On your question of Cannibalizing sets: The idea can seem pretty wild for someone who only buys sets and does not have a bunch of loose parts sorted out in their own bins/containers. What would a person, like yourself, do with loose parts anyway? So it would seem better to keep sets you don't want, built. The calculation changes though once you decide you want to have spare/loose parts on hand at all times (inventory). Then, when you realize you have like... 12 sets you actually don't want, you can easily decide that it's worth breaking them down. It's also easier to keep/store loose parts than it is complete sets. Buy some sorting containers, and sort the parts out. Then it will be much easier for you to conclude, next time, if you should cannibalize a set or not the next time you build a moc. You may not even have to do that because you may have the part now in your inventory. But until you get to the point where you keep loose/spare part inventory, the decision to cannibalize always becomes trick. This is because even if you don't want a certain set anymore, it's still best to NOT cannibalize (in most cases) if you don't keep loose/spare parts. I actually upload my part inventory to bricklink. I build a moc in studio, add the parts to my Bricklink wanted list, then visit my own store and see all the parts I have (and don't have), to complete the moc. Super easy. Barely an inconvenience.
Welcome to the Moc community! You’ll have a great time. Don’t over think it. There’s no right or wrong answers. Have some ideas. Build. Have more ideas on something else and build that. Have a rough budget in mind because it can get expensive! As for PAB walls. There’s some common bricks and there’s rarer ones. A full PAB wall with rare bricks is considered a Great Wall. But really if it has what you need it’s a Great Wall. Have fun.
For me a MOC never ends, it just evolves. I’ve been slowly adding to my Moonbase over the years…it started as singular modules on one xl baseplate and can now foil an entire table at a show and it’s especially fun to collaborate and add to some else’s MOC’s and see it all come together. On the question of sets that you don’t want to mix with others, instead try taking that existing set and create an alternate model from it and just limit your build to the pieces from that set…I find being restricted by only the parts that are in front of you can force the creativity in a positive way.
The moc ends when you decide. Weather you run out of pieces or your satisfied. When it comes to taking apart sets you just take apart the sets you don't really care about it anymore. With the PAB wall it's good when there's useful pieces for what your trying to build. And remember you don't always need to make big MOCs, you can make small ones too. You can always go back to your MOC after your "done" with it.
Never heard the term "scope creep," but I think I have an idea of what you mean. I never have a scope creep problem because when I plan a MOC, the first thing I do is plan it so that scope creep cannot happen. For example, I am MOC'ing a mountain top that I can place the Ninjago Spinjitzu Monastery (set 70670). I am limiting the mountain top to not have any dimension, be it by length or width, to extend beyond 1 large gray base plate. So before I have even started, I've put a ceiling on my scope. The large gray baseplate works and accommodates the size of the monastery perfetly for how I plan to position it. If I cannot place a hard limitation on scope, then the MOC does not happen until I do. I think some creatives struggle with this because they innately are allergic to boundaries. I actually am unable to focus if I do not set boundaries. Now if you watch LEGO channels where they build never ends, I suppose it only ends until they have no room to work with. To me, that much LEGO looks like hoarding.
I’m done building MOCs when there’s not a single possible other detail I can add or whenever I’m sick of adding onto it. You’re always bound by the pieces in your collection and you should definitely build more MOCs on this channel
With the PAB wall, I often look for pieces that will help in a MOC I'm planning on building, or in the progress of, and then pick those up. If there are also uncommon pieces on the wall, I may pick those up as well not knowing specifically what they're for yet but have a feeling they'll be used. There are also parts that I see on the wall that I didn't think of or can see where they would fit within a certain part of a moc that I'll pick up. Also, things like trees and plant leaves/limbs are good as well because let's face it, if we're building MOC's, eventually there will always be trees lol. With sets, I will keep the sets I really like together and on display. The others I will then part out for MOCs. Also, bulk lots from places like marketplace are great for building up random parts collections without buying new sets or bricks.
I like your cannibal question. When my son stopped playing with lego, we had a bunch of sets broken down and I sorted them into parts. So my habit started to be breaking down sets and building up a parts collection. Which is handy if I need to get X or Y part but it will eventually affect my ability to rebuild a set if I use too many. I’m actually thinking to do the opposite and start storing old sets complete in bags/boxes rather than as a big collection of mixed up parts. To make them easier to rebuild. I know this will reduce my MOCability but I’m doign that less these days, and when I do I often end up bricklinking like half the pieces anyway so I can just keep doing that
Honestly the majority of my "piece collection" I have close at hand is from sets I've recently bought for my kids that were assembled then immediately modified/taken apart. The hardest part is going to be convincing my kids that their parts are "our" parts that will mostly live in dad's office.
A great video as always. Lego is a tough hobby in the way that it is very expensive and these days Lego can't seem to stop putting out great sets! And if you want to get classic sets even the used ones can be very expensive. Then you run out of room to put them and they end up in the collectors limbo. To sell or not to sell? Keep until more valuable? At least that's where I am. Apart from some smaller sets I haven't really gone into dismantling anything to make mocs.
"where/when does it end?" in this one case, im lucky to have limited piece count and space. LOL. As a result, I like to use the GWP and 18+ sets with brick built bases to bang out little MOCs i have room for.
Yes, yes this how it starts. Now I know why you looked so stunned when we met you at Brickworld. You’d just taken the MOC “red pill”. 😏 To your question “When does it end?” - it already has. “You’re ability to stop now” has well and truly ended. Hey, look at the bright side and the one thing that doesn’t need to change, “Storage Units” (plural) is the same whether your referring to two or twenty. 🍻
Oh yeah, the Aussies! It was great to meet you. I only appeared stunned because I'm much less charismatic in person compared to on camera. That's the magic of editing. I'm excited to build future MOCs and expend to more storage units.
I’d like to share my answers to your question as someone with a medium sized sorted parts collection! 1. It ends when you decide that you’re satisfied with your build. You could keep adding to it forever, adding more detail, parts, figures, but you have to have a vision and a level of detail that you’re looking for when you begin that will help you decide when you’re finished 2. I don’t think there is a metric when deciding whether or not a PAB wall is good, just how useful the pieces on the wall will be to your projects that you’re dreaming up. 3. I cannibalize any set that I know I don’t want on display or will never want on display. Also sometimes when a set is discounted enough, I will buy it just to sort and add to my piece collection, because you never know when you might need a random 2x6 pink plate, but when you do need one, you sure do hope that it’s there somewhere 4. Only build or take on projects that interest you. Also don’t work outside your means. As we all know, Lego is expensive, so don’t push yourself outside of your budget just to army build or build a moc that you aren’t that interested in. Reframe your perspective, think about what you really want to do with your collection and focus on that. Right now for me, that’s city building, so I’m staying away from Star Wars and Harry Potter, because that doesn’t service my interests at the moment! Hope some of this helps!
Honestly this is all such good advice and I genuinely appreciate you sharing. I'm looking forward to collating all of this knowledge into one comprehensive MOCing manual.
Great MOCSs. How did you get the spade to remain upright in one of them? I generally don’t cannibalise sets for MOCs, I tend to build them digitally and see what parts I have spare/ need from Bricklink. Any chance of digitalising the MOCs and sharing them on Rebrickable?
Thanks for sharing your MOC experience. Unlikely I'll digitize these little MOCs but I do have a few of my custom mosaics on rebrickable now. The shovel is just stuck between a stud and twisted cheese wedge, probably illegal but I'm too small for the LEGO police to take notice of me.
1. The MOC ends, either when you are satisfied, or when you run out of pieces. 2. PAB wall, does it fit your needs? 3. I take a part the sets I don't have displayed. (and if you want it, buy another) 4. Find your priorities, if you want to be a MOC builder, focus on MOCs etc... Great video! I really enjoyed it!
I have made a rule to my self years ago: Stick only to some themes, styles, techniques. This saves me a lot of space, money and time. If a nice looking new set is not "my theme", then I just skip it. No need to all the time think, buy, store it away etc. It never ends but a side build might. Unless I edit it even that years later. Cannibalizing own sets: Buy two. It kinda helps (but obviously requires more storage space. And money. Maybe buy the second when there's huge discounts). I have always some long term plan(s) in my head so I kinda know what "PAB" bricks I'll need (usually buying a set is cheaper to get the pieces though in my case). Also I have some rough idea of what inventory I have and what "gaps" there are overall (like do I totally miss e.g. candy and ocean colors). Largest gap have been tree leafs as those just aren't plenty in any official sets.
Oh my gosh!! I can't believe you referenced the Mean Girls Mathletes 😆🤣 I build sets new, then when I get tired of it, I find a MOC someone else created (alt build) to get an updated look. It is challenging, because they are never 1:1 - so, do you keep the unused pieces well organized and labeled to resell (or rebuild) the original set later? Or cannibalize them for other builds? I haven't decided for myself yet
I loved this video and your MOCs! I really enjoy playset scale. Large MOCs are breathtaking and amazing, but I think there's something beautifully succinct at this scale. A quote I have always liked is “Perfection is Achieved Not When There Is Nothing More to Add, But When There Is Nothing Left to Take Away” - Antoine de Saint-Exupery.
Oh a MOC is never done done, it may be done, but not done done. PAB walls are always good, because its a cheap way to get parts, and its fun to try and use the parts in different ways. I don't resist using my sets, I have even removed parts from rare display pieces, to then order replacmement parts of Brick Link later. I have no balance I fall over in my lego room all the time.
Nice one Josh. Your build ..yousing some of the Tabin parts from. That baracuta set is great glad you had. Fun. Building it. Than just. Building sets. 😊 Yes building moc s are. Fun. But all so. Can take munth s days weeks year s it's in yo salf to what you come up with to build. I guess a moc ends once you tottaly happy with it but with a moc. Theirs all way s. More. You could add. And when other look at some one s moc thay. Might say. You could add. This an that. To this part. So. A moc is never ending. In a way. Depending. If yousing digital plan out program and design the moc to a curtin point you plan for it to be complet. If free style building you just don't know. The builds complete. Till you say. I don't need to add Anny more to it. Nice vid. Man I so love bean creative and. It's great when people's. Cee. Your build and are amazed it's a great filling and. Even better if happy. With your own build s to. 😊. And nailed it. Free style building ? Compared to yousing digital building app add cas then. You know every steep you. Dun to build it. But .all so it help.s Cas if you whant. To put. It to Lego to be a. Lego set. 😊.it's like you got the blue print. For instruction s ...a free style build. Would have to be pulled apart like the. Old school days. Befor app program building digitally. To figer out all the part s you yoused. And .trying to figer out how U built it. Is full on .hectic. If so it that way. 😊
Great video as always and even better to see you getting into the world of MOCing! 1. When does a MOC end? When it's good enough, to use a software trope. I tend to have a few key things I want to get in the build overall (either features of the build or goals like learning new techniques or both). You can always tweak it once it's released. I also tend to create a base first which sets a limit on the size. 2. Tough question. I've mostly stopped going to a PAB wall with ideas of what I want because that expectation doesn't get met unless I want parts that I know are always going to be on there. I like it when there's a variety of pieces of all different sizes and colours. Especially if there are some unusual types of pieces. Plus if it has masonry bricks that's always a winner. 3. If I'm not fussed about a set being on display for too long I'll part it out into my parts collection. I've only stolen parts from one set that I intend to build again and it might be that I have to never build that set again because there's a good chance I'm going to forget where those pieces went. It's a bit brutal at first just parting out a set but you get used to it. 4. Since starting MOCing it's quickly become my main focus and I'm now a lot more picky with the sets I buy (I have to want to display them for a long time, learn something from them or cannibalise them for builds or minifigs) and when I buy them - I'll mostly try to get them on sale. Space helps with forcing me to be somewhat sensible. Plus having my lego budget reduced massively recently helps in keeping a balance. I've started dismantling a lot of sets which helps me to decide if I want to keep it or not and then helps me be more discerning with future purchases.
Awesome video, great job I buy unique pieces from the pab wall that i might use later I try not to cannabilize Lego sets, unless its sets i don't care for or have multiple of. I did buy a few sets just for the pieces (like a second fab 5 set). Lego classic can be good for that sometimes. When i was a kid instead of building the green grocer and I used the pieces to build other stuff, now i kinda regret it because I'm missing pieces from the set when trying to rebuild it. I wish i had the Pirates of Barracuda Bay set
2:40 'empty space' or quiet time has become very underrated in this world of fast edits and no breaths but let me tell you when some breathing space does emerge it's very appreceated by some of us 😅also loving the idea of mini mocs around a bigger set, it's soemthing i've been doing recently too :D
Thank you! And I wish I could make it to Virginia but I can only really manage a few LEGO trips per year and I've already spent them. I want to hit up Brickfair VA sometime but right now Chicago is the only convention I can guarantee I'll be at.
Side note: your recent pirates/imperials videos were extremely helpful when researching for the Eldorado Fortress review. I'll definitely recommend your vids more in the future.
I have a cast away pirate from a pirates advent calendar from way back, back then I put that guy in handcuffs and in then bin he went. Now he is sitting in a jail cell in my police station modular building... Poor guy must have been illegally detained for more then 10 years. Now I put all my cast away figures in jail.
It's like watching a child discover the joys of lego for the first time. 😂 It's honestly kind of sad that some people never even TRY to build anything themselves. Like, even if you're not very creative or not skilled enough to make it look professional, it's still just fun to mess around and put random things together.
The Absolute BEST Scripting in the LEGO RUclips Space. Great Personality. Always looking forward to your next video. Great Work. Loved the Moc's. Keep it up!
As a lego newbie I really love this video! You are asking all the same questions I have and its fun to see someone exploring a new-to-them side of the hobby! So far I've only built sets because MOC's is a bit intimidating to me (and I dont have a surplus of bricks or space) but I want to try MOCs out eventually. Your islands look great and really compliment the fort!
so on P.A.B walls i personally pick parts and pieces i know i dont have a large amount of or that arent being used in many sets. that way i can get some bulk buys of rare parts or parts i dont have many of personally. as for cannibalizing sets i keep the ones i like built and sometimes tear them apart too. eventually if i feel like it i'll just rebuild them or use the parts for something else. and as for balancing the branches out, to quote Omni man, "Thats the neat part. You dont." in my own way i bounce between lego themes and genres, sometimes building space, sometimes castle, or even custom ww2. army building and stuff like that just tends to be more of a passive thing tbh, it just depends on you and what you strive for. and also, every master builder or lego collecter has their own techniques and methods of doing things. mine is definitly a lot more of chaotic orginization than others.
Thanks for the inspiration! After watching this I took a look at my Ray's island and combined the brown bricks from my 31048 creator 3 in 1 cabin to make a little pirate island hideout on top of the rock foundation! Even still had the chest stashed underneath and I also borrowed your idea of clipping the skeleton to the base and putting a sword through the heart. Sometimes MOC's are fueled by inspiration from others! Ideas unlocked 😜
Regarding the PAB wall: sometimes they’ll have pieces that I know I’ll need at some point so I’ll grab those. There are some that are just generically useful for your type of builds. So for example I love making buildings so whenever I see bricks, plates, tiles, or windows I’ll try to grab those, even if I don’t have a specific build in mind. But there are also more specialized or uncommonly colored pieces that can come in really handy for specific thing. But that’s more of a timing thing for me: if I happen to be thinking about or building something at that point then I’ll grab some. Either way, the PAB wall is undeniably the best value per part you’ll ever find anywhere. So that alone is a pretty compelling motivation.
I not pulled apart any set.s to yous as part s. Add. I have at time had to take. Odd part from set. And put the. Part back into the set. I have extra part. .cas some ninjago sets i buy.i get for the mini figs. And i dont build fhe mech jets. plain. car .road bike wach are more so. Kid s style builds ..plus with every set we. Get. Has extra part s. I have gatherd up over 8 so years or extra parts from. Classic set s is great. I have so much parts from just. Tho s. And i have only got. Stuff from a pab wall. Once all so frends sets good for parts. But i guess anny set is good for parts. If you not cear about. The set s build s. and just get them for extra parts.. wighting. For parts when run outta parts. Can be a problem struchuer when building moc s. Infill brick you. Cover up. Is best to. Just yous old 2nd hand bricks. Unless got the $ to yous new bricks. Have fun .enjoy. Keep on loveing the bricks 😊
you kind of answered your PAB wall question yourself when you spoke about borrowing pieces you like from your sets to make something (those palm leaves). When you see parts you wish you had more of (or know you can use) fill up a cup. Bricks and plates in the colors you find most desirable for your builds will always be handy. I enjoy buildings, so I don't tend to need many bright and vibrant colors. when I do, i only need a few so ordering as needed doesn't cost much.
To me the MOC never truly ends. But that depends on the person and type of builds you’re doing. I love doing modular building MOCs and part of the fun is to continue tweaking and upgrading as I can. I’d say that they’re 90% complete and then whenever I get new pieces or new ideas I’ll continue to tweak the details. I may have ‘completed’ a building years ago but then if I recently came across some cool new pieces that can help me make it better or closer to my original vision it’ll totally go back and make those changes.
Hey Josh. I’ve experienced what you’re talking about. I made up a boundary to help me to know when to be done. At least, as far as parts are concerned. I try to have on hand no more of a certain part then the most quantity that that part has been released in before and in a particular color as well. If 13:45 the most amount of 2 x 2 black bricks ever released in a single retail set was 32, then the maximum 2 x 2 black bricks that I will have on hand for each build will be 32. some people would find this idea too restrictive, but I appreciate having a boundary of some kind. I hope this helps.
The islands look great. I often find myself doing a mix of sets and MOCs. I’m working on a medieval theme area where I’m using sets like Lion Knight Castle and Blacksmith shop as is, but then got multiple Blacksmith Shops and 3-in-1 castle sets to make a village area. Now because of your video I want to make some islands.
I love your little builds! I feel exactly like you do about MOCs. I love following instructions and feel intimated by the pick a brick wall so I never buy anything either. Great questions and I’m enjoying reading the other comments. Thank you!
Great video as always! I have recently started mocing. I started a city and wanted some unique buildings so built a couple of lical landmarks. Its addictive but can get expensive! Ive learnt to plan very carefully before ordering parts. Its also helped with storage as i am canabalising sets that i was hanging on to that i was never going to display again, now recycled.
I saw the Lego Marvel Gargantos Showdown set (76205) marked down at a local store, and although I dislike "occultic"-themed sets, they sometimes have useful parts. In this case, it's olive-green tree limbs. When I looked up "green tree bark" on the Internet, I learned that Palo Verde trees (ideal for a dry climate) has that kind of tree bark. Its foliage is a bright yellow though. Bit of an unusual tree!
I can totally relate to what you say here. I also like to keep my sets complete and don't like to cannibalize them. There are many sets with which I'm not 100% satisfied and I use this opportunity to modify them until they look better - this is also a creative process in itself. For example, I modified the new Eldorado fortress so that the governor's office is fully enclosed. In such cases I tend to keep all the parts I remove from the official set in a place where I can find them. I do cannibalize my kids' sets (they don't really mind), and all the 3in1 small sets (very low resale value). Also, the spare parts from sets do accumulate over time so it's handy. Unfortunately PAB site does not ship to my country, but recently we started having Lego certified stores popping up here and there so I might go and check their PAB walls out. BTW I really love your channel and have been following it since the start. Keep this up!
Some moc builders balance it by purchasing new sets…enjoying that build experience…then tearing it down for moc parts. You get the enjoyment of the set & parts while saving shelf space. That’s what I’ve always done. There really isn’t such a thing as a bad PAB wall, all parts can be used in a creative manner & become useful. People that say that obv aren’t very creative. Just saying 😆. The islands look cool. 👍
On your question of Cannibalizing sets: The idea can seem pretty wild for someone who only buys sets and does not have a bunch of loose parts sorted out in their own bins/containers. What would a person, like yourself, do with loose parts anyway? So it would seem better to keep sets you don't want, built. The calculation changes though once you decide you want to have spare/loose parts on hand at all times (inventory). Then, when you realize you have like... 12 sets you actually don't want, you can easily decide that it's worth breaking them down. It's also easier to keep/store loose parts than it is complete sets.
Buy some sorting containers, and sort the parts out. Then it will be much easier for you to conclude, next time, if you should cannibalize a set or not the next time you build a moc. You may not even have to do that because you may have the part now in your inventory. But until you get to the point where you keep loose/spare part inventory, the decision to cannibalize always becomes trick. This is because even if you don't want a certain set anymore, it's still best to NOT cannibalize (in most cases) if you don't keep loose/spare parts.
I actually upload my part inventory to bricklink. I build a moc in studio, add the parts to my Bricklink wanted list, then visit my own store and see all the parts I have (and don't have), to complete the moc. Super easy. Barely an inconvenience.
This is actually extremely helpful. I very much appreciate the insight.
Having your own bricklink store is tight.
Oh, really!?
I love when the algorithm promotes your videos and Island on them. You earn a thumbs up every single time.
Welcome to the Moc community! You’ll have a great time.
Don’t over think it. There’s no right or wrong answers. Have some ideas. Build. Have more ideas on something else and build that.
Have a rough budget in mind because it can get expensive!
As for PAB walls. There’s some common bricks and there’s rarer ones. A full PAB wall with rare bricks is considered a Great Wall. But really if it has what you need it’s a Great Wall.
Have fun.
For me a MOC never ends, it just evolves. I’ve been slowly adding to my Moonbase over the years…it started as singular modules on one xl baseplate and can now foil an entire table at a show and it’s especially fun to collaborate and add to some else’s MOC’s and see it all come together.
On the question of sets that you don’t want to mix with others, instead try taking that existing set and create an alternate model from it and just limit your build to the pieces from that set…I find being restricted by only the parts that are in front of you can force the creativity in a positive way.
Excellent advice, thanks for sharing.
where can we see your moonbase?
The moc ends when you decide. Weather you run out of pieces or your satisfied. When it comes to taking apart sets you just take apart the sets you don't really care about it anymore. With the PAB wall it's good when there's useful pieces for what your trying to build. And remember you don't always need to make big MOCs, you can make small ones too. You can always go back to your MOC after your "done" with it.
"You can always go back to your MOC"
Yes :) I just quickly tweak this here and there. And now it's done. For this year at least :D
Never heard the term "scope creep," but I think I have an idea of what you mean. I never have a scope creep problem because when I plan a MOC, the first thing I do is plan it so that scope creep cannot happen. For example, I am MOC'ing a mountain top that I can place the Ninjago Spinjitzu Monastery (set 70670). I am limiting the mountain top to not have any dimension, be it by length or width, to extend beyond 1 large gray base plate. So before I have even started, I've put a ceiling on my scope. The large gray baseplate works and accommodates the size of the monastery perfetly for how I plan to position it.
If I cannot place a hard limitation on scope, then the MOC does not happen until I do. I think some creatives struggle with this because they innately are allergic to boundaries. I actually am unable to focus if I do not set boundaries.
Now if you watch LEGO channels where they build never ends, I suppose it only ends until they have no room to work with. To me, that much LEGO looks like hoarding.
Wow he really does build stuff
I’m done building MOCs when there’s not a single possible other detail I can add or whenever I’m sick of adding onto it. You’re always bound by the pieces in your collection and you should definitely build more MOCs on this channel
LOL I loved the "scope creep" parallel - so relatable. Great video!
I love the little islands! Especially with a bit of the story telling. Hope we get to see more of that!
Yeah, I would love to see more!
With the PAB wall, I often look for pieces that will help in a MOC I'm planning on building, or in the progress of, and then pick those up. If there are also uncommon pieces on the wall, I may pick those up as well not knowing specifically what they're for yet but have a feeling they'll be used. There are also parts that I see on the wall that I didn't think of or can see where they would fit within a certain part of a moc that I'll pick up. Also, things like trees and plant leaves/limbs are good as well because let's face it, if we're building MOC's, eventually there will always be trees lol.
With sets, I will keep the sets I really like together and on display. The others I will then part out for MOCs. Also, bulk lots from places like marketplace are great for building up random parts collections without buying new sets or bricks.
Great video Josh. Lol luv the creativity. Takes some effort and patience to make something.
Your videos are incredible and you’re funny as hell; it’s worth the effort for sure
Awesome builds
I like your cannibal question. When my son stopped playing with lego, we had a bunch of sets broken down and I sorted them into parts. So my habit started to be breaking down sets and building up a parts collection. Which is handy if I need to get X or Y part but it will eventually affect my ability to rebuild a set if I use too many. I’m actually thinking to do the opposite and start storing old sets complete in bags/boxes rather than as a big collection of mixed up parts. To make them easier to rebuild. I know this will reduce my MOCability but I’m doign that less these days, and when I do I often end up bricklinking like half the pieces anyway so I can just keep doing that
Honestly the majority of my "piece collection" I have close at hand is from sets I've recently bought for my kids that were assembled then immediately modified/taken apart. The hardest part is going to be convincing my kids that their parts are "our" parts that will mostly live in dad's office.
A great video as always. Lego is a tough hobby in the way that it is very expensive and these days Lego can't seem to stop putting out great sets! And if you want to get classic sets even the used ones can be very expensive. Then you run out of room to put them and they end up in the collectors limbo. To sell or not to sell? Keep until more valuable? At least that's where I am. Apart from some smaller sets I haven't really gone into dismantling anything to make mocs.
For me, first thing I look for are SNOT bricks. I always snatch them up and end up using them a lot when they're available for MOCs.
As a kid i built my idea of the jedi temple. It was a multicolored monstrosity but expanded for a couple years before i tore it down for pieces.
LOVE IT! (i think the lil betrayal island is my fave)
"where/when does it end?"
in this one case, im lucky to have limited piece count and space. LOL. As a result, I like to use the GWP and 18+ sets with brick built bases to bang out little MOCs i have room for.
Josh, these Lego Desert Island MOCs of yours are fantastic. MOCs are make are fantasy.
Yes, yes this how it starts. Now I know why you looked so stunned when we met you at Brickworld. You’d just taken the MOC “red pill”. 😏
To your question “When does it end?” - it already has. “You’re ability to stop now” has well and truly ended. Hey, look at the bright side and the one thing that doesn’t need to change, “Storage Units” (plural) is the same whether your referring to two or twenty. 🍻
Oh yeah, the Aussies! It was great to meet you. I only appeared stunned because I'm much less charismatic in person compared to on camera. That's the magic of editing. I'm excited to build future MOCs and expend to more storage units.
I’d like to share my answers to your question as someone with a medium sized sorted parts collection!
1. It ends when you decide that you’re satisfied with your build. You could keep adding to it forever, adding more detail, parts, figures, but you have to have a vision and a level of detail that you’re looking for when you begin that will help you decide when you’re finished
2. I don’t think there is a metric when deciding whether or not a PAB wall is good, just how useful the pieces on the wall will be to your projects that you’re dreaming up.
3. I cannibalize any set that I know I don’t want on display or will never want on display. Also sometimes when a set is discounted enough, I will buy it just to sort and add to my piece collection, because you never know when you might need a random 2x6 pink plate, but when you do need one, you sure do hope that it’s there somewhere
4. Only build or take on projects that interest you. Also don’t work outside your means. As we all know, Lego is expensive, so don’t push yourself outside of your budget just to army build or build a moc that you aren’t that interested in. Reframe your perspective, think about what you really want to do with your collection and focus on that. Right now for me, that’s city building, so I’m staying away from Star Wars and Harry Potter, because that doesn’t service my interests at the moment! Hope some of this helps!
Honestly this is all such good advice and I genuinely appreciate you sharing. I'm looking forward to collating all of this knowledge into one comprehensive MOCing manual.
Great MOCSs. How did you get the spade to remain upright in one of them? I generally don’t cannibalise sets for MOCs, I tend to build them digitally and see what parts I have spare/ need from Bricklink. Any chance of digitalising the MOCs and sharing them on Rebrickable?
Thanks for sharing your MOC experience. Unlikely I'll digitize these little MOCs but I do have a few of my custom mosaics on rebrickable now. The shovel is just stuck between a stud and twisted cheese wedge, probably illegal but I'm too small for the LEGO police to take notice of me.
1. The MOC ends, either when you are satisfied, or when you run out of pieces.
2. PAB wall, does it fit your needs?
3. I take a part the sets I don't have displayed. (and if you want it, buy another)
4. Find your priorities, if you want to be a MOC builder, focus on MOCs etc...
Great video! I really enjoyed it!
I have made a rule to my self years ago: Stick only to some themes, styles, techniques. This saves me a lot of space, money and time. If a nice looking new set is not "my theme", then I just skip it. No need to all the time think, buy, store it away etc.
It never ends but a side build might. Unless I edit it even that years later.
Cannibalizing own sets: Buy two. It kinda helps (but obviously requires more storage space. And money. Maybe buy the second when there's huge discounts).
I have always some long term plan(s) in my head so I kinda know what "PAB" bricks I'll need (usually buying a set is cheaper to get the pieces though in my case). Also I have some rough idea of what inventory I have and what "gaps" there are overall (like do I totally miss e.g. candy and ocean colors). Largest gap have been tree leafs as those just aren't plenty in any official sets.
Its fun isn’t it… the story telling part of this!
Oh my gosh!! I can't believe you referenced the Mean Girls Mathletes 😆🤣
I build sets new, then when I get tired of it, I find a MOC someone else created (alt build) to get an updated look. It is challenging, because they are never 1:1 - so, do you keep the unused pieces well organized and labeled to resell (or rebuild) the original set later? Or cannibalize them for other builds? I haven't decided for myself yet
I loved this video and your MOCs! I really enjoy playset scale. Large MOCs are breathtaking and amazing, but I think there's something beautifully succinct at this scale. A quote I have always liked is “Perfection is Achieved Not When There Is Nothing More to Add, But When There Is Nothing Left to Take Away” - Antoine de Saint-Exupery.
Oh a MOC is never done done, it may be done, but not done done. PAB walls are always good, because its a cheap way to get parts, and its fun to try and use the parts in different ways. I don't resist using my sets, I have even removed parts from rare display pieces, to then order replacmement parts of Brick Link later. I have no balance I fall over in my lego room all the time.
Nice one Josh. Your build ..yousing some of the Tabin parts from. That baracuta set is great glad you had. Fun. Building it. Than just. Building sets. 😊 Yes building moc s are. Fun. But all so. Can take munth s days weeks year s it's in yo salf to what you come up with to build. I guess a moc ends once you tottaly happy with it but with a moc. Theirs all way s. More. You could add. And when other look at some one s moc thay. Might say. You could add. This an that. To this part. So. A moc is never ending. In a way. Depending. If yousing digital plan out program and design the moc to a curtin point you plan for it to be complet. If free style building you just don't know. The builds complete. Till you say. I don't need to add Anny more to it. Nice vid. Man I so love bean creative and. It's great when people's. Cee. Your build and are amazed it's a great filling and. Even better if happy. With your own build s to. 😊. And nailed it. Free style building ? Compared to yousing digital building app add cas then. You know every steep you. Dun to build it. But .all so it help.s Cas if you whant. To put. It to Lego to be a. Lego set. 😊.it's like you got the blue print. For instruction s ...a free style build. Would have to be pulled apart like the. Old school days. Befor app program building digitally. To figer out all the part s you yoused. And .trying to figer out how U built it. Is full on .hectic. If so it that way. 😊
Great video as always and even better to see you getting into the world of MOCing!
1. When does a MOC end? When it's good enough, to use a software trope. I tend to have a few key things I want to get in the build overall (either features of the build or goals like learning new techniques or both). You can always tweak it once it's released. I also tend to create a base first which sets a limit on the size.
2. Tough question. I've mostly stopped going to a PAB wall with ideas of what I want because that expectation doesn't get met unless I want parts that I know are always going to be on there. I like it when there's a variety of pieces of all different sizes and colours. Especially if there are some unusual types of pieces. Plus if it has masonry bricks that's always a winner.
3. If I'm not fussed about a set being on display for too long I'll part it out into my parts collection. I've only stolen parts from one set that I intend to build again and it might be that I have to never build that set again because there's a good chance I'm going to forget where those pieces went. It's a bit brutal at first just parting out a set but you get used to it.
4. Since starting MOCing it's quickly become my main focus and I'm now a lot more picky with the sets I buy (I have to want to display them for a long time, learn something from them or cannibalise them for builds or minifigs) and when I buy them - I'll mostly try to get them on sale. Space helps with forcing me to be somewhat sensible. Plus having my lego budget reduced massively recently helps in keeping a balance. I've started dismantling a lot of sets which helps me to decide if I want to keep it or not and then helps me be more discerning with future purchases.
Awesome video, great job
I buy unique pieces from the pab wall that i might use later
I try not to cannabilize Lego sets, unless its sets i don't care for or have multiple of. I did buy a few sets just for the pieces (like a second fab 5 set). Lego classic can be good for that sometimes.
When i was a kid instead of building the green grocer and I used the pieces to build other stuff, now i kinda regret it because I'm missing pieces from the set when trying to rebuild it.
I wish i had the Pirates of Barracuda Bay set
I thought it was a dessert island
14:07 great minds think alike
@@JoshBuildsStuff yep -😎
2:40 'empty space' or quiet time has become very underrated in this world of fast edits and no breaths but let me tell you when some breathing space does emerge it's very appreceated by some of us 😅also loving the idea of mini mocs around a bigger set, it's soemthing i've been doing recently too :D
Admiral Holdo has entered chat...
I like MOCs. YOCs look pretty good too.
Man, I completely forgot about the total MOC nomenclature. MOCs, YOCs, SECs, any I'm sure many others...
A moc isnt finished until you pull it all apart and put the pieces away. You can always change it if you see a better piece to use
You’ve made a moc-kery of this video.
My sets get very canabalized nothing is safe
Great video!🔥
the islands look so good! are you coming to brickfair VA? my brother and i would love to meet you and say hi!
Thank you! And I wish I could make it to Virginia but I can only really manage a few LEGO trips per year and I've already spent them. I want to hit up Brickfair VA sometime but right now Chicago is the only convention I can guarantee I'll be at.
Love these it’s very funny as I just got Eldorado fortress and turned it into the ship and had a bunch of leftover parts to build a big island set
Where can I find dollar sharks, I want to join the Dollar Shark Club
Great. That idea is so niche and obscure that now I'm obligated to start an actual Dollar Shark Club and send monthly sharks to all subscribers.
Side note: your recent pirates/imperials videos were extremely helpful when researching for the Eldorado Fortress review. I'll definitely recommend your vids more in the future.
@@JoshBuildsStuff That means so much to me, thank you Josh :)
I have a cast away pirate from a pirates advent calendar from way back, back then I put that guy in handcuffs and in then bin he went. Now he is sitting in a jail cell in my police station modular building... Poor guy must have been illegally detained for more then 10 years. Now I put all my cast away figures in jail.
It's like watching a child discover the joys of lego for the first time. 😂
It's honestly kind of sad that some people never even TRY to build anything themselves.
Like, even if you're not very creative or not skilled enough to make it look professional, it's still just fun to mess around and put random things together.
I like your shirt
Thanks! (I took it from my father-in-law)
it never ends
The Absolute BEST Scripting in the LEGO RUclips Space. Great Personality. Always looking forward to your next video. Great Work. Loved the Moc's. Keep it up!
As a lego newbie I really love this video! You are asking all the same questions I have and its fun to see someone exploring a new-to-them side of the hobby! So far I've only built sets because MOC's is a bit intimidating to me (and I dont have a surplus of bricks or space) but I want to try MOCs out eventually. Your islands look great and really compliment the fort!
Very niiice
so on P.A.B walls i personally pick parts and pieces i know i dont have a large amount of or that arent being used in many sets. that way i can get some bulk buys of rare parts or parts i dont have many of personally. as for cannibalizing sets i keep the ones i like built and sometimes tear them apart too. eventually if i feel like it i'll just rebuild them or use the parts for something else. and as for balancing the branches out, to quote Omni man, "Thats the neat part. You dont." in my own way i bounce between lego themes and genres, sometimes building space, sometimes castle, or even custom ww2. army building and stuff like that just tends to be more of a passive thing tbh, it just depends on you and what you strive for. and also, every master builder or lego collecter has their own techniques and methods of doing things. mine is definitly a lot more of chaotic orginization than others.
Thanks for the inspiration! After watching this I took a look at my Ray's island and combined the brown bricks from my 31048 creator 3 in 1 cabin to make a little pirate island hideout on top of the rock foundation! Even still had the chest stashed underneath and I also borrowed your idea of clipping the skeleton to the base and putting a sword through the heart. Sometimes MOC's are fueled by inspiration from others! Ideas unlocked 😜
Regarding the PAB wall: sometimes they’ll have pieces that I know I’ll need at some point so I’ll grab those. There are some that are just generically useful for your type of builds. So for example I love making buildings so whenever I see bricks, plates, tiles, or windows I’ll try to grab those, even if I don’t have a specific build in mind.
But there are also more specialized or uncommonly colored pieces that can come in really handy for specific thing. But that’s more of a timing thing for me: if I happen to be thinking about or building something at that point then I’ll grab some.
Either way, the PAB wall is undeniably the best value per part you’ll ever find anywhere. So that alone is a pretty compelling motivation.
Dude.... Welcome to the MOC world. Feel free to tear apart & build again. It never ends.
I think I need to learn to love disassembling sets because right now I'm not a fan.
I not pulled apart any set.s to yous as part s. Add. I have at time had to take. Odd part from set. And put the. Part back into the set. I have extra part. .cas some ninjago sets i buy.i get for the mini figs. And i dont build fhe mech jets. plain. car .road bike wach are more so. Kid s style builds ..plus with every set we. Get. Has extra part s. I have gatherd up over 8 so years or extra parts from. Classic set s is great. I have so much parts from just. Tho s. And i have only got. Stuff from a pab wall. Once all so frends sets good for parts. But i guess anny set is good for parts. If you not cear about. The set s build s. and just get them for extra parts.. wighting. For parts when run outta parts. Can be a problem struchuer when building moc s. Infill brick you. Cover up. Is best to. Just yous old 2nd hand bricks. Unless got the $ to yous new bricks. Have fun .enjoy. Keep on loveing the bricks 😊
you kind of answered your PAB wall question yourself when you spoke about borrowing pieces you like from your sets to make something (those palm leaves). When you see parts you wish you had more of (or know you can use) fill up a cup. Bricks and plates in the colors you find most desirable for your builds will always be handy. I enjoy buildings, so I don't tend to need many bright and vibrant colors. when I do, i only need a few so ordering as needed doesn't cost much.
To me the MOC never truly ends. But that depends on the person and type of builds you’re doing. I love doing modular building MOCs and part of the fun is to continue tweaking and upgrading as I can. I’d say that they’re 90% complete and then whenever I get new pieces or new ideas I’ll continue to tweak the details.
I may have ‘completed’ a building years ago but then if I recently came across some cool new pieces that can help me make it better or closer to my original vision it’ll totally go back and make those changes.
Hey Josh. I’ve experienced what you’re talking about. I made up a boundary to help me to know when to be done. At least, as far as parts are concerned. I try to have on hand no more of a certain part then the most quantity that that part has been released in before and in a particular color as well. If 13:45 the most amount of 2 x 2 black bricks ever released in a single retail set was 32, then the maximum 2 x 2 black bricks that I will have on hand for each build will be 32. some people would find this idea too restrictive, but I appreciate having a boundary of some kind. I hope this helps.
I took those extra parts from Baraccuda Bay into a Lion Knights Castle extension with 2 docks, taver and holding bay. :D
when dose it end build: when you got no more bricks left and no money... nah just joking!! you never end
The islands look great. I often find myself doing a mix of sets and MOCs. I’m working on a medieval theme area where I’m using sets like Lion Knight Castle and Blacksmith shop as is, but then got multiple Blacksmith Shops and 3-in-1 castle sets to make a village area.
Now because of your video I want to make some islands.
I love your little builds! I feel exactly like you do about MOCs. I love following instructions and feel intimated by the pick a brick wall so I never buy anything either. Great questions and I’m enjoying reading the other comments. Thank you!
FYI - this was my first video from your channel, and I instantly subscribed!
Great video as always! I have recently started mocing. I started a city and wanted some unique buildings so built a couple of lical landmarks. Its addictive but can get expensive! Ive learnt to plan very carefully before ordering parts. Its also helped with storage as i am canabalising sets that i was hanging on to that i was never going to display again, now recycled.
Love it!! Looks so good complementing the Lego set! (And on its own.)
Um… when you’re building mocs and you need parts… you will eat some sets
It never ends.
I do not have many sets, so I run out of pieces.
I saw the Lego Marvel Gargantos Showdown set (76205) marked down at a local store, and although I dislike "occultic"-themed sets, they sometimes have useful parts. In this case, it's olive-green tree limbs. When I looked up "green tree bark" on the Internet, I learned that Palo Verde trees (ideal for a dry climate) has that kind of tree bark. Its foliage is a bright yellow though. Bit of an unusual tree!
That's an excellent example of a set that I own, I know is in storage, and I would feel no remorse disassembling for parts.
I can totally relate to what you say here. I also like to keep my sets complete and don't like to cannibalize them. There are many sets with which I'm not 100% satisfied and I use this opportunity to modify them until they look better - this is also a creative process in itself. For example, I modified the new Eldorado fortress so that the governor's office is fully enclosed. In such cases I tend to keep all the parts I remove from the official set in a place where I can find them. I do cannibalize my kids' sets (they don't really mind), and all the 3in1 small sets (very low resale value). Also, the spare parts from sets do accumulate over time so it's handy. Unfortunately PAB site does not ship to my country, but recently we started having Lego certified stores popping up here and there so I might go and check their PAB walls out.
BTW I really love your channel and have been following it since the start. Keep this up!
Instructions?
At the end of the day. Just have fun!
It ends.. when it looks good. But the trick is, you have to decide when that is.
How do you manage to make a new peotry slam in every video of yours? So cool :D
also why not upscale. thats what ive one with my 31109
Your birthday cake design
For me it ends when minifigs are set up and I get bored
How entertaining your creativity is
These little islands seem like they were an absolute delight to make.
I really like it, I think it cool
As, always, loved the video😊
You might create a Lego museum
Don't keep them in the shed. The heat alone will turn your Lego yellow.
Don't worry, the multiple storage units is because I'm in the process of upgrading to a larger, climate-controlled unit.
Needs more islands!!!
Storytelling is great
Um, hello? Josh eats stuff when??
I just go with
Don't Think About It, Just Spend Money
Solid advice from the unemployed
Some moc builders balance it by purchasing new sets…enjoying that build experience…then tearing it down for moc parts. You get the enjoyment of the set & parts while saving shelf space. That’s what I’ve always done. There really isn’t such a thing as a bad PAB wall, all parts can be used in a creative manner & become useful. People that say that obv aren’t very creative. Just saying 😆. The islands look cool. 👍
I sent you MOC bulk lego tips/tricks in a DM via instagram
Saw those, thank you!