Bricks and Pieces Interesting Pricing

[JGW3000]

I recently placed an order with LEGO Bricks and Pieces, with most prices coming in at or below BL's, which is good. But I noticed something curious - for some parts which occur in pairs, such as Technic panels, one would think that the left and right corresponding parts, differing only in being mirror images of each other, would have the same price, right - Wrong Check this out:

8 6023036 RIGHT PANEL 2X5 (N0 21) 6.24 USD

8 6022761 LEFT PANEL 2X5 (NR 22) 5.12 USD

and, but not so extreme

8 4160108 RIGHT SHELL 2X6 W/BOW/ANGLE 3.52 USD

8 4160130 LEFT SHELL 2X6 W/BOW/ANGLE 3.60 USD

That's a $0.14 difference, per part, between the right panel 2x5, part no. 11946, and the left panel 11947. The right/left shell 41747/41748 are only $0.01 apart.

Why the difference? What's the logic in pricing differently what should be identical parts in terms of weight, size, and handling?

Edited April 25, 2014 by JGW3000

[rollermonkey]

That's weird, but it does mirror many similar R/L price discrepancies on BrickLink. There are plenty of doors where a right is double the price of a left, and vice/versa.

The BL difference is due to scarcity... Maybe there's something similar going on at BnP?

[Blondie-Wan]

I imagine there are sets that use the parts in something other than nice, neat pairs, so that one part may be produced and/or used in different quantities than its counterpart.

[JGW3000]

The two black R/L panels 11946/11947 are only used in one set, 3 each in set 42021 snowmobile (http://www.bricklink.com/catalogItem.asp?S=42021-1), so unless one is being used more frequently in an upcoming, unreleased set, still seems odd having a price discrepancy on nominally the equivalent parts. LEGO is mysterious in many ways...

[Mikuri]

Maybe someone needed a side only for a MOC or something :P

[CP5670]

There have been cases where only one side of a left/right pair of pieces showed up in some PAB wall (and later on Bricklink) in huge quantities. I don't think they necessarily make these pieces in equal quantities, even when they appear that way in sets.

[Boettner Builds]

How does one buy bricks from Bricks and Pieces? I've seen this come up from time to time, but never how it's done.

[TheLegoDr]

^go to Lego.com and scroll to the bottom.

Click on missing parts under Customer Service

Enter your information

Click I want to buy a piece

Click on Bricks and Pieces Selection

You input the set/part numbers and click on pieces you want. Submit your order then they come back with the price totals and you call them to pay over the phone. I do it all the time. I probably do it more than bricklink orders. I prefer getting the pieces direct from the company instead of resellers.

[Boettner Builds]

^go to Lego.com and scroll to the bottom.

Click on missing parts under Customer Service

Enter your information

Click I want to buy a piece

Click on Bricks and Pieces Selection

You input the set/part numbers and click on pieces you want. Submit your order then they come back with the price totals and you call them to pay over the phone. I do it all the time. I probably do it more than bricklink orders. I prefer getting the pieces direct from the company instead of resellers.

I REALLY like the sound of this! Thank you!!!!

Edit: So I was messing around with Bricks And Pieces. Is there no way to find out prices per piece before you just order? If not, one you submit the order are you commited?

Edited April 27, 2014 by redtrooper27

[Super Goblin]

No they will send you an invoice with the prices and you have two weeks to decide if you want to go ahead with the order.

[Boettner Builds]

Thanks Super Goblin!

[TheLegoDr]

It would be awesome if they posted the prices before you submit, but unfortunately they do not. I've done it before, but it becomes a hassle -- just submit multiple orders of different pieces you want so they come back with the price list and then you can determine which is cheaper for your needs. But then you have to keep the order numbers handy and in order to not mix anything up.

Normally whenever I order things, I end up modifying it after the fact. Adding/removing pieces. The representative doesn't seem too annoyed by it, but I think they probably have call limits. They always seem to rush me through if we've been on for too long.

[zux]

It would be awesome if they posted the prices before you submit, but unfortunately they do not.

European website actually shows the price of each piece if it available.

[TheLegoDr]

^You are talking about Bricks and Pieces and not Pick a Brick right?? Crazy. That'd be awesome for them to show the prices as you put them into your bag.

[zux]

^You are talking about Bricks and Pieces and not Pick a Brick right??

Correct. As far as i remember there was similar issue for other EB members, but not sure if it was region dependent.

[JGW3000]

I suspect that some of the Bricks and Pieces pricing might be quantity dependant, so the more ordered, the lower the per-piece price, and so could be one reason why the prices are not posted.

[Boettner Builds]

So, I placed an order with Bricks & Pieces. A couple of things I noticed:

-On the website, you can't order more than 200 per part number. (You might be able to change that when you phone in the order)

-Some of the prices beat PAB by a pretty large margin.

-Some of the prices were dead on with PAB prices.

-Some of the prices were MORE expencive than PAB.

Not sure where I'm going with this, just letting the community know, I guess.

Edited May 7, 2014 by redtrooper27

[zux]

And you don't get VIP points when ordering from Bricks & Pieces.

[Wodanis]

So, I placed an order with Bricks & Pieces. A couple of things I noticed:

-On the website, you can't order more than 200 per part number. (You might be able to change that when you phone in the order)

-Some of the prices beat PAB by a pretty large margin.

-Some of the prices were dead on with PAB prices.

-Some of the prices were MORE expencive than PAB.

Not sure where I'm going with this, just letting the community know, I guess.

That is pretty standard with BnPs. One addition to your list normally you can order up to 45 different types of parts and 200 in quantity.

Mainly BnP is handy for those unique and proper coloured pieces that we want. I was speaking to customer service the other day and was asking if they could post the prices for BnP as it would make life so much easier for us and the reps. Certainly would reduce the amount of calls they receive from ppl like me. I know what I want but really need to assess the costs before placing an order vs PAB.

Oh and in answer to the headline of the thread. YES! They definitely increased their pricing and in most cases significantly. I'm wondering if the increase is a combination of higher demand and because they can increase the prices.

I find this topic fascinating considering they work very hard on their customer service and logistics yet still run into inefficiencies within those sections. I am referring to when they run out of stock with a particular set and lack of a pricing catalogue for BnP.

Edited May 7, 2014 by Wodanis

[Master_Data]

I remember reading an interview with John Stafford, known here as nabii, where he answered why certain pieces cost more. He answered that the condition of the molds themselves goes into the final cost. If the mold is not in the best condition, it costs more to make the part, so they charge more for the part, even if it is a mirror of another part. He said this in regards to the budget he has to face when he designs a set, but the same reason would apply here.

Quantity and the fact that people would actually pay that much for the product would also affect the cost, but it may be because of the molds themselves.

[JGW3000]

I remember reading an interview with John Stafford, known here as nabii, where he answered why certain pieces cost more. He answered that the condition of the molds themselves goes into the final cost. If the mold is not in the best condition, it costs more to make the part, so they charge more for the part, even if it is a mirror of another part. He said this in regards to the budget he has to face when he designs a set, but the same reason would apply here.

Thanks Master_Data, now it makes more sense, and shows how much more sophisticated pricing has become when they take into account cost of scrap. In a former job I had, reducing scrap was a prime driver for process redesign and improvement.

[Wodanis]

I remember reading an interview with John Stafford, known here as nabii, where he answered why certain pieces cost more. He answered that the condition of the molds themselves goes into the final cost. If the mold is not in the best condition, it costs more to make the part, so they charge more for the part, even if it is a mirror of another part. He said this in regards to the budget he has to face when he designs a set, but the same reason would apply here.

Quantity and the fact that people would actually pay that much for the product would also affect the cost, but it may be because of the molds themselves.

Thanks Master_Data, now it makes more sense, and shows how much more sophisticated pricing has become when they take into account cost of scrap. In a former job I had, reducing scrap was a prime driver for process redesign and improvement.

Quite interesting. I will have to factor those facts in. That may explain why Lego would revamp particular 'older' parts with newer moulds. Both to actually reduce overall cost and reduction of waste.

[TheLegoDr]

^I'm sure that is part of the reason. They would have better production with newer machines. Plus, they usually alter the molds when they revamp them. I would assume to strengthen the actual piece or to make it more 'in system.' Like those 1x5x4 bows we talked about in your Police Station thread. The new molds have a reinforced underside and the others didn't. Interesting how sometimes altering the mold may be better in some aspects, but sometimes it can take away other things (like placing bricks underneath, etc).

[Master_Data]

I hope they find some way to lock in the pricing. It would be a lot more convenient for price comparisons to Bricklink and other sites.

[JGW3000]

Well, it gets even better and stranger, but in a good way . I just received my latest order from Bricks and Pieces, aside from the usual left/right panel pricing discrepancy (US $0.10 and $0.01 difference on two different pairs of parts), I received three lots, consisting of 4, 8, and 12 parts, NO CHARGE - so thank you TLG S@H :thumbup: . I won't reveal the parts to avoid any potential issues or a land-rush of sorts, one is a printed part exclusive to a 2014 set, the other two are apparently uniquely colored parts exclusive (?) to another 2014 set. I am not even bothered by the fact they charged me VAT. By the way, some of the parts in this order were at prices about 60-80% less than at BL, so it pays to shop around.

Overall, very happy with this last shipment