Custom minifigures

[Seeky]

Apologies if this is in the wrong section..

im thinking of starting to collect custom minifigures but im in two minds..they can be pretty expensive so what makes them cost this much ? 

Are they limited ? 

 

 

[deraven]

What do you mean by "custom" minifigures?  Are you indeed referring to non-Lego-produced minifigs that individuals customize themselves, or do you mean the Lego Collectible Minifigure lines or something?

Custom minifigs can be expensive simply because they take a lot of time and effort to complete (at least the ones that are done well typically do), and people want to be paid for their time and skill.  They are also limited to the number that the creator decides to make, but even if they'll produce one for anyone who asks and don't directly limit the number of a given design, there's still a bottom to the pricing since it's still a custom, individually made product and not something mass-produced on an assembly line in high numbers.

As to starting to collect them: if you like them and they're worth the money to you, go for it.  That's all there is to it.  

[Seeky]

Custom I mean like ‘ug custom’ ‘phoenix custom’ I’ve seen loads more. Very very nice Minifigs that’s what got me thinking I might start collecting. I’m wondering if they use genuine  Lego parts be good to speak to somebody who collects them really.

[Gomek]

As someone who collects customs let me break it down simply into 4 types..

1.Chinese Knock-offs are not made with Lego bricks, and the plasitic is normally very inferior, though there is certainly a range. I've yet to see one that could pass as Lego. You can normally get these for about $1 a figure, up to maybe $6 for someone over-charging a bit.

2.Decal-ed and sticker-ed figures - I'm not sure why anyone would want these, but they do they exist so important to know.

3.UV/ Digitally printed - Digitally printed figures will normally look like they have raised printing. ALSO.. because colors are a CMYK process, if the registration is off they can look blurred. These figures will normally go from $10 to $20 each.

4.Pad Printing is the best. This is what Lego does and is a process where each color is individually printed on the figure. It's a long process and requires creating plates. Also, any videos I've watched on it also make it seem like you must make negatives to make the plates. There are only a very few people doing this and prices fluctuate wildly. The best and most reasonable people doing this (that I know of) are Citizen Brick. They typically charge $15 for a figure which is very reasonable considering the process. While I'm sure they are making figures in a decent volume (I don't what to guess at the exact number) they do go out of print. I've never seen them bring a figure back (with the lone exception of a Walter White variation). Out of print Citizen Brick figures can run you $45 to $200. Also of note is I sometimes see people selling in-print figures for silly prices while they are still available on the citizen brick site for a fraction of the price. Seems like a crappy thing to do, but know that just because someone is asking something doesn't mean it's not available elsewhere for much cheaper.

There are also a few other guys who sell pad printed figures on Ebay. I'm always a little weary of these. If I can get a pad printed figure I really like for $25 or under, I generally think that's a decent price. However I would never bank on them going up in value because most of these guys continue to release figures. One particular guy is still selling figures he was doing 10 years ago, but only a little at a time. I have no issue with this, but people sometimes have bidding wars on a figure, driving them up to $200 plus, and then a few weeks later he'll sell the same figure for $40. Given that I'm on a budget I don't involved in bidding wars, but the ones I get for cheap are great.

I hope that helps.