MOTUC prototypes and test-shots!

[Evil Ed]

The wings aren´t removable at the proto, I think they are glued on (don´t want to pull too hard).
Also the backpack isn´t removable.

makes sense, since they originally weren't supposed to be removable - Mattel changed that due to fan demand they said...

P.S. anyone got pics of the Skeletor Proto ?

yepp, the links were on these boards when we were discussing the test shots of Skeletor and Stratos. the pic is linked from ebay, so save it to keep it - it won't remain available:




edDy

[funkytbone]

Hey ya. I was the first one to bid on each of those items. Since I'm on social security and don't have that much money coming in, so I didn't put a higher bid in. And, at first the Skeletor was listed with no weapons. I e-mailed the seller and asked about it and he said I reminded him that the Skeletor came with a sword. The starting bid on each was $9.99 apiece. First he only had He-Man and Beast Man listed, then the next day Stratos and Skeletor was listed, because I checked out his store and seen more listed. So I kinda found them first, I guess or at least bidded on them first. The seller's in Japan. Congratulations on winning!

Hopefully I'll get to buy a He-Man and Beastman, hopefully 2, before they run out. Anybody use the paypal plug in for this? Any help with that would be nice, since that's my primary method of payment. I've already installed the thing, just for the MOTU figs. Can you preorder the other figures, like putting in an order for Skeletor already, or do I have to wait until they announce it, like they did yesterday? I have to wait until I deposit my check tomorrow.

[Darkness]

Wait a sec...wasn't there another thread about these same items where the general opinion about these figures was that they were fakes?

[Baena]

Wait a sec...wasn't there another thread about these same items where the general opinion about these figures was that they were fakes?

It's not a fake. It's clearly the MotUC Skeletor figure.
It's also most likely a veritable Test Shot, but I would submit it's a test shot gone bad in that he's spray painted gray to cover the errors beneath.

You can see his shoulder is white plastic where it would probably be blue for instance.

I don't know how everything happens at a factory when making these, but the "test shots" are where they are literally testing the molds, testing the colors of the plastics to be used, testing the paint applications, etc. Seems logical to me.

So yeah, this has to be a test shot of sorts so it very much is legit.

Remember, don't confuse a "test shot" to a "production sample" or a "prototype". All three would be different things, but all three are required to make a toy from scratch.

[King Kahn]

THESE pics are the best evidence that stratos will arrive to us wuth corrected hands.

the belt? i personally still havent seen any thing on ebay with a correctly colored belt

[Arkangel]

I can't figure why it was painted gray, the figure seems to have been casted in white (i'll check with some ink removal once i have the chemical in hands) painted blue and then painted gray all over. Why is that? Does anyone have any ideas, or know a way of contacting someone from the production that can clear this?

[Vintage]

I like the black Skeletor! Makes one think of Scare Glow! :-)

Nice one, Arkangel!

Abraço! :-)

[Tallstar]

My only guess is that maybe they want to make him stand out so that he doesn't accidentally get packaged with the rest of 'em.

[LORD FALLEN ELDOR]

Skeletor statue variant?

[ConvergeDw]

I went to school for Toy Design and I've been working for awhile doing it.
My guess is the grey paint is primer. All toy models I've ever made have been primed in grey like that.
If they paint the resin or whatever it's cast in, the paint applied is just going to be a mess.

[JafariStew]

I went to school for Toy Design and I've been working for awhile doing it.
My guess is the grey paint is primer. All toy models I've ever made have been primed in grey like that.
If they paint the resin or whatever it's cast in, the paint applied is just going to be a mess.

^ ConvergeDw is right. You see prototypes from Japan all the time in a flat gray color. It also helps show the details...

[Professor Dire]

The primer also helps protect the resin from "overcuring" and becoming brittle.

I also advise against using any chemicals on that prototype. Lord only knows what
kind of chemical reaction you could be facing.

My 2 cents.

[hhhelmsley]

That is a nice shadow beast Skeletor.

[xBBestx]

I went to school for Toy Design and I've been working for awhile doing it.
My guess is the grey paint is primer. All toy models I've ever made have been primed in grey like that.
If they paint the resin or whatever it's cast in, the paint applied is just going to be a mess.

They paint resin all the time when they make hardcopies...

The primer also helps protect the resin from "overcuring" and becoming brittle.

I also advise against using any chemicals on that prototype. Lord only knows what
kind of chemical reaction you could be facing.

My 2 cents.

It's made of plastic, not resin, so the primer isn't used for any sort of setting, or to protect the "resin" as it is not made of resin. They either use it to show detail, or what I'm beginning to think is that they are doing... is to devalue the figures when they throw them away at the factories.

Since they paint such a high number of them it seems weird that they would be doing it to show detail, unless when they first fire up the mold they spray multiples of them to show flaws, and keep pumping them out till the flaws stop.

[Arkangel]

They either use it to show detail, or what I'm beginning to think is that they are doing... is to devalue the figures when they throw them away at the factories.

Good thinking, i think i'll go for the factory devalue wen thrown away $bought$

@professor dire

I would only use a soaked toothpick head to scratch the insides of an arm/leg joint, can't figure anything apocalyptical coming out of that

[Zuff-Man]

Though I admit its cool to get the Skeletor figure before the rest of us and I am envious. I'm just wondering how there is any authenticity to these Test Shot figures. If anyone wants a test shot He-man Ill go buy a can of flat grey spraypaint and spray one of my He-man figures, then sell it for triple what I paid. I've seen some prototypes and test shots that were obviosuly test shots...but Im not sold on these being authentic. I tend to agree that they may have been just sprayed to deface upon destruction to negate theft during production.

[xBBestx]

Though I admit its cool to get the Skeletor figure before the rest of us and I am envious. I'm just wondering how there is any authenticity to these Test Shot figures. If anyone wants a test shot He-man Ill go buy a can of flat grey spraypaint and spray one of my He-man figures, then sell it for triple what I paid. I've seen some prototypes and test shots that were obviosuly test shots...but Im not sold on these being authentic. I tend to agree that they may have been just sprayed to deface upon destruction to negate theft during production.

They were bought from a reliable source. Also it is clear that part of his arm is shot in white plastic. Furthermore... There is no date stamp on these figures. Test shots do not have date stamps because they are shot before the date stamps are added to the molds.

These are authentic 100%.

I also wouldn't scrape the paint off if I was you. It takes away a bit from the originality of Test Shot. This is the way they were found. If I had confirmation that Mattel just does it to devalue them, then I would consider taking the paint off. I have two sprayed He-Man's, so I might take the paint off of one of them. Your Skeletor is the only one I have seen surface, so I wouldn't take the paint off and risk devaluing it more.

[Arkangel]

you are probably right about the paintwear thing, i was looking closely at the arm and i'm 80% sure this is the original cast colour, however, this has a date stamped on the back of the front skirt you know what i mean? It's pretty hard to see, i only saw it because i took a picture of it underneath to check if there was a stamp or not. Can you check yours and post pics?

[zodak74]

Skeletor looks quite evil done up all black like that! I'm envious!

[xBBestx]

you are probably right about the paintwear thing, i was looking closely at the arm and i'm 80% sure this is the original cast colour, however, this has a date stamped on the back of the front skirt you know what i mean? It's pretty hard to see, i only saw it because i took a picture of it underneath to check if there was a stamp or not. Can you check yours and post pics?

Does it say Mattel and the year inside his skirt? OR does it just say China? On my he-man there is no Markings at all, except his weapons say China. If you look close there should be some parts of your skele not cast in original colors, it looks to me like at least his left shoulder is cast in white.

[Arkangel]

says china 2008 i think then there is this code 64 something. does not read mattel anywhere

[xBBestx]

That's interesting. I believe we all got the from the same seller, and the seller told me what made them special was the lack of date stamp. Where is the date stamp on the production figures, I still haven't opened mine.

[xBBestx]

haha. I can tell from that writing that we mos def got them from the same guy. What you have informed him of doesn't really clear anything up though so I dont see where he is coming from there with the whole making him intelligent about them haha.

I do believe they are true test shots though as you should be able to tell that parts of them have not been painted under the grey, or have been casted in a different color then the production figure entirely.

I paid more then I should have for the first one I got, but then didn't pay much for the others so it worked out alright. I'd like to know the real story behind the gray paint, but they are interesting pieces nevertheless.

A friend of mine suggested that they might have also been used to test the paint masks, then they just sprayed over the entire figure when they were done. Maybe because they came out bad so they did it to distinguish which ones needed to be thrown out. Who knows....

[Zodac101]

You guys have the sellers name still. I want to look these up on ebay, but not havein any luck.

[Arkangel]

the seller's name is lawijki he still had a few test shots of beastman and he-man last time i checked