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LEGO Collectible Minifigures quality issues?

Over the years there has been concerns about the quality of the LEGO Collectible Minifigures. It is well known that the Collectible Minifigures are made in China, rather than in Billund, Denmark, or the other main LEGO factories. Since 2010, when the first series of Collectible Minifigures was released, LEGO fans detected differences in the quality and color or the plastic, clutch-power, and more. To respond to these concerns LEGO did make some changes to bring the Collectible Minifigures closer to the standard of minifigs, but some of the complaints continue to persist.

LEGO Ambassadors were asked to collect feedback from their communities in regards to some of the most recent LEGO Collectible Minifigures (like The LEGO Batman Movie and LEGO Disney characters). So if you have examples of quality issues with the Collectible Minifigures, please list them in the comment section below, and I will forward them to LEGO via the Ambassador Forum on your behalf. Here is a list of problems that other LEGO fans have reported compared to regular LEGO minifigures.

  • Dull plastic colors
  • Plastic is more translucent
  • Colors are different than in regular LEGO sets
  • Loose joints
  • Weak clutch-power of the torso and feet
  • Loose headgear and hairpieces
  • Misprints
  • Missing or mixed up parts and/or accessories
  • Plastic seams are rougher and more visible

If you have experienced any of these issues in recent Collectible Minifigure Series, or you have noticed other problems, please list them in as much detail as you can. If you have any pictures to demonstrate the issue, that would be also very helpful. You can either post them at a picture sharing site and then link to them in your comment, or you can email them directly to me (just use the little envelope button at the top of the left-hand side-bar). And of course if all your minifigures are excellent, and you haven’t noticed anything unusual, you can report that as well. I’m sure LEGO would be happy to hear if your minifigs are happy and healthy. 😉

I will leave this discussion open for the rest of the week, and submit your findings next Monday. Thank you for your participation!

{ 52 comments… add one }
  • Ed P. February 9, 2017, 11:12 AM

    I’ve definitely noticed an issue with leg/feet clutch power, as well as leg joints moving more easily / differently than regular minifigs. These both seem more pronounced with the Lego Batman Series figs than previous ones.

    • admin February 9, 2017, 1:14 PM

      One interesting thing I noticed is that they CMF minifigs seem to get stiffer with age. Like when we get the new series the joints are quite loose, but when you have them in your collection for a while and try them later, the joints are stronger.

    • TheBrickLot February 9, 2017, 1:19 PM

      Yes, I agree it is mainly the legs. Even the hip joints are loose. Also, are you going to feature the LEGO Ninjago Movie trailer with your thoughts?

      • admin February 9, 2017, 1:49 PM

        We will do the Ninjago Movie trailer tomorrow. I was planning to do it today, but I really had to post this survey so I can get the results back to LEGO on Monday. I’m curious to hear everyone’s thoughts on it. I’m really-really looking forward to the movie, but even more so to the sets! 😀

        • TheBrickLot February 9, 2017, 2:47 PM

          Ya Just2Good said he might do an analysis of the potential sets, but what I think is interesting is that instead of practicing the martial art “spinjizu” they just do kung fu, as I discovered in my 20 things you missed video https://youtu.be/mlQD1ER4SKo . So it’s kinda weird that they would change the main thing… :/

          • admin February 9, 2017, 2:54 PM

            That’s interesting. I think the reason for it might have been is that the movie suppose to be more realistic. Obviously it isn’t, but it is about some high-school kids with their alternate identity as ninjas. If they would also have had superpowers it might have been too much. Also, from what I have read, it is basically best to just forget about the Ninjago TV show when looking at this movie. While the name of the characters and their basic look is the same, they are in a different universe altogether.

            • TheBrickLot February 9, 2017, 2:59 PM

              I know I discussed that a bit too, but it seems like they still kept some of the ninja’s personality such as Jay and Cole. Also, I believe that they are super smart as well, as Lloyd (pronounced la loy d) is taking Mechanics 101.

          • Håkan February 9, 2017, 5:39 PM

            What’s Spinjitsu/ Spinjizu? Is it just twisting around as the Tasmanian Devil?

            And I think Kung Fu is more or less a catch-all term for a number of various Chinese martial arts…

            • BLProductions February 9, 2017, 6:02 PM

              In Wikipedia’s words: “Spinjitzu is a close combat martial arts technique in the world of Ninjago. It involves the user tapping into their innate Elemental energies while spinning rapidly, creating a tornado-like vortex of energy around themselves.” Basically a tornado with characteristics of a Ninja’s power, with a ninja inside it. I think the term is a modified version of “jujitsu”. It was the central part of the Ninja’s powers during the first season of the show. It’s not related to Kung Fu to my knowledge, but the movie seems to be eliminating the concept of “elemental powers,” with normal martial arts replacing it.

              • Håkan February 10, 2017, 6:38 PM

                There are Ninjutsu and Jujutsu as attested techniques, that I know about…

  • PrashBricks February 9, 2017, 12:15 PM

    I’ve got two figures of series 14, and there is nothing wrong with them.
    I’ve got the duel on geonosis set of 2013, and yoda’s clutch power is almost gone, the hand turn freely, and the head is loose, and the torso is broken.

    • admin February 9, 2017, 1:16 PM

      That’s sad… poor Yoda. Did you call LEGO to report the issue and ask for a replacement?

      • PrashBricks February 9, 2017, 2:57 PM

        Not yet…

        • admin February 9, 2017, 4:11 PM

          Please do it. It does help them to track problems, and you get a new minifig. So it’s worth it. 🙂

          • PrashBricks February 10, 2017, 12:46 PM

            Ok.
            I can do it on the website, can’t I?

            • admin February 10, 2017, 12:53 PM

              Yes, you can request replacement parts at the Bricks & Pieces website: https://www.lego.com/en-us/service/replacementparts. Personally, I prefer to call customer service and talk to a live human being as it helps to explain the problem in detail, and they can also easier get additional information they need.

  • Phil February 9, 2017, 12:54 PM

    Have definitely noticed the weaker join of lefts to the torso. This is especially evident in the lego batman. A good example of this is the fairy batman, as this also introduces the tutu between and with the weaker grasp, it often falls apart and my kids have just resorted to not outfitting the tutu on batman.

    • admin February 9, 2017, 1:15 PM

      Yeah, the tutu makes my Fairy Batman constantly fall apart too. It’s quite annoying. 🙁

  • Carbo February 9, 2017, 12:56 PM

    I have a complaint that isn’t limited to just the CMF line. I have noticed recently that a lot more of my minifigures have cracks in their torsos, making their arms loose. I find this incredibly frustrating, and I hope that LEGO fixes it soon. However, not one of my CMF minifigures(of which there are quite a few) has a single crack anywhere.

    • admin February 9, 2017, 1:04 PM

      Hey, Carbo, long time no see! Nice to have you over. That is actually an issue a lot of people have been reporting on the Ambassador Forum already. It is also my personal experience; no cracks on the CMF, but cracks on regular minifigs. Make sure you always call LEGO and report the issue. This helps them to track issues internally (which factory, which batch, etc.), and they will also send you a replacement. Cracking minifigs and regular pieces seems to be a problem only in North America, and we get our LEGO from the factory in Mexico. European LEGO sets made in Denmark don’t have these issues. At least that’s what I heard.

      • Tom February 9, 2017, 5:32 PM

        I’ve not had any manufacturing issues with any UK minifigs in the last 4 years, but similar issues to the above for US exclusive polybags I’ve bought on ebay. Thought it was an anomaly until I realised it’s only US import/exclusive ones.

        • admin February 9, 2017, 9:08 PM

          Tom, the Collectible Minifigs are all made in China, so we should all be getting the same quality (except for maybe different batches). Polybags could be made in any of the factories, but yeah, if you are in Europe, it is best if you stay with European sellers, as US sellers will likely have the ones made in the factory in Mexico.

  • Brick February 9, 2017, 1:23 PM

    My biggest issue with CMFs in general is poor color and loose headwear. In general, the yellows are duller in CMFs. Also, anything that goes on the head seems to pop off easily.

    • admin February 9, 2017, 1:51 PM

      Yes, the lighter shade of yellow is another known issue. As far as the headgear, it seems to be a real hit or miss. At least to me, it appears that headgear that also comes in regular LEGO sets fits better, while those that are exclusively made for the CMF figures are really loose.

  • jaisonline February 9, 2017, 1:52 PM

    i shared this article on brickpicker.com to gather more feedback.

    • admin February 9, 2017, 1:57 PM

      Thank you. The more feedback we can gather from the community, the better chance we have that LEGO will take the issues seriously. It was actually their initiative, so they know there are problems. If some of your members prefers to share their feedback at your forum, you are welcome to post a summary result here. Just please do it before the end of the week so I can send the results to LEGO on Monday.

      • jaisonline February 9, 2017, 3:31 PM

        will do

  • Muguay February 9, 2017, 2:15 PM

    I have also noticed how the coloring for the cmf figures is different than normal minifigures and I have a lot of cmf figures with rough visible seams

  • MOOKE February 9, 2017, 3:39 PM

    ive nerver really had any problems with my mini figs (or im realy bad at noticing things ) most of my cracks or loose joints just come from my love for lego wars 😀

  • LegoMaster99 February 9, 2017, 4:24 PM

    I have a few of The Lego Batman Movie minifigures, and they do have some quality control issues. Mime’s Mohawk and Harley Quinn’s hairpiece are loose and Vacation Batman’s duckie is really loose. Also, the face under Red Hood’s dome turns almost freely.

  • BLProductions February 9, 2017, 4:43 PM

    I only have 6 CMFs: 3 from Series 12, 1 from Series 14, Stitch (Disney series), and the Hiker (Series 16). They all sit/stand on their bases and are seldom used, so are in more or less original condition. The two newest ones are the most relevant, so I’ll list their issues.
    Stitch has many problems. His legs and hands are of different shades of Medium Blue than his arms and torso (the former two also match normal Medium Blue bricks, the latter two don’t); there are a number of scratches and a highly-visible mark (a mis-print, I think) under his right eye (from his view); and there is a white bump on the top right side of his head, left by the molding machine. The Hiker’s main issue is that he’s quite loose-jointed for a new minifig, but otherwise has no issues I have found.
    On all six of my CMFs, the seams left by the molding process, including the two round depressions on each hand, are easily visible, and almost look like cracks (none are actually cracks yet, thankfully). I can list the problems with my older CMFs, if you like, but I don’t know how relevant they’d be, seeing as they’ve been retired for over a year now.

    • admin February 9, 2017, 9:05 PM

      They wanted us to focus on the last couple of series, so the feedback is about the newest releases. Sorry to hear about your Stich. He is one of my favorites, and thankfully mine doesn’t have any issues.

  • Xevo February 9, 2017, 5:03 PM

    I’ve had major torso – leg clutch issues with my Vacation Batman. He just barely has enough clutch power to stay together when the rubber ducky is worn, and if I play with him much his torso falls off almost immediately.

    • admin February 9, 2017, 9:06 PM

      Yes, that’s a common one.

  • DX ZX KENDO NRG KIMONO TECHNO JUNGLE DEEPSTONE AIRJITZU SKYBOUND FUSION JAY-MOUTH OF LIGHTNING (seriously I have a mouth of lightning) February 9, 2017, 11:31 PM

    would LEGO send me a new NRG Zane minifigure if I showed them a picture of mine which has a crack on the torso making his arm loose?

    • DX ZX KENDO NRG KIMONO TECHNO JUNGLE DEEPSTONE AIRJITZU SKYBOUND FUSION JAY-MOUTH OF LIGHTNING (seriously I have a mouth of lightning) February 9, 2017, 11:32 PM

      Obviously it’s from being played with A LOT 😛 I actually still play with my Ninjago spinners with my younger bro… 7 years later!

  • EAB February 9, 2017, 11:47 PM

    We have noticed a few rough edges and loose joints, especially with the heads. Disney’s Minnie Mouse frequently falls apart between the torso, skirt, and legs. Most of our collectible minifigures are fine though.

  • KartGuy76 February 10, 2017, 1:14 AM

    Difference between actual minifig and what is shown on the box and checklist pamphlet. Made a video to show it.

    https://youtu.be/4Uqdlq9soWA

    • admin February 10, 2017, 9:41 PM

      Yes, someone else already reported this on the Ambassador Forum. Quite funny. 😀

  • David February 10, 2017, 5:35 AM

    Some of my CMF indeed feel a bit “loose” here and there, but not sure if it’s unique to CMFs. I think I have encountered the issue on regular minifigs too (not sure).

    One somewhat major issue I encountered three times with CMFs is the printing of head that’s too low. The mouth of the face being near the “chin”.
    Not sure if I make sense. I’ll send you a picture if needed.

    • admin February 10, 2017, 9:40 PM

      Yes, I have seen that too. Basically the printer is not aligned right with the minifig head.

  • Oscar February 10, 2017, 12:57 PM

    8827-2 Highland Battler from series 6, the yellow from the hands do not match the yellow of the arms

    • Håkan February 10, 2017, 6:40 PM

      How much do they differ? I think that’s pretty common with variations in hue, I’ve noticed.

  • Patrick February 11, 2017, 2:29 AM

    I have almost 300 collectibles from series 1 to Batman and the clutch power between torso and hips is not strong enough especially while wearing a dress like Mini Mouse. I also have issues with hands. Older collectibles had thinner hands just like normal figs but their clipping power is noticeably weaker than the regular ones. However they thickened the hands starting from Lego Movie Series and the clipping power is fine but there is a problem when attaching a 1×1 plate or other accessories with studs because hands are now tchicker than the Lego stud.

    • admin February 11, 2017, 1:11 PM

      Oh, yes, I remember someone else mentioning that as well about the thicker hands.

  • Bucky February 11, 2017, 11:22 PM

    Opened a bunch today and noticed on fairy Batman the crotch pink was pale compared to the legs. They also did a horrible job matching the skin color printed on lobster Batman and cave Batman with the skin colored plastic. Visor on the Calculator seemed much too tight. Clutch power I thought was weaker on some of the heads that keep capes down.

    • admin February 12, 2017, 9:53 AM

      Thanks for sharing. Noted and it will be reported tomorrow (Monday).

  • Lloydguy February 12, 2017, 1:37 PM

    The Dick Grayson I got today seems to have loose legs. Its a shame, I spent more than 10 minutes looking for him at the checkout lanes of Target. But if the legs get stiffer with time, but too bad I have to wait.

  • Jaisonline February 13, 2017, 6:18 PM

    Hi Admin, 15 members replied on brickpicker wth CMF issues by type. I created a poll that can be viewed here.
    https://community.brickpicker.com/topic/17737-lego-collectible-minifigure-series-cmf-quality-issues-poll/

    • admin February 13, 2017, 8:00 PM

      Ahhh, thank you, perfect timing! 🙂

  • admin February 13, 2017, 10:23 PM

    UPDATE: Thank you all for sharing your experiences and reporting issues you have found with the Collectible Minifigures. I have submitted all your comments, as well as the poll results from the BrickPicker community.

    While it was not part of this survey, I have also reported your concerns about minifigs cracking in regular LEGO sets. Hopefully all issues will be addressed soon. Thank again for your participation! 🙂

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