How to Sort 1,000 Loose LEGO® Bricks in 30 Minutes

Sorting isn't a chore — it's a meditative warm-up to the real building. With a simple system, you'll get through a 1 kg bag in half an hour.

The System

The 5 steps below came from sorting hundreds of bags at Bulkbricks. We use it ourselves every day.

Step 1 — First Sort by Size

Spread the bag out on a large, light surface. A white sheet works better than a table — no rolling and better contrast. Split immediately into:

• Small (1×1 plates, small clips, 1×2)
• Medium (2×2 to 2×6 plates and bricks)
• Large (>2×6, doors, windows)
• Technic (axles, pins, gears)

Takes about 10 minutes.

Step 2 — Colour as Your Second Layer

Take only the medium-sized pile and split by main colour. Main colours are typically black, white, grey, red, blue, yellow — together they make up about 80% of the bag. Everything else goes into 'miscellaneous colours'.

Step 3 — Plates Separate from Bricks

Per colour: flat plates (1-stud high) separated from bricks (3-stud high). This is your biggest time-saver later — with every build you grab the right stack directly.

Step 4 — Technic and Specials Aside

Axles, pin connectors, gears, clips and slope tiles need their own compartments. Don't mix them with regular bricks.

Step 5 — The 'Not Sure' Box

Unknown or slightly damaged pieces: separate container. Don't throw them away — they're often useful for detail work or as practice material for restoration.

Time Investment vs. Later Savings

Sort a 1 kg bag in 30 minutes. But with every MOC build afterwards, you grab the right compartments directly — saving the 5 minutes of searching you'd otherwise spend. After 6 builds, you've earned back your sorting time.