Among LEGO collectors and fans, BrickLink is a popular online site to acquire sets and pieces. And of course, it is also a popular place for LEGO resellers and investors to go to sell their inventory. But how does a seller on BrickLink stand out from other sellers to reach new buyers as well as maintain repeat customers? Even if you are an experienced online seller, there are a number of ways you can give yourself the best chance of growing your sales on BrickLink.
The best way to get more sales on BrickLink is to simply list more inventory. Having more items available in your store will almost certainly bring you more customers. However, another way you can achieve it is by aiming for more variety of items, or ‘lots’, in your store. By having more different types of items, you will increase the number of people who see what you have to offer.
Although there is always competition, with a number of sellers on every listing, there are a variety of ways you can draw customers to your BrickLink store and amass an ever increasing and loyal following.
There’s more to it of course. Let me explain.
How should I price my BrickLink items?
One of the most important aspects of getting sales in e-commerce is to have competitive pricing. This applies to all online marketplaces, and not just BrickLink. Buyers have an amount that they are willing to pay for a LEGO set, part, or minifigure. That number is different for each buyer, and some will pay more while others will pay less. But usually, even those who are willing to pay more will not do so if there are cheaper options available.
As BrickLink sellers, having competitive pricing can be extremely important, particularly in the beginning. When a buyer is viewing an item, they see a long list of sellers who have that item available, and this list is often sorted by lowest price at the top. That means that other sellers will be looked at before you if your item is priced too high.
If you want your items to be in front of customers as much as possible, then you need to be somewhere near the top of the price list. That doesn’t mean you need to be the lowest priced, but you do need to be competitive.
There are other strategies when it comes to pricing on BrickLink. For example, when your store grows, you can afford to increase prices because customers are more likely to buy from you when they can get all of the items they need from your store without ordering from other sellers in addition. Buyers will pay a premium for that luxury.
But if your goal is simply to drive more sales, then having competitive prices is crucial.
Does my BrickLink store name matter?
It may seem a small affair, but like any brick and mortar business, a catchy name can bring in more customers and keep them coming back simply by familiarity. Perhaps the best way to start choosing your store name is to actually eliminate some key words that are either over used or misleading. The word “block” for example would seem like an obvious word to build a store name from, but LEGO Group fans actually equate the word “block” with fake LEGO or non-LEGO products, so it’s best to avoid.
As you may have noticed, the word “brick” is very commonly associated with LEGO. Thousands of variations of a BrickLink store name with the word “brick” in it have been used. Websites dedicated to LEGO often use this word as a direct replacement for the word “LEGO” in website domain names, software tools and other items.
If you use the word “brick” in your store name, it will be noticeably related to LEGO for a lot of people. But you may also think that it lacks originality or uniqueness and is over-done. It really depends on whether you want to be another one of them, or you would rather have a more unique brand.
Think about what makes your store special or what it is about LEGO that brings you joy and try to begin with that in mind. In the end, a recognizable name with a good reputation behind it can bring customers in and keep them coming back. And once you’ve acquired a customer, giving them a coupon for their next visit doesn’t hurt either.
How can I increase my BrickLink inventory?
One of the biggest decisions BrickLink sellers have to make is whether they will be focusing on new and/or used sets or parts, or perhaps a mix of both. Let’s face it, new sets take up space but then so can a lot of individual parts especially when they all have to be organized so as to be easily located when sold.
I have a fairly limited time to maintain a BrickLink store, so I focus mainly on new and sealed sets. I’ve found this easy to manage although I understand there are BrickLink sellers who are generating a massive income from parting out sets and selling the pieces and mini figures. It’s also wise to research the ongoing prices of specific mini figures from sets and watch for those sets that have unique pieces that can be hard to find. City builders will always be in need of doors and frames as well as stairs and windows so these can be something to watch for when you’re acquiring inventory.
For those BrickLink sellers that are further in their journey and have larger stores, one of the most common ways to continue to increase inventory is to create partnerships with liquidation companies, resellers who want to sell their damaged-box inventory, and other businesses, so you can have a constant stream of supply at great prices. This is a more advanced sourcing strategy, but is a natural progression after a BrickLink seller reaches a certain point and it makes sense to graduate from only parting out new sets.
Don’t forget – if you are growing your inventory, you will need an inventory management system. One of the best ways that I’ve found for keeping your LEGO parts organized is by using small drawer units, and numbering them. With numbered drawers, you will quickly and easily be able to find the parts you need to fulfill orders.
The drawer unit that I recommend is the Akro-Mils unit.
Does my brand matter on BrickLink?
Once you have inventory in your open BrickLink store, your items are searchable by potential customers with a variety of sort options such as lowest price or highest quantity. In order to acquire customers, however, it pays to get your store name wherever LEGO fans might be. Do you have a YouTube channel for example? Simply place a link in your videos and you might be surprised how much traffic it can bring. It doesn’t cost you anything and it stays on your video permanently until you remove it. I have a LEGO channel on YouTube and have just recently started placing a link to my BrickLink store in my video descriptions. Same goes for all social media as you may have guessed.
Start a separate page on your Facebook account for example and post relevant LEGO content that may lead to a sale for those particular parts or sets. Instagram is a great place to show how you organize your inventory or how carefully you pack your orders for your customers. The LEGO community online is not unlike a neighborhood where word of mouth can make or break your reputation so don’t hesitate to get involved with other LEGO enthusiasts.
If you have sold LEGO by another method locally, offer your BrickLink store information to your customers and advise them that they can keep track of what sets and pieces you are currently stocking by checking your BrickLink store. Offer them an incentive such as a discount pricing through BrickLink if they can meet again for purchases.
After you’ve decided on branding for your store, you may also have questions about whether you want to focus only on LEGO parts, only on sets, or other. There is actually a variety of different things you can sell on BrickLink. We wrote an article that walks through them all – you can check it out here.
Do I need to know a lot about LEGO to be a LEGO seller?
If you look at your inventory as product alone, you may be limiting your reach for potential buyers. Chances are, if you have decided to sell LEGO on BrickLink or elsewhere, it’s because you have built LEGO and really enjoyed it and understand it’s appeal. Building an occasional set can also give you insight on which pieces go together to make a larger, more desirable assembly.
Knowing about the history of LEGO themes and which themes are most popular can help you zero in on inventory that has the best chance of selling. Remember that any theme can have a big and loyal following whether you like that theme or not. The only way to know is to research sold listing of those themes on Ebay and look at prices of retired sets on Amazon and elsewhere.
Nothing is wrong with stopping by your local LEGO stores and asking the sales personnel what seems to be the most popular items lately. Don’t forget that pop culture can drive demand also so be aware of related movies and events that could bolster a certain theme’s popularity. For example, fourth Quarter sales(October through December) are always something to look forward to, but April each year brings renewed interest in Star Wars sets leading up to May the Fourth, a special day for Star Wars fans everywhere. If LEGO is a passion for you, then selling becomes more of an enjoyable pastime rather than a peddling of product.
Final thoughts
BrickLink is an incredible marketplace for anyone who wants to sell LEGO to make a part-time or full-time income. It can be time-consuming to build a business selling LEGO parts, but it can also be extremely rewarding. By doubling down on growing your inventory and growing your lot count on BrickLink, you will put your inventory in front of more buyers, increase your sales, and grow your business.
If you want to learn more about being successful on BrickLink, here’s a great article that walks through 9 ultimate tips for success as a BrickLink seller.
