Hello everyone, this is Darth Varder a.k.a. Cui Zhuoran. In previous posts, I’ve introduced major LEGO grading companies and the five most iconic chrome LEGO minifigures.
Today, I’m diving into a different corner of the LEGO collecting world—an incredibly niche, rare, and expensive series that’s notoriously difficult to get your hands on: the exclusive minifigures and sets released during the LEGO Retail Manager Conference.
The LEGO Retail Manager Conference, held in the United States, is—just as the name suggests—an event exclusively for LEGO retail managers. Except for cancellations in 2019 and 2020 due to the pandemic, the conference has been held annually from 2015 through 2023. Each year, exclusive minifigures and sets were released, making them among the rarest collectibles in the LEGO universe. In this article, I’ll walk you through these collectibles in chronological order, starting with the pre-pandemic years.
2015–2018: Minifigure + Polybag Combo
From 2015 to 2018, attendees received a special gift set each year that included an exclusive minifigure and a matching polybag build. Beginning in 2021 through 2023, the format changed to yellow-boxed exclusive sets. While these newer items may feel less premium in presentation, their rarity remains unchanged.
It’s estimated that around 200 units of each exclusive figure/set were produced annually. I’ll provide some evidence for that estimate as we go, but let’s begin with the first of these exclusive minifigs.
2015 LEGO Manager Conference Minifigure: Zombie Retail Employee
The 2015 figure—a Zombie Sales Associate—is arguably the most unique of the first four releases. There are two main reasons this figure stands out:
Dual Headpieces: It's the only one of the four to include two separate heads—one male and one female—both featuring zombie facial prints. The attention to detail is exceptional.
Uncommon Theme: LEGO doesn’t often release zombie-themed figures, and even more rarely do they dress them in LEGO retail uniforms. This combination makes it extremely rare.
From the torso to the legs and heads, every part of this figure is crafted with care. Unlike the basic dual-molded legs seen on other figures in the series, this zombie employee has patched-up pants with frayed edges, giving it a convincingly tattered look.
The torso shows a disheveled black shirt underneath the classic LEGO retail overalls, with a partially visible damaged white shirt beneath. Even the employee badge is tilted at an odd angle, reflecting the chaos of a zombie apocalypse.
Both heads are superbly printed: sunken eyes, bared teeth, and a general air of undead malaise—classic zombie flair. Like San Diego Comic-Con (SDCC) exclusives, this figure comes with a custom printed back card and plastic clamshell packaging. The card notes the event—“LEGO Brand Retail Manager Conference”—along with the year and location (Houston, Texas).
Earlier I mentioned the estimated run of 200 units per year. While this figure has long been rumored to be that limited, few have provided hard proof. Fortunately, I was lucky enough—through a friend—to connect with an American collector and former LEGO executive. Among his collection were all four of the original Manager Conference minifigures.
What made his Zombie figure particularly interesting was that it came with a poster, printed with the character artwork—and, most importantly, hand-signed by the designer and individually numbered out of 200. This serves as solid evidence of the production quantity.
Surprisingly, despite the frequent appearance of these figures in online marketplaces, this is the only instance I’ve ever seen of the original numbered poster. There are two possible explanations: (1) most posters were discarded over time due to their fragile paper material, or (2) only 200 posters were printed even if more minifigs were distributed. Unfortunately, we may never know the full story.
Interestingly, only the 2015 Zombie figure seems to have come with this kind of poster—none of the other three figures have surfaced with anything similar. It could have been an experimental concept that LEGO abandoned after year one.
Alongside the minifig, the 2015 conference also gave out a small polybag build—a post-apocalyptic zombie defense vehicle. While it lacks exclusive parts or minifigs, the build cleverly represents a rugged survival car. The scale isn’t minifigure-accurate, but it adds charm as a thematic accessory. The instructions, though not bound, feature the same distinctive LEGO Retail Manager Conference branding, hinting at its exclusivity.
The ungraded version of this Zombie minifigure typically sells for around ¥10,000–¥13,000 RMB, while graded (AFA gold label) ones can fetch between ¥16,000–¥21,000 RMB. The matching polybag also has its own resale market, often selling for ¥2,000–¥4,000 RMB.
Some dedicated collectors even go a step further—assembling a “complete” set of this Zombie employee by displaying both the male and female head options. One such collector, Samuel (whom I mentioned in my chrome figure article), had two graded figures created from a single original Zombie figure using both heads. These were sent for grading separately and received gold labels, driving their value even higher.
2016 LEGO Manager Conference Minifigure: LEGO Maniac Zack
Moving on to 2016, the exclusive figure for that year was LEGO Maniac Zack. While its design might seem less intricate than the 2015 Zombie, it has a fun and meaningful backstory that makes it especially appealing to long-time LEGO fans.
Zack features a unique head and torso print, and likely exclusive legs (though confirmation is elusive). He wears an open jacket revealing a red shirt printed with the letters “AC”, short for “ZACK.” The back of the torso also features a small LEGO logo, a rare detail that’s often overlooked.
His brown curly hair and printed sunglasses reflect the character’s wild and energetic personality. The leg design is simpler than the Zombie’s, with minimal detailing to represent shoes and pockets.
The backing card is eye-catching, using a bold color scheme—blue, black, and hot pink with a dotted background. "ZACK" is prominently printed above the figure’s head, while the conference location (Orlando, Florida) is listed in the corner.
Unlike the other three figures in this series, Zack is based on a real LEGO character from the 1990s. Between 1990 and 1994, LEGO ran TV ads and magazine campaigns featuring a hyper-enthusiastic character called LEGO Maniac Zack.
In these vintage commercials—still searchable online—you’ll find Zack leaping into LEGO builds, riding through castle and space sets, and generally embodying the ultimate LEGO fan. He was portrayed by child actors like Danny Tamberelli and Justin Shenkarow.
The conference figure replicates his signature look exactly: blue jacket, red shirt with ZACK, and red-rimmed sunglasses tucked in his brown hair. Even the cloud-shaped graphic element on the backing card mirrors neon signage used in the original ads. A lovely Easter egg from the LEGO designers.
Fun fact: At one point, the popularity of Zack even led to bootleg LEGO products using his likeness, which prompted LEGO to consider renaming the character. Though the name was briefly changed, it eventually reverted back to Zack before the character faded out entirely by the mid-90s.
Just like the Zombie figure, Zack came with a themed polybag build titled “Arcade Ride.” It’s essentially a coin-operated kiddie ride, common in malls and arcades. A similar design appears in the LEGO Ideas 40335 set released in 2019, though that version is more vibrant and detailed. Zack’s version, from 2016, includes 148 parts and is simpler in build.
Unlike the Zombie’s vehicle, the Arcade Ride is minifigure-scaled, allowing Zack to sit inside. While it doesn’t have the same narrative synergy as the Zombie’s doomsday vehicle, it evokes a sense of nostalgia—perhaps reminding attendees of their own childhoods watching Zack in LEGO commercials and riding similar coin-op machines.
Price & Buying Tips
In terms of value, Zack is slightly more affordable than the other Manager Conference figures, for two main reasons:
Simpler Print & Accessories: Zack’s figure lacks the detailed printing and unique accessories seen in the Zombie employee.
Less Prominent Branding: Unlike the other three figures, which prominently display the LEGO logo on the front, Zack only has the logo on his back—a minor but impactful difference in collector value.
The ungraded version of Zack usually sells for around ¥9,000–¥12,000 RMB, while graded versions go for ¥14,000–¥17,000 RMB. The polybag is cheaper, often priced between ¥500–¥1,500 RMB, with a recent sale on eBay closing at just over ¥600.
That said, these figures are incredibly rare, and the prices I’ve mentioned are based on past listings and sales I’ve personally tracked. Be sure to research carefully and don’t rush—just because you find one doesn’t mean it hasn’t been sitting unsold for months or even years.
That wraps up Part 1 of our deep dive into the LEGO Manager Conference exclusive series. In Part 2, I’ll cover the 2017 and 2018 minifigures, along with the boxed exclusive sets from 2021 to 2023. Stay tuned!