Organization system

[Brickson]

Hey guys,

So of course I've read a lot on this subject, but out of a bit of annoyance I decided to rethink it a bit. I've organized by color, and sometimes particular types. Similar to the system you usually see in pics/vids. Maybe this idea sounds like a "noob" system because it's not entirely accurate and there will be duplication. I've also come up with it largely because I don't have enough pieces, and don't want to keep opening my "investment" sets (I've opened $2000 in lego in 4 months). But I want to keep building. I also think this system might be easier and more conducive to sitting down and having fun rather than spending so much time searching for pieces. Lately I've been buying/opening sets based on their colors/theme. I'm mostly interested in old school ninjas, adventures, and some of the new ninjago stuff like fire temple, blacksmith, etc. Having seen some amazing MOCs, I've made attempts at them but usually end up frustrated because it's difficult to find pieces for that, and I need to leave it incomplete until later. It's difficult to determine if I have enough pieces to make something before I start. So I was thinking about sorting using buckets of similar styled sets, built things, or bags.

Basically when I get these sets, I throw them in the Old West bucket:

http://brickset.com/sets/70800-1/Getaway-Glider 

http://brickset.com/sets/70813-1/Rescue-Reinforcements - Just the brown helicopter

 

When I get these sets, I throw them in the egypt/adventures bucket.

http://brickset.com/sets/5988-1/The-Temple-of-Anubis

http://brickset.com/sets/5958-1/Mummy-s-Tomb

 

When I get these sets, I throw them in the Classic Ninja bucket.

http://brickset.com/sets/6093-1/Flying-Ninja-Fortress

http://brickset.com/sets/6088-1

 

When I get these sets, I throw them in the Modern Ninjas bucket.

http://brickset.com/sets/2507-1/Fire-Temple - Dragon might go in a dragon bucket

http://brickset.com/sets/6918-1/Blacksmith-Attack

 

My goal is to build the Classic Ninjas and upgrade the to a modern style.

 

Other buckets might be a Classic Space, Modern Space (benny), Batman, etc. When the bucket gets big enough, I can have confidence I can start and finish something without a problem. My question is has anybody else done this, still doing this, what did/do you think?

[Zelgazra]

I think it's a decent middle ground for storage space vs organizing, but inevitably when you're building your MOC(s) there's always going to be that one piece that's in the other bucket. Always. Which is why I think those with tons of space and patience to sort have a little bin for every type of brick. Which is hundreds of bins. And lots of space. 

I find the human mind doesn't have much trouble zoning in to a specific colour when you're 'brick picking', what I find annoying is those little pieces that slip to the bottom of the box. Due to lack of space, I've sorted my bulk into about 10 tubs sorted roughly by brick size (tiles 1x1 to bricks 1x1, plates 1x2 to 1x6, plates 2x2 to 2x10, big plates 2x12 and larger 4x 6x etc, bricks 1x2 to 1x6) etc etc. All colours mixed together. If i know the brick I'm looking for, I at least know it's going to be in a specific bucket somewhere, rather than your new system where it's uncertain whether that one small piece will be in your Old West vs Adventurers tub.  

Edited July 6, 2015 by Zelgazra

[Quacs]

I think it's a decent middle ground for storage space vs organizing, but inevitably when you're building your MOC(s) there's always going to be that one piece that's in the other bucket. Always. Which is why I think those with tons of space and patience to sort have a little bin for every type of brick. Which is hundreds of bins. And lots of space. 

I find the human mind doesn't have much trouble zoning in to a specific colour when you're 'brick picking', what I find annoying is those little pieces that slip to the bottom of the box. Due to lack of space, I've sorted my bulk into about 10 tubs sorted roughly by brick size (tiles 1x1 to bricks 1x1, plates 1x2 to 1x6, plates 2x2 to 2x10, big plates 2x12 and larger 4x 6x etc, bricks 1x2 to 1x6) etc etc. All colours mixed together. If i know the brick I'm looking for, I at least know it's going to be in a given bucket somewhere, rather than your new system where it's uncertain whether that one small piece will be in your Old West vs Adventurers tub.  

I agree with this.  While sorting bulk, I do the same - group similar brick types together.  

I suppose the approach you outline works best if you're looking for further inspiration for MOCs.  Otherwise, if you've got the idea(s), I would sort by type.

[Brickson]

I think it's a decent middle ground for storage space vs organizing, but inevitably when you're building your MOC(s) there's always going to be that one piece that's in the other bucket. Always. Which is why I think those with tons of space and patience to sort have a little bin for every type of brick. Which is hundreds of bins. And lots of space. 

I find the human mind doesn't have much trouble zoning in to a specific colour when you're 'brick picking', what I find annoying is those little pieces that slip to the bottom of the box. Due to lack of space, I've sorted my bulk into about 10 tubs sorted roughly by brick size (tiles 1x1 to bricks 1x1, plates 1x2 to 1x6, plates 2x2 to 2x10, big plates 2x12 and larger 4x 6x etc, bricks 1x2 to 1x6) etc etc. All colours mixed together. If i know the brick I'm looking for, I at least know it's going to be in a specific bucket somewhere, rather than your new system where it's uncertain whether that one small piece will be in your Old West vs Adventurers tub.  

Thanks for that. That also has me thinking, what about a size separation system, small medium large pieces, also by theme or color. There is those lego heads that sort by size, maybe a better one could be made though.. throw it in 1 of 3 cardboard boxes with holes and shake.

PS. Nice "brick picking" drop

[gregpj]

Thanks for that. That also has me thinking, what about a size separation system, small medium large pieces, also by theme or color. There is those lego heads that sort by size, maybe a better one could be made though.. throw it in 1 of 3 cardboard boxes with holes and shake.

PS. Nice "brick picking" drop

The Lego heads don't sort well at all. Type and then size is how we do our small piece bulk. Bigger pieces are sorted by type and color. Specific things like axles are always grouped by color since the color is meaningful. We also don't mix printed pieces with regular pieces normally.

[thoroakenfelder]

I've been spending a loooooot of time lately sorting by element into baggies. I am then going to take those baggies and put them into bins like 1x? flat, 1x? brick, 2x? flat, 2x? brick, other flats and bricks, other elements and minifigures, parts, and accessories. I have gone too far to stop now, but I am sick of digging through random stuff looking for a specific piece. Even by color is too tedious and I tend to miss what I am looking for.

[Alpinemaps]

I've been spending a loooooot of time lately sorting by element into baggies. I am then going to take those baggies and put them into bins like 1x? flat, 1x? brick, 2x? flat, 2x? brick, other flats and bricks, other elements and minifigures, parts, and accessories. I have gone too far to stop now, but I am sick of digging through random stuff looking for a specific piece. Even by color is too tedious and I tend to miss what I am looking for.

That's how I've been doing it but dang it's slow.

[Brickson]

That's how I've been doing it but dang it's slow.

Yah it's slow. Too slow. I gave up on that and switched to color. Even that was slow. So I took a tip from the way LEGO packs their colors, by shades, so I'm now putting things that are even just similar shade together.

Still, this doesn't solve the MOC issue, if I'm winging it. And there's the issue of size, rummaging through to find that specific piece.

I wish we had a 3D scanner that just organized things perfectly. Get a piece, rotate it, get a 3D scan, categorize it, find the right bin and go to the next piece.

Edited July 7, 2015 by Brickson

[ISO8T0]

The more organized you are the more time you will spend building verses hunting for your pieces. I personally wouldn't recommend the "bucket type" storying UNLESS you have a nice big table (we use a kids Nilo table b/c it has sides) to dump the bucket on.  With the pieces spread out on the table it cuts your search time down and makes the pieces easy to find.

We have a bin for minifigs & minifig parts. Then we have a bin for plates. We have 2-3 bins for other bigger bricks. All specialty pieces are sorted by part, not color, in (2) of these. 

Each of the drawers is labeled with a little piece of paper with a part on it like this

 

For the "bins" we use the TROFAST bins from IKEA.

 

 

 

[lego rules]

Yah it's slow. Too slow. I gave up on that and switched to color. Even that was slow. So I took a tip from the way LEGO packs their colors, by shades, so I'm now putting things that are even just similar shade together.

Still, this doesn't solve the MOC issue, if I'm winging it. And there's the issue of size, rummaging through to find that specific piece.

I wish we had a 3D scanner that just organized things perfectly. Get a piece, rotate it, get a 3D scan, categorize it, find the right bin and go to the next piece.

I believe Autodesk has an app for 3D scanning from your phone.

[Brickson]

I believe Autodesk has an app for 3D scanning from your phone.

Haha funny guy

[lego rules]

Haha funny guy

I wasn't joking.

[ISO8T0]

BOOM!!!

123D Catch is a free app that lets you create 3D scans of virtually any object.

[Brian Briggs]

In my opinion, sorting by theme isn't very helpful when you're searching for a specific brick/element. Sorting by color is better than that I guess. Personally, I'm sorting my bricks by type of brick/element as I find it easier to pick a red 1x1x1 brick from a collection of different-colored 1x1x1 bricks than from an assortment of all-red bricks/elements in various sizes.

[jmdt]

With new sets do you also sort in the ways above or do you keep sets together?

[ISO8T0]

With new sets do you also sort in the ways above or do you keep sets together?

to whom are you asking?

[thoroakenfelder]

With new sets do you also sort in the ways above or do you keep sets together?

As I part out new sets, I have been separating them the same, just into bags for new parts only.

[jmdt]

to whom are you asking?

Sorry for the lack of clarity! I was asking a general question. Right now we keep our full sets separate from our bulk (which is sorted). I was wondering what other people do and the advantages of sorting everything together.

[thoroakenfelder]

Sorry for the lack of clarity! I was asking a general question. Right now we keep our full sets separate from our bulk (which is sorted). I was wondering what other people do and the advantages of sorting everything together.

Oh, no I wouldn't put sets that I want to have as sets into the sorting bin. That just leads to a lot of extra time spent first sorting the set and then finding the pieces later when I want to do whatever it is I intended to do with it. Building or selling the set later, I would just bundle all of those pieces together in a single place.

[ISO8T0]

No worries.

I don't think this is a straight forward answer as it will vary from person to person, whether they build and display, build MOCs etc etc, but I'll chime in on what I do.

In our collection of lego we have sets that are mixed in with lego that were purchased in bulk lots.

When we get new larger sets I like to package up older larger sets and take them out of "rotation". This helps keep the amount of legos out at one time manageable.

It can become an overwhelming mess very quickly if we don't do this.