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minifiguremaniacs

Custom Minifigure Pricing

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Hi, was looking for some input and thoughts on this topic.

Is there any particular reason that custom minifigure prices are all over the place, even for ones equal in quality.

Granted, some of the digitally printed ones do not have the best print, but I have seen good quality digital prints going from anywhere between $25 and $60, same really for pad printed figures.

Just curious what determines the prices really as a lot of people seem to buy them regardless, but there seems to be such a gap even when they are equal in quality.

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Quality is just one aspect of a custom minifigure. Although it should be a very important one.

Any figure needs to be designed and it should be done well.. this design cost should be factored into the finished sale price of a figure along with the price of parts and the print. Obviously the cost is shared out over an amount dependent on the quantity of figures printed.

Digital printing presses cost different amounts and so do the consumables so better printer and better finish means higher cost (probably) although the digital printing process means that the amount of colours used probably doesn't have an effect on the cost to print as it works similar to an inkjet printer.

Pad printing is done differently so every colour in a particular place means a new plate... that way a 3 colour print would cost half that of a 6 colour print to produce, although you still have to factor in the cost of the parts etc. Also, not all pad printers are going to charge you the same price for that service. As with any area of printing some printers will charge a premium for their service but you would hope that the cost would be reflected in the final product. Figures from Christo and Phoenix Customs have incredibly sharp and detailed print and you've probably got more chance of receiving a figure from Lego with any slight misalignment than you have from them. In fact I've never heard of Christo or Phoenix sending a figure that isn't perfect.

There's also now the addition of custom moulded pieces whether through injection moulding of high definition 3D printing which are then dyed to the correct colour (which should be cheaper than injection moulding but still give an excellent finish).

You then have to factor in good old collectibility into the mix. Christo now limits all new figures to 40 pieces. So collectors want them as the after market prices are ridiculous. That way he gets to set a price for each figure if you order direct from him (all figures are one set price).

I've bought figures from LeyileBrick which were pad printed on genuine Lego in China for around £20. I'm going to say that pad printing services in China are very inexpensive allowing the figures to be done in large quantities to be sold at very competitive prices. The quality is excellent.

But I can then also see where the Phoenix figure of Episode VII Luke Skywalker was closer to £60. Pad printed onto the torso, legs and head with chrome hand and hairpiece dyed into a non-production colour by another customiser. You really get to see the quality of a figure when the customiser adds another colour just for facial expression lines etc. A lot of people don't go to that trouble. The cost stays a little lower but you miss out on some of the finer detail.

The collectibility factor really comes into focus when you have something like Christo's original First Avenger Captain America figure. From and side leg printing, arm printing, from and back torso printing and head print with side printing for the wing flashes... very collectible figure nowadays and sells for around $150. Phoenix Customs is producing his version now and it blows the Christo out of the water with an injection moulded helmet piece which has the wing flashes printed along with a superbly designed figure throughout. That figure is less than half the price of the Christo.

I've recently sold some Christo figures for up to $500 each. There are people who will pay that. It's ridiculous but true.

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