What is the best way to sort a bulk lot of sets thrown together?

[DoNotInsertIntoMouth]

Alright so I just got a couple of bins that include 10 Star Wars sets assumed to be complete. What is the best way to sort them? I have never done it before.

 

Sort them by color all at once, then try to put them together?

 

Just build them one by one out of the bin?

 

Try to sort the obvious pieces first and then just sort them set by set?

 

I am a bit lost. lol.

[boxofcorey]

Obvious pieces first, obviously.

 

Alright so I just got a couple of bins that include 10 Star Wars sets assumed to be complete. What is the best way to sort them? I have never done it before.

 

Sort them by color all at once, then try to put them together?

 

Just build them one by one out of the bin?

 

Try to sort the obvious pieces first and then just sort them set by set?

 

I am a bit lost. lol.

 

I don't advise trying this.

 

Usually you can sort them by "theme colors", but first thing I would take out the obvious pieces and then begin sorting them into piles that you think they belong in. For example I found a 6210 Sail Barge, so I starting sorting the browns, tans, etc. into a pile as it will make it easier when you try to put it together.

 

If you are going to sort, I would advise not doing it by color but instead by size... it's much easier to find a 1x1 slope in a pile of like size pieces than it is to find the same piece in a tote full of black pieces. Just my thoughts from experience... oh, and you're better off just diving into the whole thing before planning too much, I have always over-thought the process and it's taken much longer than it should.

[boxofcorey]

Oh, and clear plastic totes are your best friend. And if the minifigs aren't separated in plastic bags, I would throw all the heads, torsos, weapons, completed figs, etc. into a bin of their own to go through after... I've found hundreds of sought after minifigs in these lots that don't belong to any of the sets I purchased, so you never know what you'll find in there.

 

I'm sure I forgot something, but I'll post again if I think of any suggestions to make it easier.

[ctoddlight]

Obvious pieces first, obviously.

 

 

I don't advise trying this.

 

Usually you can sort them by "theme colors", but first thing I would take out the obvious pieces and then begin sorting them into piles that you think they belong in. For example I found a 6210 Sail Barge, so I starting sorting the browns, tans, etc. into a pile as it will make it easier when you try to put it together.

 

If you are going to sort, I would advise not doing it by color but instead by size... it's much easier to find a 1x1 slope in a pile of like size pieces than it is to find the same piece in a tote full of black pieces. Just my thoughts from experience... oh, and you're better off just diving into the whole thing before planning too much, I have always over-thought the process and it's taken much longer than it should.

 

I second this emotion.  I generally go size and shape rather than color because it is easier to pick things out of those categories by color than vice-versa.  I generally get a bit anxious to start putting things together, so I have one or two sets of instructions in front of me while I am sorting and sort in an order that helps me get started--if the first step has large plates I make plates one of things that I look for first, etc.  I find that, while it may not be as efficient, it keeps me more interested in the whole sorting process.

[Huskers1236]

Sorting by size is a good idea, I'm usually a color guy, but yeah, it can be hard to find that cheese wedge in the pile.  I usually sort out the large plates pieces from each color pile as well so that they aren't constantly in the way. 

[akohns]

Here's my method,

 

1. Gather a few smaller containers and a few larger containers. Clear plastic are usually the best. For shuffling loose parts shallow under the bed plastic containers are awesome.

2. Pick out all minifigures and accessories as well as any parts that catch your eye into 1 or more smaller containers.

3. use one of the larger boxes to throw larger chunks of put together pieces. NOTE: I try to take appart anything that looks MOC and leave everything that looks like part of an actual set. It will save time on you later because those pieces will already be together and it gives you clues on what sets you might already have.

4. Once I've got 2. & 3. done I should have a fairly easy to sort box of pieces. I start another box of larger pieces like wall panels and windshelds and larger plates (usually 4x4 or larger) to help make the box easy to sort. I frequently use the Lego Head sorter at this point picking out any thing I see along the way and dump large pieces from the first Head sorter section into one box, pieces from the second section into another box and so on.

 

This will leave you with a box or boxes of:

Minifigures & accessories

large set chunks

large individual pieces

large pieces

meduim pieces

smallest pieces

 

I find this is the easiest way to quickly tame a larger collection so that you can actually find pieces. Of course as you're looking you'll be throwing pieces that didn't sort right through the Head sorter into the correct box but it also makes it a lot easier to move the pieces around rather than having pieces of different sizes mixes together.

[MartinP]

Never ever try to put a set together from the bin. It is horrible. I did that two years ago, and it took me a week to put together four Star Wars sets. I would sort it by size and color.

[akohns]

Sorting by size is a good idea, I'm usually a color guy, but yeah, it can be hard to find that cheese wedge in the pile.  I usually sort out the large plates pieces from each color pile as well so that they aren't constantly in the way. 

Yeah, sorting by color just leaves you with way less contrast between pieces. If you've got a lot of the SAME pieces I would split it by colors.

[boxofcorey]

Yeah, sorting by color just leaves you with way less contrast between pieces. If you've got a lot of the SAME pieces I would split it by colors.

 

I would also sort by color if you have a lot of sand green / tan, or something that indicates a theme specific trend within the lot.

[DoNotInsertIntoMouth]

Oh, and clear plastic totes are your best friend. And if the minifigs aren't separated in plastic bags, I would throw all the heads, torsos, weapons, completed figs, etc. into a bin of their own to go through after... I've found hundreds of sought after minifigs in these lots that don't belong to any of the sets I purchased, so you never know what you'll find in there.

 

I'm sure I forgot something, but I'll post again if I think of any suggestions to make it easier.

 

Luckily the minifigs are already separate - and some of the sets are already built. Awesome help though guys. Gonna be a long few days. Lol

[peculiar23]

I agree no sorting by color, the rest of this is all good advice and generally what i do as well. The only thing I might add is i sort out bricks. plates and slopes into separate bins as well as these are the most common elements.

[Grolim]

I have done this recently on one huge lot of 50 sets and one smaller lot of about 10.  Do you know what sets are in there or should be in there?  If you do then you can start by pulling out the obvious larger bits, printed/stickered parts, minifigs for each known set.  Then pull out all the large parts like plates and stack them together.  Then I went through the bricklink inventory lists for each one and put them into bags.  

 

It's hard at first but as your finding pile gets smaller things get faster.  Good luck. 

[DoNotInsertIntoMouth]

I have done this recently on one huge lot of 50 sets and one smaller lot of about 10.  Do you know what sets are in there or should be in there?  If you do then you can start by pulling out the obvious larger bits, printed/stickered parts, minifigs for each known set.  Then pull out all the large parts like plates and stack them together.  Then I went through the bricklink inventory lists for each one and put them into bags.  

 

It's hard at first but as your finding pile gets smaller things get faster.  Good luck. 

 

I do know whats in there and have the instructions so that should make it easier. I am planning on trying to sort the obvious, then guessing some, and then working the rest out as I build each set.

 

I can't imagine a 50 set lot. Shoot me.

[MartinP]

I do know whats in there and have the instructions so that should make it easier. I am planning on trying to sort the obvious, then guessing some, and then working the rest out as I build each set.

 

I can't imagine a 50 set lot. Shoot me.

It all depends on how big the sets are in a bulk lot. There could be 50 battle packs in bulk and that is a lot easier than 50 UCS sized sets in bulk.

[DoNotInsertIntoMouth]

It all depends on how big the sets are in a bulk lot. There could be 50 battle packs in bulk and that is a lot easier than 50 UCS sized sets in bulk.

 

There would be a big difference in price too

[MartinP]

There would be a big difference in price too

50 battle pack at $10 each = $500

50 UCS sized set at $100 - $500 each = $5000 - $25000

Negotiating is always possible.

[CNH1974]

I sort the bricks by color

But separate out

Large plates 2x or higher

Small plates 1x

Slopes

Windows

Wheels

Minifigs and their accessories

1x1 plates

Clips

Tiles

Trees flowers

Technic into separate beams, bushes, connectors

Think that's it. It changes slightly each time I do it. And depends on the size of the lot. There is no exact science.

There's a 84kg lot ending in just under 2 days, tempting..... But would take me about a year to sort and dispose of :)

[matt1147]

Once you have them sorted using the advice given above, then I sort them into sets using the parts list off peeron. I actually print off the lists so I can check them off as I go. (You can use the list in the booklets too, but can't mark in them then). This is a lot quicker than trying to build the sets from the sorted piles and allows you to already have a list of missing pieces to then order from brick link.

This part can be tedious, but if you love building Lego as I do, I find it fun!

Good luck and nice score once again!

[redcell]

Alright so I just got a couple of bins that include 10 Star Wars sets assumed to be complete. What is the best way to sort them? I have never done it before.

 

Sort them by color all at once, then try to put them together?

 

Just build them one by one out of the bin?

 

Try to sort the obvious pieces first and then just sort them set by set?

 

I am a bit lost. lol.

 

That's not a lot to sort so it would probably be easiest to sort by size and shape.  I'd start by sorting all of the bricks, the non-modified plates, and the minifigure parts into three piles.  Then I'd go through the bricks and separate out all of the 1x1s, 2x1s, 3x1s, 4x1s, 6x1s, 8x1s, and all of the others into discrete piles.  Then I'd do the same for the plates.  That should cut your volume of unsorted pieces down.  From there, I'd figure out what makes sense to sort out to make it easier to pull the inventory for individual sets back together.   

[Grolim]

I do know whats in there and have the instructions so that should make it easier. I am planning on trying to sort the obvious, then guessing some, and then working the rest out as I build each set.

 

I can't imagine a 50 set lot. Shoot me.

 

 

Yeah that sounds good.  I built quite a few as well, just using the instructions to pull pieces out.  The ones I didn't want to build I inventory part listed them out.  Some of the bigger sets I did both and actually picked up a few bits I had missed the first time around.

 

The 50 sets was entirely my fault, I went into a bit of a mini dark ages around 2006 when we had kids coming and we then moved house.  I stupidly dismantled my Star Wars collection and threw it all in a big tub together    It has taken me over 6 months to sort it all out.

[Gkorneev]

Never ever try to put a set together from the bin. It is horrible. I did that two years ago, and it took me a week to put together four Star Wars sets. I would sort it by size and color.

I second this piece of advice. Especially if any parts are missing, you end up wasting a lot of time hunting.

Lots of good advice here, all around.

[Gkorneev]

Once you have them sorted using the advice given above, then I sort them into sets using the parts list off peeron. I actually print off the lists so I can check them off as I go. (You can use the list in the booklets too, but can't mark in them then). This is a lot quicker than trying to build the sets from the sorted piles and allows you to already have a list of missing pieces to then order from brick link.

This part can be tedious, but if you love building Lego as I do, I find it fun!

Good luck and nice score once again!

I was wondering what to do with incomplete sets, how to get them finished and I think this is the answer! Great advice.

Also there is less chance of something bad happening to the instructions.

[CNH1974]

I think it depends on the value of the sets you are selling.

 

For example Willy431 has just scored a 6399 Monorail, Airport Shuttle. It does not look 100% complete a few pieces like trees are missing. As this is a $375 set I would try to complete it.

 

But if it was a $10-$50 set I would not bother.

[Huskers1236]

I was wondering what to do with incomplete sets, how to get them finished and I think this is the answer! Great advice.

Also there is less chance of something bad happening to the instructions.

For me, it all depends on the value of the set, and how much I need to finish it.  It all comes down to money and my time.  If i need a bunch of parts, but the set will go for $100, I do it.  Same goes for a smaller set.  If it's a $30 set, and I only need one small bricklink order, I'll order them.  If I need $7 of parts for a $25 set, it's not worth my time and I bulk it out to another bricklink seller I know that is always wanting parts for the store. 

 

I probably make a little less money this way, but making $15 on a set that I have spent a couple hours on is not worth my time, so I've gotten quite a bit pickier about the lots I choose, especially on ebay, which has gotten much more competitive to get lots.

[tonysbricks]

My general rule: complete sets worth $50 or more, unless it will cost more than 25% of it's value to complete. I haven't dealt with the extreme max side of the scale, $400 is about the highest value set I have completed/sold so not sure what my rule would be ... I think if I found a cafe corner or something I would go for the complete up to the break even point, just to have built it