, though (aside from raiding for accessories and minifigs, of course)--the modular buildings are big players in that department.

[Marty McFly]

I cycle through themes. POTC just made way for my new LOTR sets, which in time will likely be disassembled to make room for the next line.

Disassembled sets are kept in plastic containers, each set has its own container depending on its size. I keep the minifigs in tiny ziplock bags (2" x 3") to stop them getting scratched.

[HawkLord]

I build every set I open at least once. Then usually they go on display and after awhile or after I get something new, the old displays rotate out into ziploc bags and into storage.

Most of the times there's no real theme to the displays, since I collect different things at the same time. Occasionally, during slow periods (which is not often), I might put older sets back out on display.

[Sid Sidious]

I keep my Bionicle sets and a few others assembled. For most sets, I build them and then break it down later. The length it stays together depends mainly on the size of the set and whether I bought it just for parts or because it was also a cool build. For example, the PQ staff guardian set was taken apart after about 5 minutes, while MMV stayed together from June until Christmas. For a MOC, I usually keep them together until I need the parts or I get tired of looking at it. I always take pictures first though.

[Destroydacre]

For the most part if I buy a set I build it and it stays together. I have some sets that have been built for over 20 years. I've actually had to stop building sets for the time being until I clean out some more room in the basement. Most sets go on bookcases, but I have some shelves with Lego on them too. I don't vulture pieces from sets for MOCs, I buy pieces for that separately (bricklink, tubs from yard sales, etc). MOCs stay put together until I need the pieces but I don't display them like I do with my sets.

[masterX244]

My rule of thumb is one year after buing but there are some exceptions.

One time it was only a half year(needed some white plates immediately) and some other stays since 4 years (no useful parts to recycle(deconstruct and put into part storage) them for. The 10221 has a remark in my brain for no recycling allowed which means it will stay much longer than the minimal period of time.

But it seems that I will run out of space sooner or later (the part storeage and he shelf space)

[somara]

I generally leave the bigger sets intact. However, for the smaller sets that don't fit with my town theme, I usually disassemble them if I need the pieces to make improvements to existing modulars (For example, I used pieces from smaller sets to make the single story market street section look better).

[brickmack]

Sets stay together until I need parts from them. Sometimes if its a set I really like, and I only need a few parts from it, it will stay together and I will just modify it a bit to work without whatever part I took. If I need a lot of parts from it, or just don't think its that cool of a set, I'll just take it apart completely. Same thing with MOCs. Some MOCs stay together for only a few days, and I have others that have been assembled for over a year (Though many of the older ones I've modified over time, fitting in new building techniques and parts and such to improve them, so I only have 1 or 2 that are over a year old and still unchanged.

Big sets are a bit different though. I always keep my largest set assembled, until I get a bigger one. Currently its the Tower Bridge, before that it was the Death Star playset. With big MOCs, though, I will probably take those apart pretty quicky after photographing them and such, since they are so part consuming, and take a lot of space. My SHIP I'm working on now will probably only survive a month or so past finishing.

[karl1]

I have bought all the lotr and monster fighter sets (helms deep x3) , all have been put together and none remain lol I have allready dismantled every set. The way i do lego is I buy sets, build them, then tear them down and rebuild them bigger and customised. I am currently working on a monster figters graveyard/castle and haunted house combined. Im building it on 4 jumbo gray base plates.

[dr_spock]

I like to keep mine together if possible. Otherwise, they get parted and turned into something else.

[PhaTic]

For me, when I buy sets, I sometimes build them. When I do build them, I may play with it and look at it and stuff. Then, when I need the parts, I take it apart.

[JackJonespaw]

My sets last maybe a couple months...two or three for the bigger ones and four or five for the smaller. It just depends on what pieces I need. The MOCs last about three weeks. They still stay in the shape, just missing a few pieces here and there. Now I just have MOC remnants around my room. I really should clean those up....

[danim]

I keep them up unless I have a new idea for the same vehicle or need the pars

[HumanPackMule]

This topic has gotten me thinking, what's the longest amount of time anyone's kept a set or part of a set(such as a mini vehicle or brick built creature) up on display? The longest I've kept one up is the serpent from the Viking longship which I've had out since late '06 to the present.

[danim]

I have had set 10029 up since I bought it in 2004

[TheLegoDr]

I've had 6081 King's Mountain Fortress built since it came out in 1990. I did enter a Dark Ages from mid-90s to late 2010, but that set remained built in storage during that time.

I haven't had anything on display for that long since I haven't been back into lego for very long.

[wolfwing]

I guess as your collection gets bigger it's easier to wait longer, but do you keep your moc forever, or just photograph it to death and then tear appart to make other mocs, and stuff? And what about sets? Keep them a bit, or build them once to see the design then take apart?

[Bricktooth]

I keep all my sets together except for the occasional one or two I buy for parts. As for MOCs, I take them apart when I need pieces from them for another MOC (but only after photographing them).

[LEGO Guy Bri]

Almost everything I have built is still together and all sets are kept intact. Only a MOC that I don't care for aesthetically, is taken apart and either rebuilt or sorted. If I need parts, Bricklink!

[Darkdragon]

Normally I tear things down as soon as I finish getting photos. If I build it for Brickworld, then I usually tear down at the end of the convention (and so far forget to take any pictures first).

[idunno101]

usually I keep the sets together unless I need a couple of pieces from the set to make a moc then I'll just take some photos of the moc and take it apart to make something new and to put the pieces back before i forget

[Jargo]

Since I replied last year I've stopped buying sets. Focusing instead on Minifigures and parts purchases. Partly because my budget is tiny but mostly because I have so much Lego now I can build pretty much anything I want to.

I just watch for new parts in sets and buy those from bricklink. My sets are all parted out and sorted into drawers. When I build something it hangs around for a few months then it's broken up, sorted and the process begins again. The only set I've had displayed since I built it is 7905: Building Crane. Only because I just can't face taking it apart with all the technic pins. I guess I might do that this winter and use the technic beams as an interior support structure on a spaceship.

I suppose I've just developed a philosophy that the point of Lego is building and the rebuilding. Bricks ever in a state of transience. I used to collect action figures and after a while I looked at the massed displays and thought 'it's all just lumps of plastic gathering dust.' So I don't display them any more. I don't want Lego to become lumps of plastic gathering dust. I want it to be like it is in those TV commercials where there's a flow of bricks creating something new, then something different and so on and on and on. Creativity and imagination being the driving force rather than stagnation and unrealised potential.

Edited October 16, 2013 by Jargo

[Vindicare]

It depends really. If it's a small set, it usually gets broken down and stored fairly quick. Other sets last a few days to a week. Some, like Modulars, 10220, 10225 and 9474 are still together.