Para bailar La Bomba
Banned
Seriously wonder by how much this thread has boosted Lego sales?
The LEGO Thread
- Thread starter wetwired
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anonymous_abc
Member
ok,
so i want to get into moc'ing, I have an idea and now i need lots of bricks.
but how do i go about that.
they would cost a fortune at lego.com and they don't have all the stuff i need.
so bricklink it is, but I don't know where to start. there are like hundreds of different stores and none seem to carry everything I want...
and usually they have no description.
some mention yellowed or weathered bricks, but most just say nothing about the condition of the bricks so is one just buying the cat in the bag?
also most sellers only have a few pieces I want so I never seem to reach the minimum buying amount... -.-
I would love to go to a pick a brick at a shop but the nearest is still a few hours drive away, and if I went there I would probably see that they only have stuff I dont want xD
any tipps would be helpful
so i want to get into moc'ing, I have an idea and now i need lots of bricks.
but how do i go about that.
they would cost a fortune at lego.com and they don't have all the stuff i need.
so bricklink it is, but I don't know where to start. there are like hundreds of different stores and none seem to carry everything I want...
and usually they have no description.
some mention yellowed or weathered bricks, but most just say nothing about the condition of the bricks so is one just buying the cat in the bag?
also most sellers only have a few pieces I want so I never seem to reach the minimum buying amount... -.-
I would love to go to a pick a brick at a shop but the nearest is still a few hours drive away, and if I went there I would probably see that they only have stuff I dont want xD
any tipps would be helpful
Used bricks are a mixed bag that I usually try to avoid from brick link some places detail the used condition on the splash page. Generally I avoid used unless its for some interior structural detail that you never see.
If you use the advance search though you can restrict condition to only new pieces.
As for no store having all the pieces you need, its just something you have to work with. It annoyed me to no end in the beginning. You basically have to try and find somewhere that has most of what you need and try and balance cheaper prices with buying from less stores to save on postage. It may not be as bug an issue if you're ordering domestically but I tend to make most of my orders internationally.
started building the imperial shuttle at the weekend. Built the body on Saturday. Sunday I start building the vertical wing/fin. And keep building. And keep building. That thing is huge!
Looks like books 3 and 4 are entirely for the two wings.
If you're looking to build it, it might be worth starting with book 3, so you get one of the wings out of the way quickly, then get some variety building the body. Otherwise its pretty much wing-wing-wing which might get tiresome
Looks like books 3 and 4 are entirely for the two wings.
If you're looking to build it, it might be worth starting with book 3, so you get one of the wings out of the way quickly, then get some variety building the body. Otherwise its pretty much wing-wing-wing which might get tiresome
this makes me think that the large gears were left uncovered deliberately to give it some 'lego' style. They surely could have covered those up easily if they wanted to?
Infinitemadness
Member
Dammit, caved and got the Slave 1 from Amazon.
This thread...
This thread...
nicoga3000
Saint Nic
If you know what you want to buy, a wanted list is a good way to start on bricklink. From there, you can optimize your search and find the stores that have best price/quantity/etc of a piece. You'll also be able to find stores that carry multiple pieces on your list. Regarding condition, I've bought bricks that were "lightly used" and couldn't tell, but ymmv.
jtkauff
Member
Yeah, wanted lists on Bricklink are great. When dealing with larger lists or quantities I've found that the thing that I do is leave the minimum quantity blank (or put it much lower than you need) and put the quantity that I want in the notes field. That way you'll get a wider selection of stores that have at least one of each piece you need, even if they don't have the exact quantity you want. Better to buy half from store A and half from store B for a reasonable price than buy all from store C at 4x the price.
With new/used, if you can find a store that specifies their stance on Used that's always preferable - many won't say anything but others will say things like "wouldn't send bricks I wouldn't want myself" and whatnot - I've only done one order on Bricklink but the used stuff that I got looked pretty much new.
Bakkuma371
Member
Good tip. I'll have to try that as I am thinking about Bricklinking the ISD and UCS Millenium Falcon.
My Wanted list is looking a bit long right now..... I dread to think the cost to wipe it all off.....
anonymous_abc
Member
ok so I now have a wanted list.
for each item i can now see what vendor sells them but where can i see what vendor has most of the stuff?
[edit]
never mind, found it.
for each item i can now see what vendor sells them but where can i see what vendor has most of the stuff?
[edit]
never mind, found it.
fredrancour
Member
My excited comments based on this thread have got my girlfriend to buy us 2 starter-kit type buckets with basic pieces, and then when we went internet browsing for more lego we bought an $80 dollar kit, followed yesterday by a $30 dollar one, and she's getting 2 more very large legos from ppl for her b-day.
jtkauff
Member
Another tip - when dealing with multiple sets that you're Bricklinking I'd also recommend putting in the set name in the notes as well - I do things like "4 - Cafe Corner" in my notes so that I can see more info about what sets are needing what pieces (and thus can prioritize better when trying to minimize costs or going for specific sets over others) instead of just seeing a list of numbers when a piece is on multiple lists.
Edit: Another note with Bricklinking sets like the UCS Falcon (without going broke) - I'd recommend going through and taking a look at the price guide for each piece (go into the set inventory page and use the "PG" link on the right for each piece). This will give you a better idea of what pieces are rarer and command higher prices. There are a few on the Falcon itself that go for a ton (the grey rigging and printed radar dish immediately come to mind) and you might thus want to find other options for those ahead of time (such as black rigging and plain/unprinted grey radar dish). I've occasionally been shocked at some of the pieces that seem like they should be $.10 pieces commanding like $35.00.
I'm personally tempted to add in price info into my notes field as well so that when I do start doing some serious Bricklinking for assembling some of these sets.
nicoga3000
Saint Nic
Bricklink can get expensive fast! One option is to compare your wanted list with sets. Peeron has a neat feautre that allows you to show sets that include a specific piece by color and quantity. It was helpful when putting together my dragon - so much green! It could be a nice way to grab some new sets while still building up your MOC library of pieces. 
anonymous_abc
Member
Bricklink can get expensive fast! One option is to compare your wanted list with sets. Peeron has a neat feautre that allows you to show sets that include a specific piece by color and quantity. It was helpful when putting together my dragon - so much green! It could be a nice way to grab some new sets while still building up your MOC library of pieces.
oh yea, just adding a few bits and bobs from one store, and im at over 30 euro xD
nicoga3000
Saint Nic
If there was a store that had everything you needed, it wouldn't be so bad. I put in like, 7 orders for my dragon. When it was done, given the limited availability of some of the parts, I was paying $5-8 for a few pieces. It sucks. :|
its also good to have a few wanted lists on the go. When I was bricklinking Cafe Corner, I got down to a relatively few pieces remaining and I started bumping into minimum orders. So I was padding my orders with pieces I didn't really need, without much thought.
By having a few wanted lists on the go at once, I could have padded with parts that would be useful later on. Or at least have a view to the kinds of pieces you're always short on (eg tan bricks for buildings) so you're not wasting money padding with junk you'll never use.
By having a few wanted lists on the go at once, I could have padded with parts that would be useful later on. Or at least have a view to the kinds of pieces you're always short on (eg tan bricks for buildings) so you're not wasting money padding with junk you'll never use.
anonymous_abc
Member
btw this is a Viper MK2 i knocked togehter a while back, only digitally though.
and a real life replica that i built from what i could find in my old lego
and a real life replica that i built from what i could find in my old lego
PalaceBrother
Member
Ok ok, I stand corrected. I'm man enough to admit when I was wrong.
This set is awesome. This product line will be a hit.
This set is awesome. This product line will be a hit.
I still have a problem with a "girls-only" theme, but Lego is Lego.
SillyEskimo
Member
Ha! Told you so!
Not only are you and I the only ones in here to build these sets, I think we're the only ones buying Legos for our children, haha.
PhoncipleBone
Banned
The gears couldn't be covered up with the way the wings work. If you could cover the gears, it would only be a small part near the top where the fold never enters. Other than that you would have to add size around them which throws off the scale.
ConfusingJazz
Member
Wish I never got rid of my technic bits, once built a massive multi-speed reduction gearbox, it was awesome :-(
Even had a sump that the lower gears dipped into to pick-up 3-in-1 oil which spread itself around and helped smoothness massively.
Currently got my eyes on this little baby, not so much for what it is but for what I could do with the bits.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B003A2JBW8/
hmm... lego spartacus.
Even had a sump that the lower gears dipped into to pick-up 3-in-1 oil which spread itself around and helped smoothness massively.
Currently got my eyes on this little baby, not so much for what it is but for what I could do with the bits.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B003A2JBW8/
hmm... lego spartacus.
nicoga3000
Saint Nic
So I bought some more containers and things and am going to attempt starting a better sorting option than I had been using.
I'm full of ideas about how to do it but If anyone else has some sorting advice I'm more than willing to hear it.
I'm thinking of sorting by peice type rather than color. We'll see how it goes.
I'm full of ideas about how to do it but If anyone else has some sorting advice I'm more than willing to hear it.
I'm thinking of sorting by peice type rather than color. We'll see how it goes.
ConfusingJazz
Member
I was thinking more along the lines of the "friends" minifigs being a supremacist organization that thought themselves as better then regular minifigs.
PhoncipleBone
Banned
Piece type is the most logical. It is easier to find a blue 1x2 plate in a giant pile of mixed color 1x2 plates than it is to find a 1x2 plate among a giant pile of different plates the same color. It is all about contrast.
That is reserved for the Technic figures.
nicoga3000
Saint Nic
Don't sort by color. Sort by type, style, use, etc.
This is how I have mine (currently). There's bricks, plates, hinges, etc. And each of those are broken down by size (1x2, 2x2, etc). There are more all over my apartment still, but this is the start. Doors, wheels,...
The Lamonster
Member
I use 5 plastic containers for sorting big builds. I keep the large pieces in the bags they came in, and empty all the small pieces into the containers. I keep the bagged contents together, but never mix two bags of similar pieces into the same container (for example, don't empty the bag of 1x1 light grey studs into the container with the bag of 1x1 dark grey studs, etc). Best way to do it IMO.
Clear (non-colored) containers work the best, as does working on a glass table that is freshly Windex'd
PhoncipleBone
Banned
Don't sort by color. Sort by type, style, use, etc.
This is how I have mine (currently). There's bricks, plates, hinges, etc. And each of those are broken down by size (1x2, 2x2, etc). There are more all over my apartment still, but this is the start. Doors, wheels,...
I bought a bunch of tool sorter and organizers (bunches of these in two different sizes
And can easily stash them under the bed or closet, and they have handles for easy carrying.
But after I spent all that money, I noticed your way of doing it and wish I had gone that route. It would be cheaper for the same storage space, and easily expanded when I get more of a certain type of brick without having to reorganize an entire sorting case. But then I would have to find a way to easily store all the little containers, where the suitcase style is easy to stow in our apartment.
Bakkuma371
Member
That's why I am not adding up the cost of my Metal Grudge. I didn't use BL to it's best ability so made more orders than needed and sometimes had to pad them.
Now I have a few wanted lists on the go I'm going to make one or two orders a month and aim for about £50 total using Excel to track what I have bought.
I can't seem to get BL to funciton nicley when buying from Wanted lists, things stay on there even after you buy them.......
Wolfe
Member
Ended up stopping by the Lego store near Seattle this weekend to pick up the mini modulars and left with the royal joust set as well. Didn't want to spend that much at the time but I really do love the castle/kingdoms sets (castle and space were my two favorite Lego themes as a kid).
Hopefully they'll put some more out soon that are just the regular kingdoms style stuff such as the joust and market village sets as I was never too big on the dwarves/orcs, just want the regular old castle/kingdoms. Although with LotR stuff coming out soon I could see them holding off so that they don't have two different medieval type themes running at the same time.
Time to start hitting up Amazon! (just received the Castle Blacksmith Attack set on friday, hopefully I'm able to find more of that theme for around or slightly less than retail
)
Hopefully they'll put some more out soon that are just the regular kingdoms style stuff such as the joust and market village sets as I was never too big on the dwarves/orcs, just want the regular old castle/kingdoms. Although with LotR stuff coming out soon I could see them holding off so that they don't have two different medieval type themes running at the same time.
Time to start hitting up Amazon! (just received the Castle Blacksmith Attack set on friday, hopefully I'm able to find more of that theme for around or slightly less than retail
)Lord Error
Insane For Sony
Just to keep anyone interested updated, I'm half way through documenting parts needed for QF45-Sarigar. I was really struck down by flu for the past week and could not do anything. Then the last few days I spent my hobby related time building Metal Grudge. Now I'm back to Sarigar, and the 2nd half should be much simpler and quicker to document.
The Lamonster
Member
DrForester, are you enjoying the Death Star build more than the SSD?
Which has been more challenging and complex?
Which has been more challenging and complex?
DrForester
Kills Photobucket
Both have their quirks. The SSD is a large build with many fine details. the Death Star is like a whole bunch of smaller play sets put together.
That being said the Death Star has far more variation in the types of builds as every room does something a little different. The amount of moving and things you can interact with is amazing, I never realized just looking at picture how much moves and I'm having fun discovering new things. Because of that I'd say the Death Star is the more challenging build
They've both been good build, but I think I'd give the edge to the SSD as far as enjoyment, just because it makes a much finer display piece.
Probably write a little more on the Death Star later, I think I'll finish today. Finished the 3rd floor and am moving to the top floor.
The Lamonster
Member
Thanks man. I'm going to get the Death Star on March 12 when shop.lego.com implements free shipping. I am more interested in the SSD but it's a newer set and not going OOP any time soon. I also need a place to display my loose minifigs so I figure the Death Star is perfect. I'm going to buy a Lazy Susan to place it on so I can spin it around on display!
Still very interested, take your time delivering the awesome.Just to keep anyone interested updated, I'm half way through documenting parts needed for QF45-Sarigar. I was really struck down by flu for the past week and could not do anything. Then the last few days I spent my hobby related time building Metal Grudge. Now I'm back to Sarigar, and the 2nd half should be much simpler and quicker to document.
Alot I know I bought a few sets because of this thread.
nicoga3000
Saint Nic
Ahhh - well then get to work!
BattleMonkey
Member
Looking at how much LEGO sells and looking at the thread views.... it likely hasn't made a difference.
nicoga3000
Saint Nic
I hate gas prices right now. I really do. But I love the Lego store. I will probably be heading up there today/tomorrow after work. Exciiiited!
The Lamonster
Member
Sorry DrForester, one more Death Star question - I can't find the width of the base online, do you think it'd fit in this 16-inch lazy susan?
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000QA2IJ0/?tag=neogaf0e-20
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000QA2IJ0/?tag=neogaf0e-20
I have that and its awesome. I also have this one
http://www.amazon.co.uk/LEGO-Technic-8275-Motorized-Bulldozer/dp/B000MZHT0C
which I'm looking to sell along with http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00097E4JW/ref=pd_lpo_k2_dp_sr_1?pf_rd_p=103612307&pf_rd_s=lpo-top-stripe&pf_rd_t=201&pf_rd_i=B000MZHT0C&pf_rd_m=A3P5ROKL5A1OLE&pf_rd_r=0ATNBXT9N527T11KFACS
Word is that Castle is going away while LotR is around - and it will be around for at least two years (probably more, with the Hobbit movies). I really liked the last few years of Castle (Space has sucked for decades) and I'm irritated to no end that the sub-par LotR sets have basically killed Kingdoms.
The Joust set does have a new faction character (Falcon Knight) that is different from either the lion or dragon faction (and harkening back to the classic Castle themes), so with any luck, this means that LEGO isn't completely abandoning Castle. Or maybe LEGO will bring back Space with a Kingdoms-like classic bent, which would be an acceptable substitute... for now.
Wolfe
Member
Yeah that's what I figured and as I realized that it bummed me out a bit lol, but hey at least I can scoop up older sets on Amazon for around msrp usually.
Also yes I noticed the falcon design returning with the joust set after I opened it up and began to work on it, really loving the nostalgia. Now all I need is that red/blue/yellow dragon design/faction to make a return!
Edit:
Oh and yes I agree on the space sets, I owned and loved the original space police, M/Blacktron, Spyrius and I had a bit of the pre theme space sets (guess space itself was the theme
). When I started looking Lego back up I saw the at the time Space Police line and it was full of wacky characters with wacky ship designs, bummed me out a bit but maybe they'll unveil a kickass new space theme in the future.
Wolfe
Member
I would like to see the Western theme make a return.
My favorite figure from series 6, I'd love a western theme.
nicoga3000
Saint Nic
I enjoy the castles, but I was never into the theme as a whole. LotR is not my cup of tea either, but I would RATHER have a classic medieval theme versus a licensed fantasy theme. We'll just have to see what they do I guess!
Speaking of the Western theme, I would remind/urge everyone to vote for the Western modular set on LEGO Cuusoo - they just broke the half-way mark (5,000 votes) for hopefully making this a reality.
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