IAmWillGibson Posted January 13, 2011 Posted January 13, 2011 (edited) Yesterday I bought three big bags of random parts from Value Village for 10 bucks. It was a sweet deal, and after sorting out the filthy Megablocks and disposing of the grievously chewed pieces [seriously, how does this happen?] I was still left with a couple hundred useful pieces, many of which were pretty unique and new to me. However, I'm left with a number of parts that can't fully be used without another part, which weren't in the bag. So I'm interested in sussing out a few of these, preferably from someone on here, if possible, mostly because Bricklink, while conceptually lovely, doesn't seem to support my needs. Namely, I need, like, Minifigure arms. Just arms, and specifically left ones [whoever gave these up was a weird kid, it seems]. 2 yellow ones, and a tan one [with dark gray hand]. Also a pair of black arms [left/right] and a red right arm. Do people just have these kickin' around? Other missing stuff I can cope with, but I'd like a hanger for the old-style door [shutter hanger, Peeron wants to call it], and a single stone Hippogriff wing. What are the odds of these being easy to find from a nice local North American? Either that, or can someone convince me that Bricklink isn't as scary as it sorta looks? Edited January 13, 2011 by IAmWillGibson
pinioncorp Posted January 13, 2011 Posted January 13, 2011 I don't know whether I'd be collecting without Bricklink. Learn its features, namely the wanted list and price guide, to sus out the stores that have the items you need. Then its easy to find the stores that have the most parts you want. Just make sure you are aware of the seller's policies and feedback before making a purchase. If you don't use Bricklink, you can continue to collect random parts from Op shops or the like, but you'll have many parts you don't need. Ebay has quite a few lego bits, and sometimes they are well priced, but finding specific parts in decent quantities is difficult. But sometimes you just have to realise that some parts will probably stay incomplete. You can't expect to always find the one component you need.
Flare Posted January 13, 2011 Posted January 13, 2011 Bricklink is not scary at all. It is an excellent resource, try it a couple times and you'll get used to it!
IAmWillGibson Posted January 13, 2011 Author Posted January 13, 2011 Maybe that's my issue with it. I view Bricklink as sort of a bulk-purchase place, rather than this-and-that specific bit, and maybe that's where I'm wrong. It would behoove me to purchase anything in an order from a single seller though, right? Because shipping is a thing I'd have to be aware of. Either way, I'd need to add the "Wheel Centre Wide with Stub Axles" to the list of needed parts now... The three-wheeled motorcycle's kinda no good without a front wheel.
lowbike1 Posted January 13, 2011 Posted January 13, 2011 Bricklink is not scary at all. It is an excellent resource, try it a couple times and you'll get used to it! its kind of scary, due to the amount of money I can "waste" on there!
tedbeard Posted January 13, 2011 Posted January 13, 2011 Maybe that's my issue with it. I view Bricklink as sort of a bulk-purchase place, rather than this-and-that specific bit, and maybe that's where I'm wrong. It would behoove me to purchase anything in an order from a single seller though, right? Because shipping is a thing I'd have to be aware of. It is a bit of a game. I use it mostly to get "this-and-that" and you have to balance out the different prices, minimum amounts and availability. When I was looking for several different parts for a MOC I found the best I could do was two or three stores and having to pay a little more for some parts rather than adding a fourth or fifth shop and the resulting shipping charges. I also discovered that I would often pay a slightly higher price from US suppliers because their shipping and exchange rate was better. Sorry EB folks who actually live in Europe but getting parts shipped to Canada is usually enough to prevent the purchase for me. But, that is the down side. The up side is being able to get anything you need for usually a reasonable price. I have had lots of great transactions and cannot recommend BL enough - Just the other day I overheard a family in TRU discussing P@B and had to jump in and tell them about BL. The mother was very grateful.
TheWarden Posted January 13, 2011 Posted January 13, 2011 Some people forget LEGO has an online Pick a Brick, where you can order specific parts. But it looks like you might want some really specific older pieces.... but it's worth a look. LEGO's PAB is more limited and sometimes more expensive, but their customer service is always great.
CP5670 Posted January 13, 2011 Posted January 13, 2011 Maybe that's my issue with it. I view Bricklink as sort of a bulk-purchase place, rather than this-and-that specific bit, and maybe that's where I'm wrong. I do this frequently on Bricklink. All of my orders consist of at least some "odds and ends" pieces, and some orders have only such pieces. Some sellers don't like people buying too many things like this and have lot limits to prevent it, while other sellers have no problem with it and there are some that actually specialize in rare and old parts. You will still want to buy at least $10 or so worth of stuff though to make the shipping worthwhile.
NiceMarmot Posted January 13, 2011 Posted January 13, 2011 I'm a total newbie at this, and I've found BrickLink to be very helpful. Sure the interface is very circa 1999, and there are a few missing features that would improve things, but overall it's great. It can be a bit overwhelming at first. I've placed five orders (from five different stores), and they've all been fulfilled very smoothly and professionally. As for picking up random bits and pieces, I think BL is the way to go. Somebody on there is bound to have what you're looking for. There seem to be several different types of sellers. There's the large, volume stores that have very good prices but high minimum order and/or high required piece-to-lot or total dollars to lots ratios. They've got great prices, but they don't want to mess around with people buying one of this, two of that, etc. (unless you're also buying 300 of something else). And then there are plenty of stores with more limited inventory, and good but not great prices, but with low minimums ($1.50, $2.00), and no required lot ratios. These are the stores you should probably deal with. As for shipping, if you're just buying a few things in the US (up to 13 ounces IIRC), they'll send it USPS first-class mail in a padded envelope, and it won't cost much at all.
fred67 Posted January 13, 2011 Posted January 13, 2011 Agree with others... for random bits and pieces, BL is your only option. Don't ever forget about S@H PAB! In a lot of instances, for me anyway, ordering from there was actually cheaper, but they are so limited in what they sell, and especially things like just a separate "arm" is something they'd never have. BL is not so bad... make use of the wanted list, read store terms carefully (minimum orders and such), and keep a mental list of the kinds of parts you wouldn't mind bulking up an order with if necessary. When I really need a single part (or few parts), I'll look for tiles and bricks in bulk, skim through minifigures, etc., to meet minimum orders and to make shipping more worthwhile.
streifen Posted January 14, 2011 Posted January 14, 2011 (edited) its kind of scary, due to the amount of money I can "waste" on there! :laugh: fully agree with you!! it is super addictive!! on the other hand, it is just about the only place where you can find what you want to find in a single place albeit with many stores. Edited January 14, 2011 by streifen
IAmWillGibson Posted January 17, 2011 Author Posted January 17, 2011 (edited) So I took some advice and worked my way through the interface. Figuring out which piece I wanna find is sort of the hardest part, although I've yet to formulate an actual order, so I dunno nuthin' 'bout that business. It does seem to bum me out that a single Hippogriff wing is gonna cost, at best, the same it cost me for the entire bag of parts which contained the first wing, but I guess that's the nature of trying to track down rare parts. I'm sad to report, however, that single arms don't seem to be available, so I'm back to my original intention, which is asking on here if anyone just happens to have loose, available minifigure arms. Why you would, I have no idea, but hey. You never know. One of the torsos missing a left arm is yellow Slave Girl Leia, which is a figure torso that could be fun to use in inappropriate situations, hence my desire to complete the thing. Edited January 17, 2011 by IAmWillGibson
tedbeard Posted January 17, 2011 Posted January 17, 2011 I'm sad to report, however, that single arms don't seem to be available, I think you need to dig deeper into the catalog: Catalog: Parts: Minifig, Body Part: Left Arm and Catalog: Parts: Minifig, Body Part: Right Arm are available in a variety of colours including yellow.
IAmWillGibson Posted January 18, 2011 Author Posted January 18, 2011 I think you need to dig deeper into the catalog: Catalog: Parts: Minifig, Body Part: Left Arm and Catalog: Parts: Minifig, Body Part: Right Arm are available in a variety of colours including yellow. Nertz! You guys are the best.
legomaniac83 Posted January 18, 2011 Posted January 18, 2011 Yesterday I bought three big bags of random parts from Value Village for 10 bucks. That IS a sweet deal. I was at a Value Village on the weekend and found the Lego Create-It game from 1999. The only thing it was missing was the die! All of the Lego pieces were there, which to me is amazing considering it's Second hand. Either that, or can someone convince me that Bricklink isn't as scary as it sorta looks? Once you get used to it, it's really easy. Make some wanted lists, and I have found that if I am looking for a certain piece, I go to Peeron to get the part number. Way easier to find what you are looking for. If you need any help with BL, just drop me a line.
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