How to Properly Buy Bricks at a Physical PICK A BRICK Location

Let’s start with this: there are two types of “Pick a Brick” – the one on the Lego website, and the one in official physical Lego Stores, usually found in larger cities. On the Lego website, you can buy a wide variety of bricks in different colors and in unlimited quantities. However, in-store, you get a paper box (previously plastic cups) and can fill it with as many bricks as you can fit. This is a much cheaper option than buying individual elements, but only if you know how to do it...

However, if you're only missing a few bricks to complete a set, you’re better off using either the Lego website or Bricklink, for a simple reason: Lego Stores don’t have unlimited space. That’s why the Pick a Brick wall usually has only about 40 different types of bricks.

Which Bricks Not to Buy? Avoid buying standard 2×2 and 2×4 bricks! They take up the most space and are among the cheapest! Always check the price of a brick on Bricklink before deciding to buy “500” of a particular kind.

Now, the Key Question: How Do You Fit More Bricks into That Small Paper Box Than It Seems Possible?

First, figure out which bricks you need and how many. You have two box options: small (green) and large (blue), with dimensions of 9 × 9 × 5.5 cm and 18 × 18 × 5.5 cm, respectively. Currently, their prices are around 13$ and 24$. The green box is half the size of the blue one. If you multiply 13$ by 2, you get 26$ – that’s 2$ more than the large box. So, the large box is more cost-effective than the small one.

Here are some tips to fit as many bricks as possible:

  1. If you want to buy bricks (which are cost-effective from the wall) or 1×2 bricks, you can fit about 720 in the large box and 360 in the small one. But not so fast! If you just throw them in loosely, you’ll fit about 30% fewer pieces – making the deal much less attractive. Stack them in groups of 9 (one on top of the other), and then layer them. This way, you’ll fit the maximum amount. One more thing: before placing these “stacks” in the box, attach a flat tile (tile or modified tile) – the kind without studs. Even if you don’t need these flat tiles right now 😉, take them – you might use them someday, or you can sell them. If your bricks are 1×4 in size or your tiles are bigger, simply connect your “columns” accordingly, or – in the case of the 1×4 bricks – attach two tiles. This lets you use the space more efficiently and get more bricks.

This is what a properly made “strip” looks like. 'pasek'

  1. For Plates Use a similar approach – connect the plates (stacked one on another) before placing them in the box. Don’t forget to put a tile on top; otherwise, the next plate could push against the box lid, making it hard to close.

  2. For Plants, Small Details, or Oddly Shaped Pieces Time to really pack them in. Start with a thin layer of small parts, then add larger parts on top, then smaller again. Shake the box occasionally so tiny pieces like 1×1 round flowers fill the empty spaces between larger elements. This way, you’ll fill the whole box up to the top. Pieces worth packing this way include: plants, candle holders, candles, small food items (rare, but possible), bones, etc. Try to fill every empty space, even with seemingly useless but small elements – just to increase your overall piece count. 😉 These are exemplary pieces you should put in the box with this way.

'elementy'
  1. And Finally – Tiles, the Hardest to Pack You have three methods:

As you probably guessed, the third method is the most time-consuming, so most people (myself included) don’t usually do it. But if you’re getting 2×4 tiles, I recommend stacking them – their size makes it easier to organize them efficiently.

You can also mix these methods – for example, bricks on one side of the box, plants on the other. What’s most important is sticking to the general rules.

Buying bricks in Pick a Brick isn’t easy at first, but after a few boxes, you’ll know exactly what to do.

To Sum Up:

This way, with a single large PaB box, you can save up to 150 PLN. 🧱💸