You're doing it wrong, LEGO ...

Everyone present at Comic Con reports the same facts: The allocation of tickets for the raffle to obtain an exclusive LEGO Super Heroes minifig via the scanning of visitor badges by the members of the LEGO staff has almost turned out to riot.

Comic Con security even had to briefly intervene in an attempt to restore order among the hundreds of people gathered around the LEGO booth. The stand was then emptied of all visitors present and closed to restore calm.

Since this incident, the distribution of these minifigs has been reorganized to limit the risks.

With limited editions of 200 (Superman & Green Arrow) and 350 copies (Spider-Man and Spider-Woman), this disaster was predictable. It is now common knowledge that these minifigs are then snapped up on eBay for indecent amounts and if we can legitimately blame the dealers who take the opportunity to pay for their vacations with a piece of plastic well sold to a frustrated AFOL, LEGO has undeniably his share of responsibility in this story.

The secondary market has always existed, and responds to a simple law: Supply and demand. The demand is there, one would have to be blind not to realize it. LEGO fans drool over images of minifigs that are so exclusive that they become untouchable. These characters that many dream of adding to their collection become the nightmare of "complete" collectors who do not understand the manufacturer's policy which favors the American market. The French AFOL mocks the marketing considerations of LEGO. He just wants to be able to attend the party ...

LEGO wants to create the event and that's understandable. On this side, it is successful. All the blogs and sites on the planet have talked about these awesome minifigures that are going to be a hit on eBay. And I'm not ashamed to say I'll be the first to shell out an insane amount of money to get them. I'm not ashamed of being a collector, nor of trying to add to my plastic treasure every minifig that LEGO offers regardless of the channel. I deal with the market as it is, fueled and conditioned by questionable LEGO marketing techniques. And I don't feel guilty for a second when I am told that I am helping to maintain this market for the most expensive kilo of plastic in the world. If I don't, others will, there will always be someone to outbid. Boycott is not an option, fans cannot do it, passion comes before reason.

I blame LEGO. Others are like me and express their frustration, their dissatisfaction, their disappointment, to each their own feeling on the subject.

Obviously, I can live without a few bits of plastic, I can survive the absence of a collector minifigure on my shelf. But I'm a collector, and having to compromise because the maker of the products I love abuses questionable marketing techniques leaves me with a bitter taste.

All this is only a personal point of view, each will have his own and I readily understand the position of those who find the hunt for minifigs with big reinforcements of dollars absurd.

On the same subject you can read the rant of Calin alias Tiler on his flickr gallery.

(Whatever your opinion on the subject, please be correct in the comments ...)