Most of us have a pile of LEGO minifigures with no idea where they came from. The good news: identifying them is easier than it looks, and if you'd rather not bother, you can just send us a photo.
Step 1: Work out the theme
Start with the obvious clues. Lightsabers and clone armour mean Star Wars. Hogwarts robes mean Harry Potter. Masks and capes usually mean Marvel or DC. Ninja suits in bright colours are almost always Ninjago. Odd one-off characters — a zombie, a clown, a spaceman — are usually from the Collectible Minifigures series.
Step 2: Learn the item number codes
BrickLink, the marketplace collectors use to value figures, gives every minifigure its own item number. The letters tell you the theme:
- sw — Star Wars (e.g. sw0107)
- hp — Harry Potter (e.g. hp080)
- sh — Marvel and DC Super Heroes (e.g. sh0036)
- njo — Ninjago (e.g. njo0108)
- lor — Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit (e.g. lor001)
- col and dis — Collectible Minifigures and the Disney series (e.g. col005, dis001)
Step 3: Match the exact version
Popular characters exist in many versions. There are dozens of Darth Vaders, Harry Potters and Batmans, and each has its own number and its own value. Compare the details that change between versions: the torso print, leg colour, face print (look for double-sided heads), hair or helmet style, and any printed cape. Those small differences can be the gap between a few pence and a few hundred pounds.
Step 4: Check it's genuine LEGO
Genuine parts usually carry a small LEGO logo — look on the top of the head stud and around the hips and legs. If a figure feels light, has blurry printing or doesn't grip properly, it may be a copy.
The shortcut: send a photo
You don't have to do any of the above. Upload a photo on our Sell Minifigures page and we'll match it for you — or if you've got a whole pile, just email photos to hello@brickbuy.co.uk and we'll identify and value them all.