A

ABS(Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene)

The hard plastic used to make most action figure torsos.

ACCESORIES

Any weapon, stand or snap-on attachments packed with an action figure; adds perceived value to an action figure by making the buyer believe he/she is receiving more for his/her money.

AGE GROUP

The range of age to which a toy line is targeted and marketed. For example, the the target group for Spawn action figures, based on a more mature comic book, is considerably higher than for Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, which is aimed at a children's audience.

ARTICULATION

The way in which an action figure bends and moves its limbs. Traditionally, figures are "articulated" at the arms, legs and neck, Many current figures have waist, knee, elbow, ankle, and wrist articulation. Toy Biz's Super Poseable Spider-Man has tons of articulation, while Galoob's Men in Black figures have limited articulation, substituting action features instead.

ASSORTMENT

Denotes how an action figure is shipped to toy stores and the ratio in which toys are packed in cartons. If a line includes four figures and a box holds seven figures, three may be packed twice in the assortment, while one may be "shot-packed" in smaller quantities.

B

BALL-JOINT

A ball in-socket joint that allows 360 degrees of rotation for action figure articulation. Commonly used at arm and leg sockets to allow for a variety of poses.

BENDIE

Any soft bendable action figure that is poseable through the use of a wire frame covered with soft vinyl. Bendie figures allow for a wider range of articulation than hard plastic figures.

BLISTER CARD

Any action figure packed utilizing a plastic blister attached to a cardboard card.

BLOW MOLD

A form of action figure production in which compressed air is used in the process to force melted plastic into a mold.

BUTTERFLY

Denote the shape of the hole on blister-carded figures where the cards are hung on hooks in toy stores.

C

CARDED

1.) The way in which most action figures are shipped to stores;sealed in a plastic bubble on a cardboard card.

2.) Any action figure that is still in its original packaging. The figure is assumed to be mint condition and commands a higher price than action figures that are unpackaged ( loose ).

CASTING

Duplication of an original action figure prototype by filling a mold with a hard material, usually urathane. ( see urathane )

CLAY SCULPTURE

The very first step, after blueprints and control drawings, from which a prototype is created.

CLOSE-OUT

The end of a production run for a toy line.

CONTROL DRAWINGS

Blueprints or design fom which a prototype is sculpted.

CUSTOMIZED

An action figure that has been altered through sanding, and the application of modeling clay or paint to produce another character.

D

DELUXE

Denotes any large-size action figure or one that arrives packaged with extra accesories. It's mostly a buzzword used to make you think your getting more bang for your buck.

DETACHABLE

Any part of an action figure meant to be removed. Mego Thor's helmet is detachable, but Mego Spidey's head is not...usually.

DIE-CAST

A toy formed from metal parts rather than plastic. Note: The first two years of the Generation 1 Transformers line is made of this type of metal.

DIORAMA

A minature three-dimensional scene constructed to give added play value to action figures or create an interesting setting. Could be cardboard cuteout ( as in Kenner's Death Star Escape 3-Pack) or an elaborate plastic set ( any Todd McFarlane's Monsters playset ).

DISKS

Circular, coin shaped hard material used at connection points in a clay sculpture or action figure prototype.

DRY BRUSH

Painting technique where a brush loaded with dried paint is applied along high points of a figure's surface.

E

ELECTRONIC

Any action feature ( light-up or sound ) that battery or some sort of power source. Figures with electronic features tend to be bulkier to accomidate the extra mechanisms and wires needed. Just check out the hump on the back of Kenner's Electronic Power F/X Obi-Wan. Note: Also, Transmetal Optimal Optimus is the first electronic figure in the Beast Wars toy line.

EXCLUSIVE

The bane of all collectors and completists. Many toy store chains, mail-order houses and fan clubs offer one-of-a-kind limited-run action figures. If a particular exclusive is hard to come by, it'll drive a collector bonkers. The Transformers has an annual convention called Botcon. At every single Botcon, there was at least one or two exclusive Transformers made for the convention.

F

FAST-FOOD PREMIUMS

Any toy included as a premium offer at McDonalds, Burger King, Taco Bell, or any other restaurant that uses heat lamps to keep your food toasty warm. Some of these toys command a high price because they were generally perceived as throwaway items when originally released.

FEATURES

Any extra actions that make a figure unique. Includes wind-up, glow-in-the-dark plastic parts and spring-loaded mechanisms.

FIGURE

What this whole silly buisness is based on. A figure can be anything from a tiny half-inch TIE Fighter Pilot in Galoob's Star Wars Action Fleet to a 10-inch Daredevil from Toy Biz's Marvel Universe Deluxe line.

FLASH

Any leftover and hanging plastic still on an action figure after the molding process. Sometimes these parts are either cut off or sanded down.

G

GIMMICK

Any special feature that is used as a theme of a toy line or to draw attention.

GRADING

A system of evaluating action figures based on their peceived worth and condition. Grades range from Mint in Mint Package( a perfect figure on a perfect card ) to Poor ( possibly a damaged figure minus accessories).

GRINDER

A tool used to smooth away flashes and parting lines, the overhanging bits of plastic where the seams of a figure meet.

GUNS

In the case of action figures, any attachable accessory resembling a firearm, laser blaster, bazooka, etc.

H

HOT MELT

A gluing process using heat with a soft plastic to adhere action figure parts together.

I

INJECTION MOLD

A toy-making process in which melted or liquid plastic is injected into a mold to produce an action figure part.

INNER BLISTER

The plastic tray molded to hold the action figure and accessories in position between the card and outer clear plastic of a blister-carded toy.

INTERCHANGEABLE

A system of parts in a toy line which can be mixed and matched; Mego's Micronauts line of the 1970's offered interchangeable parts through which collectors could build variations of their toys a la Lego blocks.

J

J HOOK

The shape of a hole on packaging where the product is held on a hook for display.

JOINTED

A figure with moveable parts, as opposed to a static sculpture.

K

KNOCK-OFF

An unauthorized reproduction of a popular, legitimate toy line; usually produced in Third World nations and made from inferior materials to ride the sucess of another product. Most knock-offs can be found at flea markets or garage sales.

KUNG-FU GRIP

A feature on G.I.Joe dolls introduced in 1974, where the figures hands were comprised of soft, flexible plastic to allow the grasping of objects.

L

LABEL

1.)A warning attached to a bister card or box to suggest a specific age group or denote a hazardous part.

2.)An adhesive decal applied to a vehicle or playset to add design decorations. Note: Almost all of the Generation 1 Transformers included label sheets.

LED (Light Emitting Diode)

A semiconductor diode that emits light when electrical voltage is applied. Used extensively in light-up toys as a small alternative to large electronics.

LICENSE

An agreement between a movie company or comic publisher that gives a toy manufacturer the rights to make products based on on certain properties. The Star Wars license is one of the most coveted in the toy buisness, while the license for "The Last Starfighter" is one of the lamest, hence no toys.

LIGHT-UP

An action feature which involves electical-powered light effects, as opposed to glow-in-the-dark, non-powered effects.

LOOSE

Any toy that is not in it's original box or sealed on its original blister card. Usually found en masse in boxes at garage sales and in far less than mint condition.

M

MASTER CARTON

A case of figures shipped to stores from a proper distribution of short-packed figures if any.

MEGO

Defunct toy manufacturer known for its hihly articulated figures of DC and Marvel superheroes ( World's Greatest Super-Heroes! ). In recent times, the term Mego has been used to discribe any oversized figure, albeit incorrectly in some cases.

MINATURES

Smaller toy lines, often based on larger, pre-existing toys.

MINT

An action figure in absolutely flawless condition or one in like-new packaging with no price tag, bent corners or creases.

MiP (Mint in Package )

A figure in perfect condition and packaged in a perfect card or sealed box.

MISSILE-FIRING

An action feature in which a toy can launch a projectile; often spring-loaded.

MODELS

Sculptures purchased in either kit form or preassembled; static and unarticulated, as opposed to true action figures; often called PVCs.

MOLD SHOTS

Also refered ot as test shots, the first few plastic test action figures from a molding tool; commonly sold as prototypes to die-hard collectors.

MOLDS

A tooling pattern, areproduction of the original sculpture, used to produce action figures in mass quantities.

N

NON-TOXIC

T be devoid of poisionous qualities. An important feature when producing toys or toy parts children might inadvertently swallow.

O

ONE-UP

Refers to the small size of a prototype in relations to its production size; meaning two times larger than production size.

OVERSPRAY

A painting technique in which paint is lightly "dusted" over an already existing color. Kenner's Star Wars: Power of the Force Sandtrooper's "sandy" look is achived through overspray.

P

PACKAGING

The box or blister card which protects a toy from nefarious outside elements, like dust, sunlight or little grubby children who break everything they get their hands on. The condition of a toy's packaging has a direct effect on a toy's value in the secondary market.

PAINT-MASTER

A fully painted and detailed action figure model used as a reference when the toy enters the painting stage of mass production.

PEG HOLE

A hole in the top of the toy packaging for use in hanging and display on store racks.

PHOTO ENGRAVING

A photographic process in which an image is literally etched into an action figure mold.

PINNED

A form of action figure joint joined on a casting using a metal rod or pin.

PLAY ACTION

The featured active mechanism on a toy, usually simulating the signature "power" of the cahracter on which the toy is based on. For example, Toy Biz's Wolverine with Snap-Out Claws replicates the actual character, while Electra with Light-Up Ninja Blade is a little stretch of the imagination.

PLAYSET

An accessory simulating an environment, often found in a movie or animated series, in which action figures can interact.

PROOF-OF-PURCHASE

A symbol or icon on a product's packaging, sometimes a UPC bar code, which can be used to document the purchase of that toy; can often be mailed away, along with shipping costs, to the company producing said product in exchange for a bonus product, either cool ( Kenner's 1979 Boba Fett ) or lame ( Kenner's "Spirit of Obi-Wan" Lay's Potato Chips Giveaway). Note: The Transformers line had its own proof of purchase in the form of "Robot Points" for exclusives such as the Omnibots and Reflector.

PROTOTYPE

The initial, original model or sculpt of a toy on which subsequent production is based; prototypes are often larger than the final product, to demonsrate detail.

PULL BACK

A kind of motor within wheeled toys, which can be set in motion by rolling the toy backwards ( winding up a hidden spring ) and releasing.

PVC

A rigid model or statuette composed of polyvinyl chloride; often used as a catch-all phrase describing a statuette for display, as opposed to an articulated figure.

Q

QUALITY CONTROL

The process of improving a toy after it is already in production by altering color, sculpting, or accessories. Often quality control will result in variants of an action figure; for example, Kenner changed its lightsaber lengths mid-production in its current Star Wars: Power of the Force line, resulting in increased collector demand for figures with the earlier, longer lightsabers.

R

RE-DECO

A change in a paint scheme or sculpting change on an already-produced toy to provide either a variant [ such as McFarlane Toys "Hamberger Head" Spawn in Series 1 ] or a completely new character [ as Toy Biz's Rogue became Polaris in its X-Men line ].Note: Re-decos have been in the Transformers line since Generation 1. Most of the Decepticon jets such as Starscream, Thundercracker, and Ramjet all share the a similar body, but each of them either had a different color scheme or different wing designs.

REPAINT (see re-deco)

RESCULPT

Changing some or all of the parts on a pre-existing action figure to create a varient or brand-new character.

ROOTED HAIR

As opposed to molded hair, this feature consists of lifelike hair anchored into a figure through tiny holes in order to acheive a level of realism.Note umm.. sort of: I have yet to see a Transformer with rooted hair.

ROTO-CAST

A process which liquid plastic is shaped to the outside of a mold by centrifugal force from high-speed spinning; a mold for soft, pliable plastics.

RUNNING CHARGE

Variations made during the production run of a toy to correct minor defects or acheive a certain level of quality standard.

S

SEAMS

The area where two individually molded action figure pieces are joined together.

SHIPPING DATE

The scheduled day on which a toy line is shipped to retail outlets for sale.

SHORT PACKED

An action figure shipped in lower quantities per case than any other toys in the same assortment; short-packed figures nearly always command a higher value in the secondary market due to their increased scarcity.

SNAP-ON-PEICE

An accessory which fastens to the main action figure by "snapping" it into place.

SOUND CHIP

A digital sound component within a toy which can deliver dialogue or action noises when triggered; as opposed to analog methods [ pulling a string to activate a mechanical voice box ]. Note: In the first year of Generation 2, re-releases of the originals from Generation 1 had an added voice box, but it also added a lot of bulkier baggage for the figures to carry around.

SPRAY MASK

A molded shield cut to a desired shape to be spray painted.

T

TAMPO-PRINTING

A painting process where color is literally "stamped" onto the surface; used for extra-fine detail, such as word type or a superhero's emblem.

T-CROTCH

A style of joint for an action figure's crotch area which resembles a T shape as opposed to a V shape; T-crotches traditionally have been used for male characters, while V-crotches have been used for females, except for Playmates' recent Star Trek line...sissies.

TEST SHOTS

Also known as mold shots; preliminary samples of an action figure.

TEXTURIZE

In action figure sculpting terms,to add detail to a smooth surface.

TRANSFORMING

An action feature which allows the manipulation of a toy's parts to change it from one form into another. For example, Optimus Prime of Hasbro's Transformers literally "folded" into a tractor-trailer rig.Note: I couldn't have said it better myself! =Ž

TWO-UP

Like the One-Up, a prototype's size in relation to the actual production run; two sizes bigger or three times the size of the production size.

U

UNDRCOAT

The base coat of paint on a figure, applied before a wash or drybrush.

URATHANE

A hard plastic widely used for tooling patterns.

V

V-CROTCH

A V-shaped style of crotch joint, often used for female characters; (see T-Crotch).

VAC-METALLIZED

A decorative process in which hard palstic is vacuum-formed with silver coating, then painted with a transparent color to add to a unique decorative sheen.Note: The Beast Wars Transmetals and Transmetal 2 lines use this process to give the figures a shinny metallic look.

VACU-FORM

A process in which plastic is heated and sucked over or into a mold.

VARIENT

A repaint and/or resculpt of an existing action figure, usually produced in limited numbers; variants often command higher prices on the secondary market.

W

WARNING LABLE

A cautionary notice on a toy or its packaging alerting consumers of potential hazards ( tiny parts or firing projectiles ), notifying parents and consumers of danger to children.

WASH

A process in which paint is watered down and applied in such a way that it only fills the low points in the surface of an action figure.

WAX

Material poured into an action figure mold made from a clay sculpture; used to carve finer details.

WIND-UP

A method of activating an action feature mechanism by turning a knob or wheel; any toy with a winding action.

wipesWIPES

A painting process where deco is added in great quantities to highly detailed sculpted peices, then the excess is literally wiped away; adds color to tiny details, such as wrinkles.

X

X-ACTO BLADE

A brand of steel handle which holds a variety of razor-sharp blades used extensively in the design and customization of toys.

Y

No Y words yet. Sorry.

Z

ZAP-A-GAP

A clear glue which bonds all types of materials together.

ZIP KICKER

A substance frequetly used by action figure customizers which forces the immediate setting of glue; an acccelerator.