I think a lot of the flaking pleather or rubber issues tend be in areas with humid weather or extreme heat. I have some of the big offenders in those departments and have had no problems in California.
That does happen, true, but my oldest figs like Rescue Cap (pleather jacket) and the TWS figs are holding up great. Whatever kind of pleather HT used for Loki - I picked at it and it seems pretty strong. I do take reasonable care but don't fuss over my figs.
I like this sculpt a lot, helmet or not. I had Loki #2 out and it's eerily like Tom Hiddleston, depending on the real Loki's expression in Ragnarok, frame to frame. Just really happy with the 2 Lokis and quality of stitching, paint, and details like the black shading to green at the tunic edge.
A few nits like not being able to detach the cloak. I feel like horned Loki just MAKES my Ragnarok shelf along with Hela re the headress presence. Like having Falcon accents the TWS and CW shelf and Ultron Mark 1 does for that film - eye catching (but I am using bookshelves for display, not Detolfs. Tho re space I see some amazing hacks and shelf customizing).
I think a lot of the flaking pleather or rubber issues tend be in areas with humid weather or extreme heat. I have some of the big offenders in those departments and have had no problems in California.
I hope that I don’t have a problem with flaking because I love this Loki figure and would hate to see it ruined because of atmospheric issues. I also have Gamora (GOTG2) coming in the next few months, it looks like she has the pleather also.
Please feel free to share some more pics Sassafras!!
Me as well! HT really did a nice job with the costume - all the pleats, seams - at least on mine perfect. I do have mine under glass door bookcases - but I don't fuss. I figure what is the fun of 1/6 if u can't work with the figs. But I've got some w. pleather I go over once in while, including TWS Bucky and BW. Even Roadworn Thor in case his rubber arms develop an issue
Thank you I will when I can - I know I put up some for Ultron Mark 1 - really striking fig! But there are some really great photographers on the board who do some fantastic work like in the DS 1 thread. Definitely wander the board and check threads out - some *inspirational* pics!
My waitlist just converted. I was thinking of passing on this Loki because I have the Avengers figure but reading how much people like this version and seeing pictures made me change my mind.
Forgive me if this is an ignorant question but, what do you use to treat/“go over” the pleather and rubber arms of your figure? Do the Hulk figures need to be gone over periodically as well?
Yes, I will look around, I have seen quite a bit of cool and inspirational stuff in this forum!
My waitlist just converted. I was thinking of passing on this Loki because I have the Avengers figure but reading how much people like this version and seeing pictures made me change my mind.
I don't, yet. I've read arguments pro and con about using silicon cream, baby oil, vinyl protector, Armor-all, all kinds of stuff to protect pleather. If a piece is dirty I like to clean with soft cosmetic brushes (cheap at Target - used Elf brand very soft) or fine microfiber cloth. Distilled water as that doesn't have the salts that tap water does. I also take a lightly damp microfiber cloth and go over the faces, getting off fingerprints and dust - from time to time. Usually after I have handled a fig a lot! If a piece was really greasy I'd try vinegar before anything for the grease, or Oxy-clean solution.
Re the pleather - some say if any treatment has alcohol, it dries the pleather worse (Armor-all).
My own personal feeling is that pleather is apparently a mix of leather scraps or even just a vinyl coating over cloth. Various quality levels of pleather, and no way to know what HT uses. But depending on environment, the scraps and the "binder" that make up pleather break down and peel. Since it's a chemical thing and IMO u can't hermetically seal your silicon/plastic/pleather figs - I just keep them clean, dry, no direct sun, in a cabinet most of the time, with ordinary room humidity and temp. Real hot humid days I like to keep a fan on even with AC, and scatter those little absorbent silicon packs around (like u get with some food but you can get from Amazon).
Worst case if something peels I might spot fix with fabric paint or liquid vinyl or rubber. All kinds of fabric coatings around. Silicon fillers for splitting silicon/rubber arms + repaint. Very worst case for TWS Bucky, say, I'd break the pleather down and use for pattern to re-construct with real leather (I hope I never have to do that).
Hope this helps - I don't fuss a lot over my figs - as collectors go I think u oughta be able to *play* with them. HT never designed them to become antiques and even museums struggle to preserve plastics. Other people feel differently and keep their figs completely pristine. I've bought a few used figs for parts so badly trashed I wonder what the owners were thinking! Hope this helps - maybe others can weigh in if they use some sort of pleather protection or silicon arm protection.
Thanks so much Sassafras your advice/suggestions are greatly appreciated!!!! I will keep it all in mind while caring for my pleather figures. Luckily (as I may have mentioned before) my basement is pretty dry and neither my wife nor I smoke. I had all my figures displayed on shelves but dusted them off and reboxed them a couple of months ago because I am going to rearrange some furniture and stuff down there and buy three Detolfs (sp). I hope that having them in cabinets will protect them further.
Congrats! IMO from pics only I think HT uped the paint, hair details - I mean after I opened the box and had gone over him in detail, and even had him sitting on a desk kind of noticing the way different light angles affect the face, and the very careful costuming; nice cloak etc. - I really don't think pics for whatever reason showed how good he is. He's a pleasure to work with - some minor nits like the hair affecting articulation and not being able to take the cloak off, but glad I got a second one! *greedy*
I don't, yet. I've read arguments pro and con about using silicon cream, baby oil, vinyl protector, Armor-all, all kinds of stuff to protect pleather. If a piece is dirty I like to clean with soft cosmetic brushes (cheap at Target - used Elf brand very soft) or fine microfiber cloth. Distilled water as that doesn't have the salts that tap water does. I also take a lightly damp microfiber cloth and go over the faces, getting off fingerprints and dust - from time to time. Usually after I have handled a fig a lot! If a piece was really greasy I'd try vinegar before anything for the grease, or Oxy-clean solution.
Re the pleather - some say if any treatment has alcohol, it dries the pleather worse (Armor-all).
My own personal feeling is that pleather is apparently a mix of leather scraps or even just a vinyl coating over cloth. Various quality levels of pleather, and no way to know what HT uses. But depending on environment, the scraps and the "binder" that make up pleather break down and peel. Since it's a chemical thing and IMO u can't hermetically seal your silicon/plastic/pleather figs - I just keep them clean, dry, no direct sun, in a cabinet most of the time, with ordinary room humidity and temp. Real hot humid days I like to keep a fan on even with AC, and scatter those little absorbent silicon packs around (like u get with some food but you can get from Amazon).
Worst case if something peels I might spot fix with fabric paint or liquid vinyl or rubber. All kinds of fabric coatings around. Silicon fillers for splitting silicon/rubber arms + repaint. Very worst case for TWS Bucky, say, I'd break the pleather down and use for pattern to re-construct with real leather (I hope I never have to do that).
Hope this helps - I don't fuss a lot over my figs - as collectors go I think u oughta be able to *play* with them. HT never designed them to become antiques and even museums struggle to preserve plastics. Other people feel differently and keep their figs completely pristine. I've bought a few used figs for parts so badly trashed I wonder what the owners were thinking! Hope this helps - maybe others can weigh in if they use some sort of pleather protection or silicon arm protection.
Thanks so much Sassafras your advice/suggestions are greatly appreciated!!!! I will keep it all in mind while caring for my pleather figures. Luckily (as I may have mentioned before) my basement is pretty dry and neither my wife nor I smoke. I had all my figures displayed on shelves but dusted them off and reboxed them a couple of months ago because I am going to rearrange some furniture and stuff down there and buy three Detolfs (sp). I hope that having them in cabinets will protect them further.
Thanks again for the advice. I hope that someday I will be as helpful to another forum member as you have been to me.
You are most welcome! Come to think of it, I also have the first Jack Sparrow, and second - and all of them and they are all holding up well.
One last tip re Detolfs or other cabinets - u can use clear weather stripping or even clear aquarium caulk to block any door gaps in cabinets. Where I live does get humid tho, so for me I'm not big into "perfect seals" as I have gotten a bit of mold from trapped moisture.
Detolfs should work well for you re protection - and of course, if you look around, there are all kinds of hacks that can done on a Detolf if you are handy - some good ideas on this board.
I'm big into air movement year-round - fans. E.g. all of my cabinets have some sort of fine gap at door edges or whatever, I don't want them air tight.
Moderate temps, average room humidity, no direct sunlight, going over figs from time to time (e.g. play with and clean) has worked well for me in my part of U.S. without too much fussing. Just based on the off-gassing from a sealed TWS Bucky I bought - perfect fig but had been sealed for several years - he smelled like a new car and plastic. So I'm also if favor of getting them OUT of those boxes and just enjoying (don't leave any batteries in tho, they may leak!
Would like to hear other peoples' opinions: Which head sculpt would you prefer? Ragnarok Loki or Dark World Loki? Which appears to your eye more like Tom Hiddleston? Leave the Avengers one out.
Depends if you want older or younger Loki. The Ragnarok one is sharper and has the years added to him, just as TH has aged. Cap him with the helmet and he's really good. I don't think you'll be disappointed with it, and it's easier to obtain. By no means is it a bad figure. I believe you'll be satisfied.Would like to hear other peoples' opinions: Which head sculpt would you prefer? Ragnarok Loki or Dark World Loki? Which appears to your eye more like Tom Hiddleston? Leave the Avengers one out.
I think Ragnorok is a little better but both are not great
Would like to hear other peoples' opinions: Which head sculpt would you prefer? Ragnarok Loki or Dark World Loki? Which appears to your eye more like Tom Hiddleston? Leave the Avengers one out.
To me Ragnarok Loki seems more realistic but the earlier ones are.....less realistic... Not sure how to explain but I find hot toys getting much better with the headsculpts, just as they did with the earlier robert downey figures vs the later ones, they seems more realistic. The earlier one has the resemblance but something about them make it less realistic...
But anyway, I do prefer Ragnarok Loki much more, and with the helmet on, he is perfect. I feel the sculpt is made with the helmet in mind, so when he is not wearing it, something seems a bit off about the sculpt.
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