Best sites to keep track of loose elements?

drdavewatford

I've kept a record of my loose elements on Peeron for years but can no longer access my data. I knew this day would come - the site hasn't been supported for years - and I've therefore got a reasonably current data export in .tsv format.

What site(s) do other people use to keep track of their loose elements? Any recommendations? I do use Bricklink to keep track of elements too new to be listed on Peeron but the focus is more on buying and selling and I don't find it ideal for my purposes. That said, if there's no better option then I'll use it, providing I can import my existing data.

Any suggestions gratefully received.

vizzitor

I keep track of everything including loose parts on Basebrick.com. You can import from Peeron, Bricklink or Brickset too and a plain text file with tabbed content.

It takes the data directly from Bricklink so new parts appear as soon as they're updated on there.

stlux

Rebrickable is an excellent resource for this, and was created for just this purpose.

Their database of parts, including the different Element ID#, is also more comprehensive than either Bricklink or Brickset.

drdavewatford

Thanks, @vizzitor & @stlux - much appreciated!

I do have a Rebrickable account and I jumped back in a little earlier to have a look around but I couldn't see a way to import my list. I'll take another look.

I wasn't aware of Basebrick so will also check that one out.

Cheers,

D.

CCC

I use my brain combined with my storage system. I've got a probably reasonably large collection of parts and I can typically find something in it quite quickly, or at least know if I am likely to have one or two of something, or a handful of something, or lots of something or none of something. Obviously no use if I need to know if I have 500 of a particular brick spare right now but it does me and I don't feel governed by spreadsheets when building. And if it is going to be a case of using 500 of something, chances are I will need to buy in new parts anyway since if I have 500 and use 500 I will still need to replenish them (unless I am going to take the build apart again quite quickly, which is unlikely).

Although some (probably many) parts I get I don't keep. If I never use a particular brick/part or even a colour, I'll get rid of it before it hits storage. No point storing what I am not going to use.

Huw

I have to ask, who has the time to faff about recording details of the spare parts they own? And why?

Astrobricks

Yeah, really. It takes long enough just sorting into a useful organization. I can’t imagine the time it would take to catalog it all.

drdavewatford

Huw said:

I have to ask, who has the time to faff about recording details of the spare parrs they own? And why?

While I don't have the time or inclination to log each individual element in a large mixed lot, for instance, I do record details of elements received from the likes of LUGBULK and Bricklink; it saves me a huge amount of time to be able to instantly see if I already have what I need for a build, or to restore an incomplete set, rather than needing to dig through hundreds of bags of elements and hope for the best. Ideally I'd have everything laid out in hundreds of labelled drawers, but in practice most of my available space is filled with my set collection.

Paperballpark

Can't you use Brickset?

Huw

I'll stick to the hundreds of labelled drawers!

Astrobricks

“Labels? We don’t need no stinking labels!”

msanders

Its very admirable that people catalogue their loose parts. I am far past the point of no return and my loose part collection is too huge now. It would mainly be from an interest perspective to know what sets I could build using my parts rather than for building MOCs. The only other added benefit I can see, is that I have lots of `interesting ` parts that are difficult to know what I have since they are very low in number and not common elements. 

Bobflip

I used to log all my personal collection, mainly to see what I could build and how close I was to 10179. Stopped some years ago though as it's too much time and not enough reward now I'm MOCcing more than building sets, and a good sorting system lets you see what you have pretty quickly. I use Rebrickable and Brickstore for parts/sets to sell though, as it it's easy to find what sets I have completed when a new parts order arrives.