Experience When Buying From BrickLink

[LegoBuilder]

Hello everyone, I am intending to gets parts and sets from BrickLink. I wander how is the overall experience when buying parts from seller in another country.

Is there any things that I should take note when buying from BrickLinks. Please help to share your tips and experience. Thanks in Advance.

LegoBuilder

[DLuders]

Over the years, I have made HUNDREDS of purchases on Bricklink. I used to send CASH through the mail (with no problems), but now I use PayPal (since it's much faster). I would estimate that I have made at least 40 purchases from non-US Bricklink stores, and have had no problems other than SLOW postal service from those countries. Since I'm mainly into Lego TECHNIC, all of the good/rare stuff is available in Europe. The prices in Europe are lower than comparable parts in the US, but with the cost of shipping, it ends up being about the same. Some parts are not available in the US at all.

I highly recommend Bricklink!

[DLuders]

Here are some additional thoughts about Bricklink:

(1) I noticed that there are only 29 Bricklink stores there in Singapore ( http://www.bricklink.com/browseStores.asp?countryID=SG ), while there are HUNDREDS available elsewhere ( http://www.bricklink.com/browse.asp ). International sellers will say that they will "Ship Worldwide", and you can check the store's policies on their "Splash" and "Store Terms" pages (like this page from a Taiwan Bricklink store).

(2) I would use the Bricklink Catalog function to search for the Lego parts you need. You can also use this link to search for sets, gear, and other Lego stuff: http://www.bricklink.com/catalog.asp . You'll have a good time finding stuff that you never knew existed!

(3) Say you wanted this complete boat hull . Click on the "Price Guide Info" link on that page to find this list of used hulls. You can go down the list (sorted by price) to find a seller that ships internationally to Singapore. The "Store Terms" page for the very first (lowest priced) store states that they ship to Singapore.

[LegoBuilder]

Here are some additional thoughts about Bricklink:

(1) I noticed that there are only 29 Bricklink stores there in Singapore ( http://www.bricklink.com/browseStores.asp?countryID=SG ), while there are HUNDREDS available elsewhere ( http://www.bricklink.com/browse.asp ). International sellers will say that they will "Ship Worldwide", and you can check the store's policies on their "Splash" and "Store Terms" pages (like this page from a Taiwan Bricklink store).

(2) I would use the Bricklink Catalog function to search for the Lego parts you need. You can also use this link to search for sets, gear, and other Lego stuff: http://www.bricklink.com/catalog.asp . You'll have a good time finding stuff that you never knew existed!

(3) Say you wanted this complete boat hull . Click on the "Price Guide Info" link on that page to find this list of used hulls. You can go down the list (sorted by price) to find a seller that ships internationally to Singapore. The "Store Terms" page for the very first (lowest priced) store states that they ship to Singapore.

Thanks for the great advice. I am very new to BrickLink. What do you mean by "Splash"? May I know roughly how long it will take before the sets or parts reach you from overseas seller.

[drdavewatford]

I've used Bricklink loads of times and never had a problem. Occasionally the seller gets something wrong, but they've always corrected the mistake extremely quickly and at their own expense. I would recommend buying on Bricklink without hesitation.

I agree with DLuders that paying by PayPal makes life a lot easier and means you'll get the parts more quickly.

Dr. D.

[DLuders]

What do you mean by "Splash"? May I know roughly how long it will take before the sets or parts reach you from overseas seller.

The "Splash" page and the "Store Terms" pages are the 2nd and 3rd tab choices along the top of the Bricklink sellers' page: http://www.bricklink.com/store.asp?sID=158819&itemID=18317215 . In many cases, they are SIMILAR but not identical. It is best to check the international seller's "Splash" and "Store Terms" pages BEFORE placing an order. There may be a minimum order size, fees for large packages going overseas, etc.

I found out that, if I paid a LITTLE BIT MORE for expedited shipping, my European Bricklink orders would go all the way to the Pacific Northwest part of the USA in as little as 7 days. If I was "cheap" and wanted to save a little money, the "slow boat" surface ships would get the same thing to me in a month. Recommend paying for AIR shipment, and not surface SHIPPING, especially if you need your Lego parts in a hurry.

I would imagine that the Singapore Bricklink stores only offer a limited selection of Lego sets and parts, at high prices. If you shop around on Bricklink, you can probably get access to a LOT MORE variety and possibly cheaper prices overall (shipping included). Try Bricklink -- you'll like it!

[fred67]

The only "international" orders I've done were with Canada (I'm in U.S.), so it's almost like it's not even international.

I did have a transaction where I traded with someone from the UK, and found the price was not so bad and shipping time was faster than I expected, so I've decided not to exclude European countries if I can get really good prices.

As far as general advice goes, learn how to use your wanted list, included keeping several wanted lists... it's rare I find everything I want for a particular project in one store, so to save (in the long run) on shipping I can bulk up the order with items from my other wanted lists.