(Written by William)
With a new series of LEGO Collectible Minifigures released this month, it’s time for the hunt again. So warm up your fingertips and limber up those knuckles. With the price of each Collectible Minifigure sitting at $3.99, buying blindly and hoping to get what you want is likely the last thing you want to do. LEGO brand stores started carrying the new minifigures at the beginning of the month, but if you don’t have one near you, you can also check at other retailers like Toys’R’Us, Wal-Mart and Target. Especially Target has been pretty reliable at carrying them. If you don’t see the minifig baggies displayed you can ask a sales person to see if they have them at the back. The DPCI number for this series is 204001379. With that business out of the way, let’s get to feeling them out. 🙂
➡ LEGO Minifigures Series 15 Animal Control Officer: The net with handle is the most obvious piece you want to look for when searching for this minifigure. The net itself may feel like the Janitor’s mop head or the Queen’s hair piece. So when you find a part that feels like a sewing-thimble, make sure it is connected to a handle. There are three Animal Control Officers in a full display-box, so she is considered a rare minifig.
➡ LEGO Minifigures Series 15 Astronaut: Here you have two simple options to identify this minifigure. You can either find the visor, which is a small piece that feels like a really curved fingernail. Or you can find the oxygen tanks. I would say that the tanks piece is simpler to figure out because it is a bit larger, but both are fairly distinct. There are four Astronaut minifigures in a full display-box.
➡ LEGO Minifigures Series 15 Ballerina: When you first feel the skirt piece, you may think it feels like a minifigure wing. This is due to the ridging around the skirt. The skirt can also be confused with the minifigure base that comes in every packet, because it is about the same size. The trick is to identify the rectangular opening in the middle of this large oval piece – then you have the skirt for sure. And when you have the skirt, you have the Ballerina. There are only three Ballerinas in a full display-box, so she is one of the rarest minifigures in this series.
➡ LEGO Minifigures Series 15 Clumsy Guy: For this minifigure it is all about finding the crutches. They literally feel like miniature crutches, which is good, since that’s exactly what they are. Essentially the crutches are a series of bars in an unmistakable shape. So once you find something as thick as a bar, trace it out with your fingers to make sure it is not straight. What you want are curves – kind of like the LEGO bow and arrow piece. There are five Clumsy Guys in a full display-box, so this minifigure is very common.
➡ LEGO Minifigures Series 15 Farmer: Don’t rely on trying to identify the pig. Yes, it is big, but its shape can confuse your fingers. I would suggest going for the pitchfork. The three prongs at the end are especially easy to identify. There are only three Farmers in a full display-box, so this is one of the rarest minifigures in this series.
➡ LEGO Minifigures Series 15 Faun: Start by finding a four stud long bar. Once you have that, hunt down the legs. The Faun will have a ridge on the front and the back of the legs. You may want to move the legs around so you can find the foot end where the ridges are. This is a new piece, so take your time. There are four Faun minifigures in a full display-box.
➡ LEGO Minifigures Series 15 Flying Warrior: Finding the spear is a good starting point to identify this golden mythical warrior. However, you don’t want to confuse it with the Janitor’s mop handle. So when you think you have found the spear, try finding at least one of the wings for verification. There are four Flying Warriors in a full display-box.
➡ LEGO Minifigures Series 15 Frightening Knight: The mace is in two parts and the spiked ball is rubbery, so don’t go for it. Rather, the shield is a nice distinct option that is hard to mistake for other pieces. The closest equivalent is the Astronaut’s flag, so make sure there is a handle in the middle of the shield and not clips on the end. There are four Frightening Knights in a full display-box.
➡ LEGO Minifigures Series 15 Janitor: Start by finding the six stud long bar with a stopper at one end. When you think you’ve identified it, try feeling for the mop head, which is a separate piece. Just like the net for the Animal Control Officer, it kind of feels like a thimble, but not as fat. The mop flares out at one end, which reminds me of a tiny Cousin Itt from the “Adam’s Family”. There are four Janitors in a full display-box.
➡ LEGO Minifigures Series 15 Jewel Thief: The jewel is unique but it’s really small and thus hard to find in a blind bag. That’s why I prefer to go for the megaphone to identify this minifigure. It is considered a grappling gun here, but it’s hard to think of it as anything else than a megaphone when you feel for it. There are only three Jewel Thief minifigures in a full display box, so this is one of the rare ones.
➡ LEGO Minifigures Series 15 Kendo Fighter: This guy doesn’t give you a lot of options for positively identifying parts. You will need to find the swords. They feel thin and flimsy, but if you can find both of them, you’ll know you have the Kendo Fighter in hand. There are five Kendo Fighters in a full display-box, so this minifigure is common.
➡ LEGO Minifigures Series 15 Laser Mech: There are two approaches to this minifigure. You can either find the flat sword, which feels like a LEGO flame piece. Or you can find the wings, which feel like a cross between a banana-shaped axe-blade and an oversized minifigure plume. I look for both for confirmation. There are only three Laser Mech minifigs in a full display-box, so it is one of the rare ones.
➡ LEGO Minifigures Series 15 Queen: The large dress slope – a new LEGO piece – feels very much like a small LEGO DUPLO block. It has a two by four base, which prevents you from confusing it with the Farmer’s pig that is a similar size. There are only three Queens in a full display-box, so Her Royal Highness is quite rare.
➡ LEGO Minifigures Series 15 Shark Suit Guy: Identifying this minifig all comes down to figuring out the shark portion of the suit. Once I find a large piece, I trace my finger up until I can detect the shark’s open mouth. For confirmation I run my hand down the other way until I find the fin at the back. There are five Shark Suit Guys in a full display-box, so this minifigure is common.
➡ LEGO Minifigures Series 15 Tribal Woman: The ideal pieces to search for are either the back bracket or the head feathers. The baby tends to be a little too nondescript to identify, plus it is a new piece that your fingers are not familiar with. The back bracket is the basic single stud variety shaped like an “L”, while the feathers feel like a very flat pair of scissors. Both pieces are very small, so make sure you first shake the baggie so that all small pieces fall in one corner. There are only three Tribal Woman minifigures in a full display-box, so she is rare.
➡ LEGO Minifigures Series 15 Wrestling Champion: The trophy is all you need to identify this minifigure. If you haven’t run across one yet, it feels like a cross between an old style goblet and a coffee mug that happens to have two handles instead of one. Either way, it is fairly simple to find. There are four Wrestling Champions in a full display-box, so this minifigure is common.
One way to quickly identify the above mentioned parts and accessories is to first shake the baggies so that all small parts fall into one corner. This way you can identify them quickly. It is also a good idea to have a printout of the minifigures with accessories that you can look at as a reference while you are searching for the minifigs you want. You can go through a whole box of Collectible Minifigures quite quickly following these simple methods, and as a bonus you will also improve your tactile skills! 😀
Hope this helps with hunting for the LEGO Series 15 minifigs! They should be available at all LEGO retailers and are also listed at the Online LEGO Shop. If you have your own tips and tricks on identifying them feel free to share in the comment section below! 😉
And you might also like to check out the LEGO Minifigures section for more news, reviews and discussions, or choose from the following posts:
- Guide to Feeling for LEGO Minifigs Series 14
- Guide to Feeling for LEGO Minifigs Series 13
- Guide to Feeling for LEGO Minifigs Series 12
- Guide to Feeling for LEGO Simpsons Minifigs
- Guide to Feeling for LEGO Simpsons Minifigs 2
- Guide to Feeling for The LEGO Movie Minifigs
- Guide to Feeling for LEGO Minifigs Series 11
- Guide to Feeling for LEGO Minifigs Series 10
- See Where LEGO Minifigures Mr. Gold is Found!
Nice guide, although the easiest way for me to identify the Faun was to go for the legs first, those little bars can be kind of hard to find in the packaging. Also with the Knight, I found the Shoulder pads were a bit easier to identify, because the shield feels rather like the base. So far I have got two Knights, the Queen, and The Faun, I might pick up a wrestler soon as well, that mullet piece looks too good =P
Yes, the Faun’s legs are a good choice. The only thing about them is that it is a new piece, and sometimes people have a hard time identifying new pieces their fingers are not familiar with.
Yeah, the Faun you will eventually have to feel for the legs. The reason why I started with the bar was because if you don’t know what you are looking for chances are you will gravitate towards the smallest parts. However, in this set whn it can be three figs the legs will be the determining factor.
I did think about the shoulder armor. I was just not sure if it was too small of a part for some. Having felt so many shields through the years I find it really hard to mistake them because of how thin they feel to me. Of course if someone is not intimidated by the shoulder armor it is a much more distinct piece that can get you the knight.
Yay! I’m getting better at this!
I identified the animal control person, the crutches guy, the queen, the Indian maiden, the shark and the custodian. All by myself. Yes, they’re the easiest by far but it’s more than I’ve been able to do in the past.
Even so, I ended up with 3 each of the 3 I did’t want. Baby steps, I suppose. And my grandson has different tastes so he’ll be fine with them.
Now to try to nail the ballerina, the jewel thief, the wrestler, the winged god and the farmer. I may need my son’s help with those. I don’t need any more of those 3 that keep turning up. So thanks for the guide!
Good job for finding those! Yeah, the more you practice, the better you get. I remember the first time I tried and I was just fumbling and couldn’t really make the connection between what I felt and “seeing” what it was. Now I go through a box like a pro. So yeah, practice makes perfect! 😉
Well, thanks for the encouragement. ; >
I know the last time around it was very helpful when you suggested to feel the closed bags well before opening them to pair the feel of objects with the visual confirmation once the bag was opened.
I only need the pig farmer and the winged god now.
The ninja is so easy now that I’ve caught on that his katanas are the only rubbery objects besides the knight’s mace and the two can’t be confused. Wish I’d figured that out before I opened 3 bags of ninjas. =o
Out of the ones you are looking for I’d expect the Ballarina to be the toughest. Not only is the piece you need a bit hard to feel for but there are fewer of them in a box compared to many of the others.
If I’m not mistaken I found there was only three Ballarinas and three Queens in a standard box of 60.
So, good job and good luck!
I still haven’t seen these in store. Target is usually pretty good about having them. The one checked didn’t even have pegs or empty boxes. I have had much time to run around this week.
I’ll be at a software convention this weekend, might hit up walmart afterwards.
Is the pig farmer’s pitchfork a one-piece element or a rod with a snap on piece?
The pitchfork is one piece. 🙂
I think a lot of stores stopped carrying them on a consistent basis. TRU, Wal-Mart, and Target all used to carry boxes and boxes, but now I only find them consistently at TRU. Keep in mind that the official release date was only six days ago, so some stores are probably just putting them out.
I tired Walgreens, Target and two wal-marts yesterday. No luck finding any series 15. But Target had series 12 for $4.98. I’ve seen that mark up at conventions and online but not a a department store.
Wow! That’s a steep price! Usually Target is pretty good at keeping their prices low. Selling the packs for $5 defeats the whole purpose of blind bags, and also encourages people to slid the packs open right at the store. 🙁
Flying Warrior is totally not Hawkman from DC comics and Jewel Theif is totally not Cat Woman.
Yep, totally not… 🙄
I’ve got three of the clumsy guy and two of them has blue print in front toe part of the bandage and one of them have not, just white bandage. Are there two variants or is the one without blue print spesial?
There are no known variations. Yours just probably missed the print.
I finally found some at Toys R Us. They were in those plastic case for video games. I picked the case that a couple bulky looking bags. They asked if I wanted to pick the bags. I felt a shark and one I couldn’t id. I haven’t had time to learn the pieces yet.
So I got a shark and an animal control officer.
That’s great you were finally able to find them. The shark guy and the animal control officer are two of the easiest ones to find as both have big pieces. I find the hardest to be the Ballerina. Her only identifiable piece is her skirt, but it is too close to how the base-plate feels. The other ones are fairly easy. 🙂
Just found about 10 bags from probably two boxes of left over at a California Toysrus a day ago. Felt most of them as the clumsy guy (I am sure it is the least popular figure in this series). Then I got the Kendo guy, the queen and the jewel thief. Most of the Targets I checked had very wrong stock # available… online check said alot but at the store s are none to be found… I think this bad stock number really fooled the inventory system as the computer thought the stores still carried over hundred to couple hundred of bags of them..
Hm… that very well could be. There was even a recall of Series 15 in some stores because they had some issues with the barcode.