Lego Minifigure Packages packs vs. boxes

[sadowsk1]

As I was sorting through some minifigures yesterday it crossed my mind how since the figures are in packs instead of a small box that we are lucky enough to figure out what we are buying. What kind of madness do you think there would be if the figures came in a small box that had no barcode or bump system to identify them. I imagine I would have gone crazy a long time ago trying to get the ones I wanted. Any thoughts on this or cost difference in packaging in plastic vs. a small box?

[ncbarrett]

As I was sorting through some minifigures yesterday it crossed my mind how since the figures are in packs instead of a small box that we are lucky enough to figure out what we are buying. What kind of madness do you think there would be if the figures came in a small box that had no barcode or bump system to identify them. I imagine I would have gone crazy a long time ago trying to get the ones I wanted. Any thoughts on this or cost difference in packaging in plastic vs. a small box?

Dont give LEGO any ideas!!!!

[sadowsk1]

As I was sorting through some minifigures yesterday it crossed my mind how since the figures are in packs instead of a small box that we are lucky enough to figure out what we are buying. What kind of madness do you think there would be if the figures came in a small box that had no barcode or bump system to identify them. I imagine I would have gone crazy a long time ago trying to get the ones I wanted. Any thoughts on this or cost difference in packaging in plastic vs. a small box?

Dont give LEGO any ideas!!!!

Ha, my wife told me the same thing. I have to believe that they have some pretty sharp people working there that have discussed this too (I can't imagine how long it would have taken me to come up with a feasible UCS Millenium Falcon), but I would guess it's an issue of cost or sizing that makes them use the pouches instead but it's pure speculation.

[GuaranteedUnity]

I think boxes are unlikely because they're so much easier to open.

If people are shameless enough to steal minifigs from currently boxed sets, it isn't much of a stretch for one of those to think those same @$$es would open just enough of the box to see which minifig is inside.

[unclephn]

I think boxes are unlikely because they're so much easier to open.

If people are shameless enough to steal minifigs from currently boxed sets, it isn't much of a stretch for one of those to think those same @$$es would open just enough of the box to see which minifig is inside.

This is very true. I've been to stores that sell Dunny's (vinyl figurines that come 'blind' in sealed boxes, by Kid Robot), and every single box was open. It's pretty much next to impossible to sell them once they've been opened, unless they were marked down next to nothing. I can't imagine anyone wanting to buy a minifig that was opened at full retail price.

I think it's safe to speculate that the current packaging was chosen over sealed boxes because of cheaper and faster packaging costs.

[legohunter]

Once I saw a TRUs sale associate selling an "opened" CMF4 at half price to a customer. I think it will be a big trouble for retailers if switching from polybag to box, while it is easier to tear the box apart than polybag.

[slacker]

Boxes take too much room.

[Captain Lantern]

I'm thinking that we're fortunate that cardboard boxes are more expensive than pouches! Also that there seems to be one element to each minifigure that is unique, thus making the "grab and grope" method pretty accurate.

As we were opening Series 5 the other day, I commented on how I was glad that Lego wasn't making chase decos of any of the characters. You'd never know which one you had without opening each one then!

[sadowsk1]

It must be a cost thing then. I don't think there are so many people that are as unscrupulous as we might think. I use to work Loss Prevention and there weren't people tearing into baseball card packs in the hunt of what they wanted, but they had some pretty sophisticated methods by using ultra sensitive scales to tell the difference between the micro weights of the packs and the variations would tell them if there were special inserts. We would tell those people to buy something or leave. I never understood why they didn't just buy all of them and return them. I imagine Legos could be figured out the same way by weight as much as by feeling through a package.

[dr_spock]

I wonder how hard would it be to make a portable x-ray or millimeter wave device that can interface to an iPod or iPhone.

[anthonyj8]

If LEGO used boxes, they'd have to go back to barcodes, which are really easy to figure out.
So I wouldn't be too upset.

[mikeJorr]

The Target I shop at had a bunch of the minifig packages opened. I didn't mind because the clown my daughter wanted was one of the opened packages, so I bought it. Then my wife dropped the pie down our heat register. That's the only reason my daughter wanted the clown.

[drtabo]

Then my wife dropped the pie down our heat register..

What?!

[drtabo]

Ah.. I didn't know the clown came with a pie, so I was thinking either she literally dropped "a pie" down, or you were using some metaphor.

[Brick & Blue]

I don't know what you people are talking about, but I see open bags all the times. People just rip the bags, or cut the bags. Not that hard to do.

Boxes would just be stupid, no way to hang them, and would take up an insane ammount of room.

[unclephn]

Boxes would just be stupid, no way to hang them, and would take up an insane ammount of room.

It wouldn't be that difficult. They could just use those transparent plastic thingies so that they could be hung on pegs. But you're right in the sense that it would take up more room. Therein lies another problem with boxes. Do you devote more retail shelf space to CMF's, or do you decrease the amount of figs per case?

[natelite]

you can get pies from the upcoming lego friends sets.