Home› Buying & Selling Topics
Shopping at LEGO or Amazon?
Please use our links: LEGO.com • Amazon
As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases.

Minifigures and their Secondary Market Value

24567…10

Comments

  • samiam391samiam391 Member Posts: 4,506
    @collect_that- As rocao has already sited to you, that is where I got my information. As well as somewhere else that I can't remember. The 1-1,000 additional leads me to the estimate of 500 in addition to the 10,000.
  • JessyDooDahJessyDooDah Member Posts: 228
    Change the head and hands on the toy story soldiers and you are pretty close to modern soldiers! I love those figs, and think they will do well (if not already, I haven't checked)!
  • Pitfall69Pitfall69 Member Posts: 11,454
    ^Yeah, but I think those were modeled after the green army men that I grew up with and those were also WWII era toys.
  • JessyDooDahJessyDooDah Member Posts: 228
    ^ that's true! It would be easy enough to moc from those torsos though I'd imagine? Not too sure how different modern uniforms are from WWII but I reckon these would be close enough.
  • Pitfall69Pitfall69 Member Posts: 11,454
    Well, my great grandfather fought in WWI, my grandfather in WWII and my dad spent 23 years in the military. There are several differences in the uniforms mainly being the colors, but when he was wearing his battle dress uni, it looked much different. I dunno, maybe Lego can make military figures in their class A's. They do not fht in those uniforms so...
  • Pitfall69Pitfall69 Member Posts: 11,454
    TLG needs to get over themselves and get a G.I. Joe license. The Movie was ok. I hear the sequel is going to be a lot better. I really want a Snake Eyes and Storm Shadow minifigure.
  • ZacheranoZacherano Member Posts: 59
    It sounds to me like even though the "soldier" CMFs are most collector's principal concerns, or so they would have you believe, there are a lot of other valuable figures out there. Some mentioned the nurse and surgeon as being useful for building a better hospital. Are there other more valuable CMFs out there? I would imagine the music figs would sell well, as would the monster/fantasy/sci fi figs as an alternative to those of the current and future themes in these arenas. I don't really believe that the production of a theme for a year or so will really decrease the value that significantly, but I may be mistaken.

    I myself am a CMF collector who has focused on acquiring certain figs to a small degree, but I have extras of nearly all of them. How do you all go about collecting the CMFs for sale and investment purposes?
  • lordzaraklordzarak Member Posts: 329
    Pitfall69 said:

    TLG needs to get over themselves and get a G.I. Joe license. The Movie was ok. I hear the sequel is going to be a lot better. I really want a Snake Eyes and Storm Shadow minifigure.

    Not as long as Hasbro is producing their own line of construction blocks. Closest you'll get is the Toy Soldiers from Toy Story with replaced heads.
  • CCCCCC Member Posts: 20,556
    Zacherano said:

    It sounds to me like even though the "soldier" CMFs are most collector's principal concerns, or so they would have you believe, there are a lot of other valuable figures out there. Some mentioned the nurse and surgeon as being useful for building a better hospital.

    It's not necessarily soldiers, you can build armies out of any character. I have armies of businessmen, aliens, lumberjacks, lizardmen, gorillamen, fishermen, etc. They all look good in a group.
  • Pitfall69Pitfall69 Member Posts: 11,454
    edited January 2013
    lordzarak said:

    Pitfall69 said:

    TLG needs to get over themselves and get a G.I. Joe license. The Movie was ok. I hear the sequel is going to be a lot better. I really want a Snake Eyes and Storm Shadow minifigure.

    Not as long as Hasbro is producing their own line of construction blocks. Closest you'll get is the Toy Soldiers from Toy Story with replaced heads.
    Hasbro also makes all the Star Wars action figures as well as G.I. Joe. I get your point though.

  • Pitfall69Pitfall69 Member Posts: 11,454
    ^I know that Hasbro owns the G.I. Joe licence, but they can't possibly believe that they can compete with Lego in the building block arena.
  • Pitfall69Pitfall69 Member Posts: 11,454
    Anyway...Lego can just do dress uniforms for all branches of the military foreign and domestic.

    These are technically modern "military" uniforms.
  • samiam391samiam391 Member Posts: 4,506
    edited January 2013
    Zacherano said:

    I myself am a CMF collector who has focused on acquiring certain figs to a small degree, but I have extras of nearly all of them. How do you all go about collecting the CMFs for sale and investment purposes?

    That's an interesting question. Are there any CMF investor/re-sellers here?

    I've never gotten into it, because I've never liked the CMF series

    *ducks for cover*
    legoprods
  • Bosstone100Bosstone100 Member Posts: 1,431
    Maybe Lego can make military minifigs if they replace their guns with flashlights.
  • kwkwkwkw Member Posts: 1,209
    ^hahaha don't forget the radios lol
  • Pitfall69Pitfall69 Member Posts: 11,454
    ^I don't know if there is much money to be had in CMF's unless you are a volume reseller and you can get them for well below RRP.
  • YodaliciousYodalicious Member Posts: 1,366
    ^Agreed. We're just not far enough out from the initial releases yet. It's still far too easy to get even the first few releases at low prices and in mass quantities. Think it'll still be a few more years before we really see which individual CMFs truly gain value.
  • ZacheranoZacherano Member Posts: 59
    @Pitfall69 and @Yodalicious

    Yes, it makes sense that we would have to wait more time. I have noticed on BL that plenty of sellers are putting individual CMFs up in small quantities, and they are selling within weeks or months. Do you think that the sales will rise significantly in price within a few years, or will it take even longer?

    Thanks for your replies to my original query. I do think it's still a compelling topic to consider.
  • samiam391samiam391 Member Posts: 4,506
    I think a lot of it will have to do with how long the series goes on. If we go a few years down the line, and series 20 is coming out, than there will be a continual pull of CMF Collectors who will want "to have them all". That will keep prices hot for series 1-10, etc and we will definitely see an increase in prices.

    However, if the CMF line is discontinued, than I don't see what will really make the investing side of all this worthwhile. Which really makes everything boil down to the simple statement/question, how long will the CMF line last?
    mrtonytj
  • kwkwkwkw Member Posts: 1,209
    edited January 2013
    ^I agree with Sam
  • ZacheranoZacherano Member Posts: 59
    Well, on the other hand, I'm kind of hoping that it does not last, because I love the line and I don't want to keep putting those kinds of dents in my wallet. There are rumors about two of the next series having silver and gold packaging, suggesting that they might be the hallowed final two. I personally doubt the veracity of that, but who knows?

    If the CMFs do fizzle out after a year or two, won't there still be collectors who are looking for the older, potentially more collectable series, or is CMF removed from some other Lego themes in that respect?
  • forumreaderforumreader Member Posts: 97
    It's also possible that the longer the series goes the less motivated some new collectors might be to go back and get the older series, especially if the price on the early waves starts trending up.

    While new modular collectors want to go back and get the set, there's a fair amount of commentary from those new to the line that the prices and size of the series lead them to only collect what is "out" and available for RRP at the time.
  • Pitfall69Pitfall69 Member Posts: 11,454
    ^I agree with that to a point. The first 3 Modulars are far more expensive to buy than any of the first few series of CMF's.
  • samiam391samiam391 Member Posts: 4,506
    Pitfall69 said:

    ^I agree with that to a point. The first 3 Modulars are far more expensive to buy than any of the first few series of CMF's.


    That's actually all relative.

    Series 1 was, as reported by Brickset, $2 per bag. If you were to get lucky and get a complete set of 16 on your first try, that'd come to $32. So back in 2010 when they first came out, it was possible to get a set for $32.

    Looking on eBay now, a complete set of Series 1 figures sells for roughly $150:
    http://www.ebay.com/itm/NEW-SEALED-8683-LEGO-MINIFIGURES-SERIES-1-COMPLETE-SET-OF-16-/251183433514?pt=Building_Toys_US&hash=item3a7bb3072a

    That's a 369% increase of RRP, quite staggering for roughly three years.

    Looking at the Cafe Corner (if we use modulars as examples), it retailed at $140 when it came out in 2007.

    Judging by recent eBay auctions for a NIB edition, it goes for say a nice number of $1,100.

    That is a 685% increase off of RRP, in roughly 6 years.

    If you go off of this information, CMF series 1 is increasing at about the same pace as Cafe Corner.

    Sure, that's $1,100 against $150 for a CMF series 1 complete, however, it is the same percentage increase. Which is hard to ignore!
    FollowsCloselyMinifiguresPlus
  • Pitfall69Pitfall69 Member Posts: 11,454
    i^Not ignoring it, just putting the dollar value in perspective. A few things here. Series 1 was distributed poorly and I'm sure they didn't produce nearly as many as the other series. Series 2, IMO, only has value because of the Spartan.
  • BrickDancerBrickDancer Member Posts: 3,639
    ^That is amazing on S1! I didn't realize they were up to that much nowadays, assuming they were a little bit more than RRP like most CMF series. How are the other series performing?
  • y2joshy2josh Member Posts: 1,996
    iccarus said:

    Who knows how long it will be until we get another X-Men movie.

    My guess is one year, five months and twenty-seven days... but what do I know?

    I'm hoping that a new X-Men cartoon comes along soon so we can get some more X-Men themed sets, since I'm pretty sure they won't be able to do sets based off of Days of Future Past anyway. As long as I get Gambit and Rogue minifigs somewhere down the line, I'll be fine. Apocalypse would be nice, too, but I won't hold my breath on that one.
    Virani
  • CCCCCC Member Posts: 20,556
    Zacherano said:

    Well, on the other hand, I'm kind of hoping that it does not last, because I love the line and I don't want to keep putting those kinds of dents in my wallet.

    Surely using that logic, you'd like lego to stop producing anything, full stop.

    They seem to sell well. I doubt lego will stop producing a line that makes profit. Not only that, they are a pocket money toy. Kids can buy them with little money. It is a good entry point to lego. And they are often placed by the tills in shops so they are not stolen, and this gives lego some great free advertising - everyone sees them as they are queuing up or at the till.

    I'm sure some people will always be late to the game and start collecting at S10 or S11. They might want to go back and collect them at a cost, but it is likely to be $500-700 or so to get 10 missing series. But in the future, I still see them as a good way to add to existing collections of play minifigs, rather than just as a collection to display and never touch. If they get to series 20, that is 320 minifigs that need to be displayed. That is a lot of space needed. Other than that, there will be valuable ones - we already know which they are - since they were valuable as soon as the sets came out.
  • GeddesGeddes Member Posts: 574
    ^^ X-Men: First Class 2 will hit U.S. theaters on July 18th, 2014. I don't know if Lego have a licence for the films (Fox). as opposed to the comics (marvel/disney) which the only x-men set is based.
  • y2joshy2josh Member Posts: 1,996
    ^I feel like that's exactly what I said... only less snarky. :D
    andheFurrysaurus
  • waltonadwaltonad Member Posts: 17
    edited January 2013
    I'm after the Bane Minifigure from set 7787. He rarely is listed on eBay, and the price of set 7787 has gone through the roof recently. His price on Bricklink is expensive as well.

    Is he rare, or is it just me? What price should I be looking to pay in £s?
  • rocaorocao Administrator Posts: 4,290
    So... you already know it's rarely listed on eBay and you are familiar with the prices on Bricklink... and you're asking if it's rare, and what price you should pay?
  • Pitfall69Pitfall69 Member Posts: 11,454
    ^I don't know if there is much money to be had in CMF's unless you are a volume reseller and you can get them for well below RRP.
    BrickDancer said:

    ^That is amazing on S1! I didn't realize they were up to that much nowadays, assuming they were a little bit more than RRP like most CMF series. How are the other series performing?

    Series 1 will always sell well. Series 2 sells very well also, but like I said before, mainly because of the Spartan. Series 3 was hugely overproduced and there was speculation that the VIP Set was only Series 3 CMF's because of this. Popular individual CMF's will continue to sell, but now that everyone is aware of the CMF's I would think that everyone has a great chance of grabbing a set for reasonable prices.
  • Pitfall69Pitfall69 Member Posts: 11,454
    ^It will be interesting to see how Series 9 goes. The minifigure distribution is different than all the rest. In past Series, if you bought a box, you were able to get 3 complete sets and have spares. Now, from what I have read, you will only get 2 complete sets and have spares of the more popular minifigures. Of course, that is TLG's opinion to what minifigures are most popular
  • ZacheranoZacherano Member Posts: 59
    ^These are some great comments people have been making regarding the CMFs. I think that you don't need to be buying these in large batches to be successful as a seller/investor. I'm convinced that their value will just keep rising with time.

    For those who want specific figures, the value may not even be so contingent on the release date so much as how rare or how desired a specific figure, accessory, or torso design seems to be. Of course, those figures that are being basically re-produced in new sets/themes will likely lower in value. Over time, though, perhaps people will want the "original" version of the minifig that inspired the theme (e.g., the pharaoh from S2 that may have contributed to Pharaoh's Quest).
  • Pitfall69Pitfall69 Member Posts: 11,454
    ^Perhaps, but there were Pharaohs in the Adventurers theme as well as in #1383. Yes, they were mummies, but they were Pharaohs.
  • Pitfall69Pitfall69 Member Posts: 11,454
    As far as ancient Egypt, I would love Lego to expand the CMF's to include High Priests and Nobles, Scribes and Soldiers.
  • CCCCCC Member Posts: 20,556
    Zacherano said:

    Over time, though, perhaps people will want the "original" version of the minifig that inspired the theme (e.g., the pharaoh from S2 that may have contributed to Pharaoh's Quest).

    I reckon it was the other way around. CMF S2 was out Sep 2010, PQ in Dec 2010. But there is no way they could have designed the PQ range based on the CMF pharaoh. What seems more likely to me is that they designed PQ and then used the design for the mummy's / pharaoh's headgear for the CMF series.

    Either way, I think it is great when the CMFs spill over into regular sets. It means you can actually use them in play / MOCs, rather than just have them as display items. And if anything, it makes the CMFs more desirable. For example, I have loads of black man-bats from CMF which I use with the MF range. I know he is the same form as the brown one but if anything the MF range has enhanced his playability. Similarly the viking figures fit in well with older viking sets, dwarfs with the fantasy sets, etc. So long as they are identifiably different, I think it is OK. I wouldn't want them to reuse an exact figure from CMF in a regular set (or vice versa). Eg, give us more romans, but have different torso patterns and different coloured shields, give us more businessmen with train sets, but with different design / colour suits, etc.
  • Pitfall69Pitfall69 Member Posts: 11,454
    Well...Lego decided to put a "golden" figure in each box of Series 11 I believe. This should drum up more interest in CMF's and maybe even @samiam will be interested in grabbing one :P
    Zacherano
  • Pitfall69Pitfall69 Member Posts: 11,454
    ^I don't know whether these will be chrome gold minifigures like TC-14 or gold colored elements. Also, I don't know if this "golden" minifigure will be different than all the others or a "golden" version of one of the 16.
  • GothamConstructionCoGothamConstructionCo Member Posts: 825
    There won't be much chrome left after all the pack fondling :)

  • Pitfall69Pitfall69 Member Posts: 11,454
    GothamConstructionCo said:

    There won't be much chrome left after all the pack fondling :)

    True...true

  • CCCCCC Member Posts: 20,556
    There has been mention of 8 - if there are 8 different ones, they will be expensive to buy to complete a set. I'm glad I'm no completist.
  • ZacheranoZacherano Member Posts: 59
    I hope the gold minifigures are different in some way so it is possible to feel them out. Otherwise, this may be a nightmare for people who actually want to collect specific figures - and for children who want the gold figures. I don't think Lego should do this. If anything, the gold figure should be no less rare than any other.

    Or... what if there was a gold plated version of all 16? That would probably be a lot more equitable for everyone involved, and might also help Lego.
  • Brick_ObsessionBrick_Obsession Member Posts: 656
    Pitfall69 said:

    Well...Lego decided to put a "golden" figure in each box of Series 11 I believe. This should drum up more interest in CMF's and maybe even @samiam will be interested in grabbing one :P

    According to FBTB it's series 10 that MAY have a golden theme to it. They are not sure if the box set will have one gold mini-fig or the set of 16 will have one. All speculation at this point.



  • Pitfall69Pitfall69 Member Posts: 11,454
    ^Yeah, I posted that before more details came out. Either way, I'm excited :-)
  • Brick_ObsessionBrick_Obsession Member Posts: 656
    I am excited too. I have everything S1 thru S9. Adding something a little "unique" would be awesome.
  • Pitfall69Pitfall69 Member Posts: 11,454
    ^I can see the "problem" with the chase minifigures, but this adds a new level excitement for me and my wife and daughter.
  • y2joshy2josh Member Posts: 1,996
    If the 'chase' minifigs are a one off, I have no problem with them. If HeroClix is any indication, however (and I'm not necessarily saying it is), people can be easily turned off to a product when you overpopulate it with 'hard to find' figures that command anywhere between $30-$100 a pop.
  • sidersddsidersdd Member Posts: 2,432
    Regarding prospective minifig hits, I'm wondering about some recent retirees. A few from the last round of Harry Potter figs seem to be on a trajectory for doing well.

    hp092 Bellatrix Lestrange (from #4840 The Burrow); the hair element is unique, and fetches $5-$7 by itself

    hp103 Luna Lovegood (from #4841 Hogwarts Express); I guess it's the wacky specs and dark pink torso

    hp112 Ron Weasley (from #4738 Hagrid's Hut) and hp123 Ron Weasley (from #10217 Diagon Alley) may be sleeper hits; I guess everybody loves how Ron looks as these two figs; they are becomming scarce

    Also some recent Star Wars figs, which don't appear to be resurfacing next year, and could potentially be bigger hits.

    sw309 Shaak Ti (from #7931 T-6 Shuttle); lackluster set which always seemed on clearance, but nice looking fig

    sw284 Aayla Secura (from #8098 Turbo Tank); nice wacky blue looking fig

    Will these ever become $50+ figs in the market though?
Sign In or Register to comment.

Shopping at LEGO.com or Amazon?

Please use our links: LEGO.com • Amazon

Recent discussions • Categories • Privacy Policy • Brickset.com

Howdy, Stranger!

It looks like you're new here. Sign in or register to get started.

Sign In Register

Categories

Brickset.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, the Amazon.com.ca, Inc. Associates Program and the Amazon EU Associates Programme, which are affiliate advertising programs designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.

As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases.