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The Effect of Minifigures on Set Prices

zippityzoomzippityzoom Member Posts: 86
edited March 2013 in Buying & Selling Topics
As a general rule, what is the percentage of a price of a set do the minifigs make up?

For example, on Jabba's Palace (9516) with a SRP of $119.99 for a 717-piece set are the minifigs worth approximately 50-60% of the set's value? I'm sure this is an exception since the set comes with some hard-to-find/new minifigs.

Comments

  • TheLoneTensorTheLoneTensor Member Posts: 3,937
    edited March 2013
    Effect

    Yeah, I'm that guy.

    To answer, there is no general rule because it totally depends on what and how many minifgs are included. For example, sets like Jabba's Palace, Desert Skiff and Uruk-Hai Army are hugely dependent on the minifigs, so over 50% (way over for the latter two). Conversely, for something like the Town Hall, I'd say about 5-10%, if that.
    adello25zippityzoomfitzyfitz
  • jasorjasor Member Posts: 839
    minifigs keep getting better, playsets keep getting something else. The fact that you can buy a JP off Amazon in the collectible tab for 45.00+s/h will give you a good indicator of that set's pull.

    I'm with @tensor, though...it's very much "what" minifigs are included, as well as the focus of the set theme.
  • BrickarmorBrickarmor Member Posts: 1,258
    Licensed = great effect
    Unlicensed = lesser effect
    Noteworthy exceptions are Ninjago and Chima. I guess that's about as close to a "general rule" as there can be.
  • binaryeyebinaryeye Member Posts: 1,831
    Another factor to consider is Jabba's Palace has quite a few new molds, most of which are unlikely to be used elsewhere. This is certainly part of the reason for the high RRP of the set.
    RomanticWarrior
  • TheLoneTensorTheLoneTensor Member Posts: 3,937
    edited March 2013
    I dunno, add in Monster Fighters, Kingdoms/Castle and Galaxy Squad and suddenly the exceptions are creeping up.

    Ok, maybe not so much with GS.
  • EKSamEKSam Member Posts: 349
    edited March 2013
    I purchased
    #6862
    #75002
    #76004
    #6858
    #9469
    only for the minifigs:-) so you can say 100% for minifigures. The conclusion: I paid 20$ for Yoda.Still worth it.:-)

  • JosephJoseph Member Posts: 629
    edited March 2013
    ^^ True, but for Jabba's palace they are licensed molds. If I remember correctly, Lego has to get approval from Lucasfilm for each new mold they add (at least for things like Lea/Boushh's helmet, Jabba, wampas, etc.). I'm not sure how much cost this adds, but it could be part of the reason it's so expensive.
  • zippityzoomzippityzoom Member Posts: 86
    tensor said:

    Effect

    Yeah, I'm that guy.

    Considering I write/edit for a living, it's really inexcusable.

    I ask because my son is really drawn to the playability of the sets, and less in the minifigs. The minifigs are crucial for play, but once he has a "Luke" or "Anakin," he doesn't feel the need to have the variants of each like a collector would.

    But JP is an exception since almost all the minifigs in the set are unique to itself. Although he has a Leia, he does want the Boushh helmet. As jasor pointed out, for some sets, it might be a better route for me to either buy it on eBay sans minifigs or just BL it.

  • paul_mertonpaul_merton Member Posts: 2,967
    ^ Not to mention the missing apostrophe (Minifigs') :)
    zippityzoom
  • zippityzoomzippityzoom Member Posts: 86
    paul_merton said:

    ^ Not to mention the missing apostrophe (Minifigs') :)

    Forum moderator needs to kick this discussion to "Everything Else NOT LEGO"

    Not my finest hour...

  • jasorjasor Member Posts: 839
    @zippityzoom I've bought full sets on BL sans minifigs for a bargain. If you look up a set in the buy catalog, there are just about always 4-5 stores with just the brick(set) ;) not that you dont already know that.
  • zippityzoomzippityzoom Member Posts: 86
    @jasor Thanks for the tip. I actually didn't know that. I've just recently come out a 28-year dark ages period. Before my son's recent obsession over the brick, the last time I played with LEGO, the Internet was a mere thought and the Delorean to take you to the future wasn't even imagined yet.

    jasor
  • samiam391samiam391 Member Posts: 4,492
    zippityzoom said:

    paul_merton said:

    ^ Not to mention the missing apostrophe (Minifigs') :)

    Forum moderator needs to kick this discussion to "Everything Else NOT LEGO"

    Not my finest hour...

    I can practically picture you typing out that post...

    A little sweat on the brow.. "Yes, yes I think that's good.. no wait, maybe not. Let me read through it a few more times, just to make sure. Ok, yes... yes, I think, no.. no maybe not. I'm just going to post and hope there's no errors.. ok 1,2,3... Post!

    Oh goodness, I hope they don't find anything this time..."

    I didn't know we had so many grammar police on here.. I'm amazed I've survived so long without having all my posts ripped up! ;-)
    zippityzoom
  • samiam391samiam391 Member Posts: 4,492
    And to attempt to make a post that actually relates to the original question, it's hard too place a general rule.

    A set, like you mention, in Jabba's Palace holds most of its value in the minifigures. Obviously that set was made mostly for new minifigures considering how the price of new molds drove the RRP through the roof.

    Then there are city sets, were you buy the set to fill a gap/expand your town. You don't buy a city set just to have 3 more yellow minifigures smile at you all the time with the exact same expression.

    That being said, it again, varies.

    The general rule is that licensed themes will have a higher minifigure value percentage then non-licensed themes.
  • JosephJoseph Member Posts: 629
    edited March 2013
    ^^ They don't usually comment on grammer, but there probably are some "grammatically inclined" people in this site. By the way, you missed the last dot in several of your ellipses :-).
  • TheLoneTensorTheLoneTensor Member Posts: 3,937
    EKSam said:

    I purchased
    #6862
    #75002
    #76004
    #6858
    #9469
    only for the minifigs:-) so you can say 100% for minifigures. The conclusion: I paid 20$ for Yoda.Still worth it.:-)

    #6862 for the minifigs really?
  • binaryeyebinaryeye Member Posts: 1,831
    tensor said:

    #6862 for the minifigs really?

    6862-2, I imagine.

  • EKSamEKSam Member Posts: 349
    @tensor

    This is the one I am referrIng to

    http://www.target.com/p/lego-super-heroes-superman-vs-power-armor-lex-6862/-/A-13920981
  • Thanos75Thanos75 Member Posts: 1,120
    edited March 2013
    I was at Toys-R-Us today and saw the Kreo Gi-Joe sets. They are pretty neat. I sooo wish they were LEGO. It woudl be sweet to see Gi-Joe minifigs. Between all of the Joes and Cobra it would be like Star Wars all over again with the scramble for the minifigs.
  • RomanticWarriorRomanticWarrior Member Posts: 248
    Thanos75 said:

    I was at Toys-R-Us today and saw the Kreo Gi-Joe sets. They are pretty neat. I sooo wish they were LEGO. It woudl be sweet to see Gi-Joe minifigs. Between all of the Joes and Cobra it would be like Star Wars all over again with the scramble for the minifigs.

    Unfortunately, there's LEGO's stance on modern warfare depictions that get in the way. :/

  • y2joshy2josh Member Posts: 1,996
    Joseph said:

    ^^ They don't usually comment on grammer, but there probably are some "grammatically inclined" people in this site. By the way, you missed the last dot in several of your ellipses :-).

    You missed the second 'a' in grammar... and replaced it with an 'e,' oddly enough. :D
    samiam391jasorJosephBrickDancertrickydicky0880
  • JosephJoseph Member Posts: 629
    edited March 2013
    *facepalm* Really? Did I really have to do a typo at that exact moment? Apparently so :-).
  • samiam391samiam391 Member Posts: 4,492
    @Joseph- Ninja'd! :o)
  • SirBenSirBen Member Posts: 592
    EKSam said:

    @tensor

    This is the one I am referrIng to

    http://www.target.com/p/lego-super-heroes-superman-vs-power-armor-lex-6862/-/A-13920981

    I also bought this set, along with four or five of the other smaller Super Heroes sets, specifically for the minifigs, although the pose-ability of the power armor suit does make it fun to play with and display. While the other pieces in these sets are great, I, personally, would consider the minifigs to be 75-90% of the value of each set.
    dragonhawk
  • zippityzoomzippityzoom Member Posts: 86
    A tip of the cap to the mod who corrected the discussion's title.

    And suffice to say that this discussion has completely veered off course.

    Lastly, this will be the only discussion on Brickset that will require every post to be spellchecked and proofread (twice) before posting.
    jasor
  • YellowcastleYellowcastle Administrator, Moderator Posts: 5,234
    Suffice it to say. :o)
    zippityzoomBrickDancer
  • zippityzoomzippityzoom Member Posts: 86
    Darghh...I will henceforth only convey my thoughts via pictures.
  • FenrisAkashiFenrisAkashi Member Posts: 242
    Pictographs worked for the ancient Egyptians...

    But as someone who is coming back to Lego after quite some time I admit to being very confused by the obsession with minifigs. Having recently been to a NW con (Bricks cascade) vendors selling SW minis for 30$+ each was something I dont think I will ever understand. I'm still in it for the bricks. The mini figs are a nice extra.
    zippityzoomdougts
  • zippityzoomzippityzoom Member Posts: 86
    Agreed. Minifigs are nice, but a little like any obsessive "chase" to collect all the variants of something whether it's comic books, baseball cards or toys.

    To me, what is fun about LEGO is piecing it together and then appreciating what went into solving the puzzle of using these bricks and pieces to engineer a moveable, posable and playable "toy" that you played a part in making happen.
  • jasorjasor Member Posts: 839
    both of you should buy the sets, sell off the minifigs, and fund your hobby then. There is definitely a market for that.
  • HarryPotterLoverHarryPotterLover Member Posts: 238
    A good example is the Rancor Pit. However this is because of size. $60 for 400? Thats because if a brick averages 10 cents- the Rancor adds about $20 worth of plastic to the set.
  • FenrisAkashiFenrisAkashi Member Posts: 242
    @Jasor

    Ya I've heard tales of such people but I am kinda curious how they make it work with shipping fees being what they are and where there is a true market for just minifigs. Do most people just use brinklink to liquidate figures?

    @HPLover
    Based on that your saying the Rancor is the equivalent of 200 bricks...
    Might be for some but I would rather have a 20$ or 200 bricks then one lump molded item.
    Not saying there isnt a market for it, just expressing a different veiw.
  • plantmanplantman Member Posts: 97
    This is something I've been thinking about lately in relation to LEGO. I don't see the apparant focus on the minifigure as a positive - and I love them - I have at least 1000. As an older nerd it reminds me of marketing strategies used for comic and action figure lines that ultimately provided huge interest and resale boosts (followed by a bottoming out of both). It seems to me that LEGO is aware of the effect minifigs can have on what people purchase. The new Star Wars 75014 Battle of Hoth is one that comes to mind. It is mostly rehashed stuff with one new exclusive figure. I only know one other person my age and two kids who are into LEGO and figures can be all-important. A $120 set might normally be passed on. Throw in one or two exlcusive, cool figures and it becomes a must have. I don't like it, but it is good marketing and not likely to change. The only good part of this is it could get figures made that otherwise might not ever happen.
  • epyon396epyon396 Member Posts: 268
    edited March 2013
    @plantman

    I was a victim of this with #9499.
    Wouldn't have cared for about the set at all, but that Queen Amidala twisted my arm >:/
    The set was better than I expected, but I never really cared for the ship. I essentially paid $50 for that one minifig.
    I don't fault Lego. It's a solid marketing strategy.
  • legomattlegomatt Member Posts: 2,543
    Slightly OT, but associated... and then there's the whole issue of the effect of minifigs on the DESIGN of the set. Sooo many sets these days revolve around/rely on the fig to sell/promote the set, and it seems the build/design suffers as a consequence. It's almost just ballast, with little to merit the purchase alone.
  • lulwutlulwut Member Posts: 417
    edited March 2013
    I really do wish sets didn't take a hit in design/pieces because of minifigures. Nonetheless I was able to effectively get the new Y-Wing for $20 by selling off the Leia minifigure.
  • GoldchainsGoldchains Member Posts: 795
    edited March 2013
    With regards to Star Wars, its mainly the "sets" and not the "ships" that suffer. You may get a lot of cool, exclusive minifigs with the Jabba's Palace, but it has a small piece count and the set is fairly small too. It was this way with the Battle of Endor too. But the ships themselves are huge. The Tie Fighter and Y-wing are less than half the price of the playsets, but are the same size or larger than the playsets! And still come with 3-4 minifigs! I don't understand it really.
  • CCCCCC Member Posts: 20,526
    I actually like the focus on minifigs in some sets. It means I can get the minifigs I want without having to spend too much on bricks. As I have enough bricks to build most things I want already ...

    Those bricks (well the things I build with them) have more meaning when I have the right minifigs to go with them.
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