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I did postulate about the value of the gold itself:
The internets tells me that 14k gold has a density of approximately 13-14g/cc. If you melted a C-3PO minifig down you'd probably get about 3cc of gold at the very most, so using this optimistic figure you have 3 x 13.5g = 40.5g of gold, which is ends up being worth about £782, or $1,211 on the market as it is today.
But surely it's about the collector value.
One thing's for sure - it's probably worth reverse engineering your own C-3PO and Boba Fett moulds and doing some die-casting with metals!!
http://www.ebay.com/itm/LEGO-2012-NY-TOY-FAIR-IRON-MAN-CAPTAIN-AMERICA-125-LIMITED-EDITION-LOOSE-/221084125609?_trksid=p5197.m1992&_trkparms=aid=111000&algo=REC.CURRENT&ao=1&asc=14&meid=1005267692044464257&pid=100015&prg=1006&rk=1&#ht_550wt_948
But certainly on overall use it would be better value for money by a longshot!!
I'm thinking the Zombie from S1 at this point, but I'm going predict that S8's Santa will eventually be the one to have. Unless Lego changes their non-repeat pattern, we won't see another Santa CMF, so this is it. He will be coveted each year around xmas and will do nothing but go up in value. Plus he really looks like a great Santa (as opposed to the scowling one in 2011's holiday set). Actually, I think he's the best Santa Lego has done yet.
Here's hoping the CMF figs do some other, similar holiday ones like a holiday elf.
We also found a light gray Batman and Frankenstein in there... A great start to the collecting :D
Needless to say i got an email not long ago and my "initial" bid was $25,000AUS + some tickets out to Australia to deliver it.
So i am thinking it will sell slightly higher than the £1200, $5000 or $10,000 amounts theorized about here. :-)
I have quite honestly wanted this figure to round out my collection for a while.. I have even had one made(for $AUS400 and had to supply my own gold which was around $900 if memory serves) but it is really not the same as having one of the original 5. I would say that in 15-20 years these could very well go for up to $100k.
I know it sound's crazy but there are some of us out there that are willing to part with this amount of money for these ultra collectible items.
Not only are these the absolute epitome of any Lego collection but also of any Star Wars collection.
Yes, I would. I got all of mine at $40-50 a piece. It's 1/10,000 just like the chrome C-3PO, and in my opinion a much cooler figure, it just needs more time to mature... like aged wine :-)
It also gets me to thinking why the chrome gold C3-POs are so high in price when the numbers of 1/10,000 makes it not as rare as other exclusives like NYCC/SDCC Superheroes.
I might get it next year as in next month
So... More people knew, when Vader was released, that SW exclusives would increase in price, and also be valuable assets to complete a collection. More people purchased Vader when he came out (plus it's a great figure!). However, with episodes 7,8,9... and an increasing SW market, we'll see even more collectors that need Vader, as well as C-3PO. I'm expecting both to increase, however Vader has a much higher ceiling and will have a greater exponential increase than C-3PO because of the fact he is sitting at a much more reasonable price, currently.
Another possibility, is the fact that the Chrome C-3PO baggie is marked 1/10,000, while the Vader bag is not. It actually isn't common knowledge that Vader is in fact, 1/10,000.
Those are just a few theories that I have... but if I listed them all, I would surely start to ramble!
The C3PO was inserted in 10.000 random big sets around the globe. Only that. Many have been lost already.
The Chrime Darth had been inserted in 10.000 sets, even battlepacks, and also were given away by many retailers as a promotional item, or by completing surveys.
They are both 1/10.000, but this is the reason why the C3PO is rarer than the Darth.
Of course, in my humble opinion. I always like to hear what people think.
There are at least 40,000 Chrome Vaders and by my reckoning maybe more.
There were 10,000 for the US market, and i know of another 10K for the UK market, 10K for Europe and at least 10K for the rest of the world.
That's the main reason why Vader has not reached the heights of Chrome Threepio, yet and probably wont. It will still do well but i can't see the same figures.
I believe that you are mistaken in believing that there are 10,000 for each continent (again I could be wrong though). Plus, 10k for the UK AND 10k for Europe... that already makes the source seem a little fishy ;-)
I'm still sold on the fact that there are 10,000 of them. Nothing (eBay, BL, a source) has ever suggested that there are 40,000 +....
The amount that was coming out of Europe via promotions also suggests 10k for them. With the greatest of respect you have not been monitoring how many have come out in Europe or their availbility on ebay UK etc.
The chrome Vader has the same amount as white Boba and that's why we are not seeing the same price trajectory as the chrome Threepio, if there were only 10k then we would be seeing a higher price by now.
http://lego.wikia.com/wiki/4547551_Chrome_Darth_Vader
They were also given away as promotionals in some LEGO brand stores, or with the purchase of certain amounts of LEGO Star Wars sets in other countries. Additionally, a New York Toy Fair 2009 exclusive contained this Minifigure.
Also, from our friendly Brickset itself:
Toys-R-Us in the UK has just started a LEGO Star Wars promotion - spend £29.99 or more on LEGO Star Wars sets in a TRU store and receive a *free* Chrome Darth Vader, previously only available when pre-ordering the 2009 Vader's TIE in Sweden or as a random insert in North American LEGO Star Wars sets. They are apparently handed out at the check-out after you've paid.
Chrome Darth Vader Promotion - in JAPAN
Sorry, I can not communicate well in English.
I'm Japanese.
1."Chrome Darth Vader Promotion"with"7753 Pirate Tank", the magazine "Figure-ou(Figure-King)" will be sold exclusively in the magazine.
Limited set of drawing 300.
Including postage 8,350yen (about$87.82)
2."Chrome Darth Vader Promotion"with"7778 Millenium Falcon" will be sold exclusively at the event"Next Generation World Hobby Fair 2009 summer".
2009/6/20-2009/6/21.
Limited set of 120.
7,350yen (about$77.30)
Lego store mini figure building event
Wednesday, june 17
visit the lego store on june 17th from 5:00 - 7:00 pm to participate in a darth vader minifigure speed building event! Builds start promptly every 10 minutes and the fastest builder will win a limited edition Darth Vader minifigure to take home! Everyone will receive a Darth Vader Magnet for participating. see additional contest rules, terms & condtions at the lego store. No purchase necessary.
And finally:
"A lego Representitive said there are 10,000 in USA and 85,000 on the planet."
I find the above comment hard to believe.. however there are certainly a lot of them out there.
I think with their release in little special promotions all across the world, it will be difficult to completely assess their value and how many there actually are unfortunately. Could be 11,000, 15,000, 20,000, 40,000, or even 100,000. All we can do is watch the value on BL and eBay, and see what happens!
It's always enjoyable to prove myself wrong!
Why would you rather believe a wiki type website over a Lego representative? You know how notorious these websites can be.
There were 200 at each TRU in the UK with approximately 50 stores in early 2009 - as the saying goes, you do the math.
Considering the amount of these i have sold in the past and still own i would rather be wrong and that there are only 10k.
However to state that there are only 10,000 worldwide is a bit disingenuous when either you (or me) are trying to sell them.
If the Lego rep says 85K global then i would say it's probably in that ballpark too.
I do agree that it's value has been hurt by not printing on the packet that it is one of a limited run of x like threepio, meaning that more are likely not to appreciate it's value and open it/play with it/treat it like a normal minifigure.
Either way though, I wouldn't entirely believe the LEGO employee entirely either. They all here different numbers, and all you have to do is point towards EOLing sets to see the inconsistency between managers and when they think sets will retire.
"However to state that there are only 10,000 worldwide is a bit disingenuous when either you (or me) are trying to sell them."
And, 10,000... that is what I truly believed until a few minutes ago until doing some research. I wouldn't state something unless I believed it.. however after doing research, I've been proven wrong. And that's fine. I'd rather be proven wrong and find the real answer than sit around believing something that is false. Read the above and you'll find that most people believed 10,000 was the number as well :-)
I won't specifically state a number of how many there actually are, because I don't know it. Like I said, it could be an entire large range of numbers. This is one we really won't know.. and again, we'll just have to watch the market prices on them to best discern their numbers! :-)
I think Threepio is rarer as
1) It's older
2) It was alot harder to get him.
I doubt Vader will reach the prices of him, maybe £100 or so not any higher