Derek

Collectable Minfigures: Worth the Hype?

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It is indeed disappointing TLG would outsource plastic for these things, considering how incredibly hard to find they are and how their retail cost is the same as impulse sets that come with bricks AND a normal quality minifig.

I would really not like to buy 30 of these to complete the series only to find out the plastic looks like Woma... I am actually glad it is unlikely those figs come to my country.

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Sounds like there's a lot of "buyer's remorse" in this thread. It's not that surprising actually. For many collectors, the fun part is the "hunt." The challenge comes from acquiring the items. Once they're purchased ... well, the fun is kinda over then, and it's just another thing on the shelf that you have to dust around.

I love the idea of the mini-figures, and I think the individual figure designs are terrific. I just hate the way that TLC marketed and sold these things. The blind packaging, artificial scarcity, and bizarre distribution (here in the U.S. anyway) sucked out a lot of the fun for me.

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I think especially the spartan from series 2 is overhyped. Yes, he looks really nice and there has never been before a warrior from ancient greece. And yes, everything from cape to shield and helmet is beautiful. But I don´t know, I have twelve of them standing on my desk and when I read about the hype here, I got in that Hype, too. Now I own another 44 still sealed Spartans and don´t really know what to do with them...

Well, there's always the joy in looking at a very beautiful figurine to be had. I still marvel at the sublime aesthetics of TLC's hoplite-helmet design every time I open another bag. And of course I am overjoyed to just behold the sight of my (as of now) 65 trusty little "dontchadaref@ckwithme!"-attitude little ABS-warriors in perfect unison standing in line...

And contrary to my initial plans, I haven't dissected any single one so far for mocing. And I do not see any reason to not do so, really.

As for short statements: with the hoplite figure, minifigure-design has reached its apex for me. These little fellas have greatly changed my concept of what's "classic" in terms of Lego. By far!

Maybe the collectable hoplite will stand out as the point of reference to which every other future minifigure needs to be measured.

Call it outlandish, yet for me it is as it is. At least for now.

My humble advice? Just enjoy them in any way they could possibly be enjoyable to you. With all the consequence!

Be well all!

Cutty

edit: having retroactively read fred67's post above I might add that even my sister, adult and significantly more grounded in physical reality than me, did specifically ask me to get her a bat-lord/vampire figure when she was tagging along while I "plundered" another TRU today. These figures HAVE an impact on ordinary people, I reckon, given my sister is more of a anti-Lego person to begin with...

Edited by Cutty

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Sounds like there's a lot of "buyer's remorse" in this thread. It's not that surprising actually. For many collectors, the fun part is the "hunt." The challenge comes from acquiring the items. Once they're purchased ... well, the fun is kinda over then, and it's just another thing on the shelf that you have to dust around.

Bingo.

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I was really relieved when the hunt was over. I'm glad that we're starting to get a little more saturated on these. I can't wait til they are everywhere and I can add one or two to every purchase I make. Much more healthy than a candy bar! I don't regret buying a single one of these figs. They're all amazing. At $2 they are a steal. The quality thing is way overstated in this thread, imo. Yeah, we all wish they were made in the European plants but I'm willing to deal with these for the price. Plus, they look great. You can't tell the accessories are any different. The notable exception is the Zombie shovel.

@Scop, I can help you dispose of a few Spartans! Really. :)

Edited by Tervlon

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The hype, maybe a little overboard. I like how the figures add to the variety, but, I would have to agree that the plastic quality is not as good. (Also, i noticed that the hands on alot of my people dont match the arms/not the same yellow).

(From US perspective)

The Good:

-In the US,they are $2,- cheaper then the small impulse sets, so good for building up my civilian population.

-Some of the new accessories and hats are awesome. -(Pharaohs staff is my favorite) :wub:

-Im not into painting, or using stickers, so good way to get some designs I wanted, that Lego has not made before.

The Bad:

-Distributing- near impossible to find in Idaho. The local Toys'r'Us only got a small shipment of them each time, and they sold out before noon....they cannot be found in other stores here in Boise....(I checked) *huh*

-Cheaper plastic. :angry:

-S@H limits how many you can buy from them. :sad:

-Randomized...If you dont know the codes, then its hard to find the one you want.

So, If you are a die hard figure collector, buy them all. If there is only one or 2 you want, go to Bricklink.

If you dont care too much either way, buy a couple if they have them at a store near you.

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IMO, their not that hype-worthy. Okay, they are really, really, really cool, but I don't see why they are only limited to Wal-Mart and TRU. And why in such small numbers? I's rather see them at my local convenience store so I can just walk in and pick one up on the way back from school. They might be reasonably priced in USA, but in Canada, they are $3! Might as well save up an extra $2 and get an impulse.

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I would like to start off saying that the Collectable Figure line was a brillant idea by Lego.

It was fun searching for the packs everywhere and opening them, but when I had them all lined up on my table, I seriously found myself almost thinking "Now what?"

I've had the same thoughts Derek! I definitely think i have been caught up in the hype with these things. In fact since coming out of my dark age, i have bought a lot of sets that maybe i didnt need! But thats another story.. I have bought 12 spartans, they are now sitting on my desk, and while they look great, i do wonder whether they are worth the 25 quid i spent to get them. I have wondered what im going to do with them.

But while at the moment they are not doing much, i am glad i got them because they are really good minifigure and they wont be around for long so i had to get them while i had the opportunity. If i dont find anything to do with them then i can always recoup the money i spent on them by putting them on ebay! I certainly believe that i wouldnt have got so many had i not been a member of this forum so i definitely got caught up in the hype. As others have mentioned, it was good fun going round hunting for them.

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I know some people just buy a box and call it a day. But when series 3 comes around, I think it will die off some. Due to the lack of barcodes and hunting for them individually. Forme, imaging to wait till pics of series 3 comes out to see whether or not I will continue and be a box buyer like some.

Also, at the same time...I'm kind of glad to hear they're taking off the barcodes. Because, like some have said, they have dozens of Spartans...a lot of which is due to having the barcodes. So, by eliminating the barcodes, the intent; I'm guessing, of Lego will become reality. Buying some and hoping to get the ones you want/need. It'll be a hunt for them.

Edited by Legocrazy81

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"Worth the Hype?"

That is an interesting question, and one that I'm sure you'll get many, many different answers to....

Ultimately I'm sure the success will point to a resounding "YES" but for the individual FOL, if is a personal decison. For me I'd say yes they are well worth the $2 - $3 is spent on the few (very few) that i've been able to find. The characters are appealing and do lend themselves to great MOCs excetera.

For me the downfall is the shoddy distribution, and the scarce availabilty of the figures. I understand and even like the "limited edition/collectible" aspect of them but if they figs are a blind drwm, they should be at least semi abundant.

I've purchased a total of 9 figures and only seen perhaps a total of 20 bags..... That is not reasonable. I have looked no lessthan 4 times per week in several different stores and have had, as you can see, little luck.

I know the easy way to remedy this would be to buy a full case But my LEGO dollar is stretched a bit too thin to justify a $120+ purchase of 60 figs.

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I completely agree with you. I am hoping LEGO rectifies the supply issue with these things next round. I had to go two 3 Wal-marts on the 2nd day they came out and couldn't complete a set. A friend of mine says he was calling TRU every couple days and today they said they finally put them out 5:10 PM. When he got there at 5:50 PM they were cleared out. The people that buy 3 or 4 cases leaving the kids with nothing totally leaves a sour taste in my mouth. There is someone here on craigslist trying to sell a set for $90 with NO accessories or stands. This kinda of madness brings out the worst in people and I bet there are plenty of desperate parents trying to even get one or two for their kid.

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I completely agree with you. I am hoping LEGO rectifies the supply issue with these things next round. I had to go two 3 Wal-marts on the 2nd day they came out and couldn't complete a set. A friend of mine says he was calling TRU every couple days and today they said they finally put them out 5:10 PM. When he got there at 5:50 PM they were cleared out. The people that buy 3 or 4 cases leaving the kids with nothing totally leaves a sour taste in my mouth. There is someone here on craigslist trying to sell a set for $90 with NO accessories or stands. This kinda of madness brings out the worst in people and I bet there are plenty of desperate parents trying to even get one or two for their kid.

Yeah, I agree. People buying every one on the shelf, leaving none for kids. Like, I red somewhere on here that someone has 132 Spartans?! Now, I'm sure he had to make a bit of a run around and had barcodes to help. But, to the average kid who may want the Spartan...tough luck I guess. Now, I too use the barcodes method, but to get one of each only. I know its everyones right to get whomever they want and any amount, but be reasonable.

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Short answer: No they're not worth the hype.

It's true there are some beautiful designs and I've bought about ten or so different figs. However, there are a few reasons why they aren't worth the hype. After spending a fair bit of time barcode searching in shops here in Australia and paying $4 AU each (about $3.70 US) which is recommended retail price I decided I can't be bothered doing that for series two.

Now I like my figs to have suitable sets to belong to, and many of the collectible figs don't easily fit into other themes (and I have neither the time or talent to make MOCs for each fig), so this rules out many of the figs for me.

However I have the clown and magician from the first series so I purchased the mime, weightlifter, circus guy as they all fit in with a carnival theme which I have some sets that can work them in. Although I do admit that I purchased the Pharaoh purely because it looks great, and now with talk of the new Egyptian line I'll have somewhere to put it. I do like the look of the Spartan but at the price being asked on bricklink I'm more than happy to give it a miss. I have a feeling it isn't the number of people wanting this fig that's making the price crazy, more the quantities that these people want it in. I think there's a few hardcore fans of 300 out there.

Finally there is the quality issue. These are a long way below Lego's usual standard and that is a big turn off.

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Well since I now have 12 of the 16 of series two - they are worth it - new printed torsos, fantastic hair pieces - more new heads.....oh yeah don't forget the Baywatch babe ! :wink:

Plus I have my own CHiP officer - so COOL ! :laugh:

I'm a conformist! everyone ! :sweet:

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Most definitely worth the hype for me - they've already done plenty of fun figs that I've wished for but could never happen in a theme. We'd never get a 1970s disco dancer in a set. Caveman, zombie, mexican wrestler, crash test dummy: all iconic over-the-top fixtures of pop-culture. That's what appeals to me personally.

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This is what I just posted to my club forum:

"I've done some quick research on Craigslist and I've concluded Canada, specifically VANCOUVER is the worst place to try to find these in the store. There are 3 to 4 ads up right now with sets ranging from $70 - $120. Compared to other major cities in North America we probabaly have the most resellers per capita, ie NYC only has 1, LA 2 or 3. Prices in the USA range from $50 to $80, though there is one complete *sswipe in Chicago trying to sell the Barcode Sheet for $1 each (I even gave mine when I was done with it to some dad with two kids).

I know it's not us buying these things in lots of 3 or 4 cases so I I don't know what it is about the West Coast that makes people deprive tons of kids. Imagine if you were a 9 or 10 year old kid...You had been begging your mom to get to TRU or Wal-Mart all week to get them only to get to the Lego section and all you see are Price Tags.. Man I would have thrown a tantrum :P . I think at the least all retailers could put a limit of 20 to these. That would eliminate some of the sheer madness people go through to get these. I know stores would sell out anyway but it would definatley screw these resellers up as they would have to go to every Walmart in Surrey like I had to."

As much as I love LEGO it seems that all these resellers are taking the fun out of these. I know in the USA at the LEGO store and TRU you can buy only a limited quanity and I just wish it were true up here.

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I got some random minifigs mainly for the accessories and hair parts. I bought them without looking at the barcodes, and traded those I didn't like. My favs are the nurse and cheerleader from S1 and the explorer from S2. My biggest complain goes to the quality of the plastic, which I already complained about on an e-mail to TLG.

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I think you should keep in mind that Distrobution isn't all Lego. Stores have to order the figures to sell, I may have no clue about shop policey and whathaveyou, but I have personally noticed that series one was in adundance in one ASDA superstore, but in my local Superstore, there is no sign of the figures.

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I think you should keep in mind that Distrobution isn't all Lego. Stores have to order the figures to sell, I may have no clue about shop policey and whathaveyou, but I have personally noticed that series one was in adundance in one ASDA superstore, but in my local Superstore, there is no sign of the figures.

European Distribution for these things was much easier for the customer. In North America we can only drive around to select stores like Walmart, TRU, and Target to get them and you had to keep calling to find out when they put them out. There might be only one Wal-Mart or TRU per municipality whereas there are several grocery or drug stores. This of course lead us to drive around our Metro Area in our car centric continent so it was a lot more time and effort for us to complete our sets

Edited by leavebeaver2me

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Spoiler/Warning: In my reply here below I will use some non-megablocks language and really voice my opinion - it´s not directed to anyone specific and you all like me have the full right to have a diffrerent view :classic:!

C´mon, how much whining and crying about the minifigs can you puke out :angry:! Let me give you my point of view on 3 things:

  • The Hype & Price
    In thread after thread people want TLG to produce new minifigs that are uncommon, like new cool torso prints, utensils and professions. And when they do - that´s wrong :wacko: ? There´s now way in a very warm place down in the basement that this would have happened with minifigs in ordinary sets, so just be glad and enjoy them. If you don´t want them - don´t buy them!
    As for the price of lowest $1.99 and then up, do compare with the magnet packs etc like someone mentioned above. I do understand when shops like TRU jacks the price but still ..... I think it´s a more than reasonable price.
  • The Quality
    How bad is it - really :hmpf_bad:? How many minifigs have broken? How bad is the printing? Is it not possible to use them in Moc´s?
    I know the plastic materiel isn´t the same as in, for example a red 2x4, but nowadays TLG uses around 20 different types for different parts, like in Bionicle, weapons etc. This "lower" quality is what makes them possible to produce, and I don´t mind a bit!!!
  • The availability
    Now for some BASIC things on how the world works. TLG makes a wide assortment of different set, lines etc and then invite the wholeseller, chains and other resellers to look at the products. They then decide which one they want to sell in their shops. That´s why some chains doesn´t have them and others do, and the quantitys they have. TLG can´t tell the wholesellers how many sets/which sets they´ll by - or break in to the toysection at night,fill up the shelfs and then bill them!! TLG only produceses so much that they think will sell and get orders on, they don´t want to go back to around 2003-2004 when they had made lots & lots of sets which wouldn´t sell - like the 7201. That one ended up being sold for as low as 3 sets for $1!
    TLG do sell them on S&H so there is a good chance to get them without even leaving your home!!

So to conclude: I think we should be happy that we´ve gotten so many new and cool figs at this price at a quality that´s acceptable AND we should keep our eyes on quality issues, the price and suggest new themes/looks for figs.

Now this rant is over and we can go back to the normal program :laugh:!

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If they allowed you to straight up order the minifig you wanted, I would have an army of Spartans right now. I wonder if the randomness is helping or hurting the sales. Oh well, I bought zero of them. I was really big on minifigs last year, but then I thought about it, what is the use of a bunch of minifigs with no bricks to create an awesome display for them. Now I am leaning more towards sets with high brick counts, and avoid the temptation of getting multiples of the smaller sets to get more minifigs.

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How bad is it - really :hmpf_bad:? How many minifigs have broken? How bad is the printing? Is it not possible to use them in Moc´s?

I know the plastic materiel isn´t the same as in, for example a red 2x4, but nowadays TLG uses around 20 different types for different parts, like in Bionicle, weapons etc. This "lower" quality is what makes them possible to produce, and I don´t mind a bit!!!

It is not just about some parts being impossible to produce in better plastic. The quality is worse than 'normal' minifigs. People have noted plastic differences in head and hands between collectible minifigs and those we find in sets . There are also production issues: People have reported legs that are looser than in usual minifigs. Personally, I have seen off printing in many of the pictures so far, that's the only issue I can for now detect as I have not gotten access to the minifigs yet.

Seeing as to how they are supposed to be collectable, I wish TLG would have raised the price and given us better plastic than usual, instead of the other way.

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I think they're pretty useful, and their designs are marvelous. The thing is...

1. Adults get the whole bunch, while the kids just get what it's left. (Money is the key)

2. I've noticed they seem to have another kind of plastic; May be ABS, but it looks less shiny (It's notorious if you compare them with the other minifigs)

3. Though I'm very careful with all my LEGO minifigs, some of the finest parts of the faces peeled (Talking about these minifigs).

4. I think, TLG would decrease profit earned by sets, but increase profit earned by collectable minifigs, which can be a decrease at the end, I don't know?:S (You know, people are using a lot of money in these collectable minifigs, and they would just left behind the sets, unless they're outstanding)

Otherwise, they're really awesome!, they're making a big change on the minifig population.

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1. Adults get the whole bunch, while the kids just get what it's left. (Money is the key)

good point. well I took a great number of spartan in Milano area. In the last shop some little guys were looking for them, so I chose to fight against my compulsive buying. I helped them to find the correct minifigs... :classic:

Now I have "only" 28 Spartans found in 8-9 different shop. They are brillant and fantastic, but the fun was find them!

nausi

Edited by nausicaakro

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good point. well I took a great number of spartan in Milano area. In the last shop some little guys were looking for them, so I chose to fight against my compulsive buying. I helped them to find the correct minifigs... :classic:

Now I have "only" 28 Spartan found in 8-9 different shop. They are brillant and fantastic, but the fun was find them!

nausi

I've decided to stop this week at 7 Spartans. Gave the officer a dark pearl sword from the Dragon Knights, looks great!

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