To test this feature, visit your live site.

Sorting Lego

The age-old question, and one I asked when I got back into LEGO - how do you sort it?

The answer is simple: the best way for you. Everyone has a different method.

The basic decision is colour or type. I sort by type. If there's enough of an item, it gets divided by colour. Transparent is a type of it's own in my world. I like shiny things.

So. I'm riddled with anxieties and am slightly anally retentive. I have to know where EVERYTHING is before I can get started on something. Which I have now concluded is impossible when it comes to LEGO.

I've decided to draw a line and accept my fate.

That said, I've now made myself a spreadsheet to help me with my organisation. The link for which is here.

As you can see, I use a myriad of containers. Draws to divided containers - whatever suits the purpose.

Will any of my ideas work for you? Maybe. Probably not. I've been figuring this out for about 5 years now, and I keep changing my mind. It's evolving as the collection grows.

Anyway, thought I'd share and see what other ideas are out there.

PS: the categories are based on the Brick Architect's label system. He doesn't cover every part, just the most commonly used, but he's helped me refine my own categories. that's important to note: these are my adaptations of his categories which are adaptations of LEGO's. Rebrickable, BrickLink, etc etc all have their own systems too. Mad world, innit?

21 comments

Comments (21)

Steven_Jordan

Jan 25

•

I didnt find what i was after.

Liam Tippa

Jan 23

•

I don't have any space or money for lots of shelves and draws so I ended up separating things into zip lock bags 😂. Works well enough and I can see into the bag to look for something without having to take everything out.

Similarly, I have also separated the transparent pieces into their own bag as it makes them easier to find.

I love the spreadsheet, it's a great idea. I might borrow it 😉.

Darth Ambiguous

Jan 25

•

Replying to

There's actually a new app that uses plastic bags as a location system. Called Pileometer (by the same team behind BrickIt. I tried it, it wasn't for me, but doesn't mean it won't work for you.

You spread out 100 or so pieces - scan it - the app recognises the parts and lists them as a batch - which you then pop into a plastic bag and number. It's explained a lot better than I can in this Instagram video.

It says there's a subscription, but a lot of these apps have a free level that doesn't require any payment, so it's worth checking out.

Liam Tippa

Jan 29

•

Replying to

It looks quite helpful, thanks for sharing this! Ideally, I would want more than 100 pieces in each bag though so I don't end up with many small bags everywhere😅. I wonder if it will let me scan multiple times and just add to the same bag?

Nigel Piltz

Jan 22

•

Do you use any programs to track your inventory? I read a lot about people tracking their bricklink inventory (as sellers), and i recall last time i was at a brick sorting place a bunch of people with their phones obviously searching for specific peices they needed for sets or a MOC. I'd be curious to hear how people do that.

I have a bunch of parts i need to complete used sets and minifigures, as well as all my old childhood lego.... finding broken or chewed pieces (whoops) but so far haven't gone beyond a spreadsheet to track them

Darth Ambiguous

Jan 23

•

Replying to

I've got accounts with:

Rebrickable (which is a Pro account - it's my primary site to track inventory)
Bricklink (where I keep a record of my existing parts and source bits I need)
BrickOwl (when I first got back into LEGO I created a mirror account there. I don't use it anymore)

Importing spreadsheets is a pain in the butt with all of them, but when you collection increases in size, having an offsite solution like Rebrickable is a godsend.

Nigel Piltz

Jan 23

•

Replying to

Thanks for the info! Will have to look into them as I progress with this hobby :)

Nigel Piltz

Jan 22

•

Agghhh my OCD is stopping me from doing this! I have been caught up on deciding what sort of storage tubs/units i want, wanting to make sure they fit in my cupboards optimally, and give me the flexibility to store different parts. Always interesting to hear people talk about the challenges lol. I have looked at bunnings and ikea and hadn't settled on anything, spotlight is somewhere i hadnt thought of.

Darth Ambiguous

Jan 23

•

Replying to

I've got Bunnings, KMart, Temu, Spotlight, the Reject Shop ... in fact anything that suits. If the collection is growing, you'll be needing different solutions as you go. That's what I've learnt.

I now have a large 4 x 4 cube storage and 2 x 4 (as that's all that will fit in my study) which have cabinets on top and draws and containers within. It's still not enough, so on another table I've got a Kmart shoe rack with containers. I'm sure in a week / month / year it will change again. Don't let it trigger you, just go with the flow 😎

Nigel Piltz

Jan 23

•

Replying to

Haha.... definately triggered!

Tingeofginge

Jan 21

•

This just makes me want to get my life together 😂😂😂

Steven_Jordan

Jan 21

•

This is all i have in boxes, not in file cabinet.

Darth Ambiguous

Jan 21

•

Replying to

Hmmm, and in both cases we've got Star Destroyers sitting on top. An unspoken universal defense system to protect loose LEGO?

Beardley

Jan 21

•

I’m currently going through the same conundrum. I initially sorted by Color. Container for ‘large’ pieces, container for ‘medium’ pieces, and two containers for ‘small’ pieces. For each Color! Still made it very difficult to find the right piece. So I bought the new drawers to start sorting by piece (or similar piece) instead. It’s such a process 😂

I think… I have too much Lego. Nahhhhhh.

Beardley

Jan 21

•

Replying to

Oh also downloaded the Brock Architectblabels and got them printed at A3. That’ll be the next process 🤪

Darth Ambiguous

Jan 21

•

Replying to

I bought a label printer (remember the anally retentive bit) but have ended up just writing on sticky notes or packing tape. I realise I've got more than would fit in the "insert filing system" that I started with and have to move them into a larger "insert filing system" so the labels have to move with them.

We share each other's pain, LEGO brother.

Steven_Jordan

Jan 21

•

I just sort them in colours in large lockable storage boxes for fine unique bits in separated sorting boxes

sean_jenkinson

Jan 21

•

WOW! It is a mad world, and can be very time consuming. I like (and you may like) the satisfaction of dropping bricks in tubs and hearing the crash of plastic. I also like to sort by type as its a well rounded system for most bricks. That being said, I love your system and especially how much there is

Darth Ambiguous

Jan 21

•

Replying to

Thanks Sean!

A wise man once said to me "you can never have too much LEGO" ... and I agreed. Until I had too much LEGO.

I'm not complaining, there's just so much work in pulling old bits apart and then sorting them so you can find them again to build something new.

I'm itching to build a large MOC based on the idea that the original Apollo 11 landing site is turned into a museum, which then gets out of hand as they try to find a way to make it profitable (it ends up becoming an amusement park). But all my free space is cluttered with tiny pieces waiting patiently to be put away. What a terrible, terrible curse 😹

Regarding scrambling through tubs, have you visited Brick Resales in Brisbane? They have an entire showroom full of random bricks and pieces. The sound of the many people sorting is hypnotic.

Steven_Jordan

Jan 21

•

Replying to

I might go to brick resales on Thursday

Darth Ambiguous

Jan 21

•

Replying to

Don't do what I used to do on a regular basis. I turned up there a couple of times on a Wednesday, and a few other times after 3pm.

As their website says, they're happy to see us Thursday to Monday 8am-3pm