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From: [email protected] (Scott Gordon)
Newsgroups: rec.toys.misc,rec.answers,news.answers
Subject: rec.toys.misc FAQ (1 of 3)
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Date: 19 Jul 1996 17:36:48 GMT
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Summary: A guide to the newsgroup rec.toys.misc and the hobby of
collecting toys.
X-Last-Updated: 1996/06/15
Originator: [email protected]
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Last-modified: 96/06/15
Version: 16.0
URL: http://utmdacc.mda.uth.tmc.edu:5014/eric/rtm/faq.html

************* ************* ** ** *************
**** **** * * ** ** *
* 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
([email protected]) 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 ([email protected])
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 ([email protected])
"Star Wars Newsletter" by Adam Pawlus
([email protected])
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 ([email protected])
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 ([email protected])
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 ([email protected])
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 ([email protected])
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 ([email protected])
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 ([email protected])
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 ([email protected])
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 ([email protected])
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 ([email protected])
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 ([email protected])
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 ([email protected])
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 ([email protected])
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 ([email protected])
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 ([email protected])
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 ([email protected])
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 ([email protected])
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 ([email protected])
Everything you ever wanted to know about PEZ.

PEZ Homepage
http://www.csif.ucdavis.edu/~telford/pez.html
Maintained by Paul Telford ([email protected])
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 ([email protected])
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 ([email protected])
"Toy Assortments" by Mike Heun ([email protected])
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 ([email protected])
Check out pictures in the Kenner Star Wars Museum spotlighting the
original figures, or the Modern Museum spotlighting the new
figures, or check out some of Kenner's original Star Wars
commercials in QuickTime format.

SiD's Toy News
http://fangz.com/~susindusk/toy
Maintained by SiD ([email protected])
SiD's toy news includes what's hot, what's not hot, and what's new.

Simster's HomePage
Maintained by Tony Payne ([email protected])
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 ([email protected])
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 ([email protected])
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 ([email protected])
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 ([email protected])
A few Kenner Star Wars resources including a complete list of the
original 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 ([email protected])
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 ([email protected])
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 ([email protected])
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 ([email protected])
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 ([email protected])
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 ([email protected])
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 ([email protected])
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 ([email protected])
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 ([email protected])
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 ([email protected]), #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 original 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: [email protected]
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 ([email protected]). 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: [email protected]
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: [email protected]
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: [email protected]
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: [email protected]
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: [email protected]
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
[email protected]. 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: [email protected]
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 ([email protected]):

"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 ||(- [email protected] __/____/__
`---._____-' [email protected] {__________{
http://euclid.barry.edu/~gordon
Maintainer of the rec.toys.misc FAQ
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=