>>10350386I use rebrickable to research and inventory my pieces. It's a really quick way to identify pieces, available colors, and what sets they show up in. Bricklink has a similar system but I like Rebrickable's because it is easier to browse and more information is available up-front without scrolling through bullshit. Searching is just based on knowing the right keywords, which you'll accrue over time. For example, here are the results when I put in "1x1 round bar." Here are some other keywords that will prove useful:
>brick, plate, tile>curve, corner, round, angle (for plates), slope, wedge (angled slopes)>stud, bar, clip, handle, pin, hole, technic>"studs on side," open stud, closed stud>just punching in the NxNxN dimensions of the piece when you're at a lossAbove all else though you should get a good light and a magnifying lens. Forensic keyword-searching bullshit is a good skill to have but can be completely avoided by just looking for the part number molded into the piece.
