LEGO Harry Potter Minifigures: Dobby

This new version of Dobby is exclusive to set 4736, Dobby's Release. Only one other version of Dobby has been available before, hp017. This will be the first time this figure will have been available since 2002.

Minifigure Parts and Accessories
Dobby is made up of three parts: a head, torso and legs.

The head is a light flesh color that closely resembles the appearance of Dobby in the films. Unlike the head of the previous figure, the eyes have been painted for a more finished look.

The torso is also light flesh/tan and features a new print of Dobby's rags, but nothing terribly exciting.

Finally, the legs are the short variety (part 41879), again in tan.

Depending upon your viewpoint, two accessories come with Dobby, the black diary (part 33009) and a 1x2 tile with a new sock print. The sock might be able to fit in the book as well.

Army Building Potential
Although there are some unique elements, I don't see them being sought after in multiples. I'm calling the ABP for this figure as low.

Big Draw
The big draw here is for a LEGO Harry Potter collector to get an updated version of Dobby. Since the figure hasn't been available in some time, more fans may have come on board since then, and it could be appealing to that group.

(Pictures from Eurobricks and BrickLink)

(Back to the LEGO Harry Potter Minifigure Guide)

Collectible Minifigures Bar Code Cheat Sheet for US

The fine folks at Brickset have posted a US version of the bar code cheat sheet for the Collectible Minifigures Series 1. Although I can't read bar code myself, at least you have another resource to try and get that one figure you want or to try and get a complete set.

(Via Brickset)

Gimme a "J". Gimme an "A". Gimme a "S"...

JasBrick demonstrates how a few female hair pieces (and the Collectible Minifig Skater's hair), can be used with The Cheerleader to create a squad of your own.

It wouldn't surprise me to see custom decals start appearing soon for these lovely ladies in various team colors. Especially since the poms are now available.

(Picture from JasBrick's Flickr stream)

Minifigure Photography Tips: Part 1

So I mentioned last Friday that BrickTW had sent me some product for review a couple of weeks ago. I thought "Great! I'll put together some photos and write a rockin' review." What I found out is that its not as easy as some folks on the interwebs make it look.

You can see my progress so far. I built a little vignette to show off some of the goods, got out my trusty point-and-click camera, and took a few pictures. It became very clear that I had no idea what I was doing! Although I thought ahead enough to put a slip of paper behind the figure, the lighting was casting a rather severe shadow off to the left and the picture was rather flat and lifeless.

So I started to scour the 'net looking for any tips or tutorials specific to taking pictures of LEGO or small objects in general. The first one I found was off of the LEGO Design School on LEGO.com. The tutorial really had three tips: 1) place a sheet of paper behind the figure to create a backdrop, 2) experiment with light for the best effects, and 3) use your camera's 'macro' setting. Although these are three very important tips, as we will see, they were fairly general in explaining how to do this. Given that the target is likely the playground set, then it's not surprising.

I was then able to come across some reprints of a series from BrickJournal called Minifig Customization 101. These were actually published a few years back in BrickJournal magazine, and can be found on the Fine Clonier website under 'reference'. I've included a link here to the article on macro digital photography.

This article really dives deep into the topic in just a few short pages. In fact, it shows how you can improve your photos tremendously with a digital camera, some construction paper, a work lamp, and a milk jug. Yes, a milk jug. I would highly suggest this article as recommended reading.

Armed to the teeth with new knowledge, I set out to improve my pics. In the next segment, I'll talk about how I built my own mini photo studio for under $30.

Ackbar Magnet Set Now Available Online

The infamous Admiral Ackbar magnet set is now on sale at LEGO Shop at Home in the US. A great opportunity to get three LEGO Star Wars minifigures that have been in pricey sets previously. Also a great way to stock up on Mon Calimari heads.

(Picture from LEGO.com)

LEGO Harry Potter Minifigures: Lucius Malfoy

This new version of Lucius Malfoy is exclusive to sets 4736, Dobby's Release, and 10217, Diagon Alley. Two other versions of Lucius have appeared in the LEGO universe previously, hp018 and hp039. This will be the first time this figure will have been available since 2003.

Although not listed in the BrickLink catalog as Lucius, its likely the Death Eater figs were supposed to be this character. The Death Eater variant was last available back in 2005.

Minifigure Parts and Accessories
Lucius is a simple fig comprised of five parts: hairpiece, head, torso, cape, and legs. The Diagon Alley variant also comes with a hood.

The hairpiece is new to this figure with previous versions using part 4350 for the hair. This hairpiece is part 40239 in tan which appeared on various Death Eaters in the past.

The head features a new print for this character and what appears to be a new facial expression for minifigures overall (i.e. I couldn't find a match in BrickLink). The head is double-sided with a new Death Eater's mask design on the opposite side.

The torso print appears to give the impression of a fur lined cloak. This would be the first time we've seen this print used. Compare to the reference pic on the right.

The legs and cape are basic black.

Lucius' accessory is a black 4L bar (part 30374) stepping in for his wand. To interject some commentary, it would have been nice to see a snake-head cane instead of the basic black bar. The bar could be a cane, but the figure in the set pics (see above), is holding it more like a wand. Also, the snake head topper would have made the fig much more desirable in my opinion.

Army Building Potential
Although there are some unique elements, I don't see them being sought after in multiples. I'm calling the ABP for this figure as low.

Big Draw
The big draw here is for a LEGO Harry Potter collector to get an updated version of Lucius and/or a new Death Eater mask. Since the figure hasn't been available in some time, and more fans may have come on board since then, it could be appealing to that group.

(Pictures via FBTB Flickr stream and Harry Potter Lexicon)

(Back to the LEGO Harry Potter Minifigure Guide)

Tin7 Taps Cerebro to Find LEGO X-Men

Customizer Tin7 has been creating a series of minifigures based on the various X-men movies. Lots to see and like. It seems that great minds think alike...

(Picture from Tin7 creations Flickr stream)