Direct answer: LEGO Ninjago Movie minifigures, the blind bag collectible minifigures line tied to the 2017 film, tend to hold value better than most figures from the regular, always ongoing Ninjago theme. That is mostly because the movie line was a limited mystery bag release instead of a boxed set line you could restock forever. But the gap is not universal. Some regular Ninjago exclusives, especially early first wave figures and convention or promotional pieces, can still beat out common movie CMF characters. The real answer depends on the specific figure, its rarity, and its condition, not just which line it came from.
I've spent a lot of time sorting mixed Ninjago lots, and the pattern I keep running into is that people assume "movie" automatically means "valuable." That is not always true. In my experience, the mystery packaging of the CMF line does more for resale demand than the movie tie in by itself. Below, I'll walk through how the two lines actually compare, where I'd sell each one, and what to check on brick'em's LEGO minifigure database, which tracks pricing across more than 18,686 catalogued minifigures, before you price anything.
- Ninjago Movie CMF (2017) figures were sold in blind bags, which usually supports stronger secondary market demand than always available regular Ninjago figures.
- Regular Ninjago theme figures are far more common overall, so most sell for very little unless they are early, retired, or promotional exclusives.
- BrickLink is the most reliable place to check real sold prices for both lines before you buy or list anything.
- Condition, completeness, and whether a figure is loose or still sealed can matter more than which theme it technically belongs to.
What Makes Ninjago Movie CMF Figures Different From Regular Ninjago Minifigures?
The Ninjago Movie Collectible Minifigures line was a blind bag series tied to the 2017 film, meaning buyers could not see which of the roughly twenty characters they were getting until they opened the foil bag. Regular Ninjago theme figures come packaged inside specific numbered sets, so buyers always know exactly which figure they are getting before they hand over any money.
That single difference changes everything downstream. When I sort a bulk lot, I separate blind bag CMF figures from set exclusive figures immediately, because they get priced completely differently on brick'em and on BrickLink. A CMF figure is a standalone collectible product. A regular theme figure is a piece of a bigger set, and its value is tied to how good, rare, or nostalgic that specific set turned out to be.
Why Do Blind Bag CMF Figures Usually Sell for More Than Set Exclusives?
Blind bag CMF figures usually sell for more because the mystery packaging itself creates collector demand that has nothing to do with the minifigure's actual complexity or piece count. People buy multiple bags hoping for a specific character, which pushes up both the retail sell through and the eventual secondary market interest in the harder to find figures from that wave.
I noticed this pattern long before I started brick'em. A boxed CMF case would sell out at retail faster than almost anything else in the aisle, purely because nobody could tell from the outside which figure was inside. Regular Ninjago sets do not get that same urgency. A buyer walks in, sees exactly what they are getting on the box, and decides based on the build and the price, not on suspense.
How Rare Are Ninjago Movie Minifigures Compared to the Main Theme?
Ninjago Movie minifigures are rarer on a per figure basis because each character in the CMF wave was produced in a roughly even distribution across a fixed run, while regular Ninjago figures are reproduced across many reprints and re-releases of popular sets over the show's long run. That means a specific movie CMF character can become genuinely hard to find once the wave sells through, while a regular Ninjago figure from a still available set stays common for years.
From what I've seen moving Ninjago inventory, rarity inside the regular theme comes almost entirely from retirement and low print runs, not from the theme itself. A first wave Ninjago figure from years ago can be tougher to find than most movie CMF characters simply because LEGO stopped making that particular set a long time ago. Ninjago as a theme is highly liquid and, in my view, one of the better beginner categories precisely because the ongoing show keeps demand steady year after year.
Are Regular Ninjago Minifigures Still Worth Collecting?
Regular Ninjago minifigures are still worth collecting when they come from early waves, retired sets, or promotional and convention exclusives, but the average figure pulled from a common current set is not going to be worth much on its own. I recommend treating most regular theme figures as part-out inventory rather than individual collectibles unless you know the specific figure is scarce.
A seller I know built a decent side income almost entirely from splitting up bulk Ninjago lots. He would pull the handful of genuinely scarce figures, price those carefully using BrickLink comps, and bundle the rest into cheap lots for buyers who just want minifigures to build with. That approach works because it does not assume every Ninjago figure is valuable just because the theme itself is popular.
Ninjago Movie CMF vs Regular Ninjago Theme at a Glance
Here is a quick side by side comparison to keep in mind before you buy, sort, or list anything from either line. Treat the price ranges as general patterns, not fixed numbers, since real values shift with condition and demand. Always check current sold listings before you commit to a price.
| Factor | Ninjago Movie CMF (2017) | Regular Ninjago Theme |
|---|---|---|
| Packaging | Blind foil bag, mystery until opened | Sold inside a specific numbered set |
| Rarity driver | Fixed production run per wave | Retirement of the specific set over time |
| Typical liquidity | High for the wave while it is current, then depends on the character | High for the theme overall, low for most individual common figures |
| Best platform to sell | BrickLink for accuracy, Whatnot or eBay for speed | BrickLink for common figures, eBay or Whatnot for scarce exclusives |
| Where to verify pricing | brick'em minifigure database and recent BrickLink sold listings | brick'em minifigure database and recent BrickLink sold listings |
Where Should You Actually Sell Ninjago Movie and Regular Theme Minifigures?
You should sell scarce or high demand Ninjago figures, whether movie CMF or regular theme, on BrickLink first for pricing accuracy, then consider eBay or Whatnot if you want faster exposure and are willing to give up some margin. BrickLink remains what a lot of sellers I know call the Wall Street of LEGO, with total fees that typically land around 3% plus payment processing, which is cheap enough that even a figure worth $2 or $3 is still worth listing.
eBay is the love of my life as a marketplace, and I have sold over $100,000 worth of LEGO through it over the years, but you have to go in with clear eyes. eBay's base take rate runs close to 13.25% on most categories, and once you add promoted listings to get real visibility, total fees can creep close to 25% of the sale price. In a strong niche like Ninjago, if you price 30% to 50% under current market value, the figure is almost certain to move within a day or two, because eBay buyers love a steal.
Whatnot is the better long term play if you can commit to a consistent show schedule. I've seen sellers spend around $20 boosting a stream near the start to build early momentum, and Whatnot also runs no seller fee days from time to time that are worth watching for. I personally reached over 3,000 followers and $30,000 in sales within 5 months on Whatnot without ever showing my face on camera, so the platform's upside for a patient, consistent seller is real. Mercari is another option worth a look, with fees closer to 10%, though it sees far less LEGO specific traffic than the others. Facebook Marketplace is worth checking too, mostly for sourcing bulk Ninjago lots cheaply from people just clearing out old bins, since there are no platform fees eating into what you pay.
How Can You Tell If a Figure Is From the Movie Line or the Regular Theme?
You can usually tell a Ninjago figure's origin by checking its head and torso print style, since the movie line used a distinct, slightly more stylized art direction than the show based regular theme, along with checking which specific set or CMF wave a figure's parts and accessories match. When in doubt, run the figure through a lookup tool rather than guessing from memory.
- Compare the torso and head printing style against reference images for the 2017 movie CMF wave versus the current show style.
- Check any unique accessories or weapons that came only with specific movie themed sets or CMF bags.
- Use brick'em's minifigure database to search by character name or visual traits and confirm the correct line and set.
- Note the coloring. The movie line leaned on brighter, more saturated palettes for several characters compared with the mainline show figures from the same years.
- When you are unsure, treat the figure as regular theme for pricing purposes until you can confirm otherwise, since underpricing a common figure costs you less than overpricing it and having it sit.
Is It Worth Buying or Investing in Ninjago Movie Minifigures Right Now?
Ninjago Movie CMF figures can be worth buying as a small collecting or resale project if you focus on the specific characters that are genuinely scarce, rather than assuming the whole wave is valuable. I'd treat this the same way I treat any collectible minifigure purchase, as a bet on a specific, verifiable figure, not on a theme as a whole.
Before you sink real money into a Ninjago Movie lot as an investment, run the numbers through brick'em's investment calculator and cross check current pricing on the collection value calculator so you are working from real comps instead of assumptions. I learned early on that it is easy to fall in love with a theme and overpay because you remember the movie fondly, which is a completely different thing from a figure actually being scarce.
Heads up: This is not financial or legal advice. We're sharing what we've learned from the LEGO reselling community.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the LEGO Ninjago Movie CMF line more valuable than regular Ninjago minifigures?
On average, yes, because the blind bag format limited how many of each character were produced and sold. But this is not universal. Early wave regular Ninjago figures, retired set exclusives, and promotional pieces can outvalue common movie CMF characters, so always check the specific figure rather than assuming based on the line alone.
Where is the best place to sell Ninjago minifigures?
BrickLink is generally the best starting point because its sold listing history gives you the most accurate pricing and its fees are low enough to justify listing even cheap figures. For scarcer pieces, eBay and Whatnot can bring faster exposure, though eBay's promoted listing fees and Whatnot's show based selling model both come with their own tradeoffs worth understanding first.
How can I check the current value of a specific Ninjago minifigure?
The most reliable way is to look up recent sold listings on BrickLink and cross reference them with a dedicated pricing tool like brick'em's minifigure database, which pulls BrickLink integrated pricing so you are not relying on outdated retail prices or guesswork from memory.
Are regular Ninjago theme minifigures a good investment?
Most common regular Ninjago figures are not a strong individual investment since they are reproduced across many set reprints. The exceptions are early wave, retired, or promotional figures, which can hold or grow in value the way scarcer collectibles in any theme tend to.
Should beginners start with Ninjago when learning to resell minifigures?
Ninjago is a reasonable beginner theme because it is highly liquid and has steady demand from an ongoing show and fandom. I recommend new sellers start by sorting a mixed lot, identifying which figures are scarce using a lookup tool, and pricing the rest as bulk inventory rather than treating every figure as individually valuable.
.png)
