collectible minifigure aftermarket prices

[naf]

I got into the collectible minifigure scene kind of late in the game. I had been given a few during my dark ages; I completed my scuba certification two summers ago, so I got the series 1 scuba figure as a gift. Family thought it was cute since I had a ton of Lego as a kid, and it matched one of my current hobbies. I also acquired a few others in a similar fashion. I had no idea at the time that they were collectible.. Of course, being a completist, once I found out about their limited nature after my dark age I had to go and collect them all.

One thing that really gets me is how much some of these figures are going for. I pretty much have the entire collection, with the major gaps being in the series 1 figures. Some of them in that series are going for $5 like the crash test dummy, but others like the zombie and nurse are being sold for $20-$30 each! Why is it that some figures from the same series are relatively cheap, while others are the same price as an entire Lego set? I can maybe understand the zombie if people are trying to create a horde, but why the nurse? Is she really that much in demand? It's frustrating since I'll probably never be able to collect the entire series 1 set. I'm just not willing to pay that much for a little piece of plastic.

Does anyone have any tips on how to get these figures at a more reasonable price?

[jluck]

The Zombie is a really popular army builder so several of them are tied up in collections. I imagine you've checked bricklink where the cheapest zombie is $20, ebay is about the same. The nurse is here for $4, and usually under $10. If you feel you have to complete the set you'll have to bite the bullet, otherwise just get what you like!

Edited July 26, 2013 by jluckhaupt

[naf]

That's the problem, I like them all

Yes, I've searched bricklink. The $4 nurse doesn't have any accessories. I'll probably just end up getting the cheaper figures, and keep my eyes open for deals on the others. It just astounds me that the price has gone up that much on some of these. I figured Lego produced enough quantity of these figures to saturate the market some. But like you said if people are buying zombies by the dozens for a horde, that could do it.

[Gremer]

The Spartan is also one that is $20.

I found a crash test dummy on BrickLink for something like $0.50 one time.

[jluck]

That's the problem, I like them all

Yes, I've searched bricklink. The $4 nurse doesn't have any accessories. I'll probably just end up getting the cheaper figures, and keep my eyes open for deals on the others. It just astounds me that the price has gone up that much on some of these. I figured Lego produced enough quantity of these figures to saturate the market some. But like you said if people are buying zombies by the dozens for a horde, that could do it.

Ya, I just noticed. However, buying the accessories individually may still be slightly cheaper especially when the accessories appear in other sets.

[TheLegoDr]

I think the big thing is looking for deals, if you're patient. Eventually I will probably want to have a copy of every single figure, but at the time, I'm just buying the figures that interest me the most. Obviously you'll feel better about your purchases if you only buy the figures you like.

The accessories are hit/miss depending on what they are. Some unique shields can go for a lot more than say something spread out across other themes, as mentioned above. With the newer production numbers, some figures are more rare than others, thus causing a spike in value. The earlier series, I think, were rarer anyway because of distribution. Not everywhere received the same as they do now, so some figures weren't easy to come by. Plus, I'm sure LEGO wasn't sure if they would have such a goldmine on their hands at the time. With that said, some figures can be found pretty cheap after they are out of stores, whereas the MSRP is a steal for others.

I've seen the Spartan for about $12 on average, so I'm not sure where people are seeing some of these higher prices. I just bought a nurse not too long ago for under $10 with accessories. The zombie definitely goes for above $20 pretty consistently though. TLG did release a monster pack not too long ago that has the same zombie, only with a different color suit, so that satisfied my needs for the time being.

Edited July 26, 2013 by TheLegoDr

[BlueberryWaffles]

One thing that really gets me is how much some of these figures are going for. I pretty much have the entire collection, with the major gaps being in the series 1 figures. Some of them in that series are going for $5 like the crash test dummy, but others like the zombie and nurse are being sold for $20-$30 each! Why is it that some figures from the same series are relatively cheap, while others are the same price as an entire Lego set? I can maybe understand the zombie if people are trying to create a horde, but why the nurse? Is she really that much in demand? It's frustrating since I'll probably never be able to collect the entire series 1 set. I'm just not willing to pay that much for a little piece of plastic.

Man, it's a good thing you don't collect SDCC figs

[Jargo]

Don't pay the big prices. If we want prices to come down the simple answer is to not give in to the people essentially holding the minifigures to ransom. I won't pay any more than £4 on any figure. no matter how much I'd like one. Sellers greed is my biggest peeve. a fair price means I'm far more likely to buy from a seller again and those who put massive asking prices on stuff will not get my custom ever. The more people who boycott over chargers the more sensible prices will become. There will always be those who have more money than sense or just have to have that minifigure first for bragging about in some atrocious youtube video. I'd love Lego to re-release all the harder to come by minifigs and totally devalue the first release. Level the market. Stick one right in the kisser of these scalpers.

[GregD]

Series 1 and 2 had a smaller production than series 3 onwards, and I believe S1 production was a good bit less than S2, so it's really just a case of supply and demand. Even when a zombie goes to auction starting at 0.99 it ends up at about the buy it now price or sometimes a little more.

Would say there are not as many zombies available as there were before so I think they can really only continue to go up. Could be another 50% more expensive in another year at a guess.

Nurse and zombie were the rarer ones from S1 along with wrestler, clown and some others - 5 crash test dummies for every 3 clowns for example in every box. Spartan was rarer in S2, as well as being sought after for armies.

These are a great collection, and just like the early modular buildings can command high prices.

You possibly get more value by buying a complete series 1 set - then individually sell the ones you already have?

[Phyre]

The reason figures like the Zombie and most other Series 1 figures are going for so much is because it was the first series, and LEGO didn't really know how well they would sell, so they didn't produce as many as they have for the later series (once they realized it was such a hit). The zombie was the clear army builder of Series 1, so that combined with the limited quantities of Series 1 out there makes it the most valuable figure. I haven't seen it go for much less than $20 in a while. Later army builder figures, even the Spartan in series 2, have pretty much stabilized around $10-12, which in my opinion is reasonable. I have seven Spartans and was able to get them all for under $10. However, I have not been able to get any Zombies aside from the original three I got from Toys R Us. In fact, of all the figures I've bought on eBay or Bricklink once a series was discontinued, none of them are from Series 1. My advice would be to just wait for a good deal to show up. It happens occasionally, where someone will list one for a better price, you just have to be patient and check constantly.