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Question about the smell

Posted: Sun Jun 25, 2017 6:32 pm
by Fuzz
Does the smell of any new glyos toys ever make anyone feel nauseous? Some lines are a lot stronger than others. I don't think independent toy makers are bound by the same laws as the bigger toy companies. Have any questions about toxicity ever been discussed in the past?

Re: Question about the smell

Posted: Mon Jun 26, 2017 12:38 am
by NoPaintRequired
I tend to air out my collection while I'm at work sometimes, the smell fades and I dive into my pit, but then the smells come back. I don't feel bad smelling it in, but I've had some friends complain before.

Re: Question about the smell

Posted: Mon Jun 26, 2017 1:18 am
by Balok
I've never noticed, am I missing a receptor for this? Lol. Is it something you notice more from certain colorways?

Re: Question about the smell

Posted: Mon Jun 26, 2017 6:00 am
by Carpy84
:lol: I love the smell of new glyos! I stick my face in the bag and huff!

Re: Question about the smell

Posted: Mon Jun 26, 2017 7:33 am
by Witchwitchwitch
When I first started collecting OMFG, I noticed that my little apartment would reek like the plastic after a day of having them on display. Also it should be noted that those figures, Starting with Series 2, came with a disclaimer on the package that reads:

"CAUTION WARNING! Small plastic parts can be chocked on and cause immediate plastic addiction. Collector's item only-THIS IS NOT A TOY. IT IS NOT DESIGNED OR MADE FOR CHILDREN. Not for use or handling by anyone under the age of 15. This product has not been tested for lead, pthalates or any other hazardous or potentially harmful materials."

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Pthalates are what cause the flexibility in plastics. All petroleum based products leach Pthalates over time, this is why rubber bands loose their elasticity. However there is controversy over the potential dangers of human beings being exposed to Pthalates especially at younger ages. It has been reported that in testing certain lab animals with exposure to Pthalates that the reproductive system can be effected.https://www.cdc.gov/biomonitoring/phthalates_factsheet.html

Lead is another issue https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/lead/health.html when I moved into a rental home last year my land lord was required by ND law to give us the disclaimer that the house may have used lead based paints...it's worth looking into.

I do not want to presume that the Glyos factory uses lead in their figures I do not really know. However I do believe that all OMFG figures were made at the Glyos factory and I have observed a similar smell coming from certain Glyos lines.

It could be that certain colors require stranger pigments and therefore release a stronger smell. At the first the smell bothered me as well, especially the sent of certain vibrant colors like green. Now I'm mostly used to it.

That's my two cents anyway.

Re: Question about the smell

Posted: Mon Jun 26, 2017 7:38 am
by Fuzz
Balok wrote:I've never noticed, am I missing a receptor for this? Lol. Is it something you notice more from certain colorways?

I think it has more to do with the line and size of the figure. For instance, I had to drill holes in all my robo force containers so the smell can escape. If I don't, the smell builds up so much, I literally get a little nauseous when I open them. And the latest bio monsters were really bad. When I opened the mailer, I could immediately smell it, even before opening the figures.

However, smaller figs like battle tribes don't smell that bad to me.

The reason I'm bringing this up is because I'm sure a lot of us buy figures for our kids, and we have no idea if the fumes are toxic or not.

Re: Question about the smell

Posted: Mon Jun 26, 2017 9:32 am
by Witchwitchwitch
Fuzz wrote:...the latest bio monsters were really bad. When I opened the mailer, I could immediately smell it, even before opening the figures...I'm sure a lot of us buy figures for our kids, and we have no idea if the fumes are toxic or not.


Yeah it's a good idea to practice caution when exposing your kids to fumes from plastics, or at least to be aware of the symptoms or potential risks. I don't have any kids of my own, but it's good you're looking out.

I grew up with loads of Ninja Turtles, Star Wars etc. I recall with fond memories the stink of the plastic, one in particular was the movie version of Tokka from TMNT 2
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The recent Bio-Masters release had a very similar "skunky" smell to it.

I guess what I'm getting at, is that I'm a fully functioning member of society who was exposed at a very young age to Pthalates, and Pthalates are everywhere! If you read about them...they are in shampoo, soaps, plastics we eat with, or store our food in...however, I like that the subject finally got brought up on this form, i's good to keep in mind what we are filling out homes with.

Thanks for the confirmation that I'm not the only one that finds the smell a bit nauseating at times.

Re: Question about the smell

Posted: Mon Jun 26, 2017 10:33 pm
by LV!
Witchwitchwitch wrote:Lead is another issue https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/lead/health.html when I moved into a rental home last year my land lord was required by ND law to give us the disclaimer that the house may have used lead based paints...it's worth looking into.


There is almost literally a zero percent chance that Glyos (or any other modern toys) use lead-based paints. For one thing, it would be illegal to sell them in the US.

Re: Question about the smell

Posted: Tue Jun 27, 2017 1:12 am
by calvindavis
Carpy84 wrote::lol: I love the smell of new glyos! I stick my face in the bag and huff!


Me too! Something about the combination of the plastic smell mixed with the cardboard smell of Onell's shipping boxes really appeals to me.

Re: Question about the smell

Posted: Tue Jun 27, 2017 6:57 am
by Fuzz
LV! wrote:
Witchwitchwitch wrote:Lead is another issue https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/lead/health.html when I moved into a rental home last year my land lord was required by ND law to give us the disclaimer that the house may have used lead based paints...it's worth looking into.


There is almost literally a zero percent chance that Glyos (or any other modern toys) use lead-based paints. For one thing, it would be illegal to sell them in the US.

While you're probably right, it would be nice if Onell put up an FAQ on their website about the materials that are used in their products.

And just to be clear, I'm in no way trying to start a witch hunt against Onell. I'm most definitely going to continue buying glyos products. I love me some Robo Force figures! I'm just curious what's in these toys is all.

Re: Question about the smell

Posted: Tue Jun 27, 2017 10:31 am
by biggs33
Definitely noticed the smell with BioMasters, just assumed it was because those designs come from some horrific Lovecraftian dimension.

ps These boards need BioMasters smilies...

Re: Question about the smell

Posted: Tue Jun 27, 2017 7:46 pm
by akum6n
Matt basically has these toys in his house 24/7 with his family. I'm assuming they're as safe as these things can be...

Re: Question about the smell

Posted: Wed Jun 28, 2017 9:12 am
by Fuzz
I did get a response from Matt. He says that all glyos toys do conform to safety standards. I guess PVC just smells.

Our factory uses all virgin materials that conform to current ASTM standards. This goes for the plastic as well as the paint. I've personally visited our factory many times over the years and have inspected the operation on each trip myself, reviewing how things are run and how all the Glyos figures are actually manufactured.

PVC does have a odor, but occasionally certain runs smell a little stronger than usual. You'll also find that larger figures, like Robo Force and the new Bio-Masters will have a more concentrated smell when opened up, due to their larger size.

In general, we classify our figures as "collectibles", aimed at folks ages 15+. Our overall customer base is almost completely comprised of young adults/ adults, but kids do also play with our figures, usually with their parents.

There are many varying opinions on the long term effects that heavy exposure to even ASTM approved PVC has on very small children, and there are good articles from both sides of the fence out there. Some adults also seem more sensitive to PVC and its associated properties (particularly the smell).

I do stay up to date on the state of the industry and work directly with our factory on a daily basis, keeping a close eye on each Glyos company's production runs.

Please feel free to shoot over any further questions and I'll do my best to answer as thoroughly as possible.

Re: Question about the smell

Posted: Wed Jun 28, 2017 2:37 pm
by Witchwitchwitch
Fuzz wrote:I did get a response from Matt. He says that all glyos toys do conform to safety standards. I guess PVC just smells.

Our factory uses all virgin materials that conform to current ASTM standards. This goes for the plastic as well as the paint. I've personally visited our factory many times over the years and have inspected the operation on each trip myself, reviewing how things are run and how all the Glyos figures are actually manufactured.

PVC does have a odor, but occasionally certain runs smell a little stronger than usual. You'll also find that larger figures, like Robo Force and the new Bio-Masters will have a more concentrated smell when opened up, due to their larger size.

In general, we classify our figures as "collectibles", aimed at folks ages 15+. Our overall customer base is almost completely comprised of young adults/ adults, but kids do also play with our figures, usually with their parents.

There are many varying opinions on the long term effects that heavy exposure to even ASTM approved PVC has on very small children, and there are good articles from both sides of the fence out there. Some adults also seem more sensitive to PVC and its associated properties (particularly the smell).

I do stay up to date on the state of the industry and work directly with our factory on a daily basis, keeping a close eye on each Glyos company's production runs.

Please feel free to shoot over any further questions and I'll do my best to answer as thoroughly as possible.


Awesome to hear it from the man himself! Thanks for posting this, and for raising the question on the board. It's nice to know that Matt is looking out for safety and health of all Glyos enthusiasts!

Re: Question about the smell

Posted: Mon Jan 15, 2018 3:46 pm
by Witchwitchwitch
Gonna post this up here,as well...

I just scored the Gray Galaxy Dark Traveler last week on ebay.
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When I got it home it smelled strongly like ammonia or burnt hair!

Does anyone else here on the board have an opened Gray Galaxy figure that smells "off" from the regular sweeter PVC smell?

Just a little worried I may have bought a figure that's decomposing, and would like to keep it quarantined until I'm certain that this is normal. I've found some info online...
when plastics weep and bleed they can corrupt everything around them. Chemicals evaporate from their surface and acidify any moisture inside a display case. This causes mini bouts of acid rain that in turn eat away at the plastic in nearby objects
...By no means is this figure weeping or bleeding.
http://www.slate.com/articles/arts/art/2009/07/does_plastic_art_last_forever.html

Curious if anyone else has noticed anything similar from older figures being "off"?

Re: Question about the smell

Posted: Mon Jan 15, 2018 4:42 pm
by akum6n
Was the figure loose, carded or bagged?

That sounds like it may have been exposed to some chemical or smell by its original owner. Aside from issues with some of the older figures becoming 'sticky' over time, I haven't noticed any unusual smell or change in smell.

Re: Question about the smell

Posted: Mon Jan 15, 2018 8:17 pm
by Witchwitchwitch
akum6n wrote:Was the figure loose, carded or bagged?


Was loose in a little Zip locked baggie, yeah not sure about what it was exposed to. It wasn't sticky, but I know what you mean, I've gotten older figures that seems to have a resin like coating on them, usually just give 'em a scrub in warm soapy water with an old worn out tooth brush.

I emailed Matt for advice, he said to dunk it in boiling water, then soak in alcohol and soap mixture, then blast it with a hair dryer and let it sit for a day...

I'm in the middle of that right now, I'll report back with my findings tomorrow.

Thanks for the response. Been pretty quite around here lately.

Re: Question about the smell

Posted: Wed Jan 17, 2018 4:39 am
by akum6n
^^ That's a very interesting solution, but it makes a lot of sense. Heating the plastic should expand the material, allowing whatever particulates have settled on its exterior surface layer to be washed away by the soap and rubbing alcohol. I assume the hairdryer is to vaporize any remaining surface moisture.

Please post if it works!

Re: Question about the smell

Posted: Wed Jan 17, 2018 6:44 am
by Witchwitchwitch
akum6n wrote:Please post if it works!


No good, I’ve got a feeling that the plastic has been compromised. Could have been pro-longed exposure to the sun that prematurely aged it. The toy is not that old though. Gray Galaxy release was what 2013?

Boiled for just over 1 min then fully submerged in rubbing alcohol fir little over 1 hour then pulled it and hit it with a blow dryer until I saw no moister. Checked it 24 hours later, still smells like burnt hair/ammonia.

Re: Question about the smell

Posted: Wed Jan 17, 2018 10:41 am
by Toyetic
Witchwitchwitch wrote:
akum6n wrote:Please post if it works!


No good, I’ve got a feeling that the plastic has been compromised. Could have been pro-longed exposure to the sun that prematurely aged it. The toy is not that old though. Gray Galaxy release was what 2013?

Boiled for just over 1 min then fully submerged in rubbing alcohol fir little over 1 hour then pulled it and hit it with a blow dryer until I saw no moister. Checked it 24 hours later, still smells like burnt hair/ammonia.

Unused Cat Litter will absorb the fumes a bit. Just pop it in and move it around every couple of days. I've used this for Joe/MU parts for the fodder bin when people dumped bags on me. Another trick is wrapping it in newspaper and then changing the newspaper every day or so. The Arrow LE release of House 1/2 had a bit of a smell from a zShop and over a week (give or take a day) we managed to remove the smell from the blu ray box set.

Re: Question about the smell

Posted: Wed Jan 17, 2018 11:08 am
by Witchwitchwitch
Toyetic wrote:
Witchwitchwitch wrote:
akum6n wrote:Please post if it works!


No good, I’ve got a feeling that the plastic has been compromised. Could have been pro-longed exposure to the sun that prematurely aged it. The toy is not that old though. Gray Galaxy release was what 2013?

Boiled for just over 1 min then fully submerged in rubbing alcohol fir little over 1 hour then pulled it and hit it with a blow dryer until I saw no moister. Checked it 24 hours later, still smells like burnt hair/ammonia.

Unused Cat Litter will absorb the fumes a bit. Just pop it in and move it around every couple of days. I've used this for Joe/MU parts for the fodder bin when people dumped bags on me. Another trick is wrapping it in newspaper and then changing the newspaper every day or so. The Arrow LE release of House 1/2 had a bit of a smell from a zShop and over a week (give or take a day) we managed to remove the smell from the blu ray box set.


Thanks for the heads up, I'll give those options a shot!

Re: Question about the smell

Posted: Thu Jan 18, 2018 11:11 pm
by Maniacs
The smell reminds me of the days when I would get a new pack of M.U.S.C.L.E. Men. I loved that smell.
I have used the alcohol and soap trick to remove the oily feel of older toys and the smell, including smoke smell. I have a cheap container of hand sanitizer that works best. The boiling is new to me.