Monochrome Minifigures

[MAB]

On 7/19/2022 at 3:17 PM, pbatey7 said:

 All the parts are obviously made in genuine Lego moulds as they are identical in every way so if someone put these in sets no one would ever know the difference so all we are talking about here are different makers of the same product.

It is slightly different in that LEGO have said these parts are illegitimate. To me they are a different product. They are not regular LEGO products but ones made to be expensive for collectors willing to pay the high prices. I don't mind the licensed parts like Vader's helmet since they are easy to ignore. It is when someone says that this colour monofig is now completable, when it turns out they use illegitimate parts that it becomes annoying to people that only use legitimate parts.

Of course, my view might change if they were selling 'normal' parts in new colours for prices similar to legitimate production parts. It's that dilemma of should you use parts that LEGO did not sanction. While prices are so high, it is not a dilemma for me. It would be even harder if they made illegitimate parts that LEGO also made but are rare, when there is no way of telling looking at the part but only through knowledge of the source.

[1980-Something-Space-Guy]

7 hours ago, MAB said:

It would be even harder if they made illegitimate parts that LEGO also made but are rare, when there is no way of telling looking at the part but only through knowledge of the source.

We might be at that point already, to be honest. There is no way to tell.

[pbatey7]

We are already past that point, and I know it’s a shame but can we tell the difference. I guess it’s worse for people who may have held on to really rare items to then find someone has mass produced that very part.

sad times I guess those people and happy times if you couldn’t afford those rare items so works both ways.

Although I collect and sell these “illegitimate lovely items I do also have most hard to find full sets of minifigures from most rare Star Wars sets.

not sure what I really think but we don’t really get to chose and could we really ever tell if it was from Lego themselves. I’ve bought a number of black Lego spaceman torsos for about £1.50 to £2 and adding legs airtank and head n helmet is cheap so who knows :O

 

[MAB]

17 hours ago, 1980-Something-Space-Guy said:

We might be at that point already, to be honest. There is no way to tell.

That is why I tend to stick to the (relatively) common parts. If hands in a specific colour only appeared in one minifigure from 15 or 20 years ago, I'll pass on that one. Does it mean I am not complete? Sure. But then I am fairly pragmatic when it comes to collecting, for me the fun is in the collecting rather than the having, and I am not so interested if a figure will cost me $50 or $100 to complete.

I don't think the illegitimate parts makers would bother doing them in current production colours, so even if I need to buy on bricklink then I am fairly sure I am getting LEGO produced parts. If they decide to flood the market with plain parts that are worth < $1, there is not really anything in it for them.

[pbatey7]

Its already happened as releases like this now include the full minifigure and I bought a few sets a while back as I was sick of hunting out monochrome or cleaning a few with print so lazy I know but the best bit was getting flat sliver and pearl dark gray hands :) along with the dark turquoise head and a few other harder to find parts. 

I've pretty much have complete sets now so I'm stopping buying and selling these and I've noticed a huge drop in people buying them so it could be dying out....... :O 

[MAB]

1 hour ago, pbatey7 said:

I've noticed a huge drop in people buying them so it could be dying out....... :O 

I'm not surprised. It has probably damaged sales of all hard to find parts now people know that many of them are made to order rather than prototypes or tests or whatever people want to call them.

[1980-Something-Space-Guy]

6 hours ago, MAB said:

But then I am fairly pragmatic when it comes to collecting, for me the fun is in the collecting rather than the having, and I am not so interested if a figure will cost me $50 or $100 to complete.

Interesting! I enjoy the hunt, but for me what I enjoy the most isn't that or the "having" per se, but rather being able to see figures in person and look at them from any angle I want, and place them in interesting arrangements with other figures.

At this point I am mostly concerned about normal minifigures now being virtually cloneable. How do I know I am buying the real thing? I can't anymore.

[bitbamboo]

@pbatey7 I am curious about providers selling those packs / parts. Please could you provide hints on where to search for them? Aliexpress? 

 

[Paperballpark]

My spreadsheet differentiates between Plain, Printed, 'Factory' and original Prototype figures. So if you don't collect the 'Factory' ones, you can still see what else you can collect. Likewise if you don't want to 'wipe' printed figs, you can see which ones you can get plain :)

[koalayummies]

Fully flesh Batman is the best Batman. Those skin-covered bat ears.

[Doctor Bones]

18 hours ago, Paperballpark said:

My spreadsheet differentiates between Plain, Printed, 'Factory' and original Prototype figures. So if you don't collect the 'Factory' ones, you can still see what else you can collect. Likewise if you don't want to 'wipe' printed figs, you can see which ones you can get plain :)

Yes! The spreadsheet is everything! Thanks for that o7

[pbatey7]

On 7/26/2022 at 11:15 AM, bitbamboo said:

@pbatey7 I am curious about providers selling those packs / parts. Please could you provide hints on where to search for them? Aliexpress? 

 

Hi I speak with them direct using WhatsApp but at one time or another they did sell on Bricklink. One of the main people I buy from is from Indonesia and a latest full minifigure with a mask/helmet in Trans or satin would cost around $18 so depending on exchange rate for me in the UK, it would be around £15. Helmets or masks on there own are around £2 to £4 each. 
 

I’ve seen a few and are members of a few invite only Facebook groups which do look to get some things quicker than I do but costs are double so they are likely sellers like me.

I am stopping selling and buying now. I think the satin pink, red, green, white and dark blue which are in transit will be my last as 55+ of each variant like Darth Vader and Clone and Batman and smaller set variants like tie fighter, c-3po and Thor is as much as I think I need/want. I do still have about 10 sets of plain monochrome sets of 48 to shift and a few of the Darth Vader plains but I’m moving back to Lego Minifigures in sets from Star Wars etc. 

there are still people selling items on Bricklink which come from the “Lego Factory” and not seen anywhere else so that’s the best way to find them :) 

 

owwww copper matalic :O

[MDM]

2 hours ago, pbatey7 said:

owwww copper matalic :O

Beautiful color... Want one :D

[Doctor Bones]

Oh yeah. Me too!

[hikouki]

Is the Namor minifig on the upcoming Wakanda Forever in the new Warm Tan color?

[bitbamboo]

On 7/31/2022 at 5:47 AM, hikouki said:

Is the Namor minifig on the upcoming Wakanda Forever in the new Warm Tan color?

[Bricklink's Color naming ]

Comparing marketing renders of 76213 (Wakanda) with 76399 (Hogwarts Trunk) -the Reddish Brown heads in both are a good reference- I would say that Namor is Medium Nougat . Although it does not match fully the Medium Nougat 3x3 round tile in the Trunk so it might be Nougat

Btw, in the main promotional image of 76399 the Medium Brown head is the one of the girl with pink hair

 

If you meant Mando's head (and two minidolls) Medium Tan I think that it is not even close

 

If the blue one is Medium Azure, it would be good news as well because Dark Azure is more frequent. So many variants makes difficult to be accurate by the renders

In any case two monochromes-to-wipe in one affordable set is great.

Edited August 2, 2022 by bitbamboo

[Monochromeman]

Is that copper metallic a new figure releasing soon?

[legolatra]

10 hours ago, Monochromeman said:

Is that copper metallic a new figure releasing soon?

yes, maybe next week will be released 

[pbatey7]

owwww I made an everything is super awesome x 22 Set :D

I’ve finished collecting now it’s reached 58 as the set no longer fits in any cases or displays so this is it for now. 
 

I am also stopping my Clone Trooper set at about the same…..

 

[Doctor Bones]

Damn fine collection :)

 

[MDM]

Sand red and the new "sand red". 

Not even close...

Edited August 9, 2022 by MDM

[pbatey7]

Wow not good at all that. I noticed in a few other images I've seem of it that it looked two colours in one but yes still not even close to the origonal :(

Maybe its meant to be a different colour?

[MDM]

1 minute ago, pbatey7 said:

Maybe its meant to be a different colour?

Or two, lol

[pbatey7]

One thing they've forgot to understand is that right from the off LEGO like other high quality brand do not do poor quality anything! I think they are starting to cut corners to this stuff out. I know Lego do have some slight variations in colours themselves like Medium Blue and Medium Nougat amongst their figures but not seen in any one release!

Its not the first time as I've seen a few Trans variants not be exact colours in the same figure and it spoils it.

Lego (via Bricklink) released another post about Counterfeit "Stamping" of Genuine Lego Parts and to watch out for it - Counterfeit Minifigures - Immediate action required! (mailchi.mp) but at the bottom did say its not related to the transparent figures post.

I have to say I love my sets but now I have them all I'm stopping buying or selling them (well after the Copper Metallic) for various reasons.

[natesroom]

Does anyone know the history of LBG and Light Grey? Why the change etc? Im sure ive heard it before but i couldnt find the info