Identifying LEGO® minifigures: design, numbers and second-hand condition
Take a LEGO® Minifigure apart and you are left with three pieces: a head, a torso with arms and hands, and hips with two legs. A standard LEGO® Minifigure is built from those three pieces, plus headwear and something to hold. There are also other figure types, such as mini-dolls and large figures. Anyone who wants to identify, assess, or assemble LEGO® Minifigures has enough knowledge of this construction to get started.
How a Minifigure is built
The Minifigure as we know it appeared in the late 1970s and has changed very little in size since then. Many old and new standard parts fit together. This makes loose figures interesting to collect and assemble yourself. With different figure types, short legs, and special headwear, you should check the fit separately.
- The head. A cylinder with a stud on top and a hollow underside that clips onto the neck pin. The design of the stud varies by head. Some heads have two faces; turn the head to choose which side is visible.
- The torso. Technically five parts: a torso, two arms, and two hands. The hands rotate freely and hold everything with a standard-size bar, from a sword to a coffee cup.
- The legs. A hip piece with a leg clipped into each side. The legs hinge forward, not sideways. Short, non-hinged legs and other variants are also available.
- The headwear. Hair, helmet, hat, or hood. Often the part that gives a figure its identity.
- The accessory. Tool, weapon, animal, sign, or flower. A loose part, and precisely the thing that gets lost first with second-hand figures.
Printing was introduced in stages. The earliest figures had only a face and a simple torso; back printing, printed arms, and printed legs came later. The amount of printing is not a reliable way to date a figure: compare the face, torso, and legs with a catalogue listing. If you want to date figures further, read how to identify vintage LEGO®.
The col number and the theme code
Collectors do not talk about "that knight with the red feather", but about a catalogue code, for example from BrickLink: a theme code plus a sequence number. These codes are catalogue numbers and do not appear on the plastic as a complete figure code. The theme code is an abbreviation of the theme: sw for Star Wars, cty for City, cas for Castle, hp for Harry Potter, njo for Ninjago, fab for Fabuland. Within the same catalogue, a code refers to a specific version, which may appear in multiple sets.
For Collectible Minifigures, BrickLink uses codes beginning with col. Note the difference between a complete release and the loose figure: col27-5 is the catalogue listing for the Plush Toy Collector from series 27 with accessories and a baseplate; the figure itself has code col453. So always compare the parts and the contents of the listing. A different face or torso may indicate a different version.
Is there no code? Then work backwards via the theme and the headwear. Together, these usually lead you to the correct series within a few minutes. Then view the product photos and descriptions in our Minifigures collection to compare the version.
Standard Minifigure, Collectible Minifigure, or mini-doll
You will most often come across three types, and they differ in more than appearance.
| Type | Where it comes from | How to identify it |
|---|---|---|
| Standard Minifigure | From a set or a polybag | Classic construction with a head, torso, and leg assembly; the legs vary by version. Compare the catalogue code. |
| Collectible Minifigure | Sold separately by series, formerly in bags and now in cardboard boxes | Classic size, usually with accessories, a baseplate, and an information sheet. Check the exact series and catalogue contents. |
| Mini-doll (Friends) | Friends and related themes | Taller and slimmer, with a narrower waist and a different head. Does not fit on a standard torso. |
Collectible Minifigures are released in series, each with its own selection of figures. Older releases came in sealed bags; from 2023, LEGO® began switching to cardboard boxes. Second-hand figures are also offered without packaging. A loose baseplate or information sheet alone does not prove which figure you have: compare the head, torso, legs, and accessories with the catalogue contents of the relevant release. View the current selection of Collectible Minifigures.
Mini-dolls are not failed Minifigures, but a separate design: narrower torso, legs that move as a single unit, and a head with a different fit. Many accessories fit in the hands of both figure types. Many hairpieces can also be combined with standard Minifigures. That does not mean the hands, heads, and torsos themselves are interchangeable.
Making a LEGO® figure yourself from loose parts
Because many standard parts fit together, you can assemble a figure yourself: choose a head, torso, leg assembly, headwear, and something to hold, then click it all together. A knight's helmet on an astronaut torso produces something that has never been in a box, and that is perfectly fine. Three things to keep in mind:
- Yellow is not always the same yellow. Older parts may have discoloured. Put an old head on a new torso with bare arms and you will see the difference.
- There is never any need to force it. Check the fit; long hairpieces, collars, or unusual headwear may touch each other. Stop if a part catches.
- Not everything sold as a Minifigure is LEGO®. Check markings, shape, material, and printing together with clear catalogue photos. One characteristic is not conclusive proof. An original LEGO® part may also have been printed afterwards by a third party; such a custom print is not an official LEGO® version.
For building materials, De BrickPlaats has a changing selection of loose LEGO® parts. If you are looking for one specific part, ordering loose LEGO® parts can help.
What to look for in second-hand Minifigures
Old LEGO® figures may still look as if they came out of the box yesterday after thirty years, or they may not. Check the following points and also look for cracks in the torso, arms, and hands.
Discolouration
Yellow plastic becomes darker under the influence of light and takes on a dirty yellow tint. You only notice it when you hold two figures next to each other, which is precisely why it shows up in a set of eight. Discolouration is in the material, not on the surface, so polishing will not help. What does come off is ordinary dirt; cleaning LEGO® explains how to tackle that.
Leg tension
Hold the figure by the torso and move the legs. They should hinge with noticeable resistance and remain in any position. If they sag by themselves, there may be wear in the hip or leg hinge. No major problem for a display case, but it matters for a figure that has to sit on a motorbike. Replacing it with a complete matching leg assembly prevents you from having to take the hip hinge apart.
Print wear
The printing on the face and torso wears through friction: in a box of loose bricks, a figure rubs against everything for years. Pay attention to the highest points, as those wear first. Also inspect metallic details carefully and compare the printing with a clear photo of the same version.
Accessories and headwear
This is where the biggest disappointment lies with loose figures. A figure without its own helmet or tool is a different product from a complete figure, even if it looks the same in a photo. More points to consider can be found in buying used LEGO®. A figure's value mainly depends on rarity and condition; we discuss that assessment in what is my LEGO® worth. Figures from highly collected themes such as Star Wars are assessed differently from a City worker in the same condition.
