LEGO Collectable Minifigures Series 6 Discussion

[mo123567]

Remember, the target market for these is still overwhelmingly made up of kids, not AFOLs, and children are likely to have very different ideas about what minifigures are most desirable. Most kids probably don't have any reasonable hope or expectation of army-building, either; indeed, I suspect the average kid buying these gets only a couple. If you were a ten-year-old getting just a few minifigures out of a given series, would historical army-builders be your first choice?

I really doubt that's it. TLG has no reason to care whether a given figure is slightly more rare than others (if they really wanted one to be rare, they'd have just one per box, or even one per case or fewer, as is common with other blind-boxed toys, trading cards, etc.; three in a box isn't really "rare" at all). I think they're just marketing their toys to children, rather than AFOLs, and skewing the box mixes accordingly (that is, I think they're trying to balance the overall supply so that it matches the overall demand well, with their predictions of what the demand will be coming from their research into what kids and maybe a few AFOLs want). Heck, this could even be an "early" box, and the proportions might be tweaked a little at some point during the production run, so that "later" boxes might have more Romans and less of something else (as has apparently happened a couple times with previous series).

Yes, this is the tip-off - no one would ever have considered AFOLs to be nerds otherwise...

(But seriously, that's some very cool and impressive work some of you have done with your statistics. Bravo! )

I don't know. Three spartans, three elves, three gladiators, and three Romans. I bet we can count on three Space marines. It seems to me that every time they release something that seems really popular, among the AFOL community at least, it has a smaller distribution. I agree that most kids probably aren't army builders for various reasons but a lot of them (especially ones interested in the CM line) are definitely collectors so any minifig with a reduced count will make it harder for them to get them all.

I know the AFOL market may be a small part of LEGOs market overall but I wonder how big the AFOL market is to the collectible minifig line specifically? Due to the large amounts of multiples and complete cases that AFOLs buy, I would think that the AFOL part of the market for the CM line is larger than it's portion of the entire LEGO market, especially when you include duplo and other such things.

I do suspect that LEGO intentionally limits the (projected) most popular figs to increase overall sales but I'm happy that they haven't taken this marketing technique too far. Three per box is still not too bad when they could have one per box or even one in every three boxes etc...

Of course, all this is speculation since I do not have access to LEGOs sales numbers, market research data, or marketing plans.

Edited December 20, 2011 by mo123567

[Roger Rabbit]

Picked up seven from WHS today for only £8.93, although they were behind the counter, so I didn't get to find specific ones.. despite only coming out of one box, I managed to get all three surgeons.. plus an additional Lady Liberty (which I've used as a fancy dress costume) plus a Celtic Warrior, Bandit and Skater Girl. Only seven more to go now..

[RubeusHagrid]

Picked up seven from WHS today for only £8.93, although they were behind the counter, so I didn't get to find specific ones.. despite only coming out of one box, I managed to get all three surgeons.. plus an additional Lady Liberty (which I've used as a fancy dress costume) plus a Celtic Warrior, Bandit and Skater Girl. Only seven more to go now..

How did you get them for that?

Anyone outside the UK who can't wait, I can get them for you at 2.15 GBP each (so it's worth it to me) + shipping. (That's sealed - or I can open them and sell depending on figure - PayPal in advance)

I managed to pick up 4 today, and got the:

Roman (shield is much smaller than I thought)

Genie (turban is a very strange purple - not normal LEGO purple)

Butcher (great figure!)

Statue of Liberty (nothing much to say)

[Ardelon]

I'm glad to see science put in the service of something as useful and noble as LEGO.

Remember, the target market for these is still overwhelmingly made up of kids, not AFOLs, and children are likely to have very different ideas about what minifigures are most desirable. Most kids probably don't have any reasonable hope or expectation of army-building, either; indeed, I suspect the average kid buying these gets only a couple. If you were a ten-year-old getting just a few minifigures out of a given series, would historical army-builders be your first choice?

I personally would go for the the history figs, as I've always been a history junkie. Otherwise though, good point.

[surrideo]

How did you get them for that?

There is a voucher that was given out last week, Im guessing he used that?

Just saw a battered series 6 sleepyhead on the tracks at Hillhead Underground in Glasgow. Last time the UK gets anything first

[Watchman]

WHSmith on Argyle Street Glasgow has min 3 boxes (they only had one out, but after 15 minutes of feeling my way through packets the manager brought out two more boxes - what a nice man, full of Christmas goodwill) - though as I bought 50 (fifty) minfigs (one each for my 2 kids plus a few for myself) yesterday stocks a little depleted now ... ! including total of 10 roman soldiers, 5 minotaurs, 4 leprachauns ... !)

roll on series 7 !

[surrideo]

WHSmith on Argyle Street Glasgow has min 3 boxes (they only had one out, but after 15 minutes of feeling my way through packets the manager brought out two more boxes - what a nice man, full of Christmas goodwill) - though as I bought 50 (fifty) minfigs (one each for my 2 kids plus a few for myself) yesterday stocks a little depleted now ... ! including total of 10 roman soldiers, 5 minotaurs, 4 leprachauns ... !)

roll on series 7 !

Damn it! Argyll St WH Smith is obviously much more lenient than Sauchiehall. In saying that the girl that works there had a 12 from 15 packs no doubles hit rate in there. Glad Im not an army builder of Romans in Glasgow lol

Edited December 20, 2011 by surrideo

[JackJonespaw]

Man, I wish my local Toys R Us had any......instead, they have no collectable minifigures at all!

[Blondie-Wan]

I don't know. Three spartans, three elves, three gladiators, and three Romans. I bet we can count on three Space marines. It seems to me that every time they release something that seems really popular, among the AFOL community at least, it has a smaller distribution. I agree that most kids probably aren't army builders for various reasons but a lot of them (especially ones interested in the CM line) are definitely collectors so any minifig with a reduced count will make it harder for them to get them all.

I know the AFOL market may be a small part of LEGOs market overall but I wonder how big the AFOL market is to the collectible minifig line specifically? Due to the large amounts of multiples and complete cases that AFOLs buy, I would think that the AFOL part of the market for the CM line is larger than it's portion of the entire LEGO market, especially when you include duplo and other such things.

I do suspect that LEGO intentionally limits the (projected) most popular figs to increase overall sales but I'm happy that they haven't taken this marketing technique too far. Three per box is still not too bad when they could have one per box or even one in every three boxes etc...

Of course, all this is speculation since I do not have access to LEGOs sales numbers, market research data, or marketing plans.

While I suspect you're right about these minifigures selling disproportionately large numbers to AFOLs when compared to LEGO products in general, I still somehow doubt the numbers skew that way heavily enough that TLG is considering AFOLs first and foremost. Moreover, I don't think the idea of them intentionally limiting the numbers of the most-wanted figures makes any sense - how would that help them sell more? If anything, it might help them sell fewer, since if the figures sell disproportionately well to AFOLs rather than kids and AFOLs mainly want army builders and not "individual characters," the three or six army builder figures in a 60 figure box could be expected to go instantly, while the others would tend to sit around since there are disproportionately more of them than needed for the demand. The only way it might sell more or sell them more quickly would be if the army builders were buying all their figures blind in hopes of getting the ones they want scads of, and I doubt many army-building AFOLs are really buying hundreds of random minifigures in order to get a few dozen of the ones they want. I believe most army builders feel the packets or use other methods to cherry-pick, and I'm sure TLG is aware of that.

To me, it really makes more sense that TLG is simply still targeting kids, even if we AFOLs love the minifigures. I'm still seeing these things sold in stores mostly to kids, or to parents shopping for their kids, even while I do see a few sold to adults (including myself). And the kids I see going after these don't appear to be principally interested in the army builders; they mostly seem to want individual figures that appeal to whatever their individual tastes are (two days ago at LLFL, my girlfriend and I helped a dad get a snowboarder and a boxer for his son, who wanted those two specific figures). Yes, I know anecdotes don't equal data, but everything I see bears out the idea that it's still traditional LEGO fans (i.e., kids) who get most of these (at least, most of these from Series 3 on ), and that they just aren't into army-building the way so many adults seem to be.

[Roger Rabbit]

How did you get them for that?

Not sure if I'm allowed to post a link to a voucher, but someone one Bricklink posted this:

WHSmith Vouchers

And use the toy one to get a discount, as far as I know you can print out as many as you want..

If I wasn't meant to post this, feel free to delete it and I apologise in advance.

[GuntherThePenguin]

Man, I wish my local Toys R Us had any......instead, they have no collectable minifigures at all!

Same with my TRU! No CMFs at all of any series!

[vexorian]

If I were to bet, I would say that the main reason for the differences in random distribution is price. Some figures seem more expensive than others. In that regards, it seems the Roman has more new molds than many of the figures in this series.

As an example, consider series 3. I doubt AFOLs really intended to army build the Fisher man, yet TLG chose to make him very rare. I'd say it was because he so far has the largest rope in any CMF series, and he was probably more expensive than average to produce.

In this series' case, the minotaur does not even need a minifig head, then the celt only comes with a sword and a hair piece and the bandit does not really have new molds, only new colors and prints. So I guess it makes sense they are less rare than the others.

The Spartan, the Elf and the Gladiator all were full of new molds.

Edited December 21, 2011 by vexorian

[Danthebrick]

I bought 2 packs from my local Tesco who had loads - I tried to feel the packs to find the figs I wanted - primarily the Roman and Statue of Liberty but failed miserably to get the figs I wanted - getting the female space cadet and scater girl - however my technique did discover something I have never come across - my scater girl pack had 2 complete figures in! Weird!

[Zeya]

my scater girl pack had 2 complete figures in! Weird!

<--- Jealous!

[Watchman]

I bought 2 packs from my local Tesco who had loads - I tried to feel the packs to find the figs I wanted - primarily the Roman and Statue of Liberty but failed miserably to get the figs I wanted - getting the female space cadet and scater girl - however my technique did discover something I have never come across - my scater girl pack had 2 complete figures in! Weird!

Having felt my way through way too many packs - for the Roman Soldier feel for the spear (it is the only Series 6 CMF with such a long piece) or the shield (as it is slightly curved with a stud in the centre of it and a handle on the reverse). Liberty - fel for the 2x2x2 wedge that is her "legs" - this only appears in 2 of the Series 6 CMFs (Spanish dancer is the other one) and then check for the "tablet" (1x2 tile) liberty os holding, or her "torch" or spikey headpiece (as the Spanish Dancer has a bun in her hair and a very distinctive fan).

Once your thumb and forefingers have toughened up you'll be ripe for Series 7 !

:)

Happy feeling !

[Ardelon]

I remember someone asking what color the are the lips on the space girl. It does seem to be different from pic to pic. Any definitive words on this from those who alreay got the fig?

[SilentMode]

I remember someone asking what color the are the lips on the space girl. It does seem to be different from pic to pic. Any definitive words on this from those who alreay got the fig?

They're silver! That's why they seem to change.

[andhe]

^Yeah I only realised when I looked closely, despite having the figure! Thought they were blue/purple but the silver is cool. Picked up this figure by accident, but I it's actually really nice, and fits well with the previous S1 Spaceman and S3 Blacktron baddie. It would even work well as a pink ADU soldier alongside the blue chaps.

I think this is probably the best series for figures that have multiple uses. Despite not being too keen on figs like the sleepyhead (I think he has a stupid face, both of them!) the pyjamas would be great for hospital patients, and the hair and bear are great parts.

Just the mechanic, celtic warrior and surgeon left to get... :D

Also in response to someone who had mentioned about the frequency or certain figures being related to the cost of their new moulds, I would have thought if they made new moulds they would make MORE not less of the figure as once the mould is made you want to maximise the use of it? But an interesting theory (though I still think they limit the ones they think will be more popular, as you then buy more in an attempt to get the 'rare' one. Assuming you're justing buying randomly, and not feeling).

:D

Edited December 23, 2011 by andhe

[Wardancer]

Are there any sightings in Germany already?

[Roger Rabbit]

Completed my collection today!!

[mo123567]

Also in response to someone who had mentioned about the frequency or certain figures being related to the cost of their new moulds, I would have thought if they made new moulds they would make MORE not less of the figure as once the mould is made you want to maximise the use of it? But an interesting theory (though I still think they limit the ones they think will be more popular, as you then buy more in an attempt to get the 'rare' one. Assuming you're justing buying randomly, and not feeling).

:D

I agree. I would think the cost of a new mold would be up front. After that, they can mold away till their heart's content. It is possible that the amount of plastic has something to do with it but I would think that the cost of plastic is negligible compared to factory/distribution costs. Once again, I really don't know the business that well so I am only speculating, but I still think the minifig distribution in each box has to do mostly with popularity/marketing.

edit: I think I remember hearing something about it being expensive to set up a mold in the molding machinery so once it is set up, they want to mold a lot to justify the set up costs.

Edited December 23, 2011 by mo123567

[Danthebrick]

Having felt my way through way too many packs - for the Roman Soldier feel for the spear (it is the only Series 6 CMF with such a long piece) or the shield (as it is slightly curved with a stud in the centre of it and a handle on the reverse). Liberty - fel for the 2x2x2 wedge that is her "legs" - this only appears in 2 of the Series 6 CMFs (Spanish dancer is the other one) and then check for the "tablet" (1x2 tile) liberty os holding, or her "torch" or spikey headpiece (as the Spanish Dancer has a bun in her hair and a very distinctive fan).

Once your thumb and forefingers have toughened up you'll be ripe for Series 7 !

:)

Happy feeling !

cheers Watchman - got the figures I wanted after second feeling event - I felt really dodgy standing in the supermarket feeling packets for ten minutes but worth it now! Didn't find anymore with 2 figures in a packet though.

[vaders_child]

I bought a full sealed box of S6 from Tesco in the UK, i did a box break and ratio count on my youtube channel plus a review of all 16.

For review of full set of 16 S6

For sealed box of S6 box break and ratio count

Hope you dont mind me posting links so early in my post count

Edited December 24, 2011 by vaders_child

[legomaniac83]

I've made a Series 6 Roll-out map. Please add to it when you find the figs in your local store!

http://maps.google.ca/maps/ms?msa=0&msid=217429008578443841290.0004b4dda101c21c70a94

[GRogall]

For those who are still waiting for the series 6 figures to role out.

Here is a nice Super Ultra HR image of the figures to drool over!

But Warning picture is 10000 x 6000 pxl.

Don't blame me

Enjoy!

Edited December 30, 2011 by grogall