Obsessive Minifigure Buying Disorder

[22kane]

Are you like me? Do you constantly search out minifigures and keep buying them? When is enough, enough?

I have been fortunate enough to obtain full sets from every series but really the only series that will be worth anything down the road will be 1 & 2. Not that I buy them as investment only because I truly like them and will always keep some around. The problem is that I stockpile them, insane amounts of them. Anyone else having this problem? I just can't stop! It's just so hard to pass them by without buying a handful.

Not that I'm looking for advice, I'd just like to hear about others and their collecting "issues".

Edited August 24, 2011 by Rufus
Clarified the thread title

[1980-Something-Space-Guy]

Are you like me? Do you constantly search out minifigures and keep buying them? When is enough, enough?

I have been fortunate enough to obtain full sets from every series but really the only series that will be worth anything down the road will be 1 & 2. Not that I buy them as investment only because I truly like them and will always keep some around. The problem is that I stockpile them, insane amounts of them. Anyone else having this problem? I just can't stop! It's just so hard to pass them by without buying a handful.

Not that I'm looking for advice, I'd just like to hear about others and their collecting "issues".

YES! I do. Hehehe.

Well now, speaking seriously, I only have so much money to buy one of each, since I'm collecting other figs. That being said, I just want all cool minifigs . I can tell you, the amount of figs in my wanted list is about as much as I own. I'm not addicted to CMFs in big amounts, but I'm addicted to minifigs in general.

[Wardancer]

When I like a fig, I get selectively addicted.

First I went through about 10 shops in my city and in the surrounding villages to get about 20 spartans.

Then elves happened and I got about 30 by identifying the dot codes. At first I got a few wrong figs, but soon I had a hit rate of 100%. I went through the same shops every couple of months to see if they had opened new boxes. Currently I think about which cities I could still check for unsearched boxes, but the fuel prizes would kind of raise the price per fig. I could use about 20 more elves for my army and I feel time is running out for getting them at 1,99 Euro... Buying them for 5 at bricklink, no way.

Fortunately, this is not likely to happen again... except something very elflike appears. A female would make me freak out. I guess 8 minotaurs will be enough, also 3 statues of liberty and thats it.

But who knows...

[TheLegoDr]

When I like a fig, I get selectively addicted.

First I went through about 10 shops in my city and in the surrounding villages to get about 20 spartans.

Then elves happened and I got about 30 by identifying the dot codes. At first I got a few wrong figs, but soon I had a hit rate of 100%. I went through the same shops every couple of months to see if they had opened new boxes. Currently I think about which cities I could still check for unsearched boxes, but the fuel prizes would kind of raise the price per fig. I could use about 20 more elves for my army and I feel time is running out for getting them at 1,99 Euro... Buying them for 5 at bricklink, no way.

Fortunately, this is not likely to happen again... except something very elflike appears. A female would make me freak out. I guess 8 minotaurs will be enough, also 3 statues of liberty and thats it.

But who knows...

5 at bricklink for elves? What a steal! Granted I don't know the conversion from Euro to USD off the top of my head, but they are around $9 on ebay here. Luckily I found one for 4.50 with shipping so it was a steal comparitively.

And the bolded statement sounds like Steve Martin in The Jerk. Very comical.

YES! I do. Hehehe.

Well now, speaking seriously, I only have so much money to buy one of each, since I'm collecting other figs. That being said, I just want all cool minifigs . I can tell you, the amount of figs in my wanted list is about as much as I own. I'm not addicted to CMFs in big amounts, but I'm addicted to minifigs in general.

I agree. I haven't really purchased many of the CMFs, but I am a huge fan of minifigs in general also.

[1980-Something-Space-Guy]

I agree. I haven't really purchased many of the CMFs, but I am a huge fan of minifigs in general also.

Well, then you can imagine what a problem it is to be a minifig collector, but on top of that collecting the CMFs!!!

[SpiderSpaceman]

As I went into a mild panic when I realized I got all but the (pie) clown a minute ago, I'd say yeeeeaaah. OMBD for sure - but while waiting for this series and checking I was in a bad full sized set Buying Disorder

So my wallet welcomes OMBD.

(no regrets of course )

Edited August 22, 2011 by SpiderSpaceman

[Big Cam]

I had this problem until series 4.

For Series 4 I bought a sealed box and I am doing the same for series 5, and probably 6.

For me a box of 60 guaranteeing me at the bare minimum 2 full sets, is plenty for me.

[Quichybo]

Greetings!

Nice to read that there are others... from the first wave i bought the Minifigs via the "touchy-feely" method and i think i still have a hit rate of 100%, so i get at least what i want. Once a store detective appeared next to me and asked me what i was doing, It must look strange that an adult stands next to the LEGO-packs, takes a minifig, analyses it and puts it out... or back into the box. Doing that for more than an hour, staring at nothing... i can understand her that this looks "strange". It was quite embarrassing, i think she thought that I wanted to steal something or, even worse, was looking for children...

Now, that the spartans and elves are available for 1 Euro, i was trying to get as many of these as possible. On the downside this is not good for my male - female ratio. So for every spartan / elf - buyingspree I need a pop-star, a tennis player, a geisha or an ice skater... a vicious circle. But hey, now I need 5 to 20 seconds to identify the content of a bag. Nice training for identifying future minifigs, i suppose...

And no, i don't believe that I have a problem. It's everyone else! All the other people have problems!!!! I am right, am i not?

Edited August 24, 2011 by Quichybo

[Aanchir]

I don't think I buy minifigures obsessively. If I see the minifigures in a store at MSRP and have the time to feel them, I won't turn down the opportunity. And between my siblings and myself we've completed or nearly-completed most series. However, I at least like to imagine I'm actively choosing to buy the figs I particularly want, and am still in control of my own actions.

[The Blue Brick]

A couple of months ago, i was in my local Toys R Us and saw that they had restocked the series 3 minifigures. I already had a full set, but i ended up walking out of the store with 50 packets. Now i have 50 packets unopened and just laying around.

[Vindicare]

I have all of the first 2 series. But, the fire to collect all of them has faded somewhat. I still really do like the CMFs, and I just buy the ones I really like or the ones that will fit into my city, which is the main focus of my LEGO collecting.

[K-Nut]

I have complete sets of all the series. I only get multiples of ones with useful parts. For example, the Pilot or the Musketeer. I also make armies out of some figures, Like the Spartan, Elf, Viking, Gladiator, etc. But I did go overboard with Series 2. I ended up with 5 Pharaohs and 5 Witches. Since there was almost nothing out when Series 2 came out, I ended up in the end with 62 minifigs.

[Captain Green Hair]

I usually buy 1 box together with a friend, this keeps the cost low and so I have every series complete.

In addition I buy a few extra of the ones I like, but that is it.

The biggest in numbers is my modest army of sailors, I have 12 now.

Obsessive? To some maybe, but I think it is under control.

[Yatkuu]

I think I have found a way to measure how bad AFOLs are being affected by this new disease...

Building a tower out of CMF stands stacked on top of each other! Based on a few feedbacks from members I'm sure we could establish some sort of scale...

Mine is 35 cm high (+- 110 figs) and I consider myself a reasonable CMF buyer.

[Itaria No Shintaku]

I completed serie 1 and 2 by barcodes, then bought extra zombies and spartans, some are on my bricklink shop.

Then when it came to serie 3 and 4, I bought the box, and not happy I went around, buying mummies, werewolves, elves (I bought around 20 by feeling the bags, I don't rely on dots) vikings and whatever could fit a fantasy environment.

I am ready now for the godzillas and dwarves, I will buy at least 10x of each one, but when it will come to series 6 I will have to buy also leprechaunes, genies, and tons of warlords and minotaurs... I will stock 100€ for eache serie apart from the 90€ that a box is worth to me.

And yes, whenever I come to a shop that has minifigs, I buy one at least. I buy the more appealing, or I have someone pick it for me. It's always good to have one more, they are awesome to me.

When a new serie comes out, I freak out and buy dozens per time... when a month is passed I cool down and buy one every now and when. I probably own 2 hundreds of collectible minifigs right now, and at least 2x of every serie (one is on my desk, the other is dismounted).

So after all you're not alone!

[lightningtiger]

That's my son who loves minifigs to death and goes swap crazy at times with his class mates at school.....when the each series comes out my arm gets twisted buy dad, buy !

Keep on collecting......it truly is a sickness !

[The Blue Brick]

I have 12 of the ape suit guys. I love them, because you can make planet of the apes attacking your city.

[Dervish]

Noooo.. There's no obsession in getting minifigs, no way. I won't believe You!

.. I just went thru 4 stores this morning till I found one that has the figs, bought 7.. nngh.. no obsession, I just needed to get those..

[Mr. Elijah Timms]

I will say this... it's a very strange feeling, like right now, once you've collected all sixteen of that series, and then there's that part of you that goes, "Okay, now what?"

This is usually when the army-building kicks into high gear, and I'm well on my way with dwarves. Still considering building up a little cadre of gangsters, but who knows...

[Roger Rabbit]

I will say this... it's a very strange feeling, like right now, once you've collected all sixteen of that series, and then there's that part of you that goes, "Okay, now what?"

I know what you mean, I've only collected this series, but have decided to pass the time before series six by buying a Lego minifigure box and filling it with my random favourites from other series via ebay, got the tennis player, sailor and artist for £3, not too shabby.

[Wardancer]

Got 7 more elves today from local shops. Now I have 40 which sounds like a decent number, maybe.

[K-Nut]

Got 7 more elves today from local shops. Now I have 40 which sounds like a decent number, maybe.

40?! I got 3! No offense, but people like you who build massive armies like that leave almost none for the rest of us.

[Wardancer]

40?! I got 3! No offense, but people like you who build massive armies like that leave almost none for the rest of us.

But no one will ever know where I live muhahahaha... *diappears in a cloud of gray smoke*

Errr I mean I am aware that this decreases the chance for some children and AFOLS in my home city to get elves. But it took months to get them so there was plenty of chance for these. Also kids seem to prefer Ninjas anyway I am not collecting them for resale, but for modding and customizing which seems legit to me.

[CMP]

If I had the money, and had the time to feel through 'em - I would.

As of right now, though, I usually take a sample (4-7) of each Series. Only in Series 4 did I begin feeling them - ironically it's also when I got my first duplicate.

Missed Series 3, but got twice as many of Series 4. Worth it, completely, to get more 4 than 3.

I'll say this. If Christmas comes around and I get a good amount of cash again...prepare to get your hand bitten off over the Gladiator.

[fred67]

40?! I got 3! No offense, but people like you who build massive armies like that leave almost none for the rest of us.

That's true when they first come out... I hate going to the store and seeing picked-through box and not being able to get a good variety, but Elves are from series 3, for crying out loud... if you haven't gotten them by now, then... well... sorry.

I myself have about 15; our LEGO Store still has series 3 and 4, so I may look through them again, but I stopped trying after about a dozen.