Well said. EVERYTHING in life degrades and dies or disappears. It's sad but true. Life is short, life is precious, don't ever put off something today, because tomorrow may be too late.
Thank you for this video. I've recently come under fire from some hard core collectors for proudly showing off my restoration of a vintage Empire Strikes Back 24 figure Vinyl carry case. I very carefully recreated the plastic handle that was missing, removed the yellowed and cracked cover over the front poster, and resealed it with a new heavy duty mylar sheet. Inside I treated all the cracks with professional color matched book binding tape, turning cracked edges and exposed and deteriorating cardboard back into something sturdy, pleasant to look at, and functional. I was told I had completely destroyed the value of the item, and by restoring it had made it essentially worthless. To me, I was extremely happy with the results. It looks almost brand new again, is functional, and the weak deteriorating corners are strengthened so that it may last another 40 years either storing and transporting my figures, or just enjoying it on display. The idea that I am supposed to somehow enjoy my toys and collectables falling to bits and looking like garbage just to retain some artificial collector market value is beyond me. Toys degrade. They fall apart. Even great art needs to be restored from time to time, or it will not exist for the next generation to enjoy. Thank you so much for leading the way, and being a great example to the toy collecting enthusiasts like me. There is nothing wrong with restoring your old toys and collector items. I'd much rather have a beautiful toy collection that has been lovingly repainted, and repaired over the years, than to be a serious collector hording a pile of deteriorated and rotted plastic. I've spent my time in COVID-19 isolation carefully restoring, repainting, and rebuilding my collection. It has never looked better, and the satisfaction I get interacting with these toys and putting my own creativity and effort into bringing them back to life cannot be overstated. Your channel has been a HUGE part of keeping me sane during this difficult period. Thank-you!
Very well said. Some of these folks need to come back down to Earth and grow up a little bit. Get a hold of one of them next time you find something falling apart, tell them that they should buy it from you before you "ruin" it. Take care
Exactly how I've always felt about the philosophy of antiquarians/collectors who say not to restore or change an object from its as-found condition! I am an artist/ craftsman who makes a lot of different things, and I truly hope that if some day in the future someone finds an object I made that's fallen into disrepair, that they try to restore it to life. That's the condition I want to think of my creations existing in, not being left to rot away.
I have a massive action figure collection that I've taken care of since I started playing with/collecting when I was very young. I still have my first GIJoe Air Adventurer from 1973ish. Now that I'm 52 I have a collection that is overwhelming. It will possibly outlast me and I just hope it goes to someone or many people who will rediscover the magic I found in each and every one of these little plastic people.
You just made me shed a tear, one lonely tear. It's interesting how Kenner used different kinds of plastic to make the vintage Star Wars figures. I had a vintage astromech and the plastic legs (plastic with more flex added) only showed the spots at places it was dinged, or, as I considered, the spots were causing a change in the actual composition of the plastic, and causing the spots to recess, possibly feeding on a chemical from the plastic itself. Thanks for "the death of toys" video. You made me cry. You are the bringer of life and health to old toys. Keep doing what you are doing and we will keep watching!
Since finding your channel I have been an avid collector of toys I had or desperately wanted as a child. I prefer play worn to mint, I like repairing them, following your guides. Why... Because that's what I and my father did when I was a kid. A toy broke or got brittle we repaired it and played on. Another great video by the way.
I liked this video. I only collect loose toys because you just never know what's inside a box. Toys are meant for enjoyment IMO and how can you enjoy a box or card. Toys like people get old. It's just a fact of time. Thanks Dave. I really enjoy fixing stuff and you have helped me a great deal.
I love the Action Man wearing a surgical mask. First thing I'm kitting one of my guys like that and he can be the image people see from now on when they video conference with me!
I am slowly working on a book about toys, and I have to say that one of the most relaxing things I do is get a toy, write down its details, takes pics, videos, etc. I then print it up or save backups of the digital stuff to one or two places. If we "digitize" toys this way, they'll last much longer. :)
Hi Toy Polloi. The solution for the Sticky Plastic on toys at the minute 1:05, is to remove the sticky residue using a rag soaked a little in Olive Oil, then clean it with a little amount of alcohol in a cloth. Be careful with the use of alcohol since it can remove some types of painting on the plastic. You could try Lighter fluid instead of alcohol to test the results. Greetings from a Fan from Panama.
great video, its always annoying when a toy suddenly gets hit with extra entropy, I lament a few days, then get over it, typically I try to fix it too. I totally like your 'fix it' attitude, that's half the fun, in fact I tend to have more satisfaction from a junker I've fixed than any minty piece I am terrified to touch. You have a great selection of toys, the microman/cyborg stuff is super cool.
Love the video, so true. Enjoy them while you have the chance. I am big on letting my kids enjoy these old toys too. With proper supervision and teaching kids can love them and enjoy them like we did as kids. To me, thats the fun in this hobby.
i love this video! sometimes when i watch your other videos and see the hidden likes/comments i worry that it's because you receive a lot of hate for the (incredible) repair work you do on your figures, and sometimes i can understand where another collector might be upset that you're "ruining" a high-value toy, or feel like you're "helping" counterfeiters, but then this video just so perfectly showcases how untrue that is and how wholesome and benevolent your endeavors really are! i dont collect the toys you do, so i cant really relate to the issues you suffer, but every guide and how-to video you make inspires and interests me in other ways! your expertise and willingness to "do taboo" to keep your toys functional and hardy will never cease to delight and enlighten me. this is easily your most important video to date! thanks, Toy Polloi! (:
This is the main reason I don’t really collect carded toys unless it’s a super great deal and most if not all I open when I get them to enjoy as they were intended. One of my more peculiar favorite toys I have in my collection is a Johnnie Goodboy from Battlefield Earth. It was carded when I bought it and even just being 20 years old the glue on the card eventually wore down and the bubble fell off so I opened it to enjoy.
This was a great video. With my hobby modeling I read an interesting article from a fellow modeler who worked with plastic as a profession. He made the observation that older plastic models have a hard time bonding with styrene cement, and noted that this was because the plastic had moisture in it, and this is essential in fusing the plastic with the cement. He also noted that when you break a tiny or thin part off of a model you have a hard time gluing it back on, and again this is because the first time it was glued onto the model it used up the moisture and now it has nothing to bond to. He did have a suggestion and that was to put the older vintage parts into a bag with some water and that over a few weeks time the plastic would absorb some of the moisture again, not to what it used to be when it was brand new. After reading this I took notice and I've found that the guy was absolutely correct, with a recent Airfix Lancaster restoration I've had to resort to some very aggressive or hot cement, and for some smaller pieces super glue. Regular styrene cement just wouldn't do it. It makes me a bit sad to think that one day all the work I put into some of my builds will break down over time, I'm trying to avoid this for future projects, like omitting rubber tires as they break apart as you mentioned. I really like the topic of this video and I'm glad that there are creative types such as yourself that are taking the time to brainstorm and save these treasures from our childhoods. And I'm thrilled that more and more people are creating repro parts.
I saw the frosting on a modern Disney Infinity figure. I was shocked! The sunlight fix worked, but I got rid soon after. I didn't want something that would degrade after only a year or so.
I had a set of 'Battle Of The Planets' figures. They had capes made of a rubbery material, which started to break down about six months after I bought the figures. I had to cut each one off with a craft knife, and bin them, as they started sticking to the figures and eating into them. I replaced them with fabric ones, which is what they should have been from the start.
I have Princess from that line. Here cape and skirt have gone rock solid, so I just have left her as she is. The look nice, but were not well made at all.
@@toypolloi - It was particularly frustrating, as these were figures that I had wanted ever since I first saw the show. And they were ruined in months, basically. Some plastic 'Captain Scarlet' toys I've owned since 1967, on the other hand, are, apart for some play wear, perfect. 'Quality' has faded, obviously.
Thanks for this video ! I have found that several of my carded figures suffer from the blister "Bronzing", or getting dark. This happens even if the toy has been protected from sunlight, and the effect has no rhyme or reason to which item suffers from it. I just tell friends that it's something to do with aging.
It needed to be addressed and now discussed. Some collectors take the hobby far too seriously and as a result can take the joy out of it. Collect how you want to collect, but have fun doing it.
Nice video! I'm always amazed when I find new looking figures of anything that's 40+ years old. It both thrills me and saddens me. I'm thrilled that you can still find something that looks like it was new back when I was a kid, but that also means that this toy never got played with. Someone actually just put it away in storage, left in the package, and never truly enjoyed it as it was originally intended. Yes. You can get enjoyment out of just looking at MIB figures, etc on display, but that's NOT what they were originally intended for, and we all know this. I don't really collect toys in their packages too often, because I find them to almost be pointless, since I'm not someone who collects for resale value. I'm not condemning people who collect MIB figures and toys, but I have to say that I don't quite get it. I do appreciate them at least for keeping many vintage toys around in nice condition, but as you say, all toys do degrade as time moves onward. Such is life. I say: enjoy toys while you can! Play with them, pose them, sink them in water, and toss them into the air! All of my childhood memories of loving toys come from actually playing with them, and not for displaying them. As current affairs in the world remind us: life is too short to not enjoy yourself a little. Stay safe, David! Love and friendship from the U.S.!
A sobering but fantastic video to watch. I find micronaut plastic of bad for going brittle as they were designed to be taken apart back in the day, but not 40 years later.
Some plastics degrade far quicker than others so it very much depends on the plastic a toy is made of. Another problem is the fact they are toys and meant to be played with so the majority have been played with outside and possibly left outside for days in the sun, the cold, the rain, then when the children get too old to play with them they get put in the loft or garage and often continue to suffer from damp, heat, cold etc. I collect mint in box and Wabi Sabi, so in my experience, (as long as its within reason) you usually get what you pay for and there are ways to supposedly slow degredation down. I personally have only ever gone over the £100 mark on 5 occasions but if you want to pay £1000 for a mint boxed toy and it makes you happy, where is the harm? If you're happy with something that you've had to touch up the paint & fix a broken limb, thats fine too. Just enjoy your collecting and appreciate others that enjoy the hobby too.
Very fun video! In many ways they’re much like us humans in that they will develop problems and symptoms and then need diagnosing, at which point we can put them on their road to recovery! Hope you’re well Dave, thanks for keeping us entertained during quarantine!!
I've always enjoyed my collection, I've had fun, I've fixed stuff a lot of it thanks to your videos. Sure I keep them behind glass when they are not on my desk and I do try to not use them too much but in the end that's their whole point, to be used and played with, otherwise I would just collect statues or paintings.
Ah damn, I have many MISB MOSC transformers toys over 10 years old... I don't even know which one to start opening now, and I don't have place to put them on display...
I was repairing my brother and my own Action Men way back in the 1970's by restringing the broken elastics and using safety pins to replace rusted away clips. The gripping hand fall apart very quickly when exposed to hard water from chalk bore holes (so everywhere in the South of England!!) which also attacked the internal body elastic if Action Man went for a swim in the bath, etc. 1998 saw my 8 year old son want Action Man so it was up into the loft, retrieve all the 1970's Action Men and repair them once again. The restrung ones were OK but the OEM strung ones needed restringing. Back in the 1970's we could buy replacement gripping hands from Palitoy. Luckily there was a collectors shop in Bournemouth that sold modern replacement water resistant gripping hands so our Action Men could once again hold things. Now they're all packed away waiting for future grandchildren to enjoy playing with them.
Covered some excellent ground here, good reasons as to why I've drastically slowed in collecting vintage/retro toys. More importantly is our brief lives; we grow old in the blink of an eye (& that's if we're "lucky") losing friends & family all along the way. Very hard to accept that there isn't something more for us, eternity is in our hearts afterall.
after a few decades of collecting iv'e now stopped, am selling most of it, keeping a small selection, i've had fun but ultimately 'stuff' is going to weigh me down as I get older, it will not stop me watching reviews and fun videos like tpy pollois.
Great video with a good message. Collect for the love of it and not for an investment. I liked that action man was wearing a N 95 mask. Gave me a chuckle.
This video depresses me but also puts my mind at ease i often buy two of figures I really like because I worry I will break mine at some point but I guess even the second one in the box is degrading with time.
Camera Collectors have similar problems. Mostly cameras from the late 1970's and up. The grips become sticky. Usually a clean with a stronger alcohol will knock it down, then a light coat of a clear coat lacquer seals it up. Gaskets made of a closed cell foam on the mirror return and light seals just turn to a gooey mess. They can be replaced with modern equivalents after scraped and cleaned with plain rubbing alcohol. As I mentioned in other comments, it's usually Alkaline batteries that leak and plain vinegar will clean the residue up very nicely. Best wishes, good health to everyone and your families... Tom USA.
I'm definitely a wabi-sabi collector. The rubber caterpillar tracks of Matchbox vehicles from the sixties and seventies is also prone to deteriorate over time.
I thought the same as Tim 57 that you were leaving us. Glad you're not. Yep it's a shame about the old toys slowly fading away as you said. I still marvel now how nothing seems "Built to Last" like the old days and hardly any range available today has any character.
Great video! And excellent point about removing batteries from any boxed toy that has a 'Try Me' feature! Heads up for any Star Wars fans who may buy a Disney Parks Exclusive toy...They ALL have batteries in them! Open the box, remove the batteries, or there will be a mess very shortly!
I’ve had great results treating sticky/tacky figures with 303 Aerospace Protectant spray. Buff the liquid with a lint-free cloth and it seems to protect the surface, at least... so far for about 2-3 years and counting, on any examples I’ve tried this on.
You're right on the money with this. I've been saying it for years on the Star Wars boards about case figures. can you imagine spending four digits on a Snake-Eyes version one straight arm on a card or they had to blow apart the day you get it?
Wabi sabi all the way !!! Never knew the term until watching this channel years ago but when your army building on a budget you have to collect this way fixing toys repairing them cleaning them up touching up paint etc. I do this for my collection to look better not to profit down the line I could care less what they're worth in ten years that's the issue I see most in the hobby money hungry sellers
It's why I'm focusing some of my attention on learning how to work on fabrics and sewing, I like to collect horse plushes and I am fully aware of toy entropy, it's sad to see something that is often beautifully crafted slowly fall apart. I had a Douglas plush a little while back and I started to clean it up and brush it and the tail just literally fell off the poor thing, over time the part connecting the tail to the horse had come away, luckily I was able to sew it back on but that just shows, the plush must've been 15 years old at the time I'm not entirely sure if fabrics have a longer lifespan than rubber and plastic but they are certainly more prone to mold spots which are easy to clean if you spot it early, that's if the fabric is organic of course, that's what I think atleast. Feel free to correct me haha ^^;
Excellent video, and thank you for this, Dave. I do have to say that I am amazed that even now, I can find Star Wars figures from 78 - 84 can still be found in good condition. G.I. Joes even moreso, as I remember my dismay of 1983, when some of my Joe's thumbs snapped after arming their rifles and such . =( With that, much respect to anyone with the know how and skills of restoring and repairing of vintage toys. Toys are meant to be for enjoyment and fun! ♥
I've often wondered when my 82 Joe thumbs (that are still remaining) will just disintegrate into a pile of green dust. It's sad to know they wont be around forever.
These issues also apply to videogame collectors, "brown" plastic, mould spots, degraded plastics, disc/chip rot and a whole host of other things. Mint-in-box may be the goal of some people but as you say, until you see what is inside you have no idea what it is actually like. Better to see a toy, a game or a console and be able to fix it in my opinion.
this is why i get mad at collectors who get pissy over digital ROMS and emulator usage and ripping digital only games once a console can be hacked. for me its just another way of preserving stuff. digital while not eternal can preserve code for dozens of decades more than physical. We are at an age where the first few generations of consoles and games are starting to have serious issues. plastic begins to decay, electronics start to rot and early CD,s too. any piece of old media that can be ripped and stored digitally should be as they are going to eventually fade away. there will be a time where old consoles wont be able to play their games anymore or the games themselves will be unusuable and corrupted beyond saving. arcade boards will be so used and degraded they will stop working correctly. Cd,s will rot and old readers with obsolete technology needed to read them will become unrepairable. and collectors who forgot to backup their items digitally will just have very fancy paperwieghts that will not even look good anymore due to the pass of time.
Good video. The other, and most drastic, form of toy entropy, which is thankfully rare, is 'Metal Fatigue'. One of my original Micronauts 'Acroyear' figures is suffering from it. Give it a few years, and his diecast body will probably crumble to dust. As it's happening on an atomic level, there is nothing at all I can do about it, other than to get someone to 3D print me a replacement body. I'm not overly bothered though - the little guy has had a damn good innings.
I bought the Japanese re-release of G1 Predaking. This was around 2007 ish. It uses gold plastic and even when I bought it (on release) the gold plastic had swirling in it and a couple of years later, you could feel it feeling to buckle, and the little tabs that you use to slide fists in and out were extremely stiff, and brittle, to the point one snapped with minimal pressure. Slightly worrying for a figure/toy bought on release from an official seller.
I had a few run-ins with Zoids having the gold plastic syndrome. But over the years, I learned that the plastic can last longer if you spray them with clear lacquer. Hope this helps. 🙂
The PVC of the legs reacted with the Acrylic of the body, and weakened it. I had the same problem. If you leave them sitting in their vehicles, you may find the PVC legs get fused, over time, to the Polystyrene of the vehicle. That's always fun. (It really isn't). The seats of some classic Star Wars vehicles are made of the non reactive Polypropylene, so figures won't stick. However, over time, and exposure to light, 'Polyprop' will become extremely brittle, to the point of shattering if dropped. Modern PVC is made of a different formula, but still decays over time.
I have some older Toy Biz figures that have a rubberish coat or material on them and they fell odd. Some feel brittle, while others have a slick oily feel. My older Toy Biz Blade figure with the motorcycle has it bad.
Great video. I have come across similar situation with pewter miniatures made for Star Frontiers. you would get a unopened box and all that was inside was dust. the miniatures had rotted away over the years. These miniatures were made back in the mid 80's and like you said no one thinks these things will last as long as many have. Pewter rot I THINK it is called.
To paraphrase Queen. Nothing lasts forever.... anyone can see... nothing lasts forever.... nothing lasts forever... for meeeee. Anyway the toy goes........shplashhhhhhhhh. Great Video but a little sad on the inevitability of our beloved toys turning to dust before our very eyes. I guess the thermodymaic arrow of time catches up with everything😭 Just one of the reasons I like full size props made from Aluminium but I do love my plastic toys. Keep up the good and informative video's Toy Polloi
Oh dear, it just remembers me of some Star Trek the Next Generation figures I bought in my childhood years. They were from Playmates and I remember the Gowron Klingon figure, it had some rubbery accessoires like a cane, weapons and some sort of Klingon pig or dog creature. They were casted in gold and all of them got petrified and broke in many pieces. My vintage Snowtrooper figures got brown spots. So nothing lasts forever. Enjoy them now you can!
What I sincerely appreciate about this video is that it calls attention to the finite nature of the universe, this planet, and its man made creations. I began collecting in November 2020 after rediscovering my childhood Transformers figures in storage. My intuition was to take them apart and fix them, which I did with great success. I was able to make Omega Supreme walk again and completely disassembled, fixed, and reassembled Shockwave. Then I stumbled upon the Transformers collector groups and their philosophies on “mint,” “untouched,” and “unaltered” figures being more valuable than repaired and restored figures. My mindset changed and I sought after so-called “mint” figures, but could not fathom the prices. One day, I happened upon the Toy Polloi channel while attempting to fix a Soundwave I got for a very reasonable price. That day, my perspective morphed profoundly, and I realized, especially after watching this video, that the line between “mint” or “unused” and “restored” is superficial when you look at the shelf life of an average figure. As stated, there will come a time when those sealed figures degrade and need to be restored, and, therefore, nothing will ever remain brand new due to the environment and the time-space continuum. So, I humbly, deeply, and sincerely appreciate this video and channel for giving me the confidence to breathe new life into these figures and provide them the love that they need. I recently ordered plastic weld, a Molotow Chrome pen, and had great success with a Megatron sticker removal courtesy of lighter fluid. I just bought a complete Prowl for cheap with a broken but fixable windshield, a broken Hook that can be welded and chromed for $8, touched up the paint and replaced a wheel on a bargain Jazz to make it look good as new, and have placed many Toyhax orders. That never would have happened had I not discovered this marvelous channel. In closing, not only is it barrels of fun to restore a Transformer, but it’s even more rewarding to display them, knowing you breathed new life into them on a planet that will one day cease to exist. Thank you, Toy Polloi!
@@toypolloi Indeed it is! You’re the best. One last thing-do you have a video addressing tightening sliding joints? I just got a Mirage that can’t fully stand up after pulling him apart because his legs keep collapsing into their tracks. Many thanks!
The gold paint on vintage MOTU figures turning green on King Randor and Extendar. Also the "liver spots" on Vintage Clamp Champs legs. And these figures aren't cheap either.
yeah, that happened to me with newer figures that I decided to leave in package, they started to turn the blister yellow...I don't know if it's better to leave them in or take them out Hope you and your love ones are safe
_"Enjoy them while they're still around"_ - Not just toys either - anything you love. Words for life.
Well said. EVERYTHING in life degrades and dies or disappears. It's sad but true. Life is short, life is precious, don't ever put off something today, because tomorrow may be too late.
This is what I've been telling toy "value" collectors for years. Just enjoy them. Collect from the heart, not for the wallet.
Great video!!
But muh profit!!
Then there's the Scalper mentality. 💵💵💵💵💵💵💵💵💵💵💵💵💵💵💵💵💵💵💵💵💵💵💵💵💵💵💵 MONEY MONEY MONEY MONEY!!!!! Scalpers are like a VIRUS.
Thank you for this video. I've recently come under fire from some hard core collectors for proudly showing off my restoration of a vintage Empire Strikes Back 24 figure Vinyl carry case. I very carefully recreated the plastic handle that was missing, removed the yellowed and cracked cover over the front poster, and resealed it with a new heavy duty mylar sheet. Inside I treated all the cracks with professional color matched book binding tape, turning cracked edges and exposed and deteriorating cardboard back into something sturdy, pleasant to look at, and functional.
I was told I had completely destroyed the value of the item, and by restoring it had made it essentially worthless.
To me, I was extremely happy with the results. It looks almost brand new again, is functional, and the weak deteriorating corners are strengthened so that it may last another 40 years either storing and transporting my figures, or just enjoying it on display.
The idea that I am supposed to somehow enjoy my toys and collectables falling to bits and looking like garbage just to retain some artificial collector market value is beyond me.
Toys degrade. They fall apart. Even great art needs to be restored from time to time, or it will not exist for the next generation to enjoy.
Thank you so much for leading the way, and being a great example to the toy collecting enthusiasts like me. There is nothing wrong with restoring your old toys and collector items. I'd much rather have a beautiful toy collection that has been lovingly repainted, and repaired over the years, than to be a serious collector hording a pile of deteriorated and rotted plastic.
I've spent my time in COVID-19 isolation carefully restoring, repainting, and rebuilding my collection. It has never looked better, and the satisfaction I get interacting with these toys and putting my own creativity and effort into bringing them back to life cannot be overstated. Your channel has been a HUGE part of keeping me sane during this difficult period.
Thank-you!
Very well said.
Some of these folks need to come back down to Earth and grow up a little bit.
Get a hold of one of them next time you find something falling apart, tell them that they should buy it from you before you "ruin" it.
Take care
Exactly.
Exactly how I've always felt about the philosophy of antiquarians/collectors who say not to restore or change an object from its as-found condition! I am an artist/ craftsman who makes a lot of different things, and I truly hope that if some day in the future someone finds an object I made that's fallen into disrepair, that they try to restore it to life. That's the condition I want to think of my creations existing in, not being left to rot away.
This is why I love what you do. You repair figures and people whine about it, but you repairing them allows them to "live" longer.
The video that gave MOC/MIB collectors the night terrors! 😂
Thanks for addressing the sticky plastic breakdown. I've experienced it for years and nobody I'd ever talked to knew what I was talking about.
I have a massive action figure collection that I've taken care of since I started playing with/collecting when I was very young. I still have my first GIJoe Air Adventurer from 1973ish. Now that I'm 52 I have a collection that is overwhelming. It will possibly outlast me and I just hope it goes to someone or many people who will rediscover the magic I found in each and every one of these little plastic people.
You just made me shed a tear, one lonely tear. It's interesting how Kenner used different kinds of plastic to make the vintage Star Wars figures. I had a vintage astromech and the plastic legs (plastic with more flex added) only showed the spots at places it was dinged, or, as I considered, the spots were causing a change in the actual composition of the plastic, and causing the spots to recess, possibly feeding on a chemical from the plastic itself. Thanks for "the death of toys" video. You made me cry. You are the bringer of life and health to old toys. Keep doing what you are doing and we will keep watching!
To me, this is one of your most important videos. This is why I enjoy the time with those toys from the past as much as I can.
Thank you, Dave!
Since finding your channel I have been an avid collector of toys I had or desperately wanted as a child. I prefer play worn to mint, I like repairing them, following your guides. Why... Because that's what I and my father did when I was a kid. A toy broke or got brittle we repaired it and played on. Another great video by the way.
Exactly the same with me...
I liked this video. I only collect loose toys because you just never know what's inside a box. Toys are meant for enjoyment IMO and how can you enjoy a box or card. Toys like people get old. It's just a fact of time. Thanks Dave. I really enjoy fixing stuff and you have helped me a great deal.
I love the Action Man wearing a surgical mask. First thing I'm kitting one of my guys like that and he can be the image people see from now on when they video conference with me!
I am slowly working on a book about toys, and I have to say that one of the most relaxing things I do is get a toy, write down its details, takes pics, videos, etc. I then print it up or save backups of the digital stuff to one or two places. If we "digitize" toys this way, they'll last much longer. :)
Hi Toy Polloi. The solution for the Sticky Plastic on toys at the minute 1:05, is to remove the sticky residue using a rag soaked a little in Olive Oil, then clean it with a little amount of alcohol in a cloth. Be careful with the use of alcohol since it can remove some types of painting on the plastic. You could try Lighter fluid instead of alcohol to test the results. Greetings from a Fan from Panama.
Sad but true. But maybe in the future we’ll have the technology to preserve these plastics. That’s why I love toys that have die cast alloys.
Well said! Enjoy your toys , repair them WITH your kids so if they choose to inherit them, then they know how to fix them ! Another great video!!
great video, its always annoying when a toy suddenly gets hit with extra entropy, I lament a few days, then get over it, typically I try to fix it too. I totally like your 'fix it' attitude, that's half the fun, in fact I tend to have more satisfaction from a junker I've fixed than any minty piece I am terrified to touch. You have a great selection of toys, the microman/cyborg stuff is super cool.
Love the video, so true. Enjoy them while you have the chance. I am big on letting my kids enjoy these old toys too. With proper supervision and teaching kids can love them and enjoy them like we did as kids. To me, thats the fun in this hobby.
Action man with the germ mask,....... made me LAUGH!
i love this video! sometimes when i watch your other videos and see the hidden likes/comments i worry that it's because you receive a lot of hate for the (incredible) repair work you do on your figures, and sometimes i can understand where another collector might be upset that you're "ruining" a high-value toy, or feel like you're "helping" counterfeiters, but then this video just so perfectly showcases how untrue that is and how wholesome and benevolent your endeavors really are! i dont collect the toys you do, so i cant really relate to the issues you suffer, but every guide and how-to video you make inspires and interests me in other ways! your expertise and willingness to "do taboo" to keep your toys functional and hardy will never cease to delight and enlighten me. this is easily your most important video to date! thanks, Toy Polloi! (:
This is the main reason I don’t really collect carded toys unless it’s a super great deal and most if not all I open when I get them to enjoy as they were intended. One of my more peculiar favorite toys I have in my collection is a Johnnie Goodboy from Battlefield Earth. It was carded when I bought it and even just being 20 years old the glue on the card eventually wore down and the bubble fell off so I opened it to enjoy.
Excellent points, I'm passing on much of my toys I've had displayed on to my nephew. Toys are to be played with, not just looked at :D
I am so happy that I found your site and your videos! Well done pal and thanks for all you do.
Thanks and welcome
The weakness of He-Man's body armor 'cracked' me up, so to speak. ;)
This was a great video. With my hobby modeling I read an interesting article from a fellow modeler who worked with plastic as a profession. He made the observation that older plastic models have a hard time bonding with styrene cement, and noted that this was because the plastic had moisture in it, and this is essential in fusing the plastic with the cement. He also noted that when you break a tiny or thin part off of a model you have a hard time gluing it back on, and again this is because the first time it was glued onto the model it used up the moisture and now it has nothing to bond to.
He did have a suggestion and that was to put the older vintage parts into a bag with some water and that over a few weeks time the plastic would absorb some of the moisture again, not to what it used to be when it was brand new. After reading this I took notice and I've found that the guy was absolutely correct, with a recent Airfix Lancaster restoration I've had to resort to some very aggressive or hot cement, and for some smaller pieces super glue. Regular styrene cement just wouldn't do it.
It makes me a bit sad to think that one day all the work I put into some of my builds will break down over time, I'm trying to avoid this for future projects, like omitting rubber tires as they break apart as you mentioned. I really like the topic of this video and I'm glad that there are creative types such as yourself that are taking the time to brainstorm and save these treasures from our childhoods. And I'm thrilled that more and more people are creating repro parts.
Interesting. I will look into that. Thanks
Agreed. Enjoy them and if they break, repair them. They are just toys
Great video. People don’t realize that vintage shoes degrade rapidly too
Great advice. 1968 was my peak toy period. Still have my GIJOE’s and some hot wheels, but they were well played with. Thanks
It's a shame that Revenge of the Fallen Bludgeon is also having a melting rubber issue.
Thank you for covering this topic.
lol. hearing u talk about the unseen "mint in the box" figures degrading made me think "schrodinger's cat" syndrome
I saw the frosting on a modern Disney Infinity figure. I was shocked! The sunlight fix worked, but I got rid soon after. I didn't want something that would degrade after only a year or so.
I had a set of 'Battle Of The Planets' figures. They had capes made of a rubbery material, which started to break down about six months after I bought the figures. I had to cut each one off with a craft knife, and bin them, as they started sticking to the figures and eating into them. I replaced them with fabric ones, which is what they should have been from the start.
I have Princess from that line. Here cape and skirt have gone rock solid, so I just have left her as she is. The look nice, but were not well made at all.
@@toypolloi - It was particularly frustrating, as these were figures that I had wanted ever since I first saw the show. And they were ruined in months, basically. Some plastic 'Captain Scarlet' toys I've owned since 1967, on the other hand, are, apart for some play wear, perfect. 'Quality' has faded, obviously.
Dave - the toy sensei. Always play with the toys, bust them and fix them. They are not treasures, but they are to be treasured.
Thanks for this video ! I have found that several of my carded figures suffer from the blister "Bronzing", or getting dark. This happens even if the toy has been protected from sunlight, and the effect has no rhyme or reason to which item suffers from it. I just tell friends that it's something to do with aging.
It needed to be addressed and now discussed. Some collectors take the hobby far too seriously and as a result can take the joy out of it. Collect how you want to collect, but have fun doing it.
Nice video! I'm always amazed when I find new looking figures of anything that's 40+ years old. It both thrills me and saddens me. I'm thrilled that you can still find something that looks like it was new back when I was a kid, but that also means that this toy never got played with. Someone actually just put it away in storage, left in the package, and never truly enjoyed it as it was originally intended. Yes. You can get enjoyment out of just looking at MIB figures, etc on display, but that's NOT what they were originally intended for, and we all know this. I don't really collect toys in their packages too often, because I find them to almost be pointless, since I'm not someone who collects for resale value. I'm not condemning people who collect MIB figures and toys, but I have to say that I don't quite get it. I do appreciate them at least for keeping many vintage toys around in nice condition, but as you say, all toys do degrade as time moves onward. Such is life. I say: enjoy toys while you can! Play with them, pose them, sink them in water, and toss them into the air! All of my childhood memories of loving toys come from actually playing with them, and not for displaying them. As current affairs in the world remind us: life is too short to not enjoy yourself a little. Stay safe, David! Love and friendship from the U.S.!
A sobering but fantastic video to watch. I find micronaut plastic of bad for going brittle as they were designed to be taken apart back in the day, but not 40 years later.
Yeah, they do have issues. Some are very brittle.
You are right, and everyone deserves to enjoy their toys as they want, thankfully your channel helps to brings more life to toys, so thank you!
I've always collected for the love of it. I was never after my collection for money value.
And these things are meant to be enjoyed.
Some plastics degrade far quicker than others so it very much depends on the plastic a toy is made of. Another problem is the fact they are toys and meant to be played with so the majority have been played with outside and possibly left outside for days in the sun, the cold, the rain, then when the children get too old to play with them they get put in the loft or garage and often continue to suffer from damp, heat, cold etc.
I collect mint in box and Wabi Sabi, so in my experience, (as long as its within reason) you usually get what you pay for and there are ways to supposedly slow degredation down.
I personally have only ever gone over the £100 mark on 5 occasions but if you want to pay £1000 for a mint boxed toy and it makes you happy, where is the harm? If you're happy with something that you've had to touch up the paint & fix a broken limb, thats fine too. Just enjoy your collecting and appreciate others that enjoy the hobby too.
Some plastics actually never degrade.
Great to see Microman and Henshin Cyborg get a mention!
Very fun video! In many ways they’re much like us humans in that they will develop problems and symptoms and then need diagnosing, at which point we can put them on their road to recovery! Hope you’re well Dave, thanks for keeping us entertained during quarantine!!
Yes when I played with these as a child I didn't think they'd still be around all these years later!
Great overview, and a great ad for the channel at the same time!
I've always enjoyed my collection, I've had fun, I've fixed stuff a lot of it thanks to your videos. Sure I keep them behind glass when they are not on my desk and I do try to not use them too much but in the end that's their whole point, to be used and played with, otherwise I would just collect statues or paintings.
Ah damn, I have many MISB MOSC transformers toys over 10 years old... I don't even know which one to start opening now, and I don't have place to put them on display...
Dave,
Loved this little video! So informative and true! However, I do not want my toys to last forever! Just as long as I do!😂👍
I was repairing my brother and my own Action Men way back in the 1970's by restringing the broken elastics and using safety pins to replace rusted away clips. The gripping hand fall apart very quickly when exposed to hard water from chalk bore holes (so everywhere in the South of England!!) which also attacked the internal body elastic if Action Man went for a swim in the bath, etc.
1998 saw my 8 year old son want Action Man so it was up into the loft, retrieve all the 1970's Action Men and repair them once again. The restrung ones were OK but the OEM strung ones needed restringing.
Back in the 1970's we could buy replacement gripping hands from Palitoy. Luckily there was a collectors shop in Bournemouth that sold modern replacement water resistant gripping hands so our Action Men could once again hold things.
Now they're all packed away waiting for future grandchildren to enjoy playing with them.
Covered some excellent ground here, good reasons as to why I've drastically slowed in collecting vintage/retro toys. More importantly is our brief lives; we grow old in the blink of an eye (& that's if we're "lucky") losing friends & family all along the way. Very hard to accept that there isn't something more for us, eternity is in our hearts afterall.
after a few decades of collecting iv'e now stopped, am selling most of it, keeping a small selection, i've had fun but ultimately 'stuff' is going to weigh me down as I get older, it will not stop me watching reviews and fun videos like tpy pollois.
Love the vid. I like hearing about Toy Topics that no one else really talks about much but they sure are important to collectors. Top Vid
There is one advantage we have today that was unavailable when these toys were new--3D printing....replacement parts are now possible.
Awesome video! Love the sentiment - Enjoy your collection and repairing is part of the fun. Keep up the great work!
Great video with a good message. Collect for the love of it and not for an investment. I liked that action man was wearing a N 95 mask. Gave me a chuckle.
Thank you very much, i have fixed some old an new toys using your knowlwdge, all you need is creativity and you can fix every problem.
This video depresses me but also puts my mind at ease i often buy two of figures I really like because I worry I will break mine at some point but I guess even the second one in the box is degrading with time.
Great video! I'm glad I found this channel recently after getting into collecting Halo figures
Welcome onboard.
@@toypolloi glad to be here. Keep up the good work man!
👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼 I love restoring and customizing old toys
A very important and much needed video! Good lessons, true words and value.Thank you for this!
Camera Collectors have similar problems. Mostly cameras from the late 1970's and up. The grips become sticky. Usually a clean with a stronger alcohol will knock it down, then a light coat of a clear coat lacquer seals it up. Gaskets made of a closed cell foam on the mirror return and light seals just turn to a gooey mess. They can be replaced with modern equivalents after scraped and cleaned with plain rubbing alcohol. As I mentioned in other comments, it's usually Alkaline batteries that leak and plain vinegar will clean the residue up very nicely. Best wishes, good health to everyone and your families... Tom USA.
The toys won't be around forever...and neither will we! Enjoy them while you can! :)
you're wrong. there can be only one. it is me and i collect all of your toys. here we are...
@@camcordernonsense5264 Haha! :)
I'm definitely a wabi-sabi collector. The rubber caterpillar tracks of Matchbox vehicles from the sixties and seventies is also prone to deteriorate over time.
I thought the same as Tim 57 that you were leaving us. Glad you're not. Yep it's a shame about the old toys slowly fading away as you said. I still marvel now how nothing seems "Built to Last" like the old days and hardly any range available today has any character.
Well put Dave
Cheers!
Well done mate!
Some common sense shared here. A rare thing these days.
Great video! And excellent point about removing batteries from any boxed toy that has a 'Try Me' feature! Heads up for any Star Wars fans who may buy a Disney Parks Exclusive toy...They ALL have batteries in them! Open the box, remove the batteries, or there will be a mess very shortly!
They started doing this regularly in the 90's I have lots of toys from that era I have opened just to remove the batteries.
Wow, I knew about gold plastic syndrome, but did not know battle armour he man being in the same boat. Thank you for your videos
great subject. I'm obsessed with this matter
This was a very informative video. I never considered the degradation of the toy still inside the un open package. 👍👌
I’ve had great results treating sticky/tacky figures with 303 Aerospace Protectant spray. Buff the liquid with a lint-free cloth and it seems to protect the surface, at least... so far for about 2-3 years and counting, on any examples I’ve tried this on.
What a great video! You have inspired me to take a crack at fixing some of my old action figures.
Well said Dave.
Your title scared me a little bit, thinking about you leaving utube; happy that is not the case.
Stay safe.
Exactly what I thought too, almost gave me a heartattack.
I'm not leaving! Still plenty more videos to come, and so many toys to fix.
@@toypolloi Best news EVER haha. Finally some good news right. Not much of that in this Covid-19 A-hole time.
@@toypolloi
Great news!
You're right on the money with this. I've been saying it for years on the Star Wars boards about case figures. can you imagine spending four digits on a Snake-Eyes version one straight arm on a card or they had to blow apart the day you get it?
Great video! Thanks for saying all this, I really needed to hear it.
Great video....I agree repair it's fun
Wabi sabi all the way !!! Never knew the term until watching this channel years ago but when your army building on a budget you have to collect this way fixing toys repairing them cleaning them up touching up paint etc. I do this for my collection to look better not to profit down the line I could care less what they're worth in ten years that's the issue I see most in the hobby money hungry sellers
The weathering on the Stormtrooper ironically makes it better.
It does. I really like this yellowed trooper. I added a pauldron to make it look more desert like. One of my favourites now.
Great video Dave!
Well said, buy to enjoy.
It's why I'm focusing some of my attention on learning how to work on fabrics and sewing, I like to collect horse plushes and I am fully aware of toy entropy, it's sad to see something that is often beautifully crafted slowly fall apart. I had a Douglas plush a little while back and I started to clean it up and brush it and the tail just literally fell off the poor thing, over time the part connecting the tail to the horse had come away, luckily I was able to sew it back on but that just shows, the plush must've been 15 years old at the time
I'm not entirely sure if fabrics have a longer lifespan than rubber and plastic but they are certainly more prone to mold spots which are easy to clean if you spot it early, that's if the fabric is organic of course, that's what I think atleast. Feel free to correct me haha ^^;
Excellent video, and thank you for this, Dave.
I do have to say that I am amazed that even now, I can find Star Wars figures from 78 - 84 can still be found in good condition. G.I. Joes even moreso, as I remember my dismay of 1983, when some of my Joe's thumbs snapped after arming their rifles and such . =( With that, much respect to anyone with the know how and skills of restoring and repairing of vintage toys. Toys are meant to be for enjoyment and fun! ♥
Gold or metallic paint is also an issue, on a Mr-T figure and a MOTU Extendar figure I have, the gold paint has gone green and soft
Thank you for your awesome videos! From Philadelphia pa USA
I've often wondered when my 82 Joe thumbs (that are still remaining) will just disintegrate into a pile of green dust. It's sad to know they wont be around forever.
These issues also apply to videogame collectors, "brown" plastic, mould spots, degraded plastics, disc/chip rot and a whole host of other things. Mint-in-box may be the goal of some people but as you say, until you see what is inside you have no idea what it is actually like. Better to see a toy, a game or a console and be able to fix it in my opinion.
this is why i get mad at collectors who get pissy over digital ROMS and emulator usage and ripping digital only games once a console can be hacked. for me its just another way of preserving stuff. digital while not eternal can preserve code for dozens of decades more than physical. We are at an age where the first few generations of consoles and games are starting to have serious issues. plastic begins to decay, electronics start to rot and early CD,s too. any piece of old media that can be ripped and stored digitally should be as they are going to eventually fade away. there will be a time where old consoles wont be able to play their games anymore or the games themselves will be unusuable and corrupted beyond saving. arcade boards will be so used and degraded they will stop working correctly. Cd,s will rot and old readers with obsolete technology needed to read them will become unrepairable. and collectors who forgot to backup their items digitally will just have very fancy paperwieghts that will not even look good anymore due to the pass of time.
Good video. The other, and most drastic, form of toy entropy, which is thankfully rare, is 'Metal Fatigue'. One of my original Micronauts 'Acroyear' figures is suffering from it. Give it a few years, and his diecast body will probably crumble to dust. As it's happening on an atomic level, there is nothing at all I can do about it, other than to get someone to 3D print me a replacement body. I'm not overly bothered though - the little guy has had a damn good innings.
Nice vid, ol' boy! 👍🏻
rage rage against the dying of the light - or the chemical breakdown of our cherished plastic totems ;)
I bought the Japanese re-release of G1 Predaking. This was around 2007 ish. It uses gold plastic and even when I bought it (on release) the gold plastic had swirling in it and a couple of years later, you could feel it feeling to buckle, and the little tabs that you use to slide fists in and out were extremely stiff, and brittle, to the point one snapped with minimal pressure. Slightly worrying for a figure/toy bought on release from an official seller.
I had a few run-ins with Zoids having the gold plastic syndrome. But over the years, I learned that the plastic can last longer if you spray them with clear lacquer. Hope this helps. 🙂
Thanks. I may give that a try.
When i was a kid, my brother and i had several of the matchbox mac figures and vehicles, it seemed like the legs broke regularly sadly enough...
The PVC of the legs reacted with the Acrylic of the body, and weakened it. I had the same problem. If you leave them sitting in their vehicles, you may find the PVC legs get fused, over time, to the Polystyrene of the vehicle. That's always fun. (It really isn't). The seats of some classic Star Wars vehicles are made of the non reactive Polypropylene, so figures won't stick. However, over time, and exposure to light, 'Polyprop' will become extremely brittle, to the point of shattering if dropped. Modern PVC is made of a different formula, but still decays over time.
As much as I love old toys etc I fully understand that it will ALL end up in a landfill someday. I enjoy them as they are 😎
I have some older Toy Biz figures that have a rubberish coat or material on them and they fell odd. Some feel brittle, while others have a slick oily feel. My older Toy Biz Blade figure with the motorcycle has it bad.
Great video. I have come across similar situation with pewter miniatures made for Star Frontiers. you would get a unopened box and all that was inside was dust. the miniatures had rotted away over the years. These miniatures were made back in the mid 80's and like you said no one thinks these things will last as long as many have. Pewter rot I THINK it is called.
To paraphrase Queen. Nothing lasts forever.... anyone can see... nothing lasts forever.... nothing lasts forever... for meeeee.
Anyway the toy goes........shplashhhhhhhhh.
Great Video but a little sad on the inevitability of our beloved toys turning to dust before our very eyes. I guess the thermodymaic arrow of time catches up with everything😭 Just one of the reasons I like full size props made from Aluminium but I do love my plastic toys.
Keep up the good and informative video's Toy Polloi
Oh dear, it just remembers me of some Star Trek the Next Generation figures I bought in my childhood years. They were from Playmates and I remember the Gowron Klingon figure, it had some rubbery accessoires like a cane, weapons and some sort of Klingon pig or dog creature. They were casted in gold and all of them got petrified and broke in many pieces. My vintage Snowtrooper figures got brown spots. So nothing lasts forever. Enjoy them now you can!
Absolutely wonderful vid man. Some honest words. 🙂
Glad you enjoyed
Schroedinger’s Ewok.
Is it alive! Ooooohhhhh
What I sincerely appreciate about this video is that it calls attention to the finite nature of the universe, this planet, and its man made creations.
I began collecting in November 2020 after rediscovering my childhood Transformers figures in storage. My intuition was to take them apart and fix them, which I did with great success. I was able to make Omega Supreme walk again and completely disassembled, fixed, and reassembled Shockwave.
Then I stumbled upon the Transformers collector groups and their philosophies on “mint,” “untouched,” and “unaltered” figures being more valuable than repaired and restored figures. My mindset changed and I sought after so-called “mint” figures, but could not fathom the prices.
One day, I happened upon the Toy Polloi channel while attempting to fix a Soundwave I got for a very reasonable price. That day, my perspective morphed profoundly, and I realized, especially after watching this video, that the line between “mint” or “unused” and “restored” is superficial when you look at the shelf life of an average figure. As stated, there will come a time when those sealed figures degrade and need to be restored, and, therefore, nothing will ever remain brand new due to the environment and the time-space continuum.
So, I humbly, deeply, and sincerely appreciate this video and channel for giving me the confidence to breathe new life into these figures and provide them the love that they need. I recently ordered plastic weld, a Molotow Chrome pen, and had great success with a Megatron sticker removal courtesy of lighter fluid. I just bought a complete Prowl for cheap with a broken but fixable windshield, a broken Hook that can be welded and chromed for $8, touched up the paint and replaced a wheel on a bargain Jazz to make it look good as new, and have placed many Toyhax orders. That never would have happened had I not discovered this marvelous channel.
In closing, not only is it barrels of fun to restore a Transformer, but it’s even more rewarding to display them, knowing you breathed new life into them on a planet that will one day cease to exist.
Thank you, Toy Polloi!
Thanks Mike. I'm glad you are enjoying your toys. That is what it is all about. Cheers
@@toypolloi Indeed it is! You’re the best. One last thing-do you have a video addressing tightening sliding joints? I just got a Mirage that can’t fully stand up after pulling him apart because his legs keep collapsing into their tracks. Many thanks!
I think I do cover that in an old transformer repair video. Not sure which one, I don’t have that many though. Lots of fixes covered in each.
The gold paint on vintage MOTU figures turning green on King Randor and Extendar. Also the "liver spots" on Vintage Clamp Champs legs. And these figures aren't cheap either.
yeah, that happened to me with newer figures that I decided to leave in package, they started to turn the blister yellow...I don't know if it's better to leave them in or take them out
Hope you and your love ones are safe
That was such a great video talking about the inevitable truth