Start with one piece at a time
Bulk-lot photos are the hardest case for any visual matcher. A pile of mixed colors and overlapping shapes hides edges, studs, and print details. Before you scan, isolate a single element on a plain surface — white paper, a cutting mat, or a light desk works well.
If you are listing online, take one hero photo per interesting piece rather than one photo for the entire lot. Buyers trust sellers who show the exact tile, hinge, or printed slope they are pricing.
Lighting beats camera quality
Diffuse daylight from a window is usually enough. Avoid hard shadows from a phone flash directly above the part; they flatten studs and hide mold numbers. Hold the phone steady and fill the frame with the piece so the matcher sees shape, not background clutter.
For dark colors (black, dark bluish gray), add a sheet of white paper behind the part so the silhouette is clear. Transparent elements are tricky — place them on a contrasting surface and shoot from a slight angle.
When to scan vs. search
Use BrickID's scanner when you have no part number and the shape is distinctive — minifig torsos, printed tiles, unusual hinges, and technic panels usually match well.
Switch to search when you can read molded numbers, when the scan confidence is low, or when you already know the design ID from a previous lookup. Searching by catalog number is faster for common bricks like 2×4 plates.
Confirm with parent sets
A correct identification should make sense in context. Check which official sets include the part and whether the color variant matches your piece. A rare print appearing in only one retired set is a strong signal you found something valuable.
If parent sets span many themes and years, double-check color — the same mold exists in dozens of colors and some are worth far more than others.