[NEW STUFF] Collectible Minifigures Series 4

[that guy]

Just picked up three cases from a TRU nearby. Distribution in each case I have is as follows
3 Viking
4 Skater
4 Artist
4 Hazmat
5 Rocker
4 Frankenstein
3 Mustekeer (how appropriate)
4 Soccer
5 Werewolf
5 Sailor
4 Surfer Girl
3 Fishing Gnome
3 Hockey
4 Geisha
3 Figure Skater
2 Mad Scientists



P.S. the dot coding system is back in effect, in fact I feel like the dots are more pronounced so far but in either case I'm not bothering to decode them this time as I'm sure someone else will do it in due time. I just cut them out because they're so good looking I can't resist!!!!

[unmovedmover]

A friend just called and said our local TRU had both series 3 and 4. I'd run over if I weren't still at the hospital with newborn daughter

[timwiede]

Also, even if they aren't in your local TRU yet, they're officially in stock at toysrus.com

[cas]

As I posted in Finds/Deals, if found these at Fred Meyer this morning. Didn't take me very long to get what I wanted by feel. I'm really liking the hazmat guy. I want to know why he's freaking out. I guess his suit must have a hole in or something, because, I'd be pretty content if I had a hazmat suit on. I also really like the sailor for some reason. I think he might be my favorite. He's simple, yet looks perfect. Now, if only I had a vessel to put him on.

[Prince Kahuka]

I found these at Smith's Marketplace, which along with Fred Meyer is a Kroger company. Check your local larger-scale Kroger affiliates.

Also, for those of you near Salt Lake City, Utah, I got a call from my contact at The Red Balloon yesterday that they just received Series 3 in case you still need any from that series.

[swe3t23]

i was just at Toys R Us on Thursday. The limit of mini figures series 4 were only 4 per customer. I guess they are trying to control the distribution.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4BoR0Aqu44o

Got the Lawn Gnome, Rocker, Painter, and Frankenstein



Went back to Toys R Us last night and there were only 2 left of the series 4.

Series 3 is on sale for Buy 1 get the second half off.

They had a couple of Series 2

[cas]

I wanted to note, I returned to Fred Meyer to pick up a couple more figures, and I happened to notice the barcodes on all the exterior boxes had been rendered useless (marked out). I'm assuming the store did it to prevent anyone from buying them, so heads up.

[pharmjod]

I can understand why they would do that. When I purchased a case from the Meijer (different store) close to me, if I had not been honest I could have gotten the whole box for $1.99. The cashier didn't know any better and since it was sealed she didn't see the individual packs. We opened it so that she could scan the actual pack barcode and do the 60 multiple. That would not be cool if you were a store and people were buying cases like that.

[SonOfSolo]

Finally completed my set yesterday. It seems the TRU by me is limiting 3 per guest. They have had 2 full cases every time I've been there. Took me about 4 visits to complete the set(with the wife and boy) but I was able to get the complete set by just using the "feel" technique and only got a few duplicates.

[MisterFubar]

Still haven't spotted them anywhere. I might just buy a whole set of ebay or bricklink and be done with it.

[CloneEmperor]

For those who haven't noticed, Series 4 is now available on shop.lego.com

[bobalego]

Without fail, I have had the most luck here: EducationWorks I went to the local store in the Danbury mall in Danbury CT, and they had a full case, I asked if they allowed people to check the packages, and they said that they actually knew about the codes and phone aps but actually have never seen anyone try to use them, probably because the boxes are next to the register. I admit it scared me off from being that person, so I just said what the heck and bought 10. They also had 3/4 case of series 3. So far I have not opened them all yet as I was hoping to find the code cracked here...I'm too lazy. The Danbury TRU had a case of series 3 but it was painfully obvious that they had been gone through hell. The bags had been squeezed so hard that there was nearly a perfect mold of each minifigure.

[samtheq]

That's funny, because the only place I've been able to find them in my area is one of those "educational" toy stores.
Course, like you say, it's not the kind of place you can buy them all, and return what you don't need once you've had a chance to go home and "feel them all up"....so I just bought a handful, trying to be patient until my TRU gets them, which is supposed to be this week. My TRU has a shelf tag for SERIES 4 as well as SERIES 3, so I guess it's a good thing that #3 is shipping again, meaning hopefully availability is getting better!

Nobody's found them at Target yet, I take it?

Plus--I'm waiting for these display cases that were shown at the toy fair to become available. Is there a release date on those?

brant

[Crusader]

I picked up several Series 4 at a Lego store in Virginia yesterday. They still had a ton of Series 3 in stock as well. While I was checking out, the cashiers were commenting on how Series 3 hasn't sold nearly as well. All I could think of was this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Yrxsov7SMs

I ended up with more Punk Rockers and a Soccer Player than I needed, please see my B/S/T post if interested.

[Draykov]

They still had a ton of Series 3 in stock as well. While I was checking out, the cashiers were commenting on how Series 3 hasn't sold nearly as well.

Well, the MSRP did go up by 50% from Series 2 to Series 3. That might have played a factor.

[Crusader]

I agree that raising the price a dollar is part of the reason, but I find not knowing what I'm buying to be far more annoying. The barcodes were easy, but the dots aren't and I'm not going to try to feel the parts inside the package. If Lego had dediced to mass produce them and label the packages I would have bought many, many more. I find limited quantities both frustrating and guilt-inducing--when I cleaned out the Spartans from a box of Series 2, I just felt bad that I hadn't left any for anyone else.

Here's a thought: make enough for everyone and let them buy what they want. A couple hours of test marketing would easily show how many of each fig to make.

Sorry for the rant.

[MrCRskater]

. . . I find not knowing what I'm buying to be far more annoying. The barcodes were easy, but the dots aren't and I'm not going to try to feel the parts inside the package. If Lego had dediced to mass produce them and label the packages I would have bought many, many more. I find limited quantities both frustrating and guilt-inducing. . . Here's a thought: make enough for everyone and let them buy what they want.

While that would make life much easier for us collector-types, that would unquestionably reduce TLG's profit margins on the figs. Sure, some market research could demonstrate what would be more or less popular, but that still wouldn't guarantee that there would be enough "X" and not too many "Y." With the blind packaging, they are much more likely to sell everything (no Mimes left behind) as we [collector-types] are outnumbered by the impatient/uneducated parents and the target audience. Blind packaging is much more appealing to kids.

That said, I spent 45 minutes at TRU last night just fishing through 2 boxes of series 4 (they had 6, but I had to get home to the lady-friend). Those figure skaters are hard to find!

[Crusader]

I would think that people still prefer to know what they're buying. Collectors might even be less interested than the general population--collectors will track them all down regardless, having more money and often ways to rid themselves of duplicates. However, if I was a kid with $3 in hand I'd sure as heck want to know that I was getting a Spartan and not a mime. I can't imagine as a kid buying Kenner Star Wars figures that I wouldn't be awfully disgusted if I had ended up with three Mon Mothma's when I wanted a Luke Skywalker.
There is fun in the element of surprise for kids. Kids get excited at the thought of what toy the cereal box or Happy Meal might contain. So sure not knowing that you are getting a Spartan and then getting one by surprise is awesome. However, as a parent I can attest that kids get really cranky when they get what they don't want. Besides you buy the cereal box for the cereal, the toy is the bonus. When you shell out $3 for something, you should know what you're buying.
I think the piles of unsold Series 3 are directly related to not knowing what you're getting for $3, not that they are a dollar more.

[Draykov]

I think the piles of unsold Series 3 are directly related to not knowing what you're getting for $3, not that they are a dollar more.

My guess is that it's a bit of both.

[MisterFubar]

Who wants to sell me a complete set for not much more than MSRP? Still no local sightings of these and I'm not sure I'll be able to get a complete set before I leave the country at the end of the month.

I want to keep getting all of these as they come out, but not at secondary market prices.