Were the 2013 SDCC Minifigure Raffles "rigged"?

[DoNotInsertIntoMouth]

Maybe I am a conspiracy theorist but I think this stuff happens all the time. Would companies rig something for better press, to push their own agendas, etc.? Hell yes they would.

[ExoBro94]

Have no issues with whatever they choose but they created the mess by offering limited edition figures to begin with. 

 

You gotta realize though, they've been doing this for years... This year's backlash was the worst. In all honesty, and with so much sincerity, I think everybody who is truly mad about this really just needs to suck it up. You guys can disagree with me all you want, but really people need to grow up. This whole minifigure fiasco has made grown men and women act like total babies. So, you didn't get a minifigure you wanted? Who cares? Life goes on. Go build a Tower Bridge so you can get over it. 

[agp548]

if it was rigged or not I have no idea nor do I care seeing as how I will never be able to get the figures anyway, but legos response makes me feel that it was rigged. Lego didn't have to respond to anything. If it wasn't rigged why would they even respond at all? If it wasn't rigged and I was lego I would laugh and let people think what they wanted because it was an absurd accusation, but lego must feel a little guilty or threatened that someone actually called them out on the raffle that they felt a need to respond. just my thoughts. One thing I am almost positive about though is that there are definitely lego "spies" out there reading or trolling forums and sites like this one. and on one other note.....Damn I really like that Azog figure.  Ill never get the comic con exclusive one, but when he is released in another set down the road I will have him.

[Ed Mack]

The whole Comic Con/Toy Fair idea is the real issue.  All the companies release these awesome collectible sets and figures and have people waging small battles to get them.  Take a look at the other Comic Con exclusive toys on eBay and you will see similar activity.

[lowillsw]

Reading the blog post and press release. It seems like corruption with the people running the raffle. Not surprise if you can get a bunch of friends and family for a decent pay day.

[TheOrcKing]

In all honesty, and with so much sincerity, I think everybody who is truly mad about this really just needs to suck it up. You guys can disagree with me all you want, but really people need to grow up. This whole minifigure fiasco has made grown men and women act like total babies. So, you didn't get a minifigure you wanted? Who cares? Life goes on. Go build a Tower Bridge so you can get over it.

Says the collector who payed around $160 for a SDCC 2012 Bizarro and then $600 for a Black Suit Superman. :cheese:

[TheDarkness]

Says the collector who payed around $160 for a SDCC 2012 Bizarro and then $600 for a Black Suit Superman.

 

I think herein lies the problem. No disrespect to ExoBro94, but if you have people spending such large amounts on a minifig then people are going to expect to sell them at ridiculous prices later on. They will go into the raffles hoping to win and basically fund their whole Comic Con experience, and get hissy when things don't work out and don't think is fair, accusing Lego of "rigging" a raffle as they missed out. I mean, this is all over kids being given a minifig for goodness sake.

[Pirate]

Says the collector who payed around $160 for a SDCC 2012 Bizarro and then $600 for a Black Suit Superman.

$600?? They're starting to dip below $400 now...

[jaisonline]

Lego responded, "Regarding the SDCC minifigure raffle, we can assure you that, contrary to the speculation, the giveaway was in no way rigged or predetermined. After several years at SDCC where minifigure giveaways have left room for improvement, we did implement a new system this year, which was then adapted at the request of the SDCC organizers. Many of the things that are being discussed online about the manner in which we conducted the raffle are not based in fact.

We acknowledge and regret that there were crowd control issues on Thursday, but those were rectified, and the new process for the raffle ran smoothly for the remainder of the show. We did not distribute specific tickets to specific consumers, nor did we favor children over adults. The raffle was managed randomly in an attempt to be as equitable as possible so that the largest possible audience at the show had a fair chance to win. We are unable to control who wins, and we have no interest in a pre-determined outcome. Our goal is to offer a limited edition collectible to as many fans as possible in a fair and equitable manner. Given the nature of a limited edition giveaway, we understand that fans may be disappointed with the results. We are equally disappointed that there is an audience who receive limited edition figures and then sell them at a premium online; this is not in our interest, nor is it the intention of our activity at SDCC.

It is unfortunate that fan disappointment is manifesting in a proliferation of misinformation about our intentions and/or the manner in which we conducted the raffle. We have worked hard over the years to improve our SDCC raffles and we always seek to learn by doing. As we consider future plans, we will carefully review this year

[TheDarkness]

I actually liked the idea of the Azog one where they were just handing them out randomly.

[sadowsk1]

Even if Lego truly did rig the event.  I don't think their company would be foolish enough to admit to it.  I think there was potential in the failing of some employees, but overall I don't think Lego had that intention.  I think to a point they are obligated to defend themselves if they are called cheaters by members of their AFOL community, most people would do the same thing if they were being called out in the same way.  It feels like whining to me.  It's infrequent you hear about the people who win one to complain about how it happened or how the system was manipulated and if they did then they should donate their figure back to Lego.

[DoNotInsertIntoMouth]

Says the collector who payed around $160 for a SDCC 2012 Bizarro and then $600 for a Black Suit Superman.

I bet that was not from a little kid. Lol

[LowestFormOfWit]

Seems like just another way that LEGO is fighting off the reseller. While I have no faults with giving out winning tickets to children only, making a big show and raffle to only waste people's time is really unfair to the non-children looking for these figures for non-monetary reasons.

Honestly these exclusives should just be first runs of minifigs that will later appear in sets. The kids winning one at the con will feel special, the die hard collectors will be able to get one later in stores, and the resellers can't ruin the price pointa on ebay. Everybody wins?

[DoNotInsertIntoMouth]

Seems like just another way that LEGO is fighting off the reseller. While I have no faults with giving out winning tickets to children only, making a big show and raffle to only waste people's time is really unfair to the non-children looking for these figures for non-monetary reasons.

Honestly these exclusives should just be first runs of minifigs that will later appear in sets. The kids winning one at the con will feel special, the die hard collectors will be able to get one later in stores, and the resellers can't ruin the price pointa on ebay. Everybody wins?

 

Adding to that, if they are that exclusive the Kids may grow up and then sell them on Ebay as well.

[TheOrcKing]

Seems like just another way that LEGO is fighting off the reseller. While I have no faults with giving out winning tickets to children only, making a big show and raffle to only waste people's time is really unfair to the non-children looking for these figures for non-monetary reasons.

Honestly these exclusives should just be first runs of minifigs that will later appear in sets. The kids winning one at the con will feel special, the die hard collectors will be able to get one later in stores, and the resellers can't ruin the price pointa on ebay. Everybody wins?

I agree. If Lego wants it to be a kids thing, then they should just make it so. That way no one is being lied to and the children can feel special playing the game. And I don't know why Lego stopped doing the notion of a preview-edition minifigure as seen a few times before. If they really want these to stay in the hands of children then why make the minifigures exclusive to an event which is mostly grownup? More parents have been taking their children to go to these kind of events than before but still only a portion really do go. (Is there some web page showing the percentage of demographics that went?)

Any typical child can go to a retail store and pickup a $10 set; not a $500 exclusive found online.

[zak001]

Here's a conspiracy theory that actually makes sense: as TLG, you're concerned about the warping of your public image caused by the competition for and resale value of your convention exclusives. No matter how many you make - it's gone from a few hundred to a few thousand for large shows like SDCC in a very short time frame - they always end up selling for absurd prices, which irks your customers, may cause some cannibalization of your sales, and turns your most vocal brand evangelists into a pack of ravenous, twitchy tin-foil hatters. How to solve this problem?

 

1. Cut way back on the number of promotional figs produced. Distribute them however - fairly, "rigged" raffle, doesn't really matter.

 

2. Watch the aftermarket feeding frenzy. Make lots of popcorn. Also, take notes on the price people are willing to pay for a limited-production minifig, since that's pretty valuable information.

 

3. Release all the figs in sets. Make more popcorn. Watch resellers panic and try to unload their remaining stock. See the convention "exclusive" aftermarket get cut off at the knees, as people are suddenly a lot less willing to drop five bills on something that may be available as part of a $39.99 set some day.

 

4. Resume having "fun" convention giveaways where excited kids get a cool souvenir of their tour of their favorite toy booth.

[Ed Mack]

Here's a conspiracy theory that actually makes sense: as TLG, you're concerned about the warping of your public image caused by the competition for and resale value of your convention exclusives. No matter how many you make - it's gone from a few hundred to a few thousand for large shows like SDCC in a very short time frame - they always end up selling for absurd prices, which irks your customers, may cause some cannibalization of your sales, and turns your most vocal brand evangelists into a pack of ravenous, twitchy tin-foil hatters. How to solve this problem?

 

1. Cut way back on the number of promotional figs produced. Distribute them however - fairly, "rigged" raffle, doesn't really matter.

 

2. Watch the aftermarket feeding frenzy. Make lots of popcorn. Also, take notes on the price people are willing to pay for a limited-production minifig, since that's pretty valuable information.

 

3. Release all the figs in sets. Make more popcorn. Watch resellers panic and try to unload their remaining stock. See the convention "exclusive" aftermarket get cut off at the knees, as people are suddenly a lot less willing to drop five bills on something that may be available as part of a $39.99 set some day.

 

4. Resume having "fun" convention giveaways where excited kids get a cool souvenir of their tour of their favorite toy booth.

Right...Giveaways at these events don't have to be anything special...just free. 

[Diabolos80]

Lego responded, "Regarding the SDCC minifigure raffle, we can assure you that, contrary to the speculation, the giveaway was in no way rigged or predetermined. After several years at SDCC where minifigure giveaways have left room for improvement, we did implement a new system this year, which was then adapted at the request of the SDCC organizers. Many of the things that are being discussed online about the manner in which we conducted the raffle are not based in fact.

We acknowledge and regret that there were crowd control issues on Thursday, but those were rectified, and the new process for the raffle ran smoothly for the remainder of the show. We did not distribute specific tickets to specific consumers, nor did we favor children over adults. The raffle was managed randomly in an attempt to be as equitable as possible so that the largest possible audience at the show had a fair chance to win. We are unable to control who wins, and we have no interest in a pre-determined outcome. Our goal is to offer a limited edition collectible to as many fans as possible in a fair and equitable manner. Given the nature of a limited edition giveaway, we understand that fans may be disappointed with the results. We are equally disappointed that there is an audience who receive limited edition figures and then sell them at a premium online; this is not in our interest, nor is it the intention of our activity at SDCC.

It is unfortunate that fan disappointment is manifesting in a proliferation of misinformation about our intentions and/or the manner in which we conducted the raffle. We have worked hard over the years to improve our SDCC raffles and we always seek to learn by doing. As we consider future plans, we will carefully review this year

[Darth_Raichu]

The more TLG complains about the secondary market, the more it sounds like they're talking out of both sides of their face.

"We only made 5,000 of these super awesome figures, and everybody wants one. But no way would anyone pay for it."

Like many companies TLG wants to have their cake and eat it too.

 

To be less cynical, the most likely explanation was their promotion / marketing department that handled promo or limited edition items were not working together with their policy department.  This happens a lot in big company where the left hand does not necessarily know (or care) what the other hand is doing.