How do you store your Legos?

[Kelemvor]

SO we have a bunch of legos and are trying to figure out how to store/sort them so it's easier for the kids to build things without having to search through a huge tub of them to find the one piece they want.

I think sorting them by size woudl be better than sorting them by color since if I want a red 2x1 it's easy to pick out the red one in a bin of 2x1s than to pick out the 2x1 in a bin of reds.

Anyway, there's a crapload of different sized pieces so I'm just not sure the best way to do this.

In the olden days, all the pieces were rectangles. These days there are so many custom pieces that don't fit in a specific size area, I'm not sure what to do. It also seems I'd need dozens of bins to cover all the sizes there are as well.

So, if you sort your Legos, how do you do it? What strategies do you use? Does it work?

Thanks,
Kel

 

[PottedMeat]

ugh sorting sucks. when i was a kid i'd get a set, build it according to the instructions once, then dump it in a 5 gallon bucket. when i wanted to play with them i'd dump everything on a rug or cardboard and use what i needed. to put everything back i'd roll up the rug and dump it back in.

 

[Kelemvor]

ugh sorting sucks. when i was a kid i'd get a set, build it according to the instructions once, then dump it in a 5 gallon bucket. when i wanted to play with them i'd dump everything on a rug or cardboard and use what i needed. to put everything back i'd roll up the rug and dump it back in.

That's what we do now. Our kids are only 5 and 8 so getting them to clean up after dumping them out doesn't always happen. We figured if they were in smaller containers, they'd be able to find the pieces they were looking for without having to dump everything all over the floor...

 

[lxskllr]

Maybe small plastic containers nested in a tub. That's a PITA though. I like the all or nothing approach. Everything dumped in a big container.

 

[Soundmanred]

We use 4 of these in 4 different colors:
http://www.walmart.com/ip/Sterilite-...-of-2/20699656

 

[PieIsAwesome]

When I was a kid I would have several shoebox-sized containers and just mix everything together. I had all the parts I had and where they were memorized somehow.

I would sort by both size and color for more standard pieces, and by type for more specialty pieces. You can merge some groups if they are too small individually (red and yellow together or 4X4X1 and 4X8X1 together, or maybe all large plates of a color together, all small plates of a color together, etc.).

 

[madoka]

I have an extensive Lego collection. I spend around $2000 per month on the stuff. Times that by a couple of decades and you get the idea. Consequently I have four external storage rooms filled with it. Eventually it also overwhelmed my house, so I bought a second house to live in. That was my ultimate solution to my Lego storage problem. I know this sounds like a joke, but those in the Lego community know that I'm not kidding.

 

[QueBert]

OP watch out, UK dudes go apeshit when you use Legos as the plural for Lego.

 

[WaTaGuMp]

Lego my Eggo.

 

[lxskllr]

I have an extensive Lego collection. I spend around $2000 per month on the stuff. Times that by a couple of decades and you get the idea. Consequently I have four external storage rooms filled with it. Eventually it also overwhelmed my house, so I bought a second house to live in. That was my ultimate solution to my Lego storage problem. I know this sounds like a joke, but those in the Lego community know that I'm not kidding.

Should have built the second house from Lego. Two problems solved ;^)

 

[Kelemvor]

Should have built the second house from Lego. Two problems solved ;^)

http://www.wimp.com/legohouse/

 

[tfinch2]

I have each set in a zip lock bag with the instructions.

It took about a year to build the 50 or so sets from my bucket full of parts.

 

[7window]

your doing it wrong. dump it all in one bucket and let your chjildren sort it. That is good for creativity. If you have it in one box with the right pieces and follow instructions whats the point?

 

[Ruptga]

Dump all the normal 2x1, 2x6, etc pieces in one bin and just sort the weird stuff?

 

[tfinch2]

your doing it wrong. dump it all in one bucket and let your chjildren sort it. That is good for creativity. If you have it in one box with the right pieces and follow instructions whats the point?

These are my Legos from when I was a kid. I have a sentimental attachment to them, and can do with them what I please.

My daughter has her own jumbo Legos (she is two) that we play together with. I will buy her the sets she wants when she gets older. I also have an assorted collection of pieces that are not part of any sets that we can play with.

 

[Eureka]

Where's Madoka? He'll show you how to store Legos...

 

[KidNiki1]

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

also, just for my good friend who is about to have a very sore forehead from banging his head on the desk...
LEGOS


bwahahahaaaaa

:twisted:

 

[IronWing]

I like to store them scattered about on the floor, at night, cold nights. It is a method of affirming the lego theory of reality.

 

[Rakehellion]

How do you store your Legos?

Sorry, I'm storing all of mine back in the 3rd grade.

 

[Geosurface]

I store mine about an inch deep into the bottom of my foot.

 

[BudAshes]

I have an extensive Lego collection. I spend around $2000 per month on the stuff. Times that by a couple of decades and you get the idea. Consequently I have four external storage rooms filled with it. Eventually it also overwhelmed my house, so I bought a second house to live in. That was my ultimate solution to my Lego storage problem. I know this sounds like a joke, but those in the Lego community know that I'm not kidding.

Wow, that is an expensive compulsion.

 

[chimaxi83]

Sorry, I'm storing all of mine back in the 3rd grade.

How does one go about attaining the Grand Master Level 100 of Badassery you so obviously have? Must I grow a thick mustache to join your ranks?

 

[rockyct]

It depends on your goal here and what sets you are buying. If you're buying licensed sets like Star Wars, super heroes, etc. and then dumping them into a single bin, you'll probably never build any one of those sets ever again without hours and hours of sorting. If you're fine with them not rebuilding a set you bought, then this isn't much of an issue. Although, I would just recommend you buy sets from the Creator line or just basic boxes of brick since it's cheaper this way and it's much easier to build with non-specialized pieces. A lot of pieces in the popular lines are a bit specialized and don't lend themselves to free building.

Basically, if you want your kids to rebuild that $100 Star Wars set, make sure that set doesn't get tossed in with other sets. If broken down, at least kept in a few zip lock bags divided into sections of the model. If it's a $20 police car you don't care about, just toss it in a big bin.

 

[WelshBloke]

legos Legos

Legos

Legos
Legos

LEGOS

I hate you all.

And you're not getting any curry this week KidNiki1.

 

[rockyct]

I hate you all.

And you're not getting any curry this week KidNiki1.

Yeah, Americans refer to Lego bricks as Legos. As much as Lego doesn't like that, it's not really going to change here. Cry your tears with a Kleenex as you Xerox your complaint letters and mail them out.