New Polybags - Pharaoh's Quest and PotC

Brickset is reporting there are four new polybag sets in the LEGO system. Two of the bags are related to Pharaoh's Quest and include minifigures, while the Pirates of the Caribbean sets are a brick built mini-ship and the promotional Captain Jack included with pre-orders of the video game.

The package art doesn't give us any additional clues at to what that Captain Jack minifigure is supposed to be. There are 'motion lines' around the hands, and it seems to be walking in the pic (a mechanized Jack?!) I'm still going to stick to my guns and say it's supposed to be a voodoo doll.

You can read the full article and see all the polybag pics at Brickset.

Series 4 World Tour: UK and Canada

Toys N Bricks and Brickset are reporting that Canadian Wal-Mart stores and UK Tescos are starting to get Series 4 Collectible Minifigures. This feels like the fastest rollout to date for several countries (thank you TLG!) The Canadian figures are listed for $3.28 CAN, while those in the UK are going for 1.97 GBP.

The two locations have been added to the Series 4 Rollout Map. Make certain to 'drop a pin' when you find these in your neck of the woods, or drop me a line and I can do it.

Keep checking back for more Series 4 news, as it happens.

(Via Toys N Bricks and Brickset)

Series 4 Collectible Minifigure Dot Codes Surfacing

Brickset members have already started to compile the 'dot code' sheets for the Series 4 Collectible Minifigures. There two such sheets currently available...

The first can be found on Jared Bohem's Flickr stream. It would appear that he has all but two of the codes listed (The Lawn Gnome and Hazmat Guy).

The second list can be found on the website minifigcollector.com. Their list is a full one, with all 16 minifigures listed. Minfig Collector is also an app for Android smart phones, which should be updated with the Series 4 dot codes in a couple of days.

A word of caution - Huw notes that some of the corresponding dot codes don't agree between the two sheets. Given that it's early days, and the dot codes can be difficult to read (relative to the bar codes anyway), it's not surprising. You may also want to try to feel the item through the polybag to make certain you are getting the figure you want. Not sure what to feel for? Head on over to our Series 4 Minifig guides and see what we recommend.

(Via Brickset, Jared Bohem's Flickr stream, and minifigcollector.com)

Huw Reviews a New Star Wars Minifig App

Brickset has nice little review of a new iPhone app that helps LEGO Star Wars fans keep track of their minifig collections on the go - SWMinis.

The review was nicely done and very informative. The screen shots from the SWMinis website also appear attractive and well designed. At a price point of $1.99 USD, this seems like a great addition to both your iPhone app and minifig collection.

You can read the full review by Huw on Brickset.

The Series 4 North American Invasion Has Begin

...and the first report comes to us via Brickset (Thanks again to Apples for the heads up!)

ToysRUs in Algonquin, IL had Series 4 Collectible Minifigures on 3/15. The price point was $2.99 USD. Chances are that Series 4 will spread like the plague through the mid-west via TRU, so check your local store for availability. The UPC code is 673419144995, and there is no limit on the number of bags you can buy.

No word yet on a 'dot sheet' for Series 4, but we will post it once it becomes available. Given the resourcefulness of most AFOL's we should see one by the weekend.

If you find these ABS All-Stars don't forget to place a pin on our Series 4 Collectible Minifigure Map!

You can follow the on-going conversation at Brickset.

Series 4 Insert Now on LEGO.com

Brickset is reporting that really nice images of the Series 4 insert are now on LEGO.com. Again, more evidence that Series 4 Collectible Minifigures are likely ready to go on shelves somewhere in the world very soon.

No news on the Series 4 Rollout Map as of yet, but I'll keep checking the interwebs for news when it hits.

(Via Brickset)

New Ninjago Sets on the Horizon

The most recent LEGO Club magazine had a page highlighting four new Ninjago spinner sets for Cole DX (2170), Zane DX (2171), Nuckal (2173), and Nya (2172). Some of these figures haven't been available outside of pricey sets to date. It is important to note, however, that the minifigures that come with the spinners are different. In appearance they are all the same, but they have characteristics that suggest they may be made in China. The skeletons also have a different style of arm to allow them to hold weapons out to the side while spinning.

In additional to these new spinner sets, yellowcastle from Brickset has found a new Ninjago polybag at his local Target store. Polybag 30083 is titled 'Dragon Flight' and features Kai and a small brick built dragon. This and other seasonal LEGO polybags can be found in the Easter section of Target stores. The price is listed as $3.99 USD. You can see more at Brickset.

Series 4 Collectible Minifigure Microsite Live

It would seem that my announcement of the PotC microsite going live, may have been old hat. Brickset announced this back on the first. In addition to this announcement, they also revealed that the LEGO Series 4 Collectible Minifigure microsite is up.

Bios, pics, quizzes, and games have all been updated. In the past this site has gone live after Series 4 has launched...so has it?

Don't forget to place a pin on our Series 4 Rollout Map if you site these in the wild.

You can check it all out at LEGO.com.

New Ninjago Promo Sets Sighted

Brickset managed to find four new Ninjago promotional sets in the instructions area of LEGO.com. The sets are Ninja Glider (30080), Skeleton Chopper (30081), Ninja Training (30082), and Dragon Fight (30083). A nice way to pick up Zane, Jay, and Frackjaw at a reasonable price point. Also, how can you go wrong with a glider made of golden orc swords!

You can see all the pics of the promo sets at Brickset.

Quick Hits: Lower Prices, New Minfig Galleries, and Safer Mods

A quick round up of events before calling it another day...

Toys N Bricks is reporting that the prices of LEGO key chains and magnet sets are being lowered in Canada. Key chains are dropping $0.50 to $5.49 CAN, and magnet sets are shedding $4.50 to $15.49. This appears to put these more in line with current US MSRP. You can see the full story at Toys N Bricks.

Huw has placed yet another minfig gallery up at Brickset. Several galleries have already been uploaded, the most recent being the Spider Man figs. When you get a chance, check the all out. A great alternative to BrickLink or Brickpedia when looking for minifig reference photos.

Finally Akunthita has put up a nice tutorial on how to more safely mod a Castle/Kingdoms crown at The Brick Blogger. There are several tips that are handy for any type of similar modification of LEGO or custom parts. Do take a look when you get a chance. Also, take the time to read our customization tutorial disclaimer before performing any alterations.

That's all for now. Good night to all in Minifig Nation...

Cygnet
Minister of Information
Ugly Duck Command Center
Minifig Nation

Brickset Brings News from London Toy Fair

Huw has braved the cold to bring us back news from behind the curtain of the LEGO booth at the London Toy Fair. Now there's a photo lockdown at this event, so he doesn't have any pics, but gives great descriptions of what he saw.

New minifig news for Ninjago, Alien Conquest (autopsy and abduction themes?!), Kingdoms, Pirates of the Caribbean, Harry Potter, and Star Wars.

I don't want to steal too much of his thunder, so head on over to Brickset to read the full article.

Bummed by the lack of pics? Don't worry the Nuremberg Speilwarenmesse is in a couple of weeks and they are more lenient regarding pics.

LEGO Responds to Posting of Confidential Pictures

Huw (Brickset) has posted a letter from Jorgen Vig Knudstorp (CEO & President of LEGO) to the online community expressing TLG's views on the issue of posting confidential images. I don't think the words expressed in the letter will come as a surprise to anyone. LEGO is a business with competitors who can take advantage of early looks at their upcoming products. 

I also get that members of the fan community usually post these images out of excitement, and as an attempt to boost their standing with peers. Heck, bloggers like me thrive on having new news and being the first to bring it to their readers!

Nevertheless, I recommend you read the letter via Brickset to see TLG's response. I'm not going to back a particular view on this issue. I do recommend that folks understand the true impact of posting these pics next time you come across them. 

I have decided over the course of time not to post these types of pics here on the site. I'll also be reaching out to others in the online LEGO community to understand the impact of 'describing' future items in those photos (I did after all talk about the new Series 5 photo). Through understanding the full set of issues, it will guide the actions we take here on the site.

A possible word of warning. Note in the letter that TLG has set up a 'hotline' of sorts for people to report when they see confidential images posted on the web. There's a least one case of late where Flickr accounts were deactivated, supposedly due to the posting of said images. I'm sure blogs can be turned off or legal action taken if it comes down to that. LEGO will only 'play nice' for so long, after that it wouldn't surprise me to see them elevate their actions against leaked photos. I mean look at the kid in the bottom left corner of the memo. TLG may send him to your house for a right beating to your shins if you don't comply...

Ninjago Promotional Polybag Minifigure

Brickset is reporting that there will be a promotional polybag featuring a sole Ninjago figure. Set 30094 features Jay the Ninja of Lightning and a katana...and that appears to be it. No word on how much this set will cost or where it will be featured. In the US, keep your eyes open at Target and or Toys R Us around Valentines Day or Easter. This may be the least expensive way to pick up a member of the team, especially Jay!

Check out the full story on Brickset and see what other two promo sets have been discovered.

Quick Hits: Two for the Road

A couple of really quick pieces of news...

Series 3 Collectible Minifigures are now appearing in Canadian Wal-Mart stores. The prices are listed at $2.86 CAN. Thanks to the folks at Toys N Bricks for the news.

Huw continues to diligently upload his minifigure collection onto Brickset. The most recent collection to go up is LEGO Batman. I really wish LEGO would realize that the reason the original sets didn't do well was that their timing with the video game was flawed. Those of us who returned to LEGO after the sets ended are looking for a minifig superhero fix!

That's all for now (see I said it would be quick). More as it happens...

Cygnet

Minister of Information

Ugly Duck Command Center

Minifig Nation

Brickset Initiates New Minifig Galleries

Huw has some exciting news for all fans of the fig. He will be working on photographing his collection of minifigures from various sets including Indiana Jones, Superman, Batman, Prince of Persia and Toy Story. and placing them on Brickset. His first volley of pics are for Harry Potter, and can be viewed at the new gallery page.

What's nice about this effort is that the pics are all of the same high quality, unlike BrickLink where they need to depend on broad user support and participation. Some nice functionality has be built into the interface as well.

So if you would like to take a stroll down minifig memory lane, or get a peek at newer figs before you buy, you have another visual resource at Brickset!

LEGO Series 3 Collectible Minifigures Now at Argos (UK)

Huw and his Howling Commandos at Brickset are reporting that the Series 3 Collectible Minifigures have established a beach head at Argos in the UK. It seems Argos will let you reserve items and pick them up in the store, a nice feature!

Also, if I understand correctly, the box ratios appear to be different in the UK. Instead of only having two Fishermen per case there are now three. The Space Alien count went down to three from four per case as a result.

See additional details at Brickset.

Rundown of 2011 Sets on Brickset

So there's been quite a bit coming out on various sites about the 2011 LEGO sets being released through all of next year. If you don't want to scour the interwebs, or wonder if you've heard about them all, you can check out the 'sets not released' page at Brickset. Huw has managed to capture just about all the sets for next year across a variety of themes.

The set I'm most surprised and excited about? The LEGO Star Wars Advent calendar. Yeah, I thought that might get your attention...

New Dacta Minifig Collections in UK

So I believe Huw posted this news first on Brickset, but there appears to be two new minifigure collections associated with the Dacta LEGO line. Dacta is often affiliated with educators, but these two sets appeared on the main UK LEGO site. 

The Fairytale and Historic Collection and Community Minifigure Collection are brand new to 2011. LEGO has released similar minifig collections through their education arms before but the Fairytale and Historic Collection (pictured above) is a new one.

I looked on the LEGO Education site run by Pitsco in the US, but no mentions as of yet. You don't need to be an educator, by the way, to purchase from LEGO Education. I've done so on a couple of occasions.

As always there's the question of 'quality' (one of these days I'll talk to LEGO and get the real skinny on this whole 'Chinese plastic' debate). The UK site has 22 figures listed for 40 GBP. There do appear to be a nice collection of various minifig parts and elements so you may want to check it out when you get a chance.

As always, we'll let you know if and when these sets might be available outside of Europe.

You can read the full article on Brickset.

Quick Hits: Holiday Traveling

Doing a bit of traveling to visit relatives this weekend, but there are a few items to report.

Remember those great film vignettes that Alex Eylar was putting together? Well I guess at least one of them was used for a story on The New York Times website. Very nice! Not only that, he's selling many of those creations as prints via Imagekind. Check it out when you get a chance.

Huw scores again with news of individual Series 4 Collectible Minifigure pics. These are via Brandora, a website that's offered up similar pics of earlier series. Although rendered, it gives you a closer look at each figure to see what they have to offer. I'll definitely be using these once we start our Series 4 guide entries in the near future. Thanks Brickset!

Hopefully our combatants aren't finding this month's Minifig Design Battle brief too difficult - The Sinister Toymaker. If you have any questions, just drop us a line (uglyduck.bricklink@gmail.com) or post a question on the group page. 

Also don't forget that you can get 10% any order at FireStar Toys, now through the end of January 2011. Just click the banner at the top of the page and enter coupon/voucher code 'KV882256' at check-out. It might be a good way to get supplies for the challenge.

That's all for now, citizens. Have a great weekend.

Cygnet
Minister of Information
Ugly Duck Command Center
Minifig Nation

Brickvention 2011 Open for Registration

Brickset reminds all those interested that Austrailia's premier LEGO fan convention, Brickvention 2011, is open for registration. Don't dawdle, however, as you must register before December 14th in order to get a t-shirt and brick badge.

The event itself will be held January 15th and 16th at the Melbourne Town Hall in Victoria.

If any customizers will be displaying or if any custom houses or resellers will be on hand, please let us know.

More details are available at Brickset and at the Brickvention website.