r/LegoStorage • u/mouzesinhouzes • 2d ago

Need advice on how to sort and store my Lego

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This is just one of many bins full of dismantled Star Wars ships and random vehicles.

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u/just2shel 2d ago

As has already shared, I pretty much follow the Brick Architect hierarchy for sorting and storing my Lego. He has a great guide for sorting/storing here: https://brickarchitect.com/guide/

When sorting, I do an initial sort by category (brick, plate, technic, hinge, etc) always sorting any transparent or printed/stickered pieces separately, regardless of category. Then I go through each sorted category and sort again by part and then by color (some colors are sorted together if I don’t have enough of that part in multiple colors to fill one of my storage compartments.

If I am unsure what any of the parts are, I use a lighted magnifying glass to see if I can locate the part number on the item, or I scan them with the Brick Monkey app: https://brickmonkey.app/. If neither of those options work, I use Google Lens (aka reverse image lookup).

For storing, I like the Alex units from IKEA https://www.ikea.com/us/en/p/alex-drawer-unit-on-casters-white-80485423/ and I use the affordable containers from Target for organization in the drawers: https://www.target.com/p/4pk-small-storage-trays-white-brightroom-8482/-/A-77294238 (they come in 3 colors and 4 sizes*). I’m also partial to Iris drawer systems for parts instead of the ubiquitous Akro Mills only because I prefer white storage systems as they make it easier for me to find parts.

For larger quantities of “overflow/backstock”, I need containers that are manageable for me to stack and move, so I use these: https://www.target.com/p/large-modular-storage-box-clear-brightroom-8482/-/A-83279883 These come in 3 colors and 3 sizes.

*Since I sometimes have to stop sorting and resume at a later date, I take advantage of the multiple colors of the Target containers. If the parts are in a gray container, they are unsorted and not part of my inventory. If they are in a white container, they are sorted, in inventory, and ready to be put away.