Bricklink
Worth it
Confidence: Medium
If you buy LEGO beyond sealed retail sets . rare parts, minifigs, MOC building . this is the marketplace with no real rival at scale.
New check
Comparison
Bricklink vs Ebay
Bricklink lands on Worth it, and Ebay lands on Depends.
Ebay
Depends
Confidence: Medium
Buy it as an individual selling used, rare, or collectible goods . reach is unmatched and startup cost is zero.
| Compare | Bricklink | Ebay |
|---|---|---|
| Verdict | Worth it | Depends |
| Best for | LEGO hobbyists hunting rare or loose parts | Casual sellers of used goods |
| Who it's not for | Casual buyers who just want a new retail set | Low-margin, high-volume new-goods sellers |
| Privacy | Patchy: LEGO-owned and flaws get patched, but 2022 API bugs, a 2023 outage/hack, and recurring phishing.⁶ | Mature platform with real breach history: 145M users notified in 2014; recent CVEs mostly hit third-party integrations. |
| Support quality | No direct evidence in sources | Users hunt for real human support |
| Public sentiment | Reddit and Facebook users overwhelmingly vouch for BrickLink's legitimacy and prices while warning about its learning curve and occasional bad sellers. | Sellers complain about stacking fees and buyer-favoring disputes, while buyers praise reach and bargains but find support hard to reach.11 |
| Biggest gotcha | Use a unique password . 2022 API flaws put account data at risk; 2023 brought an outage and alleged breach.⁶ | Per-sale final value fees stack; cheap items can lose margin after fees and shipping16 |
Pick Bricklink when
- LEGO hobbyists hunting rare or loose parts
- MOC builders sourcing individual bricks
- Collectors replacing missing set pieces
- Resellers tracking part prices
When Bricklink is not a fit
- Casual buyers who just want a new retail set
- Anyone expecting Amazon-style simplicity or support
- Shoppers unwilling to vet individual sellers
- Time-pressed gift buyers who need guaranteed delivery
Pick Ebay when
- Casual sellers of used goods
- Collectors hunting rare items
- Hobby resellers and flippers
- Buyers wanting auction deals
When Ebay is not a fit
- Low-margin, high-volume new-goods sellers
- Brands wanting direct customer relationships
- Anyone needing guaranteed human support
- Privacy-sensitive users wary of breach history
Sources
- Is bricklink.com a legit site? : r/legoreddit.comreview
review
- Do NOT Buy From BL Seller “Set You Up”reddit.comreview
- Lego cost versus Bricklink cost : r/legoreddit.comreview
- A Noob's guide to Bricklink? : r/legoreddit.comreview
security
- psa: bricklink has been hacked : r/legoreddit.comsecurity
- PSA: Watch out for BrickLink phishing emailsbrickfanatics.comsecurity
- BrickLink.com is Back Up and Running!thebrickblogger.comnews
review
- Trustpilot reviews of ebay.comtrustpilot.comreview
- eBay on G2g2.comreview
- eBay Reviews & Complaints . ConsumerAffairsconsumeraffairs.comreview
- eBay selling feesebay.comofficial