When A Set Says "X Amount of Pieces"...

[Paradosis]

Just out of curiosity, when a set says it has a certain number of pieces, does that refer to the number in the finished main build, or does the number also include 'extra' pieces as well?

[splatman]

I've counted the pieces of a small set (totally do not remember what set that was), and the piece count did not include any not used in the main build.

[Mylenium]

2 hours ago, Paradosis said:

Just out of curiosity, when a set says it has a certain number of pieces, does that refer to the number in the finished main build, or does the number also include 'extra' pieces as well?

Lately it seems more often like they mean "The parts we intended to include in the sets, but then our counting machine acted up." *lol* In any case, those parts are the ones constituting the actual models sans the spares.

Mylenium

[Lyichir]

The number of pieces generally reflects the number of inventoried pieces (which you can find a list of in the back of instruction booklets). That mostly includes the parts used in the main set, but certain types of extra pieces are included as well (such as extra ammo for stud shooters). The main parts that AREN'T included in the piece count are the unused spares of small parts (usually around one per part type), which are added in to "round up" the weight of that part type so that it can be effectively measured by the weight check Lego uses to verify that all necessary parts are included. Because these weight checks are not always precise enough to measure these tiny parts, Lego would rather include too many of them than too few.

Edited June 8, 2019 by Lyichir

[62Bricks]

I assume you are asking about modern sets, however it is interesting to note that Lego has changed the way it counts pieces over the years.

Although I believe Lego now puts piece counts on all its boxes, this was not always the case. Only some markets required it (like the US) and for many places for many years there was no "official" count printed on the box or instructions.

For a period in the 1970s, Lego sets sold in North America printed the number of "interlocking parts" on the box. As far as I have been able to determine, parts that did not connect with a standard knob or tube were not included in the count - flowers, for example. Also, minifigs often came partly assembled with just the legs detached. The head/torso assembly was counted as one part for the purposes of the part count on the box.

[MAB]

On 6/8/2019 at 4:24 PM, 62Bricks said:

 

Although I believe Lego now puts piece counts on all its boxes

 

I don't think so...

US box:

UK box:

[62Bricks]

On 6/10/2019 at 7:38 AM, MAB said:

I don't think so...

US box:

UK box:

Interesting. No choking hazard warning, either.

Incidentally, the "US" version includes labeling in French because of Canadian laws that require it.

 

[TeriXeri]

20 minutes ago, 62Bricks said:

Incidentally, the "US" version includes labeling in French because of Canadian laws that require it.

And the other version of the box seems very international. 

On my recent City Fire Station 2019 box, it says "battery included" for the (Light&Sound element on the car) , and Choking Hazard in 33 different languages.

Edited June 14, 2019 by TeriXeri