In the toy discussion forum, it's not uncommon to see a thread posted where someone needs help because something on their toy broke as a result of falling off the shelf, a kid/pet getting hold of it, and/or a part being moved or handled with too much force. Or, let's say there are problems right out of the box such as some missing paint applications or a piece of excess plastic.

In a lot of cases, it may be too late to exchange the toy or perhaps the figure is in such high demand that a replacement is almost impossible to find.

I try to take the DIY approach on figure maintenance as much as possible. It might be because I'm regularly customizing my figures, but I'm just comfortable with the idea of making the necessary mods and fixes to something that needs attention. I'm a firm believer that if you're going to collect, you should also invest in a couple of tools to help with said maintenance. Things obviously happen. A part breaks or a figure starts to wear down as a result of age or handling.

Here are the tools/supplies you should probably have:

1. Precision screwdriver set
2. Dremel (a Stylus should suffice)
3. Sandpaper (varying strengths)
4. Hobby paint/brushes (for touch-ups, minor detailing, and missing paint apps)
5. 91% isopropyl alcohol (to remove flawed or unnecessary factory paint apps)
6. Superglue, clear nail polish, or Future floor finish (for tightening loose sockets and balljoints)
7. Hobby knife (anything by X-Acto)
8. Toothbrush (ideal for cleaning hard to reach areas on a figure)
9. Goo-Gone (to remove sticker residue)
10. Dish soap (preferably something that's good at breaking down grease)
11. Metal polish (good for restoring factory shine and removing tarnish from MP-05 Megatron's feet)
12. Brass-O (for removing certain types of paints, also acts as a polishing compound on plastics...removing swirl marks and light scratches)
13. Hydrogen peroxide (restores the factory white condition of most yellowed plastics)


(Taken from the posts below)

• Mr. Clean Spounges
• Q-tips
• Ligher fluid
• Make-up brush kit
• Sprue cutters
• Paper towels
• Toothpicks
• Nail clippers
• Coke [soda]
• Scissors
• 2-part epoxy
• WD-40
• Tweezers

I don't think you need to be a customizer to own any of the aforementioned.


(The below information is from the discussion thread. ~Superquad7)