Minifigure Series 13 ... sold out ...already ?

madforLEGO

Regarding BaM being totally different from CMF, yes and no. Most parts in BaM are CMF parts. So while people can try to trumpet that there are extra costs in CMF for design and molds, etc, it is offset by using those same parts in many different ways, including in other LEGO sets that get produced or potentially piling them into a BaM bin. Plus people apparently act like LEGO one makes only 100 of a part when they actually make hundreds of thousands of CMFs in a run. So I really do not buy that argument, plus the production costs are likely lower due to both CMF and BaM parts being manufactured in China, I believe. Sure, one comes in a foil pack and one comes in a box of them sent to a store by LEGO. However, are people are trying to say a foil pack is another 50 cents (USD)? I do not think so.
Besides polybags dimiss most of the CMF packaging argument anyway. for 3.50 USD I can get a minfig and some little car or vehicle. People are trying to say that foil packs really cost that much more of a plastic bag (especially when mass produced), or that one part really costs that much more than parts enough to make a vehicle? Not so sure.

In any case, I think if the options for the figures are either going to 4.99 USD or retire, LEGO will likely retire them. To be honest I would rather see that now. I grow tired of having to keep up on these and unfortunately the completion-ist in me demands I get a set. So it sounds selfish, but I wish CMF would just retire if they keep going up in price.

If LEGO would actually lower the prices on their CMFs because of lesser sales that would be a first time seeing something like that for me. As much as I want it to happen, I do not recall a time where a major company ever dropped their RRP prices on anything because of economy or demand (that is what 'sales' are for).
Take LEGO SW sets as an example, most are overpriced horribly, but yet are on 'sale' at most stores at near to what they probably should be at RRP wise (and likely still a bit 'high' in cost).

CCC

I don't think I've ever seen CMF parts in the bam bars, nearly always regular sets parts with the occasional licensed part.

matticus_bricks

^Its funny how different the BaM Bars are across different stores. For example, I've never seen any licensed parts in mine, but I have seen several CMF parts. And usually what people report online differs from what I see in store. 

SumoLego

@CCC - notable exception being the Captain's bird from Series 10.

Vortex

So then , it seems , that series 13 did sell out sooner than the average minifig series . Lower production levels ? It did not seem like sales were on fire any more than the usual. 

More importantly , would it make sense to shift the following posts and link them right into the " predicting discontinuation and the after market value " topic ? : )

but seriously , I reckon many ppl may have been left high and dry on this one . I still need at least 6 of my musts from series 13 ... Samurai woman, hot dog, fencer, unicorn ... You probably wondering what did I possibly manage to get , some 9 , notably , the snake charmer times 2 , evil wizard times 2 and others I don't care to remember at the moment 

madforLEGO

Vortex said:

So then , it seems , that series 13 did sell out sooner than the average minifig series . Lower production levels ? It did not seem like sales were on fire any more than the usual. 

More importantly , would it make sense to shift the following posts and link them right into the " predicting discontinuation and the after market value " topic ? : )

but seriously , I reckon many ppl may have been left high and dry on this one . I still need at least 6 of my musts from series 13 ... Samurai woman, hot dog, fencer, unicorn ... You probably wondering what did I possibly manage to get , some 9 , notably , the snake charmer times 2 , evil wizard times 2 and others I don't care to remember at the moment 

I have seen Series 13 at Targets and my local LEGO store and LDC still have te series 13, so while it may be sold out online, they may have curtailed production a bit for online, but I can still find them locally.

77ncaachamps

CCC said:

I don't think I've ever seen CMF parts in the bam bars, nearly always regular sets parts with the occasional licensed part.

I've seen lots of CMF parts in the bins.
Here are pics of two bins (missed the torsos and legs):

madforLEGO

CCC said:

I don't think I've ever seen CMF parts in the bam bars, nearly always regular sets parts with the occasional licensed part.

Today I saw the gray baseball players cap, doublepony tail blonde hair piece, pop star head, hair and pants, Tarot card reader's skirt wedge, Series 2 Witch wedge dress piece as well and the bird from the sea captain in the BaM bins at the store I frequent.

CCC

I guess different stores have different stock. I wonder where it is coming from, bearing in mind Lego stick firmly to the line that they do not have access to the parts for the CMF, that they are all blind packed. So are these over runs not packaged and just dumped, or are they unsold packs opened in the store and dumped.

Either way, I wouldn't rely on the bam bar to provide a complete CMF. For the extra 50c, I'd get it packaged and complete with stand.

madforLEGO

CCC said:

I guess different stores have different stock. I wonder where it is coming from, bearing in mind Lego stick firmly to the line that they do not have access to the parts for the CMF, that they are all blind packed. So are these over runs not packaged and just dumped, or are they unsold packs opened in the store and dumped.

Either way, I wouldn't rely on the bam bar to provide a complete CMF. For the extra 50c, I'd get it packaged and complete with stand.

The BaM parts are Chinese I believe, so Im guessing they get a big box of legs, torsos, heads, hairs, and accessories. Being that the parts are likely made in the same factory as CMF I am not surprise that they can be found. You can also find pretzels and the pies in the accessories at the BaM in the store I frequent, but those are also in sets as well now.
Currently I believe you are correct had to get a complete figure with accessories, but way back when after BaM was just starting they had complete cheerleaders clowns and I think robin hoods from Series 1 at the store I go to, but they did not have the pom poms, or horn (accessories from the clown and Cheerleader).

My point is that they do not just produce many of these parts for a set number of CMFs, they tend to use many in later sets or BaM as well.