Inventory App for Lego Bricks or your favorite modular building block
July 1, 2021 10:00 PM Subscribe
I am seeking apps or software that people use to inventory their lego bricks, sets, and collections.
I have a lot of legos in boxes, crates, and containers. Having the children do a rough sort based on color is not cutting it. My children have also mingled their various sets with the large general lego brick pile.
I need to get a grip on all these items. We do not have the original boxes but we did keep the instruction books for most of the kits. So my questions are:
* what is your organizational method for lego bricks and collections?
* what apps or software are you using to manage all your brick goodness?
My dream goal is to reconstitute the kits and have everything else logged.
I have a lot of legos in boxes, crates, and containers. Having the children do a rough sort based on color is not cutting it. My children have also mingled their various sets with the large general lego brick pile.
I need to get a grip on all these items. We do not have the original boxes but we did keep the instruction books for most of the kits. So my questions are:
* what is your organizational method for lego bricks and collections?
* what apps or software are you using to manage all your brick goodness?
My dream goal is to reconstitute the kits and have everything else logged.
For inventory management: rebrickable.com. Lets you enter all your parts lets you track what % of a set you have.
As for physical sorting/storing: always sort by type, not by color. It's easier to spot a 1x4 black brick in a sea of different-colored 1x4s than it is to spot the black 1x4 in a sea of black pieces.
posted by Dadoes at 12:51 AM on July 2, 2021 [2 favorites]
As for physical sorting/storing: always sort by type, not by color. It's easier to spot a 1x4 black brick in a sea of different-colored 1x4s than it is to spot the black 1x4 in a sea of black pieces.
posted by Dadoes at 12:51 AM on July 2, 2021 [2 favorites]
Response by poster: Oh man, I forgot to mention that I on OSX and iOS. Sorry about that. I am sorely tempted to hire a lego fanatic to help me sort all the loose bricks and recompose the sets. I want to sort out the lego situation before setting my next two projects forward.
posted by jadepearl at 1:51 AM on July 2, 2021
posted by jadepearl at 1:51 AM on July 2, 2021
Tip: don't sort by colour, sort by shape/brick type. Otherwise you'll be looking for a red 2x4 brick in a sea of other red bricks and it will be really annoying. Sorting by shape means you looking the 2x4 brick box and then just look for something red.
posted by EndsOfInvention at 2:31 AM on July 2, 2021 [2 favorites]
posted by EndsOfInvention at 2:31 AM on July 2, 2021 [2 favorites]
This is interesting. Kind of related, but still pretty cool.
posted by Master Gunner at 4:59 AM on July 2, 2021
posted by Master Gunner at 4:59 AM on July 2, 2021
For a first approximation, I really like box4blox. Each box is a set of four stacking trays with progressively finer sieves, basically, so that you get the largest pieces in the top tray, through progressively smaller sizes, and the tiniest pieces that are impossible to find in a big bin of loose pieces on the bottom. These could be very useful for you as a first-round separator of a big box of Lego.
Protip: an easy way to wash Lego pieces that have gotten sticky or dusty is to run them through the dishwasher, on the top shelf, in lingerie bags.
posted by Orlop at 6:09 AM on July 2, 2021
Protip: an easy way to wash Lego pieces that have gotten sticky or dusty is to run them through the dishwasher, on the top shelf, in lingerie bags.
posted by Orlop at 6:09 AM on July 2, 2021
I've also found Rebrickable to be an excellent way to create an inventory. If you know which sets you have, just enter their numbers and you'll have a full inventory of your parts. Then the functionality to suggest new builds based on the pieces you already have is very nifty.
I've also read many Lego fans recommending sorting by piece, not by colour but what's never been clear to me is how best to group pieces so that the end result is e.g. 20 boxes. Currently there's one box for minifigs, one for plates, one for wheels, one for Technic ... I suppose the next step would be boxes for small and large classic rectangular bricks, but I'm not sure what best practice is beyond that.
posted by Busy Old Fool at 6:50 AM on July 2, 2021
I've also read many Lego fans recommending sorting by piece, not by colour but what's never been clear to me is how best to group pieces so that the end result is e.g. 20 boxes. Currently there's one box for minifigs, one for plates, one for wheels, one for Technic ... I suppose the next step would be boxes for small and large classic rectangular bricks, but I'm not sure what best practice is beyond that.
posted by Busy Old Fool at 6:50 AM on July 2, 2021
it really depends on the size of the collection and how many containers you have. Start with the big and easy categories: regular bricks, plates, round/slope bricks, wedge/wing plates, wheels & tires, doors&windows, minifigs and accessories, decorative parts (like the transparent round 1x1 plates, tiles), base plates, weird bulky stuff you only have one of like windshields/cockpits/wings/boat parts, plants & animals, technic parts. then only the weird tiny parts will remain: special 1x1 plates with hooks/rings, antennas etc. For these fishing or jewelry boxes are best, preferably transparent. That should give you a start and you dont need too many containers. Then subdivide further if needed.
If the goal is to reconstitute the sets that should be enough to get going. Rebrickable has inventories for all sets so you can just work down the list and put the completed sets in ziploc/freezer bags, as they are transparent and sturdy enough for storage. Make a note of any missing parts, because you may find them later.
Also see https://news.lugnet.com/storage/?n=707 for further inspiration, but beyond stage 9 lies madness :)
posted by Dadoes at 7:38 AM on July 2, 2021
If the goal is to reconstitute the sets that should be enough to get going. Rebrickable has inventories for all sets so you can just work down the list and put the completed sets in ziploc/freezer bags, as they are transparent and sturdy enough for storage. Make a note of any missing parts, because you may find them later.
Also see https://news.lugnet.com/storage/?n=707 for further inspiration, but beyond stage 9 lies madness :)
posted by Dadoes at 7:38 AM on July 2, 2021
My (25yo) son who has been collecting Legos for years uses Brick Economy, but that might not be appropriate for your needs. He does say that he very much wishes he'd started tracking and organizing his older sets much sooner. I believe he keeps them bagged and marked by set, but I'm not certain. Which sets he and his girlfriend have on display changes regularly.
posted by stormyteal at 11:50 AM on July 2, 2021
posted by stormyteal at 11:50 AM on July 2, 2021
I made my own lego sorting box based on the Blox4blox which was not available to purchase when I needed it. I used this Youtube video as the model, but I just drilled smaller and smaller holes instead of the long slits. This sorter works very well to get all the tiny technic and ninjago elements` sorted from snots, bricks and plates.
Tom Alphin has a great article about sorting, and he has a pretty intense labeling system.
I have only sorted lego for afterschool and school library programs, and what I ultimately decided was creativity- meaning free builds, was the most important aspect, and the kids did more and better builds when things had a rough organization- so I did do bricks/plates in big tubs, and then i purchased these boxes from Harbor Freight for more specialty pieces. The first link is for smaller things like technic and ninjago stuff, and the bigger box (second link) is for architecture things (doors, windows, roof tiles), mini figs, and one for vehicle parts.
If your goal is to have your sets completed, the best thing to do is to sort with zip lock bags, and then use totes to store by theme. You can use the instructions and sort through the lego a little bit at a time. If your goal is to free build, and you have dedicated space I would follow what Tom Alphin did above. There are also great groups on Reddit where people share how they organized their lego.
posted by momochan at 3:34 PM on July 2, 2021
Tom Alphin has a great article about sorting, and he has a pretty intense labeling system.
I have only sorted lego for afterschool and school library programs, and what I ultimately decided was creativity- meaning free builds, was the most important aspect, and the kids did more and better builds when things had a rough organization- so I did do bricks/plates in big tubs, and then i purchased these boxes from Harbor Freight for more specialty pieces. The first link is for smaller things like technic and ninjago stuff, and the bigger box (second link) is for architecture things (doors, windows, roof tiles), mini figs, and one for vehicle parts.
If your goal is to have your sets completed, the best thing to do is to sort with zip lock bags, and then use totes to store by theme. You can use the instructions and sort through the lego a little bit at a time. If your goal is to free build, and you have dedicated space I would follow what Tom Alphin did above. There are also great groups on Reddit where people share how they organized their lego.
posted by momochan at 3:34 PM on July 2, 2021
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posted by BobTheScientist at 10:53 PM on July 1, 2021