Where to Buy

Most of the Legos sold in stores are kits, where you follow the steps to copy the picture on the box. These kits often have few of the standard bricks that you could use to build anything else, and lots of specialized single-purpose bricks.  Here are the ways I've found to buy more of the standard sized bricks for more creative Lego projects.


Lego Brick Sets
Sometimes available at stores, or on Amazon search for "Lego Bricks", or other online retailers. You'll get lots of standard bricks but because they come in many colors you won't get enough of the same color to build anything very big.

Also search for "Lego Education" on Amazon, which sells large sets of bricks designed for schools, also sets of wheels, doors, etc.

Lego Online Store - Pick a Brick
Lego sells bricks by the piece at their online store on the Pick a Brick page, where you can buy a single piece missing from a kit, or as many standard bricks as you want.  See http://shop.lego.com/en-US/Pick-A-Brick-ByTheme This is the most expensive way to buy bulk bricks!  The standard 2x4 brick costs $0.30 each, 100 for $30.00, free shipping over $75.00.

Lego Stores - BEST PRICES!

Lego Stores have a "Pick a Brick" Wall at the back with the best prices by far for new bricks.  They give you a plastic cup which you fill with whatever bricks you want for a fixed price of $15.99.  This cup holds 100 2x4 loose bricks, or at least 120 if you stick them together first, plus you can cram in smaller pieces in the gaps - $16.00 for 120+ pieces which would cost $36.00 at the Lego online store.  Of course there is the cost of gas to drive to St. Louis or Kansas City, but savings add up if you buy more than one cup. Stores will not have that many pieces, maybe only 2 or 3 different colors of 2x4 bricks plus other sizes, but the selection seems to change every month or two.  Store staff are extremely helpful in advising how to cram as many bricks as possible into a cup! (at least at West County Center store where I've been several times.)

St. Louis (De Peres) - West County Center - http://stores.lego.com/en-us/stores/us/west-county
Kansas City (Overland Park, Kansas) - Oak Park Mall - http://stores.lego.com/en-us/stores/us/oak-park-mall

Legoland Discover Center in Kansas City includes a store, but I'm not sure if you can get to it without paid admission to the Discovery Center:
Kansas City - Crown Center KC MO - https://www.legolanddiscoverycenter.com/kansascity/

Mr. Fritz Goes To The Lego Store - https://goo.gl/photos/gmMKDxbNvEinYE4z7
(West County Center, Feb. 13 2016, 4 cups at $15.99 each)


Lego-Compatible Clones

Lego's patents have all expired, so it is legal for other companies to make bricks that look exactly like Legos, as long as they don't have the "Lego" stamped on them, and as long as their packaging doesn't infringe Lego trademarks.  I found an excellent clone on Amazon called "Big Bag of Bricks" - 1000 standard-type bricks in 10 colors for around $35.00, and they also sell a 500-brick bag.  Sold by "SCS Direct" but fulfilled by Amazon.  Colors seem to match genuine Legos perfectly, and price is extremely good.




Brick Owl
This is a website with multiple Lego sellers from around the world, so make sure you're looking at a US store or shipping will be expensive, some selling new, some used, very good prices but often not very large quantities - I have not used this site myself.
http://www.brickowl.com/