Weather you’re an AFOL, a teen, FLL Coach, or the parents of a LEGO Fan, you know when buying LEGO it gets expensive fast. This guide is meant to help you get the Most LEGO for your money. The most common purchase point for LEGO is in the store isles. We’ve all been there walking the store with our kids (or ourselves) and spied that neatly decorated and styled box of LEGO. You want it, you must have it. But hold on that may not be the best way to get your LEGO fix. Physical store retailers may or may not have the best prices, and some of them (Toy’s R Us) are know to charge prices above the MSRP. But sometimes it might be. it all depends, Do you have to have it now? Is it on sale? Is there a limed edition promotion? If so, go ahead buy that LEGO set. While were at this point, we should talk about value. Most, AFOL’s measure the relative value of a LEGO set by it’s piece count. that is the number of elements in the set. clearly posted on the front of the package.
a good rule of thumb is the set should cost about .10 cents per piece. Liscenced Themes like Star Wars and Toy Story will command a premium price presumably to help pay the licencing fees. So you can expect to pay more for those sets. But even that does not cover the whole story. LEGO which sells the sets does not value them based on pieces, but rather by the amount of plastic used. which is most easily determined by weight. AFOL’s on the other hand are more interested in pieces, because well larger pieces(SPUDS) are not as useful, and so a focus on piece count serves them well, but for your little youngster, this is not the best measure. With that out of the way, let’s move on. website, or Amazon you just have to wait for them to be shipped and arrive, As an added bonus, most online only retailers such as Amazon, do not charge sales tax unless they have a physical presance in your state, and usually have free shipping. Many of the rarer and uncommon sets are offered only through the Lego SHOP, so if your looking for the exclusives check them first, and be wary of Ebay.
It’s a great store to buy bulk used Lego, but most of the sets sold online through Ebay are current sets being sold at sometimes crazy markups. That is not a rip on Ebay itself, but rather some of it’s individual sellers, so be careful. So far, we have talked about standard online and brick and mortar stores there is however 1 more: Bricklink is an online website that hosts many stores form the LEGO community each of them run by their individual store owners. BrickLink is shinning if you are looking for specific LEGO elements, or out of production sets or Mini Figs. There are no fees to sign up with Bricklink, only when you buy, and those fees are determined by the store you buy form. Many of ULUG members maintain an online pressence here, and you can help suport us, and fill your lego needs by purchasing from one of their stores:There’s a rumor that Everything Is Awesome when you’re playing with LEGO, and Portland kids couldn’t agree more. If the sight of those colorful bricks has your little architects scrambling to build another masterpiece, we’ve got the perfect list for you.
Check out these six great spots where your LEGO fans can go to get building. Photo by woodleywonderworks via Flickr This spot for LEGO lovers on NE Sandy Blvd has all of your needs covered. Kids can buy new sets, sell used sets or make their own mix of bulk pieces from the massive bins of spare parts. If you’re searching for the perfect minifig, head to the minifig table where you can mix and match your own! (3 minifigs for $10). You’ll definitely be inspired by the incredible LEGO creations lining the shelves and countertops. The store has a few cozy armchairs for relaxing and two bathrooms complete with a changing table, so parents can rest easy while kids happily satisfy their LEGO cravings all afternoon. Additional locations can be found in Beaverton and Canby. For the Ultimate LEGO Fan, book one of the Bricks and Minifigs birthday party packages and make it a celebration they’ll never forget. 3040 NE Sandy Blvd. Mon. – Sat., 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. Sun., noon- 5 p.m.
Photo by Alessandro Valli via Flickr If your little builder can’t wait to get their hands on the latest Minecraft, Ninjago or LEGO Elves set, head to The Lego Store, where brick fans can find all of the latest and greatest sets. Just need a few individual pieces to complete your creation at home? Buy a bag of LEGO bricks from the bulk bins for happy building. Join the store’s LEGO VIP program to earn points towards purchases and invitations to members-only LEGO events. Don’t forget to follow the store’s monthly calendar for the inside scoop on in-store LEGO building events and special sales. 9410 SW Washington Sq Rd. # K11 Mon. – Sat., 10 a.m. – 9 p.m. Sun., 10 a.m. – 7 p.m. Can anything beat a night of LEGO building? Only if that night of LEGO building also includes LEGO Wii, motorized creations, snacks, drinks and new friends. At Bricks 4 Kidz’s Friday night “Kidz Night Out” events, LEGO enthusiasts ages 4-10 get a night of their own to celebrate the beloved bricks with an evening of fun.
Cost is $20 per child, and pre-registration is required. Bricks 4 Kidz also hosts a variety of camps, classes and after-school events. Check their website for new offerings in LEGO adventures! 21135 NW West Union Rd. Photo by Anna Doogan It’s LEGO Club at the library! Show off your building skills at these drop-in groups happening at Multnomah County Libraries. All LEGO bricks are provided. Donations of new bricks are always welcome, so go ahead and bring in that bucket of extra pieces! After each session, creations are set up on display. LEGO Club is always free, but is first come first served, so arrive about 30 minutes early to reserve a spot. Afterwards, browse the shelves so that your LEGO lover can snag a copy of The LEGO Idea Book or The LEGO Movie on DVD before heading home. May 20 at Kenton Library 4 p.m. – 5 p.m. May 23 at Sellwood-Moreland Library 3:30 p.m. – 4:30 p.m. Jun. 3 at Kenton Library 4 p.m. – 5 p.m. Jun. 6 at Midland Library 4:15 p.m. – 5 p.m.
Jun. 6 at Hollywood Library 3:30 p.m. – 4:30 p.m. Jun. 8 at Northwest Library 3 p.m.- 4 p.m. Jun. 15 at Woodstock Library 3:30 p.m. – 4:15 p.m. Jun. 17 at Kenton Library 4 p.m. – 5 p.m. Jun. 22 at Northwest Library 3 p.m. – 4 p.m. Jun. 27 at Sellwood-Moreland Library 3:30 p.m. – 4:30 p.m. 8226 N. Denver Ave. 7860 SE 13th Ave. 805 SE 122nd Ave. 4040 NE Tillamook St. 2300 NW Thurman St. 6009 SE 49th Ave. OMSI is combining two things that kids love—summer break and LEGO— for days of summer fun that young LEGO fans won’t be able to stop talking about. Kids entering 4th or 5th grade can design simple or more complicated contraptions in LEGO Machines camp, or build and command robots in LEGO Robotics. To make it easier on Moms and Dads, OMSI offers before-care starting at 7:30 a.m., and after care until 6 p.m. Parents can go about their day knowing that the kids are hard at play making LEGO masterpieces. Camps fill quickly, so register early to guarantee a spot.
Camp prices range from $230-$290/week for OMSI members and $287.50-$362.50/week for non-members. Lego Machines: Jun. 20-24, 2016 from 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. Lego Robotics: Jun. 20-24, Jul. 5-8, Jul. 25-29, 2016 from 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. 1945 SE Water Ave. From preschoolers to teens and every age in-between, there’s a class or workshop at Little Engineers. Using STEM curriculum combined with LEGO education kits, kids have fun while learning technical skills and problem solving. Little Engineers offers various camps and classes throughout the year, as well as after school programs and birthday parties. Check out the Saturday Drop and Shop LEGO/Minecraft Camp. It allows parents to dash out for a few hours of shopping or errands while little brick lovers make new friends and build to their hearts’ content. Little Engineers is moving locations to Washington Square Mall in early June, so keep an eye on their website for the latest information and schedules. 10110 SW Nimbus Ave., Ste. B7 & B8