If you're a lover of LEGO, then we're already assuming you've heard about pick a brick, and if you haven't, then we'll include a section at the start of today's post to let you in on the worst kept secret in LEGO! Pick a brick is, for LEGO fans, akin to being a kid in a candy store - there are so many things to choose from, and you end up wanting EVERYTHING.
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But if you're careful about your LEGO pick a brick approach, you can master the LEGO pick a brick challenge and make it work for you. And that's why today's post is all about LEGO pick a brick tips to give you the guidance you need when you're next staring down that LEGO pick a brick wall in store or online!
What Is LEGO Pick A Brick?
LEGO pick a brick is a way for us LEGO lovers to get our hands on the specific bricks we need to build our own creations or enhance the sets we already have. LEGO basically gives you access to a bunch of their bricks, and you fill your cup (in store) or your basket (online) with the bricks you need. Heaven, right? But how does it work?
LEGO Store Pick A Brick
In store, there's a pick a brick wall that's full of LEGO bricks you can choose from. You pay for a cup, which you can reuse, and then fill the cup with as many bricks as you can fit in there. The pick a brick cup price is generally around $8.99 for a small cup, and $15.99 for a large, and that's all you pay for. Then you just fill the cup with the bricks you need and leave with your haul the very same day.
LEGO Online Pick A Brick
Online, it works slightly differently. LEGO just has their complete catalogue of available bricks available for you to see, and you click the ones you want, fill up your basket and then pay for the total at the end. You pay per brick, and most are only a few cents each, but when you're shopping online, that can rack up quick, so it's important to keep an eye on that basket price before you checkout. After that, LEGO will ship your new bricks to you, and they'll arrive in a few days' time.
LEGO Pick A Brick Tips
The LEGO pick a brick challenge is knowing how to get in and get out, taking what you need the most and leaving what you already have. But if you just take a look at pick a brick on a whim, you can end up with more of what you don't need. So, you need a game plan, and these LEGO pick a brick tips will help you there:
1. Learn Your Local LEGO Stores Delivery
The thing with pick a brick walls is that they disappear quick. We LEGO fans are like vultures, just circling around waiting for the bricks we need to complete our next build, so it's important to give yourself a slight advantage.
To do this, just ask! Talk to employees at the store and ask when they get fresh deliveries to fill up their pick a brick wall. If you've been shopping there for a while and they know your face, they should have no problem sharing that information with you.
Then, on the days you know their deliveries arrive, you can shop smarter, with a bigger choice of bricks from the pick a brick wall. Given that it's usually cheaper to shop pick a brick in store than it is online, this will save you money and get you the best rewards at the same time.
2. Order Your Cup
By order your cup, we mean think about how you're stacking bricks in there. Are you putting the smallest bricks at the bottom where the cup tapers slightly? Can you arrange the bricks in a better order to fit even more in? Can you stack them together to cram more in? Are you filling up every cm of wasted space?
The point is, when you're at the LEGO store, you only pay for the cup, so by fitting as many pieces as possible in, you're beating the system. At the end of the day, LEGO offers this service to get rid of spare parts, so do yourself a favor and pack your cups with as many bricks as possible. It's just smart shopping.
3. Save The Big Pieces For Online
If you target 2x2 and 1x1 bricks in store, you'll get way more bricks for your money. If you really need bigger bricks, like an 8x8, then consider purchasing only what you need online.
Shopping pick a brick online is especially good for larger pieces, since you aren't wasting space in a cup like you would be in store. So shop smarter when it comes to bigger LEGO pieces so you aren't wasting money.
4. Ask For Tape
This is a bit cheeky, but in life, you don't get if you don't ask, so seriously consider this. It works best if you're friendly with the LEGO employees because you shop there all the time, but even if you're new, just give it a go.
If you ask them for tape to use to close the lid, then you can squeeze a little more in. Some stores won't allow this because LEGO policy technically states that the lid of the cup has to fully snap closed, but not every store will take that to heart if you're a regular customer who always shops with them. Hey, it's worth a shot!
5. Check Your Inventory Before EVERY Shop
An obvious one, but we all forget to do it. Before shopping pick a brick, know what you really need and know what you have an abundance of. Then you can target the pieces that will benefit you most. If you don't, then you're just wasting money on things you don't need... That's all there is to say on this one.
Take-Home Message
Really when you shop pick a brick online or in store, the secret is having a good strategy (knowing what you need) and getting the most bricks for your money. It's that simple.
And if, after you've got all the bricks you need thanks to our pick a brick tips, you complete your build and decide it's missing something - why not consider purchasing one of our LEGO light kits? Here at Lightailing we offer DIY kits that you can build yourself with all the parts you need on our Accessories page, or you can shop for set specific kits that will really light up your LEGO world.
1 comment
Hugh van staden
I need lego bricks for my mint city