Collecting guides
How to Catalog a LEGO Collection Without a Spreadsheet
Build a useful LEGO inventory one shelf at a time. Confirm sets and figures, record quantities and purchases, and avoid counting minifigures twice.
Start with a manageable shelf or bin. Identify the exact sets and figures, record what is included, and decide how you will count minifigures that belong to sets. Brickify holds collection items and purchase details; your own photos and supporting notes document the physical condition.
A useful LEGO catalogue connects a physical item with a record you can find again. Start with identity and quantity, then add purchase details and the condition or completeness information that matters to you. Estimated values can help with a later decision, but you can begin recording what you own even when its value is unresolved.
Choose one shelf or bin to finish
- Pick a defined group and photograph it before moving anything. Keep your photos in your own dated folder.
- Separate sets, loose minifigures and unassembled pieces so each group has a sensible identification workflow.
- Find the exact set or minifigure in the catalogue, using supported scanning modes or a catalogue lookup.
- Review each proposed match against the physical item before saving it.
- Record quantities and purchase details you know. Keep unknown details marked as unknown rather than guessing.
- Put completed items back in an identifiable location and keep unresolved items separate for another pass.
What should the record contain?
| Record | What to capture | How to keep it useful |
|---|---|---|
| Exact identity | What to captureSet number or minifigure variant and confirmed catalogue match. | How to keep it usefulCompare the item rather than relying on a familiar name. |
| Quantity | What to captureNumber of matching items you own. | How to keep it usefulUpdate after a purchase, sale, gift or separation of a set. |
| Purchase details | What to captureKnown amount paid and available purchase information. | How to keep it usefulKeep receipts or transaction records alongside the inventory. |
| Condition and completeness | What to captureWear, missing pieces, included figures, box and instructions. | How to keep it usefulUse available app fields where they fit; keep additional notes and photos separately. |
| Estimated value | What to captureAvailable estimate for the matching item and condition. | How to keep it usefulKeep the observation date with your own comparison records. |
| Physical location | What to captureShelf, display or storage container. | How to keep it usefulMaintain a separate location list if needed; use consistent labels. |
Brickify supports saved collection items, quantities, purchase details and estimated values. Keep your own photographs of the actual items and any additional storage or completeness notes separately. Catalogue artwork identifies a product; it does not document the condition of your personal copy.
Scan, then confirm the result
Use Brickify’s LEGO modes for supported sets, minifigures and loose pieces. Multiple-minifigure photos work with visible, separated figures. Match the proposed entry with the model or printed parts in front of you, and look up anything uncertain before adding it to the confirmed group.
For minifigures, compare the head, torso, legs, headgear and accessories. For a set, confirm the set number or distinctive assemblies and record what you actually have. An incomplete model should not quietly become a complete-set record without an accompanying completeness note.
Avoid counting the same figures twice
Choose what a set entry represents before adding its figures separately. If the set record includes its original figures, adding those same figures again can overstate the total. If you track figures separately, document that the set record excludes them and make sure your valuation comparison uses the same contents.
For example, suppose you own one set containing four minifigures. You can count one complete set, or keep a model-without-figures record alongside the four figure records when suitable entries and comparisons are available. Do not add a full-set estimate and four standalone figure estimates for the same physical collection. If the app estimate does not match your chosen breakdown, keep that valuation adjustment in your own notes.
Keep sealed, opened and incomplete items distinguishable
Record the actual packaging and contents rather than assuming all sealed or built sets have the same condition. Note packaging damage, missing instructions, substituted parts and incomplete figures. Opening a sealed item changes what you are recording; a rebuild, repair or part-out can also require an update.
Choose an inventory routine you will maintain
A spreadsheet can work well if you keep it current. Brickify offers a different workflow: catalogue identification, saved collection records and estimated values in the same app. Choose based on the work you repeat, not a promise that any tool maintains a perfect inventory automatically.
When adding items, check the quantity already recorded. After a trade, sale, gift or loss, update the owned total. Revisit incomplete and unresolved items when you have better information. Compare a shelf or bin with its records periodically to catch omissions and duplicates.
Use values for a specific decision
Brickify shows available estimated values and price history. Before selling or comparing an offer, confirm the exact item, contents and condition, then consider relevant sales and selling costs. An estimate is a reference, not the amount a particular buyer will pay.
You do not need a precise value to begin cataloguing. An accurate list of identities and quantities is already useful for checking what you own. Add pricing context as needed rather than abandoning an entry because comparable sales are scarce.
Keep supporting documents for important records
Retain receipts, photographs and transaction details alongside the inventory. If you want to use those records in an insurance discussion, ask the insurer which documentation, valuation basis and coverage terms apply. A collection record does not establish coverage or guarantee a payout.
Start with the items already in front of you
Finish a small group, check it against the physical contents and use the same routine on the next one. Brickify is available for iPhone, iPad and Android, with six collecting categories if your shelves also hold cards or figures.
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Estimates are a reference, not guaranteed sale prices. Brickify is independent of the owners of the collectible brands mentioned here.