Playmates Toys

[Richard S. Ta]

Yup. All my white toys turned yellow over the course of my childhood. Things like X-Wing Fighters or the Millennium Falcon. Transformers too, if they used that kind of plastic. There's been reports of 40 year old transformers that are MIB but have still shattered inside their packaging due to the plastic decaying.

I guess they never imagined people would collect such things 40 years later or even hold on to them for that long.

 

[Unicron]

There were some variations of gold plastic mix that proved to be uncharacteristically brittle even when the toys were new, to the point where some Transformers that incorporated it would break right out of the box (or even still in the box). Thankfully modern toys of many brands don't seem to suffer from this issue.

 

[fireproof78]

There were some variations of gold plastic mix that proved to be uncharacteristically brittle even when the toys were new, to the point where some Transformers that incorporated it would break right out of the box (or even still in the box). Thankfully modern toys of many brands don't seem to suffer from this issue.

Crimson and brown Legos do, and there are other plastic concerns in other toys.

 

[drt]

I guess they never imagined people would collect such things 40 years later or even hold on to them for that long.

It was probably a combination of cost and safety (additional plasticizers so breaks don’t produce sharp shards, etc.) versus ultimate longevity, and the first two are always going to win out during production planning for toys.

 

[Paul755]

I have a TON of old “Starting Lineups” sports figures and the white pants on every single open one is a different shade of yellowish white. The tops aren’t though. Those are plastic, the legs are all pvc I think.

 

[Kor]

It's a bit cumbersome, but it's possible to brighten yellowed plastics with consumer-level chemical products such as a hydrogen peroxide solution hair developer and UV light exposure to activate the process. I've been doing this with some older toys myself. Though if it's an item of high monetary value, it might be better to just leave it as-is, funky yellow and all.

Kor

 

[Paul755]

I’ve just considered painting stuff that has yellowed, not just the sports figures but old models and stuff. It’s just so low on the priority list and I have so little free time.

 

[fireproof78]

I’ve just considered painting stuff that has yellowed, not just the sports figures but old models and stuff. It’s just so low on the priority list and I have so little free time.

6% hydrogen peroxide can help too. Working on that with a stormtrooper figure.

ETA: Whoops, what @Kor said.

 

[Kor]

6% hydrogen peroxide can help too. Working on that with a stormtrooper figure.

ETA: Whoops, what @Kor said.

The developer I found is 12% hydrogen peroxide, pretty good results.

Kor

 

[JesterFace]

It’s just so low on the priority list and I have so little free time.

Fortunately for us you're able so spend some of that time here with us. =)

 

[David cgc]

Mine was in a filing cabinet for years and years so no light exposure. I can only assume it was the exposure to air that did it as it was a very dark yucky yellow / green colour on the outside of the case, and part of the front panel when you open it.

I think it might've actually been the opposite. I had an Art Asylum Ent-A that went from white to yellow after only a couple months in a box during a move. I only recently saw it suggested that it was probably fumes from the plastic that weren't able to circulate away but instead just stuck around and reacted with it. The tricky part is how to fix it without losing the color/decals.

 

[Richard S. Ta]

It's a bit cumbersome, but it's possible to brighten yellowed plastics with consumer-level chemical products such as a hydrogen peroxide solution hair developer and UV light exposure to activate the process. I've been doing this with some older toys myself. Though if it's an item of high monetary value, it might be better to just leave it as-is, funky yellow and all.

Kor

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I love to watch people restore toys on YouTube. This guy goes through the kinds of processes you describe.

 

[mindx2]

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I love to watch people restore toys on YouTube. This guy goes through the kinds of processes you describe.

I thought the X-Wing looked better before he restored!

 

[drt]

I thought the X-Wing looked better before he restored!

I’m sure it looked like a dirty old toy in person, but in the video it really had the weathered look the Rebel ships usually featured.

 

[Richard S. Ta]

In Star Wars ships were weathered, but the 80s Toys were pristine.

My memory tells me there was a dirty X-Wing released later in the eighties that had swampy dirt stickers to represent Degobah muck.

Regardless, the process is something I find fascinating.

 

[Gingerbread Demon]

You can also buy things like retrobright, I didn't watch the video so not sure if he used that.

 

[Tomalak]

I think it might've actually been the opposite. I had an Art Asylum Ent-A that went from white to yellow after only a couple months in a box during a move. I only recently saw it suggested that it was probably fumes from the plastic that weren't able to circulate away but instead just stuck around and reacted with it. The tricky part is how to fix it without losing the color/decals.

The same thing happened to mine - the top of the saucer at least. I did vaguely think about retrobighting it, but I'll probably end up painting it and getting some custom decals printed.

But it's low on my priority list. The stand also broke (naturally) so that'll need replacing too.

 

[Paul755]

Not playmates but it looks like we are getting Lower Decks Funko POPS.

Mariner, Boims, Tend, Rutherford and Badgy.

 

[DarrenTR1970]

Not playmates but it looks like we are getting Lower Decks Funko POPS. Mariner, Boims, Tend, Rutherford and Badgy.

Interesting. Funko Pop has been in some financial trouble lately. They closed their production plant here in Everett in 2022 and relocated to Arizona where they've been having problems with distribution and storage which led to the destruction of over $30 million in inventory.

Lawsuit: Funko misled investors about Arizona move | HeraldNet.com

 

[fireproof78]

I am still so amazed at how popular Funko Pops became and the sheer variety of it. While not for me (I prefer action figures and play value over display value) I am really annoyed that 30 million dollars of inventory was destroyed.

What a crap way to run business.