Glad I got my set early. With people buying up 120 bag displays right away it looks like it's going to be hard to find a complete set. Happy hunting

Went to a TRU this morning, got there early, first one in the place....looked for the minifigs, nowhere to be found.  Mgr all week, and even last night, said they're in the back and will be available this morning.  Well the mgr this morning said they're out of stock and apparently employees purchased them.  WTH?

oh... great... now we have TRU employees resellers...

That is a big reason for complain.  Customers should get first pick, not the employees.  I would track down the regional manager (or whoever the boss of that store manager) and complain

I am actually surprised that they used that line as an excuse. That could actually get them all in trouble

They did this same exact thing before with Series 10's Mr. Gold so nothing new here. It is asinine but it would seem they obviously can get away with letting their own staff have first pickings.

 

I strongly hope that lego doesn't make every series after this $4 a pack.  I can kind of stomach the $4 for licensed figs but not for the standard ones.  Most of the older series are barely above retail cost and doesn't look to have appreciated much.  I don't see too many collectors or lego fans willing to shill out $4 for a single fig especially when you can get a poly for that price.  The new spiderman poly is only $4.

Honestly, I don't see the new price tag flying too well with buyers or the intended audience of children who as we all know have a very limited allowance. Good grief, one time I heard a woman question how much a single Mixel goes for and when answered, she made a sigh to then abruptly state "Jesus." Of all the sets on the shelf, she got weird about that one? Anyway, who the hell wants to pay $4 for a single minifigure that could easily be stuck in any random set when they could get a polybag that includes a tiny build plus a minifigure? I'm ticked because I got into the flow of things with finding every character in a series and now it looks like when Series 12 arrives later in the year, I may just have to bow out considering how much all 16 will end up costing.

 

They have an easy solution for that.  Up the price for polys to $5.  The last Friends polybag at Target was $5 a piece

Target fixed the price eventually. Since it was the retailer with the higher than suggested retail, there wasn't anything Lego could do about it or perhaps they could but didn't care same as their stance on Toys R Us and a few other places.

Yeah, I will be very disappointed if they go to $4.  I enjoy the minifigs but I don't think at that price.

 

I have definitely noticed that the simpsons figs are popular in the trading community.  Even the more abundant figures are drawing interest.

Btw, TRU is running a promotion for 10% off anything on Thursdays when you use TRU credit card in store.  It is not much, but one of cheapest ways to get the Simpsons minifig so far 

If there is no purchase limit at the store, then $10 of $50 will make 13 of them to be $3.22+ tax a piece

i went to 3 walmarts this morning - none had any  in back.  never made it to the shelf.

guess walmart employees are fans too.

none at walgreens  x 3.

both targets i have gone to had them out on endcaps at the end of aisles that were not the lego aisle so you might have better luck there.

Hmm, should I drive 25 minutes each way to TRU store...  ??  Is this going to be more popular than I originally thought ??? Decisions, decisions...

I had an opened bag that I got in TRU, went this morning to Target and ask the employee if the have this in stock, he checks and says we have 180 in the back. So finally I got a box.

My local Meijer service counter showed 120 in stock, but not on the floor, and no one could find them in the back. Went to another store and found 60 unmolested packs dumped into a wire basket on the end cap. Same store my wife cleared out 111 packs from lady week. Maybe I should check there first next time.

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i do have to give you a warning though.

this isn't a 100% proven science and i've heard that each number code (i think means designated geographic areas) sometimes have different bump codes

but for now this is what i found out.

 

number regions were for us, canada, international.

 

I have packs from Walgreens and Targets, all bought in the western US region and have some characters where I've confirmed by feel that they're the same character but have very distinct and different bump codes and I have some with identical bump codes that I've confirmed are different characters.

 

I suspect the bump codes may be accurate for packs coming off a single assembly line -- so they'll likely be consistent within a case and perhaps if your local area happened to get all it's cases from a single assembly line then they'll be consistent -- but beyond that, I'd say proceed with caution.  Especially if you mix your purchases from more than one retail chain which may have taken delivery from different batches.

 

Smooshing the packs isn't that hard to learn, but can be a bit tedious in-store when you're first learning.  If you can afford it, just buy 20 to 30 packs, try to get a verity of bump codes, then smooth'm at home and return your dupes.  When you return, you'll have a better feel for smooshing and you can go back out on the floor and try to find ones you don't already have.  Sorting by bump code or weight, prior to smooshing can help it go along faster -- by weight will group similar minifigs together and if you're lucky the bump codes will also be consistent.

Just visited my local TRU (Canada) at they had at least 15 boxes out on display (sorry to those that have had trouble finding them) Seems TRU in Canada was well organized for this launch. 

So when can we expect the "Simpsons CMF is flooding the market" thread ?

Found a box an opened box TRU this morning shortly after they opened. Had 50 packs left, lady said some kid had bought 10 already. I just sorted them and only got 1 Maggie, guess the poor kid in front of me ended up with 3 of her. 

And they're live on LEGO Shop @ Home:

 

http://shop.lego.com/en-US/LEGO-Minifigures-The-Simpsons-Series-71005

 

{affiliate link needed}

What does everyone see as the short term price for a set of 16 if they're sold out/hard to find?

Check eBay for what's sold.  I sold a set for $95 a few days ago.  I haven't been looking since then to see if they're over/under that right now.  I'm holding onto the other two sets I have for the moment, pending Sunday's episode airing.

Check eBay for what's sold.  I sold a set for $95 a few days ago.  I haven't been looking since then to see if they're over/under that right now.  I'm holding onto the other two sets I have for the moment, pending Sunday's episode airing.

Yeah they're still hovering around 90-100, I'm happy with the couple sets I have if they keep going for that price. Trying to decide if I want to go hunt for a few more, but it would really only be worth it to me if they get to 110 or more.

If you got good a smooshing the box you have, you can finish out sets 4 and 5 with around 20 more figures.  That's some decent ROI to get another two sets worth of $$.

I use a powerful LED flashlight. You move the small pieces to the bottom of the package. Hold the flashlight directly underneath the package right up against it on the front of the package. Hold the little flap of the package back on the back side. In that small space where the is no printing on the package you can see the pieces inside the package. It works. I successfully identified a whole case on the previously series of minifigs using this method. I just tried it with the Simpsons minifigs and it works also.

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You sir are a genius! Thank you!

TRU has too many policies and politics to deal with...GO TO TARGET! they don't care and you can buy cases if you want.

I use a powerful LED flashlight. You move the small pieces to the bottom of the package. Hold the flashlight directly underneath the package right up against it on the front of the package. Hold the little flap of the package back on the back side. In that small space where the is no printing on the package you can see the pieces inside the package. It works. I successfully identified a whole case on the previously series of minifigs using this method. I just tried it with the Simpsons minifigs and it works also.

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I used this technique on my box, and was able to identify 58 of 60 this way. For some reason, there were two bags that were impossible; no light could be shined through them at all. It was really weird.

It was only through process of elimination, and honing my technique with the other 58 that I could figure these last two (both Maggie).

I cleared out my local TRU of the ones they had out on display. Something to note, the checkout lady (I believe was probably the manager) said it was limited 4 per person when I tried to check out, but luckily that was right around when they changed shift and she ended up going to Guest Services while I shuffled my bounty through a cashier who smelled faintly of smoke. Used the $10 off $50 on multiple transactions, thanks again NoMoreMonkeys.

 

But in the hour I was there, two things happened that I'd like to open up to discussion to the community. When I was feeling them out, another kid came in and was looking for certain ones too. Could he be a BrickBrat, or simply a dedicated fan? Either way, I ended up not being able to find two characters across those two boxes, so maybe he made off with those rare ones...

 

Which brings me to my question. Could LEGO's potential underestimation of demand, plus large BrickPicker demand creating shortages across a majority of the stores end up with what is essentially a reseller monopoly over the supply when the demand spikes after the episode airs? My local Target had 240 in stock, which means 4 boxes of 60. That can easily be cleared out by just a few Brickpickers looking for a few complete sets or sealed boxes. If each of us are heading out to find complete sets, sealed boxes, or are clearing out the rarer minifigs, isn't a "Brickpicker monopoly" and "retailer shortage" entirely feasible? 

 

'Course, if that's true, prices could easily go up. Which makes me (save for the fact that I'm still missing two from a complete set...)

 

The other thing I saw was that while I was there, one of the employees was feeling them out for a Homer, and was talking to another employee who said that the kid (aforementioned above) helped her feel out one she was looking for. Just goes to show that the demand is very much there, as well as that employee's first pick.

You sir are a genius! Thank you!

Glad I could be of help. I had never seen anyone mention this before is I figured I should share. I don't trust bump codes so this is the best way for me to identify.

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There was a limit of 5 at my TRU.

I cleared out my local TRU of the ones they had out on display. Something to note, the checkout lady (I believe was probably the manager) said it was limited 4 per person when I tried to check out, but luckily that was right around when they changed shift and she ended up going to Guest Services while I shuffled my bounty through a cashier who smelled faintly of smoke. Used the $10 off $50 on multiple transactions, thanks again NoMoreMonkeys.

 

But in the hour I was there, two things happened that I'd like to open up to discussion to the community. When I was feeling them out, another kid came in and was looking for certain ones too. Could he be a BrickBrat, or simply a dedicated fan? Either way, I ended up not being able to find two characters across those two boxes, so maybe he made off with those rare ones...

 

Which brings me to my question. Could LEGO's potential underestimation of demand, plus large BrickPicker demand creating shortages across a majority of the stores end up with what is essentially a reseller monopoly over the supply when the demand spikes after the episode airs? My local Target had 240 in stock, which means 4 boxes of 60. That can easily be cleared out by just a few Brickpickers looking for a few complete sets or sealed boxes. If each of us are heading out to find complete sets, sealed boxes, or are clearing out the rarer minifigs, isn't a "Brickpicker monopoly" and "retailer shortage" entirely feasible? 

 

'Course, if that's true, prices could easily go up. Which makes me (save for the fact that I'm still missing two from a complete set...)

 

The other thing I saw was that while I was there, one of the employees was feeling them out for a Homer, and was talking to another employee who said that the kid (aforementioned above) helped her feel out one she was looking for. Just goes to show that the demand is very much there, as well as that employee's first pick.

 

I would not be surprised if this happened. Check out the preorders on minifiguresplus on ebay. Some people are preordering 30 boxes at a time!

OK, Finally got home to tally up the breakdown of my 120ct retail display case.

 

Here is what I got:

 

10 - Homer

 7 - Bart

14 - Marge

 8 -  Lisa

 8 - Magie

 5 - Grampa

 7 - Ned Flanders

 6 - Krusty

 4 - Milhouse

 3 - Ralph

 7 - Apu

 6 - Nelson

13 - Itchy

 9 - Scratchy

 6 - Chief Wiggum

 7 - Mr. Burns

 

That is what I got with Smooshing.  I'm pretty good at it after doing over 300pc.

 

Anyone else have one of these retail cases unmolested? 

 

I'm curious to see if the beakdowns in these are consistent?