Letters on the feet?
#1
Posted 24 October 2008 - 11:25 AM
Malosavich
#2
Posted 24 October 2008 - 11:28 AM
it really isnt anything special.
"Punk Rock: A loud, fast and deliberately offensive style of rock music"
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#3
Posted 24 October 2008 - 12:43 PM
Im pretty sure all they are is the different waves of figures (when they were made) another assumption could be that it is just the different molds
it really isnt anything special.
That would deffinatly explain why I have 2 figures that are the same (Slight colour variations but nothing mentionable) but with different letters on the feet. Out of intrest, are any of the letters significantly rarer?
Malosavich
#5
Posted 27 October 2008 - 08:25 PM
I have yellow winged panthers marked a, b, c and e. My c panther has what apears to be a small moulding defect in the middle of it's chest, two tiny indentations side by side right in the middle.
If it's the mould that caused the defect, and the letter indicates which mould was used to make the figure then any other panther marked c should have the same defect. 'Course it's also possible the defect was a bubble in the plastic, or something else not mould related, or even that the defect happened to the mould part way through a production run, but you get the idea. We could choose a different figure to compare if someone has a better and more definate moulding error.
Also, my e panther is actually quite shiny compared to the rest of the yellow panthers, if the letter indicates batch, then it's possible that all yellow figures marked e are shinier due to a slightly different plastic compound, but dullness could also be cause by weathering, so this is also an imprecise way of judging.
As a sidenote, I have two purple panthers marked f which both have a sort of speckling in the texture on the base around where all the numbers are printed, it seems to be a mould defect as the patterns are identical. I also have one red panther marked d.
Of my 27 yellow figures I have 11 are marked a (some duplicates within this lot are shinier than others, but this may be due to wear/weathering), 10 are marked b (all seem the same), 2 are marked c, 0 are marked d, 2 are marked e (these don't seem any shinier than the others), and 2 are marked f
I suggest people look for panthers either marked f (or g, h, i etc, if those exist) with speckles around the letters on the base, or panthers marked c with indentation in their chests. The indentation thing is probably a more informative thing to find because mould bases would be edited every batch if the letter indicates batch anyway, but if the letter indicates batch, then there will probably be more than one mould being used anyway... but who knows? maybe one mould per colour? If anyone finds a speckly bottomed yellow or red f marked panther, I guess that should mean the letter indicates mould?
Really, we need more info about the manufacturing process. And I need to stop rambling, lol.
#6
Posted 27 October 2008 - 10:22 PM
It's interesting to hear you say this because the other day I noticed while looking at a duplicate figure (two yellow W. Panthers or Charons, I forget) that one of them looked shiny, while the other looked decidedly matte. I'm away from home at the moment, but when I return I'll get them out and check for more shiny/matte figures and their corresponding foot letter.Also, my e panther is actually quite shiny compared to the rest of the yellow panthers, if the letter indicates batch, then it's possible that all yellow figures marked e are shinier due to a slightly different plastic compound, but dullness could also be cause by weathering, so this is also an imprecise way of judging.
#7
Posted 27 October 2008 - 11:14 PM
"Punk Rock: A loud, fast and deliberately offensive style of rock music"
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#8
Posted 28 October 2008 - 02:08 AM
Also, when I said we should look for panthers marked c with a mark on the chest, I meant any panther with a mark on the chest identical to the one I've got, and if they're all marked c then c probably means mould, and if they're not, then c probably means batch.
I'm so bad at explaining myself when I'm in a rush, lol.
#9
Posted 28 October 2008 - 01:12 PM
I need to stop rambling, lol.
I was very impressed with your long and well thought-out post, Airot. For exactly that reason, I was also disappointed to see you accuse yourself of rambling.
You WEREN'T rambling, and I certainly don't want you to stop. In fact, we need MORE people who are as eloquent, as thoughtful, as informative, and as motivated.
Keep up the good work, friend!
Your a rambler
"Punk Rock: A loud, fast and deliberately offensive style of rock music"
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#10
Posted 28 October 2008 - 11:31 PM
so, uh, just out of interest, did anyone find any defective panthers? I'll find where the batteries have run off to and take a photo of the defect on the chest of mine to show you what you're looking for. Maybe someone could even tell me if they think it's just a bubble in the plastic or something equally unhelpful. And I should photograph the speckling pattern on the base of those other panthers.
Oh, and I tried bending a few figures, and I'm noticing no correlation between the letter marked and pliability, but I am noticing that the more worn looking figures are softer. Maybe it's something to do with the way the plastic degrades?
#11
Posted 30 October 2008 - 11:06 AM
I need to stop rambling, lol.
I was very impressed with your long and well thought-out post, Airot. For exactly that reason, I was also disappointed to see you accuse yourself of rambling.
You WEREN'T rambling, and I certainly don't want you to stop. In fact, we need MORE people who are as eloquent, as thoughtful, as informative, and as motivated.
Keep up the good work, friend!
Your a rambler
I realize you're probably joking, and - furthermore - I'm not sure which of us you're (jokingly?) accusing of rambling, but I'd like to point out that if everybody contributed to this group as much as I do then we wouldn't have all these unanswered questions.
P.S. It's spelled "you're". I thought you guys invented the English language?!
#12
Posted 30 October 2008 - 07:45 PM
#13
Posted 31 October 2008 - 03:25 AM
c a? what? Does it look accidental? I wonder how many have letters like that? I guess I should check all my guys feet, eh?Finally, I found a perplexing mystery - a purple Mad Scientist with 'c a' stamped on his foot. Curiouser and curiouser.
I had a thought - if anyone's got any sealed packs with visible feet, are all the letters the same within the pack, or are they different?
#14
Posted 01 November 2008 - 01:23 AM
Yo. The combination of my archaic camera and my own incompetence as a photographer means that I simply cannot take shots that close up. However, here is an artist's impression of the writing stamped on the feet of my purple Mad Scientist:Curious indeed! I'd love to see a photo of that sole (hint, hint).I found a perplexing mystery - a purple Mad Scientist with 'c a' stamped on his foot. Curiouser and curiouser.
Figure 1. Abnormal markings on the sole of a miniature Mad Scientist.
#15
Posted 01 November 2008 - 09:47 AM
Yo. The combination of my archaic camera and my own incompetence as a photographer means that I simply cannot take shots that close up. However, here is an artist's impression of the writing stamped on the feet of my purple Mad Scientist:
Figure 1. Abnormal markings on the sole of a miniature Mad Scientist.
I just picked up a yellow Mad Scientist from my duplicates to compare and mine has "c b" stamped on its sole.
#16
Posted 01 November 2008 - 01:44 PM
I guess everyone knows already but I'd like to point out that S1 isn't the only set with a/b markings.
S2, super scaries, super creepies, dinosaurs, and I'm guessing all the others also have these marks, but they are in capitals and they don't go further than B.
My s1 figures go up to f, with the vast majority being in a and b
My super scary gitd figures are all marked A, even the yellow ones
I have some dinosaurs and super creepies without letter markings. Both my cave men, notably, don't have the marking, so it's possible that they failed to put the marking on *specific sculpts*
more discussin from me when I get back.
#17
Posted 01 November 2008 - 02:20 PM
Edited by jack cambrian, 01 November 2008 - 02:24 PM.
#18
Posted 01 November 2008 - 02:51 PM
foot_001.jpg 101.97K 31 downloads
And all my higher than b figures are marked 5 or 10 points, no more. The 10 pointers are ghoul, mad scientist and phantom.
The fact that these three have something which links them together is really helpful, I don't know how yet, but I'm sure it is important, lol. Probably means there was something special about the mad scientist too, maybe he was given out in a particular promotion? Were there any promotions where a mad scientist was given out? If so, then there's a chance that any other figures in that promotion had the odd markings too.
#19
Posted 01 November 2008 - 03:04 PM
Well, given that those 3 10-pointers were included in 4-packs (along with all the 5 pointers) maybe they just plain had to make more of them and therefore made more batches? All the other 10 pointers were only included in 12-packs and 24-packs so there must have been less of them made at the time (Does this make sense?). As far as working out where the multi-letter Mad Scientists came from, I have absolutely no recollection of where I got mine from. Helpful, I know.Okay, here's a nice clear and easy to see photo of all the dust on the soles of my mad scientist's feet, and the dirt on my fingers that I didn't know was there -.-
foot_001.jpg 101.97K 31 downloads
And all my higher than b figures are marked 5 or 10 points, no more. The 10 pointers are ghoul, mad scientist and phantom.
The fact that these three have something which links them together is really helpful, I don't know how yet, but I'm sure it is important, lol. Probably means there was something special about the mad scientist too, maybe he was given out in a particular promotion? Were there any promotions where a mad scientist was given out? If so, then there's a chance that any other figures in that promotion had the odd markings too.
#20
Posted 07 November 2008 - 04:27 PM
#21
Posted 07 November 2008 - 10:55 PM
On that note, I have to imagine they have most of the source material around somewhere, considering the "Monster Quest" line that was planned for release years ago... unless they were just planning on selling lots and lots of unused stock!
#22
Posted 08 November 2008 - 02:12 PM
I also have an 'original yellow' charon which i'm fairly certain was from a 4 pack as this was one of the 1st figures i ever got. Theres a slight chance i've gotten confused and the charon i got in the 4 pack was red (which i no longer own) but i'm fairly certain it was this yellow one. the base reads d, ad this was like one of the first figures i ever got (of 4) right after they were originally released!
This information means nothing to me but thought it may help u guys in some way...
#23
Posted 08 November 2008 - 02:57 PM
Just out of interest, what did you write to them about and what was the nature of their reply? And what is "Monster Quest"?Hell, Matchbox didn't even keep track of what they were putting out when MIMPs were on the shelves in the early '90s, as anyone who wrote to them at the time knows...!
On that note, I have to imagine they have most of the source material around somewhere, considering the "Monster Quest" line that was planned for release years ago... unless they were just planning on selling lots and lots of unused stock!
#24
Posted 08 November 2008 - 06:14 PM
Just out of interest, what did you write to them about and what was the nature of their reply? And what is "Monster Quest"?
I wrote to them at least twice in the early '90s. I don't remember what the first letter was in regards to, but the second one was about the haunted house playset. All I got in return was an extremely short, very vague response about it "not being available" that didn't answer any of my questions.
And my mistake, it was Monster in my Pocket: The Quest, and it was some toyline they were producing around the same time as the "G2" figures, but instead of entirely new sculpts they were just rereleases of series 1 and 2 figures in some unique colors. There was a planned, computer-generated cartoon and everything (that seemed to be based a lot on Pokemon), but I don't know whatever happened to it. I have pictures of the proposed characters for the show, but I can't for the life of me find the picture I saw with the actual toys in it, unfortunately...
#25
Posted 10 November 2008 - 05:37 AM
Just out of interest, what did you write to them about and what was the nature of their reply? And what is "Monster Quest"?
I wrote to them at least twice in the early '90s. I don't remember what the first letter was in regards to, but the second one was about the haunted house playset. All I got in return was an extremely short, very vague response about it "not being available" that didn't answer any of my questions.
And my mistake, it was Monster in my Pocket: The Quest, and it was some toyline they were producing around the same time as the "G2" figures, but instead of entirely new sculpts they were just rereleases of series 1 and 2 figures in some unique colors. There was a planned, computer-generated cartoon and everything (that seemed to be based a lot on Pokemon), but I don't know whatever happened to it. I have pictures of the proposed characters for the show, but I can't for the life of me find the picture I saw with the actual toys in it, unfortunately...
I'm actually working on an entry for Toypedia on MIMP The Quest but this is one of the pictures another website put up:
1160.jpg 78.27K 44 downloads
I can't remember which site it was at the minute but I will credit it on Toypedia when I find it