#2406 BEGINNER SERIES - LESSON 2: Collections

Alex Johnson
May 31, 2024
1 min read

So you have bought some LEGO parts… now what?! Join Professor Tipsen Bricks for a breakdown of how to organize your LEGO collection and source more individual parts. We also talk about storage,

“Hi, I ‘m Professor Tipsen Bricks! Today I’m going to teach you the basics of SOURCING and ORGANIZING your LEGO parts. Use this series as a resource if you are new to building, or if you want to refresh your skills and knowledge!” Image features Professor Tipsen standing in front of a pile of parts and a whiteboard.

Collecting - LEGO vs Bricklink. Professor Tipsen says: “Although part numbers are standard across websites, the names for parts and colors are not. This can make it confusing if you use words to search for specific things.” LEGO and BrickLink use different terminology. This can be confusing when searching. LEGO.com a part as Brick With Bow 1x3x3 while BrickLink calls it Arch 1x3x3. LEGO calls this color Bright Yellowish Green, while BrickLink calls this Lime. LEGO calls this Spring Yellowish Green, while BrickLink calls this Yellowish Green. Image shows a reddish brown arch and a 1x2 of yellowish green and lime bricks.

Collecting - Using Bricklink. Professor Tipsen says: “Check out these set details from BrickLink! You can also get this info about specific parts. If I’m building a set from scratch, I use the parts list to see if I already have the parts in my collection.” Image details where the Set name, set number, set details, set parts, and set minifigs are all found on a BrickLink page. Additionally, Image points out the wanted list icon and the “add specific parts to wishlist” icon.

Collecting - Using BrickLink Wishlists. Use BrickLink Wishlists as an easy way to keep track of parts that you need. Professor Tipsen says: “Click the ‘Buy All’ button to order your entire list. BrickLink can even find the cheapest prices from the fewest number of stores for you, so you don’t have to go hunting.” You can select the name of your wishlist and choose if you only want new or used parts. Indicate how many you want vs how many you have. If you select Buy All it will take what you have into account, and only get the remaining number you need. Image shows a screenshot of a BrickLink Wishlist.

Organizing - Sorting by Color. Professor Tipsen says: “Color is a quick and easy way to sort your parts. But beware! Don’t ever store black all by itself or you will never be able to find the part you need! @interactivebricks sorts her parts by color using Fire, Sea, Sand, andChrome* as category labels. Chrome is short for monochromatic. Image shows four categories of color. Fire is reds, pinks, yellows and oranges. Sea is blues, greens, teals, and purples. Sand is tans, browns, and sand colors. Chrome is white, blacks, and greys.

Organizing - Sorting by Part. Professor Tipsen says: “Some find sorting by part to be easier for MOC building. Many AFOLs use small parts drawers (like Akro Mils) for smaller parts.” Paper cups make for handy and affordable part containers! For a handy guide of part categories, check out BrickArchitect.com for a free and extensive guide! Image shows a drawer of organized parts with cups, as well as an akro-mils container.

Organizing - Visual Labels. Professor Tipsen says: “Speaking of BrickArchitect.com, they also have amazing labels that provide picture, part name, and number. Check out their free labels!” Stay tuned for Lesson 3: how to use brick separators and how to avoid illegal building! Image shows a picture of the labels on containers, as well as a picture of the labels themselves from BrickArchitect.com.

Patreon. Professor Tipsen says: “If you enjoy our content, please consider supporting us on Patreon! You can also get MOC feedback and ideas!” Image shows a slide of all the Patreon benefits. See post 2378 for more information or our website!

Featured Builders:

@interactivebricks

BrickArchitect.com

https://www.instagram.com/interactivebricks/

https://brickarchitect.com/guide/

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