We talk a lot about the value of a sealed LEGO set, and how it appreciates in value over time after the set has retired. This is just one way that a lot of people are making money selling LEGO online. There are many other ways to sell LEGO, and one of the most popular ways is to ‘part out’ the set and sell the pieces individually.
You can make money by parting out LEGO sets and selling the pieces. The part out value of the set is sometimes greater than the price you can pay for a sealed set while it is in production. You can buy a LEGO set and then part it out and sell the pieces online. In some cases, the part out value of a set can be over double or triple the amount of the original retail value of the set.
I know, it is pretty amazing that you can open up a box of LEGO and make money from it. It is certainly a fun way to make an income, and for many people, it has replaced their full time jobs. So how does it work? Let’s walk through it.
What is LEGO ‘part out value’?
Part-out value is the value of a LEGO set if you were to sell all of the individual pieces. In other words, if you open the setup and sell each piece, the amount of money you would have received after you have sold all of the pieces in the set is the part-out value.
There are several reasons why any LEGO enthusiast would want to sell LEGO parts. You might have a lot of those bricks or similar minifigures lying around the house, and you don’t know what to do with them. You probably want some extra money or you don’t enjoy the parts you have any longer. Whatever the case, selling a LEGO part is always a good idea. But it can be quite a challenge to determine the individual part-out value if it is included in a set.
If you’re trying to find the LEGO part-out value, then keep on reading because that’s what we’re going to talk about in the blog post below.
What’s a good LEGO set to part out?
You can’t just choose a random set from the shelves at the LEGO store and decide to part it out. Doing this will likely not be worth your time.
Some sets have a great part out value, while others are simply not worth it. Even sets that can be parted out and sold for a higher price than the retail price can often not be worth the work that you need to put in.
For example, if you buy a set for $100 and you figure out that the part out value is $160, some people may think that this is an amazing opportunity to make $60. However, parting out LEGO sets and selling individual pieces is a lot of work.
You will need to invest hours of your time, and when you subtract fees and the time you need to invest, you will not be earning enough to make it worthwhile.
With that in mind, many experienced sellers choose to only part out a LEGO set if the part out value is over 3 times greater than the price they are paying for the set.
In other words – if you buy that set for $100, then you should hope for a part out value of $300. This would make sure you are compensated for the time you put in.
How do you check the LEGO part-out value?
BrickLink is a great place to check the part out value of a LEGO set. This is because BrickLink gives us the ability to see the selling prices of each individual piece, and it will automatically calculate the overall average selling price for all of the pieces that make up a full set.
Here are two ways you can use BrickLink to check the part out value of a set.
BrickLink Price Guide
The easiest way to find the value of a LEGO part out is to go to BrickLink, specifically its Price Guide page. When you visit the page, you’ll see a section called View Price Guide Info, and another section on Part Out Value. Ignore the View Price Guide Info and head over directly to the Part Out Value section.
This section requires you to enter some information before you can continue. First, you need to determine whether the item you’re selling is a set, minifig, or gear. Next, you have to enter the LEGO item number, as well as the number of parts you have.
Then you have to determine whether you’re selling parts and whole minifigs, or parts including minifig parts. Next, input the item condition, as well as what’s included in the package (extra parts, box, instructions, or break sets).
After you click ‘Get Value’, you will then see the part out value for the set.
BrickLink Search
Another way you can determine the part-out value is to simply type the LEGO set number on BrickLink’s search box.
Once the result page appears, click the Part Out button. It will take you to the Select Set page where you have to enter the item details. The information on this page includes Default Condition, Prices, Comments, Remarks, and more. As you continue to input the required information, you will eventually be shown the part out value.
This is a slower way to check the part out value, because you are essentially beginning the actual part out process here just to check value. We recommend using the Price Guide method above.
As extensive as BrickLink’s LEGO parts and set database is, keep in mind that not all parts can be found on the website.
Where can I sell LEGO pieces?
BrickLink is a great place to start selling LEGO by the piece. It is owned by The LEGO Group, so we can have some level of confidence that this marketplace website will be around for a very long time.
Over the years, there has been considerable investment in making BrickLink a safe and reliable platform for selling LEGO. It has a massive catalog of pieces and sets, and offers some quick and easy tools for parting out and listing your pieces.
Two other popular places to sell LEGO parts include Brick Owl and eBay.
Some LEGO sellers use all three of these platforms together as part of their business. For example, you can cross-list your inventory of parts between BrickLink and Brick Owl. You can then also list your minifigures or rare pieces individually on eBay to reach a higher quantity of potential buyers.
Need tips on selling LEGO?
Selling LEGO pieces can be a great way to make a side income. Another place you can sell LEGO is eBay. Check out the tips we’ve listed about selling your LEGO on eBay here.
If you want to learn more about selling LEGO, head over to our YouTube channel where we make tons of videos teaching you about LEGO reselling and investing.
Now – go out there and get it!
