Buying instructions from LEGO.com

[jacob_uno]

Does any of know if the LEGO instructions you can buy via LEGO Direct are the "real" instructions or just printed pdf-files?

[prateek]

I didn't even know they sold instructions. Might as well use the free PDFs from the website.

[Zerobricks]

Just download .pdf and print it

[Superkalle]

As far as I understand jacob_uno is not asking how to download the PDF (apperantly he knows about them ), but if the ones you buy from Lego are the originals or PDF. We'll see what he really asked for when he reads this.

[LegoDad42]

I couldn't find where to buy them off of LEGO.com. Seems it's all pdf. files dating back to sets from 2002.

I don't think they sell the original set booklets. I could be wrong, but I couldn't find where to buy them off of Lego.

[Big Cam]

I agree, I did a bit of searching and I couldn't find where to buy them.

I'd actually be interested in this link.

[jacob_uno]

I lost a lot of my instructions in water filled basement and I wrote LEGO and asked if it was possible to buy instructions from them and they said yes. But they didn't tell me if was the "real" instructions. The pdf-files they have are not very good, I find the ones on freelegoinstructions.com better.

[Superkalle]

I lost a lot of my instructions in water filled basement and I wrote LEGO and asked if it was possible to buy instructions from them and they said yes. But they didn't tell me if was the "real" instructions. The pdf-files they have are not very good, I find the ones on freelegoinstructions.com better.

OK, about instructions from LEGO the answer is:

1) It's the real ones.

2) They don't exist on lego.com. You have to call customer service.

3) They cost money. The cost is about what you'd pay at BrickLink (or even a bit more to be honest. Instructions are cheap to buy from BrickLink).

4) Lego usually only has instructions that go back a few years.

So if you want to stock up on lost instructions, particularly if they are a few years old, it's defintly better to buy from BrickLink.

Regarding PDF instructions, the freelegoinstructions.com site seems quite dubious in my mind. They seem to have a mix of scanned instructions (possibly from Peeron.com) and rip-offs from LEGO.com.

[jacob_uno]

OK, about instructions from LEGO the answer is:

1) It's the real ones.

2) They don't exist on lego.com. You have to call customer service.

3) They cost money. The cost is about what you'd pay at BrickLink (or even a bit more to be honest. Instructions are cheap to buy from BrickLink).

4) Lego usually only has instructions that go back a few years.

So if you want to stock up on lost instructions, particularly if they are a few years old, it's defintly better to buy from BrickLink.

Regarding PDF instructions, the freelegoinstructions.com site seems quite dubious in my mind. They seem to have a mix of scanned instructions (possibly from Peeron.com) and rip-offs from LEGO.com.

Thank you! Those were the anwsers I needed. And thanks for the tip about Bricklink. I will look there.

I don't know where freelegoinstructions have their instructions from, but in LEGO's own pdf files it was really difficult to seperate the black bricks from each other.

[Superkalle]

Thank you! Those were the anwsers I needed. And thanks for the tip about Bricklink. I will look there.

I don't know where freelegoinstructions have their instructions from, but in LEGO's own pdf files it was really difficult to seperate the black bricks from each other.

You're welcome.

And I agree with LEGO's PDF's. As a matter of fact LEGO has for a long time had problems with how to separate black from dark grey, and also that black sometimes becomes really black - both in PDF and in print. Particularly stange is that they don't use white edge outlines on the black bricks like they used to many years ago. Black on black is not a good combination