The Workshop Sheet 17 of 19
Name a part and its colour and see the smallest set on sale that contains it, with how many it holds. It is free and needs no account.
Of the 79,676 part and colour combinations in our catalog, 20,598 (26%) are in one of the 1,048 sets on sale. Common parts are far likelier: of 804 parts sampled from sets across the catalog, 69% were in a set on sale, and the smallest such set typically had 134 pieces (one in ten needed 433 or more). Measured October 31, 2026.
Usually not. We simulated lists of parts and chose the set on sale that covers the most of each. One set rarely covers much, and it brings many other pieces with it.
| List | Best set covers | Best three sets cover | Other pieces in the best set |
|---|---|---|---|
| Five parts from an older set | 60% | 80% | 701 |
| Ten parts from an older set | 40% | 70% | 1,047 |
| Thirty parts across five sets | 30% | 53% | 3,946 |
| A hundred parts across ten sets | 25% | 43% | 9,000 |
Typical figures from a simulation on catalog data, not real shopping lists. For a long list, buying single pieces is usually the better route.
The smallest set is the one with the fewest pieces, which is not always the cheapest. "On sale" comes from our catalog's lifecycle data, not live stock, so a shop may have run out. Lost a piece from a set you own? LEGO's own replacement service and the Missing Piece Checker may be a better start. And if you have the pieces but not the box, try What Set Is This From?.