LEGO Collectable Minifigures Series 5 discussion

[SilentMode]

Before we go accusing TLG of unholy acts why don't we wait and see what's in a full sealed box.

If there's one thing I hate it's unnecessary hype. But assuming that list was all from the same box, it would be interesting to see what the other 11 are. I don't think for they would have only two of more than one figure in a box.

[legolooney]

His gun, of course. That's the reason he has a violin case at all! It was a sneaky way American gangsters used to carry firearms covertly.

Well i know that's what it should be, but that case doesn't look like it could fit a revolver.

[LBaixinho]

Well i know that's what it should be, but that case doesn't look like it could fit a revolver.

As I said before, the gun fits inside the violin case.

[Mr. Elijah Timms]

2 DWARFS per CASE???? That's ridiculous... How am I going to get thirteen dwarves at that rate???????

[Blondie-Wan]

Not being sure if they gave us an entire box.

The bags were distributed by members of the Community 0937, we are currently doing a tracking and distribution is:

The Royal Guard (*****)

The Eskimo (***)

The Boxer (***)

The Fitness Trainer (**)

The Gladiator (**)

The Gangster (***)

The Snowboarder (***)

The Dwarf (**)

The Zookeeper (***)

The Pie Clown (****)

The Detective (***)

The Lumberjack (***)

The Cavewoman (***)

The Dinosaur Suit Guy (****)

The Graduate (***)

Cleopatra (***)

(49/60)

Of course the Gladiator and Dwarf are the rarest.

Along with the fitness trainer, according to that list.

The list also totals just 49 figures, so it's surely not a full box, which should have 60 unless they've changed it. For all we know, even assuming all the figures cited came out of a single, regularly-packed box (which might not be the case), there could actually be 13 Gladiators per box - granted, that's highly unlikely, but still.

I suspect the final assortment will be more or less in line with the previous four series, and that there will be somewhere from three to five of each figure per box, and that if there are any for which there are just two per box at first, they'll tweak the distribution so that later boxes get more. There are always going to be certain figures that have more demand than others, but I don't think TLG is really trying to make any individual figure particularly rare. Of course, we should know for sure in the very near future...

[LBaixinho]

My english is very poor.. so some new images :)

This is the bottom of the Pie.

The gun inside the violin case. It fits very well.

The violin case is "difficult" to open because the double "locks".

There are some slightly differences between this gun and a old one that I have (in the old dark grey color).

If you need some other photographs, please notice me in this topic.

[Blondie-Wan]

Thanks for the excellent info!

[Tamamono]

Thanks, LBaixinho! I was afraid that the violin case wouldn't open, but it seems that my worries were in vain! If you have one of the actual "Tommy" style guns introduced in the Batman line, could you see if that fits?

[LBaixinho]

Thanks, LBaixinho! I was afraid that the violin case wouldn't open, but it seems that my worries were in vain! If you have one of the actual "Tommy" style guns introduced in the Batman line, could you see if that fits?

Only the revolver fits in the violin case.

[Niku]

Only the revolver fits in the violin case.

Well at least it fits the pistol.

Thanks for all this good info and pics.

[Aanchir]

I think it was to be expected that the tommy gun couldn't fit. After all, the tommy gun is one stud wide at its widest point, as is the violin case. There's no way you could fit one inside the other unless the walls were paper-thin. It's a real pity, since both the tommy gun and the violin case are so well-designed that it wouldn't have been logical to redesign either one.

Perhaps TLG might one day release a violin that's compatible with this violin case, expanding its versatility. I don't think the Brickforge one would fit, being as large as it is, and I don't know if TLG could release a smaller one that still looked as natural in a minifigure's hands as the Brickforge one. But one can always dream...

Thanks so much for all these pics!

[Joebot]

The figs all look terrific, and it's exciting that these are starting to show up already.

However, I am getting a little tired of the orange wrinkle lines on so many of the faces. When used sparingly, they can add some interesting characterization to the faces, but it's almost too much with this series. They're everywhere now. Like on the graduate for example -- it just seems unnecessary and "overdone." The lines around his eyes make him look sorta manic and creepy. And the cheekbones on the Inuit fisherman. Why would he need some starkly defined cheekbones?

Does anyone remember when these orange lines started showing up? Was it Series 4?

Also, why does the cavewoman have a big scratch on her face? I'm thinking the caveman from Series 1 had to put a beating on her because she burned the wooly mammoth casserole for the hundredth time. Our first evidence of spousal abuse in mini-fig history?

[Gregorovich]

Thanks for all the detailed pictures and information!

The cream pie looks pretty shabby at the bottom, but that doesn't really matter. It's a shame that the Tommy gun doesn't fit in the violin case, but that also doesn't matter that much, as you wouldn't be able to see it inside.

Series 5 has definetely grown on me after seeing these pictures! Although they're still my least favourite series, I still like them a lot. I've even come to like the fitness dancer, because of her torso, head and boombox.

I now look forward to getting these!

[Aanchir]

The figs all look terrific, and it's exciting that these are starting to show up already.

However, I am getting a little tired of the orange wrinkle lines on so many of the faces. When used sparingly, they can add some interesting characterization to the faces, but it's almost too much with this series. They're everywhere now. Like on the graduate for example -- it just seems unnecessary and "overdone." The lines around his eyes make him look sorta manic and creepy. And the cheekbones on the Inuit fisherman. Why would he need some starkly defined cheekbones?

Technically, the wrinkle lines are Medium Nougat, and I personally love 'em. True, they are used an awful lot in the collectible minifigures (and nowadays even elsewhere-- most of the Alien Conquest figs with facial wrinkles use this color, as does this guy). But just consider that the alternative way of "adding character" in previous years would have been garish black facial wrinkles (and occasionally horrible uncanny valley like many minifigures in the Western theme).

In the case of the Tribal Chief and the new Inuit ice fisherman, who now use the subtle facial wrinkles to add that touch of ethnicity that in previous years would have been created with terrible racial caricatures, I think we've really come a long way (incidentally, the ice fisherman would probably have the same gaunt cheek lines whether this color were being used for printing or not). Today's use of Medium Nougat facial wrinkles on so many minifigures doesn't change the way the faces are designed-- it just makes the faces (which on the collectible minifigures have to be unique in some way or another) look more natural compared to previous methods.

Does anyone remember when these orange lines started showing up? Was it Series 4?

Series 3, actually. Previous series used black lines for facial wrinkles and cheek lines, which compared to the new minifigures tend to look obvious and garish. Just compare the cheek lines on the S2 Pharaoh or Surfer with those on the S3 Elf.

Edited June 16, 2011 by Aanchir

[ralkon]

How come we haven't heard anything about series 6 yet?

[Gregorovich]

How come we haven't heard anything about series 6 yet?

I think that they'll becoming out in April/May 2012, that is if they do come out. We don't usually find out about the next year's sets until around August-ish, I think.

Edited June 21, 2011 by Gregorovich

[escortmad79]

I think that they'll becoming out in April/May 2012, that is if they do come out. We don't usually find out about the next year's sets until around August-ish, I think.

They've been confirmed Check here & will certainly be out before April/May

Edited June 21, 2011 by escortmad79

[Gregorovich]

They've been confirmed Check here & will certainly be out before April/May

Oh, I forgot about that . I think it's possible they'll be scheduled for an April/May release, though, seeing as Series 1 and 4 had that.

[Klaus-Dieter]

Thank you very much for this information and the pics of the violine suitcase with the revolver, LBaixinho!

Perhaps TLG might one day release a violin that's compatible with this violin case, expanding its versatility. I don't think the Brickforge one would fit, being as large as it is, and I don't know if TLG could release a smaller one that still looked as natural in a minifigure's hands as the Brickforge one. But one can always dream...

I completely agree with you, Anachir!

A Lego violine with bow - if it fits inside the violine case or very supposably rather not - would be amazing!

Btw:

I don't know whether this has already been posted here before (if so, please forgive me): I went to one of my local toy shops yesterday and took a customer's catalogue home. In it it is printed that the series 5 minifigs will be 2,50 Euro per minifig - that's really bad! (For that money you can nearly get an Impulse set - which includes much more accessory.)

Klaus-Dieter

Edited June 22, 2011 by Klaus-Dieter

[Colonel]

These are the numbers from a sealed box:

01. Graduate (***)

02. Gladiator (***)

03. Royal Guard (*****)

04. Eskimo (***)

05. Cavewoman (****)

06. Dinosaur Suit Guy (****)

07. Zookeeper (*****)

08. Lumberjack (****)

09. Pie Clown (****)

10. Fitness Trainer (****)

11. Detective (****)

12. Dwarf (***)

13. Boxer (*****)

14. Cleopatra (***)

15. Gangster (***)

16. Snowboarder (***)

And yes, the bags still have dots at the bottom of the backside.

[SilentMode]

That's an excellent distribution, if it's true - at least there aren't any twos - but it's going to be a fight for those Graduates.

[Gregorovich]

These are the numbers from a sealed box:

01. Graduate (***)

02. Gladiator (***)

03. Royal Guard (*****)

04. Eskimo (***)

05. Cavewoman (****)

06. Dinosaur Suit Guy (****)

07. Zookeeper (*****)

08. Lumberjack (****)

09. Pie Clown (****)

10. Fitness Trainer (****)

11. Detective (****)

12. Dwarf (***)

13. Boxer (*****)

14. Cleopatra (***)

15. Gangster (***)

16. Snowboarder (***)

And yes, the bags still have dots at the bottom of the backside.

Thanks very much for this! I really hope that the distribution is the same here in the UK. It's great that there's at least three of every fig, and four of all my favourites except Cleopatra!

[vexorian]

I am fine with orange lines as long as they aren't overdone. Some clone faces are seriously overdone.

The detailing improved a little from the first series and it is not as bad as before. Though still teeth plagues too many minifig faces.

[Aanchir]

I am fine with orange lines as long as they aren't overdone. Some clone faces are seriously overdone.

The detailing improved a little from the first series and it is not as bad as before. Though still teeth plagues too many minifig faces.

Teeth were one of the first things added to certain minifigures after they stopped rigidly adhering to the rule of "two eyes and a smile, plus details". Wild West/Western faces like this were some of the first not to have a classic smile (besides some female minifigures with lipstick). Of course, being a part of a long-standing tradition in minifigures doesn't make a certain trait more justifiable in today's figs. After all, noses debuted on minifigures that very same year, and I'm very grateful we're rid of them.

Personally, teeth on minifigures don't bother me as long as the minifigure face still has somewhat reasonable proportions. So, for instance, Spy-Clops and the Tribal Chief didn't bother me at all, but this, this, and this are completely out of the question. The last is a double-infraction for having eyes with whites, which is just as bad as minifigures with noses as far as I'm concerned (although I don't mind it on faces that use a completely different style like in Avatar: The Last Airbender or Exo-Force).

So far, I haven't minded the facial decorations of any of the collectible minifigures, which manage to avoid the outrageous expressions and excessive detail inherent in themes like World Racers. Instead, we get beautifully understated faces like this and this which in my opinion are perhaps closer to the spirit of the minifigure than many older face designs-- particularly some of the excruciatingly bad faces from the Western theme.

[02089843]

Thanks very much for this! I really hope that the distribution is the same here in the UK. It's great that there's at least three of every fig, and four of all my favourites except Cleopatra!

wow I have to have the dwarf