Changes with LEGO: Anyone Else Catch These Things?

[Pirate]

I suppose I am one of those with my head up my rear. I would like to see some evidence that Chinese figs are of lesser quality. I don't think comparing cmf to regular figs is sufficient(specs could be different for cmfs). I think it would have to be a Chinese "set fig" compared to a non-Chinese set fig. Weights, transparency (via flashlight), even stress tests may offer good basis for comparison. I think most are happy with the "any idiot can tell the difference" basis for establishing fact. That's fine. We are of different minds.

 

You're missing the entire point.  We're talking about minifigures produced in China.  That means CMFs and polybag/promo figs.  Chinese minifigures do not come in sets.   

[TheOrcKing]

Isn't any minifigure with arm printing made in China such as Wyldstyle from The Lego Movie sets? I thought somebody said the Wonder Woman minifigure was a mixup with parts coming from different factories.

[Pirate]

Isn't any minifigure with arm printing made in China such as Wyldstyle from The Lego Movie sets?

Not that I know of. Apologies, I meant to say 'most sets' as I did earlier, as there have indeed been a few isolated incidents thus far of Chinese figs appearing in normal sets. Either way, they have been of the inferior quality. The castle chess set also comes with all Chinese figs, for example.

[naf]

There is definitely a different "feel" between the CMF minifigs and the ones that come in sets.  In reality, I can tell a difference between new set minifigs supposedly not made in china and my minifigs from the 80's.  Not sure if this is intentional, general changes in the plastic over the years, chinese processes, etc.  I don't even know if it's a bad thing, it could be more durable, less durable, or the same as before, I don't know how you'd test something like that.  The thing that is noticable is the color difference, and CMF's made in china definitely have color differences when compared to normal set figs.

[Piece_Out_Studios]

Hello everybody! First I would like to apologize for two things. 1) I am sorry for stirring such a controversial debate and I didn't realize it would happen nor did I expect it to get so heated. 2) I am sorry for stating something that I didn't actually have a true source on (Namely, whether minifigures which did not have the "regular" logos, numbers, etc., were from China).

As soon as I realized that it was becoming a debatable topic I realized my mistake, and then did what many members asked for: citing a reliable source. Upon investigating I realized I was getting nowhere because it was pretty clear no one really knew FOR SURE. So I went to the one, absolute, best authority to answer this question: The LEGO Group. I don't have the original message I sent to them, but I will retype the gist of it and what I can remember:

Hello TLG,

 

I am a LEGO fan and collector, and have been for several years. I am active in many LEGO groups, sites, and fan-forums. I unintentionally sparked a heated debate between several users regarding minifigures manufactured in China. It is assumed that most minifigures that are made in China do not have the LEGO logo on the inside of the foot, as opposed to other minifigures. Most promotional and Collectible Minifigures do not have this logo placement. Would you be able to provide any information to clear up this matter?

 

Thank you for reading,
******

So that was generally my letter. I just got a reply today. Here is what was said:
 

Dear *******, 

 

Thanks for getting in touch with us.

We are so glad to hear that you are such a big fan and are actively participating within the LEGO

[kiltyoneal]

I was looking at some minifigs from my older sets and noticed that the ones from the sets listed below didn't have the Lego logo in the feet either:

http://brickset.com/sets/1560-1/Glory-Glider

http://brickset.com/sets/1561-1/Stunt-Chopper

http://brickset.com/sets/1562-1/Wave-Jumper

http://brickset.com/sets/1563-1/Track-Blaster

 

I think I still have the original packaging for them.  I'll check to see where they were made, but I don't think Lego was using China at that time (1990).

 

I found the original polybags that these sets came in and it says, "Contents made in Denmark, Switzerland and USA."  So maybe the logo in the feet thing isn't necessarily a China indicator.

[pickleboy]

Im sure someone said it already but I didnt want to read the entire thread.  Man, you should have turned that into a blog post and earned some points for it...

[Silvertt]

The quality of the CMF is quite clearly less than the regular minifigures you get from regular sets. The minifigures from the CMF line as well as things like magnets are made in China while, up to this point, the minifigures that you find in regular sets have not been. It's pretty easy to tell the difference but it has been discussed on many other sites for a couple years now. The CMF minifigures feel a little cheaper, have a more milky, translucent quality to the plastic and they do not have the black strip on the neck post. Maybe this isn't as obvious to newer collectors, but I would say that anyone who has been collecting a long time can tell the difference without being told there is one.

 

Yup. I'm surprised people on page 1-2 don't seem to know this. Look at the CMF line and compare it to other minifigs--are you telling me you can't tell there's a difference? 

 

There's a lot of info about the plastic differences on other forums--go look for it if you are in doubt.