LEGO Collectable Minifigures Series 3 discussion

[AmperZand]

I just came back from the Westfield, London shop.

They had the minifigs series 3 but were selling fast. I managed to get almost all the ones I wanted (elf, samurai, gorilla, sumo, fisherman, mummy) plus a few I didn't.

They're open until 6.00pm today (Christmas eve). Phone: 0208 749 1059

Hope that helps,

Amps

[fred67]

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.

When did they state this? Sounds like forum conjecture to me. Even so, that last statement is absolute and complete, utter GARBAGE. TLG is a profit driven company, they wouldn't sell here if they weren't making a profit. Unless you don't know what the word "subsidized" means, you'd understand why that statement is false - as long as TLG makes a profit in the U.S., there's no "subsidy" from anywhere else... and I might add that even with a lower profit margin, TLG still makes more money here on volume than probably anywhere else, so I'm not going to feel guilty about paying less.

And I'll say it again... at least half the price premium, if not more, is due to taxes/tarrifs in other countries. Some may be visible, like VAT, but the retail price contains "your share" of the company's taxes they have to pay to operate within your country, including the business/corporate taxes the retail outlet pays, the shipping company pays... everyone along the line of production is charging YOU for their taxes.

[Brickdoctor]

Don't know if anybody's seen this, but FBTB posted a new and improved cheat sheet for S3:

Edited December 25, 2010 by Brickdoctor

[Iysk]

Does anyone know how much a Lego store carries of this? A box or two I'm guessing

[Brickdoctor]

Does anyone know how much a Lego store carries of this? A box or two I'm guessing

For S2 I think it was around five boxes in each shipment.

[escortmad79]

Anyone in the UK managed to pick these up from Lego stores yet & if so can you confirm that the dots are in the same places?

[AmperZand]

Anyone in the UK managed to pick these up from Lego stores yet & if so can you confirm that the dots are in the same places?

In answer to whether these are available from UK Lego stores, see above.

The dots are in the same place as in the US.

Amps

[Bruce]

I was just at the Valley Fair Lego Store in Santa Clara, CA. They put out Series 3 Minifigs just after I got there. They had dumped two boxes in a tray and put them on a shelf. You are limited to 16 figs a day. They are $2.99.

[Iysk]

Wait, they're out now? Does anyone know of the ratio for each (IIRC, some are in 3s in each b ox while others have 5)? And going to a Lego store, do they give you a funny look if you feel the bag, or pull out the chart for the dots/barcodes?

[Geki Brick]

Are Series 3 technically not out like Hero Factory 2.0 and TRU just happened to pay TLG extra to have them on their shelves before Jan 1st? I saw the Ice Dragon Ninjago set before Christmas! Back on topic, is Series 3 technically out already or no? My local TRU just had one box, and when I went today, they had only 1 pack left (it was the sumo, thanks cheat sheet).

[escortmad79]

Wait, they're out now? Does anyone know of the ratio for each (IIRC, some are in 3s in each b ox while others have 5)? And going to a Lego store, do they give you a funny look if you feel the bag, or pull out the chart for the dots/barcodes?

They're not due for official release for another few days

This thread should answer your question regarding ratio

http://www.eurobricks.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=50063&pid=886429&st=0entry886429

Depends on what store you go to with regard to the funny looks

[Darth Jar Jar]

According to brickset they have changed the amount of fisherman per box to 4!

[SilentMode]

According to brickset they have changed the amount of fisherman per box to 4!

If that's the case, what got sacrificed?

[buddy]

According to brickset they have changed the amount of fisherman per box to 4!

I saw this on there too, I hope that it is true, because having 4 fisherman in a box instead of 2 is brilliant (the fisherman is my favourite minifig in S3). What makes it even better is that there are now 3 aliens in a box (I never really liked the alien much).

~buddy~

Edited December 28, 2010 by buddy

[Geki Brick]

Great. Can't wait for new stock to arrive at TRU.

[fred67]

For the first time I've personally ever seen, my local LEGO store is selling items early. My big prize today was Diagon Alley, but my son and I felt through a few dozen series 3 figures... got an Elf and a Samurai, and grabbed a handful (5) others. My son got an Elf and Samurai also.

The truly random ones I got were... another Elf(!), a fisherman, tennis player, ape suit guy, and mummy... gave the mummy to my son, the ape suit guy to my daughter.

I had a great experience at the store, though... a woman was there with her two young daughters and they were trying to figure out which ones were the "girl" ones, so we were all standing there feeling the packages trying to figure out what they were. The mom was telling me it was hard for them to trade because they were girls and didn't know many (any, actually) other girls that were "into" LEGO. Once we were back in the mall, my wife went to the Disney store and my son and I sat on a bench and looked at what we got... I ran back to the store to see if they were still there to trade the tennis player for ... pretty much anything. Not that I don't want the tennis player, but I'm sure I'll get another, and it really made them happy.

[peterab]

When did they state this? Sounds like forum conjecture to me. Even so, that last statement is absolute and complete, utter GARBAGE. TLG is a profit driven company, they wouldn't sell here if they weren't making a profit. Unless you don't know what the word "subsidized" means, you'd understand why that statement is false - as long as TLG makes a profit in the U.S., there's no "subsidy" from anywhere else... and I might add that even with a lower profit margin, TLG still makes more money here on volume than probably anywhere else, so I'm not going to feel guilty about paying less.

And I'll say it again... at least half the price premium, if not more, is due to taxes/tarrifs in other countries. Some may be visible, like VAT, but the retail price contains "your share" of the company's taxes they have to pay to operate within your country, including the business/corporate taxes the retail outlet pays, the shipping company pays... everyone along the line of production is charging YOU for their taxes.

Mads Nipper of LEGO’s Corporate Management in this statement implies heavily that the European market is being used to subsidize the US. I believe they hoped the low US dollar would be temporary, but now are forced to raise US prices to bring the subsidy to an end since your dollar hasn't rebounded yet.

Your tax argument is fatally flawed I think, since our prices are about double yours in most cases. Since LEGO isn't manufactured either in the US or Australia (currently Denmark, Mexico, China & Czech republic and maybe Poland and Hungary too still) the cost of the production chain will be the same regardless of taxes, that leaves just shipping and retail, and for most big box stores that's the same step so only one lot of taxes. Oh and in case you wish to dismiss this as an incomplete understanding because it is simplified (though not I believe in any relevant way), I'll just add I worked at our tax department for some years dealing with group tax (collection of employee tax though company wage deductions) so have a reasonable understanding of taxes payed by companies in Australia.

What is more likely to cause a cost difference is scale of the market, though frankly given that while we are a much smaller market, 90% of Australians live in one of a handful of large cities mostly along the east coast, our shipping should be way more efficient that covering all of small town America.

Which leads us back to statements by TLG that the pricing model in each market is based on the prices of a whole raft of consumer products, i.e. they charge what a market will bear. Perhaps the fact you complain about prices that are cheaper than the rest of the world pays is part of the answer. I don't want you to feel guilty about US prices, I don't when I shop from US bricklink stores, in fact I shop from the US when I can to put downward price pressure on my local prices.

[fred67]

Mads Nipper of LEGO’s Corporate Management in this statement implies heavily that the European market is being used to subsidize the US. I believe they hoped the low US dollar would be temporary, but now are forced to raise US prices to bring the subsidy to an end since your dollar hasn't rebounded yet.

As I said, I'm pretty sure that TLG makes more profit in the U.S. than any other market. That's profit, not profit margin... the margin might be quite a bit lower. That being the case, nobody is "subsidizing" U.S. LEGO sets... if he actually used that term, it was used incorrectly.

Your tax argument is fatally flawed I think,

I wasn't simply referring to income taxes, but corporate and import taxes. VAT and other taxes go on top of that, and income taxes do count - once that shipment hits the shores of any country (after import taxes have been paid), income taxes come into play every other step of the way, as well as other corporate and sometimes "matching" taxes (for example, employers here "match" our social security and medicare taxes... but as far as the company is concerned, they are passing along the entire cost to the consumer of their products or services).

[Iysk]

They're not due for official release for another few days

This thread should answer your question regarding ratio

http://www.eurobricks.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=50063&pid=886429&st=0entry886429

Depends on what store you go to with regard to the funny looks

Thank you, glad to know that the ones I want (*Samurai/Any female/Rapper/Indian/Baseball player) aren't to hard to find. (At least not the samurai, who I want the most).

OT: I'm 19, will I draw looks at a lego store? I've never been to one yet...

[def]

As I said, I'm pretty sure that TLG makes more profit in the U.S. than any other market. That's profit, not profit margin... the margin might be quite a bit lower. That being the case, nobody is "subsidizing" U.S. LEGO sets... if he actually used that term, it was used incorrectly.

"Sounds like forum conjecture to me. "

[Sandy]

I just bought all 16 from Bricklink - easy peasy! I'm sure they'll come to my local stores eventually, but this saves me the trouble of spending awkwardly long time at the LEGO shelf feeling each bag.

[mathias]

Hey, fred67. I'm just gonna state the obvious here

(like you did a few posts earlier), if you dislike the

prices - don't buy. Surely lots of consumers will be

happy to buy the figs instead of you. And yes, I am

getting slightly tired of the "overprized" argument

being thrown around everywhere. And no, to continue

along the obvious lines: I don't read the posts, it's

just plain boring to scroll.

[Henchmen4Hire]

OT: I'm 19, will I draw looks at a lego store? I've never been to one yet...

Lol, I'm 24 with a beard, you'll be fine xD

I was at TRU with my friend fumbling around with series 3 packages to feel what was in them and this lady with a totally puzzled look on her face asks us what the hell we were doing, my friend staring off into space squeezing packets and me looking like I was feeling around for gold.

My friend said we were looking for elves and the lady just got more confused xD

Edited December 29, 2010 by DrNightmare

[AmperZand]

I was at TRU with my friend fumbling around with series 3 packages to feel what was in them and this lady with a totally puzzled look on her face asks us what the hell we were doing, my friend staring off into space squeezing packets and me looking like I was feeling around for gold.

My friend said we were looking for elves and the lady just got more confused xD

LOL! Thank you for that. You've made my day.

[Joebot]

OT: I'm 19, will I draw looks at a lego store? I've never been to one yet...

At a Lego Store? Probably not. I'm 37, and for series 1 and 2, I spent half an hour feeling bags (man, that sounds dirty) in the Lego Store in Schaumburg, IL. The staff there are awesome. I was chatting with them the whole time, and they didn't care one bit that I had my cheatsheet with me.

At a big box retail store, you might have a different experience, since the employees there aren't usually so friendly and knowledgeable.