LEGO Collectable Minifigures Series 25. Rumors and discussion

[BitByBrick]

Both the weight and code reader have proven to be successful for me. I came across a box that had both large and small QR codes. Still on the hunt for the detective. Bat-lord looks so much more awesome in person. One of my favorite CMFs of all time. Nicely done! 

[Lion King]

Well, I ordered a second 6-pack set and it should be here pretty soon. 

[Accio Lego]

9 hours ago, williejm said:

I simply cannae get the QR code reader to work though, it just doesn’t seem to want to scan it at all. Have I maybe got the wrong scanner app (i’m on IPhone, and the app is literally called QR Code Reader). Any pointers welcome!

Another iPhone user here - you might just be using the wrong app. These aren’t technically QR codes (which you don’t need an app for on iPhones anymore anyways). The codes people are scanning here are apparently called ‘Data Matrix Codes’ - which are more closely related to barcodes and typically used for internal company purposes.
 

Apparently androids can natively read these type of codes the same way they (and iPhones) can read QR codes, but iPhones can’t (I can confirm that iPhones can’t natively read data matrix codes - I found a couple on products already around my house and my iPhone camera ignored them while registering the QR code that was also on one of the products). 

One of the Redditors from the previously linked posts had an iPhone and apparently used an app called ‘Code Scan’ by KURZ which can scan a large variety of codes including actual QR codes, bar codes, and the digital matrix codes we want to look at here. It’s free and gets good reviews. I’ve downloaded it and it seems to work but I haven’t gotten a chance to test it in the wild yet. 

[RichardGoring]

I lucked out finding a nearly new box in Joanns this evening, and got the three goatherds and three barbarians in it, plus two mushroom sprites, and a train boy. Then went to a Walmart next door and they had a few packs left in a box (all unopened, which was nice), and got another two goatherds and a barbarian. Throughout 2023 none of the stores near me seemed to get CMFs until several weeks after the launch date, so feeling really good about managing to get everything I wanted by January 9, and on the first time of looking.

All of them had the small barcodes, but the 3mm wireless scope camera I got recently was excellent. It's just able to get into the holes in the box without damage, and you can see really clearly.

It will be even quicker if LEGO can do full barcodes for all packs in future. Or, better yet, just put names on there.

[Roebuck]

13 hours ago, williejm said:

***SCRATCH THIS - It does work perfectly well. I was just not focusing it properly. Sheesh I’m such an old person with technology. Back in my day you could feel the packets etc …***

Us old timers need some time getting the hang of it
I had some issues in the beginning since the app is scanning everything like the barcode and other stuff in the store if I am not careful, but it takes a picture of what is scanned so I just glance there to confirm it is right.
If I knew it would be this easy I would probably not have ordered 4 boxes
I have found 5 goats in a couple of shops so far. Only gotten one box and it had 1 extra red herring and a dog missing, do not know how common this is. However 1/3 of the figs in the box I could not scan and even the same fig could have small and big codes in the same box. The weighing is not the best several figs very close or overlapping

So far no luck selling the extra figs, hope that improve or else I will be stuck with a lot of extra figs

[CallMeCarbiz]

21 hours ago, williejm said:

***SCRATCH THIS - It does work perfectly well. I was just not focusing it properly. Sheesh I’m such an old person with technology. Back in my day you could feel the packets etc …***

 

So I’ve picked up a few of these today, largely to familiarise myself with the ways of identifying what’s in the box. Weight wise - seems relatively straightforward and they all correspond to specific figures, and aren’t very overlapping. I simply cannae get the QR code reader to work though, it just doesn’t seem to want to scan it at all. Have I maybe got the wrong scanner app (i’m on IPhone, and the app is literally called QR Code Reader). Any pointers welcome!

Try the Code Scan app by Kurz. You're not trying to scan a QR code, but a data matrix code. I think they might be 3D data matrix codes, but don't quote me on that.

[Westbrick]

Apparently the Bricksearch App automatically recognises which is which from the QR code - useful as when I used the QR Reader app it was a bit fiddly to have to keep switching between it and a list of what number corresponds to which minifig! Will hopefully test the Bricksearch one out at some point. 

[RichardGoring]

I used figscanner.com for the first time today, finding a single large QR code pack. It took a few seconds to recognize it, but then confidently popped up with it being the train costume. I didn't buy it, and didn't have a scope camera to verify it, but it's a neat site.

I then went into the nearby LEGO store, where they only had small QR code packs, and one of the employees was try to see if he could get the scanning to work. I do just hope they print the names of the figure on the pack.

[karrit]

I wasn't able to get figscanner to work on my android phone.  I have downloaded the Brick Search app and that does work on my phone.  Only works on the larger codes, not the small ones.  Had 100% success with the boxes I scanned today.

Will be interesting to see what they do with future series.  I really don't want to have to invest in one of those tiny camera things if they plan to continue to somehow allow us to figure out which figure is in each package.

Edited January 11, 2024 by karrit

[Sir Dano]

I just wanna point out that those cameras damage the box just enough for small diameter accessories like bars to easily fall out, I don't think it's very nice to use them.

[williejm]

On 1/10/2024 at 6:52 AM, Roebuck said:

Us old timers need some time getting the hang of it
I had some issues in the beginning since the app is scanning everything like the barcode and other stuff in the store if I am not careful, but it takes a picture of what is scanned so I just glance there to confirm it is right.
If I knew it would be this easy I would probably not have ordered 4 boxes
I have found 5 goats in a couple of shops so far. Only gotten one box and it had 1 extra red herring and a dog missing, do not know how common this is. However 1/3 of the figs in the box I could not scan and even the same fig could have small and big codes in the same box. The weighing is not the best several figs very close or overlapping

So far no luck selling the extra figs, hope that improve or else I will be stuck with a lot of extra figs

How very dare you! 
I’m glad I’ve sussed the scanning thing, as the weights which I thought were pretty solid ended up being way out on the few I had.

It’s a legitimate struggle when your only life skill is feeling CMF packets, and you’re no longer able to 😜

[HotdogBricks]

5 hours ago, Sir Dano said:

I just wanna point out that those cameras damage the box just enough for small diameter accessories like bars to easily fall out, I don't think it's very nice to use them.

I have used the same endoscope that @RichardGoring recommended and it definitely does not damage the box. When you initially take the camera out of the box there is a pretty sizable hole, but you can squish the edges of the box back together and you won’t be able to tell someone looked in it.

[RichardGoring]

Agreed. I tested the 3mm scope camera I have on some boxes I'd already bought, to check if it damaged things. In 36 boxes, I think it damaged one, slightly, but only if you looked for it. With the rest, it didn't tear or break glue seals. But I was also careful to re-crease the fold to ensure that there wasn't space for anything to fall through (I think I had to do this on two or three, when it didn't just spring back into place naturally). Worth noting to this though, avoiding the already small risk that something would fall out.

[Westbrick]

So I thought I was being smart - I ordered 24 of the CMFs from Lego and had them delivered, with the intention of scanning the QR codes and returning the unopened ones I didn’t want. They arrived today, and all have the unscannable small QR code. Just tried the scales I have and they’re not sensitive enough to show the difference really, they seem to round up or down to the next whole number. Meh. 

[AmperZand]

3 hours ago, Westbrick said:

So I thought I was being smart - I ordered 24 of the CMFs from Lego and had them delivered, with the intention of scanning the QR codes and returning the unopened ones I didn’t want. They arrived today, and all have the unscannable small QR code. Just tried the scales I have and they’re not sensitive enough to show the difference really, they seem to round up or down to the next whole number. Meh. 

You could still return them, wait a few weeks and then order another 24. The very first ones seem to have the smaller data matrices, but the later ones have the larger ones. So chances are, if you wait long enough, you’ll only get the data matrices that can be read.

[jjr_2009]

Just popping in here to say that I got lucky last night and pulled a Vampire Knight from Walmart! The QR codes were the small ones, and I don't have a scale--so I just went by "sound the pieces make when I shake the box."

It really is a fantastic figure--a great tribute to a classic design, while still feeling fresh and in-line with modern LEGO.

[JohnTPT17]

6 hours ago, jjr_2009 said:

so I just went by "sound the pieces make when I shake the box."

Might I ask what exactly you were listening for? I tried this on a few boxes (tried to listed for the bar rolling around), but I didn't get any luck. Did you listen for the cape-box instead?

[Jim]

I haven't gone through the entire topic, so forgive me for asking, but are you using this app to scan the boxes?

https://www.brickfanatics.com/the-easiest-way-to-identify-lego-minifigures-series-25

Rob from Brick Fanatics pointed this out to me.

[Black Falcon]

58 minutes ago, Jim said:

I haven't gone through the entire topic, so forgive me for asking, but are you using this app to scan the boxes?

https://www.brickfanatics.com/the-easiest-way-to-identify-lego-minifigures-series-25

Rob from Brick Fanatics pointed this out to me.

As far as I am aware, there are more than just one "app" people are using - additionally to just scanning the code using only the camera (or an code reader app) and manually comparing the number to see which minifigure it is.

[Jim]

1 hour ago, Black Falcon said:

As far as I am aware, there are more than just one "app" people are using - additionally to just scanning the code using only the camera (or an code reader app) and manually comparing the number to see which minifigure it is.

Okay cool 

[Rudders]

I used the Bricksearch app this morning on my iPhone, the apps camera correctly pictured every minifig, I picked up the Noir Detective the minifig I was most interested in.

It's such an easy 2 step process

[jjr_2009]

I was mainly listening for the "clinking" of the two axe heads. Not sure if that helps much. 

[williejm]

The Bricksearch app is so great. Hope these codes continue!

[Westbrick]

I went to the Lego shop in westfields, west London (should have also gone to John Lewis while I was there) today, and although they didn’t have any of basil/vampire knight out (scanned them all with the Bricksearch App) an employee got another box out and scanned them at the counter himself until he found one for me. I obviously want some more to swap helmets, faces and weapons on and make a little mini faction, but it’s still so hard to find them! When do we think they’ll be more readily available? I figure the goats will be on PaB once the medieval village is released. 

[RichardGoring]

I used Fig Scanner | presented by Brick World successfully. Seems very similar to Bricksearch.