In 2010, the LEGO Group tried something new, releasing its first round of collectible minifigures (CMF), including everything from clowns to cavemen. These mini-figures had more detailed printing than your average LEGO citizen, and many came with brand-new pieces (like ray guns and robot arms) that couldn’t be found in other LEGO sets. There were 16 to collect, and each was packaged in an opaque plastic bag so the buyer didn’t know which they were getting until after purchase.
At least in theory. Hard-core collectors quickly realized that many unique pieces could be felt through the bag, meaning a mini-figure could often be identified by process of elimination prior to purchasing it. LEGO fans have even put together guides to help each other snag the best bricks.
Sales from series 1 must have been impressive–I remember every store around selling out of them lightning fast. Since that first series was released, there have been more than 30 series of CMF, including special entries based on the Simpsons, Harry Potter, the Muppets, and more. There were even a few based on The LEGO Batman Movie. Only one series of Marvel superheroes has ever been released though…until now.
After months of rumors, a brand new slate of LEGO collectible minifigures featuring Marvel characters is set to release September 1st! This time there are 12 to collect, with most characters being pulled from recent Marvel Cinematic Universe releases.
The roster features Agatha Harkness, Moon Knight, Mr. Knight, The Werewolf, She-Hulk, Hawkeye, Kate Bishop, Goliath, Echo, Beast, Storm, and Wolverine. The LEGO Group has certainly done it again as far as variety and design quality go (I’ve got my eye on the two Moon Knight minifigs). They’ve also thrown a huge wrench in the plans of their fans: instead of polybags, this CMF series is packaged in small cardboard boxes.
There have been rumors for years that collectible minifigures would eventually be sold in more environmentally-friendly cardboard boxes, and now the day is finally upon us. This means, of course, that buyers can no longer identify their quarry by feel.
Some collectors believe they’ve found a workaround though. LEGO fans have taken to using a precise scale to identify mini-figures based on weight. Some have already developed guides detailing how much each character weighs. The accuracy of this test is yet to be seen, but you can find a guide below (created by Jay’s Brick Blog) if you’d like to try your luck.
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Each Minifigure is $4.99 in the US and will be available in most places toys are sold in addition to lego.com.
