I could have sworn someone already asked this before but couldn't find it. Here goes anyhow.

There are hundreds of sellers on Bricklink that list individual pieces from sets for sale, and it is true that not every set appreciates in value (some even devalue), so fellow Brickvestors my question is thus.

Is it possible to make a profit that at least covers the original retail cost of a set by parting it out?

Absolutely! I sometimes buy sets and sell the mini figs and other misc. pieces to cover the cost. I usually end up with some pieces for free which I add to my kids stash of pieces.

I could have sworn someone already asked this before but couldn't find it. Here goes anyhow.

There are hundreds of sellers on Bricklink that list individual pieces from sets for sale, and it is true that not every set appreciates in value (some even devalue), so fellow Brickvestors my question is thus.

Is it possible to make a profit that at least covers the original retail cost of a set by parting it out?

Yes - It certainly is possible. Now, I wouldn't do it with a strong performing set (although you could consider selling the minifigs separate from those sets), but there are a lot of bad performers that have lots of great pieces. I don't personally see the reward as being worth the time & effort (plus, I could always use pieces) - but it certainly can be done.

I thought so. I have heard throughout the forums of how even if a set does bad, you can always part out the set. I just wanted to know if this was actually plausible or all talk. I certainly wouldn't suggest doing so with any solid performers, and I believe that unless you had the original intent of starting a parts store on Bricklink or such, trying to sell pieces from unwanted sets would be more hassle than it's worth. Besides, I ALWAYS need more parts! (And usually ones that I originally thought I couldn't find a use for but somehow always do.)

Nice topic Orc! I always thought this would be a great Column for BrickPicker from a seller who was experienced at doing this. Sometimes I read posts here on this forum about members who make easy money doing this. Heck, one member can even tell from looking at photos what sets are in it. But the amount of time it takes to ship, and catalog all of these parts plus fees is time consuming. And what are the best strategies for selling these?