So I was making the rounds yesterday, checking a few toy stores just for the halibut, when I discovered Universe Wave 2 (or what was left of it) at TRU. There was a Galvatron on the front of the pegs, along with the requisite Sunstreakers, Octankors, and Prowls. I flipped through the first few hanging cards to see if there was anything else new there, and something caught my eye. The Prowls looked...shinier. I grabbed one of the newer Prowls and looked it over -- sure enough, inside the package the figure seemed to be glossier, and the matte white paint which normally looks uneven, pooled and milky was strong, opaque and solid. The brown apps didn't appear to be any different, but when I compared the front-of-the-rack Prowls to ones from the back, the white paint on the front quarters and doors was definitely nicer and glossier on the Wave 2 ones. Now I'm not sure if something was CHANGED for the second wave, or if this was just a coincidence stemming from a different batch than what we're used to here in this area. I also don't know if it was sticky or not since I didn't buy one, but has anyone else observed this difference in the wild?
Yeah, I thought maybe they've tweaked the process slightly for Wave 2, possibly using better paint... but I don't know if that's the case, or if the ones I saw were simply just better QC. I was hoping someone else who's sighted the Acid Storm/Galvatron wave might have noticed a difference.
It would make sense that Hasbro would want to fix sticky paint problems at the first opportunity, since it's a problem and disappointment for anyone who touches the toy. I guess the MISB people are the only one who potentially wouldn't care if the paint went bad upon handling (but if they look nicer in the package too... )
