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Comments
http://brickset.com/list/?BestPPPUS
http://brickset.com/list/?BestPPPUK
It would be nice if Huw could add filters for Year, Theme, Min Piece Count, EOL, etc.
So the kit really costs you $220.
That's about 5.1 cents per piece.
How many of those pieces in Tower Bridge are small, detail pieces in a fairly nuetral colour? Ideal for AFOLs but not really what a 4 year old (or even 10 year old) wants? Sure for piece count thats going to be hard to beat, but for a childs buildability it might not be that useful.
I would say a bulk lot on ebay would be better for a young child. Another thing to consider is non-licensed second hand sets on Ebay. I got pretty much the entire Aquanauts theme (large base and a number of submarines) for £30, all boxed (if that matters for parts?). Thats about 800-900 pieces, but really reusable pieces (especially if you like a submarine theme) but I'm sure there's a wide range of sets that haven't held their value - the common city sets, fire stations, police stations etc. They'll have a better variety of pieces for a childs creativity (imo) than something like Tower Bridge.
DaveE
If you can spend the time stacking the pieces into the cup, you can fit about a third extra in the cup. Depending on the piece size, I'd estimate price per piece between 0.5p and 1.5p.
Grab Bags are often even better value if they have them.
I am lucky in that I live within walking distance of the Mall of America, where there's a pretty good Lego store, or at least, what I would assume to be a good one.
I'm working on a 'query builder' that will enable this sort of complex query to be constructed, saved, and shared with others.
Some good stacking techniques are posted amongst this thread on Eurobricks.
I don't like the tubs, for I generally have no use for 2x?.
Given @JesterPoet wants a good PPP and good value regardless of collector or individual piece value I figured this could be approached numerically. Attached is a table of all US Amazon sets that are currently at least 15% discounted, AND the PPP is less than 10¢.
I couldn't figure out how to render a table in the comments, but FYI here are the sets in the attachment, listed by biggest to smallest discount.
US: PPP = 10¢
8484: ULTIMATE BUILDING LIGHTNING MCQUEEN
8060: TYPHOON TURBO SUB
2506: SKULL TRUCK
8067: MINI MOBILE CRANE
7326: RISE OF THE SPHINX
7592: CONSTRUCT-A-BUZZ
7985: CITY OF ATLANTIS
8639: BIG BENTLEY BUST OUT
3366: SATELLITE LAUNCH PAD
4194: WHITECAP BAY
7984: DEEP SEA RAIDER
4182: THE CANNIBAL ESCAPE
4183: THE MILL
And since I found it interesting, here is the same for UK and ES Amazon; PPP at the equivalent of US10¢ but at a higher minimum discount threshold of 25%
UK: PPP = 6.3p
3859: CAVERNS OF NATHUZ
3221: LEGO CITY TRUCK
7985: CITY OF ATLANTIS
3856: NINJAGO
7978: ANGLER ATTACK
8068: RESCUE HELICOPTER
3866: STAR WARS: THE BATTLE OF HOTH
8078: PORTAL OF ATLANTIS
5770: LIGHTHOUSE ISLAND
5891: APPLE TREE HOUSE
7066: EARTH DEFENSE HQ
3862: HARRY POTTER HOGWARTS
8071: BUCKET TRUCK
5933: AIRPORT BUILDING SET
3858: WALDURK FOREST
3860: CASTLE FORTAAN
5866: ROTOR RESCUE
ES: PPP = 7.66¢
3856 NINJAGO
5766 LOG CABIN
8070 SUPER CAR
7288 MOBILE POLICE UNIT
9395 PICK-UP TOW TRUCK
3221 LEGO CITY TRUCK
5767 COOL CRUISER
8067 MINI MOBILE CRANE
3366 SATELLITE LAUNCH PAD
4209 FIRE PLANE
@Caperberry - nice analysis! Love how you've used the real prices, since that's what actually matters anyway. I've been buying those Log Cabins from Amazon.es as parts packs, they're great! (Especially if you're building a container ship that needs dark red slopes and have a cafe corner middle floor that used up all your brown beams) :)
Really though, not every brick is created equal, e.g. all the tiny bits in technics sets are worth way less than the average, so although this list is a great 'pick list', I wouldn't go out and buy one of each, I'd be selective based on the type of bricks, and colours. My picks from those lists, using those 'human filters' would pull out:
ES
5766 LOG CABIN
UK
8078: PORTAL OF ATLANTIS
5770: LIGHTHOUSE ISLAND
5891: APPLE TREE HOUSE
US
7985: CITY OF ATLANTIS
4194: WHITECAP BAY
4182: THE CANNIBAL ESCAPE
4183: THE MILL
I like your shortlist. I'd throw in Battle of Hoth too, they are my kind of pieces and the game is quite good, but I'm waiting for bigger discounts before I get multiples.
Looking forward to Huw's advanced search, I agree that a Currently Available filter or a combination with the existing Amazon % discounted filter would be valuable. Combined with the existing Price Guide graphs this will prove a superpower set search!
I guess my best recommendation for a newbie is to buy any building from the creator series which is on discount, and start from there, since they tend to use 'proper' bricks and have a great price/ part (as well as having 3 builds per set if you fancy it).
brickset.com/browse/themes/?theme=Bricks%20and%20More
If you focus on the 2011 and 2012 sets, you'll still be able to find them in stores, and the price per piece and selection are just what a young builder will need to get started.
For example, if you want wheels 4635 Fun with Vehicles is a great value with lots of wheels in different sizes. If you want to build a plane, 5933 Airport building set is great. For castle parts, 5929 Knight and Castle Building set is great.
The newer brick buckets have also been great, not as many 2x bricks and lots of useful parts like slopes and inverted slopes.
I'd start with sets from this line, aimed at the 4+ year old crowd.
As others have pointed out, watch for other sets to go on clearance and instead of looking at the completed set, look closer at the pieces used in the set. You'll start to see things you want more of (slopes, clips, etc.) and when you can pick up the sets at 30-50% off you can't go wrong. I've gone from no LEGO to 70,000 bricks in the past three years by following this formula (be careful, it's an addiction).
1) What's a useful "core" element, and what sets come with good "core" elements-- like 1x4 bricks, 1x6 plates, 45-degree slopes, etc. Those are almost assuredly "core" elements, and a good foundation to build on.
2) What's a useful "detail" piece? Things like onion domes, rope bridge pieces, BURPs, etc. are *limited* in their uses. That's not to say they have NO uses, but they're not as useful as other non-core pieces like 1x1 headlight bricks, 1x2 plates with attached bar, 1x1 cones, etc.
3) What are useful colors? The "Bricks and More" and Creator lines typically have great elements, but typically feature the bright, vibrant colors, and have fewer of the "realistic" tones like gray, brown, tan, sand blue, etc.
4) Which building system are you looking for? Technic constructions require a much different set of "core" elements than "System" stuff. You could also argue that there are other systems like DUPLO, Quatro, Clikits, Modulex, ZNAP, Primo, Scala-- and other *quasi* systems like Bionicle/Hero Factory (which is an offshoot of Technic) or Belville (an offshoot of System) .
5) What's a good value for the price you pay? What's currently on sale, and what's full retail, and where are you located to make those purchases?
6) What's current? Something from 1987 might have great elements, but you'll have to actually pay MORE for it. And something from 2009 or 2010 is... iffy. Did it sell out fast, or is it still lingering around in stores?
It'd be interesting to have some analysis of each set in those terms to help people figure out which sets were really useful... Hmmm...
DaveE
Re 2); Interesting question. I use lots of 1x2 plates with rail because of their unusual "1.5" width; lots of jumpers of course; and grille tiles which I think must be my favourite LEGO piece because of its ability to represent many different things plus the textures created by having a different colour brick underneath.