Condensation? Oil? Something inside plastic window of Retro-Heroes

[drmego]

0040hr

[geoffdude]

0040hr

Thanks.. I'll update w/what they say. Hang on.

[noelani72]

well, add my figs to the list too.
I went to look after seeing multiple posts about this issue...

There is enough building up inside the blister that it is running down the inner wall on both my Sinestro and Green Arrow. Hasn't dripped onto the suits as far as I can see.

This almost seems like the blister is breaking down. It seems like it is starting to plasticize and return to oil form.

I have no quams busting open Sinestro to save him...but Green Arrow was bought at a Premium price and I do NOT want to open him unless I can get a replacement at MSRP of $19.99.

Here's pics:

http://www.decaturvader.com/mattel/mattel001.jpg

http://www.decaturvader.com/mattel/mattel002.jpg

http://www.decaturvader.com/mattel/mattel003.jpg

I did try calling Mattel's Consumer Hotline as Paul suggested; alas, they were closed for the evening.

I just got a set that shows some of the residue inside the blister.
We are addressing it with Mattel this week and will let everyone
know what they come back with.

Geoffdude - if you have figures with more than the clear residue
that I've seen, send me those figures and I will pay you for them.

It's hard to explain in photos and words what is going on, so I
would like to send Mattel a "bad" example so their people can
examine it.

Paul, I can send ya my Sinestro if it helps ya. The liquid is severe enough that since my figs are stored vertically, it has rolled downwards. Ya wouldn't need to pay me for it if ya have a chance of just hooking me up at MegoMeet with a replacement.

[drmego]

superman R5933
green lantern R3534
sinestro R5936
lex R5934

[SlipperyLilSuckers]

Anyone have the numbers they can post from the back of the TRU cards above the UPC bar code? I'm on the phone w/Mattel.

Number is like R3533 etc.

Good luck and good on you for taking action!

[drmego]

Yes please - and thanks for the high-res jpgs. I am e-mailing them to
our guy at Mattel today. Hopefully he can shed some light on this.

[AAAAA]

Mattel is a experienced Toy maker with a Great R&D branch
there should be no learning curve in this area when comes to Plastics.
Not like the unforseen stupidity of kids during 78-79 battlestar galactica missile firing
fiasco.
Unless china been cutting corners ...again!

[geoffdude]

OK. Off the phone.

No big surprise here, as they (CS agents) didn't know what I was talking about. However, they were very, very nice, which I appreciate. I gave them the numbers (thanks Doc) and then she offered to refund me my money (again nice service), but I noted the refund was not needed, only answers to what the goo is, what it will/could do long-term and some solutions to resolve this problem QUICKLY was desired.

She noted, and I agreed, that this was not possible over the phone.. so basically I asked her to log the call, the complaint, and to please try and have Mattel provide some answers (if possible) sooner rather than later so these items would not continue to be damaged from being sealed while we wait upon some resolution. She said "she understood".

So there you have it.. I made a Mattel call, now I'll try TRU. I fear though the most practical solutions will be to get refunds.. or take the figures off the cards, because getting this resolved with new, no-goo, packaging seems unlikely at this point.

Regards,

g.

[geoffdude]

I just got a set that shows some of the residue inside the blister.
We are addressing it with Mattel this week and will let everyone
know what they come back with.

Geoffdude - if you have figures with more than the clear residue
that I've seen, send me those figures and I will pay you for them.

It's hard to explain in photos and words what is going on, so I
would like to send Mattel a "bad" example so their people can
examine it.

Thanks for the offer Doc, but I'm in the same boat as everyone else. All mine have it to some degree.. and I really do want to keep them.. but find out what we need to do to keep 'em safe PDQ.

(And prevent this from happening on Assortment #2).

Regards,

g.

[drmego]

I just got off the phone with our Mattel guy and he has a Sinestro there with the
oily residue. I sent him the high-res jpgs posted here. He will look into it and
let me know.

[SlipperyLilSuckers]

^ Great stuff, I am sure you will keep us posted ... thanks Paul.

[AcroRay]

Looks familiar...

It looks to me like a demolding material from the production of the blisters, or possibly a separator material to keep them from sticking together when nested inside each other during materials storage. Most plastic products require it to one degree or another. Its sprayed inside the mold surfaces to keep the parts from sticking and allow them to be popped more cleanly and quickly from the molds (even vacu-forming, like these things). Usually its wiped off or washed from the product. That's one reason why you should usually wash plastic dining or drinking ware before use - especially cheap stuff.

I've seen that inside toy blisters before, but never in a magnatude like that.

My suspicion is that some of the blisters were just manufactured poorly (if you take cleansing the separator from them as part of the manufacturing process, or putting on too much to start with). The supplier - if it was a sub-contractor - probably made a bazillion of these in quick runs, and a bunch may have been over-coated... especially if it was a machine setting.

Will it react to the figures? I don't know. Its a oil, possibly a silicone-based lubricant. It will probably wipe off of most things like boots and heads, but would likely make oil or grease-stain marks on fabrics.

[EMCE Hammer]

I don't know if that explains what is happening. Is one of the properties of this stuff that it's invisible for several weeks, and then just magically appears?

[AcroRay]

I'm inclined to think it's been resting in the corners of the blisters, in that channel around the face. But, yeah, I've noticed very thin layers of it being relatively invisible unless something comes into contact with it - like the figure's nose. Keep in mind that most figures these days are suspended in formed inner blister trays, and never really come into contact with the smooth outer blister.

Yeah, it might have a viscosity that changes based on temperature. Or a certain amount of it might need to evaporate, causing the remainder to flow and/or congeal. The air vents I see in the bottom of the blisters (I haven't seen any of the figures first-hand myself yet) might be conducive to that. There's a good chance it may all dry away in time.

Honestly, I've seen this stuff before, but I really don't know what the actual formulation of it is.

[Trappy Trek Freak]

I don't have any melting superheroes but my Sulu's head has compressed like someone pinched it for a year. Any one else have that problem? I haven't noticed any oil on my GL and Sinestro. I opened my Superman and Lex. They won't melt away will they??? LOL