Do you always try to have a backlog of sets to build?

[badbob001]

I suspect it's not uncommon for some people to buy at least three of each set:

• one to build as intended and display
  
• one for parts
  
• one unopened for archive
  

I don't do this but I knew someone that did something similar with Car & Driver magazines (read, cut-up, preserve).

[Modelmaker]

when i buy a set i build it straight away, sometimes i even build it in the stores parking lot. I drive a camper van so i have a table in the back

[jonwil]

I never have sets sitting around unbuilt, if I buy a set I will usually build it straight away (or if I have bought multiple sets at once I will build them one after the other)

[Zerobricks]

IMO an unopened set is a sin! Having few of same sets is a good idea though, if you can afford them OFC.

[kibosh]

I have such a huge backlog of unopened sets, I think I could build full time for a year and not get through it.

I also take a couple sets with us when we go camping in case the weather is bad.

[Vindicare]

I don't buy sets for display. I often don't even build the sets I buy. I just buy sets for parts.

I've never understood why so many people buy sets just to have them. Some sets are cool enough to warrant keeping together for a long time for decoration and whatnot, but I've seen a lot of people fill their basements and spare bedrooms with tons and tons of sets without ever building any MOCs. It seems to me that just takes all of the fun out of it. And that's probably why people buy so many sets. Once the set is put together, it's not fun anymore, so they move onto another set.

This would be me. I buy sets for the sets. Not really a completist, although I've bought a few, small ones luckily, just to finish off a line. I display quite a few things, right now it's the LEGO movie and a few Winter Village sets(as well as my large table town. At the moment it's about 20 sets). Other opened & previously built sets are then stored in plastic containers and put on shelves with the set number on it.

I've got 24+/- unopened sets. Room is the biggest detractor for them being unopened. Had I not gotten back into(plunged, really)comics a few years ago it would be at least twice that...

[dr_spock]

Having spare sets is handy should my niece come for a visit.

[skateboard34]

I wish I had a backlog of unopened sets. I can't afford to buy so many sets that I always have something to build. And I build a set as soon as I get it.

[Blondie-Wan]

I always have a backlog of sets to build, without trying at all. For years I've simply had other things get in the way of building, both in terms of time and in terms of physical space. I now have dozens of unopened sets - over a hundred, actually, and possibly in the low hundreds if we count everything (polybags, etc.) - and I've been looking forward to having time and space to build them all (and MOCs).

As it happens, though, my fiancée and I just moved for her new job, and we have a much larger house now while I don't have a job of my own yet, so hopefully I'll finally be able to do something about all those sets...

[Redhead1982]

The sets I have on backlog are there because of lack of time and/or space. In a way, when I buy multiple sets at a time on bargains, I don't always have time to build them immediately, so I keep them for later. Backlog happens unintentionally.

[Trent]

When I first got back into Lego, I was always slightly put out by the idea of people hoarding sets...Lego was sold to be built, and it felt like a shame that nobody was enjoying the set.

Nowadays, I'm used to how Lego sells in cycles and that sometimes you have to pull the trigger on a set before you would've ordinarily purchased it. Maybe you see it on sale, or maybe it's about to end...but sometimes this happens before you can really afford your next purchase.

That's why I have a few sets that are unbuilt - a great sale came around, or an EOL announcement hit, and I had to purchase those sets before I meant to. I also have one set that I thought was a good deal, so I bought it, but actually I didn't need two of them. I think I had designs on selling it, but it feels like too much of an effort. ...and I have a train set that's unbuilt - I bought a train set and loved motorising it, so I bought another with the intention of making a large railway...but that's gone on hold whilst I sort my Lego room. I think I would be amazed if you'd told me when I bought it that it would still be sitting unopened now.

...and then sometimes you get caught in a quandry. Let's say you get a great deal in March. You hoard the set until September because you wouldn't have bought it until September if it hadn't been on offer. Only now it's gone up in value. So now what do you do?

[talos]

I counted I have 14 unbuilt sets backlogged...It started out as one that I kept postponing and then a lot of new sets came out and I would see other older sets I missed out on BrickLink and would buy, next thing I know, its 14 piled up.. I will have more time this winter to work on some of them. They keep bringing out more and more sets I want to get.

I haven't scavenged any sets, only bought a second copy to use for MOC parts. I bought a second Town Hall just for the parts, for my MOC that is on Ideas as a project. I had enough parts left over to build one more building for my modular city. I have 2 other duplicates for future MOC's too.

[Jdurg]

I only collect one theme, Star Wars, so I never have a backlog of sets. As soon as I buy a set, it gets built. When I go and purchase a ton of sets, like I did when I picked up all of the summer wave sets a month or so ago, I stay in that weekend and just spend the entire time building them. Heh. Since I came out of my dark ages late, it's too expensive to pick up every single set I missed out on at once and then just go through the backlog when I'm bored. So I buy what I want when money allows it, then build it straight away. Have set 10221 Super Star Destroyer arriving tomorrow, so I know what I'm doing this weekend. :)

I also don't purchase more than one of the same set unless I feel that the parts are super useful to me, or if they have minifigures that I want more of. (Like in the Death Star Troopers set). I feel that Lego is for building and playing with, and not for investing and scalping. So I don't ever plan on buying a set just to hold onto it and sell it in the future. But that's just me and my opinion.

[Steph 104th]

Never, when that receipt comes out, its mine. I stare at it on the journey home, get home open it and build away. I spend the rest of my time MOCing and sorting.

[AFOLguy1970]

I build most sets as soon as I can. The typical day around here is having no unbuilt sets and waiting for the next paycheck to buy another set or make a Bricklink order. There are only a few exceptions to not building a set right away when it gets home. For example, if there is not enough time to do it before the day is over, I will hold off. One thing I cannot stand is being rushed. An Advent calendar of course will not be touched until December 1. On the occasions when there are multiple sets to build, only one set at a time will be built within a day to spread out the enjoyment of building the sets.

We do have many sets that have been taken apart and stored due to lack of space. If, and only if more space can be created for display (ie moving to a bigger house), then there will be a backlog.

[AKSamurai]

Yes. I'm usually about 3 sets behind...

[Boulderer]

I spent a bit of time last night looking through my collection and checking what I had that was waiting to be built ... not much! I then decided to move onto B-models and the list of builds yet to be completed suddenly rocketed up. I've always kind of dismissed B-models in the past but, I ended the exercise with a great feeling of anticipation at all the builds that I have to look forward to.

[cgarison]

There were some really good sales at Amazon from April through July so I have a pretty nice stock of City, Caste, and Creator sets to build. I have been working through them slowly and eventually they will get built and then recycled into my parts.

Currently, my latest MOCs have been taking the majority of my Lego time. My version of the "Ghost Train" is nearly copmplete for Philly BrickFest in 3 weeks and then I have the haunted station to build for PhilCon at the end of November. Looks like we will have a full "spooky" layout of MOCs for the convention.

[TWO2SEVEN]

For new sets, I usually build them (or at least start) the day I buy them. Right now I have my old sets to rebuild/check for completeness to hold me over between new purchases.

[Chills]

Cool thread! I thought I was the only one who did this, but looks like I'm not alone. I like having a few sets always in reserve to build. Right now I've got about a dozen, including the Sandcrawler. But I've been spending my time working on a big, expensive MOC: My basement!

When it comes to making a MOC with LEGO I'm sadly not very creative; especially compared to the masterpieces I see posted on this site. So I'm one of those who buys LEGO sets to collect them. I enjoy collecting and displaying. Maybe I'll end up trying my hand at MOCing... but it's hard to bring myself to take apart the sets and mix up the pieces.

[KringlesBricks]

...its always nice to have a few sets backlogged incase the internet and TV goes out - didn't really want to do anything outside since it was so hot out.

So, grabbed the Exo Suit and a Lego Movie set out of the closet, and built those. Still have PR and PC in the closet for stormy or boring days sitting at home

[Legotom]

I have bought a couple of sets with birthday vouchers and on sale that are starting to form a backlog. I would usually build sets as soon as I get them home, or Amazon delivers them. But I am now the parent/owner/zookeeper of a toddler and so my time for building Lego is severely limited. Duplo just isn't the same somehow.

[The Jersey Brick Guy]

I have a pile of about 20+ sets waiting to be built. I am always so busy with work, that I get to building one once a week or so if I am lucky.

It's from 2 months ago, but it's all basically still there unopened.

Edited August 29, 2014 by The Jersey Brick Guy

[TheLegoDr]

I have a handful of sets waiting to be built (that I actually want to build). I also have a handful of sets that I bought only for the figures and are just sitting there in their box. I don't have interest to build them, nor do I have interest in piecing them out into my collection only because I needed/wanted a few select pieces. Take Gungan Sub for example. I don't have use for most of those pieces and I really only wanted Queen Amidala but at the time she was going for almost as much as I got the set, so I just picked the whole thing up.

[DarthBrickus]

I try to buy sets when they're discounted, so i sometimes have a rather large backlog.

Which i enjoy quite a bit, as it gives me the opportunity to instantly start building whenever i am in need of a bit of stress-relief.

My current backlog is Portal of Atlantis, Gungan Sub and some Winter Sets.

Edited September 3, 2014 by DarthBrickus