現今玩具質數, 顧客服務 TOY QUALITY , TOY COMPANIES SUPPORT

有沒有發覺現在玩具質數愈來愈差. 買玩具原為開心反得煩惱? 玩具買家變了玩具質數儉驗家.
 
雖不喜歡說, 但自從日本玩具製造去了中國, 質數差了很多. 有頭髮, 毛, 塵, 油漆剝落, 或不應有的油點, 膠水等. 有時上色深淺也不一至.

日本玩具有些設計更會容易有油漆剝落, 有凹陷機會. 為減低成本, 更會用不適合用又弱的材料( 千値練就好輕用半圓, 枝軸易斷的關節).

買不買到有好 QC, 由天定!

究竟日本玩具設計師有沒有玩過自己的設計 prototype 後先呈遞 finalized 設計?

在香港或日本, 因 manufacture defects 想換貨或取 replacement parts 不難, 但在亞洲以外, 就算天下第一大的公司 Bandai 都不會提供任何 support. 幸運的你或可由買玩具的店 (包括在日本的商店)取 replacement,但大多不會有, 因那商店會向Bandai , 等公司試嘗取 replacement, 但被 Bandai 拒絕 . 當一公司變了龐大公司時, 就不會再理會顧客(多年支持顧客也視無物)!

有位 Bandai 日本員工曾對我說過, 玩具只是玩具, 不是汽車, 有"深痕"也 pass QC. 聽到後, 震驚. 看來工作態度與標準以不同以往, 就算日本都走下波.

而在中國製玩具的, 只為份工, 收錢, 不是玩具收藏家, 有毛, 少破爛, 不打緊, 照出貨, 最重要 meet quota, 收工資.

在網上, 看到好多 scary stories, 代收到 sub-standard 貨的難過, 特別是要儲了好耐錢買的. 代他們不憤.

但好少聽到或看到 Hot Toys 的 complaints (除了他們的價格,可能因 Hot Toys 用的材料和真實的雕刻), Hot Toys 玩具不是中國做嗎? 為什麼 QC 少問題? 還是我孤陋寡聞?

還有 LED (與其 driver circuit 電板) 其實不是貴 (視付顏色與其 current/voltage requirements) , 但玩具/模型一有光就可貴賣.


Have you ever received toy whose quality does not correspond to the extravagant price you paid? I do not know the quality of products from every single toy manufacturer / company, but I can speak about companies such as Sentinel 千値練 and biggest toy company like Bandai.

I am not impressed with these companies . I cut  Sentinel 千値練 some slack since it is still a young company, but no excuses for the biggest toy company with plenty of resources at their disposal such as Bandai.


I have seen toys from these companies with paint chips , hair , large dust particles under paint or just substandard toy designs such as using weak plastic for parts that require sturdy design (joints, moving parts) in the name of cutting manufacturing costs. Some designs opportunise scratches and paint chips (have the designers even "played" with their own design prototypes before submitting their final design for manufacturing?) . Other problems I have seen are inconsistent paint job and glue on parts. You better hope your purchase is not the one painted with almost-empty paint bottle (or sprayer).

It is a nightmare for toy buyers of the collector grade toys when they see dust under paint , scratches and broken parts (even straight from the box without playing) and a total disaster for buyers from outside Japan or the Asia region such as Hong Kong(they get much better after sale support than those who are not located in Asia). Bandai is very weak in global after-sale support outside Japan. You are left with dealing with the shops from which the toys were purchased if you are lucky that they even want to deal with you after payment, this is the same situation with toy stores in Japan that deal with non-locals, they might pretend trying to get replacement parts, after a few days of waiting , they just tell you it was unsuccessful or give you some excuses, then that is the end of transaction, never hear from them again. Companies such as Bandai just don't and won't care. The usual excuse is that they can't support outside Japan customers because of licensing, etc. This is what happens when a company got big and powerful (much like Bandai controls the anime or Tokusatsu shows you watch, why Kamen Rider and Sentai are so toy-oriented, and why there is a new Gundam anime every one or two years to boost sale in their very profitable Gundam department).

The other problem is that the companies themselves don't even care about manufacture quality , not even those toys they advertised as collector's items. Did you know a big , deep scratch mark is considered to be a pass for Bandai's quality control? The quality you get depends simply on luck!

I hate to say, but ever since they moved their manufacturer sites to China (for the obvious reason of lower manufacturing cost), the quality suffers substantially and is deteriorating. It also doesn't help when officials from companies such as Bandai say:"These are just toys , not automobile , a piece of dust stuck under paint won't affect one's enjoyment of the toys." , i.e. bad work attitudes and much lower work standard. This is probably the same attitude carried by those toy manufacturer sites as well. They are only interested in getting paid, the rest is purchaser's problems

Besides quality control, the other problem is toy design. Very often , one would see designs that would facilitate damages (paint chips) or result in broken parts.

In order to cut cost, they employ weaker and cheaper materials/designs that are not suitable for certain applications (plastic half-sphere shaped ball joints would be one of the examples).

By the way, miniature surface-mount LEDs are not expensive (prices depends on colour) , even with the LED driver circuit, manufacturer cost is not that expensive , but yet toys with lights can sell at extravagant prices (I am not talking about Hasbro or such).

I would also say this with automobiles, automobiles made outside Japan (even carrying Japanese names ) are also with lower standard. I have seen air bubbles in paint jobs , doors that don't close properly or out of place and reliablity ......well....The best thing you can hope for is that the brake works!

These are all to do with work ethics and standard, not just turning up for work and getting paid.

I can feel for those who received such highly priced but sub standard items after spending months if not a year saving up to make the purchase, toy companies just don't care after they get your cash.


I have not heard many complaints about Hong Kong Hot Toys besides their pricing , may be that is the price you pay for the articulation and realistic sculpting, but aren't their toys manufactured in China too (designed in Hong Kong)? How come their QC is better than Bandai or even Medicom (I think RAH costume is made in Japan)? These are photos of the manufacturer (assembly) site in China provided by Arcadia. I have never bought any Arcadia (or Yamato) toys , so I do not know anything about their quality.

Hair caps?? Do Bandai and Sentinel have those too at their manufacturer sites? How come you still find hair or dust particles under paint on their toys??

Toy companies should invest in a cleaner /dust-free environment. I am not talking about making integrated-circuit type of dust/particles free environment but dust free enough so that no dust ends up on the toy under the paint.

Bandai 與 千値練員工, 帶不帶帽, 口罩?? 他們還有出產"有毛有塵"貨品.







The parts are rested on cardboard. Dust , dirt, grease??












I hope they wash their hands after eating their lunch? Or after going to the washroom ???

食完牛雜河粉, 去完廁所後, 洗不洗手??