Rebor Titanoboa Falling Apart?

[Shane]

If they really used the same material as 1/6th scale replicas, then I'm not surprised this happened.

I owned a SW Stormtrooper and a John Wick Hot Toys replica. I'm not really into human replicas, but they were given as bribes, err, I meant gifts. 'Displayed them in a non-airconditioned room, and we're in the tropics.
Checked both figures because I was about to sell them, and noticed that John's arm felt crumbly under the jacket. Me being the idiot in removing clothes from these "dolls", I ended up causing more damage - but yeah, the damage looks exactly like those Monty pics... plus a massive tear across the upper arm because of my carelessness.  The new owner just bought a 3rd party replacement arm.

I'm inclined to believe it is due to the heat... but I don't really have proof. Just sharing a story since it was mentioned above that Monty and those figures are made of the same material.

the rubber-like "skin" used on Hot Toys and similar "high end" 1/6 figures is notorious for cracking/tearing/etc. Many of these figures contain warnings in the instructions to avoid hot temperatures and "extreme" posing as it will damage them.

I'm not suprised to hear that if Rebor's boa is made from the same stuff, it would lead to cracking and tearing, especially if left in an extreme pose (like around a crocodile).

I am always wary of rubber-like material on toys and figures because any amount of bending and leaving in a non "T Pose" type position is going to cause stress that is going to read to creasing and, eventually, tearing.

[Shonisaurus]

I see that the cause of it cracking is mainly due to solar heat. Good to know! I have my titanoboa in the living room and there is a lot of sun, I plan to leave my titanoboas in my study room where the sun does not shine with the blind down. It is a pity that such a beautiful figure deteriorates, that is the reason why Rebor abandoned the production of these figures and their circulation was limited.

The polistone titanoboa will thankfully not have that flaw. They are made of a higher quality material and definitely a noble material such as polistone and resin is noticeable with difference.

[Dinoguy2]

It's almost impossible to avoid this issue. All rubber breaks down, some faster than others and depending on climate, but it will happen. It's funny that Rebor cited the use of thermoplastic rubber in high end 1:6 scale figures, because those are notorious for this kind of cracking. I have a 1999 McFarlane Headless Horseman figure that's pants disintegrated while it was still in it's original packaging.

This will happen to all figures eventually but rubber ones, especially bendy ones, sooner than others. Oh the number of Carnegie Tanystropheus figures I've come across that have cracked / snapped necks. I don't dare repose mine more than a couple times to get a pose I like. I suspect before too long these Tiranoboas will all look like those old King Kong maquettes.

To add, I don't think UV light is the cause. Sunlight might accelerate the process but like yellowing, it's due to molecules mixed into the plastic reacting with oxygen.

[stargatedalek]

While true, the Carnegie Tanystropheus is a great example of how nonsense this deterioration is. These are broken due to fragility, they break easily while being bent too far or too roughly, the plastic isn't suddenly cracking or splitting without notice even as many of them are over 20 years old now.

[CityRaptor]

Neither my Jurassic Park Coelophysis nor the Tanaconda I sold last year at problems with those either. Looks like REBOR just used bad quality, and I'm talking Hasbro Jurassic World level bad quality here, material.

I have mine displayed/wrapped around my Mattel Brachiosaurus in a corner.

Now I got a mental image about a Titanoboa wrapping around a Brachiosaurus just for the latter to start bulging her macronarian muscles to break to break free, ripping apart the snake in the process. Like this:

[gordscot]

Hi bud- unrelated sorry! I saw an old post saying you had heaps of transmutazors for sale. Do you still have any?

[SenSx]

Hello, I'm sorry for bringing back that old topic, but I have a new question concerning that rubber material.

I'm a dinosaur collector, but I do also buy other pop culture figures and my interest went towards purchasing a Hot Toys figure: the new Marvel Venom from the movie.
But of course, it is also made with that rubber material, which I really regret.
You have seen what happened to my Rebor Titanoboa in only a year: cracking all over the body.
I never let direct sunlight/UV on any of my figures.
But the temperature in that room is not controlled, and it is not going to change anytime soon.
It gets very hot and dry in summer (between 35°/40°), and cold in winter.
Also I am not storing my collectibles under a glass cabinet or anything against dust.
I will of course avoid bending it and will have it in a very neutral pose.
In the end, I really don't want to spend so much money on a figure to see it getting torn appart.
I don't know how superior is the quality of Hot Toys Venom compare to the material Rebor used on their Titanoboa.

Does anyone have some insight on the matter ?
Thanks

[CityRaptor]

Well, I don't really have interest in keeping small rubber people,  but I since I'm reader of some toy sites, I read about issue with those too.  Googling it gave me this article:
https://toyhaven.blogspot.com/2011/09/hot-toy-collecting-tip-2-what-to-do.html

More examples:
https://www.collectorfreaks.com/threads/official-ht-rubber-issues-list-4-9-12-update.108317/

Meanwhile some Jurassic Park Fans want figures with articulation and rubber skin...uh, yeah.

[Blade-of-the-Moon]

I did hear of issues with the Amber Collection Raptor tails cracking/breaking or wire poking through the skin of them.  Now so far, none of mine have had that issue but if Mattel keep doing bendy parts I hope they correct the problem.

[SenSx]

Well, I don't really have interest in keeping small rubber people,  but I since I'm reader of some toy sites, I read about issue with those too.  Googling it gave me this article:
https://toyhaven.blogspot.com/2011/09/hot-toy-collecting-tip-2-what-to-do.html

More examples:
https://www.collectorfreaks.com/threads/official-ht-rubber-issues-list-4-9-12-update.108317/

Meanwhile some Jurassic Park Fans want figures with articulation and rubber skin...uh, yeah.

Yes thanks, I red those posts, the cracking hot Hot Toys mostly concern the first generation of rubber bodies.
They probly improved that a little...or maybe their other figures will follow with the same problems in due time.
Well I think I'm going to forget getting this figure.
It should have been one of the gem of my collection, but 500 dollars (price in my country) for something that might not survive long, especially since I don't have the proper way to showcase it safely.
I tend to justify the order of such figures by the fact that I can resell them later if I change my mind, but in that case, if any cracking problem occures, it will be difficult.
In fact the Rebor Titanoboa might have been a good warning for me, I might not have been aware of this issue if I hadn't had it on a cheaper figure.

[Dinoguy2]

I guess the "thermoplastic rubber" used isn't as durable as Rebor thought.

Sounds like they tried an experimental material and the experiment failed, so they didn't produce it. It was worth a shot. But this always happens with rubber figures. Could be sooner, or later, depending on conditions, but it will happen.

Well, I don't really have interest in keeping small rubber people,  but I since I'm reader of some toy sites, I read about issue with those too.  Googling it gave me this article:
https://toyhaven.blogspot.com/2011/09/hot-toy-collecting-tip-2-what-to-do.html

More examples:
https://www.collectorfreaks.com/threads/official-ht-rubber-issues-list-4-9-12-update.108317/

Meanwhile some Jurassic Park Fans want figures with articulation and rubber skin...uh, yeah.

Ironically, my rubber skinned Kenner JP figures are mostly crack-free despite having been put through the absolute wringer by two successive generations of kids, and stored in all kinds of probably sub optimal conditions in between.

[Blade-of-the-Moon]

I would agree, my Kenner pieces are fine rubber wise, paintwise not so much.  Maybe it has something to do with the tiny holes in the figures? Like the Coelophysis?

[Lanthanotus]

Dunno what the figures of old contain in their plastic or rubber parts, but I have 40+ year old rubber mini figures that are still fine, though were vigorously played with in their time and spent three decades on an un-insulated attic (scalding hot in summer and freezing cold in winter). Same goes for old Kenner SW figures (those with rubber parts), MotU figures and the original 90's Jurassic Park figures (well, had just three but two with rubber skin, the young T. rex and the Dilophosaurus). Cracking skin has never been a problem in these figures, heck, even the rubber leg bands of some of the MotU are still intact and strong after three and a half decades.

[Dinoguy2]

I would agree, my Kenner pieces are fine rubber wise, paintwise not so much.  Maybe it has something to do with the tiny holes in the figures? Like the Coelophysis?

Yeah could be. Might also just be a different material, but if so I don't know why it isn't used for modern high end figures. Some of the bendy figures with little holes feel like they're just some kind of flexible PVC rather than thermoplastic rubber. But the Coelophysis is very rubbery (much moreso than say the Carnegie Tanysrropheus) and stuff like the Stegosaurus and Young T. rex feel a lot like thermoplastic rubber to me. Though those aren't poseable. I know one trick for Hot Toys is supposed to be leaving them in neutral poses when not in use.

[Blade-of-the-Moon]

I would agree, my Kenner pieces are fine rubber wise, paintwise not so much.  Maybe it has something to do with the tiny holes in the figures? Like the Coelophysis?

Yeah could be. Might also just be a different material, but if so I don't know why it isn't used for modern high end figures. Some of the bendy figures with little holes feel like they're just some kind of flexible PVC rather than thermoplastic rubber. But the Coelophysis is very rubbery (much moreso than say the Carnegie Tanysrropheus) and stuff like the Stegosaurus and Young T. rex feel a lot like thermoplastic rubber to me. Though those aren't poseable. I know one trick for Hot Toys is supposed to be leaving them in neutral poses when not in use.

I'm not sure. You would think if it works why not keep using it?   I bought a Vampirella figure recently that has this material that simulates flesh with a socketed metal skeleton inside of it, sort of like a stop motion puppet.  There are warnings about it being fragile and it's also recommended to leave it in a neutral pose.  I set her up in a display case and  so far haven't seen any degradation. I get posability, but really I would have happy with a single pose figure. https://www.bigbadtoystore.com/Product/VariationDetails/124014   I think the goal here was to make a figure that was seamless, with no visible cuts or joints but still be posable.