The Energon Pub

Yesterday, I was trying to transform Generations Scourge, who I hadn't played with in a while, and I snapped his arm off! It broke off inside the chest, so there's no way to repair it and have it still transform. He's going to have to stay in alt mode permanently. Luckily, I was able to get a MISB replacement off eBay for only $20.

Anyone else ever have any trouble with this figure?

To make matters worse, THE SAME DAY, I took out my RTS Wreck-Gar, and his broken handlebar fell off again. I guess I didn't glue it well enough the first time. I glued it back on again, and I think I did a better job this time. I also added a layer of glue to the unbroken handlebar in hopes it will prevent future breakage.

What figures have you guys broken lately (if any)?

Not me though but my son. Few days ago he snapped ROTF legend class Prime's left arm off from the ball joint rod. I glued it back but after few days playing, it fall off again.

Entropy is a cruel mistress. I lost my RtS Legends Megatron just the other day to it. Damn that right shoulder join is brittle...

Might have to change your avatar, probably condusive of what was to come, lol.

I rarely transform my figures for those very reasons. Even when I do, I'm extremely careful. Certain figures (like RTS Wreckgar) I don't even bother transforming AT ALL. It's a real shame. These toys were made to transform, but quite a few are actually too brittle/fragile to even be handled by adult collectors. I actually wonder how some of these figures fare in the hands of children...

The one toy I ever broke since I was ten has been Generations Darkmount.
The round joint which connects the arm to the elbow snapped, just enough to prevent it from rotating any further. Therefore, no transformation, and limited posability.

WolfDawg wrote:I rarely transform my figures for those very reasons. Even when I do, I'm extremely careful. Certain figures (like RTS Wreckgar) I don't even bother transforming AT ALL. It's a real shame. These toys were made to transform, but quite a few are actually too brittle/fragile to even be handled by adult collectors. I actually wonder how some of these figures fare in the hands of children...

I'm the same way. I usually transform them once or twice, then on the shelf they go, most of them permanently (I do play with some of them on occasion, but that's rare).

These things are getting more and more cheap. I understand why, the cost of petroleum being what it is and all, but still, the plastics now are either far too brittle or far too soft and pliable which leads to warping, meaning all those complex panels just don't fit together right, often after only a single transformation (or sometimes even fresh out of the packaging).

Heat only makes it worse, and time of course, kills all. Especially the hard plastics, which become more brittle over time and the clear (also hard) plastics which often end up crumbling or cracking on their own.

I recently accidentally snapped off one of the fins that come out of Armada Jetfire's booster/leg. I glued it back on, and now it's permanently flipped out. Also, I dropped my Hard Hero Hot Rod and his left arm broke off at the elbow. That pissed me off. It was a clean break, so I was able to glue it back on without any noticeable fracture line.

WolfDawg wrote:I actually wonder how some of these figures fare in the hands of children...

They don't. Years ago I knew someone who's 5 year old child didn't play with his TFs anymore cos they'd all broken. I explained that they were mostly designed to come apart rather than break and offered to reassmble them if they brought them round. A few days later they gave me a large box of what proved to be mostly left legs, usually duplicates. There were two Move 07 leader Primes in various states of tortured death and some of the breaks I wouldn't have thought possible without a heavy hammer and a strong arm.

The only breakages I've suffered are reported problems like MP seeker wing joints.

No parent should ever buy a Transformer for a 5-year-old unless it's one of those ones that you transform by pressing a button or bashing them together. After age 5, I'd start to introduce them to Legends/Legion, then Cyberverse Commanders/Scouts. I wouldn't buy a Deluxe or Voyager for any kid until they're at least 10.

U just added 2 figures to my "Never play with again" list. I never had problems with either, though.

My FE Arcee's foot snapped off during the very first transformation, right out of the box!

GuyIncognito wrote:No parent should ever buy a Transformer for a 5-year-old unless it's one of those ones that you transform by pressing a button or bashing them together. After age 5, I'd start to introduce them to Legends/Legion, then Cyberverse Commanders/Scouts. I wouldn't buy a Deluxe or Voyager for any kid until they're at least 10.

Partly agree with you and partly not. My son (who is very close to 5 now) has no problem transforming my classics Astrotrain three modes all by himself, Animated Arcee, and all classics Seekers. Then those Playskool level transformation in AEC line such as voyager Vector Prime and Leobreaker (universe Leo Prime) are all pretty easy for him. He has no problem with PCC as well (he has Huffer and the Dinobots set). So I think it really depends on the design and quality. Toys nowadays are tend to be over complicate so kids are better falling into the classes that are below deluxe class. But many parents just have no idea. Same like Mykltron, I had once went to a friend house and spent quite a while to help his son putting back together all the scattered around pieces for HA Leadfoot. And all he cares is just the vehicle mode. That brought another question. If he only loves the car, why not just buy a RC car or any car toy. There are plenty out there. I also tried to help him put back his ROTF leader class Prime (of course, the truck mode) but failed due to too many missing pieces. At the end, I told my friend some of these are really not toys for young children but how do they know. It wrote 5+ on the box.

paul053 wrote:

GuyIncognito wrote:No parent should ever buy a Transformer for a 5-year-old unless it's one of those ones that you transform by pressing a button or bashing them together. After age 5, I'd start to introduce them to Legends/Legion, then Cyberverse Commanders/Scouts. I wouldn't buy a Deluxe or Voyager for any kid until they're at least 10.

Partly agree with you and partly not. My son (who is very close to 5 now) has no problem transforming my classics Astrotrain three modes all by himself, Animated Arcee, and all classics Seekers. Then those Playskool level transformation in AEC line such as voyager Vector Prime and Leobreaker (universe Leo Prime) are all pretty easy for him. He has no problem with PCC as well (he has Huffer and the Dinobots set). So I think it really depends on the design and quality. Toys nowadays are tend to be over complicate so kids are better falling into the classes that are below deluxe class. But many parents just have no idea. Same like Mykltron, I had once went to a friend house and spent quite a while to help his son putting back together all the scattered around pieces for HA Leadfoot. And all he cares is just the vehicle mode. That brought another question. If he only loves the car, why not just buy a RC car or any car toy. There are plenty out there. I also tried to help him put back his ROTF leader class Prime (of course, the truck mode) but failed due to too many missing pieces. At the end, I told my friend some of these are really not toys for young children but how do they know. It wrote 5+ on the box.

That 5+ is a safety thing - it means the toy is only considered safe for children 5+ due to choke hazards etc. People think it means what age it's aimed at but that's not the case.

Paul, your child has been brought up by an adult (in the loosest use of the word!) TF collector so has probably had respect and care drilled in. He's an exception, a minority. Most children won't have TF collecting parents and the parents will be as incapable of transforming them as the kid. Also, transforming them requires patience and problem solving skills. Maybe your son has more of both than others his age.

I was a child once and I was always shocked at the bad condition of my friend's toys, they really got battered whereas my childhood TFs are mostly mint.

I've got boxes of broken G1 somewhere in the basement, but the only thing I can think of from the last decade or so is the Battle In A Box Treadshot, a hinge made of clear plastic just cracked and broke off. Fortunately only really bought that set for Ultra Magnus anyway.

To be honest I think when it comes down to kids it depends on 1) the child's upbringing and/or 2) the kid's personality.

By upbringing I mean, I have a niece who's just shy of 2 1/2. For a while when she'd get mad she'd throw her toys. Her mom would force her to retrieve it and apologize to whatever toy it was. Sounds weird, but she doesn't really abuse her toys too much now because of it. There are the typical kid things, yeah, but she not flinging things about like a monkey. She fairs pretty well with movie 1 Ultimate Bee - aside from pulling his arm out of the socket because she wants to carry him around by the hand/arm, but the shoulder is designed to come out for transformation so it's not an issue. Ultimate Optimus has done pretty well too, though he's in truck mode. She doesn't quite grasp the fact she can't push down on the trailer to make him move yet (since the wheels fold in), but she tries. When the truck is by itself though she's good. Neither figures have sustained any damage and she actually prefers them over Playskool Optimus... actually they tend to be the first toys she plays with when she's over, even though there are a bunch of age-appropriate ones (dolls, plushes, dinosaurs, etc) she has to walk by in order to reach the two Transformers. Mind you, she isn't transforming them. She's simply playing with them in their given state.


Personality wise - as a kid I took good care with my toys, it was just my nature. My sister on the other hand was not as caring. My barbies, for instance, are in great condition if my sister didn't get hold of them. The ones my sister had access to, pre-first grade-ish, have missing or busted feet and hands because she'd gnaw on them (and ripped their heads off). She and my brother also broke several of my Power Ranger figures and cracked my Barbie car launching them into the old radiators we have in the house (or down the stairs in the case of my favorite toy - the green ranger. I was rather depressed when my mom forced me to throw it out, all thanks to my sister, who was 6 or so at the time).


Personally I just see the whole thing as "kids will be kids." And sometimes toys just break. That said, I'm not going out of my way to hand figures over (Playskool figures aside). I bought Bee for $8 last summer and figured it would be a nice toy to introduce my niece into the geekdom (all the pieces are big, the plastic is sturdy and it lights up, moves and makes noise. Plus it was cheap and I wasn't going to cry if it broke because, well, it's Bumblebee). Was love a first sight for her. Lol. In January she saw me Transforming Ultimate Optimus and when I put him on the floor to roll his truck around she, of course, wanted to play too. He's been kept in hands reach since. Like I mentioned before, none have ever been damaged and she's had access to Bee since she was 1 1/2.

Cutest thing ever - watching her dance to Bee's quick little tunes and repeatedly pressing the button trying to get him to sing again. I consider it one of my best Transformers purchases.