Lego

Previously, I wrote about my new affinity for Lego that came about during the pandemic, and how I had begun to branch out to customized sets not offered by Danish brick maker.  These are most commonly referred to as MOC sets, which is an acronym for My Own Creation. Where to find MOC setsThere are several ways to discover MOC sets, one of the most popular is by browsing a site called Rebrickable. Here, you can browse sets created by users, many times based on popular movies and video games, such as this diorama of the legendary fight between Anakin and Obi-Wan from Star Wars Revenge of the Sith. Sometimes the creator charges a fee for the instructions, like with the diorama, while other times, the instructions are free to download. For example, this festive Christmas wreath. Of course, you can also design your own MOC sets by stacking whatever blocks you have on hand, or by using the Bricklink Studio program to build them virtually before ordering the pieces. One of my favorite places to get MOC sets is from Bricker Builds, which I featured in my last article. They offer beautiful Lego sculptures, oftentimes, consisting of thousands of bricks. Buying the bundle which includes the bricks can be pretty expensive.Fortunately, Bricker Builds provides an option to purchase the instructions with a parts list and source the pieces yourself. Much like I did with this mushroom from Super Mario Brothers. Where do you get the Lego bricksThe question is, where do you buy the parts once you have the list? One of the most popular ways is to use a site called Bricklink, where you can use part lists to order new and used Lego pieces from a collection of sellers.  Unfortunately, you’ll soon realize how expensive this can be with some MOC sets using hundreds or even thousands of Lego pieces. WebrickThat’s where Webrick comes in, a site dedicated to helping you buy alternative building blocks. What are alternative building blocks? They are essentially unbranded Lego bricks that can be bought at a fraction of the cost in some cases. Comparing bricks from Webrick next to Lego, you’d hardly be able to spot a difference. The plastic feels the same, and blocks from Webrick even work with Lego pieces. That makes it perfect for using with your previous Lego collection, or for mixing and matching when Webrick might not have all the parts you need in stock. About the only differences you’ll notice, is the lack of the Lego branding, a slightly different shade of color, and the clutch power. Alternative bricks often offer a stronger clutch, which means you need to press down a little harder, but it also means they stay together much better as well.Bricks from Webrick compared to Lego piecesOh, and your wallet will most certainly notice all the money you’re saving. When ordering from Webrick, you can often save up to 20% or more when compared to buying Lego branded blocks. Now, Webrick isn’t the only place out there selling alternative bricks, but they are my favorite store to purchase from for several reasons. For starters, the Webrick website features an easy-to-use parts list uploader supporting many popular formats for MOC sets. The tool even provides several options like prioritizing which stock to pull from or the lowest price. Next, it carries bricks from several well-known Chinese brands, including being a distributor for Gobricks, one of the highest-rated building blocks when compared to Lego. That means you can also find some bricks in colors Lego doesn’t offer. Webrick also offers plenty of options when purchasing, like ordering piece by piece, 100 pieces at a time, or even bulk orders with 1KG packs for certain pieces. Finally, if there are any pieces missing from your order, Webrick gives you one replacement request per order. The only real downsides I’ve come across when using Webrick, is sometimes they don’t stock every part I need, some pieces have the occasional scuff or scratch, shipping can be a little slow, and also quite expensive. However, as long as they have 80-90% of my parts list, then it’s easy to fill in with Lego from other sources like Bricklink. And if you’re placing a large order, I’ve found their support team is even willing to help with creating a custom order. When it comes to shipping, that just can’t be helped. Webrick charges by weight, and it’s coming all the way from China. In the end, despite the surprisingly high shipping charges, it was still cheaper than ordering Lego bricks. For example, the mushroom I built in this article cost $93.88, including shipping, when using the price priority mode with the parts uploader tool. However, that was also after using the 5% off coupon 5WEBRICK at checkout. Using Bricklink, the same order would have cost $119 after shipping and tax, that’s a savings of $25.12, or a little over 20% by using Webrick. Speaking of, Webrick’s current coupons are as follows. 5% sitewide: 5WEBRICK (Valid until April 30th, 2022)8% off over $100: 8WEBRICK (Valid until April 30th, 2022)10% off over $200: 10WEBRICK (Valid until April 30th, 2022)For all of these reasons, Webrick has become my favorite way to order building blocks, and in my opinion, is the best way to get the pieces you need for your next MOC project. 

Over the past couple of years, we’ve all spent a lot more time at home due to the pandemic. During that time, I rediscovered my childhood hobby of building Lego sets to help pass the hours, and turns out, it’s a great stress reliever as well.While Lego offers a large variety of sets already for children and AFOL (Adult Fans of Lego) already, I soon began to branch out looking for models that combined my other interests with my newfound hobby. Enter Bricker Builds, a company that designs and sells instructions for building life-sized Lego sculptures based on popular movies and video games. The first time I saw one of their designs, I immediately fell in love and knew I had to build it. After browsing the Bricker Builds site, I soon found several more models I loved and knew I’d be saving up to buy in the future. Full disclosure, even though I have previously purchased from Bricker Builds, the model below was provided by the company for a fair and unbiased review.PurchasingThe Bricker Builds website offers a variety of Lego sculptures based on some of the most popular movies and video games around, all designed by master Lego builders. The selection includes characters such as Darth Vader, Master Chief, Boba Fett, Spider-Man, and more. There is even a collection of iconic weapons, including Thor’s hammer Mjolnir, Captain America’s Shield, and a Hero’s Sword inspired by Link’s Master Sword from Zelda. Once you’ve chosen the set you want to buy, Bricker Builds provides you with two options for purchasing. The first, conveniently bundles the instructions and all the Lego bricks you’ll need to complete the build. While the second option, includes the instructions and a parts list, which comes in an XML file ready to plug into Brick Link for purchasing new or used Lego pieces for the sculpture. Bricker Builds even made a tutorial video to make acquiring the bricks yourself as easy as possible. As you might have guessed, the bundle is often the most expensive option. This Spider-Man No Way Home Bust will set you back $650 for the instructions plus bricks, but it’s also the easiest most trouble-free way to get everything all at once. Choosing the instructions and parts list option is much cheaper at only $45 for this build, however, then you’ll have to buy the bricks separately. When trying to decide, Bricker Builds is willing to assist by providing a parts list allowing you to compare prices to see if it’s worth sourcing the parts yourself. All you have to do is email the fantastic support team and request it. If you’re finding the price to be a little hard to swallow, then you might be happy to know that you can split the total into multiple interest-free installments, with payments due every two weeks. After you’ve placed an order, Bricker Builds sends out an email confirming everything and with links to download the PDF instructions and parts list for your model. All that’s left to do, is wait for your box of genuine Lego bricks to arrive, or to start pricing out and purchasing the bricks on your own. What comes in the box?With the Spider-Man No Way Home set, the box came packed with a printout with QR codes to download instructions and the parts list, as well as 2 large re-sealable zipper bags stuffed with several other smaller zipper bags containing the Lego pieces. The Build ProcessAt first, I thought this was similar to how Lego sets come with numbered bags for each set, however, I soon learned that was not the case. This dawned on me after emptying out bag 1 of 2 and realizing I couldn’t find the pieces I needed after only getting a couple of steps into the build. Instead of numbering the bags in order of each step like Lego sets do, Bricker Builds sends pieces sorted in bags by shape or type. This took a little time to adjust to, but once I did, I was flying through the build with no problems. No matter what option you purchase, the instructions you receive will come in PDF format. As someone who has built sets using both paper and PDF instructions, I much prefer using the PDF version. Zooming into the page on a tablet or computer is far more practical than shoving your face into an instruction book. Plus, you save a tree in the process. As for the quality of the instructions, I’d say they are better than those I’ve seen from retail Lego sets. The reason I say they are better, is because the Bricker Builds instructions include a yellow outline around the new pieces that make it easier to follow along with complex builds. Now for the part you’ve been waiting for, how difficult is building such an impressive-looking Lego sculpture? At first, building the Spider-Man No Way Home Life-Sized Bust can seem a little daunting. It is comprised of 3,000 bricks after all—and when completed—stands nearly 17-inches tall, 8.5-inches wide, 8.9-inches deep, and weighs 5.5-pounds. However, never fear web-slinging fans, thanks to the well-laid-out instructions, just about anyone should be able to tackle this project. It mostly consists of precisely stacking plates and bricks, except for some advanced techniques using SNOT (Studs Not on Top) bricks on the face. Regardless, I never once found myself getting lost or stuck during the build. Bricker Builds has done an amazing job on the instructions streamlining the build process. Plus, if you ever have any questions, Bricker Builds encourages you to reach out to their stellar support team for help. My only complaint would be that I was four bricks short by the end of the build. One piece was missing entirely, while three were red when I needed dark red to complete the webbing on the head. Not to worry, as I mentioned, Bricker Builds has fantastic support, and after sending an email and waiting a day, the missing parts were on their way.Final ThoughtsIn the world of Lego MOC (My Own Creation) sets, Bricker Builds stands out with impeccable life-sized sculptures designed by Lego masters and top-notch customer support. While their sets may not come cheap, you’re getting genuine Lego bricks, and a one-of-a-kind Lego showpiece that is not only fun to build, but will also look fantastic in your home. The Spider-Man No Way Home life-sized bust even makes a fantastic headphone stand. If you do place an order, make sure to sign up for the Bricker Builds email newsletter in order to receive $5 off your purchase.

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