Toy packaging rant.

[compudog]

Since when did toy packaging become so advanced? Toys are displayed behind clear, plastic windows on highly graphical cardboard layouts, underneath form-fitting plastic bubbles securely glued to the underlying cardboard, only to be twist-tied with plastic-coated wire through little plastic devices on the back-side. If this type of engineering was applied to say, an automobile (or any other consumer device) they would never break down/need repair etc.

I spend more time unpacking my kid's toys than they spend playing with them. And these Hot Wheels mini play-sets, you know the ones I mean, with the sheets of stick labels that have to be applied to practically everything??? Grrrr....

No, I don't feel any better... Grrrr..

 

[dabuddha]

i know what you mean
take a look at the slimx (mp3 player)
jesus that thing took me almost 20 minutes to open and i cut my hand on the stupid plastic too. Then it turned out it was defective and best buy gave me crap saying they can't take it back cause i cut the plastic. After practically yelling at them and showing them my hand, they exchanged quickly. And i made them open it for me right there just to let them see how hard that damn thing is

 

[bmacd]

i hate blister pack stuff...most all blister packs are used in small electronic items, but a lot of toys have switched due to the saved money on packaging.

-=bmacd=-

 

[dmcowen674]

Originally posted by: dabuddha
i know what you mean
take a look at the slimx (mp3 player)
jesus that thing took me almost 20 minutes to open and i cut my hand on the stupid plastic too. Then it turned out it was defective and best buy gave me crap saying they can't take it back cause i cut the plastic. After practically yelling at them and showing them my hand, they exchanged quickly. And i made them open it for me right there just to let them see how hard that damn thing is

Good for you.

Maybe if enough people complain and get hurt by this sharp hard plastic crap it will force Manufactures back to more reasonable packaging. It's insane and filling the landfills with this nonesense besides keeping our dependence on imported oil because plastic is made from oil.

 

[BooneRebel]

I had the joyful opportunity to put together two of those Hot Wheels playsets this year. I know exactly what you mean.

And I'd like to (jab with a pointy metal object) the person who came up with the plastic-coated wire system for packaging. Unfortunately it seems as though toy companies are spending more development time on packaging to ensure the sale instead of making the toys more durable & long lasting. It seems as though holidays and birthdays are somewhat of an assembly line, but while it may take me 20 minutes to unpack a toy, an energetic child can destroy the same toy within seconds. I think Murphy's law applies somewhere into this mix.

 

[MrBond]

I always thought the twist ties were to keep shoplifting down? I mean, if it takes that long to open then normally, its gotta be hard to shoplift, right?

Wrong.

I knew a kid back when I was in highschool who used to shoplift a TON when it was "cool". He swiped tons of crap, including a very nice sony discman and a psx, right in the store. The blister packs didn't stop him, he carried a razor blade with him and could apparently open any package in seconds.

I suppose it deters casual shoplifting, but the people doing it for real will get into them.

 

[vegetation]

I hate blister packs too. The packaging becomes razor blade-like. I'm surprised no lawsuits have come out of this.

 

[Codewiz]

There are is a major called packaging science. I should have majored in it because there is like a 98% placement for graduates in that major. I wouldn't be working a crappy sales job if I hadn't majored in CPSC

 

[mpitts]

Agreed

 

[tk149]

I think we should blister wrap the guys who decided to wrap my mp3 player in this stuff.

 

[Utterman]

blister pack is horrible, especially on the retail AMD packages. With the boxed ones, I could get the processor out within seconds. Now is takes forever just to get to the cpu.

 

[joeryu]

i agree, i HATE blister packs. it literally took me ~20 min to get everything out of the blister pack my Nomad JukeBox Zen came in.

 

[ragazzo]

Originally posted by: jOjO316
i agree, i HATE blister packs. it literally took me ~20 min to get everything out of the blister pack my Nomad JukeBox Zen came in.

i was so excited about getting my zen that i tore through the damn thing and ended up cutting myself on my left and my right hand LOL

took me a few minutes to get everything out. that's how excited i was

 

[joeryu]

Originally posted by: ragazzo

Originally posted by: jOjO316
i agree, i HATE blister packs. it literally took me ~20 min to get everything out of the blister pack my Nomad JukeBox Zen came in.

i was so excited about getting my zen that i tore through the damn thing and ended up cutting myself on my left and my right hand LOL

took me a few minutes to get everything out. that's how excited i was

haha ive been in that situation before...but after those first cuts i swore to take my time from now on.

few minutes, im impressed =)

 

[ThunderGirl]

Fisher Price toys are the worst for little kids. I always have to open them take them apart and then put it back together before I wrap it to give my kids. Or they are in tears and hysterics before mommy can get the darn gift open.

 

[ElFenix]

i hate blister packs... you need a good set of scissors and even then it takes 5 minutes, and you still have a good chance of cutting the instruction book in half

 

[SuperSix]

Kitchen shears are your friend.

 

[Sluggo]

There is a special little corner in hell for the inventor of blister packs.

 

[Steve819]

The stuff is farking nuts!

I nearly slice myself to ribbons opening my stuff.

Steve

 

[d33pt]

i just use a box cutter to slice off the frame holding it all together...then it comes apart pretty easily.. doesn't take too long, but i agree it is a pain in the ass