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Custom LEGO models with instructions

As a LEGO fan you have several choices for building your own LEGO creations. You might get inspired by an official LEGO set and customize it further, or completely rebuild it. You can also use the loose pieces you already have, and make a completely original design. If you don’t have all the LEGO elements you need for your custom creations, you can use LEGO Digital Designer to work out the details of your model, and when you are done, you can order the missing element online. But what about the times twhen you would like to build something but you are not sure how to start, or you would like to see what else you could make with your LEGO bricks? Today I would like to show you another way you can make new models by taking advantage of the huge amount of instructions shared by the LEGO fan community. 🙂

CUSTOM LEGO INSTRUCTIONS AT REBRICKABLE: Rebrickable.com is one of the best resources for building custom LEGO models. It was created by LEGO fan Nathan Thom, who wanted to see what other sets he could build from his current LEGO collection. His website will show you which official LEGO sets you can build from the sets and parts you already own. But that’s not all…

Custom LEGO Models with Instructions - Rebrickable

You can choose from official LEGO sets, or custom models made by many different designers. As far as official LEGO sets, you can build them as they are, or there are also upgrades and alternate builds created by LEGO fans – you can basically upgrade your current sets with cooler details. As far as custom models, there are thousands of them. They all include building instructions, so you can follow along step-by step. There are even some of LEGO’s own designers who upload models at Rebrickable.

Custom LEGO Models with Instructions - Rebrickable Details

Rebrickable is linked from Brickset.com, so if you already maintain your collection there, you can easily see what other models you can build with what you have right now. If you ever want to build something and need a bit of inspiration, or you just want to see what else you could build from your current LEGO collection, Rebrickable is a great place to check out.

CUSTOM LEGO INSTRUCTIONS AT SWOOSHABLE: Swooshable.com was created by Swedish LEGO fan Linus Bohman, who’s focus is on advanced building techniques, custom models, and in general to be a resource for LEGO fans who want to enhance their building skills. The site also includes some very high quality custom LEGO models with instructions. See here: Custom LEGO Models at Swooshable

Custom LEGO Models with Instructions - Swooshable

CUSTOM LEGO INSTRUCTIONS AT LEGO’S WEBSITE: LEGO has its own LEGO Digital Designer community, where LEGO fans can share their creations. Use the search feature to find models that you are interested in. You have to have LEGO Digital Designer already downloaded to open up the models and either customize the further or generate building instructions.

Custom LEGO Models with Instructions - LEGO Digital Designer

LEGO DIGITAL DESIGNER COMMUNITY AT EUROBRICKS: If you like to build virtual LEGO models, or you use LEGO Digital Designer as a building aid, Eurobricks has a dedicated section for LDD. Eurobricks is one of the largest LEGO fan communities, but because it is set up as a forum, it is not as easy to use as the other sites to find instructions for custom LEGO models. However it is a great resource to learn tips and tricks about virtual building. Members also share their own digital creations, and collaborate on larger virtual models. In addition, Eurobricks regularly runs LDD contests. One of my favorite sections however is the Official LEGO Sets Made in LDD. You can download these models to further customize them. This is very helpful when you are inspired by an official LEGO set, but you want to build it in a different way – for example change the colors, create other variations, or expand on the original model.

Custom LEGO Models with Instructions - Eurobricks

I hope these resources will help you when you want to build something but you are not sure where to start, or you just want to see what else you could build from your current LEGO collection. If you need individual LEGO elements to finish up a model, you can use BrickLink.com, or LEGO’s own Pick-A-Brick section.

LEGO Trees & Leaves at Pick-A-Brick

What do you think? Have you used any of these resources to build alternate versions of official LEGO sets, or custom LEGO models? Are there any other resources you find helpful for building custom LEGO creations? Feel free to share in the comment section below! 😉

And you might also like to check out the following related posts:

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(Written by William)

As I have mentioned in some of my previous articles (see links at the end of this post), I sell LEGO fairly regularly on BrickLink.com to support my hobby. While originally I only sold sets, recently I started adding individual pieces to my store as well. Selling LEGO sets is fairly easy, as all the information about the set is right on the box, so it is hard to make mistakes. Sure, a set could get damaged in shipping, but if you take some precautions and pack properly, that shouldn’t be an issue. Parts, on the other hand, are a much different story…

BrickLink - Online LEGO MarketPlace

Selling LEGO by the piece requires that you are very knowledgeable about each element. Pieces can have small moulding and color differences, which means that they could look nearly identical to the untrained eye, but the price difference between these variations can be huge. LEGO pieces also require an efficient sorting and storage system to make the order fulfillment process easier, and to protect them from damage.

Not yet being familiar with all the nuances of LEGO elements, I recently made a fairly large blunder while fulfilling an order, mistaking a newer part for an older one. The color was right, as well as the functionality of the element, but the small details clearly showed that I had a newer version. This made a big difference in price. Thankfully, the buyer was very understanding and a seller in his own right. After issuing a full refund, I got a chance to talk with the buyer about selling. During our discussions he gave me some tips for new sellers to consider when they start up their own store. The list below is based on his advice. So special thanks goes out to Florida Brick Shop for inspiring this article. 🙂

SELLING LEGO – SETTING GOALS

Opening a store – even a hobby business – requires a clear goal to thrive. Whether you are looking for a bit of additional income, saving up money for a big ticket item, or considering to start a full-time business, goals will help you form a plan.

As an example, establishing a business that can eventually provide significant income requires finding ways expand. So a good amount of the initial profits will get reinvested into the business to make it grow. Additionally, a new business owner will want to research methods of obtaining and processing products at a much higher volume. Even taxes will be handled differently.

In contrast, a person running a BrickLink shop just to support their LEGO hobby is more concerned with keeping their shop easy to operate. Hobbies are meant to be fun. So meeting and helping out other LEGO fans, while making a little bit of money on the side, is just fine for hobby sellers. No need to worry about expansion, managing a huge inventory, or making big money.

So goals are your road map. They don’t need to be written in stone, but they can give you a sense of what success means to you. Goals also can suggest ways to deal with problems and provide direction when you feel lost. And best of all, if things change for you, your goals can also change.

SELLING LEGO – SORTING & STORAGE

As you begin selling LEGO, you will quickly discover that your store is as good as your storage system. Having product scattered throughout your house is a recipe for losing or misplacing items when you need them. This is why figuring out a good centralized storage area is best.

A storage system will also help gauge the amount and types of products you can sell. If you have an entire room dedicated to selling, you can probably handle extremely large LEGO sets or massive bulk amounts of bricks. A small area may guide you towards small intricate parts with a high resale value – like for example minifigures.

Whatever your storage system turns out to be, it is good to have an arrangement that can quickly locate the items you have available. This can be very simple like storage units with items sorted by type and color. Or you can also have a more involved system with your own numeric filing and detailed labeling. If you combine your method with the note section on Bricklink listings, you can have a built-in sophisticated reference system. Ultimately, you want an organization method that you can rely on to keep things from falling between the cracks.

SELLING LEGO – GETTING EQUIPPED

You may have the sets and pieces to sell, but do you have the equipment? Let’s start with a strong light and a good magnifier. These are tools that can let you read the part numbers on the pieces themselves to avoid mistakes. Sorting-trays and a clean and clear surface can also be big aids in counting and sorting out an order.

When it comes to packing things up, a postal-scale is your best friend. However packing materials is the real expense. If you are only selling occasionally you can get supplies locally, or even recycle packaging from your own orders. If you are running a larger store you can get shipping supplies online from various vendors. PackagingSuppliesbyMail.com is one great resource. They have baggies, mailers, bubble-wraps, shipping-tape, and anything else you may need. Remember, bulk is your friend when you plan to sell a lot.

On the technological side you may want to look into BrickStock. Those who handle medium to large inventories find the versatility and features of this program invaluable. You can try it out for personal use for free. It won’t have all the features you probably want, but it will get you acclimated to the program.

If you find yourself looking to expand your market visibility, you might also want to sell on BrickOwl.com, a site similar to BrickLink, but much newer. However, if you do, another program that is a must is BrickSync. This software lets you synchronize your inventory between the two sites. After all, you can’t sell the same pieces more than once!

SELLING LEGO – FINAL ADVICE

When you create a store, it can be really easy to forget that there are people just like you on the other end of the transaction. You may have a screen that feels very impersonal when you type in prices and quantities, but the way you learn and grow is by engaging with your buyers.

A good example is from my own mistake. I could have given the buyer the run around, but I know I don’t want to be treated that way. So when I saw his message and realized what the problem was, I issued a full refund before I even started talking with him by email. Now, this might not be the best or most appropriate way to deal with every situation, but I sold him parts he didn’t want and it was my error. I was not going to waste more of his time by arguing the fact.

From that experience, the buyer felt more than willing to open up to me and give me some helpful advice. He even offered to ship back the parts at his own expense. But I found the knowledge and experience I gained more than enough compensation for the loss of a few parts.

This brings us to the last bit of advice. If you have a problem, or want to look for other ways of handling a situation, try talking to other sellers. You are not the only person buying and selling LEGO elements in this world, so there is no reason to feel alone. Markets like BrickLink have forums where you can discuss and discover new ways to be successful in your efforts. Because in the end, we’d all prefer to be that seller we always want to buy from…

I hope this article will help you to avoid some of the common mistakes when running an online LEGO store. If you have other tips that you would like to share, or questions you would like to ask, feel free to add them in the comment section below! 😉

And you might also like to check out the following related posts:

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