Comic-Con figures confirmed to getting stolen by Scalpers days before

[opn2]

Edited September 27, 2014 by opn2

[TheBrickPal]

It's such a shame, Just think of how many happy people could have gotten their hands on a Collector if it weren't for this guy... granted, once he sells them for $500 or so each on eBay, there will still be the same amount of happy people who got the chance to obtain a minifig in the end. Still, it's a terrible situation.

[weavil]

This is all just sad.

But this is worse.... http://www.ebay.com/itm/2014-SDCC-LEGO-EXCLUSIVE-COMPLETE-SET-4

[Lind Whisperer]

I'm not particularly mad at the figure selection For this year's Comic Con. It's only variants and The Collector, who is not really a must have. But what this guy is doing is inexcusable and I hope LEGO at least investigates the matter. I know they have to pick and choose which battles they pursue, but since this is the second year in a row this has happened, I think it warrants a fight.

Actually, the Collector is possibly the most "must-have" off all possible movie characters. Without the Collector to collect the Infinity Gems(The Cosmic Cube, Thor II's Red Mist, GotG's Generic Silver Sphere), there wouldn't be an Infinity Gauntlet. Without the Infinity Gauntlet, Thanos is just some generic Space Alien Bodybuilder. Without an over-powered Thanos, Avengers II has no plot besides Hank Pym's domestic abuse lawsuit. Oh, and something or other to do with a robot.

[agoodfella77]

No, that's a TERRIBLE idea. What better way to piss off the legitimate buyers who bought something with the knowledge they couldn't get it anywhere else? Lego would have to cut into their own pockets to produce additional figs and rush to a decision on how to market them and still make a profit, and meanwhile the thief would still have a crock full of stolen minifigs which would suddenly look less obviously suspicious and would still retain some of their value.

"Legitimate buyers"? Most of these exclusives are simply given away -- gratis. Not to mention your entire premise furthers this "tail wagging the dog" situation -- i.e. weighing the needs of the very few (microscopic few to be fair) over the overwhelming vast many. It's completely out of balance.

Just to remind everyone. While we go nuts and collectors assign obscene aftermarket value to these things, to Lego this is just convention swag. Marketing materials. Freebies for convention goers.

And here is the other thing about this that we will never know or realize. As marketing materials, there is a good chance that there are other parties involved, who are quite likely kicking in the costs of these things. Notice how all of the give aways at the Comic Con are always licensed? Remember no licensed product gets made or distributed without the IP holders direct approval if not their explicit direction. Marvel and DC (and this year WB) sign off on these, and chances are they pay for them. And Marvel and DC love us with our worked up nerd rage. It stirs chatter. Keeps us reading message boards. Keeps us talking about how much we love and want their characters. They cheaply build desire through frustration.

As far as these slipping out under the wire. Once again these things are practically valueless to TLG. They were cheap to make and chances are somebody else is paying. Spreading a few plastic figs around is far more effective and way cheaper for Lego than the normal business requirement of paying thousands of dollars in bribes to convention staff in order to get their booth set up in time.

Once again, reporting this to Lego or demanding they take action is meaningless. These are not actual product. They are marketing fluff. The actual assessed value that Lego would put on a police report (assuming they were stolen from a booth) is somewhere around $2 per fig max. OMG alert the FBI! From Lego's point of view it's the same as losing a case of t shirts.

I'm just quoting this because all the subsequent replies make it seem like this post doesn't exist.

I think these are all excellent points. Particularly about the motivations behind the releases, the "intent" to generate buzz, etc.

But in the end, it is TLG that is ultimately responsible for the distribution of these products. Not only that, the motivation regarding these figures may have been very meaningless to begin with -- but now TLG customers are voicing their frustration with this system and want change. If enough voices make enough noise, TLG will indeed have to re-consider how they go about doing this.

So, yes, TLG may have considered these "$2 figures as a case of t-shirts" in the beginning, but I think there is enough noise for them to take a harder look. Their customers are UPSET. Their customers are DEMANDING ACTION. They might not have cared then, but I think they will begin caring now. These promos or "convention swag" may have had some marketing value in the beginning (with marginal or even no cost to TLG) -- but now it might start hitting TLG's bottom line. It's never a smart business move to ignore angry customers -- I think TLG understands that much.

I encourage everyone who wants TLG to review and take action, to write them. I have. If you agree, then you should to. Go and do so now. If you can take enough time to read or post in this thread and you agree that something should be done -- then do something about it. And it won't cost you anything but a little bit of time. Tell your friends. Let your voice be heard. You can make a difference. We can make a difference.

Finally, I have made several proposals in my Open Letter which I believe satisfies the goals and needs of MARVEL, DC and LEGO and also addresses the concerns raised and the frustrations felt by TLG's loyal customers / collectors.

I am simply saying that there is a better way, and everyone can "win" -- and we can reduce (if not eliminate) the unintended consequences of this system (i.e. scalpers and astronomical prices in the secondary market and, subsequently, angry customers).

Edited July 30, 2014 by agoodfella

[MAB]

What would you have them do? Not make any promotional exclusives? Just have minifigs that were going to be released in sets anyway?

Think about the consequences of that, as there are also unintended consequences to making everything equitable.

Less people at the lego stands, since there is no point queuing up for hours to get something that will come out in a set anyway. For some less reason to even attend a convention. Less online discussion about Lego exclusives. Less point of Lego being at conventions.

No fairly unique characters to be produced ever, just ones known to the general public since those are the ones that sell. So virtually every set will be a standard Batman or Spiderman. No Zurr-En-Arrh Batman ever, since most people buying lego for kids won't recognise him.

The demise of rarer collectables for those that do want them. How many of those nice 2x4x3 promo bricks that used to be reasonably common at events at LDCs and Legoland do we see these days? Virtually none, except in Germany. People complain about not being able to get to the different Legolands or Lego events to get them, and they get stopped.

[obsidianheart]

Actually, the Collector is possibly the most "must-have" off all possible movie characters. Without the Collector to collect the Infinity Gems(The Cosmic Cube, Thor II's Red Mist, GotG's Generic Silver Sphere), there wouldn't be an Infinity Gauntlet. Without the Infinity Gauntlet, Thanos is just some generic Space Alien Bodybuilder. Without an over-powered Thanos, Avengers II has no plot besides Hank Pym's domestic abuse lawsuit. Oh, and something or other to do with a robot.

Which means we'll probably get a (differently printed) Collector when whatever they're doing with Thanos finally comes to the screen, if he actually winds up being that important. Everyone was mad that Green Lantern was an exclusive, and now we're getting one, but they're still mad we didn't get that one. We got an Iron Man, a Captain America, a Leonardo, on and on. We didn't get a Spider Woman, a Green Arrow, a Phoenix, ect. But that doesn't mean we'll never get them. But if we do (I doubt we're getting a Spider Woman, I don't care how popular she is these days), we probably won't be getting those specific versions of the characters.

[agoodfella77]

What would you have them do? Not make any promotional exclusives? Just have minifigs that were going to be released in sets anyway?

Think about the consequences of that, as there are also unintended consequences to making everything equitable.

I completely disagree. There is a happy medium that can be achieved.

It doesn't have to be right away (in fact look at the Green Lantern release, it's taken several years but it is coming out -- a different variant granted, but it's a start). This is a template that can appease both sides IMO.

Initially, Convention goers who are lucky enough to snag an exclusive can still enjoy that exclusivity for a number of years. And then a few years later, the general public should be able to enjoy it -- what's so wrong with that?

[MAB]

It doesn't have to be right away (in fact look at the Green Lantern release, it's taken several years but it is coming out -- a different variant granted, but it's a start). This is a template that can appease both sides IMO.

Initially, Convention goers who are lucky enough to snag an exclusive can still enjoy that exclusivity for a number of years. And then a few years later, the general public should be able to enjoy it -- what's so wrong with that?

It's the striking a balance that is the problem. For you, maybe three years and a different version of the character will work, like for Green Lantern. There will still be people wanting all versions of Green Lantern, and wanting them now. Why should they have to wait, just because they are not willing to spend $500 on a figure? There will then be questions about why is lego holding back on general releases when everyone has already seen the figures?

And there will still be exclusives changing hands directly after the conventions for $100s. Scalping by non lego fans will still happen, as well as genuine lego fans selling their minifigs for a profit to recoup some costs of their trip. Knowing something will probably happen in three years won't stop the reselling of exclusives. Plus then there is the problem of continuity of licenses, what if they no longer have the license three years in the future?

Edited July 30, 2014 by MAB

[Lind Whisperer]

Which means we'll probably get a (differently printed) Collector when whatever they're doing with Thanos finally comes to the screen, if he actually winds up being that important. Everyone was mad that Green Lantern was an exclusive, and now we're getting one, but they're still mad we didn't get that one. We got an Iron Man, a Captain America, a Leonardo, on and on. We didn't get a Spider Woman, a Green Arrow, a Phoenix, ect. But that doesn't mean we'll never get them. But if we do (I doubt we're getting a Spider Woman, I don't care how popular she is these days), we probably won't be getting those specific versions of the characters.

It's a given that he's going to "be that important" - it's called the entire arc confirmed by Marvel. And I don't know about you, but I don't want to have to wait till a month before the movie for my Collector to start "collecting" the Gems, all of which will have already been released by then(in other words, not collecting), I want to display him with them now while they're still part of the plot, and not just the elements of the Infinity Gauntlet.

Green Lantern is not a good example of a "successful, non-essential promotion". Why?

His costume. It's the outfit he wore in the (admittedly needing some work) movie. And I don't know about you, but I'd rather have, oh, say, the outfit that he wore in his only movie for public release set(in other words, the only one that the general public might recognize!), then one of the dozens of his almost-identical comic costumes, which would have been infinitely better for a limited release*.

*To be fair, back then, the upcoming Superman and Batman films were both supposed to have Green Lantern in their mythos, a la Marvel style, so it's understandable why LEGO might release him, thinking that he would be in an upcoming movie again, but it's still not a good example.

[8BrickMario]

LEGO has their sets under the majority of the DC Comics licence as of this year, dropping the Universe subtitle. Their focus is put on the New 52 comics line, and the classics. To widely release a Green Lantern from an unpopular movie would make no sense. More people are going to appreciate a costume from the classic comics, rather than a flop movie, and the casual buyer wouldn't be able to discern the two outfits, anyway. LEGO's focus on the comics meant that when they did make GL, he would be from the comics, and since the film is no longer current and relevant, it would make little sense to include that variant in mass release. I can understand why you would want him, but from a marketing standpoint, it caters to fewer fans.

My viewpoint is still the same. Exclusives are okay, but a messed-up system is not. :LEGO needs to try to care about the fans they're hurting by letting these alleged situations happen, and if they want to make exclusives, they should consider previews. But ultimately, someone's always going to be unhappy, and this debate has gone on so long now that fewer new points are made.

[Navy Trooper Fenson]

What would you have them do? Not make any promotional exclusives? Just have minifigs that were going to be released in sets anyway?

Think about the consequences of that, as there are also unintended consequences to making everything equitable.

Less people at the lego stands, since there is no point queuing up for hours to get something that will come out in a set anyway. For some less reason to even attend a convention. Less online discussion about Lego exclusives. Less point of Lego being at conventions.

Who doesn´t like free Lego? In the end the fig is exclusive to a 100$ set and still goes for 20$ after a wide release.

And I doubt those Mtv.com and yahoo articles make anyone buy Lego who doesn´t already buy Lego.

Everyone was mad that Green Lantern was an exclusive, and now we're getting one, but they're still mad we didn't get that one.

Really? There are people who are unhappy about not getting the Bacon Lantern when everybody hates the movie overall from story to costume design? I woud say Movie GL was one of those other good promo ideas, nobody needs the fig but it´s still a nice variant to have.

It's a given that he's going to "be that important" - it's called the entire arc confirmed by Marvel. And I don't know about you, but I don't want to have to wait till a month before the movie for my Collector to start "collecting" the Gems, all of which will have already been released by then(in other words, not collecting), I want to display him with them now while they're still part of the plot, and not just the elements of the Infinity Gauntlet.

Reminds me of Smaug. He is the face of the second movie and on every promo stuff but the actual Lego toys are only boring grey stuff and Smaug himself first appears 2 months before release in a set that looks like it´s based on the second movie anyway.

Green Lantern is not a good example of a "successful, non-essential promotion". Why?

His costume. It's the outfit he wore in the (admittedly needing some work) movie. And I don't know about you, but I'd rather have, oh, say, the outfit that he wore in his only movie for public release set(in other words, the only one that the general public might recognize!), then one of the dozens of his almost-identical comic costumes, which would have been infinitely better for a limited release*.

*To be fair, back then, the upcoming Superman and Batman films were both supposed to have Green Lantern in their mythos, a la Marvel style, so it's understandable why LEGO might release him, thinking that he would be in an upcoming movie again, but it's still not a good example.

"The one public might recognize"

That´s like wanting Steel from the 90s movie, Affleck Daredevil and Roger Corman Fantastic Four. These things don´t get toys and are forgotten for a reason. The GL movie was so bad, the movies toys are still on shelves in some places and will never move. It even prevented a toyline for the much more popular Green Lantern show that ran at the same time. Getting Bacon Lantern as a 400 fig limited run is already much more than one could have asked for from Lego.

[Lind Whisperer]

I would also like to point out that Green Lantern wasn't actually all that bad as a movie. Sure, it wasn't the greatest, but there's only so much that you can do with a guy who uses a ring to fly around with. The plot is not entirely bad, the animation(other than that strange, skin-tight suit) is quite passable, and the acting is definitely view-able.

The worst part of the movie as a whole was that they couldn't decide whether to make it a comedy or a drama, meaning that we switch from fairly dramatic scenes to scenes where Ryan Reynolds* is driving on what's essentially a Matchbox Car Tracks kit. That he used his power ring to construct. Because it was the most "funny" thing they could think of.

But these scenes sadly overshadow what is actually a highly underrated movie with scenes at least as good as those you might find Thor or Iron Man II(stop the clip at 1:17, otherwise the effect is ruined):

*Probably a bit of the comedy came from Reynolds himself - also known as "Mr. When Do I Get To Play Deadpool Again? I'm Talking To You, Audience!" But, although Fillion's acting range is excellent, the character of Green Lantern is enough "over-the-top" that Reynolds's style fits better - just without Matchbox scenes.

[obsidianheart]

See? This is what I mean. Navy Trooper's just like "Eh, we're getting a GL, at least it's not from that lame Reynolds movie", and Lind Whisperer's like "We've got to have the one from the Reynolds Movie".

You guys will never be happy. If LEGO starts making non-exclusives, you'll go back to being upset Batman's in every set or that they didn't make the Guy who Carjacked Uncle Ben (Black and White Flashback version). Exclusives exist in almost every popular toy line, so it makes sense they're here to. You think you've got it bad, go talk to the Transfans.

[Faefrost]

Actually, the Collector is possibly the most "must-have" off all possible movie characters. Without the Collector to collect the Infinity Gems(The Cosmic Cube, Thor II's Red Mist, GotG's Generic Silver Sphere), there wouldn't be an Infinity Gauntlet. Without the Infinity Gauntlet, Thanos is just some generic Space Alien Bodybuilder. Without an over-powered Thanos, Avengers II has no plot besides Hank Pym's domestic abuse lawsuit. Oh, and something or other to do with a robot.

Which is kind of what makes them having The Collector as the SDCC highly sought after rare collectable fig so insanely ironic and meta. Normally I hate the very idea of the SDCC exclusives. I hate that they are locking down some bodies favorite character in such a way and for nothing more than pointless marketing. But by making the fig be "The Collector"? It's hilarious. It's twisted. It's not marketing fluff. It's an editorial statement. It's pure performance art. It's possibly the most darkly hilarious gag ever pulled on an adult nerd fan base. I can't believe that somebody didn't do this intentionally, giggling all the way. And really watching the Collectors talking about complaining about and trying to obtain the rare Collectable of The Collector to complete their collections is much more fun and far more entertaining than actually getting our hands on the figure itself. It's like staring into one of those infinite mirrors they still sell at Spencer gifts next to the dried up lava lamps. It's brilliant!

[Lind Whisperer]

I have created the official meme* for all of those against Comic-Con exclusive minifigs:

Feel free to comment on the thread over in Licensed Figures!

*Sorry if the photo's oversized. And for the double topic post.

[agoodfella77]

I have created the official meme* for all of those against Comic-Con exclusive minifigs:

Feel free to comment on the thread over in Licensed Figures!

*Sorry if the photo's oversized. And for the double topic post.

Nice! Have you written LEGO? :)

Edited August 1, 2014 by Pandora
Please don't quote pictures

[ummester]

If a meme goes viral it will probably have more effect than writing to a company.

[Lind Whisperer]

If a meme goes viral it will probably have more effect than writing to a company.

Exactly! Everyone, please feel free to share this on your Facebook, Twitter, etc. And, seeing as how my original was a bit on the large side, and made without the common lettering, here's a link to one made with the more blocky letters that memes generally use:

https://imgflip.com/i/aqn2q

[opn2]

Edited September 27, 2014 by opn2

[8BrickMario]

LEGO isn't keeping out of kids' hands as much as the scalpers are. LEGO has good reason to make these figures, and they're getting better with the characters they choose. Memes almost never become popular when created with that intention, and indeed, saying that the Comic-Con giveaways are worse than murder is ridiculous and offensive. Said meme is also unrelateable to people outside of the LEGO community. I think diplomatic letters are the best way to convey the message, if we choose to protest something that is no problem at all from a business standpoint. LEGO probably won't change back to no exclusives, but perhaps the system will improve again. This year, the exclusive minifigure amount was reduced, and some of them are less important to the overall theme, and kids probably wouldn't care too much about having or missing them.

And that's the biggest point we're missing. LEGO is first and foremost a company for children. The AFOL community is paid attention to, but it isn't the focus. LEGO couldn't care less if some angry nerds are upset, since making them has no negative effects toward LEGO. Life goes on, and if you are willing to shell out hundreds of dollars for a single minifigure, then the scalpers keep on getting rewarded, and the cycle continues. You are making yourself a victim, and when you complain about how expensive that Green Lantern was, you are losing money and proving that the scalpers are succeeding despite complaints about them.

[Lind Whisperer]

I sincerely doubt anyone in this topic who is vehemently against the concept of CC exclusives is opposed to the idea because it's "keeping them out of kids' hands."

True, the feelings expressed here are generally centered around things other than the children aspect, however that aspect is the one that is most likely to appeal to the non-collector. Also, I was trying to stay accurate to the comic it's referencing and "keep minifigs out of kid's hands" was more similar to "take their college fund" than "keeping collectors from finishing their collection" would have been.

If it didn't work out in their favor, they wouldn't continue to make exclusives.

This situation isn't working out in LEGO's favor. The primary result that LEGO receives is bad press. Which does draw slight attention. But not enough attention so that it makes an effective difference in sales, which is the only reason any company might want bad press. But this isn't big enough to get them in the news, so even that doesn't really have any positive effect on sales.

The fact of the matter is that exclusives like these will always be around. You're being immature by telling Lego to stop doing something you don't like. This is no different than if you were writing a petition to get Lego to stop producing CMFs because you couldn't find Mr. Gold and the aftermarket prices are insanely high, and then trying to justify your reasoning by saying that they're keeping them out of kids' hands.

I have no issue with Mr. Gold. He was a fair exclusive. He was released world-wide, and although the chances of someone finding him were small, they existed*. If a exclusive must be released, then he was about the best that we could hope for.

Trying to make a 'meme' isn't exactly the most mature approach, either.

True, I will fully agree that memes are not the most mature approach, but the chances of the common consumer taking ten minutes to read through a block of text are much smaller than the twenty or so seconds it takes for a meme to give a message.

I understand the 'joke' you were trying to make (which is in extremely poor taste, for the record) but the problem is that not only is it not funny, it's also painfully obvious that it was made by someone who was miffed that they weren't able to get what they wanted by insinuating that murder is worse than supposedly preventing a child from getting a toy. It's offensive and makes the author look selfish and spoiled

Agreed, the joke is a bit dark...until you realize that that it's not a joke, rather it is a reference to a scene from Arkham Asylum: Living Hell 1#.

Granted, I will admit that the humor's a bit dark and there's a small chance it might be misread...But who exactly is speaking, again? Right, the Joker. Someone who's known for being over the top with his humor. Humor that got taken Up to Eleven visually(not just in words) with the release of The Dark Knight, to the point where this is almost tame in comparison. Granted, that doesn't make dark humor good, but it's still a good reference.

*Generally existed. There were multiple confirmed reports of employees sifting through boxes to find him, but this was not something that LEGO could control, and I fully understand that.

[agoodfella77]

If a meme goes viral it will probably have more effect than writing to a company.

Whatever works. Writing and awareness together make the best approach.

[opn2]

Edited September 27, 2014 by opn2

[Lind Whisperer]

The difference between Mr. Gold and SDCC figs is that the one is released world-wide, and the other isn't.

You have some nice numbers, but they don't really give the full picture. Sure, you could spend $598, and hope to find 1 Mr. Gold...or you could spend $2,989,850.50 before you found a single one. Or, you could walk into a store, and find one the very first packet you pick up. They were released world-wide randomly, and the chance to find one was as great in one place as it was in another(in concept).

But with SDCC figs, there are a very limited amount produced, and they are limited to only being available from SDCC, and from scalpers on the second hand market. There's just no way to compare the two.