r/LegoStorage

1: don't sort by color. Finding a red 1x1 in a sea of red parts is impossible.

2: your collection only needs to be as sorted as useful to you. If there are big categories you don't use a lot (say, over large bricks or wheels or Bionicle pieces) it's fine to just throw all those in one bin.

3: sort by major categories first. Bricks vs Plates vs Tiles vs Slopes/Curves vs Technic pieces, etc.

4: Break those big categories down further to the individual part level (or as granular as your storage system allows).

5: this guy describes the most effective way to mechanically do the sort. It's a sorting algorithm basically. The goal is to move efficiently, rather than perfectly. You'll get to them all eventually. https://youtu.be/dmisEA2PcGc?si=ozdduydCM-b_LLF0

6: I really like Akro Mils bins. Your mileage may vary.

7: The Brick Architect has a sorting guide and free labels you can download and print.

8: Embrace the sort. Find some good music or a good YouTube channel and zen out. :)

Good luck!!

Lol no, don't use LEGO branded boxes. Check this out:

r/legostorage

No way in hell, arko mills and sterilite are the best kinds of storage.

Absolutely not. I only grab that stuff on sale. If I need a new unit or a few drawers I literally use ziploc bags and solo cups while I wait for a good deal. Those containers will be on discount somewhere within the next 3 months so just be patient. Generally I am getting Steralite storage units.

My local dollar store chain has plastic bins that are meant for beads and that kind of crafting supplies, but i find are perfect for sorting the million flavors of 1-stud-wide tiles that I can never find in the bottom of a bigger bin. And they only cost like $4.

https://preview.redd.it/ka4v5nqrj38f1.jpeg?width=3000&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=11283e3e2f79a41094331c7b578fe049824a7de3

Recently my small collection has outgrown the "toss everything into few bins" size. Bought this drawer from Amazon. Its been such a game changer.

https://preview.redd.it/fr92hmjjx38f1.jpeg?width=5712&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=27978a365c7ffd4eba5013ecec14c65a89da05eb

Mine were in rubbermaid tubs all mixed up and blasted into all separate pieces a month ago. I dumped everything out onto one big open floor and separated a little bit but also started building a couple sets at a time and as the pile dwindled down it got easier and faster.

Sorting by colour maybe? 

I started sorting my old stuff by piece type..it takes a while but once youre done its easy to find what ur looking for

Depending on the size of your sets I'd first start off by either purchasing some totes or some ziploc bags to put them in. Next, go through your pile of shame and see if you can pull recognizable pieces from the sets and put them into the bins/bags. Make sure you've got labels on whatever you're using. After that you can go one of two routes: Sort the remaining pieces by color or by piece type. Sorting by color is by far the easier option in the short term but it will be a giant pain in the ass once you actually go looking for parts. Sorting by piece type can be more frustrating up front but makes you life easier in the long run. You don't have to get super detailed at first, maybe just sort into bricks, plates, wing shapes, technic pieces. Even doing that little bit will make your life easier.

I am a fan of organizing by part type and not by color. It is up to you.

https://preview.redd.it/11feogryazce1.jpeg?width=4284&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=d7b7b2c5f1331e566f646760782b3dd4db5a80c2

We use the Ikea bins and hot glue the representative pieces on the front. It's not perfect, but I my kids want a technics beam, or a wing piece, or a 1x plate, they know where to go.

The hard part is sorting.

My kids are 7YO and 5YO and they just arent in the mindset to follow sorting rules at cleanup. The bottom blue bins are "Decoration Bins" which are really just unsorted LEGO.

YMMV

Look into r/legostorage it's dedicated for that kind of thing

We have the large playmat bags. Ours are from Play & Go on Amazon. They're great because they spread out, so you can have everything all over the floor, so good for creative building, but then just scoop it all up in one easy action at the end.

Sure do wish the mods would set up a FAQ where these kinds of questions could be answered without having 3-4 posts a day asking the exact same thing.

Wait, there is one..

r/legostorage is a better place for this question.

That said Steralite 6qt shoe boxes have snap on lids, stack and you can get them in 10 packs for less than $10 at Walmart. Should be the right solution for your current size.

Akro Mills makes those in two styles, one is the one shown (two drawer sizes) and the other has 8 rows of 8 drawers each. I have a total of 16 here. For drawer dividers, I used to chop up unwanted LEGO NBA boxes and cereal boxes. Those bins are workhorses.

If you do it carefully, and you have some wall space (maybe behind a door) cut a piece of 1-inch thick plywood, screw it to the wall studs using drywall screws. Then get some wood screws (forget the exact size, but they are stainless steel), I marked out a grid on the plywood, started 4 screws for each storage box, positioned the box onto the screws, then it slipped down maybe 1/2 inch. Those have been up on the wall for over 10 years with no issues.

One other interesting detail about the small drawers ... they are 6 studs wide. Dividing one in half, gives you two 8 stud long storage spaces (so 16 studs long undivided).

I use Akro Mills drawers for the bulk of my pieces, Sterilite Divided Storage case for technic pieces, and Sterilite Stack and Carry case for mini-figures, mini-fig accessories, and animals.

Then I just use a medium sized bin for pieces that I only have like 2-3 of or specialty pieces, and one for vehicle stuff (like wheels, boats, and what not)

I will say what others already have. Akron Mills makes the best ones. They wall mount and stack nicely. The drawers stay in place for the most part. Also the company has been around long enough to give you some piece of mind that they'll probably still be around in a couple of years when you decide you need to get more. They aren't the cheapest mind you but worth the money.

Everyone is mentioning Akro Mills, but I personally think IRIS look nicer and are better quality. A little pricier but way worth it IMO

I use 9 of them , Akro Mills. Arguably I need about 27 more but I ran out of wall space. And my bulk lego is really too large for bins that small unless I sort down to individual element and color.

The two company names you need to know are Sterilite and Akro Mils. I have a combination of both.

https://i.imgur.com/lgMhZSY.jpg

r/legostorage

Bead and floss boxes with movable dividers?

Check out r/legostorage

I just grabbed Sterlite drawers from walmart, hope that helps

I would say your sterilite drawers are too big (at least the 3-drawer cart and the 3 drawers of the 5-drawer cart). Having large, shallow drawers is best for finding pieces.

A way to more effectively use those big drawers would be to sub-divide them. Using ziplock backs is one way. I personally don't like this, but when I do use ziplock bags, I use the ones with the zipper on them.

As far as guides, /u/tomalphin's is top-notch. You can also look at his labels as well the Bricklink.com's piece categories.

My recommendation is to sort by piece type and start with broad categories. E.g. start by sorting out your bricks from everything else. Then sort your bricks into 2xN (e.g. 2x2, 2x3, 2x4...) from the other bricks. If you want to then sort by color or particular brick, do that. Then repeat for plates, slopes, or whatever other categories you go with. This will allow you to figure out how much space you need for what parts.

Lastly, for your compartment drawers, find small pieces you use often. I'd recommend: 1x1 plates, cheese slopes and tiles go in these (at least that is what I do).

Yes, check out the LEGO Storage Guide at https://brickarchitect.com/guide — I wrote it!

Sincerely,
—Tom

P.S. Happy to answer any questions you might have after giving it a read!

A task that never ends. You’ll be organizing your collection as long as you love LEGO.

Definitely give that Brick Architect guide a read, but you should also give the "Evolution of Sorting" link a read, there's a reason why it's listed on the subreddit's sidebar.

Also it's kinda fun to read an internet post from 2001.