Figure Problems?? Hope this helps!

Having just read the thread about the 'Infernal Parade' and some of the problems you all have run into, I thought I'd put this up here to see if I can help with a few things I've run into since being a collector and more specifically..a member of the CC:
I'm grateful for the heads up re:Infernal Parade problems, since I have a full set on the way.
Sounds like I'll need a bit of hand cream or soap and a blow dryer to heat the wheels a touch and the soap to slip them on. *Damn, they really OUGHT to put this up on the sight permanently*
Way back when I first joined the club, we got flyers in the mail to announce upcoming exclusives and store goodies. Most vets will know this, but this is for the newer folks (meaning anyone who joined after it became strictly an on line proposition.)
My first flyer had figure "Tips" both for customizing and for people like all who have mentioned these problems.
Heat from a blow dryer or boiling water is GREAT for pieces that don't quite fit (Like the Sabbaticus) Just heat them and use a tad of soft soap, and they will usually mold to what you need to make them fit properly. Soap /Hand cream to fit the pegs into the holes. You WILL avoid MUCH breakage, by just using those two items. Cyanoacrylate glue:
(A super glue of sorts sold at hobby shops) has been a lifesaver re: holding pieces in place or fixing broken items.
With all the figure problems I've heard about over the years, the ONLY figure I mentioned in the figure problems as far as true breakage goes was the APU which was just a disaster from beginning to end regarding it's design issues (won't list them here as you who've bought this item already know [img]graemlins/whatever.gif[/img]

http://kisielka.com/MessageBoardDooDads/antistress.gif

Bah !!!

EQ, this doesn't work....now the screen is red and I fell fuzzy [img]confused.gif[/img]

<font color="#cd6600" size="1">[ September 24, 2004 04:41 PM: Message edited by: Moviemaniac4 ]</font>

LOL EQ!!! [img]biggrin.gif[/img]

Yeah I remember those flyers, still have all of mine somewhere.

Though isn't odd that McFarlane toys is the only toy company (too boot probably the grandest now) that still has these problems line after line. And it just keep getting worse. [img]frown.gif[/img]

And lets be honest, figures of series 13 and before never had the large amounts of quality finish problems as the current lines.

Well, in all fairness they are doing some stuff that's truly never been done before. They're bound to have issues with totally unfamiliar territory. Bit, I thin they die remarkably well with some VERY tough lines like TS 1 , TS 2 etc..
TS1 was a huge pain in the ass to open with all that tape, but once opened I heard of very few issues. And some things are just taken care of with the tips they put out in their own flyer which came out around series 14. Really my biggest complaints have been enigineering issues and QC issues. Conan..main problem..The bases were way too soft and small. Could have been fixed with: larger re-enforced bases like T3 came with. My solution: Use the standard clear bases [img]wink.gif[/img]
APU..That was the only figure that (like they did with Series 18 Interlink) they should have just scratched and gone back to the drawing board until done right. I guess with movie licenses you may not be able to do that as deadlines need to be filled. Nobody would have given a shit for the APU if it was a year late.
But certain 'in house lines' have been held up
until done to satisfaction, Interlink, Ultima Online (All Todd's Character designs)etc.. were held up until everyone was happy, then they cme out..great.
So I can't fully blame McFarlane for the shit figure that the APU turned out to be.
I'm happy with my Spawn stuff, I'm happy with my AVSP / A&P stuff

Hmmm, yet Neca does'nt have these problems, yet the Japanese companies like Kiayodo and Yamato that produce more complex toys don't have these problems.

DP, I think you hit on some really strong points. There's no doubt McFarlane is trying things that no one else would even dare (actual liquid in a vile of freaks?!? [img]eek.gif[/img] ) . And let's face it, that's why we love TMP. They go the extra mile. But if going the extra mile means they produce products that can't live up to the promise, then everyone loses. As long as our favorite toy company learns from it's mistakes then I say, keep pushing the envelope. But if you don't improve based on past mistakes, please stick with what your are capable of doing well.

<font color="#cd6600" size="1">[ September 24, 2004 05:25 PM: Message edited by: madadman ]</font>

Quote:

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Originally posted by Chosen One:
Hmmm, yet Neca does'nt have these problems, yet the Japanese companies like Kiayodo and Yamato that produce more complex toys don't have these problems.

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<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Hate to burst your bubble, Neca has had some problems with figures. Pieces being too filmsy, things all companies have problems with.. If you also notice, McFarlane also puts out alot of figure extremely fast, which attributes to some of the problem. Too fast can be a bad thing..

And Japanese companies like Kaiyodo and Kotibukiya? Well, you get what you pay for when you have to spend 50 for one 8" figure *coughBeyondTheGravecough*. How many of us would continue to buy figures from McF if he was in that kind of price range? I can see one or two figs at that price every so often, but not a set like IP at that. I wouldn't pay that. If you also notice, take in example BtG, he isn't just made out of plastic. He has screws and metal in most, if not all of his joints. His shoulder joints being the easiest to notice if you lifthis shoulder pad up, but extremely well hidden.

Well it depends where you buy your Japanese figures, obviosuly you're looking in the wrong places.
In certain places in Europe and in Asia da McFarlane figures can fetch up to 25 US Dollaz! (In the UK the go around 15 to 20 pounds)
My arguement here is not about pricing and location, it's about the fall of their quality finish.

As for McFarlane pushing the envolope, oh yes I'm sure they are with the wide variety of statue figures of recent times. [img]frown.gif[/img]
Water in a figure, done by Mattel way back in 1986 with their MOTU Mosquito figure!

<font color="#cd6600" size="1">[ September 24, 2004 06:56 PM: Message edited by: Chosen One ]</font>

Fanboys

All I was getting at (Disregarding the POS APU )was that McFarlane had a flyer about these problems back with series 14. PVC warps. Sometimes you have to warp it back to get it to fit right. Hell the biggest figure regret I have besides the APU was the Matsushiro Edition EVA03
sculpt. Damn, that is the most usless poorly balanced hunk of crap that now lives in my custom fodder box after a final attempt to get it to balance using a Mcfarlane stand. Die cast parts that fell off [img]confused.gif[/img] etc...
What made me a fan of McFarlane was the same thing that keeps me coming back for more.
More Bang for the Buck. We still need to remember that without McFarlane we would not enjoy Toybiz LoTR figures, Art Asylum, Mezco,
Marvel Select etc..All these companies are turning out better figures because McFarlane raised the bar, and I've had to use those tips from the flyer I posted for every company I just mentioned. Not to mention a few Japanese companies like Toynami and Kaiyodo.
If I get a figure like Mandarin Spawn
for 8.99, I'm a happy camper. What can I tell you? If that makes me a fanboy so be it [img]biggrin.gif[/img]
I just look at the big picture and have to say that overall, I've had less dissapointment from this company than any other. The few issues I mentioned are pretty small considering what we pay for these. I'm not saying they're perfect, but IMHO they still win my vote for best figure in the 8.99-12.99 range.
[img]graemlins/thumbs_up.gif[/img]

Quote:

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Originally posted by Chosen One:
LOL EQ!!! [img]biggrin.gif[/img]

Yeah I remember those flyers, still have all of mine somewhere.

Though isn't odd that McFarlane toys is the only toy company (too boot probably the grandest now) that still has these problems line after line. And it just keep getting worse. [img]frown.gif[/img]

And lets be honest, figures of series 13 and before never had the large amounts of quality finish problems as the current lines.

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<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">eh, toybiz has a lot of problems with joints and weapons that start to droop over time. I know that most of my LOTR figures now look like they're either doing squats or trying to kneel cause their hip, knee, and ankle joints are all loose as can be. I also have a ring wraith with a sword that looks like it needs a good dose of viagra.

Most toy companies do have issues with one thing or another. I would like to see Mcfarlane figure out how to make things less breakable, which I really think they've been trying to do with certain things..just look at the weapons that have been coming out with the past few lines. Weapons breaking has been a huge problem for me with Mcfarlane figures. Most of the figures I've purchased from them recently have weapons made either from much softer rubber, or plastic that's not as rigid as that used in previous lines. I haven't had a weapon break in months, which makes me happy, as weapons are one of my favorite things when it comes to figures.

LOL Tort...Half my LoTR swords need a bit of
err..."erectile disfunction" aid. McFarlane had that problem with the Manga line (Manga Spawn has a big old sword but... [img]graemlins/rose.gif[/img] [img]graemlins/wilted.gif[/img] )
Thankfully I haven't had any more of their lines "go limp" [img]redface.gif[/img]

I had absolutely no problems with mine. the wheels went on fine and everything. I guess the closest thing to a problem was trying to figure out why the pegs on the chick with the iron maiden made her face the wrong way. then I just set it on there without the pegs being used. other than that, not a problem at all.

Glad to hear it chaser! But if mine does prove to be problematic at all, I'll just use the little figure fixing tricks I listed from that flyer.

my favorite figure fixing trick, as stated before, SUPERGLUE, my warrior alien refresh from aliens, i think his knees are still bendable that's about it, queen, her right arm... superglued on, *fell off when opening the package, and store had no more of the figs*, MM6 warrior alien has superglued ankles, as does probably half of my collection, people buy mcfarlane toys because he does what nobody else dares to do... acquire a movie liscence and try to put out more than just something that you can make money off of, he wants figures he can be proud of [img]tongue.gif[/img] he also has a line that is just his own called spawn, i really like that line... very cool indeed [img]wink.gif[/img]

Darth Pooh, I'm not trying to dish down McFarlane toys, they know I've been a fan of thier products since Spawn #1 way back in 1992.
But I am trying to point out that recently their quality has some how slipped and is not what it used to be.

Raised the bar, here I cannot argue, but it's been many, many moons since they last did.

And no, the 'fanboys' arguement was not directed at your initial topic starter post, it was directed at the arguement that moved towards a poor justification of factory flaws. How can it be insinuated that if a figure costs 10 to 12 dollars it's o.k. to expect problems with it? [img]frown.gif[/img]

Recently on the whiteboard, on this board, whenever a new McFarlane line is released (cannot speak of the sports) it has a follow up of numerous complaining posts of the quality finish. And it's been a while like this and it pisses me off cause if McFarlane Toys didn't have all these factory flaws then they would always remain at the top amongst the best.

Yes I know it's tuff to produce figures nowadays, and I still respect and appreciate the effort Steve's team places in them. And my ranting comes from that I do want to see McFarlane toys back on top on all fronts, and it hurts me when I buy one of their figures and it needs fixing here and there. [img]frown.gif[/img]

Maybe I'm bit too much of perfectionist nut when it comes to toys and probably do expect more than other people. [img]wink.gif[/img]

And for the record, I also bitch about other companies when they slip. Cause at if we don't bitch then they won't up the quality! [img]wink.gif[/img]

<font color="#cd6600" size="1">[ September 25, 2004 06:47 AM: Message edited by: Chosen One ]</font>

Actually my point was more along the lines of they try to put out too much too fast, which tends to cause production issues and problems with figures.. I know damn well sometimes they might skip on testing or checking the figures.. Case in point would be Bethany Bled being backwards. As I believe Steve or Dion said, it was too late once they realized the pegs were on the wrong side to fix the problem or the whole line woulda been pushed back. Which of course woulda caused just as many complaints as the pegs being backwards issue has, especially because it's just Bethany backwards, and the whole line had to wait on her being fixed. See my point? They just tend to try and put too much out way too quickly, or let us know about stuff too fast hence they get people hyped on it, pushing for it faster, thus they rush to get it out quicker.

I HOPE SO!!! [img]biggrin.gif[/img]

The problem is not the toys but the person handling the toys. These people are just plain inept and no finger skills at all. Correct that...they are skilled in picking their noses and scratching their asses.

Quote:

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Originally posted by Tr3s:
The problem is not the toys but the person handling the toys. These people are just plain inept and no finger skills at all. Correct that...they are skilled in picking their noses and scratching their asses.

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<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Not so. I've broken figures and accessories before, and I'm pretty damned adept when it comes to handling things with delicacy. I couldn't do half the things I do unless I were capable of that. I handle my figures with great care, and yes, things still break sometimes.

My only point was that some of these issues like pieces not fitting , warpage etc..have been a problem for a long time. Now for instance, take the backwards Bethany Bled. I believe the line should have been held up for that, since this is basically a Barker /McFarlane project it qualifies as an "in house line" and could have been held up to get it right. Yes there would have been bitching..tough shit. Other things have been held up until all parties were in agreement. Interlink was held up numerous times,
So was Ultima Online, and crap..look at Giger's Lil. Four years now before she finally met all satisfaction.
That's fine with me and IMHO, the way it should be. I'd rather wait than have something fucked up. The Backwards B Bled should NOT have been released as it does give the company a black eye.
With the APU being the worst piece of shit from McFarlane, then I have to say"OH well, deadlines,
contracts etc.. have to be met. As I said, nobody would have bothered with it in a year, so it either should have been scratched altogether or it had to be released as the shit it was.
When things are rushed you get crap..look at the film 'Godfather III' The studio INSISTED on their deadline date being met. Well, they got their movie and compared to the first two it's an embarassment.
So Chosen One, I am in agreement with many of your points [img]graemlins/thumbs_up.gif[/img] I just wanted to point out that some things have always been problems and "here's how to fix a few on your own". If a
delivery truck comes with McFarlane figures in it, and the guys leave the palettes sitting in the hot sun too long, with PVC you may have some warp issues that are easily fixed.
But don't get me wrong, I'm not that much of a fanboy that I can't see room for improvement so that McFarlane can stay at the head of their game. [img]wink.gif[/img]

I have had absolutely no problems whatsoever with IP. Everything was perfect, easy to put together, and it was even pretty straightforward getting them all out of the package...

I don't have many problems with the McFarlane toys (with the exception from the headless horseman's rubber shoes [img]mad.gif[/img] ) but maybe that's because I keep them safe in their packages. The others that are out like Mandarin Reborn are Ok.
Now, as long as the production flaws are comented and heard by the producer of the toys for later fixing, I think that's the only way to make a good product better where both consumer and toy maker can win.

I havent hade any big issues with McF products either..okey sometimes it can be ard to get stuff to fit..like Reedemers wings and so but eventually they will snap in. McF figs are very good and you usully get a great fig for the ammount of money you spend on them. I think Mcf could make just as good figs as lets say Kotobuykia but they are pre painted vinyl kits and they cost alot more to produce but are of higher quality. but Mcf is still one of the best thigns around in the toyworld

Absolutely MM4, I'm glad they put that 'figure concerns' thread up on the Spawn.com Toy board.
I just think there are legit problems and then there's nitpicking which I have seen over there too. It's a fine line. I could have listed more issues over there than I did, but usually found that someone had beaten me to it. I don't get bothered by minor things easily rectified, but
I do hate to get a real dud like the APU. I mainly mentioned it to say "Please don't ever make another dog like this again" I knew there was nothing that could have been done to fix the APU in time for release to coincide with the movie..it was a "For future reference" type of post [img]wink.gif[/img]

By the way, you think there will be another Alien Queen in the next AvP line ?