Poll: Do you build MOCs?

only way i can keep up with all the new stuff is to build it and sell it.

Unless a GPU anti-sag stand I built using pick-a-brick parts counts, then no, I'm not creative enough to build MOCs, but I did modify my 42095 to use different gear ratios.

I build my sets and keep them displayed. Some of them I modify.
But I also have a lot of bricks to MOC.
And usually I make displays with sets and MOC’s combined.

I actually really enjoy building MoCs, often buying donor sets to get started. I’ll then fill in with parts from my collection and Bricklink what’s missing. Most of them have been train related. I’m currently working on a Hogwarts Express where I’ve purchased two of the (non-UCS) sets to make one more realistic powered version.

I don't have the time or the money to devote to a large enough parts supply. Also I'm not very imaginative.

Lego in our household is really a joint activity between generations. So lots of home creations get built but they are not necessarily very aesthetic... however when sets have been played with and too many bits have fallen off, they get broken up and put into a general parts box (lightly sorted) to enable building of whatever is wanted. We throw away the boxes but not the instructions for the sets, so that they can be remade if wanted.

However if really getting into aesthetic MOC you'd need a far larger inventory of parts than we have even with a fairly broad spread of sets, to get the parts you wanted in the colour you wanted. I think if this was your primary hobby you would buy sets you fancied and build them for sure, but your primary source of MOC parts would be something like Bricklink

I am just at the point of modifying our sets and building SECs. I try to MOC a little, mostly to participate in our LUGs building challenges.

Would love to dive deeper into MOC building. Despite having a fairly substantial amount of loose brick, I usually lack the motivation to build away at something for more than an afternoon here or there.

I have some fun ideas I would like to make happen but nothing that inspires a burning passion to create. I envy those people who seem to have an endless supply of that creative energy.

Both because I don't like to mix up my sets (after I used to do that as a child and found it a nightmare to find all the pieces to reassemble everything several years later!), and because... well, the closest answer in the poll is 'I'm not very creative', but that's very much not true. I have plenty of creativity, only it doesn't express itself in the form of building with Lego; rather, it's far more readily expressed in drawing and such instead.

Plus, I'm just not familiar enough with the Lego parts catalogue. I've tried my hand at MOCing in stud.io on occasion, but there are just *so many parts* these days that I get overwhelmed when I have a ton of pieces and can't figure out how to use any of them to their best effect. I would be interested to try my hand at it a bit more sometimes, but...

I will build MOCs from time to time but the majority of my sets I do not modify or take parts from.

I used to build my own creations when I was younger. Owned a lot classic town sets back then. Sometimes I would dismantle the whole lot and build one giant MOC. Then when I was bored with that, rebuild the town again. But nowadays, I just prefer to keep my sets as they are. And I just don't have the imagination to build like I used to. I will buy the parts or buy a set to build someone else's MOC on sites like Rebrickable. I plan to build a castle moc from there soon using the creator 3-in-1 set.

yes, but infrequently. probably too infrequently to answer "yes"

Not a MOC builder myself, but I love to watch other people's MOCs, especially Jang's. I do sometimes modify official builds ever so slightly, but mostly to adjust them to set-ups and dioramas. I like to keep official sets in tact as much as possible. Had I had more time, space, and funds, I might devote it to MOC building, but it would probably take me ages to get anything of significance done.

I buy extra bricks or get the bulk brick boxes, discounted from retailers, and break those down so that my whole family can build whatever they want. My daughter loves to create her own schools and zoos and people/animal related content. I designed and built the Colorado pickup truck that I drive in LEGO form! It took me about 5 redesigns, but I finally got it how I liked. I've built a robust LEGO parking garage to house all of my speed champions vehicles as well.

I however, do NOT tear apart sets and use those pieces. I used to do that as a child. But then I had the time and patience to resort them back into their correct models. Now its too much to do it that way.

I keep picking up pieces from time to time to build other items - such as a train station or a city park or my own modular building.

I can’t stand the idea of modifying official sets, so those all remain on display in their original state. I design MOCs in Studio, see what parts I already have from my collection of extra pieces, then buy the rest off Bricklink.

Yes but*

*A lot of what I MOC is based on other sets that I don't have, or things I've seen built. I am not the most creative builder, but I do love doing it. Most of my collecting is aimed at vintage stuff, and trying to complete those. I do like to make additions to those sets, or things that fit in that vein. I've made a marina for a number of my 6-wide boats, and a few houses for my citizens to live in. I like making 4-wide vehicles, including cars and civic-duty trucks. On occasion I will design something whole-cloth, but it's rare.

I used to, back in the day, but I haven’t for a long time. I guess I still did when I was a teenager, but I honestly can’t remember anything I’ve created in my adult life.

I don't build MOCs because of (a) lack of time and (b) lack of space. And possibly - though please don't tell anyone - possibly because of (c) lack in creativity.

I don't build MOCs - I have a collector's mindset with my LEGO. I think of each set as its own unique item, and I enjoy piecing together old sets from bricklink and bulk lots while also buying new sets that interest me!

My impression is that to MOC, you need a really big collection of spare parts. At least to MOC realistically.

I've started doing a few designs of my own on Studio, and with the amount of pieces that I try and in different colors, I certainly couldn't keep up with my real life collection.

And then going to Bricklink to make orders for pieces can also be expensive, so I'm not surprised at all that most people, myself included, have the majority of their collection being official sets on display. I do pimp up my modular line a little with vehicles and minifigs mostly, but that's it.

I'd love too. But it's just too expensive for me. Since I focus on Star Wars.

I do tend to modify my sets of the play features are obvious. Like removing those horrid spring loaded shooters from the X-wings. But I try and keep my sets unmodified. As I like each version because of its differences.

I answered yes & no. Although I display some sets, I build MoCs, but I also do a lot of modifications to sets, some quite extensive. e.g. 10275 Elf Clubhouse I've extneded and doupled up to incorporate Santa's house as well so it's now a hinged double sized building.

I've a lot of loose parts from BnP & BrickLink, plus sets I bought mainly for parts or as a basis for MoCs.

I only once created my own MOC and that was out of necessity. I wanted to display my modular buildings on a T-street. But I didn't want two rows of houses facing front and I certainly didn't want to display the backyard of one row of modulars. So I built my own park (3,5 baseplates) with a large square (2 bp) on one side and a small fountain square (0.5 bp) on the other side. I incorporated various design elements from the modulars, for example the clock from Brick Bank, the ornaments from Parisian Restaurant, the birch tree from Bookshop, the cherry tree from Ninjago City etc.

GG | DD PS BS PS PR FB BB
TH | ---------------------------------
GE | SQ SQ PA PA PA SQ DB

I began approaching MOCs as an adult fairly recently. Unfortunately, over the past two years, I only have a couple of mocs to show for it. They are often Clone Wars battle scenes(not canon), and recently I have begun to branch out into more historical settings. I just built a simple Wild West moc, and I intend on building a medieval MOC fairly soon. Currently I only build terrain, but I will hopefully branch out into vehicles soon. I find that the Minifigures are what gives me inspiration for a build.

I have built many MOCs. I don’t usually anymore because I am busy trying to rebuild the rest of my LEGO collection. I also have a limit on parts other than lightsaber hilts. Maybe I should make a pipe organ…

Like @DoonsterBuildsLego, our house does a mixture of MOCing and MODing. We also keep a number of sets built for display, play (both Star Wars and Space)and/or use in our various layouts (Ninjago/Pirates; City/Superheroes; and Castle/Harry Potter). Most of those sets are modified in some way. Our MOCing is mostly done with duplicate sets, bulk parts from neighborhood sales, etc., and some sets that were built, displayed and then ultimately relegated to the parts bin after other sets took their places. My son is particularly good at taking things apart. Also as @DoonsterBuildsLego notes, we have started buying a lot of specific MOC parts from Bricklink, in order to get that one connection/look/color that we need.

I have aspirations to build some MOCs but I've only managed to do a few small things like speeder bikes and tiny vignettes so far. I've been amassing parts to do some bigger things but haven't had the time to do anything yet.

I do love to modify sets though. I heavily modded 76181, 75218, 75954, 41711, 76208 and 60225 and nowadays it's rare that I build a set exactly as the instructions say.

More MODs than MOCs, as I for example took Mos Eisley Cantina or Ninjago 70670 Monastery of Spinjistzu, Iron man hall of armors and extended them quite a bit. I don't feel as creative as I would, or as I was as a kid.

I have a good mix of official display sets and my own creations. As much as I enjoy the Modulars, I prefer building my own buildings. Sometimes I may use the official set as an inspiration. But I don't build them only to take them apart. I may flip through the instructions or look at pictures of the set a lot though. But I find myself building less official stuff these days and more endless parting out and MOCing. But the parting out is what makes me hate the hobby since it is neverending and not creative at all. And I like monotonous stuff!

Some years back I started using LDD to design some mosaics and eventually started to buy the parts to assemble them. LDD doesn’t like my system or vice versa, and support has ended for some time now, so, using Studio these days. Sometimes I may just build something and then use Studio to recreate it so that I have a BOM to work with.

But… I mostly buy sets and may modify those as needed. Or buy them to build them just as. Or buy sets for a piece or pieces… or just to have to maybe part out or trade somewhere off in the distant future. It just depends.

I answered yes and no. Good thing we can pick three! Prior to having kids, I would do heavy elaborations on certain sets that involved new builds as neighbors. Historically those were Castle themed. Now they're mostly Ninjago and City hybrids. The largest survivor is an expanded 70728 converted to have a modular top and depth for a completed ninja palace, along with some companion builds for 70751 and 70620, and little builds around Christmas with our train to join larger intact display models for a city.

Between other priorities and moving, that free building and display has taken a back seat though. We now have space, kids who can do their own and almost time, so I think the creations will resume before long. There's plenty of little things we make but they haven't built anything huge of their own design yet.

What I like to do is modify, add to, and/or combine official sets into something new, but I have built things that are fully my own.

I leave the MOCS to my kids, minus the occasional idea for Lego Ideas (happy that I had a project go pretty far). I hope to have some future time to build more for fun. But then again: kids. It’ll be a while.

I don't consider myself a very skilled LEGO designer/engineer and I don't have nearly as many parts as I used to, but I recently went on a kick of MOC making and made the best models I've done to date. Until I found my supply too low.

I've been making MOCs/MODs for as long as I've been into Lego. Even when I only had one set (7773), I remember rebuilding the set into a hammerhead shark—and also some odd half-shark, half-machine monstrosities. Right before my dark age, I bought a bunch of blue and light bley parts off Bricklink to do some NCS builds, which I still have built and stored. Most recently, I've enjoyed working on MOCs digitally (Mecabricks for the win!) as I don't have many bricks with me while away at college. I just placed a PaB/Bricklink order to build one of those, and I envision myself doing it more in the future—frankly, there aren't many official sets/themes that catch my interest these days, so I'd much prefer to work on my own models and slowly acquire them.

I do miss building with steeper constraints like @sir_vasco mentioned—it can help the creativity and lead to some fun results. However, I don't have the same desire to mash my sets into giant machines/battles anymore, so I don't think much is lost for me from working online, model by model.

Being out of the hobby for most of the last four years, I've definitely lost track of some of the SNOT pieces and slopes/bows available. I was surprised to see the range of colors that some had been issued in when I went on PaB... I try to keep up with some of the part features on New Elementary to see what I've missed and how people are using them.

And yes—while "MOC" is useful in writing, I don't imagine myself using it in out loud, much less what the abbreviation stands for...though I've also never been part of a Lego fan community offline, so I've never really been around people who would know the term anyway...

I've built MOCs as far back as I can remember. These days I'm mostly into building constraction/technic figures with parts from BrickLink. More recently, however, I have been trying to part out the main 12 cannister sets from each year of Bionicle.

No, I just buy Lego's MOCs.

I sometimes modify my official set, especially Modulars - I usually add a level to make it taller. I never part out official sets. I order off Bricklink or from LEGO PAB and make my own MOCs.

As a mostly City and Castle builder, I'm a big time MOCer and MODer. Not many sets remain exactly as designed originally by LEGO (although some - mostly modulars - are only very lightly modified).

As always, it's not one size fit all with AFOL:
* I keep many models complete (especially large ones), either on display or re-bagged for rotating display
* I displayed many sets and then resell (particularly mid-size Star Wars spaceship where I keep the minifigures)
* I displayed many sets before parting them out
* I parted out many sets right away to collect the minifigures and to get spare parts
* We (both the children and I) build mod (combining elements of multiple official sets) or MOC

Love the series of survey!

Once I have a LEGO room in my new house, some day hopefully soon, I will be doing a little MOC'ing. About the best I do now is build my own display stages and stands for minfigs from PAB and other left over spare parts from sets.

I absolutely build my own creations. My staple is spaceships, but I’ve been known to dabble in mecha, tanks, trains, and other land vehicles.

The dream is to build an honest to goodness SHIP some day.

I have built a lot of MOC's digitally, until LDD packed up. I find Studio and LDraw frustrating and not as nearly as user friendly.

The drawbacks of physical builds are cost and finding the pieces you need. Most of the time it is unsuccessful.

I use rebrickable and I have brought one alt build and plan to buy two more soon.

It's only this summer that I'm going out of my comfort zone. I've been making buildings out of my own design and I'm terrible at it. Been looking online at other work and the instructions of the modular series for inspiration.

I really do not feel I have the creativity to build an MOC of anything haha (this is probably a lie, I think a lot of people doubt themselves, no? :P)

The other issue I have that... certainly doesn't help is I very much struggle to deviate from the instructions when building a set; no idea why, I don't know if it's on some weird principle or what, but I just feel very uncomfortable doing so... It's odd.

Well, that's not mentioning, yknow, Uni time commitments, money, space, availability - just the small issues.

I'm a creative person at work, but not with Lego. I use Lego specificly to re-create creativity without thinking. If my job was not creative, I would (I think), use Lego to be creative.

I do enjoy modding a tiny bit and creating dioramas.

I also have a bit of a problem with the aesthetics and design language of 99% of MOCs which are over detailed and covers all studs. I appreciate it, but prefer the more simplistic "official" Lego design language.

I do my best to keep the sets themselves together, so any MOCs I build are usually made from spares or pieces bought for that specific project. My MOCs generally aren’t big though, lots of microscale and such, or they’re modifications/additions to existing sets.

@Robot99 said:
"I certainly would build MOCs, I am a relatively creative type of person, but I don't like the idea of parting out my official sets, and even then, I have a really tough time finding the piece or even type of piece that I'm looking for. I should probably try to get into it someday though!"

This is pretty much me. I used to build MOCs and I really would like to again some day, but I hate to admit it's the logistics of mixing my parts (and then unmixing them later...) that stops me. I did a lot of work to sort and bag my sets, and even make Bricklink orders to fill missing parts. The thought of undoing that, sadly, keeps me from playing with Lego I think the way it was meant to be.

I have ordered parts to replicate a few things I found online, though. A large-scale Mario and Luigi (maybe slightly smaller than Mighty Bowser's scale, though I guess it depends on the game), and a Winter Village-styled Church (which seems glaringly missing from the WV line, but obviously they'll never make one). My MOCs are still online and I hope to maybe part out a single, big set and some day do more. Maybe when I finally dismantle the UCS Falcon (I store it in modules and display it over Christmas every year).

I use parts in working with kids that of course MOC. Make other Lego sets not bought and other builders designs from rebrickable. I plan to do more MOCing but am not as creative in execution as in mind.

@ogelsbob said:
"I sometimes modify my official set, especially Modulars - I usually add a level to make it taller."

Wow I totally forgot about doing this!

I don't have any Modulars, but my 70751 Temple of Airjitzu has a 5-storey pagoda instead of 3, our 60141 Police Station is oppressively tall, my 70736 Morro Dragon is extra-long, my 9448 Samurai Mech is now Garmadon-style with and extra set of arms, my 70655 Dragon Pit is double-tall so bigger vehicles can drive through the gates, and lots of Creator houses can be expanded really easily with two sets mirrored side-by-side to make semi-detached pairs.

These may not be true MOCs to the purists, but I can highly recommend giving this kind of thing a go, especially to those of us who don't feel very creative or might feel they don't have the design or construction skills to build from scratch. Taking an existing design and flipping it, or adding levels, or merging is soooooo satisfying. It's challenging, but without the sometimes daunting prospect of starting with a completely blank canvas. Plus, if you buy two sets the same you'll automatically have the parts you need in the right colours for most expansions.

Give it a go!

Yes, though some of the MOCs I designed (I use Stud.io) aren't possible right now, but I hope to be able soon.

This is a little tough for me to answer. I do make MOCs, but the number of physical MOCs I've completed has gone down in recent years. Part of that was my twin sister and lifelong collaborator moving away, and part of it was falling out with some of the fan communities and events I used to MOC for. I still do some set modifications (my most recent one being an expansion of the Monkie Kid City of Lanterns set), and I've got quite a few digital MOCs and tablescraps I toy around with on Stud.io—but few of those reach a state of completion I'm happy enough with to build them physically.

This was the thing that struck me the most about that other poll! I love building my own stuff out of parts I have. I dont have the room to display everything, and not every lego set I get is worth displaying, and I'd rather make my own design and display that instead. Most of my lego purchases these days are through bricklink for a MOC that I have either designed or am working on building with not plan in mind. Few sets interest me outright, and the ones that do are cost prohibitive.

I design, build and sell my MOCs.

I used to build, play and display original models untill 2008. Then by the help of some friends in a lug, I started to build my own designs. Now I do MOC but on smaller scale, like speeders, small sized spaceships and such. I also try to recreate the sets I like old or new, if I have available parts.

It's funny that there isn't a 'both' option up there, because I checked both 'yes' and 'no.'

I modify sets - I usually find an official set or something that someone else built and use it as a starting point. Occasionally I build things from scratch, though.

Also - I usually don't build huge things, so I don't have to have a massive supply of spare parts. The parts that I have are sorted, (at the moment,) and I do a lot of 'rough drafts' in Stud.io so that I can buy the parts that I need w/out accumulating a ton of extras.

I went with “No I don’t want to mix up my sets.” Which is mostly true. I MOC smaller detail stuff to add to my city with parts that I buy. So I kinda MOC just on a much smaller scale than what most people think of when they see “MOC.”

I don't MOC per se, mostly because my loose parts collection is not substantial and I don't want to break my official sets. However, I do like to fidget with my bricks, not building anything specific.

@bananaworld said:
"MODding is about my limit, I've found, though I have a whole multi-level monorail city layout that I WILL populate with MOC skyscrapers one day. It's getting there (extremely slowly)...

@Judgeguy said:
"(...) nowadays it's rare that I build a set exactly as the instructions say."
This hit home! I don't build many sets now without 'improving' it as I follow the instructions along. It would be a nightmare if I ever sell my collection...

@GregoryBrick said:
"(...)The bricks are right there on your shelf! You can build something else with them! All that potential!

I never felt I needed a large selection of elements to make MOCs. Don't have enough of a certain brick? Build the thing another way, or build another thing. More elements is always nice, but never has it been necessary. "
This is such great advice!

Others have mentioned seeing other people's MOCs online. I'm not sure if seeing them hinders or helps me; on one hand, the can be inspiring, but on the other, depending on that day's despondency, they illicit a reaction something like: "I could never make anything that good, so why bother trying?"

It's a funny balance."

I also thought that I could never build such detailed MOCs when I saw them online. Something that has helped me lately is finding a specific part and promising myself to build with it. I built a Mandalore MOC using the trans light blue garage doors. Minifig flippers as fauna or mars mission alien cells as lava falls are other projects I have in mind.

All my sets are eventually MOC fodder, but unfortunately my photography skills are poor and I'm such a perfectionist that a lot of models I make never see the light of day :(

I am launching into MOC with my Winter Village this year. I have ballasted the train track and want to add another winter train car as my first step. For some reason I found a second village station in my closet so either I will extend the one I already built, or maybe make something else from it (a clock tower is what comes to mind first.

I used to MOC a lot, but I haven't in years. The fact that most of my collection is in storage right now (I had a stroke three years ago and had to move back in with my parents) doesn't help. I do modify sets, either because I think a set would look better built a certain way or because I think of a way to improve a function. Although I do keep meaning to do something with the parts of 11021 that don't go into the homage models, though.

As probably said by alot of people, I don't build Mocs as I don't like mixing up my sets, nore buying them purely for parts because as the cost. Its generally too expensive to buy and get random blocks to build mocs with unless you get lucky enough to buy bulk lots from charity shops/ebay.

@ComfySofa said:
" (...)Taking an existing design and flipping it, or adding levels, or merging is soooooo satisfying. It's challenging, but without the sometimes daunting prospect of starting with a completely blank canvas. Plus, if you buy two sets the same you'll automatically have the parts you need in the right colours for most expansions.

Give it a go!"
This is great advice! I'd forgotten about this kind of MODding; I 'finished' 75137 and 75169 by doing exactly this. Very satisfying, and a great gateway into eventual MOCcing.

Having discovered what fellow LEGO enthusiasts (particularly my space peeps) were capable of in the early 2000s, it has always been my goal to design and build more MOCs. Unfortunately, my output on that front has not been huge given my time in the hobby. Working to change that has been a constant goal.

I am just about done with Phase 2 of expanding the Home Alone house. I’ve added the missing wings and a yard (Phase 1), then built the garage and the back end of both cars (Phase 2), and next year hope to have the circle drive and a better version of the burglars’ panel van (Phase 3). Other than that, this year I’ve built a pair of 5G cellular towers, a vintage Good Humor ice cream bicycle (based on one that’s owned by the same person whose Good Humor truck I modeled previously), Otto’s tricycle (Minions 2), and I converted the microscale Lars Family Homestead into the 1st Annual Lars Family Barbeque.

@shedjed:
There’s a vendor by the name of Abby Dabbles who was selling a dumpster fire with “2020” written across the front. One of the guys in my LUG bought one and was displaying it on any layouts he did in 2021.

@Desbug:
Some combination of existing collection, taking a chance on buying Used collections, Bricklink, PAB wall, online PAB, and even eBay/Amazon can be sources of MOC fodder. I’ve even bought sets to raid for specific parts just to finish a MOC when other sources weren’t materializing. And one thing a lot of people (including myself) do to cut down on how much volume of inventory we need to sit on to be able to build anything is to do all the design work on a computer and only buy the parts you actually need for a given project.

@MLF:
Took me a couple seconds to figure out “SEC”. That’s not one I’ve seen before, and it bears a risk of offending the public if you talk about them at a show (SECs being the obvious plural).

@ThatBionicleGuy:
Computer-based MOCs probably makes more sense for System/Technic than for Constraction. The angles involved in a lot of the more complex creations I’ve seen are probably beyond the current capabilities of a program like Stud.io. Ironically, LDraw may handle them easier, since it doesn’t have any programmed connections. All you’d have to do is approximate the angle and position, if you don’t want to make the digital pose as precise as possible.

@dimc:
Anything is fair game. One MOC challenge I’ve heard about is to take any model (set or MOC, doesn’t matter) and build a copy of it that’s as small as you can make it. The one time I inadvertently did this was my LEGO Store (red 2x4 LEGO brick that fills two baseplates, which I reduced to 4x8 studs…_before_ I’d heard of this challenge).

I build MOCs, but I use stud.io to design and Bricklink to source bricks. I buy LEGO sets when I want what the LEGO set is. I don't have a basement full of cabinetry and shelving and drawers in order to house and organize 100k bricks (nor the budget) to have bricks readily at my disposal - maybe one day... but for now, I usually keep my LEGO sets indefinitely. When I get too many, I'll probably sell them used on Bricklink and take that money and spend it on the bricks I actually want for whatever MOC I'm designing at the time on stud.io. I'm working on something now where I'm using parts from LEGO Mindstorms set to figure out what I want to do TECHNICally (pun intended), and then continue to design on studio threafter.

Today... I'd rather sell a retired set used than use a fraction of the pieces for a MOC. Again... one day if and when I start a LEGO elements collection for MOC building, then I may cease to sell used LEGO sets and just part them out into my inventory for my own use... we'll see

I currently do not build MOCs currently, but it’s largely due to space constraints. My fiancé and I build purchased sets regularly but we don’t have enough space in our current living arrangements. Additionally, much of our Lego is in a storage unit and some of mine is still at my parents’ home. I’ve been testing the MOC building in digital format, but I’ve got limited time to use Bricklink’s Studio program. I’ve only managed 3 small digital MOCs in the last few months. I’ve certainly got several ideas for MOCs but at the moment, I just need time and space to make them happen.

@PurpleDave said
@dimc:
Anything is fair game. One MOC challenge I’ve heard about is to take any model (set or MOC, doesn’t matter) and build a copy of it that’s as small as you can make it. The one time I inadvertently did this was my LEGO Store (red 2x4 LEGO brick that fills two baseplates, which I reduced to 4x8 studs…_before_ I’d heard of this challenge).]]

I made a "box" version of Black Falcons Fortress in mini scale, I'm pretty proud of how it came out: https://i.imgur.com/LyJWkag.png

As others have said,
I do build MOCs but I don't use parts form sets that I've bought.
I buy the parts specifically for the MOC, either from LEGO or Bricklink etc.
(I also slightly modify some of my sets)

@bananaworld:
We all start out the same way. When we enter this world, none of us has ever heard of, seen, or touched LEGO bricks, and we certainly have no idea how to make something that could qualify as “art” out of them. Stepping back because you don’t feel like you’re good at it is the surest way to keep yourself from being good at it.

@daniellesa:
It seems like many people only ever become comfortable using the first design software they were able to get started with. I still exclusively use MLCad, but there are a few guys in my LUG who switched from an LDraw editor to LDD and/or Stud.Jo.

@elangab:
I went the opposite route, and have a job that doesn’t always require my full attention. I sometimes try out different piece combinations in my head, without negatively impacting my performance. I know a lot of people really get into the mosaic sets because it’s lots of repetitive motions that let you shut down much of your conscious thought process, but that’s not what I want in life. My dad has pointedly told me I should be working for NASA, but (aside from the fact that I probably would be in very poor health if I had a desk job), I don’t think it would be as fulfilling as being able to enjoy my hobby how I want to. Now, the budget would certainly be better…

@stepwise:
You’re either someone who MOCs, or you’re not. There can be many reasons for either, and only the latter has been broken down in this way, but you can’t be someone who both builds MOCs and never builds MOCs. You may do other things as well, but that doesn’t really change your answer.

@PhantomBricks:
I’ve actually built quite a few MOCs (mostly early Bionicle construction) based on the fact that a single piece looked like something else to me.

I mainly rebuild my own sets in rotation.

But every now and again I like to make alternate models out of the parts of official sets. Yesterday I made a hulk buster out of 76031 Hulk Buster Smash that fits and covers the Hulk and uses the flaps from the cointaiment as front armor.

Earlier I built one giant mech from 70727 Titan Mech Battle, as well as a large dragon and a super armored mech. Even a train!

I like the challenge of making something with limited parts and finding creative solutions to make something completely different out of the set.
If I'm feeling adventurous I combine sets.

It's a shame I don't get around to it often. And I usually do this with small sets, as big sets can get overwhelming.

love my Mocs, sometimes I build sets out of my own parts from online instructions, but give them my own spin, like the noodle shop from 80012 monkie king warrior mech, which is integrated into my custom action adventure sub theme, then ive got my own stuff like a Ninjago City modular to go with the gardens from last year, and I build other small things for friends and family. generally though I just get a bunch of parts and see what I can make of them. im particularly fond of some custom speed champion cars that dont represent any IRL car.

I rarely build MOCs but have built a modular style building from pieces bought via Bricklink. I first designed it in LDD. It took forever and it isn't even totally finished yet as I continue to revise details of it from time to time. It is a great and fun proces and therein - I believe - is the true value of LEGO. Not just collecting sets.
Mostly however I collect sets, build them and keep them complete, but I hope someday to have more time to make MOCs.

I have parted out my technic sets to build other people's mocs or Lego models I do not own with them. while this is nice, and works well with the limited number of different parts in the technic range, it's still a real drag to get all needed parts out of the sorters to get ready to build, and then bring them back in again after disassembly.

with knowing that, I don't even dare to think about doing the same with my system models with so much more parts owned and so much more forms and colours to keep in check and in near access. all available time would be eaten up by sorting and picking parts, no time, space and energy left for building.

so my sets are stored one per box in unified size cardboard boxes with a picture and number label on it. I can pick a box and start building within minutes. as I'm not yet bored by rebuilding a good set after a year or two stashed away, this is my mode of operation for the moment.

I do BOTH. When I buy a set it is either for spare parts OR it is for display / play. Never both! There has been a few sets over the years, whereby I bought 2+ sets of the same set, with one of the sets being built for display / play and the other(s) being used for spare parts, but this is seldom. Usually I will buy just one of a given set and that set is either spare parts OR it is for display. Only the sets that are for display / play get put into my "owned" collection.

Yes, but it's been awhile. I do hope to one day do so again.

I make some mocs, but I do it very sparingly. Also I don't mix my sets, so I technically make alternate modals.

I have a few sets currently on display out of the box, but I spend most of my money on accumulating parts so that I can build what I want, rather than complain about LEGO not making them. It also helps to have children, as they are an endless source of inspiration for LEGO ideas. I have a large city layout in my basement LEGO room that keeps growing. I have 3 or 4 projects that I am currently working on, but keep getting distracted on new things rather than finishing what I started. It takes quite a bit of time to design, source parts, test, and create instructions to sell on rebrickable.com.

I would love to build more MOCs, but I find that the time, space, and amount of sorting and re-sorting required is too high to be worth the enjoyment that I get from it. I spend about as much time as I have for LEGO on building a handful of new sets each year and re-building my Winter Village each year (and even that I am rarely re-building from scratch, and it's stored away separately set-by-set instead of mixed in with my sorted-by-piece-type collection).

I DO enjoy tweaking the Winter Village with additional decorations, scenes, etc. And I separately enjoy creating some basic structures and creatures for my tabletop RPG games out of LEGO (though those are small and rare). Sometimes I will dismantle a Creator set and rebuild it using MOC instructions on Rebrickable or just idly reassemble it myself.

But the majority of the time, I'm not working on a MOC or thinking about working on one.

I see myself more as a MODer than a MOCer. It is too bad because I would like to present what I do but i am afraid MODs do not qualify as true MOCs.

Like for instance my current project is a “Canadian container’s train “. For that I have picked some wagons, locomotive and containers MOCs by others and bricklinked all the pieces needed. I did modify theirs design because it was not enough sturdy or the containers did not fit on the wagon.

It is what I like about Lego. You can change it and it keeps being Lego. For instance, the locomotive I used would not pull all the wagons so I put a second motor. Try that with model railroading!

Very few of the sets that I buy are still assembled. Usually I will buy a set because it has parts that I want to use for MOC building, or that there might be some interesting build technique I can learn. After building a set it is usually parted out for use on MOCs. What I don't disassemble are the MOCs that I build and display at LEGO events.

I both modify some of my sets as well construct MOC's but, as it happens, I am always un the need for parts.

Building the MOCs I imagine has become easier now that I've sorted a lot of parts, and have storage trays with most of the basic elements in the more common colours. Also, it's great to have BrickLink to buy whatever I need. That together with Stud.io will get me somewhere.
Otherwise, fiddling with just the parts from one set is fun, as are the results, but not something I would post online.

I own many sets that, once built and taken apart, I keep in their original box. However, I only do that for the *first* copy of any set I buy. If I have multiples of a set, all of them beyond the first is sorted into my parts that I use for MOCs, along with all the other parts I have from Bricklink and Pick-A-Brick purchases.

I love building with Lego to relax. I predominantly build Lego official sets and have contributed to some of my son's mocs. I started buying bricks from brick link and b&p to allow for the types of mocs we make but due to cost the mocs are usually quite small, mostly buildings for setting up wars between the Minifigure armies we have bought over the years. Son has quite an eye for making his half wrecked buildings and barriers. Including armory and some customised vehicles. I would like to have time and parts to do more but I enjoy the larger official builds enough to keep me busy.

I modify my sets but I am, sadly, not very creative.

I do have lots of fun setting up various scenes and playing with them, though. It's one reason I like wheeled vehicles so much. They are hand-sized and zoom nicely.

I have so many ideas I'd love to build, and I create occasionally, but don't have the skills yet to realise the ideas in my head (the parts not either, but I'm trying to find a good Lego building software). I also really want to make stop-motion movies with Lego.
Also, if anyone has some recommendations regarding Lego building software and stop-motion movies, feel free to let me know.

I haven't built a MOC yet, but I will make a Marvel themed modification of Assembly Square to fit in with my city (which is Marvel themed with the Daily Bugle and Sanctum Sanctorum inside)

I think that the possible answers are not satisfactory. Obviously, you must say Yes or No. But in my case, I do litte MOCs. Perhaps I replace some parts of a set or I do something new, but they are small and not so big (and spectacular) as the ones I appreciate in other webpages or Facebook groups. So, what I should click in my case?
They options in case you say No are adequate, but for my case?

I recently have modified 75326 Boba Fett's throne room to add the rancor pit below and the bacta tank above. I don't normally modify my sets, but this one in particular I felt would be an awesome LEGO moc to do.

I've lived in four different countries over the past few years, and everywhere we go my kids and I MOC the house or apartment building where we live. Filling it with detail is great fun even for my small daughter. But my favorite MOC was to fill a gap from a favorite childhood theme : a Space Police II land base.

I actually gave away most of my LEGO recently. I have a few put-together sets and my minifigure collection. I just don't quite have the time or cash to build MOCS, sadly.

I would love to do it again someday. I also would love to join a LUG. I applied for one, but never got a reply.

No, I don't have enough (Classic) Space

Yes, although I tend to consider myself more of an upfitter/coachbuilder than an actual MOC'er; as I tend to take off-the-shelf LEGO trucks, vans, etc., and convert them into emergency vehicles. I am slowly figuring out how to make vehicles that look good and are sturdy. I've had a bunch of problems with my own chassis being weak.

I used to, did a few I am proud of, but as the years have passed by I have found less time, and less relaxed brain, to continue. Maybe when I retire...

yes, and I am currently waiting for a $300 brick link order to arrive for my biggest MOC a massive rendition of Azkaban prison from harry potter.

I've been building a castle for the last nine years, with and without my daughter's help. It's been dropped and knocked over several times and we've restarted from the beginning twice as well. All that lovely Star Wars light-blue-grey stock sure comes in handy along with the odd bit of Hogwarts and Helm's Deep ...

I build MOCs and display sets for a while, then disassemble and pack them away separately.

When I buy a set from LEGO it's likely on the more expensive end and I don't want it to get lost in my parts collection. Instead, I buy pieces specifically for MOCing from LUGBulk, PAB (online & in store) and BrickLink in addition to using my loose piece collection. Occasionally, I'll steal a piece from my stored sets while MOCing but will replace the piece next time I place an order.

Most of my loose pieces came from LEGO when they used to send loose brick to LUGs for distribution. I really miss the bags of random pieces I would bring home from club meeting!

I was wondering: has anyone ever liked a MOC so much you've tried to reverse-engineer and build it yourself?

Seldom. My last MOC as a kid was in about 1980. Almost 40 years later I build a few Moc's for that micro build competition a few years ago set 358 and set 373, and they turned out not to bad. And I build an modular building 2 years ago which was also not to bad for someone who didn't build MOC's for 40 years. I should build another Modular building this winter, Not sure what yet, maybe a hospital.

Almost every set I purchase is bought with the intent of modifying it into something unique for my needs/wants. My creativity works best with a pre-existing framework, it's been that way all my life. "Give me a picture and I'll give you a world," or something like that.

As such, very few LEGO sets are sacred to me as untouchable models. If you're not at least tweaking a LEGO set to suit your tastes, I kind of feel you're doing it wrong.

My answer would be "No, but I used to".

Back when LDD was still being updated I'd often design MOCs with LDD, some of which were then turned into real-world MOCs but ever since its demise (and me not getting along as well with Studio) I just really haven't been making any MOCs at all.

I've come to enjoy building alternate models using the parts from one or multiple sets, and also using sets as a starting point for a moc, I modified the large endgame war monger mech to something else and i took parts from multiple different sets to build a custom space ship

I use LEGO to relax and unwind from life's many stressors. I buy sets that I like and want to build, rarely would I want to change them. Even the Art sets are relaxing to me, especially the ones with the tiles.
But I did buy the World map to use some of the base plates to make the full Elvis picture, and also to make a map of my home state. My state map is a work in progress. Deciding the scale took a bit, since my state has two parts to it, which made it more complicated.
I am looking forward to building my amusement park in 2023. I might need to fill in between the amazing ride sets with some small little moc booths. If so, hopefully they will be easier than my map. I will probably modify the base plates for the rides, to make them sturdier bases, so I can move them around if needed. Moving my Grand Carousel resulted in such a disaster and malfunction, that one will be my first one to fix the base on.

Hmmm... I design and build my own models and I do modify official sets, build other people's MOCs and don't have enough parts, space, time or money.

I enjoy modifying sets to make them more screen accurate. Examples include 75243, 75292, 76081, 21304 etc etc. I do also enjoy building mocs, but they're not usually all that big ie minifigure scale batmobiles, Tardis interiors, Mando's N1 starfighter. Ultimately I'd like to build a lot more, but really you need a lot of pieces (gee wiz). And often, you need lots of a certain type of piece in a certain colour, which is where my collection falls short.

The solution? Come here to brickset to see if a piece I need is in a set which I've destroyed, or in a set where I can remove the pieces without having a large visual or structural influence.

One of these days I'll make an order through LEGO.com to buy some more curved slopes and SNOT bricks amongst other things... but that will require planning on my part to work out what I want to build!

Yes.
Albeit very infrequently & with much stumbling around aimlessly.

I build a lot of small moc's but due to my limited piece collection and time, most of my better moc's i do digitally on stud.io

I do build MOCs, but I've been very sporadic for the past couple years. I think I'm going through a bit of a dim age when it comes to building my own stuff because I'm still active in the LEGO community, just not actively building my own stuff.

@norikins — absolutely! Currently trying to reverse engineer a little Subaru model as a gift for a friend... I can't recall any specific examples from earlier, but I definitely recall trying to figure out specific techniques/shapes if not entire models. I think tried to reverse engineer the Lego Forma model 81000 before the instructions had been released as well...

I started by recolouring sets, which was fun and simpler than designing my own. It also helped me understand set design and parts choices. I then moved to building MOCs, big and small

I mostly buy LEGO entirely to MOC, especially BIONICLE sets these days.

No. I pay the premium prices for the Lego designers to think for me.

I guess I fall into roughly three categories. I love to build original MOCs, mostly dwellings—I build official sets and display as is (often picking up a second for MOC parts)—and I modify official sets with expanded bells and whistles. Plus, I like to modify displays seasonally (changing foliage color, adding snowy roofs, etc.) As with many here, I find it both stimulating and relaxing—just good noggin therapy.

My MOCs are few and far between, but the ones I do get around to finishing usually end up taking pride of place in my hobby room for years.

I no longer do. I used to, especially when I was younger, but in the last few years, I haven't really been able to dedicate any time to it. In fact, I haven't even open any of the LEGO sets I bought this year, which is a real shame.

For my status for awareness, I…
- always open and build retail sets (ie anything except GWPs)
- usually display the retail set for a short while (particularly bigger ones)
- then store the set away in a crate with others of the same theme later

I don’t tend to MOC even though I’d like to, for a few reasons:
- My pool of loose parts is minimal, and I don’t want to disassemble my sets
- Ideas I have in my head or drawn, often require uncommon or specialist parts I don’t have even if I did disassemble my sets
- If I did actually have more loose parts I wouldn’t have the space to organise them
- It’s a faff to go around ordering parts when you’re not entirely sure what your final design is going to look like

I want to build some scenery to go around existing Lego sets, which seems a little more feasible as I have been able to accrue some Green baseplates and vegetation over time from PAB etc.

I’ve hopefully proven I’ve got what it takes to build a good MOC as I won the solo competitive building challenge on my Inside Tour - so for me it feels like I have the ideas, but lack the loose bricks to make them happen. I just don’t want to disassemble or mix my collection though!

I source most of my MOCs (Jason Allemann (Clockwork Heart, Galloping Horse, Orrery, Sisyphus), Josh DaVid (Lawnmower, Tardis), Simon Cohen (Oblivious) & Teun de Wijs (Bathtime, Hangover, Levitation)) from Buildamoc. Excellent kits with clear instructions & timely delivery (from Spain to NZ).

I build and design my own MOCs but for some reason I have kept all of my parts sorted for their sets and don’t rob from one to make another. Somehow I feel that keeps the value of the set?? Does that sound strange? When I was a kid I would mix it all up and just build whatever but now I like building the adult models to just display as it’s a great relaxing outlet and then when I want to do a MOC I buy loose parts on Bricklink or other sites.

I've turned to MOCs because I like Nexo Knights but the theme is dead, so it's either MOCs or nothing.

At the moment, since returning to the hobby about four years ago, I only build official sets and keep them on display. It has been a slow-growing collection with only a few sets per year, but recently I have allowed myself to expand the budget somewhat. I feel that I don't have enough parts yet to really build the MOC's I would be interested in. And I'm still learning a lot of new techniques by just building by instructions. My thinking is that I have allocated a certain amount of space in my home for displaying, and when that is full I will have to disassemble something to make room for new sets. That would provide me with parts for MOC's. Which in turn would require me to disassemble something else if I wanted to keep the MOC on display.

I still have (almost) all the parts from the sets I had as a child (mid-80's to mid-90's), and back then I did mix them up and built all sorts of things. That is the beauty of the medium after all. I also remember happily mixing system and technic, something that seem to have been out of fashion for a while but might be coming back with huge sets requiring technic structures underneath?

But when my dark age ended, I quickly found myself not wanting to mix new and old parts. I find the feel of the new parts different. They seem less "crisp", slightly softer and more bendy. Probably a result of the older pieces having simply aged, but I also understand the type of plastic have been modified over the years. Some colors are also different, and new ones have been added obviously. And very lately, new parts even have injection mold marks which never happened on the old parts. So even though the new parts are the same, they somehow feel like a different product to me.
That said, I guess it's simply a nostalgia feeling or something that stop me from mixing old and new. It shouldn't be that hard to sort them apart again if I did mix them together.

I could obviously build MOC's with only the old parts, but with the stuff available now that would feel very limiting in what would be possible. Again, limitation is part of the beauty, but what would be interesting for me now is to explore all the new techniques made possible with newer parts.

Anyway, my display space is almost full now. So we'll see what happens in the coming year when I run out of display space. I guess time will be the next obstacle, but that's just a matter of priority.

I design MOCs in LDD (still can’t get used to STUDio) and them build them using bulk pieces I get at a local store or on BrickLink. I’ve modded a handful of sets (41128 Amusement Park Space Ride in order to give it power functions, 10182 Cafe Corner in order to have the E and the L in the hotel sign not be backwards when viewed from the right side of the building, and 10278 Police Station to fix the fact that the second and third floors have ugly anti-studs on the interiors of the front walls… replacing tan 2x10 plates with 5 tan 2x2 inverted tiles), but mostly keep them as designed. My MOCs live with my official modulars in my city setup. I also do hardscaping and landscaping, but I don’t know if that counts as MOC making.

I have two pools of bricks in my collection:
- parts from official sets that are separately packed so I can easily rebuild any of the sets in my collection.
- a large, general parts supply that I use for making MOCs.

Every so often a set that I no longer care for will make its way from the first pool to the second, but for the most part I keep the two pools separate because I want to be able to reassemble sets that I’ve collected.

@Norikins:
Not really. I mean, I’ve seen a handful that I liked enough that, when instructions became available, I did build my own copies, but if I have to put any work into it, I’m more likely to focus on figuring out how to build my own projects. I’ve mentioned to a few people recently that building a MOC is like attempting to assemble a jigsaw puzzle when you’re not sure there’s even a solution. It’s a lot more fulfilling to actually solve one of those than when someone else already proved it for you.

Techniques are a different matter. Over 15 years ago, I looked at a fire engine someone in my LUG had on a layout, and saw that there were cheese wedges hung upside-down to fill in around the modern fenders (a glaring weak point in their design that is rarely addressed satisfactorily in official sets). I’d been using inverted 45° 2x1 slopes, but they impose a pretty significant minimum size on the vehicle. He’d found about this technique from someone posting on the internet, but couldn’t remember who. I took that idea home and immediately improved on it so it was more stable. I’ve also managed to make it more compact, allowing me to reduce the minimum length of a car by about 40%. I even took it to the most extreme end possible, where I made pontoon fenders that each have two unattached cheese wedges that are suspended and pinned in place from all six directions. That initial technique, rough as my first introduction to it was, has proved invaluable to my fleet of cars, and even helped me figure out a way to accurately portray the lower back end of the famous Pizza Planet truck.

@AustinPowers:
Not me. I lock them in tiny boxes, stick many of them in the basement, and periodically bring them out into the light so I can parade them in front of other people.

@LegoMiniNZ:
That’s basically the polar opposite of a MOC. There’s nothing wrong with it, if it makes you happy, but I certainly wouldn’t refer to something I built from instructions as “my MOC”, unless I designed those instructions based on a model that I also created.

Sadly, no. I fully admit it, but the OCD on me won't allow not using pieces for their intended builds. I can't even bring myself to mod or use light-up bricks that are not original to the set.

I love building MOCs digitally, but the thought of destroying an expensive Lego set that I bought because I really wanted it doesn’t appeal to me. Besides, there is only so much you can do with gray when you collect Star Wars, and breaking up my blue and trans-yellow would be blasphemous.

I should say, I have made some minor modifications to sets, and have Bricklinked a few MOCs when I really want to do something (geodesic sphere is the biggest so far)

I like building MOCs and I don't like mixing up my sets so I build alternative models. Since you always need just one set to build alternative model you don't have to own many sets and mix them together either.

@weasel_king:
If you look at the history of the company, the “intended purpose” was always for kids to build from their imagination. Formal sets with printed instructions came much later, as a way to drive sales, so you’re actually limiting your use to their secondary purpose.

I dabble in MOCs using digital tools like LDD and Studio 2.0.

Thus far I have not designed a digital MOC that I thought was worthy of turning into a real model.

I do (did) MOC' but time is a big problem to MOC. I hope to find in the future more time to pick up this part of my hobby.

I modify using parts in the set more than scratch build

I like building MOCs but I barely do it because I usually look at sets or other people's for inspiration and building techniques. I also usually do not have the parts, so... Yes and no?

I answered 'no other' I do build other stuff - but its more fiddling little widgets and just the mindfulness of putting together and taking apart lego - a while ago you had a two block April fool, I would be quite happy with this :)

So yes I build stuff but not really complete or finished enough to call it a MOC

@shedjed said:
"I would like to, but my creations are dumpster fires.

Actually a dumpster fire would be a cool MOC that I could likely not attain."

Here's one: https://rebrickable.com/mocs/MOC-118518/Sometimes/dumpster-fire

I would have been very interested in finding out how many people overall modify sets or build MOCs. It makes no sense to preface every answer with a "No" when it is common knowledge that most people keep to building sets strictly by instructions and once the wall is breached do anything, modifying and mocing.

I recreate builds from vintage ideas books such as 6000 (have done all the Town builds from that book). Currently gathering the parts to build the circus scene from 7777 and a town scene from 200-2 . Guess that kind of comes under "I do build other people's MOCs" although often I'm just working with one (or up to a few) photos or maybe some very brief (even by the standards of the time) instructions.

I don't build mocs because every time I do, and then look up other people's builds online, I crawl back in shame to my cave. I also feel the same building the lego speed champions line sets.

I mainly have sets, and buying pieces is very expensive - but I'm slowly building up some bricks and have ideas more for backgrounds or extending the look of current sets - eg floating shelf with a background to highlight and accentuate a set I own, rather than create an entire set.

Been getting into it in more recent years, especially as prices for more lackluster sets are becoming the norm now. In particular, I like modifying sets with recent examples being adding a full interior to 31131 and using some spare Jedi Interceptor elements to make a custom model of Obi-Wan's Eta-2 to go with 75038 . I've also done a Mad Max Interceptor, Tumbler, power wheelchair, Ice Cream Stand, Greek Temple on a cliff, Xenomorph from Alien (alongside Ellen Ripley) and a LEGO Art-Mosaic style of Taylor Swift's Red. I even did a series of landscapes in a mosaic style for my Major Work in my HSC Visual Arts course.

I also enjoy doing custom minifigures, including Cal Kestis, Taylor Swift, The Joker (based on his holiday outfit in The Killing Joke), Holiday Special Boba Fett, Lara Croft, Barbara Gordon as Oracle, Jake Peralta and Eowyn to name a few. And as a challenge, I limit myself to purist LEGO Parts; no custom printing or molds for now!

Building MOCs is my favourite part of the Lego hobby, but I feel conflicted to apart these beautifully designed official models. So I am grateful for the crappy sets I own: I am happy to take them apart, and ironically they then provide me more fun than the beautiful sets on display.

Yes, I build MOCs. Yes, I also modify existing sets.

Money is my main problem. I have digital projects but none will be realised I fear for many years…

The only MOCs I really build are display stands/vignettes for my minifigs. I built a yellow brick road vignette for my Wizard of Oz minifigs, and I built the top of the Ghostbusters firehouse for my Stay-Puft Marshmallow Man & Terror Dogs to display with my Ghostbusters.

I started building MOCs in the '60s, so it's only fitting I'm now IN my 60s and again building MOCs.

I never build MOCs, but I modify almost every set I buy. I use lego's sets, not just the pieces but the final completed version, as the base and make little adjustments. I just did a mirror build on the Fresh Food Truck, and I'll turn its little farm into a community garden. That only takes a couple extra parts, but I'd say for an average city set I might add $5-$10 in parts a set!

I've built around five Mocs for Lego Ideas competitions provided the scope is wide enough, e.g. display for Lego House or GWP, that I can think of something using the pieces I have available or I can obtain easily from bricklink.

I modify my existing sets, sometimes significantly. Some of my more cherished sets are disessembled and stored away, but most are parted out.

Generally, my modifications are done first in Studio so I know exactly what I have and what I need before I actually build it.

In the time after my dark ages, I do not mix sets. I have a few (space themed) sets on permanent display. Other than that I have a 'roving' collection i.e. Technic sets that are displayed for a few weeks and then changed. As for MOCs, I buy most of my parts directly from Lego and as required, 'new' parts from Bricklink (because not everyone have the same idea of what 'good condition' is) - it goes very expensive very quickly so the MOC building is a very slow process. At the moment, I am completing 'The missing baseplate' for 10497 - so far, this cost significantly more than the set itself.
My current MOCs are space themed and will be part of the permanent exposition!

I have built MOCs, but as there was only one option for "yes" and I don't build MOCs regularly, I selected some of the other options. I want to get into it a lot more but I don't have the pieces or time at the moment, or honestly the space either. I am creative but I am nowhere near as talented at it as I would like to be, and I need a lot more practice. Someday I will get there!

No but I hope to

The problem I have is lack of space. I have a good size room and a lot of sets, but I just don’t have the space and the spare collateral to invest in a lot of storage racks. I build MOCs with son’s LEGO parts but it’s a really slow process when you have to look for parts rather than having them at hand and sorted ready. Which brings me to time. If I had the space for organising I’d probably be able to crack on with a MOC knowing I’ll be using all my allotted time building. With a job, wife, 2 kids, 2 dogs, 2 horses and 13 chickens time and money are two rare resources :-D

@shedjed said:
"I would like to, but my creations are dumpster fires.

Actually a dumpster fire would be a cool MOC that I could likely not attain."

I have one...and has a "2020" sticker right on it LOL

I have the parts. I have the time. I have the skills creatively.

What I lack the most is an adequate space to spread out and organize and an understanding/knowledge of available parts. Which I believe solving the first part would help tremendously with being able to grow the second part.

Modifying a set you love to make it better or more accurate is so much fun.

I've been forced to move around several times due to the pandemic, all of my supplies for building MoCs are in boxes in a garage somewhere and not in my room, sadly.

Hopefully I'll be able to get back to creating in the future.

No. I am much better at going to work and making money so I can spend it on collecting things than tinkering with the things I supposedly enjoy so much.

@HOBBES:
Apparently you haven’t run into any of the sellers who hold a different definition of “New” condition. I once ran across a store with a disclaimer that, if the part looked new, they sold it as such. In practice, they basically sold it as Used if it looked like someone had used it as a chew toy, and New if any wear was limited to scuffing and light scratches. Someone else said that, if they didn’t know whether a part had ever been used, they always listed it as New.

I live by Rebrickable. Most of the times I build LEGO sets I never bought, I just have the pieces, but I like to improve on those designs. So my collection is orderly stored like it would be in the Lego design office, by part. Every part in a separate container, colours often mixed, unless there is too many of a single colour.
Building is the fun, tear down and sort out half the fun.

I keep all of my sets built and displayed. I also build MOCs with my large collection of loose parts from bulk lots, pick-a-brick etc.
Finally, I design other MOCs in StudIO and use that to buy the parts on Bricklink.

No, but I do modify my sets sometimes.
No, but I do build other people's MOCs. Sometimes buying instructions.
No, I don't want to mix up my sets. Can't do that.
No, I am not very creative. True.
No, I don't have enough time. True.

Well, I like the idea of making MOCs. Have plans for a few.

Some sets I buy to display (mostly UCS stuff), others I buy to learn how the designers achieved something interesting (ex: Ninjago most recent mechs, Speed Champions...).

Everything I buy, I build it once to learn what I can from it. If it is for display purposes, I will try and improve it if it needs (I like to play with my displays).

Whatever isn't for display will be sorted for spare parts.

But what I also like is to use my Legos to build something useful for other stuff.
A long time ago when I was a kid into astrophotography, I built a brace system to keep the shutter open for long exposure pictures.

More recently, tired of waking up with the Kobo falling in my face, I built an arm to hold it attached to the bed's head. Fully articulated!

Yes and I treat sets as boosterpacks

Not enough time, and mostly, not enough parts ; most of the sets I have are from license themes and models I specifically liked. Feels "uncomfortable" to take them apart for pieces when one payed a premium license price on an already premium priced product...
I did buy in the past a couple of creator sets, and bricklink lots with the intention to build my own modulars, but soon realized that not only a rather big amount of bricks, but also a big variety of them are needed for doing this.. maybe one day..

Well, there should be more options for "Yes!"! For example:
1. Yes, all the time! (more than 20 "substantial" mocs per year?)
2. Yes, regularly. (about 6 - 19 per year?)
3. Yes, sometimes. (about 1 - 5 per year?)
4. Yes, but rarely. (less than 1 per year?)
I did not really find myself in your options above, because I am far away from a real moccer. But I do mocs and mods from time to time. So I did not feel comfortable to participate in this poll.

About 90% of my sets get built and displayed or stored as they are. But there are also sets, that i mod. And I also build some mocs, here and there. About 90% of them are in the style of classic town and some classic castle or classic pirates. Mostly I acquire extra sets or parts for moccing. For example set 6552: I own one in its original glory, the other three are used to mod and moc an extension of the original build. Or set 6370: One is displayed, the other two are used for mocs...

@PurpleDave said:
" @HOBBES:
Apparently you haven’t run into any of the sellers who hold a different definition of “New” condition. I once ran across a store with a disclaimer that, if the part looked new, they sold it as such. In practice, they basically sold it as Used if it looked like someone had used it as a chew toy, and New if any wear was limited to scuffing and light scratches. Someone else said that, if they didn’t know whether a part had ever been used, they always listed it as New."

Horrible! For me, to be able to use the word 'new', you would have to open the set yourself (box could be open but the pieces would have to be still sealed in the bags. So far I've been lucky, I bought solely in Canada and the U.S. and the sellers I chose had thousands of satisfied customers (me included). I am also in the process of buying all the missing parts for the sets I had as a kid - I will have to buy quite a few 'used', 'vintage' parts - I guess I will have to prepare myself for some disappointment...

@HOBBES:
Per Bricklink policy, if it has never been attached to another part, and it isn’t damaged, it can be sold as New (certain exceptions are made for minifigs and minifig parts because some of them used to come fully or partially built in display trays). If it has been attached to any other part (or for those special-case minifigs, once it has been disassembled), it can only be sold as Used, but only so long as it is also in good condition. What I find is that Used parts are often in pretty bad shape, and New bricks often show obvious signs of use.

I mostly limited myself to buying in the US because it’s the largest market, and all the shipping is domestic (for me, that is). I avoid Canada because of the interminable delays on shipments coming into the US through Customs from Canada (no idea why this can add weeks to the delivery date). I did start buying from select European nations, and was pleasantly surprised to find that if they use the right shipping agency (I want to say Luftpost?), not only is the cost fairly low, but shipments to Michigan can arrive earlier than they would from western US.

I almost always limit my purchases to New parts, buying Used only when there’s no other option available. I still get parts that have clearly seen use, but it does cut down on the amount of former chew toys I receive.