|
Many of the toys we own and collect are over twenty years old. This
is a long life for a toy that was designed to last a few months in
the hands of a child who would quickly grow tired of it, and either
break it or burry it in their yard. Luckily many collectible robots
escaped such a fate, but sometimes it difficult or too expensive to
get our hands on these gems. Thats when its time to resort to other tactics.
When I first started collecting I passed up many, non mint toys, in
anticipation of the perfect toy. One toy would have a beautiful paint
job except for the head, or its chest would be chipped, or a horn
would be broken off. Eventually I realized that by buying these
"lesser" toys and combinig the pieces, I could create the
mint item I was looking for.
When buying a toy just for a part, make sure that the part can be
removed and reattached. These may sound like obvious suggestions, but
sometimes a thing may look like it'll just pop off and on, until you
find the rivet running through it. Also be sure to get a good price.
Don't pay MIB prices for a played with beat up toy!
 Disassembly
can be fun and frustrating, so try to keep it fun. I recommend you
get a least one good quality philips screwdriver and a good pair of
needle nose pliers. Don't be cheap on your tools! A good set will
last many years and you don't want to save $5 a screw driver only to
strip the threads out of your $300 toy.
 First
make sure to keep track of what screws went in what holes. They may
look the same, but there can be subtle differences. Also make sure
you know which way the legs, arms, head, etc. point.(yes, I put the
legs in backwards on the Poseidons and had to start all over again)
It may help to lay the pieces out in a logical manner on a nice flat
surface. Doing this on the shag rug in the living room isn't a good idea.
Once you have the toy apart, its fun swapping the pieces, but make
sure the paint color and other aesthetic markings are consistant. Weh
you've checked that everything is where it should be, put it bakc
together. Make sure not to over tightne the screws. In the end, this
can save you a lot of money and time, plus you end up with a couple
of toys to leave on your desk or give to your cousins, or even sell
to recoup some of your costs.
 There
is of course some contraversy in this practice. Some would argue
that this devalues the toy and that it is no longer original. I
personally do not agree with this. These aren't Mopar cars with
numbers marked on each piece. There is really no way to tell the
difference, so what is the difference? If you're a purist, and need
that cherry toy, you're going to pay for it and even then, there is
no sure way to know. I would recommend checking the screws with a
magnifying glass. If there is any wear on the left sides of the head
of the screw, that means something, like a screwdriver, applied
pressure in the loosening direction (righty tighty, lefty loosy). At
the factory they only tightened the screws, so it is the best way I
know to tell if something may have been tampered with.
If you have any cool tips, tricks, or results send me an email and
let me know. Good luck. |
