What do mini-figs do on holidays? Part 3

In this final part, I will look at the differences in gender in terms of the accessories mini-figs are given, set release dates and the number of pieces each set have.

Accessories

Unsurprising, the type of accessories given to mini-figs in the Leisure themed sets vary compared to accessories in the other sets I have analysed so far, particularly the pirate themed sets. Accessories in the leisure themed sets include activity related equipment such as radios, life-jackets, caps or helmets and the required cup to enjoy a glass of wine or beer. The most common accessory is a cap, some would say this is a necessity when undertaking outdoor activities! This is closely followed by life-jackets, yet another necessity when undertaking activities near the water. 

However, consistent with other themes, the majority of the leisure accessories are connected with male mini-figs. This holds in absolute terms and as a percentage taking account of the difference in the number of male and female mini-figs. Where just over half (58 per cent) of female mini-figs have at least one accessory, more than 83 per cent of male mini-figs have at least one accessory.

One explanation for this is the emergence of a similar pattern seen in part 2. In part 2, I found that there when there are more than one mini-fig in the set, the likelihood of a female mini-fig being included increases but the likelihood of mini-figs engaging in an active leisure activity decreases. . As female mini-figs are more likely to be considered passive and depicted in passive, rather than active, activities, their need for active accessories such as life jackets, paddles and helmets is reduced. This fits with the findings that accessories given to female mini-figs are themselves more likely to be considered passive such as trays, glasses, mugs and gems. This is shown in the two pie charts.

Release years

An interesting pattern emerges when comparing the total number of Leisure themed sets released in each year and the number of female and male mini-figs between 1981 and 1996. As can be seen in the chart, the majority of Leisure themed sets were released after 1990. This is also true for the number of male mini-figs released although with more variation and inconsistency. 

However, the number of female mini-figs released across the life of Leisure town sets remained relatively constant. As such, the gap in female and male mini-figs in Leisure themed sets increased across time. Interestingly the first Leisure themed set only include a single mini-fig, furthermore it was female.

 Set size

Finally for Leisure themed Lego sets, the percentage of female mini-figs on average increases as the number of pieces in each set also increases. This is in contrast to male mini-figs, where the percentage remains, on average, relatively constant with a higher percentage of male mini-figs in the smallest and largest group of pieces.