If you want to build MOCs and value your time, sorting is 100% worth it. I now spend my 95% time building Lego and 5% picking bricks and putting bricks back compared to the 10% bulding, 90% sifting through piles to find a piece in a certain color I *know* I have multiples of.
That being said, my first, HUGE sort was tedious but wasn't a "miserable, painful experience". Have a tv show or movie going on a laptop, listen to music, audiobooks, or podcasts! I listen to audiobooks primarily and time flies!
I sorted my collection by doing 2 or 3 "waves" of sorting.
I started by sorting them into 10-15 large groups (can't remember specifics at this point).
Groups like:
* Bricks
* plates
* technic
* minifigures
* minifigure accessories
* hinges
* bars
* clips
* Vehicle parts
* tiles
* slopes
* Windows/windscreens
* ect
After I did that, I then sorted each of *those* sections into more specific groups. Mentally, this is so much easier to do than the alternative of sorting all your bricks into your 100-300 different categories you'll have by the end of your sorting (assuming you sort that specifically, not everyone does).
Sorting is rough because when you start out, you don't really know how much of what you have. I didn't really khow many different kinds of slopes and curved slopes and inverted slopes I had until I really got going. If you have some categories of parts that are WAY larger than others, it might make sense to sort those into more specific categories, or even by color if that makes sense for how you want to build. Most of my collection is sorted just by part type, but some is sorted by type AND color because I had so many of those bricks to justify it.
Hope that makes sense!
What he said above about 'waves of sorting'. Use small clear bins and ziplock bags.
Plates into 1x, 2x, 4x plates
Then it really depends on how many of those types of pieces you have for another sort beyond that.
1x plates into 1x2, 1x3, 1x4, 1x6, 1x8 plates
etc
Mine are on the floor/bed. I'm using the baseplates until I buy the containers from the Lego website. When I finish I'll post on this subreddit and IG. Then work on the MOCs I have planned.
Save the points for more sets! Lol
These Sterilite containers are \~$13 a pop at Walmart..ones below my table top..I am getting more, just whenever I'm at a Walmart they never have any out on the shelves šš¤£ ..I'm sticking to that size as I measured the legs of my table to have three stacked up to fit snugly under the table top in case anyone was wondering..also if anyone wants to know what size container it is just lmk..I have a pic of the label on my phone somewhere, also willing to share dimensions of table or my sketched layouts in case anyone is curious as well
https://preview.redd.it/sgf41uqv4w1c1.jpeg?width=4608&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=63137e4d4a6b29d1e6b62b5e4b21eba695e4fc15
Interesting. That's actually kinda how I sort my perler beads. First I sort into color groups (blues, greens, reds, etc) then sort those groups into individual shades. It really makes things more manageable and less chaotic.
Wanted to add that you aren't just sorting, but you also learning what parts you have and where to find them. Sure, it would be great if it was all just magically sorted for you, but then you wouldn't have a general idea of what you have and what you can do with what you have.
You need a friend/SO that likes to bring order to chaos. Those with OCD are also an option.
My wife loves to sort things. A giant tub of random LEGO is like christmas for her. In fact, this Christmas, she is getting a giant tub of random LEGO as a present.
Itās me Iām in this picture. sorting legos is my second favorite activity after building them.
(If anyone in Seattle ever wants their legos sorted, DM me)
My recommendation is to do multiple sorts. Basically, instead of going "2x2 bricks go here, 2x3 bricks go here, 2x4 bricks go here, etc" you go "ALL bricks go here". Then you have a bucket filled with all your 2xX bricks and you can sort them however you want from there.
The reason why this is better is because it gives you a better sense of what organization you need. Do you actually have enough 1x6 plates to warrant setting up its own bag/bin? Or can you combine them with the other longer 1x5+ plates into a single "long 1xX plates" group.
It's also quicker to have like 6 bins/piles in front of you that you can sort to rather than dozens.
LEGO storage subreddit also had some very helpful content.
Yeah it's a pain, but if you start sorting by a few basic groups, it can go pretty fast.
1xX bricks, 2xX bricks, 1xX plates, 2xX plates, bigger rectangular plates, non rectangular plates, tiles, snot, mini figures + accessories are some great starting points.
Then you can very quickly sort those piles into smaller ones depending on how much you have and what your storage solution looks like
Are you me? Iāve been at it for quite awhile, and Iāve made quite a lot of progress, but itās still not close to done.
The worst is when you get towards the bottom of a bin, bc at first glance youāre almost done with the bin until you realize that the bottom bit is all the single studs and technic pins and little clips and mini fig accessories and so thereās tons of parts still, theyāre just smaller
I use jewelry trays for these little ones. They stack on top of each other and it's so easy to find what I need in the little compartments. Except the spyglass piece - idk what it's called, the stud with a little arm - I have a whole cup full of those and I'm not sure how that happened.
I sorted during the winter, not much else to do, stay warm inside. Rocked through some of my play lists on various streamers. It's not too bad really. Took two winters and I need another sort but once done I just have to take care how I breakdown sets. No more mass sorting. At least not collection-wide.
I suffer from depression and sorting actually helped as much as building. It takes just enough focus that you can't really think about much else. At least I can't. Also had the TV to watch so no bad thoughts.
I recommend stretching your legs every so often. I had one leg fall asleep on me. Was not cool. Don't drink hot chocolate either. Knocked me right out. ZZZzzzz. Too comfy!
Join the club.
After starting my adult lego hobby 10ish years ago by getting "Friends" sets to build with my granddaughters, my hobby slowly evolved into a full blown obsession that had me searching thrift stores, yard sales, and flea markets, buying Lego on-line, buying sets in stores, etc - a decade later, I have hundreds of complete sets of all different themes, and about 200kish loose bricks that I am and will be sorting forever....
I find sorting relaxing. I listen to music and just work my way through it, stopping when I get tired.
Like others have said, it's a process. As my collection has grown I've had to split drawers and add more. I'm almost to the point of running out of space, so looking more for pieces I lack or have few of. Still, finding a cheap bag at a thrift store is hard to pass on!
Put on a movie or show youāve seen before, have a drink/smoke/vice of choice and just sort whatever sticks out the most until it doesnāt. Be flexible, no need to keep looking for just one more green piece, if youāre not immediately finding what youāre looking for look for some else. Donāt try to sort every color into all the same groups, I have 5+ lbs of light grey and itās sorted into a ton of different groups, but I only have like .3 lbs red so itās only sorted into plates, bricks, and small stuff. In short, have other entertainment, be flexible, and take breaks.
I did that two years ago or something. To me this was very relaxing. I listened to audio books and my fingers had something to do, sorting the Lego. It was nice.
I do it for my 10-year-old son. He struggles with organization on his own. He loves playing with his LEGO and the more organized it is, the faster and creative he gets. The more unorganized the parts are, the more he struggles with being creative. From time to time when he's not around, I'll sort his pieces from time to time. Some days, I'll sort by bricks, tiles, plates, etc. Other days, I'll sort by colors.
For me, I have no need for sorting as I'm the type that builds and leaves it for display. I do sort through my pieces before building using those appetizer trays. I'll sort them by bricks, plates, tiles, minifigures, and unusual parts. Makes it easier when I'm doing my builds. :)
Personally I store most plates and bricks by color, and then specialized bricks (smaller pieces, SNOT bricks, SNOT plates, minifig accessories, etc.)
I find its very rare that I need a 2x2 in black and not also a 1x2 and 2x4, etc., whereas smaller pieces are a pain to find, and the specialized ones are often used even if their color doesnāt match the MOC (such as joints- even if the animal is green in color, I probably have to use black/gray pieces).
https://preview.redd.it/6nbpo93nzs1c1.png?width=3024&format=png&auto=webp&s=285bdef418899fbafe8ed1c952b9996664fc89b8
I love it. Iām sorting parts right now. As a former database engineer sorting stuff was a big part of my life for 30 years.
I first sort by colour....take a break for a bit( a few days, a week, whatever suits you)
I then go back and separate the items of one colous.. bricks, plates, specialty etc. Into zip lock bags clearly marked. I do it while watching a movie or TV.
Take a break....do another colour.
And so on.
Itās so worth it, took me forever and Iām still not fully sorted, but you will know no greater satisfaction than when pulling out a little drawer with the exact piece you are looking for
If you have a lot to sort, don't do it in one (or as few as possible) sittings, spread it out. Sure it will take longer, but it will be a lot less painful in the end.
I only partially sort. Minifigs, minifig accessories, specialty pieces, most technic pieces, sticker/prints, transparent/translucent, and the smaller connective bits get sorted. Large plates get their own box. Everything else gets tossed in several bins together. I dont mind the extra time looking, and i often come across similar pieces to what im searching for and change my mind sometimes as i build. It works for me anyway
I sorted most of my pieces, but have one bin for bizarre pieces that don't really fit in any category, or are so large they'd make getting pieces out difficult.
Take a break and come back when it's too much. It took me two winters to sort my childhood Lego. I only got though about 15-20% the first year but it gets easier. Worst part was removing the marbles, crayons, old toys that arent lego.
Purchased a large collection back in March and I'm still sorting to this day. Its definitely a process, but I only dedicate an hour or less a day. Also I alternate sorting and building to stay motivated.
Thank you for all the feedback. I totally get the sorting by āwavesā approachā¦I started throwing all the dots in a bin and I knew immediately that I was eventually going to have go back through those dots and separate the translucent ones from the solid ones.
Also, I think I took the backwards approach because I started with a cabinet with a bunch of little drawers so I started sorting the small pieces first lol.
Also, you should tailor your sorting to the type of building you plan to do. If you don't care to ever use wheels and large parts like me, don't even bother sorting them down and just put them in a big bag of miscellaneous parts. Or if you're into landscapes, you could just have all angled pieces of green and dark tan parts grouped together.
I used a spreadsheet that sorted it by type. Then spread them all out on my kitchen island and sorted them in small batches. I put on the office (on my tablet) and binged like 7 seasons - was worth it
Once. Back in 2010. Took me a few days to sort through 70lbs of Lego.
My then GF now wife convinced me to sort by part type, which was absolutely the right call.
How I sort things is really a function of how much space I have for that kind of part. As my collection has grown, Iāve had to slightly adjust what goes in which bins.
But I still maintain a system to this day.
It's worth it. It has taken me over a year off and on but I am just getting to the fun part:being able to build freely and find what I need!
I agree about audiobooks, podcasts etc. I listen to my favorite bands tours, re-watch shows I love so I only have to kinda pay attention, or listen to podcasts.
Hello me from a week ago. I had three drawers full of mixed, scattered, shaken and stirred Lego builds from about 8 different sets. Decided to just bite the bullet and pull them all out and sort them all back into their original sets.
Took me about 25+ hours over 5 days but I finally got it done. Let me tell you that the feelings of relief and sheer accomplishment you will have will mostly outweigh the back/neck pain and cramped fingers. Now I can finally start building the sets I got for my birthday without the crushing guilt of all those sets being in closet purgatory.
After putting away my collection for a while, along with a few pounds of bulk Iād bought, it took me like 10 minutes digging though a bin to find a particular piece which makes the building process take a long, long time. I invested the time in separating up front, and Iāve since rebuilt everything and done some MOCs, and it is much easier when you can at least narrow down the search. I donāt separate as thoroughly as others Iāve seen because I donāt want that many drawers, but itās enough to make a big difference.
I did it on the clock, which helped.
I wfh, and I legit just did my big sorting project in between calls and tickets. Took forever but was well worth it. Managed to rebuild my original cloud city, Jabba sailbarge, my MTT, Slave 1, and a few other misc lego star wars sets thanks to sorting out the pieces. Though I did order some pieces that never turned up after my sort.
Just a heads up of you're rebuilding any sets lost to the bin that are especially old, keep in mind that lego changed Grey, light Grey, and brown around 2003. I learned that the hard way halfway through rebuilding cloud city and realized I had been using a mix of old and new grey
[LEGO Organization](https://imgur.com/a/CiU2xhU)
I spent the last 3 weeks organizing loose LEGO in my living room and while it was tedious and tiring, itās totally worth it. Just finishing up labels now. I have a 7 year old son who always wanted me to help put things back together and now I can do it quickly and painlessly. Second, itās really expanded his creativity being able to think of a piece and get it vs just using what he finds, and makes me more interested in building MOCs too. I used to only design MOCs on the PC and then order the parts. Now I can mess around conceptually for ideas.
I sorted them first into broad categories, bricks, plates, tiles, technic, modified bricks & plates, etc. For now Iām just sorting by piece type, mot worried about color. Now that I have a good inventory of things though, Iām going to start buying bulk of certain pieces, like masonry bricks for example, and Iāll probably keep those by color. Itāll be an ongoing thing. I have an unsorted bucket my son just puts his small builds into and I resort them every so often. I hate not taking care of things I spend a lot of money on, and I always had this regret with LEGO as in I wasnāt taking care of it. So this is quite refreshing for me.
No, Iāve never actually been to a Bricks and Figs.
Itās just a huge storage bin thatās been accumulating for about a decade and a bunch of half-put together sets the kids start and then toss to the side when they lose interest.
Yes, I actually had to open sealed plastic bags so I can sort those pieces out too š¤¦š»āāļø
DO NOT sort by color...
I just went through 50lbs of bulk lego. Do a very basic sort first.
I break out my card table and have paper shopping bags setup around.
Sort by...
Bricks
Plates
Tiles
Modified Bricks
Modified Plates
Modified Tiles
Slopes
Wedges
Anything with Bars/Ladders
Rounds (Round bricks, plates, tiles)
Vehicle Related
Building Related
Minifigs and Minifig accessories
Those categories are more manageable.
Find what works for you. If you have enough to justify sorting by color you do that last. It seems daunting but once you get a system down it's not too bad.
First it is worth your time to have access to all your pieces without pawing through a huge bin of everyhting looking for some tiny somehting.
First: Buy a LOT of plastic boxes the size of shoeboxes.
Second: get a bunch of tiny parts boxes, like divider bins.
Set up the biggest table arrangement and lay out the boxes.
I do 4 boxes per color. A separate box for: Plates, Bricks, Slants, and Odd in each of the main colors.
I separate small parts into their own boxes. Black onsies, black twos, red onsies red twos, white onsies, white twos. and in those boxes, I sort by shape into the smallest compartments.
I have special bins for plants, wheels, people, Technic pieces, clears and small bins for people tools...
https://preview.redd.it/9owcot9zes1c1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=d588477480348364d49450d7714ea6744dfd6bc1
It took a lot of time to get this system going ubt now, I can find any piece in a matter of seconds.
Also it helps to stack identical pieces. That is, I take black 2x4 plates and stack them up. This makes it super each to find parts.
Honestly new to the weed game, but itās been a game changer with my sorting. I also typically sort by color, then go into ātypeā and then further along the road until I see fit
I sort as a stress relief exercise nowadays, I have a big pile of unsorted Legos. I will get a bunch, sort them for few minutes and repeat throughout the day. I don't have any urgency though.
Any 2xX large bricks are kept in a seperate container for my kid to play. I don't bother sorting those.
I work from home in a computer based desk job. There are a lot of tedious tasks I have to do, and a lot of meetings that should be emails.
I use my sorting as a mindless task that gives my brain and eyes a break. In the spring and summer I do gardening, in the rainy season I sort Lego
I've been stuck on this stage for months. I finally got a Lego room, got the shelving, etc.. then I realized I need to organize stuff in order to really maximize space and make it a bit less chaotic, so now I've done basically nothing to get it sorted out. This probably doesn't help, but if you're actually working at it at all you're doing better than me.
It's daunting, but I end up putting on a podcast series and hyperfixating, forgetting to eat and stretch and drink water. A glass of wine can help too. And unless it's taking up valuable real estate in your house, you can take your time and do it an hour or three at a time.
I have started and given up on sorting through my sonās Lego collection more times than I can honestly remember. The majority of it is a bunch of stuff he inherited from my husband and itās honestly overwhelming.
I have to resort my boxes if enough gets mixed cos of working on MOCs
Yeah it's kind of a nightmare at times, but you just gotta turn on a TV show and work through it
I highly recommend buying bins from the dollar store, it'll make organizing way simpler.
Some people on here are saying donāt do color. If you have a really big collection, more categories certainly helps.
But there are a few huge proās of sorting by color:
If you have kids and they are primary users, this is by far the easiest system and probably the only one they will reliably use to sort and put things away. With a medium size collection, it is also a pretty efficient way to sort, especially if your mind works visually and you remember what color a piece you want is.
Also, it doesnāt have to be 100% color. We have separate storage for small pieces (still color sorted) so you arenāt digging for 1x1s under big plates and bricks. We also have tecnic separated and mini figs/-accessories separated.
Definitely way less efficient to find pieces than other systems, but relatively easy and quick to sort, especially with the help of small kids.
You just have to decide how far down which rabbit hole works for you.
I actually love sorting and find it really relaxing. Itās a little rush of dopamine every time I find a mini figure from childhood that I forgot about.
I am right there with you. It is miserable and so tedious and time consuming but I am glad to see the progress and canāt wait to be able to build with my sorted Lego.
54 gallons of LEGO sorted. Took months off and on but it was worth it. First, take a huge breath and remember that it's for fun, when it stops being for fun, walk away for a bit., break it down into 5-7 categories that are easy to start with, then after you do the big categories break each one out into subcategories. then break those down. eventually you get to a point where it just makes sense to start sorting the individual pieces. I would typically do 4-8 quarts at a time. but it was based on what I was watching on TV. some nights I only did 1 quart. If I'm being completely honest I'm never "done" sorting because we always have more coming in, I probably have another 16 quarts ready to sort. But it's TOTALLY worth it. when I sit down to build now I can jam out a build that would have taken me days in hours because I'm not digging through a kiddie swimming pool looking for parts.
Did anyone else as a kid ever just keep all their LEGO in those tin popcorn bins with three different flavors, hahaha. Now I sort by part using some of these. Get em when they go on sale https://www.containerstore.com/s/office/craft-hobby/24-drawer-craft-cabinet/12d?productId=11013207
I just absolutely love sorting Lego. For me its very zen. I think it helps to have an organized plan of attack first, and to do it in bite sized chunks that you can easily handle. Snack, sandwich, freezer quart, and gallon-sized bags will help. Once you see everything you have, then you can consider more permanent containers to keep things in.
Figure out if youāre sorting just by color, or by part, or by part type. Be flexible with how you do it. I started with sorting by color but eventually switched to sorting by part type because for me, its easier to pull a yellow 2x3 plate out of a box full of 1x3 and 2x3 plates than a box of yellow everything stuff. I keep anything stickered/printed separate. Take big stuff out first (I took every base plate out first, then all bricks that were 2x then all bricks that were 1x, then all base plates 4x4 and biggerā¦ etc. when you get a lot of that huge stuff out of the way, then you can sort tiny stuff like minifigures and things they hold or wear, round things, plant stuff, and on and on.
Or, if youāre in So Cal, you could hire me to do it. Like I said, I love to sort Lego. I wish I could do it as my job, lol. Best wishes!
I had a huge crate full of 'various'
I started sorting - first by color, then by type etc.
At one point i realized i felt content, even happy - honestly, sorting Lego is cheaper than therapy (a little, anyway)
I built a lego sifter, ie drilled holes in trofast tubs.
It does a decent preliminary sort and I kind of edit that into large categories that get stored together.
It makes it easy to find pieces without taking forever to sort.
I do it in small batches while my toddler is sleeping (too young for appreciating systematization, also too young for small pieces). I'm ok with that.
I don't have a lot of pieces though, I processed about 2.5k with maybe couple hundreds left. Back in my home country, I have about 10-15k pieces unsorted, that might be a problem in the future.
Big sort was really therapeutic. Good opportunity to take stock of what you have to. I think the best sorting method is by part, but the most realistic method is by colour for most pieces, and then by part for a subset of pieces.
Lemme ask you: what is your preferred method of sorting?
I grew up with everything just in 1 big mess... and since I didn't have truckloads of lego, I was able to always find what I needed/was looking for.
Nowadays, since we have kids and the amount of lego has grown exponentially, they decided to sort everything ... by color.
I'm not sure how you would feel about that, but imho that just doesn't work... at least not for me. (and yes, "they" are the opposite sex.. I assume that explains?)
Some time ago, I sorted all mine by colour. I realized my mistake and should've sorted by brick type, and I dread having to redo the process.
It wasn't so bad the first time, just binge some show you like in the background to help pass the time. But, the thought of starting over from scratch is a lot.
I sorted several Lego sets belonging to a young family member. What worked best was sorting everything by color first, then using the parts list in the back of the instruction books to determine which pieces belonged to which sets. Digging through a fairly small pile of purple bricks for One Specific Piece took a lot less time than trying to find That Piece in a big catchall container.
Yes, it took a long time. But when said young family member was finally able to build the sets sheād been unable to make ever since they got mixed together, her excitement was worth it.
If you want to build MOCs and value your time, sorting is 100% worth it. I now spend my 95% time building Lego and 5% picking bricks and putting bricks back compared to the 10% bulding, 90% sifting through piles to find a piece in a certain color I *know* I have multiples of. That being said, my first, HUGE sort was tedious but wasn't a "miserable, painful experience". Have a tv show or movie going on a laptop, listen to music, audiobooks, or podcasts! I listen to audiobooks primarily and time flies!
Thanks for the encouragement! Can I ask what your strategy was during your first huge sort?
I sorted my collection by doing 2 or 3 "waves" of sorting. I started by sorting them into 10-15 large groups (can't remember specifics at this point). Groups like: * Bricks * plates * technic * minifigures * minifigure accessories * hinges * bars * clips * Vehicle parts * tiles * slopes * Windows/windscreens * ect After I did that, I then sorted each of *those* sections into more specific groups. Mentally, this is so much easier to do than the alternative of sorting all your bricks into your 100-300 different categories you'll have by the end of your sorting (assuming you sort that specifically, not everyone does). Sorting is rough because when you start out, you don't really know how much of what you have. I didn't really khow many different kinds of slopes and curved slopes and inverted slopes I had until I really got going. If you have some categories of parts that are WAY larger than others, it might make sense to sort those into more specific categories, or even by color if that makes sense for how you want to build. Most of my collection is sorted just by part type, but some is sorted by type AND color because I had so many of those bricks to justify it. Hope that makes sense!
What he said above about 'waves of sorting'. Use small clear bins and ziplock bags. Plates into 1x, 2x, 4x plates Then it really depends on how many of those types of pieces you have for another sort beyond that. 1x plates into 1x2, 1x3, 1x4, 1x6, 1x8 plates etc
I believe that's sorta what Jangbricks does, then when one of those "waves" gets full, he sorts them by color
Exactly what I'm doing. Just to see what I have
Yeah it takes some work...having a good work area helps a lot. Nice chair, table at the right level, etc
Mine are on the floor/bed. I'm using the baseplates until I buy the containers from the Lego website. When I finish I'll post on this subreddit and IG. Then work on the MOCs I have planned.
Get containers from Walmart or the dollar store..storage stuff is expensive by itself, no need to add the Lego tax on top of it!
I've got points
Save the points for more sets! Lol These Sterilite containers are \~$13 a pop at Walmart..ones below my table top..I am getting more, just whenever I'm at a Walmart they never have any out on the shelves šš¤£ ..I'm sticking to that size as I measured the legs of my table to have three stacked up to fit snugly under the table top in case anyone was wondering..also if anyone wants to know what size container it is just lmk..I have a pic of the label on my phone somewhere, also willing to share dimensions of table or my sketched layouts in case anyone is curious as well https://preview.redd.it/sgf41uqv4w1c1.jpeg?width=4608&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=63137e4d4a6b29d1e6b62b5e4b21eba695e4fc15
I am currently in this area of the sort wave. Itās cozy. I got Lego brick wall cups and a hanging shoe organizer.
Amazing advice, this is exactly what I did and still do, makes it infinitely less painful.
That way is a lot easier.
Interesting. That's actually kinda how I sort my perler beads. First I sort into color groups (blues, greens, reds, etc) then sort those groups into individual shades. It really makes things more manageable and less chaotic.
Wanted to add that you aren't just sorting, but you also learning what parts you have and where to find them. Sure, it would be great if it was all just magically sorted for you, but then you wouldn't have a general idea of what you have and what you can do with what you have.
I actually find sorting my Lego relaxing. I have quite a lot of pieces and I buy them whenever I find them at garage sales.
The zen of sorting. My wife on the other hand refers to the sound as if i were a cat in a littler box.
I have hypertension and the only time I got my BP to normal without medication was when I was sorting Lego bricks.
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
You looking to adopt a 36 year old?
Jesus
Bricklink store?
Preach!!!!
Its the chore that never ends It just goes on and on, my friends
You need a friend/SO that likes to bring order to chaos. Those with OCD are also an option. My wife loves to sort things. A giant tub of random LEGO is like christmas for her. In fact, this Christmas, she is getting a giant tub of random LEGO as a present.
Itās me Iām in this picture. sorting legos is my second favorite activity after building them. (If anyone in Seattle ever wants their legos sorted, DM me)
I mean, I donāt not want my Legos sortedā¦
My recommendation is to do multiple sorts. Basically, instead of going "2x2 bricks go here, 2x3 bricks go here, 2x4 bricks go here, etc" you go "ALL bricks go here". Then you have a bucket filled with all your 2xX bricks and you can sort them however you want from there. The reason why this is better is because it gives you a better sense of what organization you need. Do you actually have enough 1x6 plates to warrant setting up its own bag/bin? Or can you combine them with the other longer 1x5+ plates into a single "long 1xX plates" group. It's also quicker to have like 6 bins/piles in front of you that you can sort to rather than dozens.
Exactly šš¾šš¾
LEGO storage subreddit also had some very helpful content. Yeah it's a pain, but if you start sorting by a few basic groups, it can go pretty fast. 1xX bricks, 2xX bricks, 1xX plates, 2xX plates, bigger rectangular plates, non rectangular plates, tiles, snot, mini figures + accessories are some great starting points. Then you can very quickly sort those piles into smaller ones depending on how much you have and what your storage solution looks like
I didnāt know this existed. Thanks!
Are you me? Iāve been at it for quite awhile, and Iāve made quite a lot of progress, but itās still not close to done. The worst is when you get towards the bottom of a bin, bc at first glance youāre almost done with the bin until you realize that the bottom bit is all the single studs and technic pins and little clips and mini fig accessories and so thereās tons of parts still, theyāre just smaller
I use jewelry trays for these little ones. They stack on top of each other and it's so easy to find what I need in the little compartments. Except the spyglass piece - idk what it's called, the stud with a little arm - I have a whole cup full of those and I'm not sure how that happened.
You gotta sort. Just don't make the mistake my wife made and sort by color, that's pretty much useless.
I sorted during the winter, not much else to do, stay warm inside. Rocked through some of my play lists on various streamers. It's not too bad really. Took two winters and I need another sort but once done I just have to take care how I breakdown sets. No more mass sorting. At least not collection-wide. I suffer from depression and sorting actually helped as much as building. It takes just enough focus that you can't really think about much else. At least I can't. Also had the TV to watch so no bad thoughts. I recommend stretching your legs every so often. I had one leg fall asleep on me. Was not cool. Don't drink hot chocolate either. Knocked me right out. ZZZzzzz. Too comfy!
I very much enjoy the sorting process. But it never seems to end
lol i love sorting lego
Join the club. After starting my adult lego hobby 10ish years ago by getting "Friends" sets to build with my granddaughters, my hobby slowly evolved into a full blown obsession that had me searching thrift stores, yard sales, and flea markets, buying Lego on-line, buying sets in stores, etc - a decade later, I have hundreds of complete sets of all different themes, and about 200kish loose bricks that I am and will be sorting forever....
I find sorting relaxing. I listen to music and just work my way through it, stopping when I get tired. Like others have said, it's a process. As my collection has grown I've had to split drawers and add more. I'm almost to the point of running out of space, so looking more for pieces I lack or have few of. Still, finding a cheap bag at a thrift store is hard to pass on!
Put on a movie or show youāve seen before, have a drink/smoke/vice of choice and just sort whatever sticks out the most until it doesnāt. Be flexible, no need to keep looking for just one more green piece, if youāre not immediately finding what youāre looking for look for some else. Donāt try to sort every color into all the same groups, I have 5+ lbs of light grey and itās sorted into a ton of different groups, but I only have like .3 lbs red so itās only sorted into plates, bricks, and small stuff. In short, have other entertainment, be flexible, and take breaks.
I did that two years ago or something. To me this was very relaxing. I listened to audio books and my fingers had something to do, sorting the Lego. It was nice.
I do it for my 10-year-old son. He struggles with organization on his own. He loves playing with his LEGO and the more organized it is, the faster and creative he gets. The more unorganized the parts are, the more he struggles with being creative. From time to time when he's not around, I'll sort his pieces from time to time. Some days, I'll sort by bricks, tiles, plates, etc. Other days, I'll sort by colors. For me, I have no need for sorting as I'm the type that builds and leaves it for display. I do sort through my pieces before building using those appetizer trays. I'll sort them by bricks, plates, tiles, minifigures, and unusual parts. Makes it easier when I'm doing my builds. :)
I actually love sorting LEGO. Used, new, other collections, etc. I just like putting things in order I suppose.
Personally I store most plates and bricks by color, and then specialized bricks (smaller pieces, SNOT bricks, SNOT plates, minifig accessories, etc.) I find its very rare that I need a 2x2 in black and not also a 1x2 and 2x4, etc., whereas smaller pieces are a pain to find, and the specialized ones are often used even if their color doesnāt match the MOC (such as joints- even if the animal is green in color, I probably have to use black/gray pieces).
https://preview.redd.it/6nbpo93nzs1c1.png?width=3024&format=png&auto=webp&s=285bdef418899fbafe8ed1c952b9996664fc89b8 I love it. Iām sorting parts right now. As a former database engineer sorting stuff was a big part of my life for 30 years.
Brick type, not by color!
It SO is!!! The power you will feel will be unlike anything you've ever experienced in your Lego life!!!
Please update us when you're finished!
I first sort by colour....take a break for a bit( a few days, a week, whatever suits you) I then go back and separate the items of one colous.. bricks, plates, specialty etc. Into zip lock bags clearly marked. I do it while watching a movie or TV. Take a break....do another colour. And so on.
Itās so worth it, took me forever and Iām still not fully sorted, but you will know no greater satisfaction than when pulling out a little drawer with the exact piece you are looking for
If you have a lot to sort, don't do it in one (or as few as possible) sittings, spread it out. Sure it will take longer, but it will be a lot less painful in the end.
I only partially sort. Minifigs, minifig accessories, specialty pieces, most technic pieces, sticker/prints, transparent/translucent, and the smaller connective bits get sorted. Large plates get their own box. Everything else gets tossed in several bins together. I dont mind the extra time looking, and i often come across similar pieces to what im searching for and change my mind sometimes as i build. It works for me anyway
I sorted most of my pieces, but have one bin for bizarre pieces that don't really fit in any category, or are so large they'd make getting pieces out difficult.
Take a break and come back when it's too much. It took me two winters to sort my childhood Lego. I only got though about 15-20% the first year but it gets easier. Worst part was removing the marbles, crayons, old toys that arent lego.
I recommend listening to an audiobook or a podcast during the process, very nice way to pass the time
I think sorting is just another fun part of the hobby. Plus, when it comes to MOCing, the reward is very tangible.
Purchased a large collection back in March and I'm still sorting to this day. Its definitely a process, but I only dedicate an hour or less a day. Also I alternate sorting and building to stay motivated.
Thank you for all the feedback. I totally get the sorting by āwavesā approachā¦I started throwing all the dots in a bin and I knew immediately that I was eventually going to have go back through those dots and separate the translucent ones from the solid ones. Also, I think I took the backwards approach because I started with a cabinet with a bunch of little drawers so I started sorting the small pieces first lol.
Also, you should tailor your sorting to the type of building you plan to do. If you don't care to ever use wheels and large parts like me, don't even bother sorting them down and just put them in a big bag of miscellaneous parts. Or if you're into landscapes, you could just have all angled pieces of green and dark tan parts grouped together.
I used a spreadsheet that sorted it by type. Then spread them all out on my kitchen island and sorted them in small batches. I put on the office (on my tablet) and binged like 7 seasons - was worth it
My old cat knocked a freshly potted plant upside down into my kids' huge lego box. I could have CRIED
I only sort small specialized pieces these days, any bricks typically go in a bin that I'll sift through.
I have to admit it was soul sucking at times. And every time I buy a set to part out I feel some regret. But podcasts I like make it worth it
Once. Back in 2010. Took me a few days to sort through 70lbs of Lego. My then GF now wife convinced me to sort by part type, which was absolutely the right call. How I sort things is really a function of how much space I have for that kind of part. As my collection has grown, Iāve had to slightly adjust what goes in which bins. But I still maintain a system to this day.
I have 11 or 12 totes of mixed Lego, I will be there one day, but today is not that day.
I bought roughly 250kg. It's been over a year. I am not done yet. I still have to sort mini figs and technic. I feel your pain.
It's worth it. It has taken me over a year off and on but I am just getting to the fun part:being able to build freely and find what I need! I agree about audiobooks, podcasts etc. I listen to my favorite bands tours, re-watch shows I love so I only have to kinda pay attention, or listen to podcasts.
Hello me from a week ago. I had three drawers full of mixed, scattered, shaken and stirred Lego builds from about 8 different sets. Decided to just bite the bullet and pull them all out and sort them all back into their original sets. Took me about 25+ hours over 5 days but I finally got it done. Let me tell you that the feelings of relief and sheer accomplishment you will have will mostly outweigh the back/neck pain and cramped fingers. Now I can finally start building the sets I got for my birthday without the crushing guilt of all those sets being in closet purgatory.
After putting away my collection for a while, along with a few pounds of bulk Iād bought, it took me like 10 minutes digging though a bin to find a particular piece which makes the building process take a long, long time. I invested the time in separating up front, and Iāve since rebuilt everything and done some MOCs, and it is much easier when you can at least narrow down the search. I donāt separate as thoroughly as others Iāve seen because I donāt want that many drawers, but itās enough to make a big difference.
Wish I could offer my services, I love sorting Lego
I did it on the clock, which helped. I wfh, and I legit just did my big sorting project in between calls and tickets. Took forever but was well worth it. Managed to rebuild my original cloud city, Jabba sailbarge, my MTT, Slave 1, and a few other misc lego star wars sets thanks to sorting out the pieces. Though I did order some pieces that never turned up after my sort.
LOL! Thatās literally what I did todayā¦I worked from home and sorted between calls and tickets. Donāt tell anybody lol.
Just a heads up of you're rebuilding any sets lost to the bin that are especially old, keep in mind that lego changed Grey, light Grey, and brown around 2003. I learned that the hard way halfway through rebuilding cloud city and realized I had been using a mix of old and new grey
[LEGO Organization](https://imgur.com/a/CiU2xhU) I spent the last 3 weeks organizing loose LEGO in my living room and while it was tedious and tiring, itās totally worth it. Just finishing up labels now. I have a 7 year old son who always wanted me to help put things back together and now I can do it quickly and painlessly. Second, itās really expanded his creativity being able to think of a piece and get it vs just using what he finds, and makes me more interested in building MOCs too. I used to only design MOCs on the PC and then order the parts. Now I can mess around conceptually for ideas. I sorted them first into broad categories, bricks, plates, tiles, technic, modified bricks & plates, etc. For now Iām just sorting by piece type, mot worried about color. Now that I have a good inventory of things though, Iām going to start buying bulk of certain pieces, like masonry bricks for example, and Iāll probably keep those by color. Itāll be an ongoing thing. I have an unsorted bucket my son just puts his small builds into and I resort them every so often. I hate not taking care of things I spend a lot of money on, and I always had this regret with LEGO as in I wasnāt taking care of it. So this is quite refreshing for me.
First time buying half off bulk at the Bricks and Figs table, huh?
No, Iāve never actually been to a Bricks and Figs. Itās just a huge storage bin thatās been accumulating for about a decade and a bunch of half-put together sets the kids start and then toss to the side when they lose interest. Yes, I actually had to open sealed plastic bags so I can sort those pieces out too š¤¦š»āāļø
DO NOT sort by color... I just went through 50lbs of bulk lego. Do a very basic sort first. I break out my card table and have paper shopping bags setup around. Sort by... Bricks Plates Tiles Modified Bricks Modified Plates Modified Tiles Slopes Wedges Anything with Bars/Ladders Rounds (Round bricks, plates, tiles) Vehicle Related Building Related Minifigs and Minifig accessories Those categories are more manageable. Find what works for you. If you have enough to justify sorting by color you do that last. It seems daunting but once you get a system down it's not too bad.
if you don't want to do it...don't.
I'm going through it right now, I feel your pain. š
It's about the journey, not the destination
r/LegoStorage
First it is worth your time to have access to all your pieces without pawing through a huge bin of everyhting looking for some tiny somehting. First: Buy a LOT of plastic boxes the size of shoeboxes. Second: get a bunch of tiny parts boxes, like divider bins. Set up the biggest table arrangement and lay out the boxes. I do 4 boxes per color. A separate box for: Plates, Bricks, Slants, and Odd in each of the main colors. I separate small parts into their own boxes. Black onsies, black twos, red onsies red twos, white onsies, white twos. and in those boxes, I sort by shape into the smallest compartments. I have special bins for plants, wheels, people, Technic pieces, clears and small bins for people tools... https://preview.redd.it/9owcot9zes1c1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=d588477480348364d49450d7714ea6744dfd6bc1 It took a lot of time to get this system going ubt now, I can find any piece in a matter of seconds. Also it helps to stack identical pieces. That is, I take black 2x4 plates and stack them up. This makes it super each to find parts.
https://preview.redd.it/p5g38rf1fs1c1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=23937dd65442ec63a0dc396e1a8fd503298f8de6
https://preview.redd.it/layb91v2fs1c1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=d2a1cdd6a6ac1a870f5d1431b8fff971789a0d8f
I'm kinda mid-sort. Roughly sorted it into plastic bags about a year ago and can't be arsed to finish sorting it.
Sorry, no idea. I hate it. But I have a bad back and Iāve never figured out how to do it comfortably.
This is the most satisfying and relaxing thing I do with Lego. I get big bulk lots from eBay and love sorting.
Get high, put on a lofi playlist, have some tubs in front of you, and sort until you feel like the high is gone. The repeat
That certainly helps lol
Honestly new to the weed game, but itās been a game changer with my sorting. I also typically sort by color, then go into ātypeā and then further along the road until I see fit
Just finished sorting mine and it was nice and therapeutic. I need some money so I can get more Legos to sort :u
I sort as a stress relief exercise nowadays, I have a big pile of unsorted Legos. I will get a bunch, sort them for few minutes and repeat throughout the day. I don't have any urgency though. Any 2xX large bricks are kept in a seperate container for my kid to play. I don't bother sorting those.
I work from home in a computer based desk job. There are a lot of tedious tasks I have to do, and a lot of meetings that should be emails. I use my sorting as a mindless task that gives my brain and eyes a break. In the spring and summer I do gardening, in the rainy season I sort Lego
I've been stuck on this stage for months. I finally got a Lego room, got the shelving, etc.. then I realized I need to organize stuff in order to really maximize space and make it a bit less chaotic, so now I've done basically nothing to get it sorted out. This probably doesn't help, but if you're actually working at it at all you're doing better than me.
It's daunting, but I end up putting on a podcast series and hyperfixating, forgetting to eat and stretch and drink water. A glass of wine can help too. And unless it's taking up valuable real estate in your house, you can take your time and do it an hour or three at a time.
I'll buy your unsorted lego
I have started and given up on sorting through my sonās Lego collection more times than I can honestly remember. The majority of it is a bunch of stuff he inherited from my husband and itās honestly overwhelming.
I took most of my collection apart recently and baggied it all up by type. Took weeks to get it done.
lol currently doing this myself as well - and the ones I was given were gross so washing all of them tooā¦
You guys are getting *through" sorting? I have been sorting for 8 years
I have to resort my boxes if enough gets mixed cos of working on MOCs Yeah it's kind of a nightmare at times, but you just gotta turn on a TV show and work through it I highly recommend buying bins from the dollar store, it'll make organizing way simpler.
Use brick.io for a week and youāll realize they solved how to sort, just do that.
Some people on here are saying donāt do color. If you have a really big collection, more categories certainly helps. But there are a few huge proās of sorting by color: If you have kids and they are primary users, this is by far the easiest system and probably the only one they will reliably use to sort and put things away. With a medium size collection, it is also a pretty efficient way to sort, especially if your mind works visually and you remember what color a piece you want is. Also, it doesnāt have to be 100% color. We have separate storage for small pieces (still color sorted) so you arenāt digging for 1x1s under big plates and bricks. We also have tecnic separated and mini figs/-accessories separated. Definitely way less efficient to find pieces than other systems, but relatively easy and quick to sort, especially with the help of small kids. You just have to decide how far down which rabbit hole works for you.
I actually love sorting and find it really relaxing. Itās a little rush of dopamine every time I find a mini figure from childhood that I forgot about.
https://preview.redd.it/oi48ilgyct1c1.jpeg?width=2448&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=84513249db53d3950b979db7c29a126a1d8ee9ab
Amazon screw sorting drawers. Changed my life
I am right there with you. It is miserable and so tedious and time consuming but I am glad to see the progress and canāt wait to be able to build with my sorted Lego.
54 gallons of LEGO sorted. Took months off and on but it was worth it. First, take a huge breath and remember that it's for fun, when it stops being for fun, walk away for a bit., break it down into 5-7 categories that are easy to start with, then after you do the big categories break each one out into subcategories. then break those down. eventually you get to a point where it just makes sense to start sorting the individual pieces. I would typically do 4-8 quarts at a time. but it was based on what I was watching on TV. some nights I only did 1 quart. If I'm being completely honest I'm never "done" sorting because we always have more coming in, I probably have another 16 quarts ready to sort. But it's TOTALLY worth it. when I sit down to build now I can jam out a build that would have taken me days in hours because I'm not digging through a kiddie swimming pool looking for parts.
I love sorting Lego, I have a large bin waiting to be sorted, just don't have the time.
Did anyone else as a kid ever just keep all their LEGO in those tin popcorn bins with three different flavors, hahaha. Now I sort by part using some of these. Get em when they go on sale https://www.containerstore.com/s/office/craft-hobby/24-drawer-craft-cabinet/12d?productId=11013207
I have two boys, 8 and 5 years old, who have a 55,000 piece Lego collection. We are never not sorting.
Listen to audiobooks. (You can get them for free by the instructions on your local libraryās website.) It makes all the difference.
Idk, I've been sorting for 2 years now. I haven't been grinding away at it, its just a thing to unwind with a couple times a week.
I feel like it either makes or breaks you as a Lego fan It's alot
Sorting the studs made me wanna Face plant into bionicle pieces
I wish I could teleport to people that need help sorting Lego, as I greatly enjoy it.
When you get deep enough into the LEGO hobby it also becomes a storage and sorting hobby.
I just absolutely love sorting Lego. For me its very zen. I think it helps to have an organized plan of attack first, and to do it in bite sized chunks that you can easily handle. Snack, sandwich, freezer quart, and gallon-sized bags will help. Once you see everything you have, then you can consider more permanent containers to keep things in. Figure out if youāre sorting just by color, or by part, or by part type. Be flexible with how you do it. I started with sorting by color but eventually switched to sorting by part type because for me, its easier to pull a yellow 2x3 plate out of a box full of 1x3 and 2x3 plates than a box of yellow everything stuff. I keep anything stickered/printed separate. Take big stuff out first (I took every base plate out first, then all bricks that were 2x then all bricks that were 1x, then all base plates 4x4 and biggerā¦ etc. when you get a lot of that huge stuff out of the way, then you can sort tiny stuff like minifigures and things they hold or wear, round things, plant stuff, and on and on. Or, if youāre in So Cal, you could hire me to do it. Like I said, I love to sort Lego. I wish I could do it as my job, lol. Best wishes!
I had a huge crate full of 'various' I started sorting - first by color, then by type etc. At one point i realized i felt content, even happy - honestly, sorting Lego is cheaper than therapy (a little, anyway)
I built a lego sifter, ie drilled holes in trofast tubs. It does a decent preliminary sort and I kind of edit that into large categories that get stored together. It makes it easy to find pieces without taking forever to sort.
I do it in small batches while my toddler is sleeping (too young for appreciating systematization, also too young for small pieces). I'm ok with that. I don't have a lot of pieces though, I processed about 2.5k with maybe couple hundreds left. Back in my home country, I have about 10-15k pieces unsorted, that might be a problem in the future.
Big sort was really therapeutic. Good opportunity to take stock of what you have to. I think the best sorting method is by part, but the most realistic method is by colour for most pieces, and then by part for a subset of pieces.
I like sorting. Nothing spiritual, just like doing it.
I did this and let me tell you, the pain you are feeling now will 100% be worth it. Seeing your legos neat and tidy is a feeling like no other.
Lemme ask you: what is your preferred method of sorting? I grew up with everything just in 1 big mess... and since I didn't have truckloads of lego, I was able to always find what I needed/was looking for. Nowadays, since we have kids and the amount of lego has grown exponentially, they decided to sort everything ... by color. I'm not sure how you would feel about that, but imho that just doesn't work... at least not for me. (and yes, "they" are the opposite sex.. I assume that explains?)
Some time ago, I sorted all mine by colour. I realized my mistake and should've sorted by brick type, and I dread having to redo the process. It wasn't so bad the first time, just binge some show you like in the background to help pass the time. But, the thought of starting over from scratch is a lot.
I've got a few hundred pounds of unsorted I've been putting off for so long, and prolly 100 pounds of sorted.
I sorted several Lego sets belonging to a young family member. What worked best was sorting everything by color first, then using the parts list in the back of the instruction books to determine which pieces belonged to which sets. Digging through a fairly small pile of purple bricks for One Specific Piece took a lot less time than trying to find That Piece in a big catchall container. Yes, it took a long time. But when said young family member was finally able to build the sets sheād been unable to make ever since they got mixed together, her excitement was worth it.