Short answer: yes. An incomplete set isn't worthless — it just isn't worth close to what a complete one is, and it usually needs to be sold a different way.
Why Completeness Matters for Set Sales
If you're selling a specific set as that set — on eBay or BrickLink, for example — buyers are generally looking for something complete: every piece, ideally the box and instructions too. A set missing even a handful of pieces is hard to sell close to the full complete set price, since the buyer would have to track down the missing parts themselves. Even if a buyer is forced to purchase 3 missing parts that could be $7 or more if its missing a rare piece: $1-$2 for the pieces themselves, $5+ for shipping and tax.
But the Pieces Still Have Value
Here's the part that surprises people: the individual pieces inside a set are often worth more, added up, than the set itself sells for as a whole — a concept LEGO resellers sometimes call "part-out value." That value doesn't disappear just because a few pieces are missing. Every piece that *is* there still has the same worth it would if the set were complete.
So Where Does an Incomplete Set Go?
- Missing just a few pieces, otherwise valuable? Consider purchasing the missing pieces individually on BrickLink to complete the set. This effort can make all the difference in a used set selling versus it sitting in your closet—complete sets are way more desirable than an incomplete one.
- Missing a lot, or mixed in with other loose bricks? Sell by bulk. It is exactly what bulk-by-weight buying is built for. 99% of the time, the effort involved in completing the set will not come close to the effort involved in completing it: track down missing parts, or explain what's incomplete.
The Practical Answer
If you have sets that are incomplete. The most fair, and time effective way to sell them is a bulk rate: dollars per pound or gallon. You don't need to sort out which sets are incomplete, or hunt down what's missing, to get value out of them.