Lego Blocks

[BobH]

I know. I know. I'm a bit long in the tooth to be playing with Legos, but we have a friend who was widowed with a 3-yo boy. We sometimes babysit. To entertain him, we bought a box of Lego blocks. That is the first activity he wants to engage in when he visits.

We find that we soon run out of the sizes we need when building things he selects. We would like to buy some more blocks of the basic domino-sized blocks and those half that size. In fact, I'd like to buy them in bulk - and cheap. I can't find any sources for beating the exorbitant prices that they demand for the packages whose contents they choose.

Has anyone here found any source that I might use?

TIA

[steveh]

I know. I know. I'm a bit long in the tooth to be playing with Legos, but we have a friend who was widowed with a 3-yo boy. We sometimes babysit. To entertain him, we bought a box of Lego blocks. That is the first activity he wants to engage in when he visits.

We find that we soon run out of the sizes we need when building things he selects. We would like to buy some more blocks of the basic domino-sized blocks and those half that size. In fact, I'd like to buy them in bulk - and cheap. I can't find any sources for beating the exorbitant prices that they demand for the packages whose contents they choose.

Has anyone here found any source that I might use?

TIA

Hi Bob

For us agreat source of these type of blocks is car boot sales on a Sunday morning, we then bring them home and sterlise them, you always have to be on the look out for an ad hoc bargain with 14 grandchildren. Have you seen the Duplo blocks which may be better for the hands of a 3 year old?

[BobH]

Hi Steve!

Thanks for the response. Yes, we are keeping our eyes open at yard sales and flea markets but I rarely see Legos. And, yes, we saw the Duplo blocks; however, Christian is very precocious and large for his age. He will be 4 late next month but already weighs about 60 lbs. and is tall and thin - not at all overweight. He has manual dexterity like I've never seen in a child his age. He prefers the tiny little 2-point locking pieces and makes incredibly intricate (for his age) constructions.

Congratulations on your progeny. We are without grandchildren at this point as our only daughter (born when we were 41) is still holding out on us.

Thanks again for the suggestion - especially about the sterilization.

[steveh]

Hi Steve!

Thanks for the response. Yes, we are keeping our eyes open at yard sales and flea markets but I rarely see Legos. And, yes, we saw the Duplo blocks; however, Christian is very precocious and large for his age. He will be 4 late next month but already weighs about 60 lbs. and is tall and thin - not at all overweight. He has manual dexterity like I've never seen in a child his age. He prefers the tiny little 2-point locking pieces and makes incredibly intricate (for his age) constructions.

Congratulations on your progeny. We are without grandchildren at this point as our only daughter (born when we were 41) is still holding out on us.

Thanks again for the suggestion - especially about the sterilization.

Hi Bob

We even bought the sterliser from the car boot, it was a childrens bottle sterliser and the fluid for it is cheap enough

How about ebay, I just had a quick look at the UK site and they had ads for 100 bits @ £3.99

Promise him if he is a good boy that uncle Bob will build him a Lego church

[steveh]

Hi Bob

Had 5 minutes on my hands, how about

Walmart
Target
Toys R Us

[ChrisGreaves]

Has anyone here found any source that I might use?

Hi Bob.
CraigsList?
FreeCycle?
et al.

[Bowlie]

There is always Legoland, this one in California. The one we visited, in Billund, sold individually every piece that is still produced. Some individually priced, but most by the kg (or fraction thereof) in both Euro and DKK! There is also an on-line shop.

Happy playing. If you ever get a chance to go to a Legoland I would jump at it, my wife and I (both mid-50s) had a great time!

Edited to add: There are also quite a few Lego Stores in the US, and Canada. Chris - there's one in Toronto too!

[stuck]

I know. I know. I'm a bit long in the tooth to be playing with Legos

You're never too old to play with Lego.

Ken

[garbsmj]

Mall of America has a lego store too. I have to drag Garbette there every time so I can look at the Death Star model that I want but can't buy, because a)I'm a mom, b)I can think of a gazillion things I could do with the money and c)Garbette would be mortified. So maybe when I retired or she officially moves out, I'll turn the guest room into a Star Wars haven. You can also try their website because I know they sell them online. (Don't tell Garbette).

[PJ_in_FL]

I have to drag Garbette there every time so I can look at the Death Star model that I want but can't buy

I'm trying to use my grandson as the excuse to get the Millennium Falcon kit! Birthday's past, so I guess maybe Christmas?

[BobH]

Thanks for the responses, folks.

My complaint with the retail channels for Lego are simple. First, they package the blocks needed to configure whatever they are promoting. I don't want them to determine what components I buy through such packaging. I want them to sell their basic blocks as commodities that I can purchase in whatever quantity I want by size. I wouldn't even mind too much if they sold them is bricks of 100 pieces or more to create reasonable economic quantities. I am, however, very, very tired of having my demand manipulated by advertising and by the marketing ploys of the seller. In fact, I have come to abhor all marketing and advertising (and by association all marketers and advertisers, both institutionally and individually).

I have found the ebay suggestion helpful and have bought some mixed lots there.

Thank you all for responding.

[garbsmj]

that's what's nice if you can get to a lego store like the one at Mall O' America because they have a whole wall of legos and you can get whatever color size or shape you want. I know the online site used to sell bulk legos because we did buy some for a Garbette project once but anyway, if you're really serious, you can message me and I can see what I can do. You know color, size, that sort of thing. Maybe the Mall O' America store will ship or I can be your personal shopper. That way I can look at "my" death star again

[stuck]

I want them to sell their basic blocks as commodities that I can purchase in whatever quantity I want by size.

Start here:
http://shop.lego.com/ByCategory/Department.aspx?d=304
More specifically look here:
http://shop.lego.com/pab/?warning=false

Make sure you select your country at the top of the page, to get the prices in your local currency.

Have fun!

Ken
PS We expect you to post a picture of your first creation

[BobH]

Thank you for the links.

I had overlooked the path on the Lego store website to the pages where individual bricks could be purchased.

I don't think I shall be using that source, however, because they want more than a quarter apiece for the things. Although it might be my web browser skill deficit at work again, I didn't see an option to buy them in bulk.

With the billions of these things that have been made - and given their near indestructibility - one deludes oneself into thinking that one should be able to buy them at close to a penny apiece if bought in bulk. Perhaps, though, the economic laws I learned have now become just suggestions.

[stuck]

I didn't see an option to buy them in bulk

you have to find the brick you want, add it to your brick bag and then the quantity option becomes available. 999 seems to be the upper limit.

See red lined area of screen dump, top right.

Ken

[BobH]

Thanks, Ken.

[stuck]

I know Lego is expensive but I have never regretted one penny of the many, many, many hundreds of pennies that the stuck household has spent on Lego. Many other toys have come and gone but despite the fact that both of the stucklings have not played with it for a while now, we still have all the Lego, nor do we intend to part with it.

Ken

[DaveA]

We have a very large box of Legos and all of the grand kids know where it is and also know where it goes when they leave.

We also give them (the kids) differnt sets of Legos each year for Christmas and birthdays.

You are NEVER to old for Legos