How does everyone sort used to sell?

tons_of_bricks

So we're looking at trying to streamline of processing our used pieces. Currently,
we figured we handle each piece about 6 times from start to finish, and we'd
really like to cut that down a bit. Here's our current process.

1. Get a box of used pieces, break it down into about 40 or so broad categories
(brick modified, tiles, plate 2x, etc.).

2. When one of the boxes of those categories gets full, we'll break it down
to individual pieces.

3. We then take each individual piece and separate them into colors and putting
aside the decorated items.

4. We then take the colors, do the final deep lookover for fakes, defects, etc.
then count what we have.

5. We list each item, putting them into one of our several hundred organized
and labeled bins.

6. When ordered, we pull the piece from their bin and package it up, sending
it to the customer.

So how does everyone else go through the steps? As you can see, each piece is
handled quite a bit, but because of the quantities we deal with, we can't
figure out a way to combine any steps that will still be efficient.

Jay37

My process varies (and is probably quite inefficient, but I think dealing with used parts this is going to be inevitable), but generally is as follows:

1) Sort through the batch and remove any obvious non-LEGO, and any unknowns are dealt with too. Dealing with older parts often throws up things I've never seen before, and if I'm going to wash it I won't waste my time or resources washing non-LEGO!.

2) Divide broadly into colors/quantity. So Blacks/Whites together, Blues/Reds/Greens/Yellows together, Grays together, etc. Less common colors often end up together in a joblot.

3) Depending on quantities of either a) color, and/or b) types of parts within a particular color, dictates how much is washed at a time. This is done by initially soaking in a mild disinfectant solution before hand washing in a mild detergent (I find that a 4 litre container's worth is just about all I can handle in one go). Yes, I know this is time consuming, but I refuse to sell parts that are dirty and I state as such in my store terms, and I won't risk chucking it in a washing machine or dishwasher. Plus I can listen to podcasts while I'm doing it! Parts are then rinsed and laid out on towels for drying, before being placed in the boiler cupboard for at least a day to dry any nooks and crannies.

4) Parts are then added to inventory and stored according to condition. Generally I do one color at a time (that's how I have my stock separated), and the parts are added straightaway to their respective storage bins.

5) Hopefully parts are then ordered by customer! They are pulled according to the Picking List and double checked before bagging and packaged.

The time between these steps can often be quite lengthy however. I usually sort a new batch fairly swiftly after receiving it, but due to other commitments, work or otherwise, it could be months before I get round to washing and adding to inventory.

Ultimately I accept that there will be multiple handling of parts (and probably way more that your estimated six!) and tolerate it as a part of the whole process. Plus, I think losing any of the steps will potentially degrade the service I offer; taking out either washing or checking for condition will result in a poorer customer experience so I can't see any way to skimp here.

I'm open to suggestions though as well!

Gaston.La.Brick

My process is exactly the same as yours @tons_of_bricks .
The process @Jay37 where color sorting comes first, never really appealed to me. Even as a boy, when Lego was merely a toy, I never put my Lego in bins sorted by color. I don't think it's better or worse, it's mainly a personal preference to what feels best in your head

HeartlandBrix

Here's the process that I've put together for myself.

1) Sort by sub category (bricks/standard, plates/non-standard, etc). This is where I'll remove non-Lego elements and damaged/discolored parts. Stickered/decorated parts are put with the sub-category of the part itself, so a 2x2 decorated tile is sorted with the other tiles.
- 1 handling

2) Wash/disinfect/dry (most time-consuming step). To wash, I use Lego's recommendation of 104 degree water with standard dish soap. For disinfecting, I add three teaspoons of bleach per gallon of water (some websites say you only need two). I wash for about 10 min. After washing, I rinse the parts in clean water for another 10 min. After the rinse, I'll put the pieces into a salad spinner or similar kitchen gadget to shake off as much water as I can. Finally, I wipe each part with a towel to get any large spots of excess water the shaking missed and set them on a sweater drying rack for a day or two. Any bad items I missed in step 1 usually show up here.
- 3 handlings (wash + rinse + wipe/rack)

3) Separate by specific part, add to inventory. This step is where I look at each part closest to ensure there's no discoloration/scratches I missed in steps 1 and 2.
- 2 handlings (separate + count/place into storage)

4) Repeat steps 2 and 3 for all sub-categories until finished. I'll combine sub-categories if the part counts are small enough.

I designate the "level" of used as:
- knowingly used once and then taken apart: like new
- knowingly used for light play or display only: good
- knowingly used quite often or when I don't know the history at all: acceptable

I only separate by color when the colors look alike at a casual glance, such as flat silver vs. medium stone gray vs. pearl light gray. I don't have enough storage space to go separate colors more than that.

To keep myself organized, I never start working with a new batch until the current one is completed.