So you recently bought a new LEGO set and each piece is sealed in plastic, but you discovered that almost every bag has an extra piece in it.
Maybe you just finished building a set from scratch but found a couple of small extra pieces, you then checked the instructions and they are all precise down to the last detail.
So you have been wondering what to do with these extra pieces or whether it’s a mistake or a sloppy bonus.
It is confusing to have extra pieces left and can’t figure out where they’d go when you’ve finished building your set.
So do LEGOs come with extra pieces?
The answer is Yes, LEGO sets do come with extra pieces. LEGO does include these extra pieces in case of missing bricks and for you to have a little extra to go with your awesome imagination. In most cases, these extra bricks are usually small, with 1×1 studs/tiles/plates, antennas, levers, and flower petals that can easily get missing.
So you can consider the extra pieces as a little bonus and use them to build your model.
Now that you have an idea about whether LEGO sets come with extra pieces or not, let’s take a look at why LEGO sets come with extra pieces and what to do with them.
Let’s dive in.
Table of Contents
Why Do LEGO Sets Come With Extra Pieces?
There are various reasons why LEGO sets come with extra pieces. These could be to provide you with extra bricks in case your set comes with missing pieces and for creative imaginative play.
LEGO also knows that a couple of extra pieces will make you happy especially since the smaller pieces are prone to get lost.
Additionally, LEGO bags are counted by weight and it’s hard to calculate the exact number of pieces when counting by weight.
However, LEGO uses machines to pack the pieces which are done automatically and by weight rather than by exact count.
Though the machines are programmed to know the weight of each element and to identify the bags they are supposed to go, there could be errors in sorting the bricks which could lead to extra or missing pieces.
As each bag is weighed to ensure that it contains the right components, it can be difficult to weigh smaller pieces accurately. However, if LEGO also tries to get the components counted, there will also be occasions where small pieces are left out of a box.
Furthermore, it would be better to have extra pieces than to have missing pieces which can be very frustrating and may even damage the company’s reputation.
Finally, it is better to have extra pieces than to not have the piece you need at all and it is easier to have additional parts than to replace them later.
Is It Normal To Have Extra LEGO Pieces?
Yes, it is normal to have extra LEGO pieces, and having a few extra pieces means that the set is still complete as LEGO pays much attention to its products’ quality and customer experience.
What Should I Do With Extra LEGO Pieces?
So you’re now wondering what to do with your extra pieces. There are a lot of things which you can do with these extra pieces and it’s not a good idea to waste them. You can instead:
Collect them
By collecting all the extra pieces you get from your new LEGO sets, you’ll have enough extra bricks lying out there waiting for use.
You can add these pieces to your collection, more details to your existing creations, or even use them to create a new and unique miniature structure.
They can also come in handy when you lose pieces in the future and need replacement. Because it can be frustrating and hard to find many small pieces when you lose them
Donate them
You can donate extra pieces along with bricks you don’t use anymore to schools, hospitals, or charities so that others can also enjoy the experience of playing with LEGOs.
Return them to Lego
LEGO has a recycling program called “LEGO Replay” where you can donate your unwanted LEGO bricks to them for donation and recycling.
They will provide you with a free shipping label where you mail your bricks to LEGO and they’ll repackage and donate them to special organizations like Teach for America and Boys & Girls Clubs of Boston.
These donated bricks will go through quality control to ensure that they meet LEGO standards before they are donated. Bricks that didn’t meet the standards will be ground and used to make new pieces.
Tweak Your Current Design
You can use these extra pieces to tweak your current design and try something different but you should keep a few pieces in the bag to replace any lost pieces.
Final Thoughts
Most LEGO sets do come with a few extra pieces that you can use as a replacement in case you lose some valuable parts. These extra pieces are usually smaller pieces that can easily get missing.
There are various things you can do with these extra pieces like donating, collecting, using them to tweak your current design or returning them to LEGO.
