Review: The Collectable LEGO Minifigure
Posted by Huw,
The Collectable LEGO Minifigure is the second book to be authored by Jeff and Ed Maciorowski, the brothers behind popular LEGO investing website BrickPicker.com.
This one covers minifigures in much the same way as their first book -- published this time last year -- dealt with collectable LEGO sets. It highlights the most sought after and valuable minifigures across a range of themes from Adventurers to Toy Story, and provides background information on why the ones chosen are particularly noteworthy.
According to BrickLink LEGO has produced well over 8,000 different minifigures since 1978, so clearly it's not possible mention them all in a 180-page book. Instead, the brothers have selected around 200 to highlight, and have listed another 500 or so in a price guide at the back.
An introductory chapter on the history of minifigures and why they have become collectable and valuable is followed by twenty chapters which each deal with figures from a particular LEGO theme.
These chapters are filled with good quality images of the figures, including some from Brickset, accompanied by facts about them -- when the figure was released, where it was available, its BrickLink reference number and current value on the secondary market -- and a paragraph explaining why it's worth so much, what makes it sought after and other interesting tidbits of information.
At the back of the book there is an interesting chapter on counterfeit minifigures which provides practical information on how to identify and avoid them, and also one on custom figures. Finally, the book is finished off with a 13-page price guide.
Jeff and Ed have allowed their personalities to come through in the text and from it we learn a bit about their favourite themes and figures. There is a lot of talk on return on investment and how figures have performed on the secondary market, which might not be to everyone's taste, but that is inevitable given the nature of the book and the intended audience.
My one criticism is that the figures chosen often seem a bit random. The Castle chapter, for example, highlights three figures cas001, cas415, and a Forestman cas285, which are all apparently worth over $20. Why those three when other similar ones are worth much the same? I guess it came down to available space and showcasing a variety of figures to keep the book interesting. I don't think the criteria used for inclusion is mentioned, at least I have not found it. It would have been useful information.
Nevertheless, it is a fascinating book that will appeal particularly to minifigure collectors. I suspect many seasoned collectors will be well aware of which figures are valuable and how much they are worth but for others it is likely to be bit of an eye-opener, and could well be the cause of frantic digging through piles of kids' LEGO looking for little bits of plastic that could be worth more than their weight in gold. It's probably not a book you would read from start to finish but it is great to flick through and gasp 'that's worth how much?' every so often...
If you are looking for a book that is a little different from the usual fare, then you could do worse than to check this out.
Thanks to Jeff for sending me a PDF copy to review.
The book is available from Amazon now:
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7 comments on this article
Fairly interesting stuff. I sometimes look up for these kinds of prices. I might check up this book one day, but I probably won't buy it.
As a review, I think that it had to be highlighted that it was possible for fans to send minifigure photos in creative scenes to be published in the book. The main reason is that it was announced in Brickset time before:
http://brickset.com/article/17971
It is an added value for the book. However, I want to thank Brickset for giving that information because I could send to the editors the funny photos I take with my Lego minifigures in iconic places of cities during my holidays. And I am very proud to know that some of them have been published in the book!! Undoubtedly, I will buy the book!!
Thank you, I had forgotten about that! Congratulations to everyone who made it into the book.
Looks like a useful book!
Maybe I'm just being grouchy because Lego cancelled my Darth Revan this morning, but everything about collecting Lego for money leaves a bitter taste in my mouth.
^ouch, that hurts as I know because of having missing some figures in the past (Martian Manhunter).
Great review! The book looks great and mine's set to arrive on Thursday. My brother and I have some photos in there. The contest was a lot of fun to participate in.