Rank 9 - Board Staff
Hey, I need to understand Bricklink a bit better. As I understand it, it's a bit like eBay for lego. They have the benefit of having one reference database, so you don't have to worry about discrepancies between how different sellers sell the same item (awesome idea). So, you can put together a shopping cart, but can you only buy from one vendor at a time? When/where do you see shipping charges? Who can give me a bit more of the skinny?
Umm from memory you may have to ask the seller for postage but from experience it has always been hell cheap.
Rank 8 - Deluxe Member
Bricklink is simply a network of e-stores where every lego brick in existence has been catalogued into one gigantic database so its easy to find the parts you want. All the sellers are forced to put a unit price on each brick so it's easy to find the best price.Originally Posted by jaydisc
Shipping (and lego prices) will vary from store to store and most stores have a 'minimum value' for purchases which is usually $10. The trick is finding a single store with everything (or enough of) you want for a decent price so you don't don't have to shop at multiple stores and pay multiple shipping.
Some stores will give you a good idea of what to expect to pay for shipping on their 'shipping/postage information' page or even their home page. However the best way to get a shipping estimate is to place an order and wait for the invoice or simply shoot the seller an email.
Bricklink is great when you're after a particular brick or stumble across a pretty good store however in general you can get far more value for money buying in bulk from ebay.
Rank 8 - Deluxe Member
I find with bricklink, if you have the patience, you can obtain all the pieces for a full set at a cost less than the actual set. However, you have do alot of searching between stores for parts but for me thats okay, since I enjoy the whole experience. From experience, I find the Euro-based sellers more reliable as the 2 US sellers I've gotten pieces from, their pieces weren't as high quality - one even had chew marks not listed in the description! (it should be noted the seller has since resent replacement pieces out). You will find it much easier to use bricklink if you learn what particular pieces are. Like if its a brick, plate, wedge, tile etc.... makes searching significantly easier. Use the reference option to look at particular sets and then see what category they are cataloged under. I have found bricklink to be the best place to do all my lego shopping.
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