'Exclusive' Star Wars Polybag Minifigures

mr_skinny

Has anyone noticed that some of the 'exclusive' Star Wars minifigs from polybags are starting to turn up in regular sets?

The Clone Trooper Lieutenant from polybag #5001709 turned up in set #75085.

I hope I'm wrong, but it looks like Han Solo from polybag #5001621 is making a comeback in the new #75138 Hoth Attack set in January 2016 from what I can see in the leaked photos

Makes you wonder what the point of the minifig polybags is if it turns out to be true?!

VorpalRyu

I know most people think of the polybags for Star Wars, MARVEL, DC, etc, as having exclusive figures, but have TLG ever stated that this is the case. I know that is not the case with the MARVEL polybags #30165, #30163, #30167, #30302 or #30305, all of these feature in sets as well.

Kevin_Hyatt

As long as the stormtrooper sarge doesn't appear in a set before I flog em its OK!

BACbrix

Guarantee these will never show as their same form.
TC14 
Chrome Stormtrooper 
Chrome Darth Vader
Darth Revan 
Shirtless Darth Maul
TC4

Just to name a few. This is not a trend for TLG but rather a way of getting rid of extra stock or excessive molds IMO. This won't be for Star wars very often. Only for the low ticket polybags

VorpalRyu

Have to agree with you there @BACbrix, while TLG might possibly do re-issues of those figures, they would have new prints. Of course, we're talking probably less than one percent chance of that happening, even for use in a UCS set (except for Revan, he's EU character, so percentage drops again with Disney declaring EU null & void). Even the SDCC minifigures could be potentially used in a set, as even their packaging does not contain words/wording such as exclusive, available at SDCC only, etc. MARVEL's current tactics against FOX over the rights to X-MEN, means that the Phoenix SDCC minifigure would be practically impossible, even if TLG did decide to release SDCC minifigures in sets.

CCC

mr_skinny said:

Makes you wonder what the point of the minifig polybags is if it turns out to be true?!

1) a cheap way for people to get an interesting fig, sometimes an army builder.

2) cheap "advertising" for a theme. Stick a poly out, get people interested and they might buy into the sets.

There is a similar mix in LOTR / Hobbit. Some are exclusive, some appear in regular sets. Some of the latter are not army builders (Frodo, Gandalf, Legolas) but others are (generic elf, lake town guard).

MattPetersen

You forgot

3) to play with 

paul_merton

Whether or not a polybagged minifigure is released in other sets later on is largely inconsequential to a hardened polybag collector :)

GIR3691

I'd love if every exclusive was re-released in quantity.

CCC

MattPetersen said:

You forgot

3) to play with 

That's covered by 1 and 2 for me.

BACbrix

@GIR3691 I would quit the hobby

Pitfall69

To many collectors, packaging is everything. Regardless whether a minifigure is released in a set later is inconsequential. The Chrome Stormtrooper was later released in a box, albeit with a different weapon, but for all intents and purposes, it is the same exact minifigure.

Pitfall69

BACbrix said:

@GIR3691 I would quit the hobby

I wouldn't quit the hobby, but I would be extremely pissed. 

SumoLego

Would the Martian Manhunter count as an exclusive that was later released in quantity?

If that's the case, I'd be happy to take your collections.  I'll even stop by and load them up!

SumoLego

MattPetersen said:

You forgot

3) to play with 

Eh?

mr_skinny

I can see the 'exclusivity' remaining if the minifig is left in the unopened packet - doesn't matter if the figure is then re-released in a standard set. However, all my polybags get opened. Good news for those with them still sealed as it pushes the value up yet again with less sealed polybags in circulation... but I think my chrome gold Threepio looks better out of the packet than in it

Drmnez

^^ everything Lego looks better out of packaging than in.

SumoLego

^  Eh?

Bunch of weirdos!  Opening up toys for fun?  Who does that?

BACbrix

^ Not me

1265

^^
Let's see more.  On second thought, better not.

Drmnez

Oh the horror! It looks like a warehouse. ;-)

SumoLego

^  I'm one step worse, I feel guilt when opening up a retired set.  Thus, why I frequently trade for open sets.

(I sometimes feel guilt when opening up a new set.)  

I should probably talk to someone about that.

Drmnez

I felt pretty guilty opening my batpod then I remembered that I'm keeping it.

1974

I don't hoarde sets bought at 50% discount to flip in a few years. No, I buy expensive classic MISB sets, which I open up, build them and then the parts gets recycled into my part collection/other MOCs as I don't really keep original sets on display anyway

Yeah, I'm weird

Shall I turn in my BS card now?

krklint

Polybag is not a signal of exclusivity. The Joker poly which just hit the U.S. shelves recently, is proof of that. I posted the availability on Facebook, and a number of parents I know thanked me for the news. They were out the door to get the Joker for the upcoming holiday = Happy Kids.

Not everyone can afford to buy even the 300 piece sets on a regular schedule, so the polybag allows for a small level of equality (wait, is this a socialist plot) between those who are rich and those who are not.  The one father was really excited, as I know he is only able to spend about $200.00 U.S. towards his son's Lego collection each year. I've shared a number of minifigs with him to keep his son happy, but sometimes having a main minifig like the Joker or the Hulk can be a sign of status in the mindset of children. Worse, not having one can hurt a child's status :(   Kids are cruel, sometimes.

So some polybag minifigs will never be re-released = company paid big money for exclusivity (Comiccon could be one, unless Lego decides to fight the cheap China ripoff fakes). Others, though, are indeed a chance for a child to easily gain a minifigure that earlier was only available in sets some parents (or kids) might not be able to afford. I, for one, love the fact Lego does this.

BACbrix

The way I look at it is if you are lucky enough to buy an exclusive polybag at regular retail or get one with a purchase then great. If you find a 1 in 10000 C3PO in a Lego set then you are a lucky person. Because there are more than 10000 Lego Star Wars fans does that mean Lego should re-release the polybag so everybody can be happy?? No!! Exclusivity is not a bad thing. If someone wants to pay 500$ aftermarket for the C3PO then awesome, I am one of those people. If someone thinks that is too much money then oh well you never get one plain and simple. It isn't fair but that is what makes it exciting. What I'm happy about is even if Lego makes another shiny Chrome Gold C3PO it will never be the same as the polybag version thus still keeping the value of the other one. 

SumoLego

^ Are people allowed to be unhappy?  

Oh wait, I don't have a Bat-Pod.  

Pumpkin_3CK5

Speaking of "exclusives" tfa c-3po is available at my local TRU for $3.49.

Pumpkin_3CK5

Pumpkin_3CK5 said:

Speaking of "exclusives" tfa c-3po is available at my local TRU for $3.49.

Also it'd be awesome if they released Darth Revan in a set.

VorpalRyu

@Pumpkin_3CK5, unfortunately, Darth Revan is from KotOR & is considered part of the EU. Apparently Disney has no interest in dealing with the EU & declared it non-canon, so we're not likely to see another Darth Revan, or any other EU character in bricks any time soon, we'd be more likely to see Zuckuss & 4-LOM as minifigures at this point.

Pumpkin_3CK5

VorpalRyu said:

@Pumpkin_3CK5, unfortunately, Darth Revan is from KotOR & is considered part of the EU. Apparently Disney has no interest in dealing with the EU & declared it non-canon, so we're not likely to see another Darth Revan, or any other EU character in bricks any time soon, we'd be more likely to see Zuckuss & 4-LOM as minifigures at this point.

 Wishful thinking lol. Boo Disney.

VorpalRyu

^ I wasn't impressed to hear Disney basically wrote off the EU. A part from the Microfighters, I don't really collect SW stuff (most of what I have bought is for a special MOC I'm planning), but I would seriously consider buying an Ebon Hawk set to build, if they ever released one, same for the Moldy Crow... When it comes to SW minifigures, I'd love to see HK-47, Bastila Shan, Mission Vao, Carth Onasi, Bao-Dur & several other EU characters, but thanks to Disney's stance on EU material, I guess I will have to hope for Zuckuss & 4-LOM now.

TarDomo

I'm not a big polybag collector. If you hunt them from eBay and Bricklink you might end paying as much as a microfighter or battle pack costs or maybe even more, like with a Chrome Vader. Sometimes I see them for sale in a shop or get with my purchases from [email protected] and that's nice but missing a poly isn't the end of the world for me.