We spent time buying and building LEGO which always tends to be fun. But sometimes, there's the unspoken task of taking apart sets, breaking them down, and storing them away in a giant box of LEGO to sort in 20 years or various bags.  It's sometimes is unpleasant and challenging but fundamentally still apart of LEGO.  So I figured I'd get it started.

Start dis-assembling my 76042 SHIELD Helicarrier.  So far, I'm going in reverse here.  Here it is in its former resting location as a centerpiece. Time for the old girl to head to drydock.

Managed to get one bag done. Only...many more to go.  I might have underestimated how long this would take...

I've been breaking up some sets to sell and I just disassemble and sort by colour. Too much work to do via bag numbers etc.

Stripped down my 10245 Santa's workshop - still need to break up snowglobe and wv market. Then Christmas is truly done (for another year anyway)!

As a buyer, I hate getting a purchase sorted by colour. Especially on a 2000+ part set. Finding the small pieces in a sea of 300-600 bricks of the same colour can be a ball ache.

On a big set like that, I'd be taking it apart in chunks, dictated by bag number in the instructions. Once I'm confident I've found the parts where Bag X ends and Bag Y begins, I'll take that whole chunk and rip it apart down to the individual technic pins. I then use a "sort by size" system. So for Bags #3 they'd maybe get 3 ziplocks of Large parts, Mid parts, and Tiny parts.

As a builder, I much prefer to be able to dump those 3 ziplocks out and find the colour in the size catergory indicated... much like an actual set is sorted, but not to the same degree as an original set ships in. 

Once you have disassembled 10179, then you know true finger pain.

As a buyer, I hate getting a purchase sorted by colour. Especially on a 2000+ part set. Finding the small pieces in a sea of 300-600 bricks of the same colour can be a ball ache.
On a big set like that, I'd be taking it apart in chunks, dictated by bag number in the instructions. Once I'm confident I've found the parts where Bag X ends and Bag Y begins, I'll take that whole chunk and rip it apart down to the individual technic pins. I then use a "sort by size" system. So for Bags #3 they'd maybe get 3 ziplocks of Large parts, Mid parts, and Tiny parts.
As a builder, I much prefer to be able to dump those 3 ziplocks out and find the colour in the size catergory indicated... much like an actual set is sorted, but not to the same degree as an original set ships in. 

That's my preference. Both as a seller and a buyer.

I don't break it down into small chunks but I separate it into the numbered bags. I want to give my buyers as close to the original experience as possible.

When I build I'm just going to dump all of the same number bags into one big bin anyway.

Question for the group:

I'm in the process of building 10030 right now.  After it's built, it will get photographed, torn down, and put up for sale.

When I bought it, it was pretty much in "chunks" in a bin.  I separated everything out by color and brick type.  This set was designed 18 years ago, so numbered bags are non-existent. 

I'm wondering what your thoughts are on breaking this down.  I could do what I did before - sort into colors, and then break it down into part type (e.g., all light bluish gray slopes into one bag, all light bluish gray 2x16 plates into another bag, etc).  Or, I could break it down into sections.  There are some obvious (and significant) sections to this set, and they are highlighted in the instructions - the frame (x2), the stand, left bottom, right bottom, left top, right top, bridge, etc.

If you were buying, which way would you prefer to receive?  Would you want it all separated into part types, or would you like it separated into sections?

6 minutes ago, Alpinemaps said:

Question for the group:

I'm in the process of building 10030 right now.  After it's built, it will get photographed, torn down, and put up for sale.

When I bought it, it was pretty much in "chunks" in a bin.  I separated everything out by color and brick type.  This set was designed 18 years ago, so numbered bags are non-existent. 

I'm wondering what your thoughts are on breaking this down.  I could do what I did before - sort into colors, and then break it down into part type (e.g., all light bluish gray slopes into one bag, all light bluish gray 2x16 plates into another bag, etc).  Or, I could break it down into sections.  There are some obvious (and significant) sections to this set, and they are highlighted in the instructions - the frame (x2), the stand, left bottom, right bottom, left top, right top, bridge, etc.

If you were buying, which way would you prefer to receive?  Would you want it all separated into part types, or would you like it separated into sections?

I like receiving used sets in sections and I try to ship them in the same manner, when feasible. What kind of BP discount are you offering?

I like receiving used sets in sections and I try to ship them in the same manner, when feasible. What kind of BP discount are you offering? [emoji4]

Not sure what discount but I will be putting it up on BC for a discount. Stay tuned.

38 minutes ago, Alpinemaps said:

 

Not sure what discount but I will be putting it up on BC for a discount. Stay tuned.

 

If I were hypothetically salivating and theoretically wishing to buy this, I would hypothetically wish to receive it sorted by part type or leave to the discretion of the seller.

Hypothetically of course.

Taking some time to break down and inventory a TH. I've misplaced all the figures from the lot it came in. I found 4 inside the TH. One is from I think.  A lesson to all of you wanting to buy and sort bulk. Always keep the lot labeled and together while keeping each lot separate. Don't mix them even to save space. Don't be like me.

Edited February 4, 20178 yr by MarleyMoose

Broke down all my LOTR and hobbit sets by instruction booklet. Easy to rebuild that way.  Don't take to long.  Building all my castles in their place.

Finishing up my 71006 inventory and "true up" (i.e. purchase of missing pieces). Trying to use what I already have vs. buying from BL, but running into some decisions ... e.g. breaking open a 41058 Shopping Mall to get at 2-3 pieces, or just putting in one more order from BL to get what I need. Too bad I already placed a BL order after doing a high-level "do I have this piece" check. Should have waited until I completed a full run-through, but found a seller with the 3 instruction manuals, new, on sale for $1.50 and most of the pieces I needed, and didn't want to wait too long.

Finally. The Helicarrier is in bags. Took awhile.   Painful fingers.

I'm planning to spend this raining (as usual in UK) Sunday breaking down my Mini Cooper 10242 and build this little appealing MOC.
https://appadvice.com/app/airplane-for-lego-10242-building-instructions/1209731668

The problem is the instruction is only available on iOS devices... and since I'm Android user may I have a question and request to any of you if u could download the instruction and upload it somewhere or just take the screenshots and DM me the pictures? I would be extremely grateful for that.        It's about 20 pages or 20 steppes long as far as I can see.

Thanks in advance. ✌️✌️