The Energon Pub

News Credits: 1 · Mon Jan 04, 2010 9:43 am

First I should say it being MISB to open and remove takes away from that aspect but to avoid battery corrosion over time. ???? well worth it. I have a few leaders in the box which may break free some time soon. But I decided I'm keeping the amazon japan prime in box. So... will batteries cause corrosion in these toys at room temperature. ?
This goes basically for any toy with batteries not just leaders.

News Credits: 5749 · Mon Jan 04, 2010 10:05 am

If the batteries are left in long enough they will corrode. Personally I remove all batteries, even button cells, because I have no interest in the electronic gimmicks. How long it takes for corrosion to begin varies. I forgot my RID Prime still had batteries and he set for about two years before I opened him up and they were completely encrusted. Luckily after they were removed and I gave it a good cleaning everything still worked. I may not have any interest in the electronics, but I still want them to be functional. On the other hand people have posted on here that they've left batteries in for years with no corrosion. If you want to play it safe remove the batteries. As far as MISB items go, I don't think you can really say MISB if you have opened it up and removed the batteries even if it's in the best interest of the toy. I open everything so it's not an issue for me.

Mon Jan 04, 2010 10:06 am

Yes, yes you should. And when you're done, tape up the "try me" hole as well. Bugs get in there and mess up the place, believe you me.

News Credits: 2 · Mon Jan 04, 2010 11:00 am

Yes! go ahead and take them out! nothing i hate more is to find your battery compartment encrusted with acid and spend the next half hour cleaning it. I take mine out first thing and so i dont have to worry about it...

News Credits: 609 · Mon Jan 04, 2010 12:42 pm

I have this dilemma also. I've got a bunch of MISB figures (Wal-Mart Ultras, Movie '07 Leader repaints, etc) and I'm really torn on what to do.

News Credits: 14 · Mon Jan 04, 2010 1:06 pm

This is what can happen if you leave the batteries in for too long:

I posted this a while back, but now I can't seem to find the post anymore.

Its Cybertron Metroplex's Axe/saw weapon: Spark Drinker.

Mon Jan 04, 2010 3:14 pm

If you're gonna sell stuff, just mention it's been opened in order to remove the batteries. Don't claim MISB of course, but you can say near MISB or something like that.

And daaaaaamn Overcracker! That's the worst case of battery corrosion I've ever seen (and I've been working with battery operated toys for almost 30 years). Was that just on opening it up, or were there special circumstances?

News Credits: 14 · Mon Jan 04, 2010 5:33 pm

Blastwave wrote:And daaaaaamn Overcracker! That's the worst case of battery corrosion I've ever seen (and I've been working with battery operated toys for almost 30 years). Was that just on opening it up, or were there special circumstances?

Nope nothing special. It had just been sitting in Metroplex's hand on my shelf for a while.
I picked it up and inserted the key to check if the batteries where still working and nothing.
so I open up the battery compartment, and that is what I found.

Luckily I was able to clean it all out, mostly carefully chipping it away with a small screwdriver, and wiping it off with a humid q-tip. Then left to dry.

I put some fresh batteries in and checked the sounds where working once again and I promptly removed the batteries to avoid another mishap.

Mon Jan 04, 2010 7:39 pm

Lately I avoid any electronic-gimmick toys, but when I used to have some they never gave me any problems. I did however have an MP3 player that the batteries corroded in while I'd lost it under my bed. When I finally found it, about a year later, the corrosion had eaten through part of the casing and into some of the buttons, so it still worked but I couldn't skip forward or stop.

I'm not sure if the plastic of that MP3 player was just low quality, but the same could theoretically happen to a TF toy if neglected.

I would suggested opening the box, removing the batteries, and then sealing it up again. You could claim it as "MIB: Opened to remove batteries only and then resealed." Or would that be MIBOTRBTRS?

News Credits: 387 · Mon Jan 04, 2010 10:58 pm

Overcracker wrote:This is what can happen if you leave the batteries in for too long:

As bad as that is, it ain't got nothing on my brother's 92 GI Joe HQ. I don't think I have seen batteries corroded so badly in my life, I hope I don't again.

The batteries had been completely ate up, changing into this odd, limp teabag like thing only shaped like a battery. I cleaned on that thing forever, but here's the shocker:

When I put in new batteries, completely worked as if nothing had ever happened.

I've never heard of sealed toys suffering from corrosion, but it doesn't seem impossible.

News Credits: 217 · Tue Jan 05, 2010 9:24 am

My Armada toys were left with batteries in for about six years and I only just got the opportunity to give them batteriectomies. Luckily they were all fine.

News Credits: 1 · Wed Jan 06, 2010 4:49 am

well now I have some fun work to do on the weekend. ! : )
you've coined MISBOTRB... ECT :grin:

LETS SEE WHEN IT CATCHES ON

News Credits: 4 · Wed Jan 06, 2010 7:07 pm

If you plan on keeping them for a long time and don't plan on selling them then yes remove them.
If you do plan on selling the figure then leave it alone.
Personally, I remove the batteries and if they are AA or AAA I save them and use them in my game controllers and tv/DVD remotes. Otherwise I recycle them.