Better Than Tomorrow

OK. So each figure in Series 5 seems to have at least two bump code variants. And as they are often printed mirrored we only get so much help from the codes. They can sometimes, but not always, help in narrowing it down. In many cases Series 5 really calls for our “feel” skills. Therefore this combined guide with both feeling instructions and bump codes. I hope it will help you defeat LEGO’s schemes and only pay them once for each figure. =) Biased as it is I also want to recommend my iPhone app, Mini Collector, for keeping track of your Minifigures collections and also have this guide safely in your pocket wherever you go.

Collecting 'em all!

First some general feel tips

Try to sort out the parts common to most figures: The head, the body, the legs and the stand. It takes just a little bit of training to get good at this. The legs on most figures bend. The arms move. Remember that for some figures some of these “common” items are actually interesting or even missing.

Also be aware that some of the small parts can slip in between the stand and the instructions sheet or just inside the instructions sheet.

Boxer

Special items: Headgear, gloves and hands
One of the least bumpy packages. If you can locate the headgear there is a ridge around the top that feels different than all the other hats. The gloves comes as separate pieces (which are most often not attached) and the arms lacks hands.

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Bump codes:

Cave Woman

Special items: Club, hair and bone.
Easiest to find is the club which is really thick at one end. Her hair is made of hard rubber that gives when you squeeze it. It has a tuft at the top/crown, made such that the bone can be snapped in place. (Which means the bone is another item to feel for.)
Bump codes:

Egyptian Queen

Special items: Dress and snake.
This is probably the easiest figure to identify in Series 5. Her dress is made like a rectangular “cone” and quite bulky. Add to this that the snake is easy to identify too. Note that her hair can be confused with a helmet, especially that of the Boxer.
Bump codes:

Small Clown

Special items: Hat, cake and legs.
The hat is round and has a narrow brim around it. The cake is quite thick making it feel a bit like a regular head. It’s designed to sit on the top of the minifigure hand so there a round LEGO-hole under it. The edge of the cake is jagged which can be felt using your nails. As this is a small minifigure its legs don’t bend. (Something it has in common with the Evil Dwarf.) They feel like a rectangular box that is open on one of the long sides.
Bump codes:

Evil Dwarf

Special items:Helmet, axe, shield and legs.
The helmet is very distinct with it’s two wings. Remember that the axe consists of three parts. The handle and then two parts for the head of the twin axe. His shield is round and has no structure on the front. The handle at the back is a bit like that of an old-school submachine gun. As with the Small Clown the legs don’t bend. They feel like a rectangular box that is open on one of the long sides.
Bump codes:

Ice Fisherman

Special items: Hood.
From Amy’s comment: The hood for his parka was the piece to feel for. If you really push your fingers against it you can feel the neck opening and the face opening which make it unique.
Bump codes:

Fitness Instructor

Special items:Boombox and hair.
She has a really blocky boombox that is easy to identify with its handle and its speakers. When you think you’ve found it, use your fingernails to feel for the checkered structure of the speakers. Note that her hair is long down her neck making it easier to separate from the hair and helmets of other Series 5 figures.
Bump codes:

Gangster

Special items:Violin case, hat and gun.
The violin case is easier to distinguish than one might think at first since it is not a “real” LEGO brick. With it’s thick brim the gangster hat is also easy to tell apart from other hats and items in Series 5. Small as it is the gun is quite easy to identify once you find it.
Bump codes:

Gladiator

Special items: Helmet and shield.
From Jørgen’s comment: The helmet is easy to identify, especially the “pointy” top on the helmet is unique. Also the shield with the little round part on the front and a handle on the back.
Bump codes:

Graduate

Special items:Hat, diploma and robe.
Imagine the hat placed upside down. It is then like a shallow bowl attached to a tile. The diploma is a LEGO tile (flat on one side and holes on the other). It’s easily missed since it sneaks away among the stand and other stuff. The robe is special since it’s a tiny piece of cloth and can’t be felt through the material of the bag.
Bump codes:

Lizard Man

Special items:Tail and lizard head.
Feel something like a wide, flat S? That could very well be the tail of the lizard suit. It’s one of those pieces that attaches to the body around the neck of the minifigure. The lizard head is like a helmet. Feels very much like a motorycle helmet actually. Though one with a nose. =)
Bump codes:

Lumberjack

Special items: Axe.
From Jørgen’s comment: Here I find the axe quite easy to identify. “Look” for a round stick like object. Follow to the ends to locate the head of the axe.
Bump codes:

Royal Guard

Special items:Helmet and rifle.
You almost can’t miss the helmet of this figure. It’s really high and bulky with a structure you can feel throuh the material of the bag. It can be a bit hard to find the rifle, but when you do it really feels like what it is. Maybe it can be confused with the fishing rod of the Ice Fisherman, but again, there is that helmet.
Bump codes:

Detective

Special items:Hat and magnifying glass.
Looked at the hat of Sherlock Holmes? That’s the kind of hat we’re talking about here. It has brims on both the front and the back, but not on the sides. Look for the magnifying glass (excuse the pun) too. It is like a miniature of the real thing. (Even magnifies a little). It has a really round glass with distinct edge.
Bump codes:

Snowboarder Guy

Special items:Snowboard and hat.
Well, to no surprise he has a snowboard which is quite easy to identify. His ski hat is like a round bowl and has no brim (of course it has no brim).
Bump codes:

Zookeeper

Special items:Monkey, hair and banana.
It’s not as easy to identify the monkey as one might first think. But once you find this odd piece and start feeling it you eventually can find the hand that it is holding above its head. The Zookeepers hair is the only hair in Series 5 with a pony tail. The banana can get lost among the other stuff in the bag since it’s so small, but when you find it and already suspect this is the Zookeeper bag it really feels like a banana.
Bump codes:

It is a living guide

I have collected 11 of the 16 figures myself so far. And helped some guys at the store find the Snowboarder Guy, only to realize there was no one for me left. =)

Please add your tips in the comments. You might have figured (*cough*) out some things that we haven’t covered in the guide yet. I’ll update this guide as I find out more.

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• LEGO Minifigures Series 5 – the codes