Extra bricks: is there a rhyme or a reason?

[lobo1969]

Anybody figure out a pattern or logic to LEGO including extra bricks to new sets other than just providing a small bonus? I don't build alot and I don't open multiples of the same set to notice a pattern. Maybe the parting out people can indicate if multiples of the same set have the exact number and type of bonus bricks? Or is it truely random in what you recieve in any given set.

Sometimes when building sets in the 1000 piece range or more I am sometimes amazed that I'll have maybe 20 bricks left over, though I'm sure I completed the model 100% completely, lol! I can't say for sure because I'll never take the time to do a brick inventory count. But small sets of 100 or so bricks always seem to leave me with around 5 extra random bricks.

[@rtisan]

They seem to give you extras of the parts that are "more likely" to be lost. I.E. 1x1s, technic pieces, tiny plates. Or if there are lots of a certain part in the set. It`s not a bonus really, and it takes care of people who do lose a piece or two while building. Cost for Lego is negligable in exchange for not having people call CS every time they can`t find something. Definetely helps keep that kind of traffic down. That`s always been my take on it at least.

[DoNotInsertIntoMouth]

It would make sense if they looked at what pieces were called in about the most for each type of set and then used that data. But I am not sure thats what happens.

 

I mean, in every LOTR set with a ring in it, it comes with two extras. lol. 

[MartinP]

It would make sense if they looked at what pieces were called in about the most for each type of set and then used that data. But I am not sure thats what happens.

 

I mean, in every LOTR set with a ring in it, it comes with two extras. lol. 

That is probably what Lego did in the past, now they probably have a system where they ad an extra of every small piece that is in the set. I got a lot of extra pieces when I was building the Pet Shop.

[holleman67]

It would make sense if they looked at what pieces were called in about the most for each type of set and then used that data. But I am not sure thats what happens.

I mean, in every LOTR set with a ring in it, it comes with two extras. lol.

I.noticed that as well, plenty of rings and few extra swords

[comicblast]

Has anyone ever tried cross referencing the pieces that come in a set with the designated amount of a certain piece specified in the instructions manual? That might give a clue, if the piece count on the manual is consistant with the extra pieces.

[MartinP]

Has anyone ever tried cross referencing the pieces that come in a set with the designated amount of a certain piece specified in the instructions manual? That might give a clue, if the piece count on the manual is consistant with the extra pieces.

Do you mean the pages in the back of the instruction manual that has an overview of all the pieces in the set? 

[comicblast]

Do you mean the pages in the back of the instruction manual that has an overview of all the pieces in the set? 

Exactly, my fellow Brick Trader. 

[MartinP]

Sounds like a good experiment to do. Now all I have to do is find a small enough set to check. I'm definitely not going to check on one of my modulars.

[TheOrcKing]

I usually find it's the very small pieces like anything in the 1x1 size range that have extras from the largest sets to the smallest polybags so it could be that Lego includes a couple extras of the parts that either can get lost easily or broken. I have heard that each of the current Ninjago sets include two scarfs for every ninja in the set which could reinforce that theory. There also is the factor of weight the system checks for as the bags get filled and a single stud weighs like what? 1/16 of an ounce? :dontknow:

[MartinP]

I usually find it's the very small pieces like anything in the 1x1 size range that have extras from the largest sets to the smallest polybags so it could be that Lego includes a couple extras of the parts that either can get lost easily or broken. I have heard that each of the current Ninjago sets include two scarfs for every ninja in the set which could reinforce that theory. There also is the factor of weight the system checks for as the bags get filled and a single stud weighs like what? 1/16 of an ounce?

To answer your question, a simple 1 x 1 stud weighs about 0.12 grams, which is 0.004 ounces. Very, very light. I never knew Lego weighed that little.

[CNH1974]

To answer your question, a simple 1 x 1 stud weighs about 0.12 grams, which is 0.004 ounces. Very, very light. I never knew Lego weighed that little.

Yup it does. To verify your calculation, I just weighed 8 1x1 round plates. Exactly 1 gram.

But if lego did it by weight surely you would get doubles and triples of every 1x1 piece? I had about 30 extra pieces over when I built the Mini Modular, mainly 1x1s but certainly not an extra of every type.

[j.hermit]

From what I understand, it's due to how Lego packages its sets.  When a bag's being filled up, a machine feeds out the proper pieces in correct quantities based on weight.  As mentioned, 1x1's are ridiculously light, so rather than design a machine that can sort and distribute pieces of that weight to exact tolerances, they just tell the machine to spit out an extra part instead.  That way, if the scale in the machine reads heavy and doesn't include a piece, there's an extra to make up for it and the set can still be completed.  Occasionally there's more than one extra of a piece- my wife got a Farnsworth house which contains 238 white 1x1 plates, and I think it had 5 or 6 extra of that piece.  I figure that after a certain quantity it'll throw in a extra to compensate for variance.

 

There's also a second class of extra pieces, which I assume are doubled because the pieces are prone to breakage.  This includes most of the softer, bendable pieces or anything with a string. 

[MartinP]

Yup it does. To verify your calculation, I just weighed 8 1x1 round plates. Exactly 1 gram.

But if lego did it by weight surely you would get doubles and triples of every 1x1 piece? I had about 30 extra pieces over when I built the Mini Modular, mainly 1x1s but certainly not an extra of every type.

I just checked the weight on Bricklink and then converted it to ounces. I noticed that I had extra pieces of all the smaller pieces, but every single extra piece was different.

[CNH1974]

Recently I got a load of 1x1, and others, pieces from the PAB section. 100 1x1 pieces weighed 6.2g but I always weighed out. 6.4g to make sure people definitely received at least 102 pieces.

[lobo1969]

Has anyone ever tried cross referencing the pieces that come in a set with the designated amount of a certain piece specified in the instructions manual? That might give a clue, if the piece count on the manual is consistant with the extra pieces.

I just checked this yesterday with a 40086 Easter Bunny set. The five extra pieces I got were not counted in the end of manual inventory count. I have 5 extra parts and sure enough mostly small 1x1 bricks. If someone opened the same set we can compare notes on what is included extra.

[jnorlund]

I just checked this yesterday with a 40086 Easter Bunny set. The five extra pieces I got were not counted in the end of manual inventory count. I have 5 extra parts and sure enough mostly small 1x1 bricks. If someone opened the same set we can compare notes on what is included extra.

Yes I believe the recent Luthor Power Suit had extra stuff not in the list too.

[shooter5113]

I just checked this yesterday with a 40086 Easter Bunny set. The five extra pieces I got were not counted in the end of manual inventory count. I have 5 extra parts and sure enough mostly small 1x1 bricks. If someone opened the same set we can compare notes on what is included extra.

If you go to Bricklink, they list the extra pieces in each set and they are the same between boxes. For instance, if you look at the inventory for set 40086 it lists 5 extra pieces and they should be the same 5 pieces you have. If you put together enough sets you get to recognize how Lego does it.

[knarrff]

Since unofficial Lego sites tend to list the extra stuff pretty specifically too, and I also don't believe that Lego cannot count their bricks (who says they can only do this by weight anyway?), I go rather with the "these tiny bricks don't cost us a lot and give us a lot of gratitude - let's include a few" theory.

[lobo1969]

If you go to Bricklink, they list the extra pieces in each set and they are the same between boxes. For instance, if you look at the inventory for set 40086 it lists 5 extra pieces and they should be the same 5 pieces you have. If you put together enough sets you get to recognize how Lego does it.

Cool, never knew Bricklink kept track of this info. Good to know!

[TheOrcKing]

BrickLink may be dated in appearance but the site really does give the best inventory for sets, I tell you what. I love that site; always will.

[CNH1974]

I tend to use Peeron.com for inventories, mainly for 1980s/90s sets. Often in their listings they say "1 is extra" on certain parts, usually the small pieces.

[jbacunn]

I know that the extra pieces are the same in every set. I parted out several CCP and it was the same extras every time. I probably have about 10 of Uni Kitty's horn. It would be very easy to loose this piece so it makes sense to include an extra.

[j.hermit]

Yeah, CCP had a ton of spare parts;  there were 7 extra pieces from Unikitty alone.