Editing Gold Plastic Syndrome

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[[File:Electrogoldplasticsyndrome.jpg|right|upright=2.5|thumb|Ouch.]]
'''Gold Plastic Syndrome''' (commonly shorthanded to '''GPS''') is fandom terminology used to describe the phenomenon of a toy's [[plastic]] decomposing and becoming brittle to the point of shattering or crumbling under minimal-stress conditions. In the most extreme cases, toys have been reported to spontaneously crumble to small bits without any applied force at all, even if they're fresh out of their [[Mint in sealed box|unopened package]]. 

This breakage is different from the relatively more common stress-fracture type of plastic breakage that can occur in some [[Toy|''Transformers'' toys]]; while normal stress fractures are universally heralded by stress marks on the toy, GPS breakage doesn't have that sign; it simply crumbles to pieces. The condition takes its name from the gold plastics of late Generation 1 through to ''Beast Wars'' that have proved the most prone to this sort of breakage. Despite the name, Gold Plastic Syndrome has been known to affect other types of plastic—most of them noted for a pretty metallic swirl in the plastic; the reason it has the "GPS" moniker is because gold plastic was the first and most common color observed to have this horrific phenomenon.

Thankfully, Gold Plastic Syndrome is generally unheard of in modern Hasbro/Takara ''Transformers'' figures, with the last reported case being in [[2015]] with ''[[Transformers Unite Warriors|Unite Warriors]]'' [[Motormaster (G1)#Unite Warriors|Motormaster]].

==Etymology==
The term was coined in an [[alt.toys.transformers]] post made by user Sky Shadow in September 2002.<ref>http://groups.google.co.uk/group/alt.toys.transformers/msg/2b3d532961b2c2dc</ref> A post by [[Dave Edwards|Dave "Zobovor" Edwards]], meanwhile, made in June of the previous year,<ref>http://groups.google.co.uk/group/alt.toys.transformers/msg/6ed7e0f3586f37e4</ref> is the earliest identifiable acknowledgment of the widespread nature of the phenomenon within the Transformers fan community.

Completing the journey from fan term to official term, "Gold Plastic Syndrome" was used by Hasbro designer [[John Warden]] at the ''Transformers Generations'' panel at Comic-Con International 2015 to describe exactly what would not happen to ''Combiner Wars'' G2-style [[Slingshot (G1)#Combiner Wars|Quickslinger]].

==Notability==
GPS is widespread among toys made in the tail-end of [[The Transformers (toyline)|Generation 1]], typically the second year of [[Pretender]]s and even some European-market exclusives, ''[[Transformers: Generation 2 (toyline)|Generation 2]]'' and the ''[[Beast Wars: Transformers (toyline)|Beast Wars]]'' series, but examples have surfaced from lines as recent as [[Transformers: Universe (2003 toyline)|''Universe'' (2003)]], the ''[[Star Wars Transformers]]'' and the [[Transformers (2007 toyline)|2007 movie]]. Transformers toys are not the only ones to suffer from this; there have been reports of ''[[G.I. Joe (team)|G.I. Joe]]'' and ''[[Visionaries]]'' toys' gold plastics also crumbling seemingly of their own accord; even some ''Super Sentai'' and ''[[Power Rangers]]'' toys have been known to suffer. Probably the strangest is accounts of retro game collectors finding ''Majora's Mask'' cartridges shatter under minimal stress. Other retro robot toy collectors have referred to it as "Popy disease", after the metallic blue plastic favored by the company Popy that led to the demise of many a Dairugger / Vehicle Team Voltron.

The toys most likely to suffer from Gold Plastic Syndrome are those with gold or bronze plastic with a metallic swirl to it. There are other known cases with different colors of plastic—though usually there is a tell-tale swirl in the plastic.

===Cause===
[[File:SkyquakeGPSback.jpg|thumb|upright=1.67|Gleargh]]
Because this is not exactly an area of scientific notability, there aren't any full studies into Gold Plastic Syndrome that we know about. Basically, it is thought that certain plastics weren't mixed as well as others, possibly because of the metallic pigment or colouring, so they break down more quickly.

It's not much of a theory, really; think more of  a hypothesis. Here's a more detailed attempt:

{{bigquote|The problem likely arises, as with many composites, when the bonding between the polymer and the dye/particles breaks down. This could occur do to a natural chemical/phase change of the plastic, due to oxidation, for example, or by another mechanism, say the forces incurred by the toy being played with, or more likely, due to some combination thereof. In any case, when the bonds between the particles and the polymers break down, you would get small voids in the plastic structure. If this occurs frequently enough, the structure would become effectively porous (that is, it would be filled with lots of tiny voids/cracks where the polymers and particles have come apart). With even a slight amount of force, some of these cracks/voids could expand, even slightly, to the point where they intersect another void and join, making an even bigger crack. Once a critical crack length is reached, the sample fractures.

So effectively, the plastic becomes more brittle, and this would also explain it "crumbling" as well as cracking.}}
:-Aernaroth suggests a cause for GPS [http://www.allspark.com/forums/index.php?s=&showtopic=57191&view=findpost&p=1174876 on the Allspark]

In short, the poorly-bonded plastic is so honeycombed with air gaps that the pressure required for movement will crumble it.

Hasbro have attributed it to "the amount of gold fleck included in the plastic", and have apparently reduced the amount in similar plastics of more recent vintage to prevent further occurrences.<ref name="hasbrogps">[http://www.transformerland.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=3481 Hasbro Transformersland.com Q&A, August 2009:] "When we used gold metallic plastic in the past we discovered, along with many of you, that it becomes brittle over time. As we became aware of this situation, we took the necessary steps to reduce the amount of gold fleck included in the plastic to eliminate this issue. Ultimately, this should no longer be an issue due to these corrective steps that we have taken."</ref> Later Hasbro said that they believe they've "alleviated the issues associated with the 'gold' plastic issue" through "trial and error." <ref>http://www.toyark.com/news/transformers-toy-news-2/hasbro-transformers-june-2010-qna-2867/</ref>

All in all, the actual causes of Gold Plastic Syndrome aren't a very big deal to Transformers fans—it's really pretty academic. Of more concern is the ''RESULTS'' (i.e., poor Electro crumbling to bits like an Oreo left in milk too long), and what to look out for. There's no certain cure here, no fix. If a toy has GPS, it '''will''' die if handled and transformed normally.

Seibertron.com has reported that Ace Hardware's "Lub-E" product may prevent GPS breakage, having applied it to an Electro pre-photo-shoot. This claim needs further verification, as it may very well be a coincidence that that specific Electro did not break at that moment. Other discussions of Lub-E or comparable shock oil products have recommended ''submerging the toy in the lubricant entirely,'' which many collectors would find unacceptable even ''if'' it worked.

===The Symptoms===
[[File:GPSSkyquakescopeclose.jpg|upright=1.67|thumb|right|Nooo!]]

Gold Plastic Syndrome usually has a few clear signs. Knowing how to tell the difference between Gold Plastic Syndrome and normal plastic breakage is very important for a Transformers fan who is collecting vintage toys. It's the difference between giving up on that toy completely (since if it has GPS, it's ''likely'' most other samples of the toy will as well) and buying a new copy.
*GPS usually takes place in metallic-coloured plastics, most notably gold plastic and bronze plastic; they tend to have distinctive "swirly," "sparkly" appearance.
*GPS breaks are NOT accompanied by stress fractures. There is usually NOT any visible wear before the breakage. This is really important. Plastic breaks. This is a reality of toy collecting, plastic gets old and it breaks. Gold plastic syndrome is breakage without warning.
*GPS breaks often leave a powdery residue and shards of plastic (though not always), the result of the plastic actually physically crumbling. Take a look at the picture of Skyquake's scope—okay, the bits of his scope—to the right. You can actually see some of the left-over shards of plastic. Keep in mind this picture was taken years after the break actually occurred—these are new shards of plastic which came off these pieces of scope during the process of moving the parts around for photography. Plastic should '''not''' be that brittle or delicate.
*GPS breakages don't need to involve any excess stress or force on a toy—simply handling a toy or opening its box can cause the breakage. If your toy breaks despite careful handling it's more likely to be GPS.
*GPS breaks often have rough, uneven edges with no stress lines around them. This is important—usually when plastic snaps it snaps cleanly (as is common with clear plastic), or it bends first (leaving a torn-off piece, or clear stresses around the break). If a break is uneven, with different colours and textures in it, yet there are no stress fractures around the wound, and especially if it leaves a powdery residue as well, it's almost certainly a GPS break. Take a look at the photo of Skyquake above for a good example of the ragged break. Okay... not good. What's the other word that's LIKE "good", but not actually good? Oh yeah. Horrifying. A HORRIFYING example.
*GPS plastics will sometimes feel brittle to the touch, sometimes making cracking noises as they're handled. 

A really easy test to tell if you have GPS breakage is this—if a piece breaks off, try snapping it again. If it's normal plastic breakage, the broken piece should bend or bow, since it would have had only one fracture point and otherwise remained malleable; in that circumstance, even if it were brittle clear plastic, you would be able to glue it back into place, or at least get a replacement part. On the other hand, if the broken piece continues to repeatedly crack apart like a potato chip when hit with pressure from any angle, then you've almost definitely got Gold Plastic Syndrome.

==GPS misconceptions==
'''ALL GOLD PLASTIC WILL DIE!'''
:Not true. It's only a specific composite of gold plastic only used during a specific era that will die, most prominently used from 1988 (second year Pretenders are notorious for it) and through to about the end of ''Beast Wars'' in 2000, although there are still a few very rare cases of post-millennium figures with this issue up until 2015. As far as we know modern toys do not suffer from GPS due to a reduction in the amount of metallic flakes in similar, but more recent toys.<ref name="hasbrogps" /> Toys with flexible nylon-based gold plastics, such as [[Optimus Prime (Armada)|Superbase Optimus Prime's]] elbows, are not susceptible to GPS supposedly because of the plastic's composition. Even on toys well known for GPS, some of their gold plastic is less prone to break. Gold plastic which is nice and thick is much less likely to snap than gold plastic which is thin. Gold plastic which is under constant stress—like that at a joint—is also more likely to break. That said, some really nice solid parts can shatter like eggshells if it's real GPS we're talkin' about.

'''OKAY, BUT THEN ALL GOLD PLASTIC FROM 1988 TO THE EARLY 2000s WILL DIE!'''
:Thankfully, no! There are various examples of figures built between the eighties and the early 2000s featuring similar-looking gold or bronze plastic - sometimes even exhibiting some of those much-dreaded swirly patterns - where such an issue has never been reported, like [[Archadis]], [[Guiledart]], [[Bumblebee (G1)/toys#Generation 2|G2 Bumblebee (the Go-Bot version specifically)]], [[Transquito]], [[Snarler]], 2003's version of [[San D-Go]], and perhaps most ironically, [[Bumblebee (G1)/toys#Generation 1|Goldbug]]. Gold chrome, like that seen in [[Cheetor (BW)/toys|Transmetal Cheetor]] and (the other version of) [[Bumblebee (G1)/toys|G2 Bumblebee]], is also completely immune from GPS since it's merely painted rather than actually being gold plastic.

'''MY TOY BROKE, IT MUST BE GOLD PLASTIC SYNDROME!!!'''
:There are plenty of ways for plastic to break that aren't related to Gold Plastic Syndrome. Repeated stress on a plastic, dropping a toy, a toy with metal parts that damage the plastic parts, thin plastic, or simply the use of translucent plastic, which is more brittle. Just because a toy breaks doesn't mean it's Gold Plastic Syndrome. Look for the symptoms (listed above) and ask around before assuming that every single copy of this toy is destined to die a painful and horrible death.

'''ONLY GOLD PLASTIC GETS GOLD PLASTIC SYNDROME!'''
:Not ''quite'' true. Observations suggest that it should probably be called "Metallic Plastic Syndrome". It's those metallic plastics, most commonly the gold and bronze plastics used for almost ten years by Hasbro and Takara, from around 1989 to 1998. However, it's possible that any colour of plastic could be susceptible, given enough time. So keep a close eye on your Fire Convoy, kids; that pretty metallic swirl in his plastic isn't promising... maybe.

'''MY TOY IS DOOMED!'''
:Okay... not ''exactly'' a misconception. Your toy is ''probably'' doomed... but there is a little bit of light at the end of the tunnel.

:You see, the thickness of the plastic seems to affect GPS. Also, the amount of stress on it affects it. While some toys are known for breaking just by having their packages opened—guys like Randy, Roadblock and ''Generation 2'' Slingshot—others, like Skyquake and Pyro, can remain intact if they are handled with extreme care (and never ever transformed, of course) because the parts that are made of GPS plastics are large and thick and otherwise robust. GPS is an inconsistent process—eventually your toy '''will''' crumble, but there's no telling how long it will take. With delicate handling (read: almost none) you can maintain a GPS-afflicted toy in your collection for quite some time.

:Also remember that the evidence for Gold Plastic Syndrome is ''completely'' observational. There seems to be some evidence that different plastic batches were less affected, that some releases of the toys were less affected. You might luck out and get an Electro that never crumbles to dust, or you might be really unlucky and get multiple Electros, all of which break horribly. This page is a caution more than anything else. Know what you're getting into when you buy a toy known to be afflicted by GPS.

==Toys commonly accredited as GPS sufferers==

====''The Transformers''====
[[File:Bristleback-GPS.jpg|thumb|200px|"Bristleback"? More like, ''Brittleback'', amirite? Hahahahaa... Oh god, why.]]
* '''[[Scorponok (G1)#BlackZarak|BlackZarak]] (1988)'''
: The first known sufferer of GPS and easily one of the most depressing cases due to his rarity and hefty aftermarket pricing, BlackZarak's GPS affliction is nothing short of legendary. Forget transforming him - simply standing him up is a risk. His golden feet and shield have to be under stress to function as intended, leading to cases of shattered toys fresh out of the box, or even ''[[Mint in sealed box|when still inside it.]]'' The Headmaster figure, double cannons, and city antennas are all likewise gold plastic and all need to be inserted or swiveled into position, and his pack-in partner [[Black Roritchi#Toys|Black Roritchi]], almost entirely made of gold plastic, transforms by folding in half. This is a toy to be handled as little as possible, if ever.

* '''[[Pretender Monster]]s [[Bristleback#Toys|Bristleback]] and [[Slog (G1)#Toys|Slog]] (1989)'''
: The inner robots for both Bristleback and Slog suffer, but at different severities. Bristleback has multiple points of failure, the most obvious being the thin edges of his fist-holes, which can snap if his gun is pushed too far in. When forming Monstructor, sliding the combiner's fist in place can sometimes be enough to create a large crack through his legs, sometimes even splitting them entirely. (If you're feeling crafty, you might try shaving a tiiiny bit off the sides of the fist's connector plug. Better that less-than-mint condition than the "very broken" type.) And while his monster-limbs are fairly thick plastic, which is ''usually'' safer, they are also attached ''really tightly'', which means applying too much pressure to turn them can cause fractures. Slog is not especially susceptible on his own despite the sheer amount of gold plastic, but forming Monstructor requires another toy ([[Birdbrain#Toys|Birdbrain]]) to be inserted up inside his gold-plastic torso, which can put too much stress on the thinner sides if jostled or pushed in at a bad angle. Their Japanese counterparts, [[Gairyu]] and [[Kakuryu (G1)|Kakuryu]], lack gold plastic, and thus can be used as substitutes without any fear of breakage.

* '''Ultra Pretenders [[Roadblock (G1)#Toys|Roadblock]] and [[Skyhammer (G1)#Toys|Skyhammer]] (1989)'''
: These two are particularly notorious. Roadblock's innermost robot has three peg holes, two in the fists and one on his back, that are particularly susceptible to cracking and shattering, leaving many a Roadblock hand-less... or arm-less, as sometimes the posts attaching his arms to his torso will crumble around the pin keeping them in place. Meanwhile, the entire bottom of Skyhammer's large vehicle shell is made of gold plastic and it is '''''very''''' prone to breakage. Not to mention how much gold plastic is on his inner shell and his [[robot mode]].

* '''[[Killbison#Toys|Killbison]] (1989)'''
: One of the comparatively few Takara-market-only toys of the era to have this problem. His arms and back (including the head) are metallic-gold plastic. Most of this plastic is fairly thick, giving it a fair amount of resilience, but his fists and the joint for [[Liokaiser#Toys|Liokaiser]]'s fold-out foot are thinner and run a higher risk of breakage.
[[File:GPSSkyquakescope.jpg|thumb|200px|Well, ''crap''.]]

*'''[[Predator (subgroup)|Predator]] missile launchers (1992)'''
:The missile launchers shared by all six Predator toys are likely to self-destruct in two ways. Loading a missile when the toy is holding the launcher can cause the peg itself to give before the rather strong internal spring does. Additionally, launching a missile is a gamble. Either the plastic is able to bend enough to release the internal catch, or it isn't and snaps off.

*'''[[Skyquake (G1)#Toys|Skyquake]] (1992)'''
:Skyquake is another toy notable for having a gimmick which makes the whole thing worse. He actually has two colours of metallic plastic on him: One is a dark bronze, the other a light bronze. It is the light bronze plastic that is most likely to break. Unfortunately, the light bronze plastic also forms Skyquake's scope. You're supposed to put a Predator jet's scope slide into that part of him. But the union is not pleasant for the one on the receiving end. Take a look at the picture to the right. These are the parts left of Skyquake's scope after another Predator tried to unite with him. Actually... that's not even all the parts, that's just all that could be found. This is a gimmick which should '''''never''''' be attempted by modern collectors. Never, ever, ever, ever. For the same reason, don't transform him: the scope won't withstand being swung around and latched into position (the plastic around the swivel-pins is particularly thin) or having his stabilizer fins leveraged inside it. The moving plate over the [[light-piping|light piping]] on the back of his head is that brittle light bronze too, but it is at least loose and thick enough to be less risky.

*'''[[Thunder Clash#Toys|Thunder Clash]] (1992)'''
:Skyquake's Autobot counterpart has fewer parts jeopardized by metal-swirly plastics, but the toy's ankles are definite risks, as is the handgun peg if not handled with care. Removing the ratchet "catch" from Thunder Clash's feet and sanding the handgun's peg a bit will also help by reducing the force put on those parts without noticeably altering the toy. The [[Optimus_Prime_(G1)/toys#Machine_Wars|''Machine Wars'' Optimus Prime]] redeco swapped out the metal-swirly plastics for more durable plastics.

*'''[[Pyro (G1)#Toys|Pyro]] (1993)'''
:Pyro has a gold plastic waist which puts him at high risk of cracking in half during transformation, and clipping his gold feet into position in robot mode is a bad idea too. The elbow ratchets are also risky due to the constant spring stress. And of course, his rifle handle is prone to shearing off.

*'''[[e-Hobby]] ''[[The Transformers: Collector's Edition]]'' [[Megatron (G1)/toys#Collector's Edition|Megatron Black Version]] (2001/2009)'''
: Tragically, this rare one-off reissue has metallic brown plastic that can crumble if one attaches the sword or rifle in the hand in robot mode or a stock in Walther P-38 mode.
{{-}}

====''Generation 2''====
[[File:Electrobrokenknee.jpg|thumb|200px|Oh, God, my knee! MY KNEEEEEEE!!]]
* '''[[Electro#Toys|Electro]] (1994)'''
:There's a ''reason'' that Electro sits up at the top of this page. Poor guy just can't catch a break, it seems. Wait... actually, no. That's the ''entire problem''. The poor guy totally ''can'' catch a break. All the time. Because he is ''designed to die''. Basically ''anything'' on Electro's body is susceptible to shattering thanks to having many many thin joints made out of metallic gold plastic.

* '''[[Slingshot (G1)#Generation 2|Slingshot]] (1994)''' 
:Yet another iconic sufferer of GPS, Slingshot is ''infamous'' for coming apart straight out of the package.<ref>http://groups.google.com/group/alt.toys.transformers/msg/2b8b3dec846e5479?hl=en</ref> Worse, he's another toy whose gimmick will destroy him, like Skyquake. Slingshot's head is a post which is designed to plug into [[Silverbolt (G1)#The Transformers|Silverbolt]] (or any other "Scramble City" style torso-bot) so that Slingshot can form an arm or a leg. If you're unlucky, you're going to end up with his head trapped inside a connector joint.

{{-}}

====''Beast Wars''====
[[File:Goldplasticgrimlock.jpg|200px|thumb|A mighty Dinobot warrior... bested by his own crumbling joints.]]
[[File:Brownplasticsyndrome.jpg|thumb|200px|The one part of Megatron's Movie Jazz cosplay he ''didn't'' want to recreate.]]

*'''[[Grimlock (G1)/toys#Beast Wars|Grimlock]] (1997)''' 
:''Beast Wars'' Grimlock uses metallic gold plastic ball joints for his hips, which is not really a good thing. Common breakages include the insides of his legs (where his chest pegs into them in [[beast mode]]) and his mutant mask (which is very thin).

* '''[[Silverbolt (G1)#Beast Wars|Silverbolt]] (1997)'''
:The [[Magnaboss (BW)#Beast Wars|Magnaboss]] component Silverbot (not [[Silverbolt (Fuzor)|the ''other'' more well-known Beast Wars Silverbolt]]) despite having a ''dangerously'' large amount of metallic bronze plastic, is... actually fairly stable. The main breakage point is where his tail connects to his body. As well, [[Skywarp (BW)#Beast Wars II|Skywarp]], his Japanese counterpart, is just as likely to suffer from this. That said, just... be careful, okay? Be careful. 

* '''[[Megatron (BW)/toys#MegaTransmetal|Transmetal Megatron]] (1998) ''(Hasbro version only)'' '''
:Hasbro's Transmetal Megatron has a tendency to snap at the waist, the shoulders, the... well, anything that's made of that dark semi-metallic brown plastic. This is technically Brown Plastic Syndrome, but regardless of what you call it this toy may end in sadness. This breakage may be due to GPS, a [[design flaw]], or a combination of both; the Takara version's immunity to this issue (because its brown parts are black plastic instead) seems to suggest that GPS may have a role.

* '''[[Optimus Primal (BW)/toys#OptimalOptimus|Optimal Optimus]] (1998)''' 
:Optimal Optimus uses sparkly dark brown plastic for his wheels and turrets, which can suffer from GPS. The block that holds the batteries is the most likely to break, as the "soft" ratchet joint requires the affected plastic to bend. The pieces that connect his wings to his arms are also made from the same sparkly brown plastic.

* '''[[Fuzor]] [[Torca (BW)#Toys|Torca]] (1998) '''
:Torca's legs, hip armor panels, tail hinge and sides are all prone to Gold Plastic Syndrome.

* [[Mutant (BW)|Mutant]] '''[[Soundwave (BW)#Toys|Soundwave]] (2000)'''
:Poor Soundwave has his ''entire fraggin' body'' composed of gold plastic, so it's a crapshoot. The softer plastics are far less likely to crumble, but the places on his body where the sides hinge open as part of his transformation have a high risk of snapping.

* ''' ''[[Transformers: Beast Wars 10th Anniversary|Beast Wars 10th Anniversary]]'' [[Dinobot (BW)/toys#Beast Wars 10th Anniversary|Dinobot]] (2006)''' 
:Sadly, this version of Dinobot is less special for being a commemorative toy from the 10th anniversary of a beloved cartoon and more for being a horrifying timebomb, as he has ''two'' kinds of metallic swirled plastic, both of which seem to have hit their expiration dates around 2013. In other words, basically any part on him is highly fragile, although he's most likely to break at the neck, hips, and helmet. At this point, keeping the toy MISB is the best way to display him.

{{-}}
====''Beast Wars II''====
[[File:Bigmos GPS examples.jpg|200px|thumb|More of a minor fracture, really.]]
* '''[[Bigmos#Toys|Bigmos]] (1998)'''
:His GPS problems are bizarrely ''not'' his many many many metallic gold plastic parts; his ''turquoise''-colored plastic parts are the brittle ones, to the point of snapping right out of the package. Notable breakage points include the mosquito leg connectors snapping right off, tight hip/thigh swivels resulting in crumbling, and occasionally the robot feet can break due to being really thin pieces. Basically, be very gentle with anything molded in turquoise, be very gentle and take extra caution when twisting tight joints.

{{-}}
====''Beast Wars Neo''====
[[File:Randy-GPS.jpg|thumb|200px|'Tis but a scratch!]]
* '''[[Randy (BW)#Toys|Randy]] (1999)'''
:Randy is one of the ''legendary'' Gold Plastic Syndrome toys. Imagine, if you will, a toy with an entirely spring-loaded transformation... and an outer shell ''made entirely out of metallic gold plastic''. Ouch, right? The stress of staying in beast mode in package, the mode with the very compressed springs, is often enough to break the joints holding his beast-mode sides on before you even open the package. If you're lucky enough to have one still intact, keeping him in robot mode is the best way to ''keep'' him intact. For a while longer, at least.

{{-}}
====''Beast Machines''====
[[File:BMSnarl-GPS.jpg|thumb|200px|Sadly, changing up his exercise routine ''won't'' help his shin splints.]]
* '''[[Snarl (BM)#Toys|Snarl]] (2000)'''
: Not the most fragile GPS victim but nonetheless one of the most risk-prone, Snarl is one of those figures that uses an extensive amount of swirly gold plastic throughout his entire body, and as a result, there is ''a lot'' that can go wrong when handling him. All manner of extremities are known to occasionally snap off of Snarl's body, most easily among these being the ankles and leg covers. To make matters worse, it seems that the longer Snarl figures are left in sealed packages, the more brittle they are upon opening said packages.

* '''[[Striker#Toys|Striker]] (2000)'''
: As with Snarl, Striker is yet another figure that isn't as fragile as some of the toys mentioned on this page but is still at a very high risk of breakage just by virtue of the sheer amount of gold plastic used on him: he features an ''entirely'' golden dinosaur shell which relies on ball joints to move and shift, and as a result, said joint pegs are particularly prone to snapping over time. He also has a lot of gold plastic pegs that tab into gold plastic slots, which is, of course, a recipe for disaster. Transforming Striker could prove to be a suicide mission... for him.

{{-}}
====''Robots in Disguise'' (2001)====
[[File:RIDMegabolt-GPS.jpg|200px|thumb|Really, what could go wrong with gold plastic pins tabbing into small tight gold plastic pegs?]]
*'''[[Optimus Primal (BW)/toys#Robots in Disguise (2001)|Air Attack Optimus Primal]] (2002)'''
: The biggest toy in the ''Robots in Disguise'' toyline, Air Attack Optimus Primal is actually based on ''Beast Machines'' Optimus Primal, thus making him a particularly desirable toy by virtue of being the most accurate version of said design... And also for having large expanses made of sparkly brown plastic, which, like with Optimal Optimus (see above), can be prone to shattering. Owch. This condition most often results in the feet breaking. Thankfully, there is an alternative, as the 2018 ''[[Transformers Encore|Encore]]'' reissue does not suffer from GPS.

*'''[[Megabolt#Toys|Megabolt]] (2003)''' doesn't use as much gold plastic as some of the toys mentioned on this page, but the portions where he does use gold plastic just to happen to be very significant: his limbs, shoulders / alternate mold face place, and above-head cannon are all cast primarily in gold plastic, which is ''not'' a good thing. The most common fracture points include his forearms, the holes that lock his arms in place in crawling head mode, lower legs near the knees, and his head. On top of this he has a number of other design flaws that can lead to non-gold-plastic parts snapping off, so, good luck!
{{-}}

====''Choro-Q''====
*'''[[Hot Rod (G1)/toys#metallic|Rodimus Convoy Metallic Version]] (2001)'''
:Sadly, the pinned metallic flake plastic hinges on this version of ''Choro-Q'' Rodimus have become prone to breaking after two decades.
{{-}}

====''Universe'' (2003)====
[[File:UniSuperion-GPS.jpg|200px|thumb|You know my hips don't lie... Or last very long anyways.]]
* '''[[Micromaster]] [[Superion (Universe)#Toys|Superion]] (2003)'''
: While his individual robots are unscathed from the GPS plague, many of Superion's essential combiner [[kibble]] parts are afflicted: namely, his rifle, hands (which are just white-painted gold plastic), and worst of all, his hip piece. The latter chunk is especially prone to breakage, which isn't helped by the fact that the leg components need to very firmly clip onto it... Meaning that, in a good portion of loose copies, those poor fragile little pegs will be shattered. <ref name="tfwsuper">[http://www.tfw2005.com/boards/transformers-toy-discussion/300674-warning-universe-micromaster-superion-suffers-gold-plastic-syndrome.html TFW2005 thread about Micromaster Superion suffering from Gold Plastic Syndrome, with multiple reports]</ref> On an unrelated annoyance, the peg that connects [[Ro-Tor (Universe)|Ro-Tor]] to Superion's torso piece also tends to break despite no gold plastic being involved, so; if you've always wanted a toy with both shattering gold plastic ''and'' poor quality control then here you go!  Best thing to do with this one is to probably just use other Micromaster combiner kibble to assemble his robot mode. 

{{-}}
====Unicron Trilogy====
*''' ''[[Transformers: Cybertron (toyline)|Cybertron]]'' [[Repugnus (Cybertron)#Cybertron|Repugnus]] (2006/2010)''' 
:Surprisingly the only "Unicron Trilogy" toy that's known to be afflicted by GPS (and indicative of a broader trend as GPS instances start diminishing during the 2000s), Repugnus' robot mode "hands"/''Spinosaurus'' head are made of black-painted gold plastic. Insertion of his flail weapon into his hands can cause his thin jaw parts to break into pieces. His thigh covers are made of the same plastic, but due to their static position and lack of moving parts are very, very unlikely to break.

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====''Star Wars Transformers''====
*'''[[General Grievous]] (2006)'''
:Grievous' pelvis, arms and legs are all made out of gold plastic with many thin parts in the jointing, leaving them especially prone to breakage.

* '''[[Millennium Falcon]]/[[Han Solo]] & [[Chewbacca]] (2006)''' 
:Another famous example, Chewbacca's half of the Millenium Falcon suffers from aggressive FPS, with the  where his legs can lock up and ultimately snap off. His upper arms are also said to fall victim as well. <ref>http://www.seibertron.com/toys/gallery.php?id=2481&size=0&start=101</ref> Han has one piece that's cast in the same metallic-brown plastic, a cover that flips down from his crotch when transforming. However given it's painted grey, it's hard to tell until it breaks.

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====Movie toys====
* '''[[Starscream (Movie)/toys#Deluxe Class toys|Protoform Starscream]] (2007)'''
:Part of the preview wave for [[Transformers (2007 toyline)|the 2007 movie toyline]], Starscream might not have left the best impression in the long term as the plastic hinges that connect the two small wings to his body are especially brittle, and because the plastic housing the joints is thin, it eventually gives way over time to a crumbly mess. The thumbs are also prone to breakage.

*''' ''Revenge of the Fallen'' [[Stratosphere#Toys|Stratosphere]] (2009)'''
: Stratosphere has gold plastic in his shoulders and thighs, and there have been reports of these parts crumbling. Additionally, more commonly-reported breakages are the toy's lower knees and the hinges connecting the wings—but neither of these parts are the ones made of gold plastic! Poor guy can't catch a break—or, well he can.

* '''[[Costco]] exclusive [[Bumblebee (Movie)/toys#BattleOpsCostco|Battle Ops Bumblebee]] (2010)'''
:This version of Bumblebee has metallic dark gray plastic in the upper and lower body that display textbook GPS symptoms.  The figure will eventually self-destruct during transformation due to said plastic's use in most of the leg and car roof joints.  Ironically, the gold ''painted'' portions are mostly a different, more resilient plastic.
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====''Transformers (2010)''====
*'''[[Primus#Transformers_.282010.29|Creator Primus]] (2010)'''
: Primus features swirly metallic blue parts that eventually hit their expiry dates 13 years later, and they're very prone to crumbling, with the most aggressively affected area being his arms.<ref>https://twitter.com/mechtavius/status/1667326036537753601</ref> To make matters worse, his shoulders are on a ratchet joint, so bending his arms ''requires'' one to press down on them with a modicum of force that the figure might not withstand. Considering the relative rarity of this figure, it's probably for the best to just not touch it at all.

====''Unite Warriors''====
*'''[[Motormaster (G1)#Unite Warriors|Motormaster]] (2015)'''
: The last figure that's currently known to suffer from GPS, multiple copies of ''Unite Warriors'' Motormaster have been reported as heavily prone to breaking apart on the waist right after being taken out of the box—and of course, once one peers closer, they'll find that same familiar swirly plastic, this time in gunmetal grey.<ref>https://www.tfw2005.com/boards/threads/uw-motormaster-has-disintegrated-from-the-waist.1096466/</ref> In contrast, others who've purchased the figure at at later point have reported never facing this issue at all even after years of owning him, which might suggest that later runs of the Stunticons 5-pack have fixed this issue. Regardless, for those who do not want to take the risk, a popular solution involves replacing Motormaster's waist with that of [[Motormaster (G1)#Combiner Wars|his cheaper Hasbro version]].

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====Transformers-related GPS sufferers====
* The "[[Vacuum metallizing|chrome]]" version of ''[[Diaclone]]'' '''[[Delta Magnus|Powered Convoy]]''', the [[pre-Transformer]] version of [[Ultra Magnus (G1)/toys#Notes|Ultra Magnus]], has this problem with its swirly ''blue'' plastic. Given the age and relative rarity of this toy, this is particularly troublesome for hardcore collectors.

* While not a Transformer, ''[[G.I. Joe (franchise)|G.I. Joe]]''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s '''[[Serpentor]]''' is also known to suffer from this problem, especially through his hips, given the groin-breakage-prone leg construction of the standard 1980s ''G.I. Joe'' figure.

*The first Golden Lagoon-based '''X Yearly Version 5-pack''' released by [[Blokees]] also experienced this issue, particularly with their swirly gold elbow and knee hinge joints, which are problematic given their release as a high-priced set.

==Toys commonly discredited as GPS sufferers==
A number of other toys experience breakages while also having gold parts and/or swirly plastic bits, and inevitably, this often leads them to being incorrectly labeled by collectors as GPS sufferers. When it comes to these particular  toys, however; the issues are most likely attributable to structural problems with the part designs themselves rather than their plastics.

* The ''Armada'' '''[[Optimus Prime (Armada)/toys#SuperBase|Super Base Optimus Prime]]''' figure's elbows/biceps are made of gold plastic, and the lower joint has been known to break very easily. However, the plastic doesn't exhibit the "crumbliness" typical of GPS; instead, it seems likely that the break occurs when the elbow joints are lined up for them to sit behind the combined mode's back. In this configuration, the red and blue joints don't have room to bend around each other. The way to alleviate this issue is to pull the shoulder out, ''then'' bend the top joint (the red one) first, before moving the arms in any other direction.

* ''Energon'' '''[[Scorponok (Energon)#Energon|Scorponok]]''' has pale gold plastic on the (largely painted) front panels of the shoulders, and moving the shoulders for transformation (particularly into jet mode) can cause the panels to tear in half. However, the plastic itself isn't the problem; rather, it seems to be the result of the toy's design, where the corners of the front panels aren't quite symmetrical, and the one with more clearance is on the opposite side. A [[Variant|running change]] saw these panels swapped to alleviate this issue. [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GHXKDmxeuHs Swapping the panels to the opposite sides], has a higher chance of reducing breakages.

*''Alternators'' '''[[Swerve (G1)#Alternators|Swerve]]''' has become a common GPS suspect given that his leg joints, elbow joints, poseable fists, thighs, and rocket launcher are all made out of gold plastic — but it's the first of these elements that is generally considered the most problematic, with a few instances of breakages being reported over the years. However, this gold plastic does not exhibit the 'swirliness' of other GPS-afflicted toys, which suggests that, similar to ''Armada'' Optimus Prime and ''Energon'' Scorponok, this is also most likely the product of poor quality control arising from a tight construction rather than an issue with the plastic itself.

*''Alternators'' '''[[Mirage (G1)/toys#Alternators|Mirage]]''', in contrast, features an extensive amount of swirly plastic throughout the figure's entire car mode and this plastic has been frequently reported to suffer from "hairline cracks", leading to the occasional claim that he's a GPS sufferer <ref>[https://www.tfw2005.com/boards/threads/alternators-binaltech-fandom-unite-lets-see-some-pics.235171/page-165#post-20719899 A TFW2005 thread where Mirage's status as a potential GPS victim is discussed]</ref> — however, these are almost always concentrated on one specific portion of the car mode (they often show up as lines between the windshield and the front wheelwell), so it seems more likely that the cause for these hairlines is some stress applied on that specific portion of the vehicle rather than the plastic itself. No instances of full-on breakage have been reported, and unlike what's expected from a GPS-afflicted toy, the figure seems to consistently show up intact on secondary market listings: thus, like Swerve, the broader consensus seems to be that he is not a GPS sufferer.

* 2007 ''Transformers'' movie [[Legends Class (2005)|Legends Class]] '''[[Scorponok (Movie)#Legends Class toys|Scorponok]]''' has a tail stinger made of soft and bendy golden plastic, which tends to harden over time and become prone to breaking. As the "bendy" aspect suggests, the root cause of this problem seems to simply be the use of an inferior plasticizer, rather than traditional Gold Plastic Syndrome.

==Fiction==
===''Animated'' cartoon===
At some point during the [[Great War (Animated)|Great War]], a vaccine for Gold Plastic Syndrome was developed by [[Red Alert (Animated)|Red Alert]]. {{storylink|Transformers Animated: The AllSpark Almanac II|The AllSpark Almanac II}} [[Swindle, Swindle and Swindle]] claimed to be the only licensee of the cure in the [[Nexus (cluster)|Nexus]] Cluster. {{storylink|Ask Vector Prime#Facebook|Swindle's Spiel, 2015/10/03}}

===Ask Vector Prime===
In [[Primax 185.0 Beta]], the [[S.T.A.R.S.]] weaponized Gold Plastic Syndrome and invented the [[Photodegradation|Photo Degradation Protocol]] in a failed attempt to fight off [[Galvatron (G1)|Galvatron's]] mindless hordes of [[Decepto-Pack]]-enhanced human slaves. {{storylink|Ask Vector Prime#Facebook|Ask Vector Prime, 2015/06/04}}

===''Prime Wars Trilogy'' marketing material===
[[First Aid (G1)#PWTG2|First Aid]] contracted GPS during the war against the [[Cybertronian (faction)|Cybertronian Empire]]. The disease prevented him from properly combining into [[Defensor (G1)|Defensor]]. {{storylink|Ratchet (G1)/toys#Combiner Wars|Customization class Generation 2 Ratchet bio}}

==See also==
*[[Unpaintable plastic#Photodegradation|Another common problem since 2018.]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
*[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qcjAUN5Ssj8 Demonstration of Gold Plastic Syndrome in effect at YouTube]

[[Category:Animated]]
[[Category:Diseases]]
[[Category:Toys]]