Skaerbaek Fan Weekend minifigs
Posted by Huw,
The Skaerbaek fan weekend in Denmark is the highlight of the AFOL calendar but unfortunately, at the moment, it's looking doubtful whether it will take place this year.
Since 2009, participants of the event have been given an exclusive minifig in their registration pack, which are the subject of this article written by Nicola in Italy:
The collection of rare minifigures is a widespread practice all over the world and there are several communities in social networks that act as a meeting point for collectors.
Among the prestigious minifigures, loved and sought after by collectors, is the series of the Fan Weekend of Skaerbaek.
The LEGO Fan Weekend event, dedicated to AFOL builders from around the world, has been held in Skaerbaek in Denmark since 2005 and the first exclusive minifigure of the event dates back to 2009. It's very sought after and rare to find.
Again in 2010 and 2011 the minifigures of the LEGO Fan Weekend were given to exhibitors.
In 2012 and 2013 the minifigures were not printed, while in 2014, the last year of LEGO management of the event, the 10th edition minifigure was created.
The most sought after and rare is the Fan Weekend 2009 minifigure, defined by many AFOL and collectors as the Holy Grail.
From 2015 the event changes hands, becomes Skaerbaek Fan Weekend and is organised by an external team. The minifigures begin to have the new logo of the event, a very captivating and colourful pattern.
In 2018, four well-known British AFOLs, Ed, James, Huw and Ralph, set off by cycle from Leicester Square in London and arrived in Billund 6 days later to promote and support the charity Fairy Bricks. To celebrate, each participant of the event received a random minifigure of one of the riders. The lucky ones received Huw: [OK, so I added that bit -- Huw :-)]
Some friends of mine attended the Skaerbaek Fan Weekend in 2018 and told me about the arrival of the four cyclists at The LEGO House, who rode into the building through crowds of AFOLs who were waiting for them, along with Kjeld Kirk Kristiansen. A definitely beautiful scene that has left a mark on the history of this fantastic event.
You can read more about this fantastic achievement in Huw's report.
48 likes
27 comments on this article
I understand the love for minifigs, and especially for nicely crafted components, but following a few of these collector articles, are those minifigs really that sought after? They're rare, sure, but also so damn ugly? At least the ones that have text on them, and advertising. If they had made super nice CMF style figs with very unique outfits, at least they'd have spots in towns or with other sets, no?
It's interesting to read about this, but it's also definitely not an aspect of the hobby I'll jump on to.
@Phoenixio said:
"I understand the love for minifigs, and especially for nicely crafted components, but following a few of these collector articles, are those minifigs really that sought after? They're rare, sure, but also so damn ugly? At least the ones that have text on them, and advertising. If they had made super nice CMF style figs with very unique outfits, at least they'd have spots in towns or with other sets, no?
It's interesting to read about this, but it's also definitely not an aspect of the hobby I'll jump on to. "
Ow that's harsh. I mean, you know Huw is going to read this right? You've just called his minifig 'ugly'...! In reality though don't you see people walking around towns with all sorts of logos and designs on their hoodies and t shirts etc. That said I get what you mean; they are not typically included in a build but become collectibles which goes against the idea of Lego to be 'played' with.
I remember trading for Huw in 2018 :-)
Just when I was getting used to being a 'collectable', now I'm being called ugly :)
It's each to his own, I suppose. I don't go out of my way to collect things like this but I like to own those that I do.
The dog is my favourite :P
I do not have any of them, but was planning on getting the first one this year. However I will probably have to wait until next year with everyone else :S
@Phoenixio said:
"They're rare, sure, but also so damn ugly? At least the ones that have text on them, and advertising "
Text makes it unique, commemorative and collectable. They're not minifigures to play with but definitely to display or hold stored. And they're a part of LEGO life, meaning the company cycle, and chasing for those makes sense for rare LEGO minifigure collectors
@CCC said:
"I appreciate some people like them but it is the "defined by many AFOL and collectors as the Holy Grail" that I don't agree with. I doubt most AFOLs care about them and, if they ever came across one, would probably just sell it to buy something they appreciate more. There are many, many more things (many of them less rare) that I would want in my collection."
Feel free to gift Skaerbaek 2009 to me if you have it and consider this common minifigure ?? ok, I can trade for a few sets or regular minifigures, say like less $100 in price
Are these official minifigs?
^ Four are, the others are custom prints.
I would have liked to have been there in 2018 to get a Huw Minifig :)
@CCC said:
"I appreciate some people like them but it is the "defined by many AFOL and collectors as the Holy Grail" that I don't agree with. I doubt most AFOLs care about them and, if they ever came across one, would probably just sell it to buy something they appreciate more. There are many, many more things (many of them less rare) that I would want in my collection."
I guess Nicola means that is the Holy grail of the collectors of those kind of minifigs. If you think, there is no holy grail in LEGO. You could think that, e.g., a whatever Star Wars figure or model is the Holy Grail, and for me could be just a normal item. Is Mr. Gold the Holy Grail? In my opinion NO, there are 5000. Much more than other minifigures.
If we analyze the articles comparing on what we think, perhaps is better to stop publishing articles, because everyone lives the hobby on his own way.
Regarding 2009 figure, in that year the event was still small and only a small group of AFOLs went from abroad (it was my first year). The minifigure was printed by Caspar with permission of the LEGO Group and that's why there aren't many. From 2010 minifigure was printed by LEGO and they did more than needed. So I guess that there are around 200-300 figures from 2009. Not more.
The US is so large that no one US event really qualifies as the "highlight of the US AFOL calendar" (I could personally see at least four fan conventions laying claim to that title, plus there's NYTF, and in years past there was Star Wars Days at LEGOLAND CA). Once you go worldwide, a lot of events that people consider to be essential become something that a random AFOL may or may not have heard of.
@lluisgib, that's interesting. I guess the 2009 one should really not be considered as an official minifigure then.
The line between official and unofficial is so blurred and often difficult to distinguish, which is a major issue for this branch of the hobby.
I guess you just collect what you want...
@Huw said:
" @lluisgib, that's interesting. I guess the 2009 one should really not be considered as an official minifigure then.
The line between official and unofficial is so blurred and often difficult to distinguish, which is a major issue for this branch of the hobby.
I guess you just collect what you want..."
It's definitely granted on this point. And all supported minifigures are supposed to be counted as official
@lluisgib said:
" The minifigure was printed by Caspar with permission of the LEGO Group"
Lluis, who is Caspar if possible
@Huw the minifigure was done with permission of LEGO and was given in an official LEGO organized event, so I think we should consider it as official.
It was printed with the same technique than the business card minifigures, using a special ink developed by LEGO that fuses with plastic, so you can't feel it compared with UV printed figures.
It's official enough to appear in the "LEGO Minifigures Year by Year, A visual history" book, being the only minifigure not printed by LEGO of the whole book, I guess. BTW, the minifigure of the book is my minifigure ;)
@legoman_russia , you should not ask certain things ;)
@Huw said:
"Just when I was getting used to being a 'collectable', now I'm being called ugly :)"
Far from me the idea of targeting you with my comments. If anything, the whole biking initiative with Fairy Bricks was very nice, and the recognition going to the four bikers is genuine.
But yeah, following those "holy grail" articles on rare minifigs, when even Mr Gold isn't considered nice to those collectors anymore, and all they're looking for is misprints on designer unique figs that have zero display value, then to me it's not Lego love anymore, it's just blindly collecting for the sake of it. Again, I say that with no bad intentions, but it's definitely an extremely niche part of the hobby.
Now I'm wondering which of the cyclist-figures I got! :D
@Phoenixio in my case most of my minifigs bring me good memories and collecting them allowed me to meet people from all around the world, and some of them are now good friends.
Why is not Lego love? Is Lego love buying all super heroes sets because you have the money to do it? Is Lego love to have a Bricklink shop, buy 20 Maersk trains and selling them at 5 times their retail price?
I'm sorry but I'm offended by your comment. I can say, for instance, that I have 4 Minifigures from Kjeld Kirk Kristiansen. They all 4 were given to me by himself, some of the several times I had the occasion to meet him in different events. They bring me sweet memories, and no monetary value. Isn't that Lego love? Having 2009 Skaerbaek minifig because I was there and it was the same day I met for first time KKK is not Lego love?
Every AFOL has it's own way to live his hobby. And all of us have to respect the others, although we don't share the passion in the same way.
Please be careful judging others. It's not the right way.
From now, I will only answer constructive messages.
@lluisgib:
Maybe the holy grail is Ole Kirk's finger bones! Pardon me while I go buy some chicken wings...
Also, you actually can feel pad-printing (well, _some_ people can feel it, if they have sensitive fingers and no calluses). Sure, it's nowhere near as textured as UV printing, but it's enough that I can still see a ghost of the print from power-scrubbing the pad-printing off of these torsos:
http://www.brickshelf.com/cgi-bin/gallery.cgi?i=5557065
@lluisgib said:
" @Phoenixio in my case most of my minifigs bring me good memories and collecting them allowed me to meet people from all around the world, and some of them are now good friends.
Why is not Lego love? Is Lego love buying all super heroes sets because you have the money to do it? Is Lego love to have a Bricklink shop, buy 20 Maersk trains and selling them at 5 times their retail price?
I'm sorry but I'm offended by your comment.
Please be careful judging others. It's not the right way.
"
Hmm? You were obviously not targeted at all by my comments, I don't see why you'd be offended, especially since I voiced my "disagreement" with this part of the hobby as my personal opinion, without hinting in any way that people can't do it if they so please.
And it looks to me like you actually attended the events that gave you your minifigs. But is it the same for all of the collectors for which this series of articles is aimed at? There's a huge difference between a memento, or digging through the net to find a copy of that minifig "just because you don't have it". And I say that having a ton of people in my surroundings with the "collection disease": at some point it's not about the product anymore, it's just about having stuff.
Hence my comment about the "ugliness" of some of these figures. For me, loving Legos is about how the pieces connect together, about the building techniques, about the fancy new pieces we get every year, about mixing colors, making new things out of old ones, or having nice minifigures with cool prints to populate. I can understand the play value as well, because they're amazing toys for kids as well. But when it reaches the point where it's all about finding that one minifig, not because you like it but because you don't have it, is it really Lego love? Or could it be any other product?
So like others have voiced following my original comment, it's surprising to read about this aspect of the hobby in such quantity lately on this site (be it minifigs or bionicle masks), when I get the impression that it's probably limited to very few users.
And again, it's quite cool that those events can make those customs figs as mementos, or for good causes like Fairy Bricks. Huw is probably super proud of that minifig representing him, and I'm sure people who know him would love a copy. But why would you go out of your ways to get one of those 2009 Skaerbaek figs if you weren't even there?
@Phoenixio
So like others have voiced following my original comment, it's surprising to read about this aspect of the hobby in such quantity lately on this site (be it minifigs or bionicle masks), when I get the impression that it's probably limited to very few users.
And again, it's quite cool that those events can make those customs figs as mementos, or for good causes like Fairy Bricks. Huw is probably super proud of that minifig representing him, and I'm sure people who know him would love a copy. But why would you go out of your ways to get one of those 2009 Skaerbaek figs if you weren't even there?"
You can't have a strict definition of what "LEGO love" is... mine is likely different from yours just like opinions about minifigures are different even between us niche collectors. That's ok! We're not all meant to agree.
At the end of the day all that matters is that you're collecting, building, buying... what YOU enjoy. I happen to enjoy collecting niche figures whether I was there or not. I also like to build LEGO sets and design my own. All of it together is my passion for LEGO. You can agree, disagree, or not care. It does not matter to me, because that passion for LEGO- the "LEGO love"- will be unique for each of us. That's part of what makes the entire hobby special.
I only got the Skaerbaek fig and the dog, but not any of the cyclists. Maybe it was more random than that and you had to be lucky to receive any of them.
@Mestari said:
"I only got the Skaerbaek fig and the dog, but not any of the cyclists. Maybe it was more random than that and you had to be lucky to receive any of them."
You should have to be there the right year ;)
@lluisgib said:
" @Mestari said:
"I only got the Skaerbaek fig and the dog, but not any of the cyclists. Maybe it was more random than that and you had to be lucky to receive any of them."
You should have to be there the right year ;)"
That's what I had in mind, I spite of being there the right year. I have been to Skaerbaek in 2018 and 2019.
Thanks to everyone for your comments, I know the world of AFOLs and I know that there has always been and there will always be prejudice towards LEGO collectors, however I invite you to consider that it's very widespread, both for the sets built and for MISB sets, both for minifigures and in many other forms that you can learn about by consulting social groups.
I thank Huw for publishing my Fan Weekend collection, I never went there in person and I hope to be able to go there this year for the first time.
Collecting always comes from a desire, an attraction and in my case I love LEGO and I like to compose thematic collections based on the pleasure of having or the importance I give to the sets or minifigures.
Nicola - ACOL Community
@huw, was there a minifigure from 2018 or just the dog, 1x8 brick, and Faiy Brick minifigs?
Also, besides Thomas, who is the other Business Card minifigure?
And are the 2012 and 2013 SFW minifigures not unique in any way? Was there always a 1x8 printed brick since 2009 too?