Part-out value is what you'd make selling a LEGO set piece by piece and minifigure by minifigure instead of selling it whole. To find it, you list every minifigure and part in the set, look up what each one is actually selling for right now (BrickLink is the best source for this), add it all up, then subtract fees, packaging, and your time. If that number beats the set's resale price by a wide enough margin, parting it out is worth doing.
I've pulled apart hundreds of sets to check this math, and the short version is that part-out value almost always looks bigger on paper than it is in practice. The minifigures usually carry most of the value, common parts are worth pennies, and the labor to sort, list, and ship dozens of small items adds up fast. Below is the exact process I use, plus the tools that make it faster.
- Part-out value is the sum of every part and minifigure's current sold price, not the sticker or retail price.
- Minifigures typically drive most of a set's part-out value, especially in Star Wars, Marvel, and Collectible Minifigures sets.
- BrickLink is the most reliable source for individual part and minifigure pricing because it functions like the Wall Street of LEGO for the secondary market.
- Fees, shipping supplies, and the hours spent sorting and listing all cut into your final margin, so build them into the comparison.
- Tools like brick'em's part out calculator and minifigure database can cut the research time from hours to minutes.
What Does "Part-Out Value" Actually Mean?
Part-out value is the total amount you'd collect by selling every minifigure and piece in a LEGO set separately, priced at what buyers are actually paying right now, not at retail or the box price. You calculate it by pulling the full parts and minifigure inventory for the set, pricing each item at its current sold value on BrickLink, and adding the whole list together before fees.
In my experience the number people picture in their head is almost always higher than the number that comes out of the spreadsheet. Common gray and black bricks might be worth two or three cents each, and it's the minifigures and printed or rare pieces that carry the weight. I've learned to price the minifigures first, because that's usually where the real answer lives.
Why Check Part-Out Value Before You Sell a Set?
Checking part-out value before you sell protects you from leaving money on the table. A used set that looks unremarkable whole can hide a minifigure that BrickLink buyers are actively hunting for, and unless you price it out first you'd never know it was worth more in pieces than as a bundle.
This matters most with retired sets and anything from a licensed theme like Star Wars or Marvel. From what I've seen, licensed minifigures hold value long after the set itself stops selling for much on eBay or Facebook Marketplace. A $25 used set can easily contain $40 or $50 in minifigure value alone if you know what to look for.
How Do You Find Part-Out Value Step by Step?
Finding part-out value takes four steps: pull the full inventory of parts and minifigures for the set, look up a current sold price for each item, add everything together, then subtract your fees, packaging costs, and a realistic estimate of the time it'll take to sort and list it all.
- Get the inventory. BrickLink keeps a piece-by-piece inventory for almost every official set, including minifigure breakdowns. This is your starting checklist.
- Price each item. Use recent sold listings, not asking prices, since asking prices on BrickLink can sit far above what things actually sell for. brick'em's collection value calculator pulls this pricing automatically so you're not doing it line by line.
- Add it up. Total the minifigures separately from the parts. Minifigures usually make up the bulk of the number, and it helps to see that split clearly.
- Subtract the real costs. Selling fees, poly bags or bubble mailers, and your own time all eat into the total. I recommend estimating at least 30 to 60 seconds of handling time per item when you're deciding if it's worth the effort.
Which Marketplace Gives the Most Accurate Part and Minifigure Prices?
BrickLink gives the most accurate part and minifigure pricing because it's built specifically around individual LEGO piece sales, with sold history you can filter by condition. I've heard it called the Wall Street of LEGO, and that's fair. It's the closest thing this hobby has to a standardized price feed.
eBay is useful as a second opinion, especially for minifigures in original packaging or rare bulk lots, but eBay's completed listings are noisier and mix in auctions that ended low or high for reasons that have nothing to do with fair value. Mercari and Facebook Marketplace prices swing even more because sellers there are often just trying to clear space, not maximize return. When I sell parted-out pieces myself, I still check BrickLink first and treat the other platforms as a sanity check, not the primary source.
How Much of a Set's Value Comes From Minifigures?
Minifigures typically account for a majority of a set's part-out value once the parts are broken down individually, especially in Star Wars, Marvel, and Collectible Minifigures lines. A single exclusive minifigure can be worth more than every brick in the set combined.
I personally treat minifigures as the anchor of any part-out estimate, then treat the loose parts as the upside on top. If you're building out a real inventory of loose figures, brick'em's minifigure database is where I'd start, since it lets you look up a figure by appearance or set number instead of guessing at an ID. Individual parts still matter, particularly rare printed pieces, but they're rarely the deciding factor in whether a set is worth breaking down.
Does Parting Out Actually Make More Money Than Selling a Set Whole?
Parting out usually makes more money on paper, but the gap narrows or disappears once you account for the time it takes to sort, photograph, and list dozens of individual items instead of one listing. A set that clears an extra $15 to $20 in part-out value might not be worth it if it takes three extra hours of work.
A seller I know in the LEGO Discord communities runs the math on every retired set before deciding, and their rule of thumb is that part-out value needs to beat the whole-set price by at least 40 to 50 percent before it's worth the labor. BrickEconomy is a good place to check what a sealed or used set is currently trading for as your baseline whole-set number before you compare it against your part-out total.
Heads up: This is not financial or legal advice. We're sharing what we've learned from the LEGO reselling community.
What Tools Speed Up Part-Out Value Research?
The tools that speed up part-out research the most are ones that price multiple items at once instead of forcing you to look each one up individually. Scanning apps, bulk calculators, and pre-built minifigure databases turn a task that used to take an hour per set into a few minutes.
I started using brick'em's scanner for exactly this reason. It identifies minifigures from a photo, pulls current pricing, and lets you export the list instead of typing every figure into BrickLink by hand. If you're working through a full bin of loose parts and figures rather than one set, the haul calculator is built for that scenario specifically. Either way, I'd recommend creating a free brick'em account before you start pricing out your first set, since your lookups and totals save automatically.
A Simple Part-Out Value Checklist
Use this checklist to keep your part-out research consistent from set to set, so you're comparing apples to apples every time you run the numbers.
| Step | What To Do | Why It Matters |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Pull the inventory | Get the full parts and minifigure list for the set | You can't price what you haven't listed |
| 2. Price minifigures first | Check recent BrickLink sold prices for every figure | Minifigures usually drive most of the value |
| 3. Price the parts | Focus on printed, rare, or retired pieces | Common bricks rarely move the total |
| 4. Total the sum | Add minifigures and parts into one number | This is your gross part-out value |
| 5. Subtract fees and supplies | Account for marketplace fees and packaging | Gross value is not what you'll actually keep |
| 6. Estimate your time | Multiply item count by handling time per listing | Labor is the hidden cost in every part-out |
| 7. Compare to whole-set price | Check BrickEconomy or eBay sold listings for the set | Confirms parting out actually beats selling whole |
What About Incomplete or Damaged Sets?
Incomplete and damaged sets are still worth pricing out, and I'd argue they're one of the most overlooked opportunities in reselling. A set that's missing pieces or has a dirty figure is often priced like junk by the person selling it, even though most of its part-out value is still intact.
I've bought plenty of incomplete lots at a steep discount specifically because other buyers passed on them. BrickLink is also where you go to fill gaps, since sellers there stock individual replacement pieces, so an "incomplete" set can become a complete, sellable one for a few dollars in missing parts. A dirty or scuffed minifigure can usually be cleaned rather than written off, which is another reason I don't discount incomplete inventory as heavily as most casual sellers do.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is BrickLink or eBay better for checking part-out value?
BrickLink is better for checking part-out value because it's organized around individual pieces and minifigures with detailed sold history by condition. eBay works as a secondary check, especially for packaged minifigures, but its listings are noisier and less consistent for pricing single parts.
Do all LEGO sets have positive part-out value worth pursuing?
No, not all sets are worth parting out. Sets with few minifigures, mostly common bricks, and low retired-market demand often part out for close to what they'd sell for whole, once fees and your time are factored in, so it's not worth the extra listing work.
How long does it take to calculate part-out value manually?
Manually pricing a mid-size set with a handful of minifigures and 200 to 400 parts can take 30 minutes to an hour if you're checking each item on BrickLink individually. Bulk calculators and scanning tools cut that down to a few minutes by pricing multiple items at once.
Should I part out a set or sell it whole on Whatnot?
It depends on the set. Whatnot tends to favor selling whole sets live to an engaged audience, sometimes above market value, while part-out selling favors BrickLink or eBay where individual buyers are searching for specific pieces. Compare both totals before deciding.
Are instruction manuals included in part-out value?
Manuals are usually a small part of the total, though rare manuals for older or retired sets can sell for meaningfully more, sometimes upwards of $300, while common manuals typically go for just a few dollars. Check sold BrickLink listings rather than assuming a manual is worthless.
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