So, you’ve kept all your Legos, organized them by color and you’re ready to take it to the next level. Well my friend, the internet provides! Let me show you how.
1) Find instructions for ANYTHING online
Scans of nearly every Lego set are available on the web. You can often sort by year, or even by theme. I had great luck finding instructions for old sets that I had forgotten about. Even with sets I’ve never built before, I’ve was often able to find parts and build a few 80s city and space models (granted, my Legos bricks are mostly from the 80s). And if your parts don’t all match up, you can be creative with part and color substitutions.
Lego Instruction Sites:
Peeron.com is the best site for scans of instructions and catalogs, but the interface is minimal and not user friendly. Try browsing by year or…
Brickset is a great database for sets, and is easy to use. Once you’ve found the set you’re looking for, the page usually has a direct link to Peeron under the Links tab below the image.
2) Order any parts you need
The Lego Movie inspired me to drool over all the sets that were made as merchandising tie-ins (what can I say, they are particularly “Lego-y”). I then spotted three models that weren’t too elaborate, but looked cool. Two were from special build events at toy stores, and another was a limited release. I was inspired to track down the parts, and it seemed a good excuse to figure out what the best way is to order bricks, a la carte. Here’s what I did:
- I downloaded the instructions
- Then checked which parts I already had
- Then I ordered what I could from Pick a Brick and Bricks & Pieces via Customer Service
- Finally, I ordered what was left from other fellow Lego fans at BrickLink
What I found is that Bricks & Pieces is the way to go. It costs only slightly more than Pick a Brick, but you have more parts to choose from. That said, you may want to try out Pick a Brick first to get a feel for the pricing – and they might have all the parts you need. Bricks & Pieces just sends a request form to Lego and they get back with you with your total order tally.
If there are parts that Lego.com no longer carries, Brick Link is a great resource. The prices are usually low – unless the bricks are rare – but shipping can add up, since you’ll most likely need to order from several different vendors.
For example, I was really happy to track down the green space windshield piece from Brink Link. I was able to rebuild the Mobile Lab, one of my first Lego Space sets. I remember trying to make many different space shuttles (usually red) with that green windshield when I was young.
Instructions:
3) Trade Minifigs
I had avoided the “blind bag” Mini-Figures Collections that Lego has been releasing, but the Lego Movie Collection was too good to pass up. If you are like me, once you pick up a few of these (or any other series), you are bound to have duplicates, like say … three scribble face cops. Sure, you could buy and sell the remaining ones on eBay and pay a pretty penny in the process, but there are sites just for swapping minfigs and they work rather well. I traded a few times and ended up with a solid assortment of Lego Movie Minifigs before calling it a day.
MiniFigure Trading Site:
4) Have fun and make your own creations
No matter what, have fun and make your own stuff! Just collecting and making sets like model kits is practically missing the point. Here are few ideas to try.
Try using photos for reference.
Have fun and don’t worry about the details.
Try taking turns adding to a weird creation.
Cheers and Happy Building,
Ben