USA Series 1: Rares (Official Thread)
Jun 4, 2010 23:38:54 GMT -5
Trippy, wheresurmom, and 1 more like this
Post by rusVan on Jun 4, 2010 23:38:54 GMT -5
The Rares
Series One Cheap Toys were cast in a wide range of colors over a period of 2 or 3 years. The later print runs, and probably beginning in the second run, ‘Rare’ colors were introduced. ‘Rare’ is an universal term used in the toy collecting community to describe a toy produced in limited supply, thus it is appropriate that we use this same term in our Cheap Toy hobby. And we can official name these colors as “Rares” because Topps purposely distributed a small amount of these packs in boxes. More proof that Topps had a mission behind introducing these new colors was the fact that the Rares are rubbery and the plastics used with the Base Colors are stiff.
Seldom does a Cheap Toy box surface that has more than 2 or 3 Rares. More common are Cheap Toy boxes that don’t contain Rares, in fact, it’s the norm! One theory is that the first print run did not contain Rares, and that this initial print run was larger than the following ones, thus explaining the dominance of Rare-less boxes. However, this will be hard to prove since no full, unopened cases of Cheap Toys have ever been documented, and the fact that sealed Cheap Toy boxes, with the factory tape still intact rarely surface.
More intriguing is that some “Rares” are more ‘rare’ than other Rares! Thus, some of these would be best described as Semi Rares. The best example of a Semi-Rare is the Neon Red Orange Cheap Toy. Many times Neon Red Oranges are found in boxes without other color Rares. It is a possibility that Neon Red Orange was printed over the course of several print runs. My theory is that Neon Red Orange was the first Rare created and was introduced solo, and later more NRs were cast for the following runs. That or, simply, too many NRs were made initially and it was decided to introduce more colors but adjust the numbers. So, while we are on the subject of Neon Red Orange, let’s start with this special Rare!
*
Neon Red Orange, or NR, is a Semi Rare color. It often tops polls as the fan’s favorite CT color. The probable reason to its popularity is the extreme nature of the color itself. Here, Topps went with a high quality, deeply saturated, fluorescent red rubber to probably ‘hook’ consumers (kids, lol) into buying more Cheap Toys. Can’t you see it: …initial sales low, suspicious consumers and dealers…”Let’s throw in a toy that will REALLY get their attention; a color that can’t be denied”??!! Neon Red Orange is also popular with collectors because neon colors reminds many of the 1980s, the decade of their childhood, in the same way that the 1970’s popularized Mustard Yellow
, Maroon 
, Orange 
, and Brown , or, how the 2000’s will be remembered from its metallics 
.
Neon Red Oranges are also easy to recognize in unopened packs. This fact alone, accounts for one reason NRs are the most commonly found MIP rare. Collectors simply can clearly id the color, even from a distance. Other darker Rares are often found accidentally by collectors opening packs. Plus, some collectors aren’t experienced enough to recognize the levels of rubberiness in CTs.
One negative aspect of NRs is that the dye used in its manufacture is UV light sensitive and will fade if exposed to prolonged light. But don’t get confused, Neon Red Oranges exposed to strong sunlight over a period of time will darken, dull(fade), and will become less transparent. Light damaged NRs look like some strange, variant Opaque Orange Red, rather than Transparent Red Orange. For this reason, NRs should not be stored near a window and would is best kept in dark storage.
Neon Yellow, or NY, usually tops polls that Neon Red Orange doesn’t. Yellow, being the lightest hue, will always help the toys cast in it, to stand out from the others. Yellow is also considered a “happy color”:
, for this reason. Many collectors search for happiness in the Cheap Toy hobby, thus making this color a fan favorite.
Neon Yellow is also praised for its translucence and for how it affects the thinner sculpts, such as Thin Lynn. Yellow is also a symbol of wealth, since it resembles Gold. For this reason, Neon Yellow CTs stands out in many collector’s minds, on a subconscious level as sublime and special.
Like Neon Red Oranges, NYs are as sensitive, if not more sensitive, to UV rays. Light Damaged Neon Yellows will appear in shades of dull gold. Once fancied as a new color “Golden Yellow”, most collectors now are educated on light damaged Neon Yellows and the market shows this. Of all the Cheap Toy color sets, this is by far the most difficult to complete with all ten sculpts being in the same bright, mint Neon Yellow tone. To date, an even color set of Neon Yellow Cheap Toys has not been collected, or at least documented in a photograph. This set is difficult enough to complete in uneven yellow tones!
Neon Yellow could be the rarest of the rubbery Rares, and if not, it’s in the top 3. Several sculpts in this color have only been found in a quantities less than ten. Note that, Alice Island in Neon Yellow, known in a quantity over ten, transcends rarity based on her beauty alone. The market value of a Mint NR Alice Island is over double that of all the other NY sculpts. This is a perfect example of the aesthetic values within the Cheap Toy collecting community.
This art sense is also seen in the GPK community at large and can be witnessed even on the card sales level, such as on eBay. 
Salmon could be described as Light Orange. Salmon was a late run color and will probably prove to be the last USA Rare manufactured*. Another interesting discovery I’ve made is that Salmon has no copyright variation, furthering the assumption that it was apart of the last CT run. Salmons are another example of how aesthetics affect the Cheap Toy market. As rare as Salmons are, their market price rarely exceeds NR’s. Salmons sometimes pop up in Cheap Toy lots by sellers unaware that their Salmon is different than the other Peaches, whereas Neon is easily spotted and held to higher standard, thus Salmon’s realized prices stay in check. *A factory variation on Alice Island has lead to this assumption. Please refer to the Errors and Variations CT section.
Orange is a color that could have been included with the opaque Base Colors. Can’t you imagine it? Instead, Orange was added in later runs as a rubbery Rare. If there is a mysterious Rare then Orange is it! Oranges, like Neon Yellow and Neon Green, top the rarest of the Rares list. Some information from a handful of different sources is helping to prove the theory that Oranges were distributed with Neon Green*. *Lime Green could have also been apart of this print run, more later……
Neon Green is another rare, with Salmon and Electric Blue, which sometimes goes unnoticed in green lineups. Many, and sometimes frustrated, collectors swear that NGs are the rarest USA CTs. I disagree and think that they are often undiagnosed and that more are out there in clueless collector’s hands. Neon Green is a semi-translucent color and shows brighter than the other greens, especially in toy photography. I suggest collectors use photography as a tool to id their NGs and EBs and Salmons, especially for new collectors.
Electric Blue, which I’m surprised was not coined “Neon Blue” early on, is the most unpopular and the most misdiagnosed of all Cheap Toy colors(well, Dark Red is a close second place), period. Electric Blues are best described as a deep, dark, trace-translucent blue with a greenish undertone; however, collectors need only keep in mind that Electric Blues are soft rubber and rigid plastic. Thus, EB’s rubberiness is its best identifying feature. Hell, Electric Blues could be identified by an experience collector, in the unfortunate and grim event that they got old and went blind(
), and for some awkward reason was given a stack of blue CTs or sort! You never know…
Electric Blue, or EB, is also the darkest USA blue CT. Collectors should use photos to sort EBs from the Dark Blues. Long time collectors sometime discuss a variant semi-rubbery Electric Blue, and a variant rubbery opaque dark blue (darker than Dark Blue). In all the major categories of Cheap Toy colors, blue has the most variations.
By general rule, an EB should be at least semi-rubbery and the extremities of the figure should be at least slightly translucent affront a bright light. Furthermore, Electric Blues show a unique blue, with slight green undertone, when backlit. The collector who named EBs “Electric Blue” named not the surface color of this toy, but rather the color created with light passing through the toy.
The rarest of all USA Cheap Toys, besides Magenta, is Midnight Blue, less than 20 are known, and closer to 10 than 20. Midnight Blue is probably, simply, a darker-than-normal batch of blue used when Dark Blue supplies went low. Midnight Blue is the exact same plastic and has the same 'feel' as the Base Colors, yet it's darker than Electric Blue. In fact, Midnight Blue is the darkest Cheap Toy color-EVER. This color was first discovered by Soupie in 2007, and several more were discovered later that year.
Series One Cheap Toys were cast in a wide range of colors over a period of 2 or 3 years. The later print runs, and probably beginning in the second run, ‘Rare’ colors were introduced. ‘Rare’ is an universal term used in the toy collecting community to describe a toy produced in limited supply, thus it is appropriate that we use this same term in our Cheap Toy hobby. And we can official name these colors as “Rares” because Topps purposely distributed a small amount of these packs in boxes. More proof that Topps had a mission behind introducing these new colors was the fact that the Rares are rubbery and the plastics used with the Base Colors are stiff.
Seldom does a Cheap Toy box surface that has more than 2 or 3 Rares. More common are Cheap Toy boxes that don’t contain Rares, in fact, it’s the norm! One theory is that the first print run did not contain Rares, and that this initial print run was larger than the following ones, thus explaining the dominance of Rare-less boxes. However, this will be hard to prove since no full, unopened cases of Cheap Toys have ever been documented, and the fact that sealed Cheap Toy boxes, with the factory tape still intact rarely surface.
More intriguing is that some “Rares” are more ‘rare’ than other Rares! Thus, some of these would be best described as Semi Rares. The best example of a Semi-Rare is the Neon Red Orange Cheap Toy. Many times Neon Red Oranges are found in boxes without other color Rares. It is a possibility that Neon Red Orange was printed over the course of several print runs. My theory is that Neon Red Orange was the first Rare created and was introduced solo, and later more NRs were cast for the following runs. That or, simply, too many NRs were made initially and it was decided to introduce more colors but adjust the numbers. So, while we are on the subject of Neon Red Orange, let’s start with this special Rare!
*
Neon Red Orange, or NR, is a Semi Rare color. It often tops polls as the fan’s favorite CT color. The probable reason to its popularity is the extreme nature of the color itself. Here, Topps went with a high quality, deeply saturated, fluorescent red rubber to probably ‘hook’ consumers (kids, lol) into buying more Cheap Toys. Can’t you see it: …initial sales low, suspicious consumers and dealers…”Let’s throw in a toy that will REALLY get their attention; a color that can’t be denied”??!! Neon Red Orange is also popular with collectors because neon colors reminds many of the 1980s, the decade of their childhood, in the same way that the 1970’s popularized Mustard Yellow
, Maroon , Orange , and Brown , or, how the 2000’s will be remembered from its metallics . Neon Red Oranges are also easy to recognize in unopened packs. This fact alone, accounts for one reason NRs are the most commonly found MIP rare. Collectors simply can clearly id the color, even from a distance. Other darker Rares are often found accidentally by collectors opening packs. Plus, some collectors aren’t experienced enough to recognize the levels of rubberiness in CTs.
One negative aspect of NRs is that the dye used in its manufacture is UV light sensitive and will fade if exposed to prolonged light. But don’t get confused, Neon Red Oranges exposed to strong sunlight over a period of time will darken, dull(fade), and will become less transparent. Light damaged NRs look like some strange, variant Opaque Orange Red, rather than Transparent Red Orange. For this reason, NRs should not be stored near a window and would is best kept in dark storage.
Neon Yellow, or NY, usually tops polls that Neon Red Orange doesn’t. Yellow, being the lightest hue, will always help the toys cast in it, to stand out from the others. Yellow is also considered a “happy color”:
, for this reason. Many collectors search for happiness in the Cheap Toy hobby, thus making this color a fan favorite. Neon Yellow is also praised for its translucence and for how it affects the thinner sculpts, such as Thin Lynn. Yellow is also a symbol of wealth, since it resembles Gold. For this reason, Neon Yellow CTs stands out in many collector’s minds, on a subconscious level as sublime and special.
Like Neon Red Oranges, NYs are as sensitive, if not more sensitive, to UV rays. Light Damaged Neon Yellows will appear in shades of dull gold. Once fancied as a new color “Golden Yellow”, most collectors now are educated on light damaged Neon Yellows and the market shows this. Of all the Cheap Toy color sets, this is by far the most difficult to complete with all ten sculpts being in the same bright, mint Neon Yellow tone. To date, an even color set of Neon Yellow Cheap Toys has not been collected, or at least documented in a photograph. This set is difficult enough to complete in uneven yellow tones!
Neon Yellow could be the rarest of the rubbery Rares, and if not, it’s in the top 3. Several sculpts in this color have only been found in a quantities less than ten. Note that, Alice Island in Neon Yellow, known in a quantity over ten, transcends rarity based on her beauty alone. The market value of a Mint NR Alice Island is over double that of all the other NY sculpts. This is a perfect example of the aesthetic values within the Cheap Toy collecting community.
This art sense is also seen in the GPK community at large and can be witnessed even on the card sales level, such as on eBay. Salmon could be described as Light Orange. Salmon was a late run color and will probably prove to be the last USA Rare manufactured*. Another interesting discovery I’ve made is that Salmon has no copyright variation, furthering the assumption that it was apart of the last CT run. Salmons are another example of how aesthetics affect the Cheap Toy market. As rare as Salmons are, their market price rarely exceeds NR’s. Salmons sometimes pop up in Cheap Toy lots by sellers unaware that their Salmon is different than the other Peaches, whereas Neon is easily spotted and held to higher standard, thus Salmon’s realized prices stay in check. *A factory variation on Alice Island has lead to this assumption. Please refer to the Errors and Variations CT section.
Orange is a color that could have been included with the opaque Base Colors. Can’t you imagine it? Instead, Orange was added in later runs as a rubbery Rare. If there is a mysterious Rare then Orange is it! Oranges, like Neon Yellow and Neon Green, top the rarest of the Rares list. Some information from a handful of different sources is helping to prove the theory that Oranges were distributed with Neon Green*. *Lime Green could have also been apart of this print run, more later……
Neon Green is another rare, with Salmon and Electric Blue, which sometimes goes unnoticed in green lineups. Many, and sometimes frustrated, collectors swear that NGs are the rarest USA CTs. I disagree and think that they are often undiagnosed and that more are out there in clueless collector’s hands. Neon Green is a semi-translucent color and shows brighter than the other greens, especially in toy photography. I suggest collectors use photography as a tool to id their NGs and EBs and Salmons, especially for new collectors.
Electric Blue, which I’m surprised was not coined “Neon Blue” early on, is the most unpopular and the most misdiagnosed of all Cheap Toy colors(well, Dark Red is a close second place), period. Electric Blues are best described as a deep, dark, trace-translucent blue with a greenish undertone; however, collectors need only keep in mind that Electric Blues are soft rubber and rigid plastic. Thus, EB’s rubberiness is its best identifying feature. Hell, Electric Blues could be identified by an experience collector, in the unfortunate and grim event that they got old and went blind(
), and for some awkward reason was given a stack of blue CTs or sort! You never know… Electric Blue, or EB, is also the darkest USA blue CT. Collectors should use photos to sort EBs from the Dark Blues. Long time collectors sometime discuss a variant semi-rubbery Electric Blue, and a variant rubbery opaque dark blue (darker than Dark Blue). In all the major categories of Cheap Toy colors, blue has the most variations.
By general rule, an EB should be at least semi-rubbery and the extremities of the figure should be at least slightly translucent affront a bright light. Furthermore, Electric Blues show a unique blue, with slight green undertone, when backlit. The collector who named EBs “Electric Blue” named not the surface color of this toy, but rather the color created with light passing through the toy.
The rarest of all USA Cheap Toys, besides Magenta, is Midnight Blue, less than 20 are known, and closer to 10 than 20. Midnight Blue is probably, simply, a darker-than-normal batch of blue used when Dark Blue supplies went low. Midnight Blue is the exact same plastic and has the same 'feel' as the Base Colors, yet it's darker than Electric Blue. In fact, Midnight Blue is the darkest Cheap Toy color-EVER. This color was first discovered by Soupie in 2007, and several more were discovered later that year.
