Every business has a story, and WeBuyBricks began with a new challenge: taking what we had learnt from buying and selling used books and applying it to a product that was built to last. That product was LEGO®.
After 18 years of growing WeBuyBooks, we wanted to explore a new market with plenty of potential. Today, WeBuyBricks helps people sell unwanted LEGO® sets and loose bricks, giving suitable pre-loved pieces another chance to be enjoyed.
But how did the idea come about, and what happens behind the scenes once a collection arrives? Here is the story behind WeBuyBricks, the technology we developed and why giving pre-loved LEGO® a second life matters to us.
WeBuyBricks grew out of our experience with WeBuyBooks. After years of buying and selling second-hand books, we wanted a new challenge, but we were looking for more than a passing trend. We wanted a product that was well made, well engineered and part of a growing market.
As explained in our video:
We wanted a new challenge. We didn't want a fad. We didn't want something that was here today and gone tomorrow. We wanted something that was well made, well-engineered, and we wanted something where there was a growing market.
LEGO® was a natural fit. Its pieces are designed to be taken apart and rebuilt, and a pre-loved set can still offer plenty of enjoyment to its next owner.
As the video puts it:
And LEGO® hit the spot. It was the perfect product.
The idea was to bring our existing experience into a new market and make it easier for people to sell their unwanted LEGO® collections, while helping suitable sets and pieces find new homes.
One advantage of starting WeBuyBricks was that we already had experience of making the selling process straightforward for customers. We could build on what we had learnt from WeBuyBooks and adapt the approach for LEGO® sets.
In the video, we explain:
We used our experience of our WeBuyBooks app. So, we've done the same with LEGO® sets. You just type in the LEGO® set number or the title and up pops a price.
The principle is simple: look up your set by its name or number, answer a few questions about its condition and receive an offer. You can then decide whether to accept it and send your items to us.
You can also sell loose LEGO® bricks by weight, so there is no need to identify every individual piece yourself.
Visit our How It Works page to learn more about selling your LEGO® collection.
One of the biggest challenges in buying loose LEGO® collections is working out what is in a large box of mixed pieces. With so many different shapes, sizes and colours, identifying individual bricks and matching them to their original sets takes time.
To help tackle this challenge, we developed the Brick-o-matic, an AI-powered sorting machine created by WeBuyBricks in collaboration with specialist partners.
The process starts when a collection arrives at our facility. As described in the video:
When those packages arrive here, we open them. We check what the customers sent us. Then they come to our LEGO® sorting machine here.
The pieces are then fed through the machine and moved along a conveyor belt, where camera systems capture images to help identify them.
The AI needs to be trained to recognise the different pieces. Images are added to a database so the system can learn to distinguish between individual shapes, sizes and colours.
As the video explains:
There's a training process at the start where we put individual bricks in and take images of those bricks and that adds to a database.
Some pieces look very similar, which makes the process more complicated than it might first appear. The system needs to recognise those small differences accurately as the pieces move through the machine.
The Brick-o-matic also has blemish-detection technology. If it identifies a piece with a deep scratch, a crack or bite marks, it can automatically reject it. This is one part of our wider quality-checking process, helping us identify pieces that are unsuitable for resale.
You can discover more about the technology in our article, How We Taught the Brick-o-matic Machine to Recognise LEGO® Pieces.
Identifying the pieces is only one part of the process. Once suitable pieces have been sorted, they can be matched to original sets or organised into bundles, depending on what is needed.
As the video explains:
We're really proud to be able to say that we've got a solution that allows us in essence to put parts and pieces and bulk LEGO® in one end of our machine and outcome sets or bundles or whatever we choose.
Cleaning is another important stage. The pieces go through our washing machines, where they are thoroughly cleaned before being packaged and prepared for their next owner.
Together, the sorting and cleaning processes help us prepare suitable pre-loved LEGO® for resale, whether it is part of a complete set or a collection of loose pieces.
If you enjoy building your own creations, take a look at our bulk LEGO® bricks and pieces collection. You can also browse our pre-loved LEGO® sets to find your next building project.
For us, WeBuyBricks is about more than developing a new business. It is also about making better use of products that people no longer need.
LEGO® bricks are made from durable plastic, which can be difficult to recycle. Reusing suitable pieces gives them another opportunity to be enjoyed and helps keep them in circulation rather than being discarded.
In the video, we explain why this matters:
Giving LEGO® a second chance, it's hugely important for us.
We also want people to think about the collections they already have at home. Perhaps you have a box of bricks tucked away under the bed, in a cupboard or in the loft. Those pieces may still have plenty of life left in them, and selling them could help you make some extra money.
As the video puts it:
The best way for us to save the planet is by not going into landfill and reusing this LEGO®, find those boxes of LEGO® that have just been kept under the bed and actually make some money from it in an interesting way, that is sustainable as well.
Reusing pre-loved LEGO® is not just about finding a new home for unwanted pieces. It is about making the most of what already exists and giving other people the opportunity to enjoy it.
To learn more about our approach, read How We Give LEGO® Bricks a Second Life.
Starting WeBuyBricks meant taking our experience from WeBuyBooks and applying it to a very different product. Developing a way to identify, sort and prepare large quantities of LEGO® pieces has involved plenty of problem-solving, patience and collaboration.
The Brick-o-matic is an important part of that journey, helping us tackle the challenge of sorting mixed collections and identifying pieces that can be used again.
But the idea behind the business remains straightforward: to help suitable pre-loved LEGO® sets and bricks find new owners.
Whether you have a complete set you no longer need or a box full of mixed pieces, you can find out how to sell your collection through WeBuyBricks. And if you are looking for your next building project, explore our range of pre-loved sets and loose bricks.
Every collection has the potential for another chapter. At WeBuyBricks, we want to help make that happen.
WeBuyBricks was started as a new challenge after the success of WeBuyBooks. The team wanted to build a business around a well-made product with a growing market, and LEGO® was a natural fit because its pieces can be reused and enjoyed for years.
The Brick-o-matic is an AI-powered sorting machine developed by WeBuyBricks in collaboration with specialist partners. It uses camera systems and trained software to identify individual LEGO® pieces by their shape, size and colour as they move along a conveyor belt.
Yes. The machine has blemish-detection technology that can automatically reject pieces with certain types of damage, including deep scratches, cracks and bite marks. This works alongside the wider quality-checking process.
Suitable LEGO® pieces go through a thorough washing process before being packaged for resale. Collections are also checked when they arrive, helping us assess what customers have sent and prepare suitable items for their next owner.
Yes. WeBuyBricks buys suitable LEGO® sets and loose bricks by weight. You do not need to identify every individual piece in a mixed collection before selling it. Visit our How It Works page to find out more.
You can search for your set by its name or number on the WeBuyBricks website, provide the requested details about its condition and receive an offer. If you have loose bricks rather than a complete set, you can sell these by weight instead.
Reusing suitable LEGO® pieces gives them another opportunity to be enjoyed instead of being discarded. It also makes use of existing pieces rather than always relying on new ones. At WeBuyBricks, we want to help keep pre-loved LEGO® in circulation by connecting unwanted collections with new owners.
Whether you have a complete LEGO® set or a box of mixed bricks tucked away at home, your collection could be ready for a new chapter. At WeBuyBricks, we're here to help suitable pre-loved LEGO® find new owners and continue to be enjoyed. Find out how selling your LEGO® works and give your bricks a second chance.
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