motor city comic con was a couple weeks ago (fun as hell!) and i obtained many goodies all for decent prices, one of the jewels i obtained was a TM2 megatron in pristine condition for $40, only thing is the guy said he'd been sitting on his shelf since he originally bought him and this guys literally caked in dust and dander, i've tried everything from q-tips with rubbing alchohol to a spray can of compressed air, nothing's worked, anyone know how to get rid of it?

 

You may need to soak it in hot water and gently scrub with a toothbrush.

 

But does that run the risk of fading/flaking the chrome?

 

A moist towelette perhaps?

 

Hey SG Hailstorm, I think anything alcohol-based might make the color of the chrome wash off. Stronger cleansers might even destroy the chrome/vac-metal entirely. Even Windex might cause it harm. In the past, I've used Dawn dish detergent to good effect. (I am no chemist, so bear that in mind)  . I'd use the "Basic" non-concentrated kind mixed with water, and use a soft wash cloth. If a tooth-brush is needed, I suggest using a child's or a "Soft" one and be sure to pre-wet it. I'd err on the side of caution and try simply using your hands to patiently & gently "massage" the grime off the chrome. Using Dawn might also help get rid of any sticky residues on the plastic.

Leaving the toy to soak for 10-15 minutes in warm sudsy water shouldn't damage the plastic or the metal pins, especially if air-dried for some time after. The ordinary plastics can take more thorough scrubbing, but I'm sorry to say that vac-metal in general is a delicate thing at the best of times. TM Beast Wars & Beast Machine vac-metal is notorious for simply flaking off at the slightest breeze or lightest touch, or even MISB with normal room-temperature variations (like TM RatTrap & BM Ultra Jetstorm). 20yr old dust-caked vac-metal will be difficult to save in any event, so I wish you GOOD LUCK!