I spent months tracking the 4,867 pieces for that Ninjago build. My personal win was spotting those specific trans-blue tiles in a blurry bulk bin photo at an estate sale. Took ages to verify the inventory, but piece-meal sourcing kept me under budget when market rates hit 700. It was a massive grind tho. If you're looking for deals, PriceDropCatch is a solid free extension to have installed.

> I have about 400 bucks saved up for this specifically which I know is low for a retired modular-style set but I really wanna find a way to get it without selling a kidney. ^ This. Also, dont let those BrickLink prices scare you off completely. I was in a similar spot last year and honestly found that being okay with no box or instructions saved me a fortune. If you can live without the cardboard, you're already cutting like 30% off the price right there. I've been super happy with using BrickEconomy to track exactly what sets are doing lately. It’s basically like a stock market for Lego and it helps you see if a set is actually peaking or if it might dip. For Ninjago City, you gotta be fast tho. I found that joining local Lego Buy/Sell/Trade groups on Facebook—the private ones, not the public marketplace—is way better. The collectors there are usually actual fans who wont rip you off as bad as a random reseller might. Another trick that works well for me is looking for partial builds. Someone might be selling the set without the minifigs. Since the figs for Ninjago City are unique, thats where a lot of the cost is hidden. If you just want the building for your display, you can usually find the shell for way closer to your $400 budget. Ngl it takes some digging and maybe checking the Chicago suburbs thrift shops like Once Upon A Child (sometimes they get big bins of Lego!), but its totally doable if you're patient... good luck with the hunt!