(Written by William)

Series 17 of the LEGO Collectible Minifigures was officially released at the beginning of May, so this is a good time to look for them at LEGO retailers, and they are also available at the Online LEGO Shop. While this series has the usual 16 different figures, LEGO did something a bit different this time; instead of revealing all 16 figures at once, they withheld showing one of the figures for some unknown reason. Of course, it was quickly discovered that this is the Highway Man – an ordinary minifig with no special characteristics. It’s possible that we will never know why LEGO choose to hide him, so instead of trying to figure it out, let’s get into how to feel for the ones you want. 🙂

Before we discuss how to identify the LEGO Series 17 Minifigures in the blind bags, I’m going to share with you the video-review of the series by JANGBRiCKS, so you can take a close look at each of the characters, and decide which one(s) you like best.

➡ LEGO Minifigures Series 17 Battle Dwarf: There are two options that are ideal for identifying this minifigure; either try to find his Mohawk, or the hammer. Both of these pieces are distinct and relatively easy to feel for. The Mohawk might be a little confusing at first due to its strange texture and curving shape, but once you figure it out, it is easy to find. There are four Battle Dwarf minifigures in a full box, so he is fairly common.

➡ LEGO Minifigures Series 17 Butterfly Girl: The wings are a large and easily identifiable piece. Just remember that it also has a built-in neck-bracket which adds an additional angle. The other part you might want to look for is the flower stem with three branches. It is small and thin, and you are probably already familiar with how they feel. There are only three Butterfly Girl minifigures in a full box, so she is quite rare.

➡ LEGO Minifigures Series 17 Circus Strong Man: The dumbbell with two round balls connected by a handle is the best piece to feel for. There is also a moustache piece, but this can be confused easily with the Battle Dwarf’s beard and the Highway Man’s mask, so I wouldn’t recommend using it for identification. There a five Strong Man minifigures in a full box, so he is one of the most common ones.

➡ LEGO Minifigures Series 17 Connoisseur: The dog is an interesting piece to feel for, however much faster and more reliable is to find the loaf of bread. Because of the long and round shape, it is easy to isolate the bread from the other parts within the bag for positive identification. There are four Connoisseur minifigures in a full box, so he should be fairly easy to find.

➡ LEGO Minifigures Series 17 Corn Cob Guy: If you are familiar with the LEGO Minifigures Series 13 Hot Dog Man costume, the Corn Cob Guy costume feels quite similar. It is a big and bulky piece that you should be able to feel through the bag. However, keep in mind that there is another big and bulky piece in this series that comes with Rocket Boy. So, once you find the costume, verify the identity of the minifig by checking for the legs. Rocket Boy has short, unmovable legs, while Corn Cob Guy comes with a regular leg-assembly. There are five Corn Cob Guy minifigures in a full box, so he is one of the most common ones.

➡ LEGO Minifigures Series 17 Dance Instructor: Boy, oh boy, is her hair large! However, since this is a brand new and unusually shaped piece, I would suggest to look for the familiar shape of the 1×1 round brick that is the bottom part of her water bottle. There are only three Dance Instructor minifigures in a full box, so she is a bit difficult to find.

➡ LEGO Minifigures Series 17 Elf Girl: This minifigure is very easy to find. All you need to do is look for the large rectangular dress-slope, and you are done. There are no other pieces that could be mistaken for it in the entire series, so once you find it, you know you have the Elf Girl. There are only three Elf Girl minifigures in a full box, so she is one of the rare ones.

➡ LEGO Minifigures Series 17 Gourmet Chef: There are some very interesting new parts that come with this minifigure. The hairpiece/chef’s hat combo is a brand new element, however it feels too similar to some other pieces in the series, so I wouldn’t recommend using it for identification. The same is true for the tiny whisk. I found that the pie is the easiest to feel for and identify. There are only three Gourmet Chef minifigures in a full box, so she is also rare.

➡ LEGO Minifigures Series 17 Highwayman: This is the mystery minifigure we talked about at the beginning. His guns are not too hard to figure out if you are already familiar with the shape and feel. However I found that the tricorn hat is the dead giveaway. It’s feels like a big, chunky triangle that is hard to miss. There are five Highway Man minifigures in a full box, so he is not that mysterious after all.

➡ LEGO Minifigures Series 17 Hot Dog Man: The rectangular tray is the best part to feel for. It’s almost the size of the 3×4 base that comes with each of the minifigs, but there is a round protrusion on the underside that makes it distinctly different from the base. So, if you think you found two minifigure bases, chances are that you have the Hot Dog Man. There are four of these guys in a full box, so he should be fairly easy to find.

➡ LEGO Minifigures Series 17 Professional Surfer: The only accessory this minifigure has is the surfboard. It is long and narrow with tapering ends, and can be easily identified through the bag. I should also mention the shark print on the board is really nicely done. There are only three Professional Surfer minifigures in a full box, so he is pretty rare.

➡ LEGO Minifigures Series 17 Retro Spaceman: You will need to be careful with this minifig. The helmet feels a lot like the Veterinarian’s hair, so focus on finding the gun. It has the round and stubby shape of an old-fashioned hair-dryer. The trick is to make sure it’s not the bunny that comes with the Veterinarian. The gun have two small pieces sticking out; the handle and a fin at the back. The bunny will have only one small piece sticking out; its ears. There are four Retro Spaceman minifigures in a full box, so he should be fairly easy to find.

➡ LEGO Minifigures Series 17 Rocket Boy: Start out by finding the big costume. Next, make sure it’s not the Corn Cob Guy by either finding the short bar that makes up the handle of the flag, or by locating the short legs. Corn Cob Guy comes with a regular leg-assembly, while Rocket Boy has short, unmovable legs. If you do find either of these pieces you got Rocket Boy. This is one of the most popular minifigures in this series, but unfortunately, there are only three of them in a full box.

➡ LEGO Minifigures Series 17 Roman Gladiator: This minifigure is very easy to identify. He only has a trident, which sort of looks and feels like a small fork. The shape is distinct, so you shouldn’t mix it up with anything else in the series. There are four Roman Gladiator minifigures in a full box, making him quite common and a good army-builder.

➡ LEGO Minifigures Series 17 Veterinarian: As I mentioned above, this minifigure can easily be mixed up with the Retro Space Guy. The Veterinarian’s hairpiece and the Retro Space Guy’s helmet feel too similar through the bags. In addition, the Retro Space Guy’s gun, and the Veterinarian’s bunny also feel similar. The body of the rabbit is a bit more rectangular than the gun. In addition, the gun has two small pieces sticking out (handle and fin), while the rabbit only has one (ears). There are only three Veterinarian minifigures in a full box, so she is also a rare one.

➡ LEGO Minifigures Series 17 Yuppie: I originally thought that the cell phone was a new piece, but it is in fact just a regular walkie-talkie with a printed 1×1 tile and a printed 1×1 cheese-slope. Find any of these three small pieces and you got the right guy. There are four Yuppie minifigures in a full box, so it should be fairly easy to locate him.

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 feel through them easily. It is also a good idea to have a printout of the minifigures with accessories, so you can look at the picture as a reference while searching through the bags. By following these methods, and knowing which parts to look for, you should be able to go through a whole box of Collectible Minifigures fairly easily, and as a bonus you will also improve your tactile skills! 😀

Hope this helps with hunting for the LEGO Series 17 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 Batman Movie Figs
• Guide to Feeling for LEGO Minifigs Series 16
• Guide to Feeling for LEGO Disney Minifigures
• Guide to Feeling for LEGO Minifigs Series 15
• Guide to Feeling for LEGO Minifigs Series 14
• Guide to Feeling for LEGO Minifigs Series 13
• Guide to Feeling for LEGO Minifigs Series 12