How do I sell loose LEGO bricks

You sell loose LEGO bricks by deciding whether they are still a set, a bag of useful parts, or a mixed tub. The price follows that decision. A pile that can be rebuilt into a known set is worth more as that set. A sorted bag of one part is worth more to a builder than the same bricks tipped in with everything else. A mixed tub is the fastest sale and usually the lowest price per brick.

Before you list the tub, pull out anything that is obviously a set or a minifigure. Those are the pieces people search for by name. Selling them inside a kilo of random bricks hides them. Use the set number if you can rebuild or recognise the model, and check the value on the homepage. Then list what remains as loose bricks, with photos of the actual contents, through Start selling.

Full sorting into every part number takes longer than most one-off sellers should spend. A practical middle is enough: take out minifigures and accessories, take out large or printed parts, take out anything that is not LEGO, and group the rest by colour or by rough size if you want a tidier photo. Builders pay more when they can see they are not buying a bag of dusty 1x1 plates and broken rubber bands.

Weigh or estimate the volume and say which you did. "About 2 kg, mostly bricks and plates, minifigures removed" is a fair description. "Huge LEGO lot, loads of rare bits" is not, unless you show those bits. Remove food, hair, and badly chewed parts. Wash only if you know how to dry bricks fully. Damp bricks in a sealed bag smell, and they come back. Yellowing should be mentioned, especially on white and blue.

Buyers look for original LEGO, not a mixture of other brands. One photo of the studs and the LEGO logo on a brick helps. They look for minifigures, because that is where surprise value hides, which is why you should have removed them or shown them. They look for whether the lot is all one colour, all plates, or a true mix. A specialist lot of tiles or technic beams can be listed more precisely than a general tub.

Price by what similar lots sell for, not by counting every stud and multiplying by a shop price. Loose mixed bricks are a discount product. If your total is close to the value of a set you could rebuild, stop and sell the set. Read is it worth selling before you spend an evening sorting a City tub that will not cover postage. Large lots are often better collected locally because a heavy parcel costs more. On Brick Deals, postage is UK Royal Mail and the buyer pays it at checkout. See delivery tips.

If the loose bricks are the remains of a set you are also selling, do not photograph those bricks as part of the set and then leave them out. The set listing and the loose listing have to match what is in each parcel. Disputes and refunds are stressful on vague lots, because nobody can prove what "loads of bricks" meant. A clear photo and a clear sentence are the listing. The seller guide covers the rest of the sale once someone buys.

• Say original LEGO only, and remove other brands.
• State weight or volume, and that the photo is the lot they will receive.
• Say whether minifigures are included. If they are not, say they have been removed.
• Do not promise a set is complete if you are selling the bricks loose.
• Keep the price realistic. You keep the item price. The buyer pays postage and the 5% fee. See fees.