Shanyan Culture Creative Co., Limited

How to preserve your collectible toys?

Sat, 30 Mar 2024 05:27:00 -0700

When you finally get your coveted toys after putting your best foot forward, using your years of practiced hand speed, and winning the lottery by one in a million, I bet you want these collectibles to stay with you for a long time. Perhaps there is a quiet expectation that they will be appreciated in value. But the reality is always heartbreaking because the vast majority of collectible toys are made of plastic and are not suitable for long-term collection. Plastic is not easily degradable, but it does age very easily. There are four things you can do to keep your collectible toys safe for longer and protect them from high temperatures, sunlight, moisture and chemicals.

How does it work? Where do I keep it so it doesn't yellow? What if it gets dusty? What if it gets greasy? Let's start with the materials: PVC, ABS, PU and Poly. PVC and ABS are used for collectible figures, blind boxes, vinyl toys and Sofubi toys. PU and Poly are often used for small batches of artist toys and designer toys. The preservation is various because different materials have diverse characteristics and manufacturing processes.

PVC

PVC is a thermoplastic material, the heat resistance of PVC collectible toys is poor and it deforms easily at high temperatures. At the same time, elevated temperatures during use will make PVC release hydrogen chloride gas, which will cause a general yellowing of the material. It will be very noticeable if the surface does not work well with the decoration, especially in the white areas. The yellowing is just one change that we can see in the pictures, and what we can't see is that it becomes more fragile. The combination of ultraviolet light and the thermal effects of light promotes the formation of free radicals in polymers and makes the material become brittle and crack. Except for the yellowing and brittleness, senior players have gone through the greasiness of PVC toys. Why is this? One of the major disadvantages of...Read More

What is the vinyl?

Mon, 18 Mar 2024 23:29:47 -0700

In the strange world of designer toys, imaginative designers use toys as a medium to express their observations and thoughts about the world. In the process of turning abstract design concepts into real products, the materials and production processes used become a bridge between collector and designer, influencing the collector's experience of the toys.

Vinyl Process

Vinyl is a very old fashioned manufacturing process. The first vinyl machine was built in Germany in 1924 and the first vinyl toy was a chocolate bunny that was successfully produced. Many toy-loving children have grown up with vinyl toys. For example, the little yellow duck that you put in the bathtub when you take a bath. These kinds of squishy, soft, and smooth hollow toys are vinyl toys. Vinyl toys have a special feel and are often thought to be a very special material. But it is made from a soft plastic - PVC.

Vinyl is not a material.

Vinyl is a manufacturing process. The word "vinyl" comes from the manufacturing process in which "colloid" (a colloidal PVC material) is evenly applied to the inside of the mold by centrifugal rotation. The PVC is used as the raw material for the vinyl process and there are two types of vinyl, hard and soft. Sofubi is the Japanese translation of "soft vinyl"; soft vinyl is also known as soft gelatin and Japanese soft gelatin.

Handmade vinyl toys

The price of Sofubi has risen over the years because of the "handmade" gimmick. The Sofubi process is very similar to the normal vinyl process. We start with the vinyl, put the colloidal PVC into the mold, and then close the mold. The mold is placed in a high temperature Rotocast oven and then rotated at low speed around the two vertical axes. In this way, the molten plastic material is evenly "lined" on the inner wall of the mold under the effect of gravity. The finished product is removed from the mold after cooling. As for Sofubi,...Read More

How to select a collectible figure?

Wed, 18 Oct 2023 07:05:41 -0700

When selecting a collectible figure, there are many factors to consider. Such as the character or design you are interested in. If you prefer a particular character from the manga, cinema, TV series and video games, please be sure to look for the official collectible figure of that character.

1. Character: Choose a collectible figure of a character you like and resonate with. It could be a character from a manga, cinema, TV series, video game, or any other form of media that you enjoy.

2. Quality: Look for collectible figures that are made of high-quality materials. Check for details like sculpting, painting and overall craftsmanship. Look for figures from reputable manufacturers known for their attention to detail.

3. Size: Decide on the size of the figure you want. Collectible figures come in various sizes, ranging from small-scale figures to life-size ones. Consider the space you have available for display.

4. Pose and expression: Consider the pose and expression of the figures. Some figures come with interchangeable parts allowing you to change the pose. Decide if you prefer a dynamic or stationary stance, and choose an expression that captures the essence of the character.

5. Price: Set a budget for your collectible figure purchase. Prices can vary widely depending on the size, brand, and rarity of the figure. Research different options and compare prices to ensure you are getting a fair deal.

6. Authenticity: Be cautious of counterfeit figures. Purchase from authorized retailers or reputable online stores to ensure you are buying an authentic collectible figure.

The selection process ultimately comes down to personal preference. Take your time, do research, and choose a collectible figure that brings you joy and represents your interests.

Injection Process of Collectible Toy

Sat, 08 Oct 2022 00:17:40 -0700

Diverse production processes are decided on different materials and characteristics. The mass production process of the collectible toy is as follows: Design, Prototype, Tooling, Injection, Decoration, Assembly, Packing

The injection process is widely used in the production of everyday plastic products. For example, computers, telephones, fax machines, keyboards, cups and stereos. In the toy industry, the injection process is mainly used in various high-precision requirements of the assembled toys, such as GUNDAM and LEGO. The blind box series is also made mainly by the injection process.

The production of the injection process is rough as follows. The solid plastic raw material (PVC, ABS) are melted at a certain melting point and injected into the tooling at a certain speed through the pressure of the injection machine, and the tooling is cooled through the waterway, thus curing the liquid plastic and getting the same product as the designed from tooling cavity. The whole process of injection can be fully automated from putting in raw materials in tooling to products completed. They are suitable for mass production because the production speed is fast and efficient. And it is possible to make products with complex shapes with high precision and regardless of the size of the products.

The tooling is the core of the injection process. The tooling must be precise and stable because it is used at high temperatures and multiple frequencies. The injection process uses metal tooling and most of them are steel and copper tooling. The cost of simple structure and general material tooling is low. If the products are precise, the tooling cost will be higher.

A completed collectible toy figure is usually assembled with multiple plastic components (such as the head,...Read More

The Material of the Collectible Toy

Mon, 27 Jun 2022 05:48:31 -0700

PVC, Vinyl, ABS, PU, Polystone, I believe you have heard of these. What are they? Are they plastic? POLY is more expensive and advanced than VINYL? We are confused about these questions about the materials and processes.
PVC (Poly Vinyl Chloride)
VINYL is the V in the Poly Vinyl Chloride. PVC is the raw material of VINYL and SOFUBI. The two basic forms of PVC are hard and soft. SOFUBI is the phonetic abbreviation of the Japanese SOFT VINYL, its material is soft PVC. Vinyl is a special production process of PVC. The PVC has the below advantages.
1. Good stability.
2. Good plasticity.
3. Lightweight.
4. Low price.
PVC is the most frequent material for the collectible toy. The material of VINYL and SOFUBI is PVC too. The cost of the PVC is low and the mold cost is high, it is suitable for mass production.
ABS (Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene)
The ABS material is found everywhere in life, such as car fenders, dashboards, televisions, refrigerators, washing machines, air conditioning and so on. Most of the Blind Boxes and PVC Figures on the market are made from the material PVC and ABS. Why use two different materials to make them? The reasons are the different material characteristics. The PVC is tough and ABS is hard. All PVC material collectibles are easy to deform, crack and outlet. The ABS material is suitable for long-term weight-bearing legs, arms, neck and other parts on the toy figures. The ABS is easy to process for expressive details and plating performance and is suitable for the performance of details and metal texture. Most of the blind boxes and figures on the market are made from PVC and ABS parts. The main components are PVC and ABS for the local structure requires weight or the form of sharp accessories.
PU (Polyurethane)
PU is the main material to make the Garage Kit. The usual "HEI-CAST resin" is PU resin. It is made by mixing...Read More

What is the art toy?

Tue, 31 May 2022 20:32:07 -0700

What is an art toy?
Art toys are also called designer toys, they are collectible toys created by artists and designers. Unlike children's toys, art toys are usually considered to be collectibles for people over the age of 14. The art toys are handmade by designers or artists, like Tristan Eaton we worked with him before. Or manufactured by independent toy companies, such as MEDICOM TOY, KIDROBOT, and MIGHTY JAXX we have worked on many projects for them. The art toys are special-interest collectibles, their quantities are limited offered and retail prices are higher subject to limitations of craftsmanship and funding.
What is the art toy made of?
The art toys are made of a variety of materials, such as ABS, PVC, WOOD, METAL, LATEX, PLUSH and RESIN.
What is the vinyl toy?
The most popular art toys on the market are what we usually call vinyl toys. The vinyl is not the name of the material, but a production process, their material is still PVC.
What is the Sofubi?
Sofubi is a Japanese abbreviation for soft vinyl, also known as Japanese soft plastic. The Sofubi is not only referring to the material but also to the design style and finishing process. The classic Sofubi is produced in tooling; hand painted or sprayed and uses the brush to create different decorations.
The art toy is toy or art?
The debate on this point has never stopped. The art toy is not only an assembly line product; it is the cohesion of the designer's abstract thinking and ideas. The design of art toys often comes from children's cartoon images, the works belong to a different adult market after secondary creation. They are becoming a personal interest, taste display and rather than simply to play with.
Does the blind box an art toy?
My opinion is yes, looking back at the definition and characteristics of art toys, blind boxes...Read More