Whether you need replacement bricks for a set or are building your own creations, sometimes you need to buy LEGO bricks separately from sets. Here are some of the best and easiest to buy individual LEGO bricks online.
The most common way of adding new LEGO bricks to a collection is through buying sets, but sometimes there’s a need to get one specific piece to help complete your latest build. While it certainly is possible to source pieces just by buying official sets, there are far more cost effective ways of going about it. The Pick a Brick wall in the LEGO Store is a strong option, but you’re at the mercy of whatever happens to be in stock that day, making it quite risky to rely on as your sole source of LEGO bricks.
Buying online lets you pick out specific pieces and quantities, but the variety of options can be overwhelming. Blocks, the monthly LEGO magazine, lists three ways to source individual LEGO bricks online – along with their pros and cons.
eBay
eBay can be a great source for buying old and retired LEGO sets and minifigures. That being said, when it comes to buying LEGO bricks on their own, the site is far from your best option. Most listings will be bulk lots that amount to little more than mystery boxes of bricks. Listings of specific pieces do exist, but prices are inflated to the point of ridiculousness. Good deals are almost non-existent, making eBay by far the worst option for buying individual LEGO bricks.
BrickLink
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BrickLink is designed with buying individual bricks in mind. It’s easy to browse dozens upon dozens of sellers and compare stock, letting you choose a store based on the quantity you need and how much you want to pay. A feedback system adds some peace of mind, letting you be sure that a seller will hold up their end of the bargain. The site is also owned by the LEGO Group, which gives it an extra bit of legitimacy.
The cons of BrickLink come in the form of hidden costs. A piece may be on sale for a reasonable price, but that isn’t the price you’ll pay at checkout. Shipping isn’t free, and each seller has their own rate, meaning if you need pieces from multiple sellers, you’ll be paying multiple shipping fees. On top of shipping, sellers can also set a ‘minimum buy’ for their store, forcing you to reach a certain price threshold before you can place an order. BrickLink is unrivalled in its stock — the downside is that the price can get out of hand very quickly if you’re not careful.
Pick a Brick
The LEGO Group operates an online version of Pick a Brick similar to the physical Pick a Brick walls in LEGO Stores. The advantage of the online version is the increased stock, offering hundreds of different pieces. Since it’s an official LEGO service, you’re guaranteed to get high-quality, brand-new bricks directly from the LEGO Group, at a fairly reasonable price. When ordering from Pick a Brick, you needn’t worry about dealing with multiple sellers, making for a more streamlined experience.
Pick a Brick does have both service and shipping fees, but unlike BrickLink, it is possible to have both these fees removed if you spend enough, meaning that more of your money can go towards LEGO bricks rather than fees. Shipping may be free, but it is far from fast. ‘Bestseller’ bricks ship in about the same time as regular orders, but ‘standard’ pieces can take upwards of a month to arrive. Stock can also be somewhat limited, only offering pieces and colours currently in production.
While eBay is certainly the worst option for ordering LEGO bricks online, there’s no clear winner between BrickLink and Pick a Brick. Choosing which service is right for you will come down to what you need, when you need it and what you want to pay. To make sure you’re getting the best deals, be sure to shop around and check all your options the next time you need to buy some LEGO bricks.