Common Toy Terms Explained! Tooling? Deco? Refresh? Slug Figures? Got toy questions? Answers here!

[@pop_motu_75]

Mekaneck's armor, Mer-Man's body, Castle Grayskull's shield --- Stinkor is kitbashing royalty! 🤣

[@spectorcreative1872]

Yup

[@batmanofsanantonio5331]

I always thought that toys/action figures at the $20.00 or higher level were machine painted. My mind is blown! Those people are true artists, and know armed with this knowledge I’d gladly pay more because of their work. I love that I’m always learning something new from your channel!

[@spectorcreative1872]

Very little machine painting! Really just over sprays sometimes to the base buck.

[@andrewtaylor940]

I have another term for your list. One that shows up a bit in some collector circles. “Test Shot”. The molds, the tooling need to be tested, both when new to insure that they are designed right and are production proper non stressed parts, and as they age to see if the mold is deteriorating. The factory will do “Test Shots” through the molds. These tests are generally not the standard production colors. For testing they tend to use bright colored plastics, most commonly red or green, because they show stress marks easily. But they will often use whatever is on hand. And these are where you get the weird rare and undocumented things. He-Man weapons in strange colors. Or a Red Lego Darth Vader helmet. Because Test Shots once done and examined are factory trash. Lego used to dump them into discount bags you could get on a factory visit. Others just find their way home with the workers. And many eventually find their way out to the collector market. These aren’t generally Prototypes although sometimes they get hyped as such. They are just the factory running plastic through the finalized tooling to inspect it. Or sometimes you will get marbelized parts. Where they run a few shots to purge the lines of a previous color before starting the new color. This is less common today as the machines are way more efficient now and many use a neutral plastic and inject color on the factory floor.

[@spectorcreative1872]

Ah yes. I do cover test shots a bit in my how action figures are made, but great info. Thanks for posting it

[@andrewtaylor940]

To give a little more on the Plastics used. PVC can range from very soft to quite hard. ABS ranges from Hard to Indestructible. Tooling costs depend on the type of plastic being used. PVC tooling is much much cheaper. PVC is weird. It can be injected at lower temperatures and lower pressure, and holds sculpted detail really well. But it is more fragile and it will deteriorate over time as the plastic slowly outgasses over the years. This is why PVC toys grow brittle. ABS is or can be nearly indestructible. And can be made with incredible precision. The best example of ABS is Lego. Where every piece must have and maintain a degree of engineered precision rarely seen outside Rocket Science. ABS tooling is expensive. Scott actually lowballs it. ABS gets injected at much higher temperatures and pressures, and requires much harder metals in the tooling. ABS molds can run upwards of $500,000 usd depending on precision needed. For Action figure collectors, this is the secret of why NECA figures always break, even when sealed in unopened packages. NECA uses mostly PVC. PVC works great for high detail short run figures such as niche offerings. There are two other types of plastic commonly used. Polystyrene (most commonly seen in model kits and knock off bootleg Lego’s) and various Acrylics (clear parts).

[@spectorcreative1872]

Nice! You know your plastic

[@bryanheinrich8217]

Super informative video, thanks for doing these!

[@spectorcreative1872]

Thrilled you enjoyed! Please do feel free to share with others online, it helps the channel a ton

[@misterstrick9schannel215]

Thanks for another wonderfully informative video! Make no mistake ladies and gentlemen, Scott is truly the ToyGuru!

[@spectorcreative1872]

Just working on bringing fun toy info!

[@Slitheringpeanut]

The plastic bits on the plastic miniatures are called Sprues I believe. It's the same word for both the hole that you pour the material (Like metal or plastic) as well as the waste left after casting, or in this case, tooling.

[@spectorcreative1872]

Good additoon

[@gerrysabron]

one of the most interesting and informative videos from the Guru..appreciate it.

[@spectorcreative1872]

Well thank you! Feel free to share it

[@theflyingninja1]

I don't even collect toys, but I just find these videos so relaxing.

[@spectorcreative1872]

Nice! Please do share with others, it helps the channel a ton!

[@huertahector1715]

I’m 40 yr old man and I love toys. They’re model scaled figures of things we grew up with it’s nothing bad, a big statute is no different from a small one that we can admire!

[@andrewgrant2990]

What I learned today PVC & ABS differences. And even when things are slightly different they come together tp make something great! By your powers combined: "I am Captain Toybox!" Thanks for making us all a little smarter!

[@spectorcreative1872]

Glad as always to get your kind feedback Andrew!

[@TheGamesNexus]

This was great! I mostly work with miniatures (often "slugs"), so it's nice to see how other parts of the industry operate.

[@spectorcreative1872]

A crazy vocabulary of terms

[@BossksBounty]

I've always said Paint Apps, as in Paint Applications. But I am sure you are right with Paint ops. Thanks for using my 5POA image

[@spectorcreative1872]

Thanks for posting it! It was a great image.

[@madamfoidart]

I have a topic that I'd like to see covered: the different types of articulation. Elbows joints is pretty obvious, double joints and mushroom pegs I know but what's a butterfly joint?

[@andrewtaylor940]

On an action figure it typically means shoulders that can pivot inwards along the upper torso so the figure can cross its arms across its chest. You see them most often in the Super Articulated figures like the Bandai, Mafex and Figma. But they @re not unheard of in others. Generally a figure needs Butterfly Joints to be able to hold a sword two handed.

[@spectorcreative1872]

A butterfly joint is when the shoulder slips into the chest. Current Marvel Legends use this to expand arm articulation

[@josiahalcorne]

Dude this was one of the most helpful toy collecting videos ever for someone who wants to sound like they understand the industry. Thank you.

[@spectorcreative1872]

Well thank you! Please feel free to share it with others, it helps the channel ton

[@josiahalcorne]

@@spectorcreative1872 What I don't understand is why a company like Hasbro doesn't line up all the properties it owns and do all its tooling so that they can get the most out of every piece. Even going so far as to launch new properties to capitalize on the tooling they already have. A GI Joe cartoon miniseries focused on Zartan being busted out of prison by his siblings Zarana and Zandar who have infiltrated the experimental Coed prison and how the trio navigate the prison yard gang culture particularly some version of a biker gang who becomes instrumental in the escape plan. Most of the characters would have fairly similar sculpting because prison "scrubs" are all the same. You could do a couple of arm variations changing whether a character was wearing long johns under their scrub top and different flesh colors then mix and match head sculpts with some effort to mimic nonjoe characters from other lines. then your collection of "scrub" wearing parts could be used in a medical toy line aimed at younger girls like a veterinary hospital with spin-off cartoon including a couple of park rangers using prison guard tooling and a rescue pilot in a jumpsuit that could be a mechanic coverall or a Ghostbuster uniform. Throw in a Warden's assistant and a vet hospital receptionist. Then do a Zartan and Dreadnok biker mini-series against Chuckles, Shockwave, and some characters that might look like COPS and Crooks characters particularly the bodybuilder female and female hacker figure. The dreadnoks look like bikers and the three biker babe characters along with the warden's assistant, female bodybuilder, vet rescepionist and computer hacker become Jem and the Holograms and rival band. The harry bearded biker heads would fit in a medieval toy line. I think Hasbro has the rights to Dungeons and Dragons there is an abundance of characters that would make decent fantasy sculpts hanging out in the background of star wars. The bikers also could pull off a denim dungaree look that wouldn't look out of place in a Naval setting or a coast guard team. Coast guard/Navy divers could double duty with second round of Vet hospital line with a marine approach. A fantasy line lends itself to princess/fairy figures/gypsy and some Valkrie/Amazon Warrior types who could lend themselves to a second Jem series as a hard core metal band and a new wave band and maybe a female country band competing on a fictional reality show.

[@ivane5110]

So all of those custom G.I. Joes made in the early 80's by us simply unscrewing them and swapping parts were kitbashes? All these decades and I never knew I was a little kitbasher.

[@spectorcreative1872]

We all are in a way...

[@DanyTV79]

Lots of great information here. Thanks a lot!

[@spectorcreative1872]

Thanks! Feel free to share with others online, it helps the channel a ton

[@johnmorey720]

I uh, own some of those slugs. They're oddly fun to hold in-hand...

[@spectorcreative1872]

Oddly is right!

[@exoticcarfactsofficialchan7050]

Your industry insight videos are always really awesome 👏😁 It's great to glean information about the toy industry from an actual veteran of the business. 😎👍👍 two thumbs up

[@spectorcreative1872]

Thank you as always!~

[@EllisD01]

PDQ stands for Pretty Darn Quick, or that’s what I was told when I started working at retail. Because you open the shipping box and put it straight to the shelf, saving time, as opposed to having to place each individual item on the shelf or pegs.

[@spectorcreative1872]

Yup. That is what it stands for!

[@bdrive5663]

Nice video. I think you have covered all of these terms before across multiple videos but it's nice to have it all in one place. This is gonna be like the second video from your channel I would recommend to new watchers.

[@spectorcreative1872]

Well thank you! Any help sharing videos is most appreciated!

[@fpedroza]

5:30 - i think it's called "sprue"

[@hulksmash8159]

It is indeed.

[@spectorcreative1872]

You are right!

[@georgetrapp6666]

You also beat me to the word sprue!

[@AzraelThanatos]

Just as a note about Tooling, it tends to be something that is used for metal moulds. For Vulcanized Rubber and other things of the like, they tend to just refer to it as moulding/moulds. The name came from older setups with who would be making the moulds between them...even if they were cast in the same thing. Kitbashing also tends to tie into things where the sculptors using it, taking parts from other stuff as part of it. It's more towards the vehicles side of things where they used to have stacks of model kits that they might take parts from toe make greeblies and just adding details...same thing that the movie industry does there for things. It's more of which area of the industry you're in.

[@spectorcreative1872]

Good additional info. I am most grateful you took the time to post this

[@6Rudolph6Shitler6]

Awesome channel.

[@spectorcreative1872]

Well than you! Feel free to share with others, ithelps the channel a ton

[@larryzeffert1043]

I love how action figure abs (abdomens) are made of abs (plastic).

[@spectorcreative1872]

Ha! nice.

[@elchingon1458]

I used to love the Toy Biz Dump Bins at KB toys... Full of Marvel's Action Figures. Good Memories.

[@spectorcreative1872]

And cheap!

[@TheCrabbyArchives]

Is there a term in the industry that refers to pegwarmer/shelfwarmer figures? Especially in the case that they sell so poorly they have to be clearanced

[@spectorcreative1872]

It is called a stale peg.

[@georgetrapp6666]

Thanks. Was going to suggest pegwarmer!

[@stephenturner757]

Was watching a lot of your videos recently and was wondering what 'tooling' you kept speaking of. Decided to look up the terms and this video popped up! Love the Creative logo. I was a big fan of their Sound Blasters back in the day.

[@spectorcreative1872]

Nice! And always open to topic suggestions anytime!

[@bagi365]

Greetings from a subscriber from a small european country. Just wanted to tell you thanks for your super informative videos. I am very interested in entire subject and would love to see more about mass production part. Seems like a part full of secrets. Not many action figures factory photos and videos around, and that is understandable, they are not tourist organisations. That is why I hope to get from you as much info as possible. You told us a lot already, but subject is huge. I guess you did not spent your entire career on a factory floor, but you are super experienced in all aspects so I hope you will continue to cover that part in the future. Since your first video, I learned from you more than from any other source ever. Thank you for all the videos!

[@spectorcreative1872]

I didn't spend much time in any factories, but I did see a few "internal" videos about the factories and how toys are made. Doing my best to retell what I legally can! Thanks for the kind words. Will keep em coming!

[@rodrickadamginsburg8960]

I’m continuing my campaign for the upgrade for your title, The Sage Toy Guru!

[@spectorcreative1872]

I"ll take ti!

[@rodrickadamginsburg8960]

@@spectorcreative1872 Well earned!

[@mrfcauthen]

"Because, you know, M." This channel is tight lol

[@spectorcreative1872]

I aim to please.

[@articulatrix6548]

Love this video. Very insightful, especially the difference between ABS vs PVC. Is there a price difference as well? And the way they are colored? I notice, for example, the different shades of red on the Lightning Collection MMPR Red Ranger torso (softer plastic) vs arms (stiffer plastic). The reds simply don’t match.

[@spectorcreative1872]

yeah, an ongoing issue with plastic types

[@spaghettijacket7667]

Love the channel. Has anyone else notice he sounds like Fred Savage?

[@spectorcreative1872]

I am Fred Savage.

[@philaga6003]

Once again a wealth of information. In the Robin Hood example of retooling why do think the legs lost the knee articulation?

[@spectorcreative1872]

Cost savings. Fewer moving parts means cheaper to produce

[@benflay6038]

Now that was fascinating you learn on the job ...you need to come visit me I'll show you stores here Motu is the definition of kit bashing

[@spectorcreative1872]

Yes it is/was

[@johnmorey720]

And so, the ToyGuru solves the "Paint Apps vs Paint Ops" debate. You rule, good sir.

[@spectorcreative1872]

I aim to please!

[@kranser]

Some questions: Why don't fully-tooled figures sell for a higher price? Does part-tooled or fully-tooled status affect how many of that figure will be made from the mould? I.e. as fully tooled mould costs more, do you not produce more to make more use of it?

[@spectorcreative1872]

When figures are in an assortment the partially tooled figures off set the cost of full tools.

[@TheGamesNexus]

There are some toys that sell models with limited interest for a higher price, but the customers usually prefer to have similar prices over a range, and they tend to complain about the more expensive ones. About the numbers made: The manufacturer usually has a pretty good idea how many will be sold, but if that specific toy gets traction, it shows the need for a new production run. Creating more then the current need would just make the production and storing costs unneccessarily higher. I'd say it's rather the other way around. If the manufacturer sees that there is high demand for something, it shows it's worth the price to create full tooling to produce it.

[@rolandkatsuragi]

5:33 Here's a term for you Scott, they're runners. Learned that model kits.

[@hulksmash8159]

Correct.

[@spectorcreative1872]

Well thank you!

[@Rodimus13ShelfSpace]

Shelf Talker! I have one of these for the Transformers: Dark of the Moon Ultimate Optimus Prime figures (got it at Botcon 2012). This thing had a version of the figure in giant box with a clear window on the front. You could push a button on it and it would make the sounds the figure could make and activate lights to illuminate the figure or other parts of the display talking about the figure. Anyway, I was using the terms display or kiosk since I wasn't sure what to really call it, so it's nice to have a term to put to it. Thank you! Also, is PDQ the same as a POS (Point of Sale) Display? I used to work in the corrugated box and display industry and that was the term I thought remember hearing. Thank you as always for sharing your knowledge and experience!

[@spectorcreative1872]

A PDQ stands for Pretty Darn Quick (as a quick way to buy something)

[@Thunderwing88]

As soon as you said the word “slug” my mind went right to bullets. Must be the Jack Webb Dragnet.

[@spectorcreative1872]

Yupo

[@georgetrapp6666]

Slug figures are also sometimes referred to as 'salt shaker' figures, I think coined by the now defunct ToyFare magazine.

[@fourlights5086]

That Tick figure looked dope. Is that something that got released? Do you know the manufacturer of that if so?

[@spectorcreative1872]

It did, but I would need to do a google search. I don't recall off the top of my head

[@ccggenius]

Luckily, I am a guy with some free time, AND the internet. Sadly it's not from a dedicated The Tick figure line, it's from the Indie Spotlight series from Shocker toys. On the plus side, it appears there are also figures of The Maxx, and Scudd, the Disposable Assassin (among others), so...

[@samtheweebo]

They are all hand painted?! Seriously?! That's kind of insane and quite cool.

[@spectorcreative1872]

Makes the price point much more easy to swallow huh?

[@samtheweebo]

@@spectorcreative1872 also makes it more sad when I remember the number of toys that ended up with the paint being rubbed/chipped off from play

[@paulofernandesroberto9336]

Amazing video! I always wondered if the term "buck" for action figures is a collector's term or is it a company term 😃

[@spectorcreative1872]

Yup. We use it!

[@paulofernandesroberto9336]

@@spectorcreative1872 Nice! Thanks for answering!

[@minnion2871]

It's actually kind of interesting when one considers that Lego is perhaps one of the best action figure lines ever.... (They have the advantage of vehicles/play-sets being modular, allowing for sets to be combined to make bigger customized play sets that can absolutely dwarf the likes of the USS Flagg....)

[@spectorcreative1872]

LEGO is actually considered (by the industry) construction play. And the mini figures are accessories!

[@minnion2871]

@@spectorcreative1872 But you can see why I consider Lego capable of fulfilling the usual play patterns of action figures too right? (It seems that other construction toys have been designed to double as action figures too...)

[@OxBigly2010]

I worked retail for a number of years. What does PDQ stand for?

[@LewisChristisonVids]

Public Display of Quaker Oats?

[@spectorcreative1872]

Pretty Darn Quick

[@BigBennKlingon]

"Paint ops" being done by hand is an amazing fact. I guess it's another reason why these companies are on an eternal quest for the most austere labour markets.

[@spectorcreative1872]

Very much so!

[@biostemm]

What would you consider an existing figure that gets re-released with new accessories or in some sort of multi-pack or as a pack-in with a vehicle or playset, (if they were only available as a stand-alone previously)? Refresh? What if a figure has accessories or deco simplified or removed to be sold at a lower price point? Thanks!

[@spectorcreative1872]

If you are changing the figure in any way it is considered a new sku.

[@Spongemonkey26]

5:35 is called a sprue, coming from the Warhammer hobby.

[@spectorcreative1872]

Well there you go!

[@rodrickadamginsburg8960]

So were the “staction” figures considered bullets then?

[@LewisChristisonVids]

I don't own any of those, but they were probably make out of multiple separate parts stuck together, so I'd say no.

[@spectorcreative1872]

In a way yes. But usually a slug figure is a small figure. Once you get over 4 inches it is a statue.

[@MadDragon-lb7qg]

Wow, a USA based video featuring £ sterling prices. A pleasant surprise!

[@spectorcreative1872]

I aim to please

[@dlpi9212]

Hey Scott, any insight into PVC/ABS aging over time and becoming 'sticky' or oily? Does one have more propensity over the other for this type of degradation? Why does it happen? Any way of preventing?

[@spectorcreative1872]

I do have a video about this on the way! Stay tuned

[@CyberDragon10K]

Huh, always thought it was paint apps instead of paint ops. Guess this is a toh-may-toh/toh-mah-toh thing. @4:24 - 4:27 your picture of Retro Doom is oddly cut off as it scrolls.

[@spectorcreative1872]

Yup. Paint Application

[@FNHot]

How does tooling on something like creepy crawler molds work? Because the molds were steel, so are the tools for those a different metal with a higher melting point? Making a tool or mold, for a mold, to be sold to kids to make their own toys, is as close to toy-ception as it gets i think.

[@spectorcreative1872]

Yes, tools are used for making plastic as well as metal objects. Just think die cast toys as well.

[@FNHot]

@@spectorcreative1872 I understand that, I just dont know what materials they'd use for it, if you're pouring metal into it. You'd ruin the mold if you poured steel into steel.

[@rodrickadamginsburg8960]

Almost 18k 🤩🤩🤩

[@spectorcreative1872]

Closer all the time!

[@rowie4life]

On the types of plastic you said it's mainly ABS and PVC, with body, head & arms being ABS, is this correct? Because the arms and heads of most figures are normally more flexible, than the body, especially if heated.

[@spectorcreative1872]

ABS is usually for capes and belts

[@georgetrapp6666]

In the case of most classic figures, 1977 Star Wars and onward, mostly the limbs and heads are PVC, and torsos ABS, common in lots of toy lines. Some customizers of Star Wars Power Of The Force figures used a boil-and-pop method, getting the neck peg stretchy enough to remove, and again stretchy enough to plug into a different figure's 'neck hole'.

[@genesanford9412]

Oddly enuf ,i knew these! (pats himself :D ) I was using the term "Buck" ,meaning a fig to work from ,like a blank neutral ,generic fig.In this case ,blow-out M.L. figs @ $3-5 ...crazy cheap.I said" at that price ,i,d buy 3 to use as bucks to work from,& he had no idea what i meant.i had to explain to him 4 x,s what it meant.He didnt believe me.I use Mavel parts to create custom DC figs.That angers some people.

[@spectorcreative1872]

Hey use this video to show em!

[@kranser]

Kitbashing - is it called that irrespective of whether the tooling comes from the same toy line or a different line the manufacturer makes?

[@JeffreyPiatt]

Kit bashing is also common around Special effects houses for Prop construction and back when they used real models star trek used kit bashing to make up background ships and distroyed ships.

[@spectorcreative1872]

Regardless of the original toy line

[@georgetrapp6666]

@@JeffreyPiatt as well, the gun towers and surface of the Death Star seen in X-Wing vs TIE sequences, are said to have been kitbashed.

[@shrap3d]

When a part comes off a tool, you call it forked. I have heard them refered to as sprues or runners. Is that accurate, do you know?

[@JeffreyPiatt]

Those are correct for plastic molding. I know Bandai Hobby has a patent on a process that let's them inject multiple colors on to one runner for Gunpla kits.

[@spectorcreative1872]

Ys, sprues

[@georgetrapp6666]

Sprue sometimes comes in handy when customizing. Anything dowel-shaped, long cylindrical shaped, does need to occur in plastic already, rather than be handmade. I also use it when gluing two surfaces that won't adhere, or are too smooth, I drill out the two sides, glue in a scrap of sprue, then bond the two surfaces to the scrap, then fill any seams later. Sprue can be stretched carefully over a candle flame to extend it, or to make simulated wire.

[@ryanarmstrong3113]

Im a sucker for learning such things..........KZbin you fiend! Btw sounds abit better, less voice bouncing off whatever in your recording room and I like this intro logo much more. Other intro with the BOOM I didnt care for much.

[@spectorcreative1872]

Thanks! I got a new mic and have been doing all I can to record tighter

[@schristy3637]

READ THIS TRUE SAD STORY. I work at Toy R Us and put up a shelf talkers on an end caps. Put up a My Little Pony(played the My Little Pony song). It had a motion sensors. So ever time you would walk by it... Will you know what happened. This sad but true. We would have to take the pre-assembled displays that came in a case like Lagos or Bionicle after the shelf were being reset. Take them out to the dumpster and make sure they were destroyed before putting them in the dumpster. You know they are glued together. I asked if we could not just give them to kids. The answer was........ NO. No reason just no.

[@spectorcreative1872]

Yeah it is a shame that you can't just "look the other way". I have a good friend who got an amazing Hot Wheels retail display piece simply by hanging around the dumpster and nabbing it at the right time.

[@PaulGaither]

Engagement for the engagement god. May the algorithm blessings be upon you.

[@spectorcreative1872]

All glory to the algorithm

[@PaulGaither]

@@spectorcreative1872 -When he dances with his wife Tipper, do we call it Al Gore rhythm?

[@sjones1234]

The plastic forks you are talking about are called runners.

[@spectorcreative1872]

Well thank you!

[@sjones1234]

@@spectorcreative1872 thank you for all that great insider info, I really enjoyed the video.

[@sjones1234]

@@spectorcreative1872 I've always liked how the toy industry will often leave runners on the finished parts as part of the packaging rather than having a worker snip them off by hand as they come our of the press. It's pretty genius to make separating scrap part of the unboxing experience. You really don't see this done outside toys/models/games.

[@stephenturner757]

I've tried to find information on why tooling cost so much, but I can't find that information anywhere. Is it just the metal that's needed to create the mold or the artists work? I'm lost on why it would cost so much money.

[@spectorcreative1872]

See here! kzbin.info/www/bejne/mHrRfGCChtSnatE

[@boojiemanuno]

Hey Lucy you have sum Essssplainin todo :.Decompressed toys What are they ?

[@spectorcreative1872]

Decompressed toys? I may need more details on that one

[@tonyjackson4078]

As a longtime Transformer fan Repaint, Remold, Kibble, Vac Metal, Tampos have been burned into my brain.

[@spectorcreative1872]

Burn it baby!@

[@georgetrapp6666]

Vac-forms or Vac-U-forms were a common phrase for the animated Iron Man figures and animated series of Silver Surfer figures from the 90s, yes. Please inform us what the rest of the terms mean? Kibble? Tampo?

[@tonyjackson4078]

@@georgetrapp6666 Repaints are just using existing molds and giving them new paintjobs to rerelease a toy, or create a new character. A Remold is taking an existing mold and tooling a new head, or chest, or whichever piece to make a "new" character. Kibble is pretty specific to Transformers it's leftover pieces of the vehicle mode that get integrated into the robot design. Like wheels or doors, or the infamous "backpack" of parts. Tampos are short for tampographing, which is a detailed design that is applied to the toy and isn't hand painted, and is more durable than a sticker. Hope that helps!

[@ultramaximusreviews]

You should do a video on GPS or CPS... Gold Plastic Syndrome or Crystal Plastic Syndrome

[@spectorcreative1872]

I'll add it to the list!

[@TrippyScarecrow]

Hey, Spector, I've been curious for a long time, why has Hasbro stopped making 12" GI Joes? More specifically the more generic adventure types, rather than the ones based off of the 3" figures and the cartoon. I'm a 90s kid, and my dad got me into GI Joe around the time that there was a resurgence of the 12" line around 97-98? Not sure if you've covered this topic before, or if you'd be willing to do anything covering GI Joe in the future. Love your vids, though!

[@spectorcreative1872]

Very simple answer, they don't sell. Or at least at the rate to justify the development cost.

[@TrippyScarecrow]

@@spectorcreative1872 makes sense to me. It's a shame. Finding them now is a struggle. They're either in poor condition, or they're being sold at crazy prices. Thanks for the reply!

[@georgetrapp6666]

I have a related question. Why are the 4" GI JOE figures onward since the 30th Anniversary or later only for the club, these days? And acquisition of them also near-impossible, or very expensive?

[@scockery]

@@georgetrapp6666 Because that's the way the kind of people who run collector's club want things, rare and expensive. They sucked and always sucked, their apologist members sucked, too, since they were suckers who had little to no input but paid out their arses for whatever the club made. Any good idea they ever had would've been better as retail releases. So glad the club is done, should've happened a decade earlier. Also, Hasbro had too many IP's and licenses to bother with GI JOE after the Retaliation movie line flopped. Now there's a new wave of nostalgia Hasbro can ride, but I won't be surprised if GI JOE is dead again in a few years once the artificial scarcity ceases and whatever media they create fails,

[@flaviocaselli2848]

5:35 That is called a plastic tree in the matrix industry.

[@spectorcreative1872]

Well thank you!

[@MrRoccoMarchegiano]

Yeah man, toys are rough. I make molds, I even have patents, most of my work is in prosthesis with a little bit in adult toys. I thought I'd start a figure line because I have a lot of ideas and toys compared to actual human parts seemed easy, but, you go looking at prices and jeez-o there is just no way. I'm sure from the buyer's perspective they seem expensive but imagine actually sculpting an original, molding it, pulling copies, assembling, and painting them. It's a lot of work and the big boys keep their prices so low I doubt a humble single man operation could even make a profit. I'd want like 100 for what y'all can get in stores for 10.

[@spectorcreative1872]

The toy business is a LOT more complex than most realize. Great personal perspective

[@rodrickadamginsburg8960]

SHARE, SHARE, SHARE!

[@spectorcreative1872]

Yeah yeah yeah!

[@Cincinnatijames]

It's funny that this is a video of toy terms and he calls the sprue "forks" when talking about tooling.

[@spectorcreative1872]

Point taken

[@truslider]

time out!! you explained what SRP stands for but you didnt explain PDQ.

[@spectorcreative1872]

It is a play on the words "pretty darn quick" actually!

[@jacobashley4485]

First

[@spectorcreative1872]

No Prize for you!

[@AlucardNoir]

I never understood the slug comparison. A shotgun shell is destined to fly off in a hundred different pieces. A Smurfs figurine is not. In fact, if a smurf figurine flies off in a hundred different pieces it would probably be banned from sale, at least to little kids. Why not use the word figurine in the industry? or were the people that coined the term that much against the old porcelain figurines our grandparents and great-grandparents used to have?

[@JeffreyPiatt]

I believe it's to be different from iron molding where the smaller bits are called pigs.

[@spectorcreative1872]

Just because of the size

[@AlucardNoir]

@@spectorcreative1872 Ah... no, no, I still don't get it. Aren't the shotgun shells you showcase larger then the smurf figurines you showcase when you talk about slugs?

[@georgetrapp6666]

The shotgun 'shell' pictured is not a typical buckshot or birdshot 'pellets' style. It is a lead lump, similar to an actual bullet. The aforementioned type has the end of the plastic crimped into the center, and when fired, the crimp bursts open.

[@MrColuber]

PDQ displays, so that's where the ex-wife left them...

[@spectorcreative1872]

muhahaha

[@JeffreyPiatt]

Dump Bin- the word you use when you're too much of a coward to call it a Gaylord it's real name.

[@spectorcreative1872]

I've never heard that one?

[@georgetrapp6666]

Yes, that's another term for it. (But why do I hear Beavis and Butthead laughing, right now?)