Make Passive Income with LEGOs! The Ultimate Guide

Updated: Apr 8

If you're a lifelong LEGO enthusiast, chances you've amassed an impressive collection of sets, minifigures, and most importantly, MOC's-- your own creations. While they bring immense joy, did you know these same bricks hold the potential to make you money?

This article is your blueprint for transforming your passion for LEGO into a lucrative passive income stream. Get ready to discover how to monetize your love for the world's most beloved building block.

What is BrickLink? Your Gateway to the LEGO Marketplace

At its core, BrickLink is the world's largest online marketplace and community designed exclusively for LEGO enthusiasts. Think of it as the eBay of all things LEGO. Here's what sets BrickLink apart:

Vast LEGO Ecosystem: BrickLink offers a massive catalog of individual pieces (elements), sets (both new and retired), minifigures, and everything in between. This allows you to source missing parts, discover rare sets, or find inspiration.
Seller-Driven Model: Individual sellers worldwide list their LEGO inventory on BrickLink, creating a dynamic marketplace with incredible variety.
Beyond Just Buying: BrickLink features "Studio," their free digital building software, offering a space to design and share your own LEGO creations.
Global Community: A vibrant community of LEGO fans connects through BrickLink, sharing builds, offering advice, and fueling the passion for the brick.

Why BrickLink Matters for Passive Income

Whether you're looking to part-out sets, sell old collections, or share your design expertise, BrickLink provides the essential platform. Its global reach, dedicated audience, and diverse features make it the cornerstone of generating passive income within the LEGO world.

Before we delve into strategies, let's clarify what passive income means on BrickLink. Simply put, it's about setting up systems that generate revenue with minimal ongoing effort on your part:

Strategies for Passive Income on BrickLink

Let's explore the diverse avenues for generating passive income on this platform:

1. Parting Out Sets

This is one of the most popular income generation strategies on BrickLink. Here's how it works:

Disassemble Sets: Carefully dismantle valuable LEGO sets focusing on retired sets or ones with desirable pieces.
Inventory & Pricing: Sort the pieces by type and color. Research the market value of individual parts on BrickLink or similar sites to create competitive listings.
Create Detailed Listings: Offer clear descriptions, high-quality photos, and accurate piece counts to entice buyers.

Sets with rare minifigures or discontinued elements can be highly lucrative when parted out. Use the "Part Out Value" feature on the set's page to get an estimate of the individual piece values based on current listings.

Pro-tip:

BrickOwl: BrickLink's primary competitor offers similar price analysis tools and historical sales data for market research.

ToyPro: Another marketplace featuring a robust LEGO parts catalog. Useful for cross-referencing prices and confirming trends.

2. Reselling Retired & Rare Sets

The LEGO market values retired and limited edition sets. Scour these sources to find bargains:

Local Sources: Check out garage sales, flea markets, or online classifieds for underpriced LEGO sets nearing retirement.
Clearance Sales: Keep an eye out for retiring sets on clearance in retail stores.
Bulk Purchases: Consider buying large lots of LEGO that may hold hidden treasures within.

Pro-Tip: Become familiar with LEGO's release and retirement schedules to spot sets with the best profit potential.

3. Flipping Bulk LEGO

Bulk lots of LEGO offer a lower barrier to entry, often at bargain prices. Here's the approach:

Source Your Inventory: Look for bulk LEGO lots on auction sites like Ebay, community marketplaces like Reddit – r/lego and Rebrickable, or even yard sales. Other marketplaces are listed below.
Clean & Refurbish: Wash, sort, and identify any valuable pieces or minifigures buried within your bulk buys.
Repackage & Resell: Sell as smaller curated lots focusing on specific themes, colors, or set fragments.

Pro-Tip: A little sorting and cleaning can significantly increase the perceived value of your bulk lots.

4. Selling Minifigures

Minifigures, particularly rare or exclusive ones, are in high demand. Tap into this market:

Harvest from Sets: Disassembling sets can yield valuable minifigures, often outselling the set itself.
Buy Minifigures Individually: Scour online marketplaces or brick-and-mortar stores for collectible minifigures at bargain prices.
Leverage Blind Bags: Purchase collectible minifigure series blind bags, and identify the rarer characters for reselling.

Pro-Tip: Master the art of identifying minifigures and their associated sets. Keep track of their value trends.

5. Monetizing Your MOCs (My Own Creations)- Designing and Selling Custom Creations

If you have a flair for creativity, transform your LEGO skills into sellable designs. MOCs, which stand for "My Own Creations" hold tremendous earning potential on BrickLink. Here's how to turn your designs into a passive revenue stream:

BrickLink Studio: Leverage the power of BrickLink's free design software to create unique models and instructions.
Build a Portfolio: Showcase and market your best MOCs online, whether on social media, LEGO communities, or your own website. This strengthens your credibility and attracts potential buyers.
Create High-Quality Instructions: Invest time in developing clear, step-by-step instructions with detailed visuals. Detailed instructions and part lists allow buyers to assemble your designs using their own pieces. The easier it is for buyers to build, the higher the perceived value.
Sell Instructions on BrickLink: List your instructions and accompanying parts list on BrickLink. Consider offering different pricing tiers (instructions only, instructions with parts list).

Pro-Tip: Begin with small to medium-sized MOCs. Smaller builds are more likely to attract buyers and generate quicker sales, allowing you to refine your process.

Additional Considerations for Maximizing Your Passive Income on BrickLink

Invest in Inventory: Build up a diverse collection of LEGO elements and sets to increase your options for selling individual parts, sets, or supporting your MOC creations.
Pricing Strategically: Balance competitive pricing with considering factors like rarity, condition, and the time you invested in the process.
Excellent Customer Service: Responsive communication and prompt shipping build trust and encourage repeat customers.
Store Optimization: Present a clean and professional-looking BrickLink store with a clear focus and easy navigation.
Leverage Promotions: BrickLink allows you to offer discounts and promotions to drive sales.

Important Note: Selling MOCs based on copyrighted or trademarked material (e.g., Star Wars, Harry Potter) may require obtaining licensing agreements.

The Path to Passive Income with BrickLink

BrickLink is a goldmine for LEGO lovers looking to earn extra income or even transition their hobby into a business venture. Remember, success hinges on these key factors:

Time Investment: Building passive income requires initial effort and time commitment, especially in the set-up phase.
Knowledge of LEGO: Deepen your understanding of LEGO values, trends, and piece identification.
Passion: Let your passion for LEGO fuel your drive and motivate you through the challenges.

The path to creating passive income streams on BrickLink starts with that first step. Start exploring your LEGO collection, identify its hidden potential, and dive into the exciting world of selling LEGOs.

Popular LEGO community sites

Diverse and General-Interest Communities

LEGO Ideas (https://ideas.lego.com/): A platform where fans submit their original LEGO set ideas for potential official release. A great place for creative inspiration and voting on user-designed sets.
The Brothers Brick (https://www.brothers-brick.com/): One of the most well-established LEGO news blogs. Features set reviews, MOC showcases, interviews, and highlights significant events in the LEGO world.
Reddit – r/lego (https://www.reddit.com/r/lego/): A bustling subreddit with a massive community sharing builds, asking questions, trading, and discussing all things LEGO.

MOC (My Own Creation) Focused Communities

Rebrickable (https://rebrickable.com/): An extensive database and marketplace for LEGO MOCs. Find instructions, share your designs, and get inspiration for custom builds.
Eurobricks (https://www.eurobricks.com/): A long-standing forum-based community with a strong focus on showcasing high-quality MOCs and discussing advanced building techniques.
Flickr LEGO Groups (https://www.flickr.com/): Flickr hosts various LEGO-themed groups where enthusiasts share photography of their creations.

Niche Communities

Classic-Pirates.com (https://www.classic-pirates.com/): Dedicated to the nostalgic LEGO Pirate theme. Offers a forum, resources, and news specifically for pirate enthusiasts.
New Elementary (https://www.newelementary.com/): Focuses on exploring creative uses of unique LEGO parts and advanced building techniques.
Beyond the Brick ([invalid URL removed]): Produces high-quality YouTube videos featuring LEGO documentaries, interviews, and engaging stories surrounding the brick.

Additional Notes

Social Media: Don't underestimate platforms like Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter for connecting with smaller communities and following specific builders based on their interests.
Local LEGO User Groups (LUGs): Search for local LUGs in your area. They often organize meet-ups, displays, and provide an opportunity to connect with fellow LEGO fans in person.