We Take A Look At Where To Purchase Second-Hand and Unwanted LEGO

No matter how big we build our blanket forts we still can’t manage to hide from the cost of living, yet we still need hobbies to make us smile. LEGO is a hobby for a lot of people and there are so many AFOLs out there now, but with bills to pay and mouths to feed we thought we would take a look at ways to make our hobby slightly cheaper so we can still afford to feed our mouths too!

OUTGROWN AND UNLOVED

A lot of us have kids and as we all know they seem to grow up so fast and grow out of what was once their favourite toy that never left their side. What happens once this toy is forgotten about and starts to gather dust (Toy Story aside that is)?

A large number of people will donate to charity shops that are either close to them locally or have a place in their hearts. With this thought in mind, we would like to take the time to tell you about The TOY Project. The TOY Project is based in London and was founded in 2013 by two ladies Jane Garfield and Angela Donovan. They realised that some children locally didn’t have as many toys as others did and some children had suffered bereavements and needed support and they wanted to be able to help these children.

The TOY Project began as a small part-time operation that was running out of Jane’s front room, however over the last 11 years they have gone from strength to strength, front room to a pop-up shop to a permanent store to argh we need a larger location still! They are now firmly rooted at 81 Junction Road and rent a small warehouse too where they store new donations to be given as Christmas gifts to those less fortunate. Having relocated to larger premises they have more room available to sort the toys and LEGO that are donated as they have designated sorting areas now.

Some of the LEGO is used at the weekly workshops that they run for children to learn through play, and they offer LEGO workshops weekly for adults too. A lot of the donations are sold in their store and this helps to raise money for the many people that they help to support. As well as sending toys to children in need in the UK, they also help families in India, Africa and the Caribbean. Jane, Angela and their team are also very active in the local community, raising money for libraries, murals and community events. The TOY Project really is outstanding, so if you are close to London pop down to 81 Junction Road, Archway, N19 5QU. The store is open 11am - 6pm Mon-Fri and Sat 10am - 5pm. Who knows what bargains and flashbacks to your childhood you will find?

IT'S A BRICK BUILT WORLD

Moving on now to Bricklink... as some of you may be aware, Bricklink is the number one marketplace for purchasing genuine LEGO products. In 2019 The LEGO Group purchased Bricklink to attempt to strengthen their connection with the rapidly growing amount of AFOLs in the world. Using this site means that you can purchase almost any LEGO piece ever made. It doesn’t matter whether you’re looking to replace a missing or broken part from a beloved set or gathering the bricks for an MOC, Bricklink has got you covered.

Not only can you source the bricks you need but missing or messed up stickers can be acquired as well, so no more trying to salvage gummy stickers on old bricks. And LEGO Minifigures (we’ve not forgotten about them), with there currently being 25 regular series of LEGO CMFs you can seek out the ones you are missing to finish your collection.

If you need to raise some pennies to pay for these absent figures and stickers then Bricklink enables you to set up a storefront and list the LEGO items that you wish to sell. They even have historical price data available so if you are unsure of how to price your items, there is a guide available as to the current trend in prices. So there we have it, Bricklink enabling you to play well.

LEGO LOCALLY

Facebook Marketplace can be a good place to source new and used LEGO and you can input the radius as to how far you will be prepared to travel. Some people will ship but it does seem to mainly be collection most of the time.

The good thing about collecting is if you have a small conversation with the seller they may mention other stuff that they wish to sell too so you could potentially be leaving with more than expected for a few more pounds. Another bonus of collecting items is that it allows you to have a look to check that the item(s) are as described - the horror stories you hear of people receiving off-brand bricks instead of the LEGO they purchased are shocking!

Staying onboard the Facebook train, there are so many different LEGO pages out there, some are selling only, some are trades, some are just for minifigures and then there are pages that are specific to LEGO themes as well. These pages are good ways to complete collections of figures for no more than the price of a stamp as trading is quite straightforward. If you are worried about scams (which is understandable) virtually all groups ask that people post their photos of items for sale with a handwritten name and date to help confirm that the person actually has the item. The admins on the groups can always be contacted if there is an issue and paying through PayPal Goods and Services covers you too.

GOING GOING GONE

The last online marketplaces we are going to mention are eBay and Vinted. Most people are familiar with eBay and how it works and it can be possible to pick up an absolute bargain. There is something quite thrilling about watching the last few seconds of an auction and sweeping in with the highest bid right at the end, but then it's disappointing when on the receiving end and you just miss out.

Vinted is another alternative and is so easy to use. You can upload pictures and the description in a matter of minutes, there are no fees when your item sells. LEGO has been appearing more and more on Vinted and there are some great bargains to be found. People do seem to be a bit more aware of the value of LEGO but it's a great way to pick up those grails that you missed at the time or were just too young for.

MUDDY FIELDS AND BRISK MORNING AIR

The final area of bargain hunting we will mention is the good old English tradition of a Sunday morning car boot sale. On one of the only two days of the week when we can have a lie-in, we get up at the crack of dawn (always dress in the wrong attire as the British weather will trick you) and head to a cold, probably damp, muddy field somewhere. The fear of missing out on a potential bargain is rife in all of us, hence the crack of dawn start. It’s possible to pick up second-hand LEGO sets at car boot sales and hopefully, the seller will know how complete it is. Action figures and their obscure accessories are normally present in army-like quantities too.

OTHER POSSIBILITIES

There are quite a few independent LEGO stores in the UK, if you head over to bricksmcgee.com you can peruse the list there to see if there are any locally to you. Keep eyes and ears open for notifications of toy fairs and any brick-related events but these can sometimes be a little pricey.