How much is a D&D mini worth?

[Li Shenron]

How much do you think that the D&D minis would and should cost if they were not random and there wasn't any rarity degree?

Looking at the secondary market, buying a mini from the D&D line costs on the average between 0.50 and 1 $ for commons, 1 to 1.50 $ uncommons, 5 to 10 $ rares, and 10 to 20 $ large rares.

Obviously it shouldn't cost more to make a plastic D&D mini than it costs to make any plastic toy of the same size, material, complexity and amount of pieces produced.

But considering how D&D minis are, what would you pay if you could buy them from WotC in a non-random fashion? Please, don't just say that you would pay 0$ because you don't like them, think of what in your opinion should be an appropriate cost. I don't like Barbie, but I wouldn't say it should be sold for free only because I'll never buy one

I really think that the random+rarity distribution increases the price to multiple of the real value. For the ones like me who would like to use them only in a tabletop RPG, it's still not a good idea at all to purchase them after all.

 

[johnsemlak]

Can't help you but I'd recommend checking out MerricB's Miniature's page. A very good info site:

http://www.3rdedition.org/merricb/mini.htm

 

[Li Shenron]

Just want to be sure to make my question more clear

I don't want to know how much they actually cost. I want to hear enworlders' opinion about how much they would expect the price to be if they were sold in packages one by one, or by group, such as any other non-random mini.

To make an example, in a few websites I checked the mini of Drizzt is sold at more than 20$. You cannot actually justify why it costs as much as 40 Human Commoners on the same website, beside the fact that Drizzt is rare, cool and "most wanted". But if the 2 were sold in shops an any normal product, they would cost the same. How much in your opinion?

 

[DaveMage]

Depends on the size, but I'd say the actual cost to make them is between 25 to 50 cents, maybe a bit more for the huges. This presumes, of course, that they are manufactured in large quantities.

As to their actual value, though, that's completely a personal decision. Obviously, those paying $20+ for Drizzt feel that they are worth $20+.

On the other hand, if you like the common or uncommon ones, you can usually find them (or sets of them) for a very low price on e-bay, such as 5 or so commons for $1 (of course, shipping costs can nullify this advantage).

I haven't yet, but I could see myself paying $20+ for a particular mini (most likely a huge) if it *really* impressed me and I didn't get it though buying a case.

I'm curious to see how the minis do next year. I have two tackleboxes full already, and I will have some storage issues after Giants of Legend.

 

[Djeta Thernadier]

I think anywhere from $0.50 to $6.00 is acceptable depending on how big, the quality of the paint job, and how common.

I understand that if a mini is not very common (not like the "rares" now, but like uncommon as in , not a lot of need for it in most games), and they were selling it separately, they have to chare comparatively more for it, to make it worth producing.

That doesn't really bother me.

Would I pay $20-$25 which is what some rares go for now on Ebay. No way.

 

[MerricB]

Have a look at the cost of metal non-random miniatures some time, and look at (a) the range of miniatures available, and (b) the differences in cost.

At the present time, there are 200 miniatures readily available in the D&D miniatures game. In a month, there will be 272 miniatures. How many does a place like Reaper have on hand readily?

Drizzt goes as a single for $20. That is definitely increased because of the randomness of the set. However, for someone who gets him in a booster, he cost $1.25.

The Games Workshop metal miniature of Elrond costs $8. A mounted Ringwraith for $9. Elf Spearmen go for $3 each... That's simply the "cool" factor there... it's very common in miniature games.

I get the D&D line for the commons and uncommons. The rares are a nice bonus. However, if you buy enough packs, the rares do come. And people trade them all the time.

(I just got my second Hill Giant today! Yay! And I have 2 Ogres and 2 Ogre Ravagers! Yay!)

Cheers!

 

[Thanee]

No more than $1-2 for the standard size models, up to $10 for the huge ones.

Bye
Thanee

 

[diaglo]

i want a bag of 100 for $1. like i can buy any other plastic army man.

to me they aren't any better, in fact they are worse due to the random nature, than the plastic army men.

 

[smetzger]

From $1 to $7, I might pay $8 for a Huge.

Why do you ask?

I have never payed more than $7 for a D&D Mini and many of them have cost considerably less. EBay is a viable option, several online places sell singles and if you purchase a significant amount then the shipping becomes less of a factor, I have also had very good experiences in trading with people. Effectively the random thing has become a non-issue for me. Not sure how it will play out with GoL since the Huges have two rarity levels.

 

[KB9JMQ]

The highest I have paid was $5 for the Dire Lion off of ebay. That is also the only mini I have bought as an individual.
I only bid on packs that have the one I need in them. The highest I have paid for a single booster pack for the one mini I need is $14 for the Silver Dragon but I also got an uncommon I didn't have yet either.
I buy by the case and fill in with ebay pack purchases.
So I guess the most I would pay so far is $5 since the Silver Dragon came with 7 friends