Is it more cost effective to buy complete Lego sets, or buy parts? (AliExpress “Lego” series part 2)

Follow up to my AliExpress video, following on from a comment.
Let me know what you think :)
#lego
#aliexpress #starwars #legostarwars #cheaplego #bricklink
All images (c) their respective Owners

[@sciisfun]

The way I see it is, if Lego has discontinued the set, then I can’t give them money for it. They don’t loose out on anything. I shouldn’t be beholden to paying stupid prices on the second hand market. The 787 is a good example of one I’ve been looking at for ages, being white most second hand sets are yellowed, and it’s hundreds of pounds to part it out with new bricks. On the flip side, I’m not a fan of buying mocs off AliExpress, or if I do, I make sure I buy the instructions off them to make sure that they get their money

[@NoobGameReviews]

It’s a great point, it reflects In the retro gaming market as well, if you can’t officially buy products anymore…does that open the door to MOC or 3rd party knock offs. There are vast differences between sellers on AliExpress so it’s a minefield…

[@bluechang08]

Well, I didn't think a comment I posted would end up sparking a whole video! With regards to the Tie Fighter Helmet, I went through Lego Pick a Brick and although there were a few parts they didnt have, you could buy in something like 701 of the 724 parts for £78/$98. Is the prices you've pulled up on Bricklink just the cost of the bricks or is also inclusive of the multiple postage payments for the various orders that would be necessary from mulitple sellers? Sorry for the barrage of questions, but also how do the prices for the retired sets parted out on Bricklink/Pick a Brick compare with buying the same retired boxed set from ebay? I think parting out a set using Pick a Brick or bricklink only works on sets that are retired and have a relative high value on the second hand market. Its definitely going to be imposible to part out a current actively sold set by Lego for anything less than what Lego sell it for unless you have a large back catalogue of parts already at home.

[@NoobGameReviews]

Haha :) well it was a great comment :)
The prices are just based offa the price so don’t include the postage, (otherwise it would have been potentially higher)
The tie fighter helmets, amazingly most of the price is that one unique part (the circle printed piece) which is mega expensive .
It’s a fun questions, and if your patient and have a backlog of pieces you could get stuff cheaper but it was a great video to make :)

[@LutraLovegood]

Think it would be interesting to compare with other sets that do get copied, like some of the Friends sets, Architect, Creator, Ideas, etc, and not just super hero stuff.

[@NoobGameReviews]

There’s loads to compare….
*spoiler*
There’s an upcoming video scheduled for this week comparing how a build is for this stuff….
And there’s a actual like for like comparison the week after
Say what you want about Ali express, but it’s giving me loads of content haha