LEGO Collectable Minifigures Series 3 discussion

[fred67]

Well... I found myself at TRU this morning (buying a Littlest Pet Shop set for my daughter), and found the series 3 figures.

For those in the area: Gwinnett Place TRU.

$4.00.

And I don't know the bumps... but they had two nearly full boxes, so I felt my way to an elf and a tribal chief, two of the ones I wanted extras of (specifically the elf, of course). The bow and arrow were the telltale item for the elf; the headdress for the Native American chief.... so I figured, against my better judgement, that I'd go for it. I mean, the elves are going for $10 on bricklink.

I know I'll be able to get them in January for list, but I was also excited that I found them at all... it was the absolute first time I've seen the collectibles (from ANY series) in a brick and mortar store besides TLS.

[SilentMode]

I've bought a few figures on BL already (mainly gorillas). Some sealed boxes of S3 figures have started to show up on there recently, but I have to force myself to be patient and wait for them to come out over here.

[r4-g9]

they have hit walmart usa!

http://toysnbricks.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=36&t=1981

they are $2.97...

[CorneliusMurdock]

they have hit walmart usa!

http://toysnbricks.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=36&t=1981

they are $2.97...

A reply in your link also said that the minifig distribution may be different. Hooray for more than two fisherman, if true!

[legomaniac83]

they have hit walmart usa!

http://toysnbricks.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=36&t=1981

they are $2.97...

One step closer to them in Canada, and one step closer to an empty wallet

[Mrlegoninja]

they have hit walmart usa!

http://toysnbricks.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=36&t=1981

they are $2.97...

Hopefully they will show up on Walmart's site.

[r4-g9]

noooooo

LEGOLAND California has many, many boxes of 2 and 3. They also have a trading program.

Series 3 is 3 dollars, series 2 is 2 dollars

from here:

http://toysnbricks.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=36&t=1134&start=320

[Joebot]

Series 3 is 3 dollars, series 2 is 2 dollars

Dang. Not too surprising though. $2 was actually a pretty good deal. The make-your-own-figs that they have in Lego Stores cost $10 for a set of 3.

[meyerc13]

Spotted tonight at the Grand Chute WI Wal Mart, $2.97. Picked up the Hula Dancer and Cyborg using a combination of looking at the dots and feeling the packages. There's only one more I want - the pilot... but since nobody else seems to want him I was in no rush to continue looking through 30+ packages to find him.

[Stacy_ToT-LUG]

That is excellent news - thanks for the update meyerc13! We've been waiting for them to show up at Walmart and Target in the Wisconsin/Minnesota area, especially since the local TRU has a limit of two packs per family, per day

~Stacy

[AmperZand]

Don't know if this has been done yet, but this set would make a perfect stand for the gorilla suit guy. You could have him holding the needle at the top. I realise that the minifig would be completely out of scale but it would be fun anyway.

Amps

[fred67]

Dang. Not too surprising though. $2 was actually a pretty good deal. The make-your-own-figs that they have in Lego Stores cost $10 for a set of 3.

Except you know what you're getting with the build-a-minifigure deal.

If they're going to charge more then we should know what we're getting. I don't think we should just let them have it both ways.

[peterab]

Except you know what you're getting with the build-a-minifigure deal.

If they're going to charge more then we should know what we're getting. I don't think we should just let them have it both ways.

I've had a theory for a long time to explain why the US missed out on the Pirate and Castle advent calenders and certain impulse packs. We know printed minifigs are the most expensive part to create, so it follows that the margins on sets with lots of them are lowest if the set is priced similar to others (from a price per part view). The US has the cheapest LEGO prices worldwide, so they are most likely to miss out on the sets with the lowest margins.

This would explain why there were limited Series 1 released in the US, and why now the demand is established the later series have had a price rise in the US.

Everywhere else in the world has blind packages and similar prices to the new US price. Australia was paying more than double the US price while our dollar was briefly worth more than yours. The US shouldn't get it all three ways; cheap prices, non blind packaging and wide distribution.

[fred67]

The US shouldn't get it all three ways; cheap prices, non blind packaging and wide distribution.

I guess the problem is I don't care what you pay in Australia.

Not to be a complete jerk about it (too late, right?), but if you're not happy with the prices, then don't pay it. If you don't think the price you're paying is worth buying items blind, then instead of arguing with me about it, you should also be complaining that you're paying to much.

Frankly, and I don't know what the tax structure is elsewhere, I'd bet a lot of the premiums people pay outside the U.S. come from taxes - and not just the visible ones you know you are paying, but the corporate and import taxes that you don't see first hand because they're built into the price of the item.

So, OK, honestly, I am interested in TLG's price structure around the world, and I know we get a good deal in the U.S., but it doesn't make a 50% price increase an easier pill to swallow, and it doesn't mean we're supposed to hold hands and dance just because we still pay less than somewhere else.

[CorneliusMurdock]

They're on the Shop at Home website now! But they say they will be available Jan 1st. Limit 16.

Edited December 22, 2010 by CorneliusMurdock

[Darth Jar Jar]

Meijer has them for $1.99 according to toysnbricks so this means that the retail price should be $1.99 but S@H has them for $2.99

Edited December 22, 2010 by Darth Jar Jar

[escortmad79]

Meijer has them for $1.99 according to toysnbricks so this means that the retail price should be $1.99 but S@H has them for $2.99

Maybe Meijer are going with the prices of the first 2 series & not read the MRRP for Series 3 which has been increased! Get them quick before they realise their mistake!

[Ravenclaw2010]

Found this:

Don't know if it's already been posted or not.

[autobrick]

I've had a theory for a long time to explain why the US missed out on the Pirate and Castle advent calenders and certain impulse packs. We know printed minifigs are the most expensive part to create, so it follows that the margins on sets with lots of them are lowest if the set is priced similar to others (from a price per part view). The US has the cheapest LEGO prices worldwide, so they are most likely to miss out on the sets with the lowest margins.

This would explain why there were limited Series 1 released in the US, and why now the demand is established the later series have had a price rise in the US.

Interesting theory, although I wonder why they would intentionally decrease their margins for the first two (and a bit of the third) series with a lower MSRP. I suppose they wanted to 'hook' American consumers before jacking up the price for the later series? However, your theory doesn't seem to hold through for some of the Target exclusive polybags (especially the ones with the minifigs), which rarely come to Canada.

I guess the problem is I don't care what you pay in Australia.

Not to be a complete jerk about it (too late, right?), but if you're not happy with the prices, then don't pay it. If you don't think the price you're paying is worth buying items blind, then instead of arguing with me about it, you should also be complaining that you're paying to much.

Frankly, and I don't know what the tax structure is elsewhere, I'd bet a lot of the premiums people pay outside the U.S. come from taxes - and not just the visible ones you know you are paying, but the corporate and import taxes that you don't see first hand because they're built into the price of the item.

So, OK, honestly, I am interested in TLG's price structure around the world, and I know we get a good deal in the U.S., but it doesn't make a 50% price increase an easier pill to swallow, and it doesn't mean we're supposed to hold hands and dance just because we still pay less than somewhere else.

No offence, but it sounds like you've been spoiled by the cheap Lego prices in the US. Paying 2.99 USD to me sounds fairly reasonable and is more in line with the rest of the word. Consider the prices in the rest of the world; Canada: 2.99 CAD (2.95 USD) , Denmark: 19.95 DKK (3.50 USD; I know they're made in China), United Kingdom: 1.99 (3.06 USD), Australia: 3.99 AUD (3.99 USD; poor guys!).

If you want some idea of the price structure in the rest of the world, just add 20%-50% (or even more, in some cases) to the US MSRP. For example, the Grand Emporium is 149.99 USD, but in Canada it is 199.99 CAD (196.17USD), and in Denmark, the birthplace of Lego, it is 1399 DKK (245.70 USD!). Sure, there may be VAT, other taxes, duties, etc, but there is no denying that Lego is significantly cheaper in the US. You guys have it good, so hearing you whine about a $1 increase (oh, the horror! ) is kind of annoying to be honest.

Found this:

Don't know if it's already been posted or not.

Hmm... anybody get this to work?

[meyerc13]

Personally, I don't mind paying $2.99 for these if that is the new MSRP. However, I didn't like paying $2.99 when the MSRP was $1.99. Likewise, I won't pay the $3.99 that TRU is currently trying to get for these.

[fred67]

No offence, but it sounds like you've been spoiled by the cheap Lego prices in the US.

None taken. But instead of telling me I should feel lucky, the people in other countries ought to be asking TLG why they are paying so much, instead.

I don't really see why I should feel better because others have it worse... that makes little sense to me. I want us all to have it better.

The simple fact is that it must have to do with supply, demand (thus the price increase), but also more lucrative markets... I'm not going to apologize for TLG making a lot of money in the U.S., and therefore keeping prices lower here than elsewhere... I'll keep whining and complaining when they raise their prices, though, because I want it to stay that way or, at least, I'd rather prices around the globe come down instead of the prices here going up if you insist on equity.

[angel1802]

Didn't know they were releasing them earlier... Got the chance to see 3 boxes of the serie 3 in Rip R Us... It took me forever to get the hang of the code !! Seriously i was noticing dots everywhere

So i ended up with 3 double...

So i returned them and finally found two of the three that i was missing !! I couldn't find the Hula dancer... So here's my call, if somebody out there has a double, i have a double of the pilot i think, or the zombie from serie 1 if that interest somebody (who knows...). I'd really like to have them all so an exchange would be good.

PS : $4 at TrU is a a bit exagerated !! Thank go they had a promo buy one get one 50% off... So it brings the price down to $3 each !

[fred67]

PS : $4 at TrU is a a bit exagerated !! Thank go they had a promo buy one get one 50% off... So it brings the price down to $3 each !

Yup... makes me want to go back, but I have little free time even now that I'm off work for the rest of the year...

I managed to feel my way to an Elf and a Tribal Chief, two the "must haves" on my list, but I'm afraid if I go back now the boxes will be all but picked over and only dregs left.

I did feel my way through what was obviously tons of spacemen and alien guys... they both have short (L3, I think) bars, and are the only ones with that piece. I think I could pretty much determine anything at this point by feeling.

[peterab]

Interesting theory, although I wonder why they would intentionally decrease their margins for the first two (and a bit of the third) series with a lower MSRP. I suppose they wanted to 'hook' American consumers before jacking up the price for the later series? However, your theory doesn't seem to hold through for some of the Target exclusive polybags (especially the ones with the minifigs), which rarely come to Canada.

Most of the polybags have more common torso prints on them, perhaps the bigger production means the margins become better. Polybags rarely come to Australia either. Not only that polybags are often associated with promotional activity, and in your example exclusives, which means the price the retailer pays is higher because of the smaller run and exclusivity. Often they are given away free, so the pricing model isn't a regular retail one but how much promotional budget there is to spend.

I think the limited S1 & S2 distribution in the states explains why they went with the lower margins. Perhaps they were looking at the initial US distribution as a loss leader to establish the popularity of the figs with the large chains. Part of the explaination of the limited supply was the chains didn't order many. By the time people were complaining that they couldn't find series 1 production for series 2 had already been finished, and I guess that was based on low earlier pre-orders from the retailers. Once they flew off the shelves TLG must have decided that to make the whole thing profitable in the US, the RRP needed to be higher.

None taken. But instead of telling me I should feel lucky, the people in other countries ought to be asking TLG why they are paying so much, instead.

We know why, TLG have stated in the past that a) they charge what each market will bear, and b) due to the global financial crises they had deliberately decided to keep prices lower in the US. Which amounts to the rest of the world subsidizing the US market.

[Henchmen4Hire]

We know why, TLG have stated in the past that ... due to the global financial crises they had deliberately decided to keep prices lower in the US. Which amounts to the rest of the world subsidizing the US market.

Bless our corrupt U.S. big business owners and politicians!