Webrick is a service you can upload a parts list of Lego-compatible bricks and they will ship you the parts. All the parts are new but not manufactured by Lego aka they are alternative Lego-compatible bricks.
At the beginning of April I ordered parts for two of my MOCs from Webrick: the Minotaur and the Owlbear. The result of the builds are great, as you can see below, however I did encounter a handful of minor problems.
The Minotaur is a compact build but still very posable.
The Owlbear looks great alongside a minifigure.
Why Alt-bricks?
Most people choose alternative bricks because they are usually more inexpensive and/or they have unique color options. Personally I appreciate a wider range of colors! However, I am not terribly price sensitive with my Lego hobby.
(I have more thoughts on alt-bricks and Lego’s intellectual property on this post here.)
Why Webrick?
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Ease of use: Webrick’s web interface is easy to use: upload a XML/CSV parts list or LDR and BAM they tell you what is in stock and what may need to be color swapped. Comparitvely, I find the ordering experience on Bricklink horrendous between the need to order from multiple shops, the inconsistent pricing, the store minimums, and the shipping costs.
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Fast shipping: I had my parts in hand in about two weeks from order placed to at my door in the western United States. Comparitevly, Lego Pick-a-Brick can take over 40 days.
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Great support: If parts are out of stock or you have other issues the team is very responsive over email.
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Accurate order: I had no missing parts.
The Problems
Not everything was perfect with my Webrick order however. I had three issues:
- Two of the Owlbear Part 3040b arrived in Dark Brown instead of Reddish Brown. This variation is OK for my model but might be annoying for someone else.
- I had a few low clutch bricks: 2 of 8 of the Pin with Short Friction Ridges (Part 2780) were loose and caused a bit of sag when trying to hold up the Owlbear legs, a 1x1 with Studs on 4 sides (Part 4733) which had open studs that were too wide and bars slipped too easily and two 1x2 with Pin Hole on Top (Part 11458) which had difficulty clutching bricks on the back.
- There were mold design issues with a part (see below)
Nearly all of the 1x2's with center towball, part 14417, had a flaw in the mold that made it impossible to set them on a hollow stud. This made them unusable on the Owlbear MOC without modification to the instructions.
Conclusion
Overall, I am happy with my experience with Webrick and will buy from them again. And I really hope Webrick continues to be successful.
This post was not sponsored or reviewed by Webrick. All parts were paid for on my own.
