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Doctor Who Toy Collecting

I am Alfie. I began collecting Doctor Who action figures with the wave 1 slitheen, then later I recived red krillitane, werewolf, ood, blue clockwork man and much more, then jack, then black clockwork man and more. I continued the occasional purchases, then I discovered doctorwhotoys.net and have become a proper collector since then.

Of the Character 5 inch range, I currently have well over 100 figures and I have listed all the official variations from the archive and concluded that I still need about 20 figures including the classics ones that will be released soon.

I originally intended only to get one of each Doctor when the classics came out, but then I wanted daleks and cybermen so eventually I went a bit mad and asked for a pocket money raise which I have received to suit the new classic figures. I have started to collect microuniverse figures, and I have managed to get all of them for £25 except Sarah Jane and the tardis case, which I can get soon. I also received a 12 inch RC bronze dalek on holiday; the eyestalk is very damaged and falls off a lot, so I intend to get a new and improved eye stalk on a new 12 inch dalek, but I will be getting a different dalek of the range soon hopefully.

I have decided that in Doctor Who gap year, which is 2009, I can catch up on collecting and get all the other 12 inch Character figures. I have also recently received an 18 inch dalek sec and may receive more different 18 inch voice interactive daleks soon. I also collect the electronics, like the sonic screwdriver, and the voice changer helmets (needs improvement, allthough I currently have the cyberman, then later on I intend to receive more.

So basically I have concluded that I will be collecting every single item of Doctor Who merchandise that Character have ever made. I've also collected every Sarah Jane Adventure action figure, accessory and electronic set so far. I have also seen the Torchwood figures, and I intend to welcome them to my collection sometime (probably at Christmas).

Soon I believe I will start to expand my collection with Product Enterprise Daleks, Cybermen and the talking 4th Doctor and k9, Corgi models, and hopefully Dapol action figures, which I like the look of, allthough I intend to avoid Denys Fisher and Palitoy and 1960s Rolykins and Cherilea. I prefer the modern cheap ones. I collect them outside of the boxes so I can display them and play with them, but I do keep a lot of the backgrounds for play.

At the moment I only collect the Character stuff, but hopefully if I ever sucessfully become an author I will buy all of the Product Enterprise, Corgi and Dapol ones, and all the episodes ever on video, and get one, big, new series gold, life size dalek. Overall I LOVE the Character Doctor Who products and Sarah Jane Adventures products and Scificollector Torchwood figures.

Thanks Alfie

Clockwork Man

Send general comments about the site or the toys & figures to
doctorwhotoys@googlemail.com

Thanks for all these comments received about Andrew M's Clockwork Man with the strange film coating part of the figure.

I saw on ebay a figure just like this, except it was one of the Autons in the twin pack. The same couldnt happen twice, and if it was dust, why has it only settled on the lower torsos? Thanks Matthew

Says Hoosier Whovian "Here is a picture of my own dusty autons figures. These were stored in a box in the basement that has a bit of humidity so I am sure that is how it happened. It is easily wiped off. I had the 12" Clockwork Droid and his shoes had that problem when I bought him." Saya Kyle "On the new Clockwork Man it might have been dust. I have also seen the Auton twin pack a while ago and it looked like it had dust on it too" Thanks Kyle

I've seen the same effect to this on Autons a couple of times. It doesn't look like dust if you look at it, but I believe that it is some form of dust-like particles that have settled on the figure; maybe it only affects the black soft plastic? You can tell it's not a new figure though. Thanks Jacob

Says Cameron "The latest figures in my collection to be affected by the "dust" effect are The Doctor with 3-D Glasses and the first Ood I bought. Both figures are in a glass cabinet and it is only these 2 that have the strange white residue on them. I hope this doesn't mean that in a few years time some of these figures are going to decay in some way..."

I have just read your request for info on the "two tone grey Clockwork Man" and I understand there is a lot of controversy regarding this. The images on your news page are familiar as when I purchased my black Clockwork Man I too noticed a slight irregularity in the colouring on the jacket, at first I was worried it was a painting error but upon opening the figure I found this "greyness" was only residual and simply wiped away. I thought little more about it, I put it down to something happening to the pvc while being made or stored.

However, I found out that someone else had this problem with the "new grey Clockwork Man" so I think that this residue is a powder used in manufacture to prevent the pvc sticking to the moulds they use and to make it's removal easier. It seems that sometimes this powder sticks but anyone who buys the Clockwork Man figure with this dusty outer appearance will find it just wipes away and some will find this powder present on the blue Clockwork Man (as did I as I purchased the blue and black at the same time) also but it is less noticeable on the blue coat. Thanks Jonathon

The Clockwork Man pictured may be exhibiting a problem I've encountered too with these figures and also the Autons, in that under certain conditions a grey "bloom" appears on the black plastic. It will wipe off easily but obviously if the figure is still in its packaging this cannot be verified. I think it has something to do with cold/damp weather conditions and seems to particularly effect the rubbery maleable plastic used for coats etc. Thanks Tim

I collect Dr who figures both old and new. The grey-blue varation of the Clockwork Man is NOT a variation, it is some form of fault with the figure. I keep my figures in the packet on my wall, I noticed that both Clockwork Men and the Auton twin set had gone this dusty colour. I replaced all four figures and took the old ones out of their packaging. This colouration wipes off. It is almost like a thin layer of mould! But it only seems to appear on the thinnish plastic, ie coats and jackets. At first I thought that it was where I was storing my collection, but after seeing your website realise that this is not the case. Be interesting to see if this has happened to anyone else. This mould/dust was not on these figures when I bought them, but developed over time. The Ood figure is also prone to this, would love to know what it is and how it occurs! Thanks Aaron

The Clockwork Droid "dust" is a manufacturing problem - it's been found on Clockwork Droids, Autons and the shoes of some 12" figures. The cause is not known, but you can get rid of it by heating them up; either leaving them in the sun for an hour, or blow drying them with a hairdryer for a few minutes. Thanks Barney

Regarding the query about the black Clockwork Man, I have the same figure still boxed and stored within a plastic bag and the same thing has happened. As it is stored in a dust free enviroment I am assuming it is a manufacturing fault. Thanks Michelle

I've heard of this problem occuring with other types of figures as well. It is almost definitely because of the material used for the 'bendable' parts of the figure, like coats and jackets. It seems the rubber (or PVC or whatever) can disintegrate over time, and I imagine this process is made quicker by the presence of moisture or excess heating/cooling.

Just to put to rest that this is definitely NOT dust... how could something accumulate dust in an air-tight packaging? Even if the 'dust' was applied in the manufacturing process, it would have been spread out inside, especially after transit to and from the store you bought it from. Thanks Mich

I have just gone through my figure collection (7 sealed storage containers worth) and photographed them all. I too have the film coating on both clockwork men, black and blue and the auton twin packs.

This coating of whitish grey is known to vintage star wars collectors as frosting (I have 70 sealed vintage star wars figures on cards, only 2 of which have frosted. It is quite interesting to note that this generally occurs overtime on certain star wars figures from 1980 to 1983. For it to happen so rapidly on Character Toys figures is remarkable. It has been suggested to me by a Star Wars vintage collector that this is basically a reaction or plastics, paints and sealing bubbles. If you smell a figure from new it has quite a strong smell, I can only presume that either the paints used on these particular doctor who figures had a different content of x,y,z within them.

Its also worth noting, that on loose figures i have not encountered the frosting. This indicates to me in some way, as the fumes cannot be released they form this coating on the figure. As soon as i can get a definitive scientific answer for this problem its something i think we will all ahve to live with. As to values of frosted figures, star wars vintage figures that are frosted mint on card, get significantly less in value than a figure that isnt. I havent dared open the figure to see if the frosting wipes off, maybe somebody can take the challenge to give us the answer. Its a shame, in my autons pack only the figure to left of bubble has frosted, but on clockwork men, both are quite heavy after only 2 years. Thanks mf

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Alfie's Dream

When I become rich and famous - an author an actor and the next Dr who - I will make certain that my Doctor Who collection is an empire! An empire where every detail difference is detected and I shall rule it as the mighty collector of the ultimate toy collectibles! They will reign supreme and be above even the action man!

The Daleks and the Cybermen will be my generals - the Judoon will be my representive policemen! The monsters shall build my ultimate army and the people in the Tardis Playset shall be my secret cult and no matter how many people offer to double my fortune I will tell them to f*** off and have my collection guarded and buried with me in a mighty tombstone in the 22nd century...(though I plan to live forever)

...if I'm lucky, alfie

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Reflections from Drwhostockist14

I've been collecting Doctor Who toys for around 2 years now. When I originally began to like Doctor Who, I swore to myself I would never buy any of the toys. But, when I managed to sell a few computer games and got a bit of cash, it began. And ever since it has not stopped. Every time a new collection / wave comes out I have to buy it. It's an addiction. I have almost every toy produced, with the exceptions of the 12" RC imperial guard Dalek, the 18" RC Dalek Sec and 18" RC Assault Dalek.

The thing that gets me though is the way the toys are released -

• 1) we never get an actual release date, most just come out on a whim and that means we never get a chance to save up for when they come out.
• 2) when the toys first reach the market, only selected stores (eg Argos) get them, long before anyone else. And the problem is, if you are not wise or fast enough, someone goes and buys them and puts them on an auction site for heaps of money.
• 3) some places charge a lot more for the toys, and they seem to be the only people who actually get them. The stores who charge the recommended retail prices (except argos) never get them for ages.
• 4) The makers are nearly always last to get them (or put them on their website), and why - they actually make the toys!

The main reason for collecting them is the fun. The excitement of searching the web and finding what you want. The anxiety of going into a shop to find out what they've got. And challenging your mates to see who gets them all first.

I hope they continue for years to come...

Thanks drwhostockist14

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Testimonials

I am a collector of the 5" Doctor Who figures and have been since they started coming out. I discovered your site only a few months ago and have followed it with keen interest ever since and I find the information you give very helpful and informative; I await each update with eager anticipation. Thanks Jonathon

I really love the new layout of the Doctor Who website! Thanks Chloe

I just wanted to compliment you on the site. This is the exact kind of site I've been looking for, as it can be difficult to keep track of which new toys are coming out, especially from across the pond. I hope that you will be able to keep doing the site as long as the action figure range lasts. Thanks Kevin

I'm losing track here trying to keep up with all the releases! I must say, your illustrated checklist is a flipping godsend! Thanks Clive

I love your site! I must spend half my life on it. My house looks like a home for stray Dr Who figures and my family have threatened to move out into the garden if I get anymore. Jokes of, we need to live in a Tardis to fit it all in etc. Thanks Diana

I Check your Dr Who toy web site evey day, can't wait for the Classic Figures.. I am a huge fan of the new Dr Who Series and my 11 year old step son has a number of toys, ( I have a few haha) but being a BIGGER Classic Who fan I have to say that I am going to collect all that I can in the classic range... lets hope it sells well and they make even more! Thanks Terry Lee and the Rockaboogie Band

I discovered your site a few months ago and think its great. It shows me all the figures I'll never find here in Australia! Thanks David

Just wanted to email and let you know what a brilliant website you guys are running. I became addicted to collecting these figures ages ago and ,until I found your site , used to find it really difficult pinning down exactly what variations existed of which figure (especially the tenth Doctor). It was through your site that I discovered that there are two Judoon Captains too. Anyway, thanks for all the useful pics and info and keep up the good work. Thanks Graham

Keep up the good work. Doctorwhotoys.net is a very good and enjoyable site to meander before and after – sometimes during work. A personal highlight for me has been the behind the scenes of Designworks. Thanks Martin

Great site. Keep up the great work! I think the site is a brilliant news resource for Who figures. Thanks Brad

Love the site, been visiting it everyday since you first started it ... the site has grown into a valuable resource for both collectors and those just wanting to see what's new. Thanks TOTT

I just wanted to say I really like your website - I'm pretty well up on what's what in this field, but it's a great place to find out things I didn't know and stuff. It's getting hard to keep up with everything in the collection, and yours is the only really good reference point that I even know of. Thanks David

Let me say that as an American fan, your website has been the single greatest tool for staying informed of product releases. Thanks Paul

Nice site and some great pictures you have there! Thanks Mick at Mousedroid.com

Love Doctor Who Toys.net ... It's a great figure news resource for me. Thanks Brad at The Doctor Who News Blog

Thank you for a Brilliant site. Thanks Martin

Just to to say what a super website you have.......I love the daleks and found your site great for all the info on the toys.... Thanks Michael

Hi DWT! I love your site - I've got it bookmarked and all the tutorials/features are helpful, interesting and just generally great! Thanks Emma

I am a collector of the Doctor Who action figures and I think your site is fantastic. It's my first port of call if I'm looking for news of all the new figures being released! Thanks Chris P

I love your site and regulary visit it for the news and info. Its shown me which figures to look out for and I would have missed them if not for your web pages! Thanks Mad Dalek

Just to say, congratulations on keeping your website comprehensive and accurate regarding the new releases Thanks Russell H

Your website is the best I've seen for Doctor Who figures, its "fantastic!" Thanks Phil

"I LOVE YOUR WEBSITE!" Thanks Adam from New Zealand

May I say that that I find your site superb. My son and I visit everyday for up to date news Thanks Sean

I love the site and cant wait for pics of the new figures! Thanks Matthew

Thank you so much for such an informative site! Thanks Kris

I really appreciate this resource. I expect to visit your site much more. Love it! Thanks MC

Awesome upgrades to the site. I love it! Thanks US Collector

I was looking at your (improved) site and might I say it looks tremendous! Thanks Aaron

I think that the Doctor Who toys are so cool that everybody should have them. Fantastic web site keep up the good work. Thanks Louie

I’m a total Doctor Who freak, and proper action figures from Doctor Who are something I’ve wanted since I was a little kid (can’t wait for the Classic Series Figures – those will truly be what I’ve always dreamed of – I just wish I had a time machine so I really could take them back to my younger self that wanted them so badly!). I love your excellent site – it’s my absolute favorite for Doctor Who figures! Keep up the fantastic work!!! :-) Thanks NewtonDKC

Great site!!! I've only just started collecting the Doctor Who figures, mainly because I knew I'd HAVE to buy the classic figures. I've found your website a cracking resource for starting the collection. Thanks Greig

Love your site. Keep up the awesome job! Thanks Jeremy

Thank you for a lovely website Thanks Celia

I'm a "Doctor Who" collector from Barcelona, Spain, and here is almost impossible to find any information about our dear Doctor figures. Thank you, thank you for your web site, it's wonderful. Thanks M.A.

Love your site - I check it quite often - THE place to go to find what's available or coming soon! Thanks Cindi, American Who Fan :)

Firstly your website is absolutely brilliant, I always visit it just to look. Why do Character Options make it so hard to get the new releases? They change hands on ebay for double the price because the shops never have them until about 4 months after the release date. They must live in a different world these marketing people! Thanks for your site, it is the best on the net. Thanks Diana

The web site is great, keep up the good work! Thanks Louise

We think your website is superb and visit practically everyday Sean & son

Thanks for your lovely site, I spend alot of time on it! Diana

I really love your website it is so cool! Thanks Scott

Fantastic site - my Son loves the Gallery pictures. As I do. Thanks Eye of Horus

Thanks for keeping the wonderful site going. Living in Spain, I find it very helpful to find out what's available. I've still yet to see anything with a Doctor Who logo on it here. Not even a bootleg. Thanks Danny

I never collected the Dapol figures and from what I've seen of them I didn't miss a whole lot! My interest in Doctor Who started with the revival of the series in 2005 and from there I went onto buying some of the Classic stories on DVD. Having become burnt out on collecting Hasbro Star Wars figures I started collecting the Character Options figures just after the first couple of waves were released. I originally only intended getting the Doctor, Rose, a Dalek and a Cyberman but I was so impressed with the quality I quickly ended up with a lot more than that!. I think it's been the best small scale figure line in years and the addition of the Classic figures will really take it to the next level. Keep up the great work with the site. Thanks Brendan

Dear Doctor Who Toys, I'd just like to say thank you for putting together a really comprehensive guide to the Doctor Who action figures. I have been collecting since they came out; its always a thrill to go hunting the shops to seek out these figures. Only today I got a Hoix, Toby and Grandma from a toyshop who had only had them in for 20 minutes. I would say they remind me of when I shopped for Star Wars figures in 1978. Every week my mum would head to Gamleys to try and get a figure for me only for them to sell out or be so scarce that being hit by lightning was more likely.

I would say from a collectors point of view, these figures and sets kept in the boxes are the biggest thing in the UK since Star Wars. They will surely be highly prized in years to come and highly valuable. I'm coming up to 42 years of age and still haven't grown up. My collection of action figures is growing bigger and bigger, cases of vintage Star Wars, Indy Jones and these babies of Doctor Who. May your site grow and prosper, thank you for sharing it with me. Thanks Malcolm F

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