Last updated on September 14th, 2022 at 08:56 pm
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Last updated on September 14th, 2022 at 08:56 pm
Receiving your first Lego set is almost like a rite of passage for most kids. I still remember unwrapping my own first Lego kit as a child and the sheer joy that it brought me. I spent hours playing with those little blocks, building towers, houses, castles, cars, and inevitably leaving them somewhere for my less-than-thrilled parents to step on.
As I got older, I graduated from free-standing blocks to pre-designed Lego sets of my favorite movies, books, and characters. These sets were very fun to build, but with one major exception: they had to have every single piece in order to work properly.
But what can you do if your Lego set is missing pieces?
If you just purchased the Lego set then you can contact Lego’s customer service and they will send you the missing part free of charge! If the Lego is missing from an older set then you can buy replacements in a Lego store or on Lego’s website as well.
Lego sets remain an exciting and important part of our lives whether we’re children or adults, and we can all relate to the frustration of trying to put together a new set only to discover a vital piece is missing. If you’ve ever experienced that pain, don’t worry- there’s plenty of solutions out there for you.
If your Lego set is missing pieces, I will go into more detail about the different options that you have available for you in the rest of this article.
New Lego Sets with Missing Parts
If you’ve ordered or purchased a brand new set and realized it’s missing some key pieces, you don’t have to worry. The Lego company has a tool specifically designed to help you resolve just such an issue.
You can start by logging onto the Lego company website and navigating to the Missing Bricks page on Customer Service (found here). Be sure to select the Missing Bricks section- that way you won’t be charged for their mistake. You’ll start by entering your location into the helpful replacement widget. Next, you’ll be asked to enter the set number for your specific Lego Set. You can find the set number just below the Lego logo on the outer box and on the building instructions, as well as on the website for the specific product.
If you don’t have that information or aren’t sure where to find it, you can select “I don’t have my set number” and enter in as much information as you can remember about the Lego set and the missing Lego piece.
Once your set is identified, you’ll see all the possible pieces that come with your original Lego set. You can narrow down the options by entering a specific element number or design number. These part numbers are located in the building instructions and can also be found on the Lego website. If you’re struggling to remember the specific element number, you can look through the visual images of each piece until you can find the one you’re looking for.
Add any and all missing pieces to your cart that weren’t included with your original purchase and then enter your shipping address. Confirm your delivery and your missing pieces and Lego will ship your order out right away. You can follow the exact same procedure if a brick arrives broken or misshapen instead of being missing entirely.
Lost or Missing Pieces for older Lego Sets
Another common scenario for Lego lovers is the gradual loss of Lego pieces over the years. Our favorite sets often get set up and taken down time and time again, and in the process of constructing more complicated pieces it’s easy for little bricks to roll out of sight and never be seen again.
If you’re building (or re-building) your favorite Lego set and realized you lost a piece over time, don’t worry – the Lego company has a solution for that as well.
Start by navigating to the Missing Bricks section on the Lego website. You’ll want to select the Buy Bricks button this time because you’re paying for the replacement from the original set. This is a much simpler process than replacing a missing part, so you’ll be able to finish it faster and get access to your new part in no time. Start by entering the country you live in so you can make sure the brick will ship to the right place. Next, you’ll need to enter the set number of the piece in question.
You can find it on the box or building instructions if you need a reference.
Entering the set number will bring up the set you’re looking for as well as the parts associated with that particular Lego set. You can choose whatever pieces you’re missing and add them all to your cart; expect to pay between three and ten cents per brick plus a small shipping cost.
Replacement brick orders typically take about ten days to ship from the Lego store, so once your order is in you can expect to wait about a week and a half for your new delivery to come!
Buying Loose Lego Bricks
It could also be the case that your Lego set is missing unspecified parts or generic pieces, or you’re just looking for a few more bricks to add to your collection. If that’s the case, you can also choose to buy bricks in bulk or in smaller quantities from the Lego store.
If you have a physical Lego store near you, it’s worth taking the trip.
Not only is the store a fun and whimsical place to visit with plenty of Lego displays and new items to check out, but many of these stores feature floor to ceiling shelves and displays of loose Lego bricks for you to dig through until you find the specific style you’re looking for. However, if a physical Lego store isn’t an option for you, you can try a few other online options to replace loose bricks for your Lego set.
The Lego store boasts over 130,000 unique and individually designed Lego elements that are used in their sets and designs. Luckily for you, you can buy almost all of these online if you need/want to.
The Lego website sells 1,414 brick options through their Pick-A-Brick service, each of which come in a variety of different colors and sizes. You can select bricks based on functionality or search for the perfect replacement for whatever piece you’re missing from your set. These bricks range in price from $0.04 to $0.51 and range from figures to construction parts to plants and accessories.
You can find pretty much any Lego part you need in the Pick-A-Brick model, but if you’re still struggling to find the perfect match, there are still more options available to replace that missing part in your Lego set.
Buying Lego Brick Boxes
Are you looking for a specific category of replacement brick? Do you find yourself burning through multiple missing pieces in the same style of Lego far too often? Individual Brick Boxes might be the perfect solution for you.
You can choose from a few different categories of bricks and buy them in bulk, providing multiple options for your Lego brick building at a moment’s notice. You can begin with the starter kit and use the extra pieces to swap out whenever a piece from another kit goes missing, or invest in the transportation specific box or landscape box to help substitute right away in case a set is missing a crucial part.
Certain specialty brick parts like bases or street lamps are also available, making it easy to replace even the most specialized of Lego set pieces without having to hunt down specific sets. These are also good options if you’re working with a retro or retired Lego set whose pieces aren’t manufactured anymore. When there’s no other options, bricks and brick boxes can help you replace whatever you’re missing.
BrickOwl.com and BrickLink.com – The Last Resort
If you’ve combed the depths of the Lego site and are still struggling to find the perfect replacement, BrickLink.com is there to help you out. Designed for those situations where that one perfect brick is missing and you just can’t find a solution anywhere, BrickLink.com operates as an independent marketplace that sells over 12,000 Lego pieces of varying ages and sets.
It’s the perfect place to check for rare or missing Lego pieces you’re having trouble replacing or finding anywhere else.
While their prices might be a little higher than you might find on the Lego site, you will have a better chance of finding rarer or less common Lego pieces here to help round out your rare sets.
BrickOwl is a similarly operated web e-commerce platform that also offers a wide variety of Lego pieces for sale. Their Lego offerings have risen into the millions, and you can find pieces on there for as little as one cent per brick. You can also purchase replacement stickers, instructional guides, packaging, and mini builds on their site as well, so whatever piece your set is missing can be replaced with ease. You can filter by a series of specifications and sort until you find the perfect brick you’re looking for to round out your set.
Nothing is more exciting than opening your first Lego set, and nothing is more disappointing than realizing you don’t have all the pieces that you need to get the set properly and completely built. Luckily for Lego builders everywhere, the Lego company has a series of failsafes designed to help replace missing or broken pieces with ease, and in the event that they don’t have what you’re looking for, you can always turn to other marketplaces for support.
Wherever or however you find your replacement pieces, you’ll be able to get back to the true magic of Legos and explore your inner creativity once again.
Last updated on September 14th, 2022 at 08:56 pm
