LEGO Store "Build a Minifigure"

[Renny The Spaceman]

On 8/25/2024 at 9:37 AM, Black Falcon said:

Well, and given there are quite some classic space fans working at Lego, I would bet that we will get the helmet and airtanks sneaked in some sets as they did with the purple one.

At this point I think everyone here knows to some extent that's what they're going to do eventually, I think what @Clone OPatra is getting at though is that many LEGO fans are sick of this method where we get one part for a figure in a random place for a limited release product then years later we get the other parts we're missing in an expensive set completely unrelated to CS. It's an annoying pattern that makes it super obnoxious to collect the figure and often makes it way too expensive to properly integrate a group them into a CS moc or display. If you're gonna make a highly desirable minifigure hard to get do us the favour of just having us need to go to one place to get it, imagine if instead of them putting Commander Cody in a regular set they put his helmet in a UCS, torso in a CMF and legs in a LEGO store exclusive set. It's just kinda irritating seeing them do a new CS colour at this point because they won't just let us buy one thing we don't want to get them , you gotta go on a scavenger hunt or wait until the whole figure is buildable and by then the torso alone is like 20 quid

[Horation]

3 hours ago, Renny The Spaceman said:

I think what @Clone OPatra is getting at though is that many LEGO fans are sick of this method where we get one part for a figure in a random place for a limited release product then years later we get the other parts we're missing in an expensive set completely unrelated to CS. It's an annoying pattern that makes it super obnoxious to collect the figure and often makes it way too expensive to properly integrate a group them into a CS moc or display.

I think this is because they aren't trying to make the whole figure in an intentional manner, they are mostly adding those parts as fun references for adults in sets which are often still targeted at kids (ex : a collectible minifig's torso, then a motorcyclist's helmet, then a scuba diver's tanks, etc...) the designers aren't trying to make some highly desirable minifigure hard to get, they're just adding variety in the parts they use, I mean sure its annoying if you are collecting those, but it isn't intentional.

[Black Falcon]

7 hours ago, Renny The Spaceman said:

At this point I think everyone here knows to some extent that's what they're going to do eventually, I think what @Clone OPatra is getting at though is that many LEGO fans are sick of this method where we get one part for a figure in a random place for a limited release product then years later we get the other parts we're missing in an expensive set completely unrelated to CS. It's an annoying pattern that makes it super obnoxious to collect the figure and often makes it way too expensive to properly integrate a group them into a CS moc or display. If you're gonna make a highly desirable minifigure hard to get do us the favour of just having us need to go to one place to get it, imagine if instead of them putting Commander Cody in a regular set they put his helmet in a UCS, torso in a CMF and legs in a LEGO store exclusive set. It's just kinda irritating seeing them do a new CS colour at this point because they won't just let us buy one thing we don't want to get them , you gotta go on a scavenger hunt or wait until the whole figure is buildable and by then the torso alone is like 20 quid

Well it is not like they add them to make it hard to get, but rather to make them avaiable at all - and likely because they want to have them themselves.

That beeing said, I do agree with you that it would rather be great to have them with easier access of course. I am still disappointed, that they didn´t use the purple spacemen, since they already made an employee exclusive set with it, for the space diner gwp - or any other gwp/set.

And well the avaiability of the dark blue classic space-torso is bad anyways, since you can only get it in store, where many people don´t have any near them and additionally you will need luck that they even have them in stock.

[RichardGoring]

24 minutes ago, Black Falcon said:

And well the avaiability of the dark blue classic space-torso is bad anyways, since you can only get it in store, where many people don´t have any near them and additionally you will need luck that they even have them in stock.

The most recent run of BAM figures suffered from supply issues so only a small amount has been sent to a small subset of stores too (at least in the US). So it could be really hard to get!

[Clone OPatra]

12 hours ago, Renny The Spaceman said:

At this point I think everyone here knows to some extent that's what they're going to do eventually, I think what @Clone OPatra is getting at though is that many LEGO fans are sick of this method where we get one part for a figure in a random place for a limited release product then years later we get the other parts we're missing in an expensive set completely unrelated to CS.

Precisely this and all of what you said. The designers know it's what people want - to the point that they've gone and put a full on original style recoloured space person in a CMF, and run a poll for what new colour people would like to see in an Ideas set.

9 hours ago, Horation said:

I think this is because they aren't trying to make the whole figure in an intentional manner...

Sure, I don't think they're doing it deliberately to be malicious or because they specifically want to make it hard for consumers, but that's the effect it has anyway. They could've colour changed the airtanks and helmet and put out all three in dark blue in BAM at the same time, for instance. That would still mean limited availability, and people who can't access a LEGO store would be out of luck or have to turn to the secondary market, but at least it would all be available at once.

Which is the same response I have to this as well. I don't think it's a deliberate strategy, but they could be more mindful about it.

4 hours ago, Black Falcon said:

Well it is not like they add them to make it hard to get, but rather to make them avaiable at all - and likely because they want to have them themselves.

 

[Renny The Spaceman]

8 hours ago, Clone OPatra said:

Precisely this and all of what you said. The designers know it's what people want - to the point that they've gone and put a full on original style recoloured space person in a CMF, and run a poll for what new colour people would like to see in an Ideas set.

Sure, I don't think they're doing it deliberately to be malicious or because they specifically want to make it hard for consumers, but that's the effect it has anyway. They could've colour changed the airtanks and helmet and put out all three in dark blue in BAM at the same time, for instance. That would still mean limited availability, and people who can't access a LEGO store would be out of luck or have to turn to the secondary market, but at least it would all be available at once.

 Which is the same response I have to this as well. I don't think it's a deliberate strategy, but they could be more mindful about it.

Exactly this. No designer ever makes a decision out of straight malice, but that doesn't change the effect of design decisions. LEGO is at this point very well aware of how collectable and popular CS figs are and they control the main secondary market for LEGO so they wind up benefiting more than any buyer by making these figures hard to get. LEGO does a million CMF pallet swaps for BAM, they could easily just put off one of the million costume recolours for a quarter and do a full astronaut, or even better just stop making new CS colours for a bit. They can't do that though because the figs are really popular, and of course they won't just use the CS pieces they already have in production at any time of the almost half a dozen rare colours they already have because:

A) the people who just want one of each colour won't buy them

B) It means they won't be as desirable and people won't be willing to pay exorbitant prices for these figs anymore

It's not intentional when the designers when the designers initially include new colours or hidden prints but it's not like it's a common thing designers do with desirable figures, scattering the pieces in a bunch of expensive and/or limited products then never releasing the figure once all the parts have been made even though by that point it'd be supper cheap to. 

[Black Falcon]

2 hours ago, Renny The Spaceman said:

It's not intentional when the designers when the designers initially include new colours or hidden prints but it's not like it's a common thing designers do with desirable figures, scattering the pieces in a bunch of expensive and/or limited products then never releasing the figure once all the parts have been made even though by that point it'd be supper cheap to. 

To be fair here, we don´t really know when or if any of the figures will be avaiable again. Sure likely they would rather make a new Spacemen colour than bringing the one from the CMF back. Classic colour obviously do have a way better chance to come back again but when it comes to other colours we only got in parts like the purple one we don´t really know if they are going to bring that one in a set that is avaiable for everyone. They have done so for the employee gift and they certainly can do it for another, same as they can do for the dark blue one. If they will, that has to be seen.

I mean I wouldn´t have thought they would include the orange one in a Set either, after it was inclusive to the book - even if it basically isn´t the same minifigure without the tanks and classic face.

 

[RichardGoring]

Halloween BAM figures found on eBay and shown on Reddit. A pumpkin/jack o latern phantom, green-skinned witch, and punk skeleton. And a full-size dark orange cat.

[JohnTPT17]

That witch looks great! They even took a page out of the DnD minifig book and didn't do any skin printing on the torso, so you would switch the hands and just have her be a normal, non-green hag if you wanted. I might even get two, just to do that! I might try to find that pumpkin ghost torso as well. Punk skeleton's a miss for me, though. I wonder what the accessory for it will be...

And, on the topic of the classic space parts: I'm thankful that Lego is at least giving us the option of having these officially, even if some of the ways to obtain them are a little more cumbersome. If everything were to at least end up on Pick a Brick, though, that would make me the most happy. 

[RichardGoring]

2 minutes ago, JohnTPT17 said:

That witch looks great! They even took a page out of the DnD minifig book and didn't do any skin printing on the torso, so you would switch the hands and just have her be a normal, non-green hag if you wanted. I might even get two, just to do that!

I thought the same thing. Another option for a potential medieval peasant.

[Lion King]

That Stich is cool!! Punk skeleton? That’s an odd selection…. pumpkin phantom is strange as well. 

[DarrellBricker]

I like them! I hope I get a chance at them this season!

 

[Roebuck]

On 8/28/2024 at 9:07 PM, RichardGoring said:

And a full-size dark orange cat.

Are the cat new in that colour/print?

[RichardGoring]

5 hours ago, Roebuck said:

Are the cat new in that colour/print?

No, I don't think so. It looks like this one. https://www.bricklink.com/catalogItemIn.asp?P=13786pb02&in=S

[jonwil]

Spotted the supposedly "flagship stores only" previous BaM wave at the Dreamworld LEGO Certified Store today (the mime torso with the stripes and red suspenders, the green big dress piece and matching torso and I think some others). No sign of the new stuff though (Dreamzzz/dark blue CS torso/Halloween).

 

[Westbrick]

Bought a couple of the new dark blue space torsos today at the London Battersea store. 

[RichardGoring]

Found the dark blue space torsos in the Burlington Mall Boston store today.

No Halloween ones yet.

[Lion King]

19 hours ago, RichardGoring said:

Found the dark blue space torsos in the Burlington Mall Boston store today.

No Halloween ones yet.

What about Dreamzzz minifigure?

[vizzitor]

One of the Lego shops in Dublin had both the Dreamzzz BAM parts, including the dark blue space torso, and the Halloween BAM stuff too at the weekend. The other shop in Dublin had been told not to put out the Halloween parts yet, apparently.

[RichardGoring]

1 hour ago, Lion King said:

What about Dreamzzz minifigure?

Yes, all the Dreamzzz parts. I got one of each of the torsos, a blue bunny, and several kittens. My children were with me, so we had to get quite a few kittens! 

[Robert8]

Ok that witch is PERFECT. 

One of my favorites LEGO has ever done. 

Thats a CMF level minifigure

[Clone OPatra]

Found the new batch a Chicago area LEGO store. They weren't strict about one of each part type for figure, so I got just a bunch of torsos and legs, and only a couple of heads and headgears, totalling 15 pieces.

Now I've got two full dark blue classic space torso and leg combos, awaiting whenever LEGO makes the airtanks and helmets in that colour (hopefully).

[Capybara554321]

7 hours ago, Clone OPatra said:

Found the new batch a Chicago area LEGO store. They weren't strict about one of each part type for figure, so I got just a bunch of torsos and legs, and only a couple of heads and headgears, totalling 15 pieces.

Now I've got two full dark blue classic space torso and leg combos, awaiting whenever LEGO makes the airtanks and helmets in that colour (hopefully).

Yeah the one by don't really care. Just 15 pieces. now if it's a kid building they dont seem to care when they use more parts which is nice. 

[hikouki]

Is there a supply issue with BAM parts?

Since the previous batch (green queen, etc.), there has not been much supply, it seems. I have messaged several prolific eBay sellers and they all say that it has been hard to get a complete set since the last batch.

[Capybara554321]

The prior set had an issue for the US where only certain stores got a very limited supply. Sadly it wasn't until almost 2 month in calling my local stores that one finally said only the one store had gotten them. The dreamzzz set seem unaffected.