I don't know why someone would pay $1200 for a Mini, but they might have had their reasons. Likely panic, but who knows.
There was a time though, that the Mini had an edge over the AR as it wasn't on a lot of some of the ban list. That's likely to have all changed now, or has it?
In some States the AR15 is either emasculated or unlawful. The Mini fills the gap. I wish I had a truck load of Mini's to sell to the folks in Massachusetts and California.
kwg