17 replies to this topic

[Beligerant1]

Damn, how come toymakers dont make more packages that you can open without damaging the packaging. Like my painted kinkeshi, you can slide off the back to look at or play with the figures, but you can put it back and it looks like the package has never been opened. I am writing this mainly about the new motu figures, they are so cool and i want to be able to display them in a cool pose or something, but i want the packaging too. I suppose from the viewpoint of the business, if you make it so collectors have to buy two of everything (one open for display and one for keeping mint) you make more money.

[musclemenkids]

yeah they screw you all the way man. take my battle set, i can open it display the figs take a photo and put them back, good as new. i had to throw away my MOTU packaging because its just rubbish once the figures are out.

[Tortle]

Mattel probably didn't consider this because that type of packaging would add extra cost to the product and would appeal to a relatively small contingency of collectors.

As a partial solution to your problem, I would suggest that you try using an exacto knife to open your toy. If you cut the bubble on three sides right at its base (not where the bubble is in contact with the card, though, since you might rip the card) you can just open the packaging like a door and take the figure out. This worked extremely well with POTF2 figures, but with something larger like He-man, you may have to experiment with the cut to see which cuts look best and keep the figure from falling out.

While we're on the subject of the toy packaging, what's the deal with the twisty-ties?! Sometimes it takes a half an hour to unpack some toys! If they just make decent under-bubbles, they don't have to worry about twisty-ties!

-Nathan

[Knuxman]

yeah, blister packs suck, i have a digimon figure set in a slide off case and it is awesome.

[TheOrgg]

Wouldn't slide-off cases make theivery easier?

[Sniper33]

Wouldn't slide-off cases make theivery easier?

You would most likely go to a store and see nothing but empty SEALED boxes.

But that packing is good for like what you all said, to open them and place them back. The traditional ones with the cardboard are good for characters your gonna keep out of the box, and really dont care. The new plastic ones (new spawn packaging) is the best for collectors I would say, but hard as heck if you want to open them.

[jkaris]

While we're on the subject of the toy packaging, what's the deal with the twisty-ties?!  Sometimes it takes a half an hour to unpack some toys!  If they just make decent under-bubbles, they don't have to worry about twisty-ties!

I heard that! I stopped untying them a LONG time ago, they are such a pain in the arse. Go to your local Radio Shack and spend $5 on a pair of "nippy cutters" They work great at getting those ties out of the way quickly! Nail clippers work, but not as well, and also they can't get those hard to reach places.

[WhoDatMuscle]

I definately need to invest in a pair of those nippy cutters. It's not so bad for me to have to spend a half hour opening a Transformer, since I'm an adult and have learned a little (okay, very little) patience. But when you're at a kids birthday party or Christmas, and they're hopping from one foot to the other wanting to play with a certain toy, they don't want to hear "Okay, only fifteen twist-ties to go."

[Knuxman]

lol, i know too well the evils of wire and it drives me nuts, i once bought a lost in space robot toy in 1998(the newer one) ive almost got it out! j/k!

[Rokk]

The twist-ties drive me insane. It takes forever just to get a toy out of the package. A twist cutter is a great idea. I'm going to have to get one.

Using an exacto knife is a great idea. That is what I use when opening up my toy packages. It would be great if toy makers thought more of the collector, but in reality, they are going to do whatever is the cheapest and easiest way to package toys.

[Knuxman]

i hate it more when it actually goes THROUGH the figure, this is rare but pisses ya off pretty bad.

[Beligerant1]

I dont think that having packages that had a back that slides off would make theivery easier. Theivery is pretty easy no matter how you cut it (back in highschool i did a lot myself, mostly cds, and i can tell you a sharp swiss army knife on your keychain can take out a blister pack pretty swiftly ) Disclaimer: Stealing is Bad, don't do it, court costs, lawyer costs, and community service arent fun!! But anyway, i think those types of collector freindly packages still have staples through them, but you can remove those pretty easy and they dont really leave a big mark.

[AmoiMan]

I dont think that having packages that had a back that slides off would make theivery easier. Theivery is pretty easy no matter how you cut it (back in highschool i did a lot myself, mostly cds, and i can tell you a sharp swiss army knife on your keychain can take out a blister pack pretty swiftly ) Disclaimer: Stealing is Bad, don't do it, court costs, lawyer costs, and community service arent fun!!

HAHAHAHA....true, very true..

[Drtooth]

While we're on the subject of the toy packaging, what's the deal with the twisty-ties?! Sometimes it takes a half an hour to unpack some toys! If they just make decent under-bubbles, they don't have to worry about twisty-ties!

Damn right! I mean, the worst is when the little plasticy things are split on the wire, so it gets stuck. I just get the scissors and cut the b**tards off! man, Playmates, why the hell do you need to do that, huh? Takes an hour to get my Simpsons and Turtles out....

[ApplianceMan]

Sometimes they need to tie things down, like if they have figures displayed in a huge box standing up or something, but I don't see why they need to do it in a blister pack. Don't ever buy one of those Chap Mei army vehicles if you don't want to spend at least half an hour removing all the stuff.

I used to keep Star Wars packages in tact. Usually I'd cut the top and sides from the front to make a flap, then take out the figure and accessories. But it took up too much space to keep the bubbles, so now I just cut the bubbles off with an exacto knife and keep the cards, even for dollar store figures. And one for each Ultimate Muscle series.

[Sniper33]

They might tie them down so that it makes it harder for people to steal the figures and such. But they really dont have to put as much as they do with some of them.

[Knuxman]

ok, i just saw a gi joe vehicle that had a total of about 30 ties and 6 were going through it! thats just stupid...........................

[Liokaiserbf]

Double stupid is Hasbro with the TF toys. Seriously I have had the trays be a pain more then the ties yet on these same ones there's a, eeh I won't say drove me batty going thru it.


Now I have to say on worse ties it is the TFs. Reason I love the Japanese versions, Gigatron (RiD Megatron) was just in a tray with a clear lid over it. Worked great and with the packaging desgins on the box you really didn't want to mess it up too much (same with the inside.)


Just be happy Hasbro isn't doing UM toys, the minis would probably have a tie on each limb, and 20 or so on the duo ones. X_x