CMF Series 6 Dot Code Clarification

[Wardancer]

At the moment, there seems to be just one sheet for series 6 dot codes, which is erratic.

http://blog.betterthantomorrow.com/2011/12/23/minifigures-series-6-dot-codes-and-feel-instructions/

You can see that it is not precise when you compare Lady Liberty, Surgeon and Skater Girl, all of which appear to have THE SAME dot codes.

These errors seem to live on, there are still dot sheets about the elf that miss a dot online

So this threat is for clarification.

And here is the first one:

The Minotaur (of which I just got 5) has the dots indicated on the list PLUS 3 small dots that form a triangle in the very upper right corner of the bottom bar.

These dots make it easy to differentiate from the Intergalactic Girl which has 1) also a big helmet that can feel like the big minotaurs head and 2) a laser beam that feels like the minotaurs axe (TLG did that on purpose IMHO).

I had a hard time finding Lady Liberties today, becaus the box was already picked. Could someone verify her dot code?

I am writing for Germany, so I cannot guarantee anything for other countries.

Edited April 29, 2012 by Rufus
Indexed

[ibecks]

I had a hard time finding Lady Liberties today, becaus the box was already picked. Could someone verify her dot code?

I am writing for Germany, so I cannot guarantee anything for other countries.

My Lady Liberty and mechanic have the same dot code as on the published dot guide you linked to, but my butcher, skater, Sleepyhead and robot are different.

To be honest I've pretty much given up on the dot codes now - bag-feeling is the way forward for me. I picked out the ones I wanted (and those my friend wanted) before any feel guide was available and had a 100% success rate.

[WhiteFang]

To be honest I've pretty much given up on the dot codes now - bag-feeling is the way forward for me. I picked out the ones I wanted (and those my friend wanted) before any feel guide was available and had a 100% success rate.

Practically, the same for most of us as we move forward.

[Wardancer]

Thanks Ibecks about the Lady Liberty Info.

Interesting, I didn't know I was using a technique that is becoming obsolete. I am keeping it up though, once you know your pattern by heart you can browse through a box much quicker than with feeling. For series 6 this is not so important for me, because I don't need many figs, but for Series 7 black knights it will.

Also I could imagine that shop owners appreciate feeling less because it wrinkles the bag. I use feeling to verify if I am not sure about a dot code.

[Esurient]

Also I could imagine that shop owners appreciate feeling less because it wrinkles the bag. I use feeling to verify if I am not sure about a dot code.

On the contrary, I would rather trust my senses and use the dot code for verification. The dot codes I used from the link aren't accurate. In the end I ditched the dot codes and got all the minifigs I wanted.

[Itaria No Shintaku]

On the contrary, I would rather trust my senses and use the dot code for verification. The dot codes I used from the link aren't accurate. In the end I ditched the dot codes and got all the minifigs I wanted.

In s5 i got 10 gladiators and 20 dwarves without errors by feeling the bags.

In s3 i got 15 elves this way.

I didn't like very much s4, but I got musketeers and frankensteins whis way too.

S6 will be a hard task: I want a lot of minifigures and I'll have to check a lot of shops.

I'm grateful TLG put 5 minotaurs and 5 highland battlers. And I am not that sure that intergalactic girl is easy to mess with minotaurs. The axe and the horns are easy pieces to spot. I spotted most of the dwarves only by feeling the axe.

[Blondie-Wan]

I've found the dot codes completely unreliable. I simply can't tell with enough certainty what one is supposed to be. I just go with feeling the packets (and also usually allow myself a few random picks when beginning a new series, if I have few or none of the figures already).

[Wardancer]

Another Clarification:

Dot users will be interested to know that Lady Liberty has the dots as indicated in the link I posted PLUS an additional one hidden in the letters and numbers in the right half of the bar.

[snefroe]

weeeell... i think it's far more fun to feel the bags and just go for it. i never got into the code-methodology anyway...

[winbrant]

As the bump codes are specific to a lot number it's hard to use any published bump codes...when one is initially looking for a particular mini-fig.

That being said, once you know what the bump code is for, say, a particular mini-fig, it does make it a lot easier to go through any boxes with the same lot stamp to visually pull out any multiples and then use the feel method to confirm.

With Series 5 I came across about 8 lots numbers and for the most part the bump codes differed slightly or entirely from lot to lot.

Edited January 12, 2012 by winbrant

[Wardancer]

As the bump codes are specific to a lot number it's hard to use any published bump codes...when one is initially looking for a particular mini-fig.

That being said, once you know what the bump code is for, say, a particular mini-fig, it does make it a lot easier to go through any boxes with the same lot stamp to visually pull out any multiples and then use the feel method to confirm.

With Series 5 I came across about 8 lots numbers and for the most part the bump codes differed slightly or entirely from lot to lot.

Interesting! How big is a lot? I bought 45 elves in three cities and they all had the same dots. But it was all in the same area, so I guess it was the same lot?

[winbrant]

Interesting! How big is a lot? I bought 45 elves in three cities and they all had the same dots. But it was all in the same area, so I guess it was the same lot?

No idea how large a lot is...it also depends on how it is distributed from LEGO as well. The 8 lots I came across were from various 3 Wal*Mart Supercentres and 4 Chapters Book locations. One Wal*Mart had 3 different lots (stamped on the bottom of the package seal and the bottom of the box)! I did 34 dwarves for a friend when I made this observation.

[Wardancer]

Ok, this is useful information fo me when series 7 comes out. If dot decoding suddenly doesn't work anymore, it's good to know that it might be due to that.

[Rogue Angel]

This series should be easy to feel, since I want Minotaurs and Romans with the head and the shield I had no problem today. It also seems that the dots are easier to see - but maybe that's the white packaging. I did feel that the packaging error on the elves that made one of the dots look like a fireball made it really easy to differentiate. I did run into a box where the elves were dotted differently, but only the 1 box out of probably 10 that I checked.

[winbrant]

Did use the "feeling method" on the initial 16 but when going for the rest of the box for additional ones noticed that the bump codes are now more obscure...more "shallow" and in some cases..."smudged"...also like they went through another heat seal to "flatten them out."