Prototype - Revision history

AzimuthAcolyte: Tigatron -> Tigatron (BW) update

2026-03-09T04:22:31Z

Tigatron -> Tigatron (BW) update

← Older revision		Revision as of 04:22, 9 March 2026
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	Officially, the vast number of test shots and pre-production samples (except those given out for "preview" or review purposes) are supposed to be dumped or destroyed once they have fulfilled their purpose (safety testing, approval from the company etc.). However, since most toy companies have been having their toys manufactured in China for almost two decades by now, and the factories aren't even directly ''owned'' by the toy companies themselves in most cases, it's hard for them to retain full control over the final fate of those pre-production items. As a result, factory employees who have realized that the toys they are helping manufacture aren't only bought by kids and their parents, but also by adult collectors, have started to make a habit out of smuggling various kinds of pre-production items (starting at the test shot stage) out of the factory and selling them to dealers who often specifically specialize in pre-production toys.		Officially, the vast number of test shots and pre-production samples (except those given out for "preview" or review purposes) are supposed to be dumped or destroyed once they have fulfilled their purpose (safety testing, approval from the company etc.). However, since most toy companies have been having their toys manufactured in China for almost two decades by now, and the factories aren't even directly ''owned'' by the toy companies themselves in most cases, it's hard for them to retain full control over the final fate of those pre-production items. As a result, factory employees who have realized that the toys they are helping manufacture aren't only bought by kids and their parents, but also by adult collectors, have started to make a habit out of smuggling various kinds of pre-production items (starting at the test shot stage) out of the factory and selling them to dealers who often specifically specialize in pre-production toys.

	In the case of the ''Transformers'' toylines, this phenomenon started in the mid-1990s during the run of the ''[[Beast Wars: Transformers (toyline)\|Beast Wars]]'' toyline. A young [[Daniel Ross]] (aka Mouth04) was one of the first people who regularly made photos of production samples available to a growing ''Transformers'' online fandom, provided by an eBay seller going by the alias "SPQQKY".<ref>[http://www.reocities.com/Area51/Dungeon/4980/SPQQKY.html Mouth04's old "SPQQKY Files" website]</ref> Daniel later stated that it had never occurred to him that what SPQQKY was involved in was illegal in any way whatsoever until he provided packaging photos of the [[BotCon 2001]] exclusive [[Tigatron]] toy, which at that time was still officially unrevealed. Initially, collecting pre-production toys had been a niche "market" reserved for people with established contacts to Chinese dealers. With the emergence of online auction sites such as [[eBay]] or the Chinese counterpart Taobao, however, it has become a lot easier for people to buy pre-production toys from (usually Chinese) sellers, hence making it more of a "mainstream" activity. That still doesn't mean that it's legal, however.		In the case of the ''Transformers'' toylines, this phenomenon started in the mid-1990s during the run of the ''[[Beast Wars: Transformers (toyline)\|Beast Wars]]'' toyline. A young [[Daniel Ross]] (aka Mouth04) was one of the first people who regularly made photos of production samples available to a growing ''Transformers'' online fandom, provided by an eBay seller going by the alias "SPQQKY".<ref>[http://www.reocities.com/Area51/Dungeon/4980/SPQQKY.html Mouth04's old "SPQQKY Files" website]</ref> Daniel later stated that it had never occurred to him that what SPQQKY was involved in was illegal in any way whatsoever until he provided packaging photos of the [[BotCon 2001]] exclusive [[Tigatron (BW)\|Tigatron]] toy, which at that time was still officially unrevealed. Initially, collecting pre-production toys had been a niche "market" reserved for people with established contacts to Chinese dealers. With the emergence of online auction sites such as [[eBay]] or the Chinese counterpart Taobao, however, it has become a lot easier for people to buy pre-production toys from (usually Chinese) sellers, hence making it more of a "mainstream" activity. That still doesn't mean that it's legal, however.

	Toy companies usually refrain from explicitly referring to pre-production items sold on auction sites as "stolen", instead using rather vague phrases such as "obtained through unauthorized means"<ref>[http://www.hasbro.com/transformers/default.cfm?page=News/Item&newsid=CFE67147-D56F-E112-44D68FC54DF506D4 Old Hasbro website news addressing the issue of "prototypes" being auctioned online]</ref> For a brief time in 2003, Hasbro had maintained a strict policy explicitly demanding that fan sites must not post any "unsolicited materials", specifically photos of toys that had not been officially announced yet. However, they never provided specific guidelines they had promised (allegedly, this was because their legal team had come to the conclusion that they had no legal stand in this matter<ref>[http://groups.google.com/group/alt.toys.transformers/msg/883c2bc7a05d3bc9 alt.toys.transformers post by Bainreese about Hasbro's "prototype policy"]</ref>), and by the end of the year, fan sites had completely stopped following that policy, supposedly with no legal repercussions whatsoever. In an interview,<ref>[http://tformers.com/article.php?sid=5044 TFormers.com interview with Aaron Archer]</ref> [[Aaron Archer]] stated that it could never be said with full certainty whether pre-production toys sold on auction sites had indeed been stolen, and other than having the auction taken down, there was not much Hasbro could do legally. Possible reasons for this are Hasbro's third party relationship with Chinese manufacturing plants and Chinese industry's frequent disregard for international legal norms. A conspiracy theory among some fans even suggests that Hasbro ''deliberately'' "leak" test shots in order to evaluate the audience's reactions.		Toy companies usually refrain from explicitly referring to pre-production items sold on auction sites as "stolen", instead using rather vague phrases such as "obtained through unauthorized means"<ref>[http://www.hasbro.com/transformers/default.cfm?page=News/Item&newsid=CFE67147-D56F-E112-44D68FC54DF506D4 Old Hasbro website news addressing the issue of "prototypes" being auctioned online]</ref> For a brief time in 2003, Hasbro had maintained a strict policy explicitly demanding that fan sites must not post any "unsolicited materials", specifically photos of toys that had not been officially announced yet. However, they never provided specific guidelines they had promised (allegedly, this was because their legal team had come to the conclusion that they had no legal stand in this matter<ref>[http://groups.google.com/group/alt.toys.transformers/msg/883c2bc7a05d3bc9 alt.toys.transformers post by Bainreese about Hasbro's "prototype policy"]</ref>), and by the end of the year, fan sites had completely stopped following that policy, supposedly with no legal repercussions whatsoever. In an interview,<ref>[http://tformers.com/article.php?sid=5044 TFormers.com interview with Aaron Archer]</ref> [[Aaron Archer]] stated that it could never be said with full certainty whether pre-production toys sold on auction sites had indeed been stolen, and other than having the auction taken down, there was not much Hasbro could do legally. Possible reasons for this are Hasbro's third party relationship with Chinese manufacturing plants and Chinese industry's frequent disregard for international legal norms. A conspiracy theory among some fans even suggests that Hasbro ''deliberately'' "leak" test shots in order to evaluate the audience's reactions.

Saix: clean up, replaced: ==Footnotes== → ==References==, typos fixed: ’s → 's

2023-05-18T18:33:37Z

clean up, replaced: ==Footnotes== → ==References==, typos fixed: ’s → 's

← Older revision		Revision as of 18:33, 18 May 2023
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	**For [[retool]]s, hardcopies are only made for new and retooled parts, while the unchanged parts are often taken from a production sample of the non-retooled version of the toy. This usually results in a rather mismatched look for the assembled prototype. In some cases, retools are planned right from the start, and the new parts are either [[gang-molding\|gang-molded]] on the same sprue as the parts they replace, or all the parts with alternate versions are on the same sprue(s), and all the alternate versions are on their own sprue(s) as well.		**For [[retool]]s, hardcopies are only made for new and retooled parts, while the unchanged parts are often taken from a production sample of the non-retooled version of the toy. This usually results in a rather mismatched look for the assembled prototype. In some cases, retools are planned right from the start, and the new parts are either [[gang-molding\|gang-molded]] on the same sprue as the parts they replace, or all the parts with alternate versions are on the same sprue(s), and all the alternate versions are on their own sprue(s) as well.
	[[Image:SmokescreenGTProto.jpg\|right\|190px\|thumb\|Retool prototype, not a knockoff.]]		[[Image:SmokescreenGTProto.jpg\|right\|190px\|thumb\|Retool prototype, not a knockoff.]]
	*'''Test shots''', also referred to as '''engineering pilots''' or '''first shots''', are test runs of the injection molds to spot sculpting errors, test the plastic tolerances, test [[articulation]], etc. [[For safety reasons\|Safety testing]] is also done with test shots, which sometimes results in the injection molds being retooled or the [[Unpaintable plastic\|plastic type used for certain parts being changed]] in order to accommodate the changes demanded by the legal department. They are often cast in a single color of plastic, or in seemingly random colors that look nothing like the final products. Some are completely or partly made of clear (but not necessarily uncolored) plastic, which helps the designers observe the functioning of hidden parts. Test shots do not sport any factory-applied [[~~paint operation\|~~paint operation]]s.		*'''Test shots''', also referred to as '''engineering pilots''' or '''first shots''', are test runs of the injection molds to spot sculpting errors, test the plastic tolerances, test [[articulation]], etc. [[For safety reasons\|Safety testing]] is also done with test shots, which sometimes results in the injection molds being retooled or the [[Unpaintable plastic\|plastic type used for certain parts being changed]] in order to accommodate the changes demanded by the legal department. They are often cast in a single color of plastic, or in seemingly random colors that look nothing like the final products. Some are completely or partly made of clear (but not necessarily uncolored) plastic, which helps the designers observe the functioning of hidden parts. Test shots do not sport any factory-applied [[paint operation]]s.
	**In the case of retools, the unchanged parts can again be (but aren't necessarily) taken from a production sample of the non-retooled version of the toy. This may also result in a mismatched look depending on the plastic colors used for the new parts.		**In the case of retools, the unchanged parts can again be (but aren't necessarily) taken from a production sample of the non-retooled version of the toy. This may also result in a mismatched look depending on the plastic colors used for the new parts.
	*'''Pre-production samples''', also referred to as '''final engineering pilots''' (and sometimes also as "test shots" among fans), are very similar to the final products. They are usually cast in the correct plastic colors for the individual parts (although sometimes the plastic colors or shades can still be changed very late in the production process, sometimes even after the production run for the toy has already started, thus resulting in a [[variant\|running change variant]] of the official production version) and feature factory-applied paint operations. Their purpose is to provide an idea of what the final toy will look like and receive final approval from the company (or possible licensors). They are also used as display exhibits at toy shows such as Toy Fair or [[BotCon]]. In instances where the samples don't sport factory-applied paint operations yet, they are hand-painted. Because pre-production samples are very similar to the final product, they are often stamped with "not for sale" markings or feature deliberately wrong paint operations or [[tampograph]]s (e.g., wrong, upside-down or incorrectly colored faction symbols) in order to prevent confusion with the final products.		*'''Pre-production samples''', also referred to as '''final engineering pilots''' (and sometimes also as "test shots" among fans), are very similar to the final products. They are usually cast in the correct plastic colors for the individual parts (although sometimes the plastic colors or shades can still be changed very late in the production process, sometimes even after the production run for the toy has already started, thus resulting in a [[variant\|running change variant]] of the official production version) and feature factory-applied paint operations. Their purpose is to provide an idea of what the final toy will look like and receive final approval from the company (or possible licensors). They are also used as display exhibits at toy shows such as Toy Fair or [[BotCon]]. In instances where the samples don't sport factory-applied paint operations yet, they are hand-painted. Because pre-production samples are very similar to the final product, they are often stamped with "not for sale" markings or feature deliberately wrong paint operations or [[tampograph]]s (e.g., wrong, upside-down or incorrectly colored faction symbols) in order to prevent confusion with the final products.
Line 32:		Line 32:
	In the case of the ''Transformers'' toylines, this phenomenon started in the mid-1990s during the run of the ''[[Beast Wars: Transformers (toyline)\|Beast Wars]]'' toyline. A young [[Daniel Ross]] (aka Mouth04) was one of the first people who regularly made photos of production samples available to a growing ''Transformers'' online fandom, provided by an eBay seller going by the alias "SPQQKY".<ref>[http://www.reocities.com/Area51/Dungeon/4980/SPQQKY.html Mouth04's old "SPQQKY Files" website]</ref> Daniel later stated that it had never occurred to him that what SPQQKY was involved in was illegal in any way whatsoever until he provided packaging photos of the [[BotCon 2001]] exclusive [[Tigatron]] toy, which at that time was still officially unrevealed. Initially, collecting pre-production toys had been a niche "market" reserved for people with established contacts to Chinese dealers. With the emergence of online auction sites such as [[eBay]] or the Chinese counterpart Taobao, however, it has become a lot easier for people to buy pre-production toys from (usually Chinese) sellers, hence making it more of a "mainstream" activity. That still doesn't mean that it's legal, however.		In the case of the ''Transformers'' toylines, this phenomenon started in the mid-1990s during the run of the ''[[Beast Wars: Transformers (toyline)\|Beast Wars]]'' toyline. A young [[Daniel Ross]] (aka Mouth04) was one of the first people who regularly made photos of production samples available to a growing ''Transformers'' online fandom, provided by an eBay seller going by the alias "SPQQKY".<ref>[http://www.reocities.com/Area51/Dungeon/4980/SPQQKY.html Mouth04's old "SPQQKY Files" website]</ref> Daniel later stated that it had never occurred to him that what SPQQKY was involved in was illegal in any way whatsoever until he provided packaging photos of the [[BotCon 2001]] exclusive [[Tigatron]] toy, which at that time was still officially unrevealed. Initially, collecting pre-production toys had been a niche "market" reserved for people with established contacts to Chinese dealers. With the emergence of online auction sites such as [[eBay]] or the Chinese counterpart Taobao, however, it has become a lot easier for people to buy pre-production toys from (usually Chinese) sellers, hence making it more of a "mainstream" activity. That still doesn't mean that it's legal, however.

	Toy companies usually refrain from explicitly referring to pre-production items sold on auction sites as "stolen", instead using rather vague phrases such as "obtained through unauthorized means"<ref>[http://www.hasbro.com/transformers/default.cfm?page=News/Item&newsid=CFE67147-D56F-E112-44D68FC54DF506D4 Old Hasbro website news addressing the issue of "prototypes" being auctioned online]</ref> For a brief time in 2003, Hasbro had maintained a strict policy explicitly demanding that fan sites must not post any "unsolicited materials", specifically photos of toys that had not been officially announced yet. However, they never provided specific guidelines they had promised (allegedly, this was because their legal team had come to the conclusion that they had no legal stand in this matter<ref>[http://groups.google.com/group/alt.toys.transformers/msg/883c2bc7a05d3bc9 alt.toys.transformers post by Bainreese about Hasbro's "prototype policy"]</ref>), and by the end of the year, fan sites had completely stopped following that policy, supposedly with no legal repercussions whatsoever. In an interview<ref>[http://tformers.com/article.php?sid=5044 TFormers.com interview with Aaron Archer]</ref>, [[Aaron Archer]] stated that it could never be said with full certainty whether pre-production toys sold on auction sites had indeed been stolen, and other than having the auction taken down, there was not much Hasbro could do legally. Possible reasons for this are Hasbro's third party relationship with Chinese manufacturing plants and Chinese ~~industry’s~~ frequent disregard for international legal norms. A conspiracy theory among some fans even suggests that Hasbro ''deliberately'' "leak" test shots in order to evaluate the audience's reactions.		Toy companies usually refrain from explicitly referring to pre-production items sold on auction sites as "stolen", instead using rather vague phrases such as "obtained through unauthorized means"<ref>[http://www.hasbro.com/transformers/default.cfm?page=News/Item&newsid=CFE67147-D56F-E112-44D68FC54DF506D4 Old Hasbro website news addressing the issue of "prototypes" being auctioned online]</ref> For a brief time in 2003, Hasbro had maintained a strict policy explicitly demanding that fan sites must not post any "unsolicited materials", specifically photos of toys that had not been officially announced yet. However, they never provided specific guidelines they had promised (allegedly, this was because their legal team had come to the conclusion that they had no legal stand in this matter<ref>[http://groups.google.com/group/alt.toys.transformers/msg/883c2bc7a05d3bc9 alt.toys.transformers post by Bainreese about Hasbro's "prototype policy"]</ref>), and by the end of the year, fan sites had completely stopped following that policy, supposedly with no legal repercussions whatsoever. In an interview,<ref>[http://tformers.com/article.php?sid=5044 TFormers.com interview with Aaron Archer]</ref> [[Aaron Archer]] stated that it could never be said with full certainty whether pre-production toys sold on auction sites had indeed been stolen, and other than having the auction taken down, there was not much Hasbro could do legally. Possible reasons for this are Hasbro's third party relationship with Chinese manufacturing plants and Chinese industry's frequent disregard for international legal norms. A conspiracy theory among some fans even suggests that Hasbro ''deliberately'' "leak" test shots in order to evaluate the audience's reactions.

	[[Brian Savage]] took a more direct approach when multiples of the [[BotCon 2008]] exclusive toys were being sold on eBay before the convention, asking eBay to take down the auctions and sending e-mails to the sellers asking them to return the stolen toys (explicitly referred to as such) to him.		[[Brian Savage]] took a more direct approach when multiples of the [[BotCon 2008]] exclusive toys were being sold on eBay before the convention, asking eBay to take down the auctions and sending e-mails to the sellers asking them to return the stolen toys (explicitly referred to as such) to him.
Line 43:		Line 43:
	Perhaps the most bizarre variety of ''Transformers'' prototypes that have surfaced thus far date from 2002, variants of the early ''[[The Transformers: Generation One Commemorative Series\|Commemorative Series]]'' reissues cast almost entirely in clear plastic. Because the origin of these toys has never been explained in full capacity, fan theories ranged from genuine test shots to bootlegs to unauthorized "lunchtime" runs of the molds done by the same people that smuggled them out of the factory. The latter theory caused some fans to refer to those toys as "lunchtime specials". [[Rik Alvarez\|Some people]] insist that those toys are fully legit (but not necessarily legally acquired) prototypes created by Hasbro and Takara to serve as "reference pieces".		Perhaps the most bizarre variety of ''Transformers'' prototypes that have surfaced thus far date from 2002, variants of the early ''[[The Transformers: Generation One Commemorative Series\|Commemorative Series]]'' reissues cast almost entirely in clear plastic. Because the origin of these toys has never been explained in full capacity, fan theories ranged from genuine test shots to bootlegs to unauthorized "lunchtime" runs of the molds done by the same people that smuggled them out of the factory. The latter theory caused some fans to refer to those toys as "lunchtime specials". [[Rik Alvarez\|Some people]] insist that those toys are fully legit (but not necessarily legally acquired) prototypes created by Hasbro and Takara to serve as "reference pieces".

	==~~Footnotes~~==		==References==
	{{reflist\|2}}		{{reflist\|2}}

	[[Category:Toys]]		[[Category:Toys]]

Saix at 14:51, 27 March 2023

2023-03-27T14:51:38Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 14:51, 27 March 2023
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	A '''prototype''' is a sample version of a manufactured object produced for internal use in the manufacturing process, before the official mass production run starts. Various sorts of prototypes exist, both for the toys themselves and for the packaging. Sometimes prototypes of [[Toy\|''Transformers'' toys]] end up in the possession of fans and collectors, but not always through entirely legal means.		A '''prototype''' is a sample version of a manufactured object produced for internal use in the manufacturing process, before the official mass production run starts. Various sorts of prototypes exist, both for the toys themselves and for the packaging. Sometimes prototypes of [[Toy\|''Transformers'' toys]] end up in the possession of fans and collectors, but not always through entirely legal means.


	~~__TOC__~~
	~~{{-}}~~
	==Toy prototypes==		==Toy prototypes==
	[[File:TF Hero Rhinox Hot Rod resin.jpg\|right\|190px\|thumb\|Mecha Anime Transformers?]]		[[File:TF Hero Rhinox Hot Rod resin.jpg\|right\|190px\|thumb\|Mecha Anime Transformers?]]
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	:*[[Redeco]]s released within a short time following the previous use of the mold often start at the pre-production sample stage, since all the tooling and safety-testing has already been done. For older molds, Hasbro and Takara must ensure the mold is still usable and the toy still conforms to the latest toy safety standards. This especially applies to [[Generation 1 reissues\|reissues]] (which sometimes require retooling for safety reasons).		:*[[Redeco]]s released within a short time following the previous use of the mold often start at the pre-production sample stage, since all the tooling and safety-testing has already been done. For older molds, Hasbro and Takara must ensure the mold is still usable and the toy still conforms to the latest toy safety standards. This especially applies to [[Generation 1 reissues\|reissues]] (which sometimes require retooling for safety reasons).
	*'''Production samples''' are the final stage before the actual production run starts, and are virtually indistinguishable from the final products in most cases. They are packaged in sample packaging (see below), and people with [[Ben Yee\|good contacts to Hasbro]] sometimes receive production samples for review purposes.		*'''Production samples''' are the final stage before the actual production run starts, and are virtually indistinguishable from the final products in most cases. They are packaged in sample packaging (see below), and people with [[Ben Yee\|good contacts to Hasbro]] sometimes receive production samples for review purposes.
	{{-}}		{{--}}

	==Packaging prototypes==		==Packaging prototypes==
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	*'''Proof packaging''' does not contain any toys, but merely serves to get an idea of the final packaging design. '''Proof cards''' for carded toys can range from being only printed on one side, lacking rounded edges and punch holes, to being virtually indistinguishable from the cardback for a production toy, only lacking a glued-on blister bubble. Sometimes the proof packaging can still feature differences from the final production versions, such as spelling or name errors, different graphics, logos or text fonts, or slightly different layouts for the various elements such as graphics, logos or text.		*'''Proof packaging''' does not contain any toys, but merely serves to get an idea of the final packaging design. '''Proof cards''' for carded toys can range from being only printed on one side, lacking rounded edges and punch holes, to being virtually indistinguishable from the cardback for a production toy, only lacking a glued-on blister bubble. Sometimes the proof packaging can still feature differences from the final production versions, such as spelling or name errors, different graphics, logos or text fonts, or slightly different layouts for the various elements such as graphics, logos or text.
	*'''Sample packaging''' is very close to the final product, and again can contain anything ranging from toys from different lines to test shots to pre-production samples.		*'''Sample packaging''' is very close to the final product, and again can contain anything ranging from toys from different lines to test shots to pre-production samples.
	{{-}}		{{--}}

	==Legalities==		==Legalities==
Line 47:		Line 44:

	==Footnotes==		==Footnotes==
	~~<references/>~~		{{reflist\|2}}

	[[Category:Toys]]		[[Category:Toys]]

TFMultiverse.com: /* Legalities */ Removed reference to “sketchy legal situation” and made minor edits for readability.

2022-12-11T02:37:50Z

Legalities: Removed reference to “sketchy legal situation” and made minor edits for readability.

← Older revision		Revision as of 02:37, 11 December 2022
Line 35:		Line 35:
	In the case of the ''Transformers'' toylines, this phenomenon started in the mid-1990s during the run of the ''[[Beast Wars: Transformers (toyline)\|Beast Wars]]'' toyline. A young [[Daniel Ross]] (aka Mouth04) was one of the first people who regularly made photos of production samples available to a growing ''Transformers'' online fandom, provided by an eBay seller going by the alias "SPQQKY".<ref>[http://www.reocities.com/Area51/Dungeon/4980/SPQQKY.html Mouth04's old "SPQQKY Files" website]</ref> Daniel later stated that it had never occurred to him that what SPQQKY was involved in was illegal in any way whatsoever until he provided packaging photos of the [[BotCon 2001]] exclusive [[Tigatron]] toy, which at that time was still officially unrevealed. Initially, collecting pre-production toys had been a niche "market" reserved for people with established contacts to Chinese dealers. With the emergence of online auction sites such as [[eBay]] or the Chinese counterpart Taobao, however, it has become a lot easier for people to buy pre-production toys from (usually Chinese) sellers, hence making it more of a "mainstream" activity. That still doesn't mean that it's legal, however.		In the case of the ''Transformers'' toylines, this phenomenon started in the mid-1990s during the run of the ''[[Beast Wars: Transformers (toyline)\|Beast Wars]]'' toyline. A young [[Daniel Ross]] (aka Mouth04) was one of the first people who regularly made photos of production samples available to a growing ''Transformers'' online fandom, provided by an eBay seller going by the alias "SPQQKY".<ref>[http://www.reocities.com/Area51/Dungeon/4980/SPQQKY.html Mouth04's old "SPQQKY Files" website]</ref> Daniel later stated that it had never occurred to him that what SPQQKY was involved in was illegal in any way whatsoever until he provided packaging photos of the [[BotCon 2001]] exclusive [[Tigatron]] toy, which at that time was still officially unrevealed. Initially, collecting pre-production toys had been a niche "market" reserved for people with established contacts to Chinese dealers. With the emergence of online auction sites such as [[eBay]] or the Chinese counterpart Taobao, however, it has become a lot easier for people to buy pre-production toys from (usually Chinese) sellers, hence making it more of a "mainstream" activity. That still doesn't mean that it's legal, however.

	Toy companies usually refrain from explicitly referring to pre-production items sold on auction sites as "stolen", instead using rather vague phrases such as "obtained through unauthorized means"<ref>[http://www.hasbro.com/transformers/default.cfm?page=News/Item&newsid=CFE67147-D56F-E112-44D68FC54DF506D4 Old Hasbro website news addressing the issue of "prototypes" being auctioned online]</ref> For a brief time in 2003, Hasbro had maintained a strict policy explicitly demanding that fan sites must not post any "unsolicited materials", specifically photos of toys that had not been officially announced yet. However, they never provided specific guidelines they had promised (allegedly, this was because their legal team had come to the conclusion that they had no legal stand in this matter<ref>[http://groups.google.com/group/alt.toys.transformers/msg/883c2bc7a05d3bc9 alt.toys.transformers post by Bainreese about Hasbro's "prototype policy"]</ref>), and by the end of the year, fan sites had completely stopped following that policy, supposedly with no legal repercussions whatsoever. In an interview<ref>[http://tformers.com/article.php?sid=5044 TFormers.com interview with Aaron Archer]</ref>, [[Aaron Archer]] stated that it could never be said with full certainty whether pre-production toys sold on auction sites had indeed been stolen, and other than having the auction taken down, there was not much Hasbro could do legally. ~~One of the possible~~ reasons for this is Hasbro's ~~lack of ownership of the~~ Chinese manufacturing plants~~, as well as the rather sketchy~~ legal ~~situation in China in general~~. A conspiracy theory among some fans even suggests that Hasbro ''deliberately'' "leak" test shots in order to evaluate the audience's reactions.		Toy companies usually refrain from explicitly referring to pre-production items sold on auction sites as "stolen", instead using rather vague phrases such as "obtained through unauthorized means"<ref>[http://www.hasbro.com/transformers/default.cfm?page=News/Item&newsid=CFE67147-D56F-E112-44D68FC54DF506D4 Old Hasbro website news addressing the issue of "prototypes" being auctioned online]</ref> For a brief time in 2003, Hasbro had maintained a strict policy explicitly demanding that fan sites must not post any "unsolicited materials", specifically photos of toys that had not been officially announced yet. However, they never provided specific guidelines they had promised (allegedly, this was because their legal team had come to the conclusion that they had no legal stand in this matter<ref>[http://groups.google.com/group/alt.toys.transformers/msg/883c2bc7a05d3bc9 alt.toys.transformers post by Bainreese about Hasbro's "prototype policy"]</ref>), and by the end of the year, fan sites had completely stopped following that policy, supposedly with no legal repercussions whatsoever. In an interview<ref>[http://tformers.com/article.php?sid=5044 TFormers.com interview with Aaron Archer]</ref>, [[Aaron Archer]] stated that it could never be said with full certainty whether pre-production toys sold on auction sites had indeed been stolen, and other than having the auction taken down, there was not much Hasbro could do legally. Possible reasons for this are Hasbro's third party relationship with Chinese manufacturing plants and Chinese industry’s frequent disregard for international legal norms. A conspiracy theory among some fans even suggests that Hasbro ''deliberately'' "leak" test shots in order to evaluate the audience's reactions.

	[[Brian Savage]] took a more direct approach when multiples of the [[BotCon 2008]] exclusive toys were being sold on eBay before the convention, asking eBay to take down the auctions and sending e-mails to the sellers asking them to return the stolen toys (explicitly referred to as such) to him.		[[Brian Savage]] took a more direct approach when multiples of the [[BotCon 2008]] exclusive toys were being sold on eBay before the convention, asking eBay to take down the auctions and sending e-mails to the sellers asking them to return the stolen toys (explicitly referred to as such) to him.

Abates: Reverted edits by Laserstreak (talk) to last revision by JJ2104

2022-03-05T02:17:21Z

Reverted edits by Laserstreak (talk) to last revision by JJ2104

Can't load revision 1596859

at 02:15, 5 March 2022

2022-03-05T02:15:19Z

Replaced content with "My dick fell off wtf"

Can't load revision 1596856

JJ2104: /* Toy prototypes */

2020-08-14T19:11:33Z

Toy prototypes

← Older revision		Revision as of 19:11, 14 August 2020
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	{{-}}		{{-}}
	==Toy prototypes==		==Toy prototypes==
	[[File:TF Hero Rhinox Hot Rod resin.jpg\|right\|190px\|thumb\|Mecha Anime ~~Trasnformers~~?]]		[[File:TF Hero Rhinox Hot Rod resin.jpg\|right\|190px\|thumb\|Mecha Anime Transformers?]]
	*'''Mock-ups''' are rough models used to prove a design (not unlike fan-made kitbashes or "scratch-builts"), and may be significantly different from the finished product. They usually don't transform yet; instead, individual mock-ups are made for each mode. Sometimes mock-ups reuse parts from existing ''Transformers'' toys. At least during ''[[The Transformers (toyline)\|Generation 1]]'', mock-ups could even be carved out of ''wood'', although this was reportedly reserved for comparably simple toys with easy shapes; more complex toys would have mock-ups made out of clay or wax.<ref name="toyarchiverollbar">[http://www.toyarchive.com/Transformers/Prototypes/ThrottleRollbarWoodProto.html Wood pattern sculpt of ''Generation 1'' Throttlebot Rollbar at Super Toy Archive]</ref>		*'''Mock-ups''' are rough models used to prove a design (not unlike fan-made kitbashes or "scratch-builts"), and may be significantly different from the finished product. They usually don't transform yet; instead, individual mock-ups are made for each mode. Sometimes mock-ups reuse parts from existing ''Transformers'' toys. At least during ''[[The Transformers (toyline)\|Generation 1]]'', mock-ups could even be carved out of ''wood'', although this was reportedly reserved for comparably simple toys with easy shapes; more complex toys would have mock-ups made out of clay or wax.<ref name="toyarchiverollbar">[http://www.toyarchive.com/Transformers/Prototypes/ThrottleRollbarWoodProto.html Wood pattern sculpt of ''Generation 1'' Throttlebot Rollbar at Super Toy Archive]</ref>
	[[Image:PorscheMiniSubaru.jpg\|right\|190px\|thumb\|Hardcopies for unreleased Alternators Jazz (Porsche 986) and miniature Smokescreen (Subaru Impreza). Good luck finding THESE.]]		[[Image:PorscheMiniSubaru.jpg\|right\|190px\|thumb\|Hardcopies for unreleased Alternators Jazz (Porsche 986) and miniature Smokescreen (Subaru Impreza). Good luck finding THESE.]]

JJ2104: Changed the caption.

2020-08-14T19:11:18Z

Changed the caption.

← Older revision		Revision as of 19:11, 14 August 2020
Line 6:		Line 6:
	{{-}}		{{-}}
	==Toy prototypes==		==Toy prototypes==
	[[File:TF Hero Rhinox Hot Rod resin.jpg\|right\|190px\|thumb\|~~Damn, these almost make us wish ''[[Transformers Animated (franchise)\|Animated]]'' never happened. Almost.~~]]		[[File:TF Hero Rhinox Hot Rod resin.jpg\|right\|190px\|thumb\|Mecha Anime Trasnformers?]]
	*'''Mock-ups''' are rough models used to prove a design (not unlike fan-made kitbashes or "scratch-builts"), and may be significantly different from the finished product. They usually don't transform yet; instead, individual mock-ups are made for each mode. Sometimes mock-ups reuse parts from existing ''Transformers'' toys. At least during ''[[The Transformers (toyline)\|Generation 1]]'', mock-ups could even be carved out of ''wood'', although this was reportedly reserved for comparably simple toys with easy shapes; more complex toys would have mock-ups made out of clay or wax.<ref name="toyarchiverollbar">[http://www.toyarchive.com/Transformers/Prototypes/ThrottleRollbarWoodProto.html Wood pattern sculpt of ''Generation 1'' Throttlebot Rollbar at Super Toy Archive]</ref>		*'''Mock-ups''' are rough models used to prove a design (not unlike fan-made kitbashes or "scratch-builts"), and may be significantly different from the finished product. They usually don't transform yet; instead, individual mock-ups are made for each mode. Sometimes mock-ups reuse parts from existing ''Transformers'' toys. At least during ''[[The Transformers (toyline)\|Generation 1]]'', mock-ups could even be carved out of ''wood'', although this was reportedly reserved for comparably simple toys with easy shapes; more complex toys would have mock-ups made out of clay or wax.<ref name="toyarchiverollbar">[http://www.toyarchive.com/Transformers/Prototypes/ThrottleRollbarWoodProto.html Wood pattern sculpt of ''Generation 1'' Throttlebot Rollbar at Super Toy Archive]</ref>
	[[Image:PorscheMiniSubaru.jpg\|right\|190px\|thumb\|Hardcopies for unreleased Alternators Jazz (Porsche 986) and miniature Smokescreen (Subaru Impreza). Good luck finding THESE.]]		[[Image:PorscheMiniSubaru.jpg\|right\|190px\|thumb\|Hardcopies for unreleased Alternators Jazz (Porsche 986) and miniature Smokescreen (Subaru Impreza). Good luck finding THESE.]]

Nevermore: /* Toy prototypes */

2016-07-23T10:14:38Z

Toy prototypes

← Older revision		Revision as of 10:14, 23 July 2016
Line 13:		Line 13:
	[[Image:SmokescreenGTProto.jpg\|right\|190px\|thumb\|Retool prototype, not a knockoff.]]		[[Image:SmokescreenGTProto.jpg\|right\|190px\|thumb\|Retool prototype, not a knockoff.]]
	*'''Test shots''', also referred to as '''engineering pilots''' or '''first shots''', are test runs of the injection molds to spot sculpting errors, test the plastic tolerances, test [[articulation]], etc. [[For safety reasons\|Safety testing]] is also done with test shots, which sometimes results in the injection molds being retooled or the [[Unpaintable plastic\|plastic type used for certain parts being changed]] in order to accommodate the changes demanded by the legal department. They are often cast in a single color of plastic, or in seemingly random colors that look nothing like the final products. Some are completely or partly made of clear (but not necessarily uncolored) plastic, which helps the designers observe the functioning of hidden parts. Test shots do not sport any factory-applied [[paint operation\|paint operation]]s.		*'''Test shots''', also referred to as '''engineering pilots''' or '''first shots''', are test runs of the injection molds to spot sculpting errors, test the plastic tolerances, test [[articulation]], etc. [[For safety reasons\|Safety testing]] is also done with test shots, which sometimes results in the injection molds being retooled or the [[Unpaintable plastic\|plastic type used for certain parts being changed]] in order to accommodate the changes demanded by the legal department. They are often cast in a single color of plastic, or in seemingly random colors that look nothing like the final products. Some are completely or partly made of clear (but not necessarily uncolored) plastic, which helps the designers observe the functioning of hidden parts. Test shots do not sport any factory-applied [[paint operation\|paint operation]]s.
	**In the case of retools, the unchanged parts can again be (but aren't necessarily) taken from a production sample of the non-retooled version of the toy . This may also result in a mismatched look depending on the plastic colors used for the new parts.		**In the case of retools, the unchanged parts can again be (but aren't necessarily) taken from a production sample of the non-retooled version of the toy. This may also result in a mismatched look depending on the plastic colors used for the new parts.
	*'''Pre-production samples''', also referred to as '''final engineering pilots''' (and sometimes also as "test shots" among fans), are very similar to the final products. They are usually cast in the correct plastic colors for the individual parts (although sometimes the plastic colors or shades can still be changed very late in the production process, sometimes even after the production run for the toy has already started, thus resulting in a [[variant\|running change variant]] of the official production version) and feature factory-applied paint operations. Their purpose is to provide an idea of what the final toy will look like and receive final approval from the company (or possible licensors). They are also used as display exhibits at toy shows such as Toy Fair or [[BotCon]]. In instances where the samples don't sport factory-applied paint operations yet, they are hand-painted. Because pre-production samples are very similar to the final product, they are often stamped with "not for sale" markings or feature deliberately wrong paint operations or [[tampograph]]s (e.g., wrong, upside-down or incorrectly colored faction symbols) in order to prevent confusion with the final products.		*'''Pre-production samples''', also referred to as '''final engineering pilots''' (and sometimes also as "test shots" among fans), are very similar to the final products. They are usually cast in the correct plastic colors for the individual parts (although sometimes the plastic colors or shades can still be changed very late in the production process, sometimes even after the production run for the toy has already started, thus resulting in a [[variant\|running change variant]] of the official production version) and feature factory-applied paint operations. Their purpose is to provide an idea of what the final toy will look like and receive final approval from the company (or possible licensors). They are also used as display exhibits at toy shows such as Toy Fair or [[BotCon]]. In instances where the samples don't sport factory-applied paint operations yet, they are hand-painted. Because pre-production samples are very similar to the final product, they are often stamped with "not for sale" markings or feature deliberately wrong paint operations or [[tampograph]]s (e.g., wrong, upside-down or incorrectly colored faction symbols) in order to prevent confusion with the final products.
	[[Image:Universe2008 G1Cyclonus.jpg\|right\|190px\|thumb\|An official [[stock photography\|promo image]] of Universe Cyclonus, using a sample with non-final plastic colors.]]		[[Image:Universe2008 G1Cyclonus.jpg\|right\|190px\|thumb\|An official [[stock photography\|promo image]] of Universe Cyclonus, using a sample with non-final plastic colors.]]

Nevermore: /* Toy prototypes */

2016-07-23T10:13:52Z

Toy prototypes

← Older revision		Revision as of 10:13, 23 July 2016
Line 10:		Line 10:
	[[Image:PorscheMiniSubaru.jpg\|right\|190px\|thumb\|Hardcopies for unreleased Alternators Jazz (Porsche 986) and miniature Smokescreen (Subaru Impreza). Good luck finding THESE.]]		[[Image:PorscheMiniSubaru.jpg\|right\|190px\|thumb\|Hardcopies for unreleased Alternators Jazz (Porsche 986) and miniature Smokescreen (Subaru Impreza). Good luck finding THESE.]]
	*'''Hardcopies''' (also called '''gray models''') are hand-sculpted pre-production casts which are usually made out of resin (hence they're also occasionally referred to as '''resins''') and are used as the basis from which the injection [[mold]]s for the actual toys are cast. As a result, hardcopies often have much sharper detail than the final products. Hand-painted hardcopies are also used for the [[stock photography\|promotional photos]] depicted on the toys' packaging, which is why those photos sometimes look different from the actual products.		*'''Hardcopies''' (also called '''gray models''') are hand-sculpted pre-production casts which are usually made out of resin (hence they're also occasionally referred to as '''resins''') and are used as the basis from which the injection [[mold]]s for the actual toys are cast. As a result, hardcopies often have much sharper detail than the final products. Hand-painted hardcopies are also used for the [[stock photography\|promotional photos]] depicted on the toys' packaging, which is why those photos sometimes look different from the actual products.
	**For [[retool]]s, hardcopies are only made for new and retooled parts, while the unchanged parts are often taken from a production sample of the non-retooled version of the toy. This usually results in a rather mismatched look for the assembled prototype. In some cases, retools are planned right from the start, and the new parts are [[gang-molding\|gang-molded]] on the same sprue as the parts they replace.		**For [[retool]]s, hardcopies are only made for new and retooled parts, while the unchanged parts are often taken from a production sample of the non-retooled version of the toy. This usually results in a rather mismatched look for the assembled prototype. In some cases, retools are planned right from the start, and the new parts are either [[gang-molding\|gang-molded]] on the same sprue as the parts they replace, or all the parts with alternate versions are on the same sprue(s), and all the alternate versions are on their own sprue(s) as well.
	[[Image:SmokescreenGTProto.jpg\|right\|190px\|thumb\|Retool prototype, not a knockoff.]]		[[Image:SmokescreenGTProto.jpg\|right\|190px\|thumb\|Retool prototype, not a knockoff.]]
	*'''Test shots''', also referred to as '''engineering pilots''' or '''first shots''', are test runs of the injection molds to spot sculpting errors, test the plastic tolerances, test [[articulation]], etc. [[For safety reasons\|Safety testing]] is also done with test shots, which sometimes results in the injection molds being retooled or the [[Unpaintable plastic\|plastic type used for certain parts being changed]] in order to accommodate the changes demanded by the legal department. They are often cast in a single color of plastic, or in seemingly random colors that look nothing like the final products. Some are completely or partly made of clear (but not necessarily uncolored) plastic, which helps the designers observe the functioning of hidden parts. Test shots do not sport any factory-applied [[paint operation\|paint operation]]s.		*'''Test shots''', also referred to as '''engineering pilots''' or '''first shots''', are test runs of the injection molds to spot sculpting errors, test the plastic tolerances, test [[articulation]], etc. [[For safety reasons\|Safety testing]] is also done with test shots, which sometimes results in the injection molds being retooled or the [[Unpaintable plastic\|plastic type used for certain parts being changed]] in order to accommodate the changes demanded by the legal department. They are often cast in a single color of plastic, or in seemingly random colors that look nothing like the final products. Some are completely or partly made of clear (but not necessarily uncolored) plastic, which helps the designers observe the functioning of hidden parts. Test shots do not sport any factory-applied [[paint operation\|paint operation]]s.

← Older revision		Revision as of 10:14, 23 July 2016
Line 13:		Line 13:
	[[Image:SmokescreenGTProto.jpg\|right\|190px\|thumb\|Retool prototype, not a knockoff.]]		[[Image:SmokescreenGTProto.jpg\|right\|190px\|thumb\|Retool prototype, not a knockoff.]]
	*'''Test shots''', also referred to as '''engineering pilots''' or '''first shots''', are test runs of the injection molds to spot sculpting errors, test the plastic tolerances, test [[articulation]], etc. [[For safety reasons\|Safety testing]] is also done with test shots, which sometimes results in the injection molds being retooled or the [[Unpaintable plastic\|plastic type used for certain parts being changed]] in order to accommodate the changes demanded by the legal department. They are often cast in a single color of plastic, or in seemingly random colors that look nothing like the final products. Some are completely or partly made of clear (but not necessarily uncolored) plastic, which helps the designers observe the functioning of hidden parts. Test shots do not sport any factory-applied [[paint operation\|paint operation]]s.		*'''Test shots''', also referred to as '''engineering pilots''' or '''first shots''', are test runs of the injection molds to spot sculpting errors, test the plastic tolerances, test [[articulation]], etc. [[For safety reasons\|Safety testing]] is also done with test shots, which sometimes results in the injection molds being retooled or the [[Unpaintable plastic\|plastic type used for certain parts being changed]] in order to accommodate the changes demanded by the legal department. They are often cast in a single color of plastic, or in seemingly random colors that look nothing like the final products. Some are completely or partly made of clear (but not necessarily uncolored) plastic, which helps the designers observe the functioning of hidden parts. Test shots do not sport any factory-applied [[paint operation\|paint operation]]s.
	**In the case of retools, the unchanged parts can again be (but aren't necessarily) taken from a production sample of the non-retooled version of the toy . This may also result in a mismatched look depending on the plastic colors used for the new parts.		**In the case of retools, the unchanged parts can again be (but aren't necessarily) taken from a production sample of the non-retooled version of the toy. This may also result in a mismatched look depending on the plastic colors used for the new parts.
	*'''Pre-production samples''', also referred to as '''final engineering pilots''' (and sometimes also as "test shots" among fans), are very similar to the final products. They are usually cast in the correct plastic colors for the individual parts (although sometimes the plastic colors or shades can still be changed very late in the production process, sometimes even after the production run for the toy has already started, thus resulting in a [[variant\|running change variant]] of the official production version) and feature factory-applied paint operations. Their purpose is to provide an idea of what the final toy will look like and receive final approval from the company (or possible licensors). They are also used as display exhibits at toy shows such as Toy Fair or [[BotCon]]. In instances where the samples don't sport factory-applied paint operations yet, they are hand-painted. Because pre-production samples are very similar to the final product, they are often stamped with "not for sale" markings or feature deliberately wrong paint operations or [[tampograph]]s (e.g., wrong, upside-down or incorrectly colored faction symbols) in order to prevent confusion with the final products.		*'''Pre-production samples''', also referred to as '''final engineering pilots''' (and sometimes also as "test shots" among fans), are very similar to the final products. They are usually cast in the correct plastic colors for the individual parts (although sometimes the plastic colors or shades can still be changed very late in the production process, sometimes even after the production run for the toy has already started, thus resulting in a [[variant\|running change variant]] of the official production version) and feature factory-applied paint operations. Their purpose is to provide an idea of what the final toy will look like and receive final approval from the company (or possible licensors). They are also used as display exhibits at toy shows such as Toy Fair or [[BotCon]]. In instances where the samples don't sport factory-applied paint operations yet, they are hand-painted. Because pre-production samples are very similar to the final product, they are often stamped with "not for sale" markings or feature deliberately wrong paint operations or [[tampograph]]s (e.g., wrong, upside-down or incorrectly colored faction symbols) in order to prevent confusion with the final products.
	[[Image:Universe2008 G1Cyclonus.jpg\|right\|190px\|thumb\|An official [[stock photography\|promo image]] of Universe Cyclonus, using a sample with non-final plastic colors.]]		[[Image:Universe2008 G1Cyclonus.jpg\|right\|190px\|thumb\|An official [[stock photography\|promo image]] of Universe Cyclonus, using a sample with non-final plastic colors.]]

← Older revision		Revision as of 10:13, 23 July 2016
Line 10:		Line 10:
	[[Image:PorscheMiniSubaru.jpg\|right\|190px\|thumb\|Hardcopies for unreleased Alternators Jazz (Porsche 986) and miniature Smokescreen (Subaru Impreza). Good luck finding THESE.]]		[[Image:PorscheMiniSubaru.jpg\|right\|190px\|thumb\|Hardcopies for unreleased Alternators Jazz (Porsche 986) and miniature Smokescreen (Subaru Impreza). Good luck finding THESE.]]
	*'''Hardcopies''' (also called '''gray models''') are hand-sculpted pre-production casts which are usually made out of resin (hence they're also occasionally referred to as '''resins''') and are used as the basis from which the injection [[mold]]s for the actual toys are cast. As a result, hardcopies often have much sharper detail than the final products. Hand-painted hardcopies are also used for the [[stock photography\|promotional photos]] depicted on the toys' packaging, which is why those photos sometimes look different from the actual products.		*'''Hardcopies''' (also called '''gray models''') are hand-sculpted pre-production casts which are usually made out of resin (hence they're also occasionally referred to as '''resins''') and are used as the basis from which the injection [[mold]]s for the actual toys are cast. As a result, hardcopies often have much sharper detail than the final products. Hand-painted hardcopies are also used for the [[stock photography\|promotional photos]] depicted on the toys' packaging, which is why those photos sometimes look different from the actual products.
	**For [[retool]]s, hardcopies are only made for new and retooled parts, while the unchanged parts are often taken from a production sample of the non-retooled version of the toy. This usually results in a rather mismatched look for the assembled prototype. In some cases, retools are planned right from the start, and the new parts are [[gang-molding\|gang-molded]] on the same sprue as the parts they replace.		**For [[retool]]s, hardcopies are only made for new and retooled parts, while the unchanged parts are often taken from a production sample of the non-retooled version of the toy. This usually results in a rather mismatched look for the assembled prototype. In some cases, retools are planned right from the start, and the new parts are either [[gang-molding\|gang-molded]] on the same sprue as the parts they replace, or all the parts with alternate versions are on the same sprue(s), and all the alternate versions are on their own sprue(s) as well.
	[[Image:SmokescreenGTProto.jpg\|right\|190px\|thumb\|Retool prototype, not a knockoff.]]		[[Image:SmokescreenGTProto.jpg\|right\|190px\|thumb\|Retool prototype, not a knockoff.]]
	*'''Test shots''', also referred to as '''engineering pilots''' or '''first shots''', are test runs of the injection molds to spot sculpting errors, test the plastic tolerances, test [[articulation]], etc. [[For safety reasons\|Safety testing]] is also done with test shots, which sometimes results in the injection molds being retooled or the [[Unpaintable plastic\|plastic type used for certain parts being changed]] in order to accommodate the changes demanded by the legal department. They are often cast in a single color of plastic, or in seemingly random colors that look nothing like the final products. Some are completely or partly made of clear (but not necessarily uncolored) plastic, which helps the designers observe the functioning of hidden parts. Test shots do not sport any factory-applied [[paint operation\|paint operation]]s.		*'''Test shots''', also referred to as '''engineering pilots''' or '''first shots''', are test runs of the injection molds to spot sculpting errors, test the plastic tolerances, test [[articulation]], etc. [[For safety reasons\|Safety testing]] is also done with test shots, which sometimes results in the injection molds being retooled or the [[Unpaintable plastic\|plastic type used for certain parts being changed]] in order to accommodate the changes demanded by the legal department. They are often cast in a single color of plastic, or in seemingly random colors that look nothing like the final products. Some are completely or partly made of clear (but not necessarily uncolored) plastic, which helps the designers observe the functioning of hidden parts. Test shots do not sport any factory-applied [[paint operation\|paint operation]]s.