LEGO Replay gives an incomplete brick collection a new place to play

The missing instruction booklet is not a barrier

A tub of loose bricks can feel like an unfinished job: mixed themes, missing pieces and no obvious way to reconstruct the original sets. LEGO Replay offers a different destination for that collection. Its US program passes on mixed pieces for children to build with, rather than requiring donors to restore complete boxed sets.

LEGO dates the US launch to 2019, followed by Canada in 2020 and the UK in 2024. This guide covers the current US process, checked October 13, 2026. The practical appeal is that a collection can be useful as building material even when its original inventories have become difficult to untangle.

What belongs in the donation box

The US page accepts LEGO System, DUPLO and Technic pieces, baseplates, minifigures and mini-dolls. It also lists tires, rims and axles. Figures and the listed wheel components do not need to be taken apart. Built sets should be disassembled.

Leave out other brands, batteries, electronics, merchandise, instructions and original set packaging. Remove obviously damaged pieces. LEGO says the bricks will be sorted and cleaned through the program, so donors do not need to wash them first.

Our packing suggestion is to make two separate areas on the table: the pieces being donated and everything being kept or excluded. Check the second group before sealing the shipping box, especially if the collection contains sentimental figures or electronic parts.

Use the official shipping route

The US terms describe a prepaid shipping label obtained through Replay, followed by dropping the packed donation at UPS. Participants must be at least 18 and own the pieces or have authority to transfer them. The program covers US states, including Alaska and Hawaii.

This is a donation, with no payment or tax documentation offered. The terms also say ownership transfers when the carrier receives the package, and excluded items will not be returned. Businesses are directed to contact LEGO customer service instead of assuming the individual-consumer process applies.

Read the current requirements on the official page before generating a label. Those details help distinguish a donation from selling a collection or sending pieces away temporarily.

A new collection starts with the recipient

LEGO explains that recipients get a mixture of elements plus an activity booklet. First Book is among the program’s distribution partners. The assortment is intended for open-ended building, which explains why missing a particular set’s final piece does not make the rest unsuitable.

For a family sorting a shared collection, that can be a useful conversation. Choose together which pieces still belong in your own building plans and which are ready to move on. The meaningful decision is what another builder could enjoy making with them, without needing to reproduce the models those pieces originally came from.