What is a parts draft?
Named after sports drafts, a parts draft lets participants take turns choosing LEGO parts they want in higher quantities.
Drafts are a cost-effective way to get LEGO parts in bulk, and a fun way to interact socially with other builders.
Multiple copies of a LEGO set are opened and sorted into groups of identical parts (same shape and color). Each group is called a lot. When it’s your turn, you choose one lot and keep all of the pieces. Drafting continues until all of the lots are gone — and everyone leaves with a big pile of parts.
How do I participate?
Participation is simple! All you need to do is:
- Come to a ULUG meeting.
- Pay the $20 participation fee (see details below).
- Have fun and leave with lots of new parts!
Tips for First-Timers
- Look over the parts list ahead of time. Some builders draft for their next project, some look for high-value parts, and others just want unique colors or elements. Having a few parts in mind helps you feel less rushed during your picks.
- Bring a bag. You’ll end up with a lot of loose pieces. A gallon-sized zipper bag, several small bags, a hobby organizer, or a box all work well.
- Don’t overthink your picks. Try to get the parts you care most about early on, and don’t overthink the rest. All of the parts you get can be useful. If you’re unsure what to grab, here are some parts we never seem to have enough of:
- Have fun! Be a good sport and don’t take the draft too seriously. Everyone is there to get cool parts and build cool things. You’ll walk away with great parts, even if you don’t get all of your top picks.
ULUG Draft Details
Sets and Participants
ULUG provides multiple copies of the same set for each draft, so participants do not need to bring a set. Each draft set is announced ahead of time on Discord. The number of sets opened depends on how many people participate.
Payment is made at the time of the draft; there is no sign-up or reserved spots. The participation fee is $20. Payments can be made via PayPal, Venmo, or cash.1 Members may purchase multiple draft spots.
Part Out the Set
Once the regular meeting is over and the drafting portion begins, participants open the sets and sort all unique pieces — every part in each color is separated into its own lot.
There are a few exceptions:
- Minifigures: Assembled together, including legs, torso, head, hair or headgear, and fabric elements such as skirts or capes. Accessories like weapons or tools are separate lots.
- Paired or functional elements: Pieces designed to work together, such as two halves of hinges or turntable bases and tops, are kept in a single lot to ensure they function properly in builds.
- High quantity lots: Occasionally, after combining multiple copies of a set, a lot may have a very high quantity of pieces. These lots can be split into smaller lots so more participants have a chance to pick them. Decisions about splitting are made by the ULUG officer overseeing the draft before the first pick is made.
- Some sets have very large quantities of highly-desirable or rare parts. Those can be split into multiple lots to allow more people a chance to walk away with them. These decisions are made by the ULUG officer overseeing the draft (normally with input from the group) as the parts are being sorted.
Sorting is a fun and social group activity, and getting to know your fellow sorters is encouraged.
Draft Order
Once the participant list is finalized, a club officer or their appointee determines the draft order randomly. Since going early in the first round provides an advantage, randomizing the order ensures fairness for all participants.
Drafting the parts
Once the lots are set up on the table and the draft order is determined, the draft begins. On their turn, each participant chooses a lot and keeps all of the pieces.
A few picks work differently:
- Minifigures: Each individual minifigure counts as its own pick.
- Instructions and stickers: Each set of instructions or stickers counts as its own pick.
To keep the draft fair, the pick order reverses after each round. This means the last drafter in one round goes first in the next. This pattern continues until all lots are picked. This reversing order is often called a snake draft, named for the way a snake’s head weaves back and forth as it moves.
Once the last lot is picked, the draft ends — and everyone walks away with a bulk of fun parts!
- If paying in cash, the exact amount is required. No coins or large bills are accepted. Electronic payment is preferred. ↩︎