A 'smooshers' guide to Minifigures

[TheOrcKing]

These Collectable Minifigures and the way of acquiring specific characters has come up in many a conversation, so I thought it would just be simpler to pool our info into this one spot like a "how to" guide for anyone. I'll start off with some things that work for me.

1. Understand the contents

All the pieces inside each mystery bag are separated. Sometimes you will have a head get stuck inside a helmet or armor though which can throw off your game. To help reduce that problem or spread out the parts inside, take the packet at the top and shake it bit or gently smack it on the face of your palm. You can do this at the start of each packet you smoosh to feel it out better in the end or if one has you stumped.

2. Rule out the common denominators

For the most part save for a select few (Chicken Suit Guy comes to mind) have these common components.

1 head, 1 torso, 1 pair of legs, 1 3x4 stand with 4 studs going across the middle, and 1 pamphlet.

Everything else is parts that make up that character which brings me up to the next point.

3. Find out what makes each special

It helps to know what parts are truly unique to specific characters. For example, Tomahawk Warrior is the only character from Series 10 with a Mohawk piece so you can feel for that besides the tomahawk weapon. A couple of characters will share a part like say a coffee mug, but they always have one part at least that is unique to them.

4. Feel with your fingers and nails, and do so with your eyes shut

Since you are quite literally feeling blind, try to visualize what each piece is by feel using the tips of your fingers and edge of your nails. It can help to feel similar pieces you already own and eventually try doing so without even looking at the part.

5. Research and visualize your target

For the stores that put out the retailers box, this makes smooshing much easier because you have an image of each character right in front of you. As for the norm where they just put a bunch of mystery packets on racks, it is much trickier and here is what I do. Look at the images for each Minifigure in the series and study each ones composition. Make a list you can printout showing the name of the character and his or her non common parts. I am going to use the Roman Emperor from Series 9 as an example simply because he is both the easiest and most difficult one to figure out.

Roman Emperor - small hairpiece with many grooves, 2x2 tile

It is crude but all that matters is it works for you when reading it like your own shorthand. I highlighted the 2x2 tile because out of Series 9, he is the only one with that part. Plus the hairpiece can be confused for some of the others.

These are just some tips that help get me going and I tried the best I could to put what has since become second nature to me into words. Since this is a discussion about smooshing techniques, how about you share some of what you do to find the characters you want?

Here is an easy method to having a visual aide and list taken from BuckeyeFanDan's reply.

Buy any single mystery bag at random, then take out and keep the included pamphlet with you.

A perfect reference doubling as a checklist. Brilliant!

[Maverick2k1]

Great post, useful info. I'm still waiting for series 10 to show up near me so I can find the tomahawk warrior.

[TheOrcKing]

Great post, useful info. I'm still waiting for series 10 to show up near me so I can find the tomahawk warrior.

Thank you. I would like to find some Tomahawk Warriors myself. Even my mother sent me a message to find her one! Ha ha. For some reason, I keep getting reminded of the film "Dances with Wolves" when I see the Tomahawk Warrior. That was a great movie from my youth.

[agp548]

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Thank you. I would like to find some Tomahawk Warriors myself. Even my mother sent me a message to find her one! Ha ha. For some reason, I keep getting reminded of the film "Dances with Wolves" when I see the Tomahawk Warrior. That was a great movie from my youth.

the tomahawk warrior reminds me of Magua from the movie Last of the Mohicans. I plan on doing an epic and bloody moc battle scene with tomahawak warriors and the british soldiers......if and when I can find series ten lol

[TheOrcKing]

the tomahawk warrior reminds me of Magua from the movie Last of the Mohicans. I plan on doing an epic and bloody moc battle scene with tomahawak warriors and the british soldiers......if and when I can find series ten lol

Ah, another great film. Your MOC idea certainly sounds interesting and would enjoy seeing pics when it is built.

Sometimes I think I enjoy dioramas with minifigures more than actually playing with the minifigures! :)

[agp548]

I agree ive seen some amazing minifig dioramas from people online. the level of creativity is just mindblowing.

[Blackjack]

I've only 'smooshed' a couple of times, the first time I got three and was right for all of them, the second time I got three of four. I really don't feel like spending my limited resources on these things, when it could go towards SW/LOTR.

[JoshTX]

I smooshed some series 9 the other day to find a Mr. Good and Evil because I wanted to practice for Mr. Gold (Since I still can't find series 10 anywhere). It actually took awhile to find a Mr. Good and Evil off the rack! I kept feeling Cops, Fortune Tellers, and Alien Avengers for some reason. Eventually though, I felt the top hat and it was pretty convincing.

[Blackjack]

I smooshed some series 9 the other day to find a Mr. Good and Evil because I wanted to practice for Mr. Gold (Since I still can't find series 10 anywhere). It actually took awhile to find a Mr. Good and Evil off the rack! I kept feeling Cops, Fortune Tellers, and Alien Avengers for some reason. Eventually though, I felt the top hat and it was pretty convincing.

You do 20 minutes of Mr. Gold warm ups every day... ;)

[cflannagan]

In a very short period of time, I've went from novice with zero smooshing knowledge, to a confident smoosher. It all began with buying Series 7 sealed box from recent LEGOLand trip.. it was tedious process at first.. but over a course of a day, I eventually identified all 16 minifigs in that series correctly, with no mistakes (no dupes opened). Then I saw Series 8 at Walmart the other day, I bought all of them, "smooshed" for 16 new ones as well, over a course of a few hours. Much better/quicker at it now. Returned the unopened packs for money back. So it's like I bought 16 minifigs at retail price!

[Strytlr]

Thanks for posting this guide! I went back to TRU and found exactly what I was looking for. It definitely gets tedious, but it can also be fun to find the figures "in the wild" instead of just caving and buying the one you want online (like I almost did). I was concerned the employees might look at me funny, but they didn't. One wished me luck. Another commiserated with me about "the things we go through for our kids..." Ha! If only she knew, lol.

[JoshTX]

Thanks for posting this guide! I went back to TRU and found exactly what I was looking for.

It definitely gets tedious, but it can also be fun to find the figures "in the wild" instead of just caving and buying the one you want online (like I almost did). I was concerned the employees might look at me funny, but they didn't. One wished me luck. Another commiserated with me about "the things we go through for our kids..." Ha! If only she knew, lol.

I'm guilty of occasionally lying about something to do with Lego saying it's for my kids when it's for me. Even though I do buy Lego stuff for my kids often, I still act like it's for them all of the time if prompted. I guess I don't feel like explaining myself sometimes.

[whiteboy02]

Almost every time I go to Target I 'smoosh' one, and I've never gotten the wrong figure!

[folmarm]

I dislike smooshers. I often don't buy mystery minifigs because #1 smooshers have already taken the more desirable/valuable ones and #2 smooshing spreads germs. LAWS AGAINST SMOOSHNG NEED TO PASS, PEOPLE! It is immoral, unethical and detestable.

[cflannagan]

I dislike smooshers. I often don't buy mystery minifigs because #1 smooshers have already taken the more desirable/valuable ones and #2 smooshing spreads germs. LAWS AGAINST SMOOSHNG NEED TO PASS, PEOPLE! It is immoral, unethical and detestable.

I think you need to lighten up a bit. Just buy a sealed box, get the 16 you need via smooshing, sell off the rest via ebay if you really are that concerned about germs. You can wear rubber gloves and still smoosh/feel as well.

I see nothing immoral about it - it's akin to going to the grocery store and looking through the bunch and picking out only the freshest bananas. Not exactly the same analogy I know but still.

Laws against smooshing, lol. Our government have far better things to worry about. And how would a law against smooshing be enforcable if it happens at home?

[stephen_rockefeller]

I think he might have been joking......if not he belongs in a bubble ;)

[BuckeyeFanDan]

Another thing I do is once I have opened a pack from a new series, I take the pamphlet with me to the store so that I can refer to it when feeling for other characters. I have already found a bunch of Series 10 and think that it is the easiest series to figure out so far (although I am late to the game and only started with Series 7).

[TheOrcKing]

Another thing I do is once I have opened a pack from a new series, I take the pamphlet with me to the store so that I can refer to it when feeling for other characters. I have already found a bunch of Series 10 and think that it is the easiest series to figure out so far (although I am late to the game and only started with Series 7).

That is a very good and simple way of having a visual list for every character easily. Buy a pack, take the pamphlet out and keep it with you. How simpler could it really be than that?

[LowestFormOfWit]

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That is a very good and simple way of having a visual list for every character easily. Buy a pack, take the pamphlet out and keep it with you. How simpler could it really be than that?

I've been doing this since series 5. Right now I have Series 9 and 10 pamphlets in my back pocket opposite my Wallet, along with a retail bag of series 9/10 because the stockers in my area are lazy and I have to get them to scan the bag to check if they even have it in the back.

It's led to two virgin Series 9 cases and 3 Series 10 cases.

[tidzy]

As i have just started collecting minifigs i took your advice and smooched like a small child this afternoon in toys r us...

 

and managed to guess the 5 i bought...

 

i found it easier closing my eyes for some reason....

 

got a few strange looks but im too thick skinned to care TBH...

[TheOrcKing]

As i have just started collecting minifigs i took your advice and smooched like a small child this afternoon in toys r us...

 

and managed to guess the 5 i bought...

 

i found it easier closing my eyes for some reason....

 

got a few strange looks but im too thick skinned to care TBH...

And thus another smoosher is born. Welcome to the cult, er, club!

....One of us. One of us.

[krayzie]

As i have just started collecting minifigs i took your advice and smooched like a small child this afternoon in toys r us...

 

and managed to guess the 5 i bought...

 

i found it easier closing my eyes for some reason....

 

got a few strange looks but im too thick skinned to care TBH...

By now everyone should be used to seeing this happen.

[lowillsw]

Can I sue Lego that I'm getting metacapal from smooshing?

[tidzy]

im returning today as they have a few series 9 left so will smooch my way through all them...

[Rags]

Today I bought my first minifigs. I bought 5 and guessed them all. So all of the tips here helped!

I thought it would be harder to guess what's in the package, but it's quite easy. Or at least for the one's I got!

But it does take a lot of time to get used to

 

2 from series 9 and 3 from series 10. Unfortunately there were no series 11.