This Week In Your Plastic Crack, Action Figures and Toy Collection 26 26

[Yorick]

22 hours ago, fantastic_four said:

Mafex Superman is finally out.  Mine's on order from Japan and should be here in a few weeks.  The reviews so far are spectacular with multiple people saying exactly what I see in these promo images--that it's the best 6-inch Superman figure ever made.    Can't wait for this guy to arrive.

Is that a cloth cape?!  For that, I'm almost there.  I have a problem with only angry faces...  can't Supes be happy?

[fantastic_four]

6 minutes ago, Yorick said:

Is that a cloth cape?!  For that, I'm almost there.  I have a problem with only angry faces...  can't Supes be happy?

It's because they took the look from the Hush storyline.  Poison Ivy charmed Clark into killing Batman, so yea, he was looking pissed and determined in that story.  Mafex goes for acuity to their reference for all of their figures.  They take a ton of flak from people who don't recognize the reference, but I'm OK with it.  But I agree, I'd like an additional calm or amused head.  I'm guessing this one will be so popular I get one from a third-party sculptor, but I haven't found one yet.

[atrocitus]

12 minutes ago, Yorick said:

I believe that is plastic degradation.  Certain chemicals in the plastic leeching out.  I have a couple Super Powers figures with white fuzziness on their arms.  Typically referred to as "frosting".

I recall the Smithsonian putting out an article (or maybe it was an online news story) about the moon landing NASA spacesuits having this problem and how they were going to try and stabilize them.

That’s what the listing posted. I have never heard of frosting before. 
 

I’m gonna have to look for a different figure. It is early tmnt figure 

[Namtak]

8 minutes ago, atrocitus said:

That’s what the listing posted. I have never heard of frosting before. 
 

I’m gonna have to look for a different figure. It is early tmnt figure 

Tmnt and such figurine of that era had a space below for air to circulate so it must have been badly stored,humidity and such

[followtheleader]

2 hours ago, atrocitus said:

That’s what the listing posted. I have never heard of frosting before. 
 

I’m gonna have to look for a different figure. It is early tmnt figure 

Damn, I'm good. 

I had a case of the 1st series.  

Some had no issue, some a little, and a couple were pretty bad. 

I recall reading an article that they were hastily made (hence the soft heads); so probably cheap plastic. 

Patrick

[Buzzetta]

7 hours ago, Namtak said:

Tmnt and such figurine of that era had a space below for air to circulate so it must have been badly stored,humidity and such

At some points storage no longer matters as they simply break down.  At some point it really has nothing to do with storage but that these children's toys were never designed with a purpose to be preserved.   

This is the article that was referenced before: https://www.nytimes.com/2018/08/28/science/plastics-preservation-getty.html

[F For Fake]

14 hours ago, Bare.min said:

Beauty! This was the last MASK toy I got as a kid, and is an all time great. Such a cool car. Looks like a very nice box too!

[Bare.min]

1 hour ago, F For Fake said:

Beauty! This was the last MASK toy I got as a kid, and is an all time great. Such a cool car. Looks like a very nice box too!

Thanks! I never had this one as a kid but always wanted one. I couldn’t pass up such a nice sealed, case fresh example. Latest addition to my very modest MISB and MOC M.A.S.K collection. 

[Namtak]

8 hours ago, Buzzetta said:

At some points storage no longer matters as they simply break down.  At some point it really has nothing to do with storage but that these children's toys were never designed with a purpose to be preserved.   

This is the article that was referenced before: https://www.nytimes.com/2018/08/28/science/plastics-preservation-getty.html

But mine are ok i have turtle with 10 back (first edition)is it just a  matter of time??if so ist that why some of my old star wars sealed toys some the casing plastic has tan a lot??

[F For Fake]

1 hour ago, Namtak said:

But mine are ok i have turtle with 10 back (first edition)is it just a  matter of time??if so ist that why some of my old star wars sealed toys some the casing plastic has tan a lot??

The bad news is that yes, eventually it's ALL going to fall apart. These toys were made with cheap plastic, placed on cardboard and sealed with a thin plastic bubble held on with cheap adhesive. The aging and deterioration process varies from toy to toy based on a variety of factors, from storage conditions, to relative humidity, to the materials used to make the specific toy. It varies from piece to piece. 

The good news is that it may be fine during our lifetime. Maybe longer. It's hard to say. Some carded figures look as nice as the day they were released. Others have frosting, yellowing, or in the case of GI Joes, are crumbling within the packages. Heck, with Joes and Transformers, it can be as specific as what plastic was used for a specific color. For instance, Beast Wars figures and Joe accessories what were cast in gold plastic are already crumbling like dust.

None of it was meant to last, so just enjoy it as long as you can!

[BabaLament]

@F For Fakeis absolutely right; the materials used were chosen to minimize production costs, not for longevity. We're lucky some of the toys from our youth are still functional at all. Even some of the toys l purchased in early adulthood, such as the Signature Series Force FX Lightsabers, are starting to go. The rubber grips on the Anakin/Vader hilts have reached the sticky rubber feeling phase, while the Luke & Obi-Wan plastic is turning brittle. It is what it is; something I enjoy while its here, but I doubt they'll be in decent shape for the next generation.

[fantastic_four]

It seems counterintuitive that comic books printed on cheap wood pulp paper are LONG outlasting action figures sculpted on far-tougher plastics.  

Perhaps it's just that paper production is far more refined.  Printing has been around for many millennia, but plastics are under a century old.  I suppose plastics that last the test of time is a brand new art relative to paper.

[Yorick]

4 minutes ago, fantastic_four said:

It seems counterintuitive that comic books printed on cheap wood pulp paper are LONG outlasting action figures sculpted on far-tougher plastics.  

Perhaps it's just that paper production is far more refined.  Printing has been around for many millennia, but plastics are under a century old.  I suppose plastics that last the test of time is a brand new art relative to paper.

My next custom will be cast in bronze.

[Namtak]

1 hour ago, F For Fake said:

The bad news is that yes, eventually it's ALL going to fall apart. These toys were made with cheap plastic, placed on cardboard and sealed with a thin plastic bubble held on with cheap adhesive. The aging and deterioration process varies from toy to toy based on a variety of factors, from storage conditions, to relative humidity, to the materials used to make the specific toy. It varies from piece to piece. 

The good news is that it may be fine during our lifetime. Maybe longer. It's hard to say. Some carded figures look as nice as the day they were released. Others have frosting, yellowing, or in the case of GI Joes, are crumbling within the packages. Heck, with Joes and Transformers, it can be as specific as what plastic was used for a specific color. For instance, Beast Wars figures and Joe accessories what were cast in gold plastic are already crumbling like dust.

None of it was meant to last, so just enjoy it as long as you can!

Encasing them,graded like cgc but for toys,woul that help??

[followtheleader]

2 hours ago, Namtak said:

Encasing them,graded like cgc but for toys,woul that help??

My 1st thought is no.  Only 1% reason for a yes is related to UV blocking of light.  

But that's typically a low factor for why it's occurring.  The material source/manufacturing is poor so protective materials likely will do little to nothing.  

Though a person can argue that the chamber paper for graded comics is supposed to slow the degradation process.  

Patrick 

[707comics]

I know it's just a re-pop of the MOBAT but I have always been a sucker for this color scheme. Can't wait to get the machine gun to complete it

[kccoig14]

Saw this at my LCS and just had to have it.

[an99]

On 01/02/2021 at 3:32 PM, F For Fake said:

These "The Adventures Continues" figures completely slipped past me when they were released. I saw them when they were solicited, and thought "Eh, I'll pick those up later." Well, later came, and then went, and this stuff sold out in a hurry. Apparently they only hit certain specialty retailers and some shops? I guess distribution on the last gasp of DC Direct has been a bit of a mess. It also looks like the last few solicited figures (JLA boxed set for DC Essentials, Vampire/Batman Who Laughs/Catwoman w/ Selina head sculpt) are unlikely to see the light of day, which is a real shame. I'm still not onboard with the McFarlane stuff, so I am in full mourning for DC Direct.

At any rate, I saw what these were selling for on eBay, and hit the roof, assuming I'd never find them at retail. Last night, on a whim, I did a google search, and got a hit for a shop here in town that I'd never been to. I sent them a FB message, and not only did they have them (minus Deathstroke), but they were still retail price, no ridiculous markup!

So, I made the trip today, and picked these up. I'll probably go back later this week to get Joker, Bats and Harley, as they have several of each. Now I just have to track down a Deathstroke at a not-crazy price, and I'll be all set.

(I still really hope that Selina Catwoman is released, though!)

 

 

 

 

I had no idea these were out. Now I have to track them down too ... 

[F For Fake]

49 minutes ago, 707comics said:

I know it's just a re-pop of the MOBAT but I have always been a sucker for this color scheme. Can't wait to get the machine gun to complete it

Awesome, congrats! I’m the same way, something about the color scheme just makes it so cool. Paid through the nose to get mine at an auction last year, but it’s probably my favorite piece in my Joe collection. Yours looks really clean too! Enjoy!

[F For Fake]

37 minutes ago, an99 said:

I had no idea these were out. Now I have to track them down too ... 

Good luck! I still haven’t found Deathstroke, will likely have to pay up to get him. He and Red Hood seem to be the priciest, but Red Hood is a NICE figure.

Azbats is also cool, and the Batman figure is a new sculpt, I believe. The Joker, Robin and Harley are all repaints as far as I can tell, but they’re getting pricey as well, so I’d recommend grabbing them if you find them a decent price.  I went back and grabbed Bats today.
 

 

Edited February 5, 2021 by F For Fake