On my TikTok page I do a lot of videos of finding tubs of used Lego, digging through them, and finding rare or valuable sets and minifigures. Inevitably someone asks, "Where do you get these?" I always answer honestly, but I'm also frequently concerned about setting an expectation that you can just waltz into a thrift store and drop $20 on $200 worth of Lego. I've made this video and this list in hopes that it helps someone become better equipped at building a second hand lego collection.
Don't want to read? Here's a video! Don't want to watch a video? Keep going for a bullet point list of tips and tricks.
Where to Find Used Lego
1. Thrift Stores I wasn't sure whether to put Yard Sales or Thrift Stores as number one, but I ultimately decided Thrift Stores because they are a year round source, whereas Yard Sales tend to be relegated to the summer months.
There are the obvious places like The Salvation Army and Goodwill, but I tend to have the most luck at independently owned thrift stores because they are less frequented by every day shoppers / the owners haven't succumbed to the absolute greed that the Goodwill and Salvation Army stores seem to have fallen into.
In the Chicago-land area there is an independent chain called The Village Discount. Prices can vary from store to store, but I find them to be far more fairly priced and friendlier than the big chains.
The strategy here is to create a routine. I go into at least one thrift store every day, with multiple days a week dedicated to going to 4 or 5 thrift stores in a single day. Granted, resale is a huge part of my income so it's much more necessary to operate at that scale, but surely you can build a stop into a Salvation Army into your every day / every other day routine.
Just like wanting to learn or get involved with anything, you have to put yourself in situations where you are most likely to be exposed to opportunity.
2. Yard Sales There are apps, facebook, and craigslist where people post when and where they are having a yard sale. While thrift stores take the cake on accessibility, yard sales is miles ahead when it comes to making a good deal. I find that around Tuesday and Wednesday people start posting if they're going to have a yard sale that weekend. What's also great about this, is people often post what they have for sale. If it's obviously some old couple selling furniture and lamps... chances are you can avoid it. However if they mention kids clothes, toys, or video games (more on this later), you are more likely to find Lego.
What you REALLY wanna look for is community wide sales. The Chicagoland area technically requires a permit to host a yard sale, so large swaths of neighborhoods all sign up and just do a community wide sale over the weekend. I can hit 20-30 yard sales in a matter of a couple hours. Truly the best of the best in terms of potential opportunities.
3. Online Platforms Facebook, Offer Up, Nextdoor... personally, I don't like online shopping anyway, and scrolling through the garbage that people are selling for insane prices frustrates me, so I don't spend a lot of time on these platforms. However, I do know quite a few people who absolutely nail this way of doing things and find insane deals. Again, I live in a very large city, so when a good deal pops up competition is FIERCE. You gotta be quick. But if you live in a smaller community, you may have more luck.
When to Throw the Money Down
1. Don't succumb to temptation It's a story told over and over... you walk into a Goodwill and they have a decent looking tub of Lego with $150 price tag. Upon closer inspection, you realize half of it is Mega Bloks or there are little to no Minifigures in there. Just walk away. Goodwill routinely jacks up these prices, because people pay them. And you don't want to get stuck with garbage.
2. You spotted some minifigures... What are you collecting? I almost exclusively collect Star Wars figs, so if it's looking good, yeah I'll snag it for the right price. If I'm looking at a higher priced tub and spot say... a Thrawn or Ahsoka... I might be willing to pay up for it!
On that note... say there's a ton of minifigures, but they're all Lego City. Depending on the price, I might just walk away. I don't collect City and in my experience, those figures don't hold a lot of resale value.
Strategies
1. Be Nice & Clean Up If you start regularly visiting a thrift store, the employees are gonna notice. If you're messy and don't put stuff back where it belongs: they'll notice. If you're polite and leave things tidier than you found them: they'll notice. You want them to notice you doing the second thing. I have multiple contacts at multiple thrift stores where they will HOLD LEGO FOR ME UNTIL I SHOW UP. I don't even have to go hunting at some of these stores. I walk in the door, they spot me, and say "Got a bin for you." In turn, make sure you treat them to a Starbucks gift card or something every now and then.
2. Network You're going to see a lot of the same pickers who sell on eBay or Amazon. Get to know these folks and find out what they like to sell. I know one guy who prefers electronics. I give him a heads up when I see stuff, and he in turn lets me know when he spots a good Lego deal.
3. Learn Resale If you're going to be haunting these thrift stores and yard sales anyways... learn a thing or two about things you don't collect. Maybe you stumble upon a collection of video games that somebody is off loading for $1 a piece. Snatch em up. Post them on eBay for $10-$15 a piece and as they sell - WHAMO - you've just increased your budget for buying the stuff you are into.
Something you are going to discover as you do this: there is SO MUCH STUFF in the world. Too much stuff. You can also take solace in the fact that you are helping keep this stuff out of land fills and getting it into the hands of people who will appreciate them.
I hope this was a helpful list for you to get started! Thanks for stopping by!