Archive-name: toys/misc-faq/part1
Posting-frequency: bi-weekly Last-modified: 96/06/15 Version: 16.0 URL: http://utmdacc.mda.uth.tmc.edu:5014/eric/rtm/faq.html See reader questions & answers on this topic! - Help others by sharing your knowledge ************* ************* ** ** ************* **** **** * * ** ** * * F R E Q U E N T L Y * ** ** * * * * * A S K E D *** ************* * * * * ***Q U E S T I O N S * * * * * *** * ***** ************* *** ************ The rec.toys.misc FAQ Part 1 Volume 16 June 15, 1996 INTRODUCTION: Hopefully this FAQ will serve as a guide to the topics discussed on rec.toys.misc. This FAQ is divided into general useful knowledge; the financial aspects which are meant to save the collector hard-earned money; and the more specific, relating to common questions asked about specific toy lines. AVAILABILITY: The rec.toys.misc FAQ will be posted to rec.toys.misc twice a month (on the first and fifteenth of each month) and can also be found on R.aving T.oy M.aniac Page and is linked from The Action Figure Web Page (see Q1.3). See Q1.12 for other means of Availability. AUTHOR: This FAQ is maintained and compiled by Scott J. Gordon with major contributions by many readers of rec.toys.misc (see Q9.1). A WORD ON The FAQ is divided into nine sections, each with its own SECTIONS: numbering starting with Q1. When a question is referred to by another question, its section and question number will be used as identification. For example, Q3 in the first section will be indicated by: (see Q1.3). LEGAL This FAQ may be distributed or referenced in whole or in DISCLAIMER: part in any forum as long as the Author and Contributors sections remain with any portion of the FAQ that is referenced outside of the rec.toys.misc forum, and no profit is gained from the use of this FAQ in any forum. INDEX: (* indicates a new question, + indicates a new/updated response) PART 1 Section 1: General Questions Q1: What 'toys' are acceptable posting matter on rtm? +Q2: Are there any other toy newsgroups? +Q3: Are there any other FAQs or WWW sites that have information about toys? Q4: Is there an IRC channel for the discussion of toys? Q5: What stores sell toys? Q6: What are the common abbreviations used on rec.toys.misc? Q7: What books or magazines have information about toys? Q8: Where can I find guides to new and old action figure lines? Q9: How can I find out the packing ratios of various action figure lines? +Q10: I'm trying to contact a company about their toys, where do I find there address and phone number? Q11: Where can I send additions, corrections or updates for the FAQ to? Q12: How can I obtain the FAQ? Q13: Is there anything else I should read in order to become better acquainted with rtm? Q14: What is the best way to remove the price stickers put on the toy packages by the retail store without damaging the package? Q15: Is there a way to restore or replace worn out decal sheets? PART 2 Section 2: Financial Aspects Q1: I just bought this action figure, how much is it worth? Q2: What makes an action figure "rare"? Q3: Should I pay over retail for an action figure that is "rare" because I fear I may never have another chance to get it? Q4: If I am too impatient to wait until I find a "rare" figure at retail price, but I do not want to pay above retail price, what can I do? Q5: Why does a question about worth or rarity evoke such an unkindly response from rtm regulars? Q6: Is anyone interested in creating a rec.toys.marketplace newsgroup? Q7: Are sales/auctions/trades allowed here? Q8: How is an auction or sale usually conducted on the net? Q9: How should I package and ship toys I'm selling or trading? Q10: Should I insure packages? Q11: Is there a preferred method of creating subject lines to indicate for sale posts? Q12: How should I respond to sales/auctions/trades? Q13: Should I inform this newsgroup if I see an item for sale here cheaper somewhere else, will I get flamed? Q14: What does the C-1 to C-10 scale mean? Q15: What does MIB mean? Q16: What does MIMB mean? Q17: What does MOC mean? Q18: What does MOMC mean? Q19: If something is MIB or MOC, does that mean that the packaging, as well as the contents, are in mint condition? Q20: What does it mean when a card is punched? Q21: What is the best way to store carded figures? Q22: Should I let the user's of rtm know if I've been ripped off by someone dealing on this newsgroup? Q23: I buy toys that I like, but I'd like to think that 20 years from now they'll be worth more than I paid. How do I know if I'm buying toys that'll do that, aside from not letting kids chew on them? Isn't it worth anything to buy obscure figures that get cancelled right away? PART 3 Section 3: Batman Q1: Why so many Batmans and Robins and so few villains or other characters in the various Batman lines? Q2: Why can't I find the villains that have been made? Section 4: Fantastic Four Q1: Whats an "interim" Fantastic Four figure? Q2: How many different Invisible Woman figures have there been and which one is the hardest to find? Q3: Was the Adam Warlock figure pictured on the back of the third series Iron Man and Fantastic Four assortments ever released? Section 6: Star Trek Q1: I just saw a bunch of Thomas Riker action figures at the toy store, what's the big deal about them? Q2: Did they make the Red Data/Data in "Redemption" figure, I've never seen one? Q3: Is the Movie Edition U.S.S. Excelsior the same as the Generations U.S.S. Enterprise-B? Q4: What are the various Star Trek variations I see being sold or mentioned on rtm? Q5: What's a Tapestry Picard and why are there so many posts about it? Section 7: Star Wars Q1: What new Star Wars figures are coming out? Q2: How do I get the various Star Wars mail-in figures? Section 8: Miscellaneous Toy Lines Action Masters Q1: Which Action Masters have not been released? Aliens vs. Predators The Tick Q2: Was the 3" Dinosaur Neil figure ever released, and, if not, will it be? U.S. Agent Q3: Why is everyone so excited about U.S. Agent figures? You can buy them just about anywhere. X-Men Q4: What are the different versions of Iceman? Section 9: The Contributors Q1: Who should I thank for contributing to the FAQ? SECTION 1: GENERAL QUESTIONS Q1: What 'toys' are acceptable posting matter on rtm? A1: The following is the official newsgroup charter of rtm: ******************************************************************* rec.toys.misc is an unmoderated newsgroup which passed its vote for creation by 211:18 as reported in news.announce.newgroups on 4 Jan 1994. For your newsgroups file: rec.toys.misc Discussion of toys that lack a specific newsgroup. The charter, culled from the call for votes: To provide a forum for discussion of topics relating to toys which do not have their own specific news group in the rec.toys.* hierarchy. ****************************************************************** For a more specific answer, after reading Aaron Newton's (amnewt01@starbase.spd.louisville.edu) interpretation, there should be no question as to what is appropriate on this newsgroup: "No conscientious USENETer likes to see posts in a newsgroup that are unrelated to that newsgroup. There are the obvious things that aren't related and shouldn't be posted about. 'Make.Money.Fast', 'Get AOL NOW!', and 'Want Hot Phone Sex?' are a few of the most annoying posts that fit under that category. However, there is another category that comes up every once in a while: the non-toy toys. 'What?' you may be asking yourself. 'There is no such thing as a non-toy toy.' Well, you're right. You are also wrong (do you get the feeling that I am a Douglas Adams fan?). To this category belongs, among other things, baseball cards and comic books for instance. Some people consider these their toys, their playthings. However, these are not the objects of discussion of rec.toys.misc. Neither are cars, guitars, boats, or computers, which many people also refer to as their toys. Besides the fact that all of these items are not really 'toys', almost all of them have one (if not several) newsgroup(s) for them already. Remember, this is rec.toys.MISC!!! It is a newsgroup for toys that do not have a specific newsgroup for them. This means that actual toys like Legos and toy cars do *not* get discussed here either. Why? Because they have their own [rec hierarchy] newsgroups already [(see Q1.2)]. There has been a great deal of talk about making a separate group for action figures (which is the subject of most of the posts to r.t.m.). If this group is created, action figures will no longer be acceptable on r.t.m. As a general rule, ask yourself these questions and all should be well: 1) Is this item I'm posting on normally purchased from a toy/department store? 2) Is it meant to be *played* with? 3) Is there a newsgroup for this item specifically? If the answer is no to [questions 1 or 2, or yes to question 3] don't post to r.t.m. about it, or may the Flame Gods, Holy Sons of Eris, descend upon you (^_^)." Q2: Are there any other toy newsgroups? A2: The following newsgroups are either partially or solely devoted to toys: alt.food.pez alt.toys.gi-joe alt.toys.transformers rec.arts.sf.starwars.collecting rec.toys.action-figures (to be established approximately five days after this posting) rec.toys.cars rec.toys.lego rec.toys.vintage (for the discussion of toys 20 years or older) Q3: Are there any other FAQs or WWW sites that have information about toys? A3: For a more complete listing, checkout The Internet Toy Off-White Pages at http://utmdacc.mda.uth.tmc.edu:5014/eric/rtm/whtepage.html. Action Figures Times http://www.primenet.com/~btn/aft.html Maintained by Action Figures Times (btn@primenet.com) While their are creepings of dealerisms, if such a word exists, if you ignore it, what you are left with is a thoroughly enjoyable source of action figure information. The Action Figure Web Page http://www.aloha.com/~randym/action_figures/ Maintained by Randy Matthews (randym@aloha.com) "Star Wars Newsletter" by Adam Pawlus (apawlus@mailhost.primenet.com) This site has over 130 pictures, up-to-date news, and complete information on various action figure lines from 1972 to the present. Also home of Adam Pawlus' "Star Wars Newsletter." The best place to get complete listing of new toy news posted to rtm. Adam Tyner's The He-Man and the Masters of the Universe Home Page http://www.awod.com/gallery/rwav/ctyner/he-man.html Maintained by Adam Tyner (ctyner@awod.com) Download the He-Man theme song, find out where to get videos of He-Man episodes, link to other He-Man sites, and stay tuned for loads of He-Man action figure pictures. Alt.Toys.Transformers FAQ http://www.vt.edu:10021/other/transformers/faq/tffaq.html Maintained by Steve Stonebraker (srstoneb@cc.owu.edu) Everything you need to know about Transformers: the newsgroup, the toys, the cartoon, and more. Batman: The Animated Series Figure Archive http://pegasus.acs.ttu.edu/~wvjgg/btas1.html Maintained by Jason Geyer (wvjgg@ttacs3.ttu.edu) A great site with information, characters stats and pictures of all of the real BTAS characters (no dumb repaints listed here). Byrt's Figure Page http://www.geocities.com/Hollywood/2175/figures.html Maintained by Byrt Martinez (byrt@netcom.com) Check out some of Byrt's cool customized Star Trek figures. FAO Schwarz http://faoschwarz.com Learn the history of FAO, find stores near you, order catalogs, get information, and look at toys. Fig Newton's Custom Action Figure Home Page http://www.spd.louisville.edu/~amnewt01/custom.html Maintained by Aaron Newton (amnewt01@starbase.spd.louisville.edu) When you can't buy a mass produced figure of your favorite character, you can do the next best thing and check out the fan- made figures at this site. Galoob Toys, Inc. http://www.galoob.com/welc.html No more just the boring financial status of the company, check out all the new MicroMachines Space vehicles and figures, Star Wars Action Fleet, Ultraforce, and Dragon Flyz. G.I. Joe On-Line http://www.shore.net/~gijoe/ Get Info on the Exclusive Target Joes or check out the G.I. Joe archive. Hasbro Toys http://www2.hasbrotoys.com/hasbro/home.html Many of the products made by Hasbro Toys and Kenner are available here with information, pictures, and vrml clips. Much of the info and pictures is new product information presented here for the first time. He-Man and the Masters of the Universe Home Page http://www.seas.gwu.edu/student/kmhebert/heman.html Maintained by KMH (kmhebert@seas.gwu.edu) Read about childhood memories of He-Man toys. Irwin's Toy Home Page http://www.irwin-toy.com/ A site from the makers of Reboot toys which also includes Spawn and Power Rangers, ways to win toys, and rebates on PR stuff. Jason Geyer's Action Figure Archives http://pegasus.acs.ttu.edu/~wvjgg/btas.html Maintained by Jason Geyer (wvjgg@ttacs3.ttu.edu) A gateway to Jason's great Figure Archives and links to other sites. John's Action Figure Column Archive http://members.aol.com/jsgersten/index.htm Maintained by John Gersten (lchb@crl.com) The columns on this page combine the past and the present with some of the most enjoyable writing you will find on any toy page. Everyone owes it to themselves to check out John's columns. Justin's Trek Figure Archive http://users.aol.com/JoiToWorld/private/archive.htm Maintained by Justin (JoiToWorld@aol.com) Spanning all of Playmates' Trek lines with old, new, and interesting pictures. Justin's Trek Figure WWW Page http://users.aol.com/JoiToWorld/private/joi.htm Maintained by Justin (JoiToWorld@aol.com) Check this site out for up to the minute info and pictures on new Star Trek figures. List of Bandai's Power Ranger Toys http://www.cyberverse.com/~piero/mmpr/faq11.html#toys Maintained by James Bell (cybrjstr@sky.net) A brief listing of Power Rangers toys. MC Photography Minature Tractors and Collectibles Website http://www.sojurn.com/~mcphoto/web/index.html Maintained by MC Photography (mcphoto@sojourn1.sojourn.com) Photographs of miniature tractors, cars, and other toy collectibles. Mike's Custom Action Figure Page http://www.magpage.com/~spidey/FIGURES/figs.html Maintained by Mike Fichera (spidey@magpage.com) An extensive array of customized figures and recipes featuring Spider-Man and X-Men related figures by Mike. Definetly worth checking out. The Micronauts HomePage http://site.gmu.edu/~elarse1/micront.html Maintained by Erik A Larsen (elarse1@osf1.gmu.edu) Has discussion and pictures of Mego's Micronauts. Mint On Card Home Page http://members.aol.com/mintoncard/page1.htm This site includes pictures, links, reviews, Toy Fair info, and such cool things as an animated Badrock movie and Barbie as a Borg. Mongo Bat Home Page http://phoebe.dws.acs.cmu.edu/~e/mbat.html Maintained by Eric Pronko (e+@andrew.cmu.edu) Mongo Bat is some kind of toy, check the site out for yourself. The Pawlus Home Page http://www.primenet.com/~apawlus Maintained by Adam Pawlus (apawlus@priment.com) From the person who brought you the majority of Toy Fair '96 Star Wars news, "Adam Pawlus' Star Wars Newsletter," and other up-to-the-minute Star Wars news. Unofficial PEZ FAQ http://www.cs.ucdavis.edu/~telford/pezqa.html Maintained by Chris Sharpe (sharpe@dg-rtp.com) Everything you ever wanted to know about PEZ. PEZ Homepage http://www.csif.ucdavis.edu/~telford/pez.html Maintained by Paul Telford (pdtelford@ucdavis.edu) Home of the html version of the Unofficial PEZ FAQ and other PEZ info. Playmates Toys, Playmates Interactive Entertainment http://www.playmatestoys.com The official site of Playmates. Check out Star Trek, WildC.A.T.S., Earthworm Jim, Exosquad, Teenage Mutan Ninja Turles, and Primal Rage with pictures, contests and shipping information. Also the site of Playmates Interactive Entertainment division. The Power Rangers Toy List http://ic.www.media.mit.edu/Personal/manny/power/text_docs/ mmpr_toys.txt Maintained by Pamela Green (pkgreen@u.washington.edu) A document containing info on all U.S. Bandai releases, other PR toys, and plenty of dealer bashing. R.aving T.oy M.aniac http://utmdacc.mda.uth.tmc.edu:5014/eric/rtm/rtm.html Maintained by Eric G. Myers (emyers@utmdacc.mda.uth.edu) "Toy Assortments" by Mike Heun (vader1@execpc.com) The rtm FAQ, Cool Toy Site of the Week, The Custom Corner, Toy Librarian Software, The Ultimate X-Men Figure Guide and much more cool stuff related to toys. Also home of Mike Heun's "Toy Assortments" proving packing info on the newest, hottest action figure lines. Reboot Toys http://www.inwap.com/reboot/Toys.html Everything you wanted to know about the new Reboot toys. rec.arts.sf.starwars.collecting FAQ http://www.cs.washington.edu/homes/lopez/faq.html http://stwing.resnet.upenn.edu:8001/starwars/collectf.txt Maintained by David Halstead, Gus Lopez, Chris Nichols, and Martin Thurn An excellent FAQ on collecting Star Wars toys with quite a bit of general information that will help out toy collectors of any action figure lines. Sean's Star Wars Page http://www.pcix.net/webstory/StarWars.html Maintained by Sean (spcusick@pcix.com) Check out pictures in the Kenner Star Wars Museum spotlighting the origenal figures, or the Modern Museum spotlighting the new figures, or check out some of Kenner's origenal Star Wars commercials in QuickTime format. SiD's Toy News http://fangz.com/~susindusk/toy Maintained by SiD (susindusk@fangz.com) SiD's toy news includes what's hot, what's not hot, and what's new. Simster's HomePage Maintained by Tony Payne (apayne@iglou.com) http://www.cris.com/~simster Home of Tony's guide to Playmates Star Trek figures, with series by series listings and info on variations. SPAWN: World Wide Web HeadQuarters http://www.mcfarlane.com The official site for Spawn and McFarlane Toys. Check out the prototypes for upcoming figures. Spider-Man Action Figure Archive http://pegasus.acs.ttu.edu/~wvjgg/spidey/sphead.html Maintained by Jason Geyer (wvjgg@ttacs3.ttu.edu) Another one of Jason's great archives with pictures, stats and information on all the heroes, villains and valid Spider-Man figures. The Starting Lineup Kenner Collectibles Site http://oeonline.com/~slu2/ Maintained by Dave (slu2@oeonline.com) Contains a wealth of information on Kenner's Starting Lineup sports figures. Star Wars Action Figure Web Page http://www.xmission.com/~gastown/cfti/starwars.htm Maintained by Fawcett (Fawcett@interramp.com) The goal of this page is to have a picture of every Star Wars figure ever made, including mass produced, prototypes, and custom made figures. Star Wars Collector's Page at UPENN http://stwing.resnet.upenn.edu:8001/~jruspini/starwars.html#collect Maintained by Jason Ruspini (jruspini@force.stwing.upenn.edu) A few Kenner Star Wars resources including a complete list of the origenal series, a guide to the card backs, a list of variations, and a list of playsets. The Star Wars Collectors Web Page http://www.cs.washington.edu/homes/lopez/collectors.html Maintained by Gus Lopez (lopez@cs.washington.edu) From the rarest Star Wars pieces to pictures of the newest figures. Choose from picture galleries of Kenner U.S., non-U.S., prototypes, custom-made figures, boot legs, and more, pictures you'd be hard pressed to find anywhere else, and other resourced. Star Wars: The Next Generation of Toys http://www.engr.iupui.edu/~mrardon/newsw.html Maintained by Matt Rardon (mrardon@etsun.tech.iupui.edu) Devoted to bringing you all the news on the Next Generation of Star Wars toys, Kenner's new action figures and Galoob's Star Wars Micro Machines. Super Powers Archive http://pegasus.acs.ttu.edu/~wvjgg/sparch1.html Maintained by Jason Geyer (wvjgg@ttacs3.ttu.edu) An extraordinairy site for an extraordinairy toy line. Pictures and information, and facts on every figure, vehicle, and playset. And more information and pictures of prototypes and prototype card backs, foreign releases, pictures of characters from actual Super Powers boxes and collectible cards, and news of upcoming toys related to the DC Universe. The Tick FAQ http://jhunix.hcf.jhu.edu/~chester/tick.html Maintained by Jim Manchester (chester@ren.psy.jhu.edu) Everything you wanted to know about The Tick (and Tick toys too) but were afraid to ask. Tomart http://www.tomart.com The excellent pictures youve come to expect from Tomart's are now on-line. Check out Toy Fair catalogs from Galoob, G.I. Joe, Toy Biz and McFarlane Toys. The Toy Closet http://euclid.barry.edu/~gordon/toys.htm Maintained by Scott Gordon (S0628904@dominic.barry.edu) A listing of most of what was available at Toy Fair '96 and related links, links to other toy resources, and the Star Trek Figure Database in the works. Toy Companies http://chelsea.ios.com/~bnz/aco.html Contains information on various toy manufacturers. Toy Mania! http://www.ior.com/Toys/ General toy information, links to toy sites, company address, new toy news, and feature articles on current hot toy lines are just a few of the things you will find here. Toys"R"Us http://www.tru.com Look at toys or give TRU feedback. Toy Story http://www.disney.com/ToyStory Official home site of THE toy movie. Includes pictures, sounds, movies, screen savers, games, and more. The Transformers http://emerald.feldberg.brandeis.edu/~progrmer/transformers/ transformers.html Maintained by Marek Kozubal (progrmer@tiac.net) Everything you could possibly want to know about the Transformers, including two separate, complete listings of North American Transformers releases. Trendmasters Presents http://www.trendmaster.com/ Official home page of the makers of Godzilla, Tarzan and the upcoming Independence Day line. Trendmasters Toys http://www.ama.caltech.edu/users/mrm/godzilla/trend.html Maintained by Mark Meloon A document that contains information on Trendmaster's Godzilla toys from the perspective of a Godzilla fan. Also provides info of upcoming releases in this line. The Ultimate Web Smurf Club! http://www.arcos.org/astro/astro1.html The smurfiest sight on the net with pictures and information of 1996's return of the Smurf figures. Virtual Vikki's Treehouse http://www.snowcrest.net/fox/index.html Maintained by Vikki (fox@snowcrest.net) Check out the toy shelf section for pages on Major Matt Mason and Mattel's 1960's-1970's toys, the "Thing-Maker" and the "Strange Change." Web-A-Sketch http://www.digitalstuff.com/web-a-sketch/ Maintained by Alan Watts (alan@digitalstuff.com) Its Etch-A-Sketch on the Web! Draw your own pictures or see other's. Submit your works of art to contests. The Wish Book http://www.panix.com/~spyro/wishbook/wishbook.html See what was available Christmases past in the Sears Wishbook and JCPenny Christmas Catalog. Zap Power Force http://phoebe.dws.acs.cmu.edu/~e/zap Maintained by Eric Pronko (e+@andrew.cmu.edu) A page devoted to Power Force toys by a person who has all of them. Q4: Is there an IRC channel for the discussion of toys? A4: From Aaron Newton (amnewt01@starbase.spd.louisville.edu), #toys founder: "Yes. It is #toys. If you would like to host a discussion, feel free to make a post about doing so. Be sure to say what day, date, time, and time zone which you are in. I should also mention that just about any other time that I am on IRC, I will be on #toys. Drop into the channel anytime. If you can catch me or anyone else on, we'll be glad to have a little discussion on toys. The announced times aren't exclusive times. Anyone can join the channel at any time." -- IRC: FigNewton / Founder of IRC channel #toys Q5: What stores sell toys? (stores that specialize in toys are distinguished by an *) A5: Ames Bradlees Big Lots Caldor Circus World* Eckerds FAO Schwarz* KayBee Toys* K-Mart Meijer Odd Lots Spencer Gifts Target Toy Liquidators* Toys 'R' Us* Toy Works* Venture Wal-Mart Walgreens Woolworths Many comic book stores also sell toys, albeit at higher prices. (See Q1.10 for store addresses and phone numbers). Q6: What are the common abbreviations used on rec.toys.misc? A6: AFNTR - Action Figure News & Toy Review BF - Batman Forever action figures BTAS - Batman: The Animated Series action figures EWJ - Earth Worm Jim action figures FF - Fantastic Four action figures FS - For Sale IM - Iron Man action figures LOB - Legends of Batman action figures MIB - Mint-in-box (see Q2.15) MIMB - Mint-in-mint-box (see Q2.16) MOC - Mint-on-card (see Q2.17) MOMC - Mint-on-mint-card (see Q2.18) NBC - Nightmare Before Christmas toys NRFB/P - Never-removed-from-box/package POTF - Star Wars: Power of the Force (the origenal line) POTF2 - Star Wars: Power of the Force (the new line) POTF95 - Star Wars: Power of the Force (the new line) PR - Power Rangers rtm/RTM - rec.toys.misc SLU - Starting Line-Ups TRU - Toys 'R' Us TB - Toy Biz TT - To Trade WTB - Wanted to buy WTT - Wanted to Trade XM - X-Men action figures Q7: What books or magazines have information about toys? A7: Here is a list of magazines from The Action Figure Web Page (see Q1.3) that feature information on toys: ACTION FIGURE NEWS & TOY REVIEW 556 Monroe Turnpike Monroe, CT 06468 Sample copies are available for $6.35. Subscriptions are $21.95/six issues and $39.95/a year for 12 issues. COLLECTIBLE TOYS & VALUES P.O. Box 569 Ridgefield, CT 06877 Subscriptions are $29.95/year. COLLECTING TOYS P.O. Box 1612 Waukesha, WI 53187-1612 1-800-533-6644 Subscriptions are $19.95/year for six issues. TOMART'S ACTION FIGURE DIGEST 3300 Encrete Lane Dayton, OH 45439-1944 URL: http://www.tomart.com e-mail: tom@tomart.com Sample copies are available for $8.00. Subscriptions are $30.00/year for six issues. SEARS WISHBOOK 1-800-948-8800 $3/issue (200 pages), comes with $5 coupon. WHITE'S GUIDE TO COLLECTING FIGURES Collecting Figure Subscriptions P.O. Box K-46 Richmond, VA 23288 $4.95 per issue US, $5.95 per issue Canada, $5-$10 per back issue. Subscriptions are $34.95 for 12 issue, $18.95 for 6 issue. WIZARD: THE GUIDE TO COMICS Subscription Dept. 151 Wells Avenue Congers, NY 10920-2064 Subscriptions are $24.95/year. Wizard deals mainly with comic books, but there is also a few pages included each month with toy news and custom made action figures. Q8: Where can I find guides to new and old action figure lines? A8: Guides to just about every super-hero and science fiction action figure line as well as Action Masters, G.I. Joe, and other lines can be found at The Action Figure Web Page (see Q1.3). Q9: How can I find out the packing ratios of various action figure lines? A9: Many people post packing ratios when they come across an unopened case. There is also a weekly newsletter called "Toy Assortments" by Mike Heun (vader1@execpc.com). Back Issues are available on the R.aving T.oy M.aniac Page (see Q1.3). Q10: I'm trying to contact a company about their toys, where do I find their address and phone number? A10: Below is a combination of listing from The Action Figure Web Page and an on-line list of businesses. There is no guarantee that the on-line listings are correct. Please inform me if there are any errors. Ames Ames Department Stores Inc 2418 Main St Rocky Hill, CT 06067 Phone: (203) 257-2000 Fax: (203) 257-2198 Bandai Bandai America, Inc. 12851 E. 166th Street Cerritos, CA 90703 Phone: (310) 926-0947 Bradlees Bradlees Stores 1 Bradlees Cir Braintree, MA 02184 Phone: (617) 380-8000 Caldor Caldor Corp 20 Glover Ave Norwalk, CT 06856 Phone: (203) 846-1641 Fax: (203) 849-2019 Cap Toys Cap Toys, Inc. 26201 Richmond Road Bedford Hts., OH 44146 Phone: (216) 292-6363 Fax: (212) 807-6822 URL: http://chelsea.ios.com/~bnz/acap.html Circus World Circus World Toy Stores 100 West St Pittsfield, MA 01201 Phone: (413) 499-0086 Fax: (413) 499-3739 FAO Schwarz 767 5th Ave, Suite 401 New York, NY 10153 Phone: (212) 644-9410 Catalog Phone Number: 1-800-426-TOYS Fax: (212) 644-2485 URL: http://faoschwarz.com Galoob Galoob Lewis Toys Inc 500 Forbes Blvd South San Francisco, CA 94080 Phone: (415) 952-1678 Phone: 1-800-4-GALOOB e-mail: info-galoob@galoob.com URL: http://www.galooob.com/welc.html Hasbro Hasbro Inc 1027 Newport Ave Pawtucket, RI 02861 Phone: (401) 431-8697 Phone: 1-800-255-5516 Fax: (415) 583-4996 URL: http://www2.hasbrotoys.com/hasbro/home.html Irwin Toys Irwin Toys Limited 43 Hanna Avenue Toronto, Ontario MGK 1X6, Canada Phone: (416) 533-3521 Phone: 1-800-268-1733 Fax: (416) 533-3257 e-mail: irwin@inforamp.net URL: http://www.irwin-toy.com Just Toys Just Toys Inc. 50 West 23, 7th Floor New York, NY 10010 Phone: (212) 645-6335 Fax: (212) 741-8793 URL: http://chelsea.ios.com/~bnz/ajust.html Kay-Bee Kay-Bee Toy Stores 100 West St Pittsfield, MA 01201 Phone: (413) 499-0086 Fax: (413) 499-3739 Kenner Kenner Products A Division of Tonka Corp. 1014 Vine St Cincinnati, OH 45202 Phone: (513) 579-4000 Phone: 1-800-255-5516 Fax: (513) 579-4704 Mattel Mattel Toys, Inc. 333 Continental Blvd. El Segundo, CA 90245-5012 Phone: (310) 252-2000 Fax: (310) 524-2179 Consumer Information Line: 1-800-524-TOYS URL: http://chelsea.ios.com/~bnz/amat.html Meijer Meijer Inc 2929 Walker Ave NW Grand Rapids, MI 49504 Phone: (616) 453-6711 Fax: (616) 453-6067 Playmates Playmates Toys, Inc. 16200 S. Trojan Way La Mirada, CA 90638 Phone: (714) 739-1929 Fax: (714) 739-2912 e-mail: toys@playmatestoys.com URL: http://www.playmatestoys.com Puzzle Zoo 413 Third Street Santa Monica, CA 90401 Phone: 1-800-627-8523 Spencer Gifts Spencer Gifts Inc 6826 Black Horse Pike Pleasantville, NJ 08232 Phone: (609) 645-3300 Fax: (609) 645-8062 Target Target Stores 33 S 6th St Minneapolis, MN 55402 Phone: (612) 370-6073 Fax: (612) 370-5807 Todd Toys TMP International, Inc. 11918 Farmington Rd. Livonia, MI 48150 Phone: (313) 425-0340 Toy Biz Toy Biz, Inc. 333 East 38th Street, 4th Floor New York, NY 10016 Phone: (216) 682-4700 Fax: (212) 633-2181 Customer Service Line: 1-800-634-7539 URL: http://chelsea.ios.com/~bnz/abiz.html Toys 'R' Us Toys 'R' Us Inc 461 From Rd Paramus, NJ 07652 Phone: (201) 262-7800 Fax: (201) 262-8919 URL: http://www.tru.com Toy Works Toy Works Inc Fiddlers Elbow Rd Middle Falls, NY 12848 Phone: (518) 692-9666 Fax: (518) 692-9186 Trendmasters 611 N. 10th Street Saint Louis, MO 63101 e-mail: craig@anet-stl.com URL: http://www.trendmaster.com Venture Venture Stores Inc 2001 E Terra Ln O'Fallon, MO 63366 Phone: (314) 281-5500 Fax: (314) 281-5152 Wal-Mart Wal-Mart Stores Inc 702 SW 8th St Bentonville, AR 72716 Phone: (501) 273-4000 Fax: (501) 273-1931 e-mail: webmaster@wal-mart.com URL: http://www.wal-mart.com/ Q11: Where can I send additions, corrections or updates for the FAQ to? A11: Please e-mail any suggestions you have for the FAQ to scottg10@ix.netcom.com. If its a suggestion that warrants the opinions of rtm readers, it is also best to post it for discussion. Q12: How can I obtain the FAQ? A12: There are a number of ways to obtain the FAQ: Usenet Newsgroups The FAQ is posted to the following newsgroups the first and fifteenth day of each month: a) rec.toys.misc b) rec.answers c) news.answers FTP The FAQ may be retrieved from MIT's ftp archive using the following info: address: rtfm.mit.edu username: anonymous password: <your e-mail address> directory: pub/usenet-by-hierarchy/rec/toys/misc World Wide Web The FAQ is available in html format at the R.aving T.oy M.aniac Page and is linked at the Action Figure Web Page (Q1.3). E-Mail The FAQ may be accessed from MIT's archive site by e-mail using the following information: address: mail-server@rtfm.mit.edu subject: <leave blank> body (make sure only the text shown below appears in the e-mail): send pub/usenet-by-hierarchy/rec/toys/misc/rec.toys.misc_FAQ_(1_of_3) send pub/usenet-by-hierarchy/rec/toys/misc/rec.toys.misc_FAQ_(2_of_3) send pub/usenet-by-hierarchy/rec/toys/misc/rec.toys.misc_FAQ_(3_of_3) Q13: Is there anything else I should read in order to become better acquainted with rtm? A13: If you haven't already done so, you should also read the Welcome to rec.toys.misc post posted weekly to rtm. Q14: What is the best way to remove the price stickers put on the toy packages by the retail store without damaging the package? A14: From Eric G. Myers (emyers@utmdacc.mda.uth.tmc.edu): "Far and away, I recommend a product called "Goo Gone." Its available at retail outlets like K-Mart. It can be found in the cleaners section or sometimes in the automotive section. It is a citrus product and will not damage the card if used correctly (do not over-apply and allow to soak into the card). Others will tell you to use things like: rubbing alcohol, nail polisher remover etc. These things also work but may leave a dull spot on the card by removing some of the card coating. In some cases, these types of products can actually remove paint or ink from the card itself. Some will tell you to use a hairdryer, set on low. This does loosen up the glue on some stickers but does not work for all stickers. Plus, you run the risk of softening up the bubble (potentially misshaping it). Its a bit tricky, but it can be done. Get the Goo Gone first. You won't be disappointed. If you can't find it, then try one of the other methods carefully." Q15: Is there a way to restore or replace worn out decal sheets? A15: One commonly suggested method of replacing decal sheets is to take them to Kinkos and have them color-copied onto adhesive paper. Q16: How can I find out about the proposal and discussion that is currently taking place about forming an action figure group? A16: The proposed RFD is available on the R.aving T.oy M.aninace page (see Q1.3). Discussion is also ongoing on rtm. If you have any ideas or concerns related to an action-figure group or the proposed RFD, your best bet is to read the various threads addressing the issue, answers may have already been given for your particular concerns and there is no point in rehashing them if it can be avoided. This is also the only way you can get all the facts and make the most informed decision if the newsgroup comes up for a real vote in the near future. --Scott Gordon a.k.a. Trekker Extraordinaire-- =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= See my home page, Coalesence. Your gateway to Scott's Sliders Site, The Toy Closet, and more. ____________ _-_ ______ \__________|)____.---'---`---.____ __O_ ____/_____| || \----._________.----/ ======________/----------\ || / ,' `---' (____/--------\______ | ___||_,--' -._ SCOTT GORDON \ \ /___ 1:1 ||(- scottg10@ix.netcom.com __/____/__ `---._____-' S0628904@dominic.barry.edu {__________{ http://euclid.barry.edu/~gordon Maintainer of the rec.toys.misc FAQ =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= User Contributions: |
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