For those who remember the dreaded hot toys pink panty issues of the earlier released figures you're probably thinking that that problem is long in the rearview mirror and has been corrected. However I'm here to say it probably has never been corrected it probably has just been lessened because of the harder plastic that they're using on the majority of the figures. But here are some examples as to how that problem still exists and probably will forever.
I've become very intimate with this process and of fixing it. Thank God for Tamiya clear red...
What you have to understand is the problem is caused by the fact that all of our beautiful candy apple red figures are actually not painted metallic red but are painted clear red over silver. And for whatever reason silver paint with clear red on softer plastic just doesn't last no matter what. In time it's going to turn pink and the fact that many of our Iron Man figures still have softer plastic, means at some point I'm going to have some pink parts.
Right Now in my collection in fact, the following Iron Man figures have pink parts.
Neca 1/4 mk7.... completely pink chest and panties
Sh figuarts mk43..... one pink arm and pink wrist covers
Figma mk7... completely pink ankle guards and wrist guards
Marvel select hulk buster.... almost half the figure has faded to a pink color
Sentinel re edit..... two different figures have hands that are turning pink
Play Imaginative mk7.... well known at this point but the panties were pink
Arts spirits 1/9 mk4...... pink ankle guards and pink wrist guards some pink on the chest
All of these issues have less been corrected by removing the parts and spraying them with clear red. But if you look at the actual parts that are turning pink it's always the same it's always the softer plastic pieces. So even on a figure that has mostly hard plastic if there are any areas of softer rubbery like plastic they will start to fade in time. And if you think about the fact that the Marvel Select Hulkbuster and my sh figure Arts figures are actually pretty new it shows how this problem still hasn't gone away. For example if you collect Marvel Legends and you try to buy the older toy Biz silver Centurion ...pretty much everyone on the market available is Pink.
One of the reasons why the problem seems lesser than it used to be it's because the figures are using more and more harder plastic which seems less affected but like the examples I listed above these hard plastic figures still have softer materials on them usually the hands the feet or any areas where the plastic needs to flex or if the plastic is small and thin and they're afraid of breakage , the manufacturer will use a softer rubber like plastic. All of those areas will be susceptible.
Just recently this week I fixed all that I listed except the Marvel Select Hulkbuster , haven't done that one yet but all the other ones were fixed.
I'm also wondering if having the figures in display cabinets under bright LED lights makes the problem worse. I have no knowledge if it does as I don't know what the LEDs emit that may damage paint. But suffice to say it seems like even if it's a small area like a fist or a wrist guard I'm still fighting the dreaded Pink Panty issue.
The good news is just a few coats of clear red bring it back to 100% brand new glossy deep red condition so it's a pretty easy problem to fix.
So grab yourself some clear red paint just in case for the future.
These two pictures which I should have of course taken them before as opposed to just the after. Anyway that chest was almost completely bright bright pink as was the panties on the mk7 well all I did was mask off the surrounding area and shoot it with clear red and it looks just as good as new.
I've become very intimate with this process and of fixing it. Thank God for Tamiya clear red...
What you have to understand is the problem is caused by the fact that all of our beautiful candy apple red figures are actually not painted metallic red but are painted clear red over silver. And for whatever reason silver paint with clear red on softer plastic just doesn't last no matter what. In time it's going to turn pink and the fact that many of our Iron Man figures still have softer plastic, means at some point I'm going to have some pink parts.
Right Now in my collection in fact, the following Iron Man figures have pink parts.
Neca 1/4 mk7.... completely pink chest and panties
Sh figuarts mk43..... one pink arm and pink wrist covers
Figma mk7... completely pink ankle guards and wrist guards
Marvel select hulk buster.... almost half the figure has faded to a pink color
Sentinel re edit..... two different figures have hands that are turning pink
Play Imaginative mk7.... well known at this point but the panties were pink
Arts spirits 1/9 mk4...... pink ankle guards and pink wrist guards some pink on the chest
All of these issues have less been corrected by removing the parts and spraying them with clear red. But if you look at the actual parts that are turning pink it's always the same it's always the softer plastic pieces. So even on a figure that has mostly hard plastic if there are any areas of softer rubbery like plastic they will start to fade in time. And if you think about the fact that the Marvel Select Hulkbuster and my sh figure Arts figures are actually pretty new it shows how this problem still hasn't gone away. For example if you collect Marvel Legends and you try to buy the older toy Biz silver Centurion ...pretty much everyone on the market available is Pink.
One of the reasons why the problem seems lesser than it used to be it's because the figures are using more and more harder plastic which seems less affected but like the examples I listed above these hard plastic figures still have softer materials on them usually the hands the feet or any areas where the plastic needs to flex or if the plastic is small and thin and they're afraid of breakage , the manufacturer will use a softer rubber like plastic. All of those areas will be susceptible.
Just recently this week I fixed all that I listed except the Marvel Select Hulkbuster , haven't done that one yet but all the other ones were fixed.
I'm also wondering if having the figures in display cabinets under bright LED lights makes the problem worse. I have no knowledge if it does as I don't know what the LEDs emit that may damage paint. But suffice to say it seems like even if it's a small area like a fist or a wrist guard I'm still fighting the dreaded Pink Panty issue.
The good news is just a few coats of clear red bring it back to 100% brand new glossy deep red condition so it's a pretty easy problem to fix.
So grab yourself some clear red paint just in case for the future.
These two pictures which I should have of course taken them before as opposed to just the after. Anyway that chest was almost completely bright bright pink as was the panties on the mk7 well all I did was mask off the surrounding area and shoot it with clear red and it looks just as good as new.
