LEGO Collectable Minifigures Series 25. Rumors and discussion

[Kit Figsto]

20 hours ago, AmperZand said:

According to one of the members of staff at the LEGO store I went to, LEGO is planning to add braille to all boxes including identifiers on future CMF boxes. It may be quite some time though before that's rolled out, so it might not be any of the series this year. If that's true, palping bags will be replaced with another tactile skill: reading braille. 

I wonder if it will truly be braille, or more like the dot codes that some of the early series had (if I remember right, series 1 had unique barcodes for each figure that you could ID, and then the next 4-5 series had the dot codes on the bottom of the bag that were really hard to decipher, but was a working method).

Anyway, I'm here reading about everyone working through methods of figuring out these figures and I can't even find the darn things.  B&N had none despite their website saying they had them in stock, Target has had nothing, Walgreens has had a space on the pegs with a barcode but nothing (though they're $6.49 there, so I'd prefer to buy elsewhere), and while I found 4 at Walmart, they were the small QR codes, so I couldn't actually get any info off of that.

Why I've had this much of a problem, I don't know, because I've seen people online finding these for like 3 weeks now.  I had the same issue with the last Disney series, it was like two weeks into May (and being in another state altogether) before I was able to find them.

[Black Falcon]

48 minutes ago, Kit Figsto said:

I wonder if it will truly be braille, or more like the dot codes that some of the early series had (if I remember right, series 1 had unique barcodes for each figure that you could ID, and then the next 4-5 series had the dot codes on the bottom of the bag that were really hard to decipher, but was a working method).

It sounded to me like they would be adding the Sets name (likely with number) on setboxes, so blind people can identify sets themselves - so it would have to be braille. However, it sounds kinda strange to me a shop employee has that kind of information including that there would be ways to identify the minifigure with it. While the first seems likely to me (after all inclusion is a theme Lego cares for) I kinda have my doubts about the second. But we will see.

[lifeinplastic]

5 hours ago, JohnTPT17 said:

Jay's Brick Blog now has a good write-up on the newer QR codes. It also includes the regional differences, which should also help with some of the confusion. My local stores haven't had them in stock, but I'll try a few other places to see if I can find a few goats, Bat-lords, and Harpies.

 

I would imagine that putting braille on every Lego set could get spendy (and it might not work for a few items, like polybags), but it would be an interesting way to solve the blind box dilemma.

Thanks for this - wasn't going to buy any of these if I didn't know what I'd be getting but if this works, then I will give it a go. Any chance we could book mark this at the start of the thread to make it easier to find?

[Banbi64]

6 hours ago, JohnTPT17 said:

Jay's Brick Blog now has a good write-up on the newer QR codes. It also includes the regional differences, which should also help with some of the confusion. My local stores haven't had them in stock, but I'll try a few other places to see if I can find a few goats, Bat-lords, and Harpies.

 

I would imagine that putting braille on every Lego set could get spendy (and it might not work for a few items, like polybags), but it would be an interesting way to solve the blind box dilemma.

Confirmed here (S) code from lego store in france. haven't come by the forum before trying the QR code, but got all same referencial on my 36p box. simply read the QR with any android phone ;)

[JohnTPT17]

Glad I was able to help a few people find these - though all the credit goes to Jay! No luck yet for me though... Nothing at two Walmarts, a Kohls, or a Smiths (all of which have had past series), and the local Bricks and Minifigs just closed (hopefully to reopen under new management soon). At worst, I do have some boxes coming from MinifigureMadness in a few weeks, so I'll get a full set from that, but I was hoping to pick up a few duplicates. Hard to say if those stores just sold out super quickly, don't have them on shelves yet, or simply won't be getting any more minifigs.

[karrit]

All the stores I checked today that had the CMF's in stock all had the smaller code that doesn't give the numbers we need to know which figure it is.  The Barnes & Noble I checked had 3 figures, one had the smaller code the other two scanned as the Fitness Instructor & the Gamer.  Target had nothing, Walmart had the hanging display box, Scheels had all small QR codes on their boxes. 

 

[Westbrick]

I used the QR codes successfully in London Battersea today around lunch time, but you could tell others already had got in there earlier as there were no bat lords or goatherds (although an employee did bring me another set of them from out the back to check and there was a goatherd in that!)

[Sir Dano]

Got my 6 packs in today, turns out they're random and not packed with a specific A&B set.

Also picked up some Batlords and Goatherders from Chapters and TRU:

[JohnTPT17]

Was able  to find some today! ...at Best Buy, of all places. Only half the boxes had the larger codes, but I was still able to get three Goatherders and two Harpies - which is enough of those ones for me. Still on the hunt for a few Bat-Lords though! I'll try again Monday to see if Walmart has anything out.

58 minutes ago, Sir Dano said:

Got my 6 packs in today, turns out they're random and not packed with a specific A&B set.

Hmm... That's not great, as I know a lot of people used those 6-packs to start, or even complete, their series. However, (and this might be me trying to find order in chaos), but it look like there may still be some kind of pattern based on those photos, with four groups of three:

• Set A: Harpy, Mushroom Girl, Barbarian (photos 1 and 3)
• Set B: Dog Groomer, Gamer, Nior Detective (photos 2 and 3)
• Set C: Bat-Lord, Triceratops, Sprinter ("leftover" from photo 2)
• Set D: Train Boy, Goatherder, Workout Lady ("leftover" from photo 1)

I could be totally wrong in that, but based on those three picture (and what was shown in this unboxing video), it very well could be that that is how those boxes are split up now... More data would be needed to know for sure, though. Anyone else have any six-pack experiences?

Edited January 6, 2024 by JohnTPT17
Fixed numbers

[thatblockoguy]

1 hour ago, Sir Dano said:

Got my 6 packs in today, turns out they're random and not packed with a specific A&B set.

Also picked up some Batlords and Goatherders from Chapters and TRU:

Based on the locations that you purchased these from can I infer that you’re located in Canada? I hit up a few TRUs around Montreal and only found small QR codes. The local chapters/ indigo did have 144 in stock, they appeared to have the larger codes but they were all covered by price stickers 

[Lion King]

@RichardGoring, if I remember correctly, did you order two 6-park CMF Series 25 boxes and you get a complete series?

[karrit]

4 hours ago, JohnTPT17 said:

Was able  to find some today! ...at Best Buy, of all places. Only half the boxes had the larger codes, but I was still able to get three Goatherders and two Harpies - which is enough of those ones for me. Still on the hunt for a few Bat-Lords though! I'll try again Monday to see if Walmart has anything out.

 

Looks like I need to check out a few Best Buy stores tomorrow.  Wish I had known when I went to Barnes & Noble yesterday because there's a Best Buy at the other end of that shopping center.  Good luck with Walmart.  Most of the ones around here have the hanging display boxes with the smaller codes unfortunately.

Edited January 7, 2024 by karrit

[Sir Dano]

4 hours ago, thatblockoguy said:

Based on the locations that you purchased these from can I infer that you’re located in Canada? I hit up a few TRUs around Montreal and only found small QR codes. The local chapters/ indigo did have 144 in stock, they appeared to have the larger codes but they were all covered by price stickers 

I am indeed, in the maritimes. My TRU had a single box with the smaller QR codes, and my Chapters had maybe one box out of three that had bigger QR codes, some of which were covered in stickers, so I just used my scale. Jay's weight guide is kind of off in that regard though, so it's only good for identifying the 3 heaviest(train kid, goatherder, vampire knight).

Edited January 7, 2024 by Sir Dano

[RichardGoring]

That's curious. I got two of the six-packs and had a complete set from them. My selection was very similar to Sir Dano's breakdown in the photos above, but without the duplicate/missing figure. It does seem that it's not guaranteed to get a full A/B, as that has happened for the last few series of six-pack boxes, but duplicates/overlaps appeared to be the exception rather than the norm.

Also, all of the boxes in my six packs were small barcodes. Might go out hunting for more goatherds, barbarians, and mushroom sprites tomorrow.

[Lion King]

5 hours ago, RichardGoring said:

That's curious. I got two of the six-packs and had a complete set from them. My selection was very similar to Sir Dano's breakdown in the photos above, but without the duplicate/missing figure. It does seem that it's not guaranteed to get a full A/B, as that has happened for the last few series of six-pack boxes, but duplicates/overlaps appeared to be the exception rather than the norm.

Also, all of the boxes in my six packs were small barcodes. Might go out hunting for more goatherds, barbarians, and mushroom sprites tomorrow.

Luck duck that you get a complete series. 

[RichardGoring]

10 minutes ago, Lion King said:

Luck duck that you get a complete series. 

Indeed!

[AmperZand]

On 1/5/2024 at 8:03 PM, Black Falcon said:

It sounded to me like they would be adding the Sets name (likely with number) on setboxes, so blind people can identify sets themselves - so it would have to be braille. However, it sounds kinda strange to me a shop employee has that kind of information including that there would be ways to identify the minifigure with it. While the first seems likely to me (after all inclusion is a theme Lego cares for) I kinda have my doubts about the second. But we will see.

I’m guessing that it’s a lot easier for sighted people to identify CMFs using the QR code - actually a data matrix - than it is for blind people  ( @Lion King to confirm or deny). If that’s true and CMFs continue to be identifiable that way but never through through braille, CMFs will be blind packaged for blind people only, but not for sighted people. That’s a PR nightmare LEGO will most certainly want to avoid. So the idea that CMFs will be identifiable through braille is not as far fetched as it seems.

Edited January 7, 2024 by AmperZand

[Black Falcon]

That depends whether Lego is going to keep that codes for the next series. I mean, in the end they should have known people will find out about them but who knows. In the end, when they want people to know what is inside, they can just print it on the package instead of making codes.

[Lion King]

1 hour ago, Black Falcon said:

That depends whether Lego is going to keep that codes for the next series. I mean, in the end they should have known people will find out about them but who knows. In the end, when they want people to know what is inside, they can just print it on the package instead of making codes.

Is print more costly than braille/code?

[Black Falcon]

2 hours ago, Lion King said:

Is print more costly than braille/code?

If they would make an own package design for each then yes. But they could acutally just put the name where they put the numbers from the code and it would be no additional cost at all. And in any case the braille would still be there anyways

[Lion King]

11 minutes ago, Black Falcon said:

If they would make an own package design for each then yes. But they could acutally just put the name where they put the numbers from the code and it would be no additional cost at all. And in any case the braille would still be there anyways

I’m. Sorry but i am confused. Are you referring code to braille or barcode? Because sometimes people refer braille as “code”. 

I do think braille is not that costly than printing for CMF blind boxes, tho. 

[Black Falcon]

13 minutes ago, Lion King said:

I’m. Sorry but i am confused. Are you referring code to braille or barcode? Because sometimes people refer braille as “code”. 

I do think braille is not that costly than printing for CMF blind boxes, tho. 

With code I mean the QR code people use to see what is inside the set.

I think the main cost for braille will be that they will have to get the machines that can do that - but in the end if they plan to use braille on all their sets that cost won´t matter much anymore. If they even would do that themselfes - I mean in the end the carton is just delivered to them and made elsewhere I think, so they would likely order it with the braille applied already.

[williejm]

***SCRATCH THIS - It does work perfectly well. I was just not focusing it properly. Sheesh I’m such an old person with technology. Back in my day you could feel the packets etc …***

 

So I’ve picked up a few of these today, largely to familiarise myself with the ways of identifying what’s in the box. Weight wise - seems relatively straightforward and they all correspond to specific figures, and aren’t very overlapping. I simply cannae get the QR code reader to work though, it just doesn’t seem to want to scan it at all. Have I maybe got the wrong scanner app (i’m on IPhone, and the app is literally called QR Code Reader). Any pointers welcome!

Edited January 9, 2024 by williejm
Because I’m a doofus

[karrit]

I've had mixed results with the scanning.  I have an android phone.  I think if the code isn't dark enough it's difficult for the camera to scan it properly.  Also seems like it takes a long time for it to actually decipher the code when it does work.  I got the scanner app referenced in a Brick Fanatics article to work but another site mentioned by one of my LUG members called figscanner did not work at all for me.  I haven't tried either out in the wild, just on my empty boxes at home.  Any figures I've bought were found using just my phone camera to scan & comparing the numbers to the lists.

[JohnTPT17]

The App that I used has worked for me just fine. I have noticed that sometimes it will want to scan the barcode instead of the dot matrix code, but I either put my thumb over the barcode or try to "cut off" the barcode from my camera. It took a little trial and error, but it's worked just fine for me for those larger codes.

Though that was just from my finds at Best Buy - I've only seen one box (with a smaller code) at either of the two Walmarts close to me. Some day, Bat-Lord...