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I've often seen sellers of large lots split them up into (usually 100) piles of 'random' bricks to be sold that way - even if they got the lot in a more organised manner.

To me, personally, randomised lots like these are entirely unattractive and feel a bit deceptive (as pictures included usually depict the WHOLE lot).

What is the buyers/sellers incentive to sell LEGOs like this?

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    I have seen those lots on flee markets, in bags. Maybe the seller has them already in the bags and tries Ebay first.
    – Metalbeard
    Commented Nov 9, 2017 at 18:56

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I think their rationale is simple: selling 10 smaller lots is bringing them more money than selling it all in one big lot. It might also be a way to mask the fact that there are very few good/interesting pieces in the lot; by splitting it up but using the full lot picture every purchaser hopes they might get the good pieces. Finally, there could be some deception going on ... if you see a picture with a lot of run-of-the-mill parts and some rare/expensive ones, and you buy the whole lot, you expect to get those pieces. If you buy a part of the lot, you have no way to validate that those special pieces were ever included (they could have gone to one of the other purchasers, or, and this is where the deception comes in, they might have never been included).

Edit: there might also be a more practical reason: cutting the lot up into certain sizes might allow the seller to ship using a favorable shipping rate (e.g. First Class Package in the US) versus a more expensive shipping method for the entire lot.

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  • Does it bring in more money, though? I find it hard to believe people wouldn't pay more for guaranteed pieces than what effectively amounts to a blind bag.
    – Weckar E.
    Commented Nov 10, 2017 at 6:32
  • Depends. At a rate of $5-$10 per lbs a large lot (let's say 20lbs) would cost $100-$200. That's a big chunk of change for "just some pieces". If you split it up into 10 2lbs lots, you can charge $15-$25 per lot and sell those easily. Much more manageable, and likely cheaper for the buyer than buying a generic brick box from LEGO directly.
    – Phil B.
    Commented Nov 10, 2017 at 16:54

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