The Vox Posted November 8, 2006 Share Posted November 8, 2006 I finally tracked down some GSX Minis at a Super Target in Centerville and I took the kids so everyone could get there favorites. Within five minutes of opening them we had Nightcrawlers leg snap off (with very little pressure) and then as Brit tried to move Dark Phoenix' arm it snapped off at the base as well. These kids have been collecting Mates for years and they know how all mates are stiff when you first get them. We tried the hair dryer and over night in the fridge to get other joints to move but the paint seems to have sealed them stuck. Over the years I have had a mini here or there that has a stiff joint or something breaks.. but this series.. every single package that we bought had serious problems. One of the draws to minimates is the 14 or so points of articulation.. now we have a whole set that we are scared to even try and bend and arm or a leg for fear of snapping the toy in half. I was able to take Dark Phoenix back and get a replacement (but we don't dare move any joints on the toy) and as for NightCrawler, he was sold out and that is the only Target within the two counties around my home that have ever carried this series. As I said, I have been collecting these with my kids and my brothers kids for years and years.. and this is my first ever complaint. When you spend $6 on a 2 inch toy that can't be played with for fear of snapping in half.. well, that seems like a serious problem to me. Not to mention the kids are totally bummed that we were unable to replace the Nightcrawler. Very frustrating. So I'm asking if anyone knows any recourse? Heat, Cold, WD-40? I've tried everything I can think of and none of it has worked very well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AdyCarter Posted November 8, 2006 Share Posted November 8, 2006 Sorry to hear, about this, I'd only heard of Nightcrawler been problematic; WD40 is the only thing that apparently has any success. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Vox Posted November 8, 2006 Author Share Posted November 8, 2006 we were able to pry Dark Phoenix' arms off by pulling outward instead of twisting.. but we have shot WD40 into Night Crawlers legs for 2 days now and can't get it to budge. We already have one with broken legs that can't be replaced so I don't want to push too hard on this one to make it functional. Is there anyway to send in the broken mates directly to the manufacturer? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AdyCarter Posted November 8, 2006 Share Posted November 8, 2006 try contacting DST. Customerservices@diamondselecttoys.com Art Asylum manufacture but do not do the retail, DST do the retail, however as these are the mass market version I'd imagine the response would be to return it to the retailer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alpheon Posted November 8, 2006 Share Posted November 8, 2006 we were able to pry Dark Phoenix' arms off by pulling outward instead of twisting. Now, see, that's what I was going to suggest, I just didn't know how to explain it. That's what I did with my second Nightcrawler ad it works ok now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drgnrbrn316 Posted November 8, 2006 Share Posted November 8, 2006 Oddly enough, I haven't had any problem with this yet. What I've been doing is very slowly pulling the foot away from the body, rather than trying to work it loose in a front to back motion. Seems to work for me, but I could just be one of the lucky ones. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fujis Posted November 8, 2006 Share Posted November 8, 2006 Can anyone who has had problems with arms or legs breaking off take some pics and send them to me? I'd love to do an article for the HQ. Thanks in advance! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shanester Posted November 8, 2006 Share Posted November 8, 2006 I've only had luck with heat and careful negotiation of the limb. Nothing else has worked and i went through 4 Nightcrawlers trying to see what fixed the issue. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maxcarnage Posted November 8, 2006 Share Posted November 8, 2006 Has anyone tried returning or exchanging them to Target??? I have done this in the past with many types of figures (Star wars, Spiderman...ect). Simply present the figure and tell them it is broken and you would like to exchange it for a new one. You then get a new one from the shelf and bring it back to the Returns Desk. They swap out the broken one for the new one and send the broken one back to the company. My Blade’s leg broke not to long ago and I am planning on doing this when TRU release the Marvel Knights 4 Pack, although I may just buy it given all the paint variation. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cloneme Posted November 9, 2006 Share Posted November 9, 2006 I've been very succesful with WD40 and careful wiggling as close as possible to the joint so as to put not so much leverage on the peg....try that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Vox Posted November 14, 2006 Author Share Posted November 14, 2006 I've only had luck with heat and careful negotiation of the limb. Nothing else has worked and i went through 4 Nightcrawlers trying to see what fixed the issue. This was the first thing I tried to do. All of the NightCrawler two packs were sold out and this was the only Target within an hour of my home that sells them. They offered cash back but my boy has been waiting for Nightcrawler for a couple years now and he didn't want to give him up. So he plays with a one legged nightcrawler (the other leg 'bamfed' away) hahah. The one leg remaining is about half torn off as well. So eventually I'll need to cough up double the cost and get it on ebay or something. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kirby Posted November 16, 2006 Share Posted November 16, 2006 I've only had luck with heat and careful negotiation of the limb. Nothing else has worked and i went through 4 Nightcrawlers trying to see what fixed the issue. This was the first thing I tried to do. All of the NightCrawler two packs were sold out and this was the only Target within an hour of my home that sells them. They offered cash back but my boy has been waiting for Nightcrawler for a couple years now and he didn't want to give him up. So he plays with a one legged nightcrawler (the other leg 'bamfed' away) hahah. The one leg remaining is about half torn off as well. So eventually I'll need to cough up double the cost and get it on ebay or something. If you can get the peg out, it should not be difficult to fix. There is an old trick from my Games Workshop wargaming days that can help strengthen parts that join together that should totally work. You'll need: A broken Nightrawler foot, possibly a second minimate foot of the same base color (black?), needle-nose pliers, exacto knife or other precise cutting tool, brass rod or a finish nail and some way to cut it to size (wire cutters work fine), drill or rotary tool and bit that is close to the diameter of the brass rod/finish nail you will use, superglue. 1. Clean up the break - cut off any messy material from the broken area. You'll need to get the footpeg out of the leg (you can do this with pliers, or if you can't just yank it out, drill it out by drilling a hole in the middle - sometimes you can grip it using the hole and pull it out, otherwise, keep drilling until it is able to be broken out). For the repair, you'll probably want to fin a matching foot peg and cleanly cut it off at the peg as well. 2. Get a short length of brass rod (heck, even a nail can work - just cut it down to size). I can't say the exact length, but it should be able to go fairly deep into both the foot peg and the foot itself. You'll need the wire first so you know how wide a hole to drill. 3. Drill holes in the foot and the footpeg. This can be tricky to keep the pieces stable while drilling in them, so if you have some pliers or small clamps that you can use to hold it in place, do so. Otherwise you risk drilling into your hand, which is not good. Try to get the holes right in the center of where everything goes. Common sense applies here. As far as depth of holes - you'll need to drill deep enough that your rod will fit inside. You should not need to drill all the way through either part to get enough stabilization from the rod. 4. Insert Rod into holes. Apply pressure to do a dry fitting. This is just to make sure that the pieces all line up properly before gluing. 5. Pull the foot and peg apart a small way and put a drop or two of superglue in between, then press them back together. Maintain pressure for a minute or so. Let dry. That should do it. Hopefully this helps somebody. If anybody needs additional explanation, speak up. I could draw some diagrams or somethin. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rx78jj Posted November 16, 2006 Share Posted November 16, 2006 Or just use some JB Weld. Funny the only ones i had troublew with were with Nightcrawler. Phoenix was going to look like trouble but she worked out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cloneme Posted November 17, 2006 Share Posted November 17, 2006 It's usually only the ones that have painted crotch pieces. It's the paint in the joint that makes them seize up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Vox Posted November 17, 2006 Author Share Posted November 17, 2006 Thanks for the detailed fix Kirby. Those darn crotch pieces. I am really wishing I could find another Target that carries the new line. This Target skipped right over the Iceman box and went straight to the GSX. I was hoping for a new Iceman.. oh well. Thanks to everyone for your advice and suggestions!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
handsomedevil Posted January 21, 2007 Share Posted January 21, 2007 I thought I would dust off this topic to let you guys know (if you didn't already) that this issue has not been fixed by the Minimates' Quality Control department. I had been very hesitant to buy any new Minimates after hearing about all of the Nightcrawler problems, but the exciting news of the Avengers wave convinced me to get back into the fold and catch up before they came out. I bought the Astonishing X-Men 4-pack from TRU & the Beast/Kitty 2-pack from Target. Like a kid on Christmas morning, I was very excited to get some new 'Mates. I opened the 4-pack first and tested each and every joint on each figure. The last one of the pack, Emma Frost, had 2 "frozen" arm connections at the peg. The first jiggled free after a few seconds. The second snapped off immediately. I opened the Target 2-pack next. Beast was fine, but both of Kitty's legs were "frozen" at the peg. Like Emma, the first one jiggled free and the second snapped off. WTF? I give up. I have nearly every Marvel 'Mate ever made up to the AXM/NA waves and have never had anything remotely close to this disappointing ever happen with any of those. Until DST/AA or whoever is responsible gets their act together, I'm done. If you need me, I'll be in the "Other Toys & Collectibles" section... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AdyCarter Posted January 21, 2007 Share Posted January 21, 2007 I feel your pain... two of my Cylons were gimped at the knee and the legs snapped as a result. It seems to be down to the paint drying into the joint.... hopefully its fixed on future stuff as its starting to really piss me off too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NightViper Posted January 21, 2007 Share Posted January 21, 2007 I had one of my Cylons' knee snap too. And today when I was moving Iceman's knee I noticed a small dab of super glue, or similar glue, on the one side of the hinge. I looked back at the Cylon, and sure enough, glue there too. I've had Mates with paint dried in the joints before, but this was definitely glue. I've had other action figures where glue has seeped into the joint, Transformers Alternators Mirage comes to mind, but Minimates don't usually need glue for their assembly. So this definitely seemed a little odd to me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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