Stories of Toy Break Heartbreak: Share your most heartbreaking toy breakage.
So after having to replace my Play Arts Arkham Asylum Batman, it got me thinking about toys breaking, and how much that sucks. We've all had it happen--what toy broke that left you the most saddened, frustrated, etc.? It can be more current or from your childhood. Obviously it sucks all the more when it's something older that can either no longer be replaced or can't be replaced without shelling out a lot more than you originally paid...
Mine was probably when my version 4 (not sure the number, but the blue w/orange goggles) Snake-eyes as a kid. His thumbs both broke after too many larger accessories being shoved into his hands. Luckily, my dad was savvy enough to realize I had plenty of other Joes to swap arms with and fixed him!
Discuss!
I remember that my dad accidentally somehow snapped off my Darth Vader's head when I was a kid (early 80s). He fixed it by using a screw to re-secure its noggin, and to this day that Vader still has a silver screw end visible from the top of its head.
I also remember losing the scope to my R2D2 in the back seat of my parents' old car.
A friend broke the head off my 200X Tri-Klops while trying to turn its visor, but it was easily enough fixed with some glue.
I suppose I may be luckier than some. I don't recall ever having a toy that was DOA in the package or immediately upon opening.
I have my share of shelf-divers who popped their little heads clean off upon impact with hardwood floors...but breakage can often be at least improved, or repaired to some extent with a dab of superglue.
What cannot be repaired as readily?
Yellowing, rotting, weeping or the otherwise discolored, sticky, rubbery dust magnets that some figures become over time.
I bought one of those very large Stealth Voltrons from TRU long ago. It sat on its shady, climate controlled shelf for years, unmolested. Then one day I noticed that all of Stealth Voltron's gold paint (and only the gold paint) was dissolving & peeling off. Not the end of the world, but annoying.
The one that pops in my mind first is the 12-inch Sideshow Platoon Barnes figure - he himself was fine (aside from eye color), but as I took his accessories out of the package, they seemed to break. After the first few, I gave up and didn't touch the rest. I also left the rest of that line unopened. 
My 18-month old daughter broke the arms off of my Matrix APU mobile suit, these things were crazy fragile anyway, just tempting fate removing it from the box...
I can remember coming home one day from work and finding Robin from the Dark Knight Returns Statue in the kitchen in half on the floor. My wife had left our bedroom door open and my son out of his playpen. That was 12 years ago and I remind my wife every year on the day of Robin's death.
Just a little background info to add to the pain...
My LCS at the time had ordered 10 of these status, 4 came with his pointer borken off and I spend almost 2 hours going over each one to find the best paint job.
LOL Sounds like when I got my Rogue 16" Premium figure from a buddy of mine for my bday. Had it for less than 24 hrs and ajusted it on the shelf to which her left hand slipped out and landed on the glass shelf breaking off one of the fingers. couldnt get it lined up 100 percent but hey its back together and im never selling it so whatever.
Of coarse I have broken several pieces on my Hot Toys Aliens Marines that required superglue and even
just a few days ago I found my old McFarlane Wetworks Flesh tone Pilgim figure still on the card. the card was damaged so i said screw it and opened it. Right out of the package the left arm snapped in half. The damn thing had been in the package for over 15 some years!!!!! Forgot thats why i didnt collect many McFarlane toys back in the day...
" F***Ing Ebay!!"
Yeah, McFarlane in their heyday was just asking for trouble. I remember having the big dragon figure they released back in the late 90's (Horde?) and having the wing joint snap off. I even sent them a letter and they replaced it, only to have the same thing happen. Dang, that was a cool figure.
I think you stunned everyone into silence with the Hot Toys Two-Face breaking. 
Yeah, McFarlane in their heyday was just asking for trouble. I remember having the big dragon figure they released back in the late 90's (Horde?) and having the wing joint snap off. I even sent them a letter and they replaced it, only to have the same thing happen. Dang, that was a cool figure.
I had the same figure and the same problem. I don't think the wings really "snapped" off. If you looked, the joint was greased and I think that whatever lube they used ate away the peg holding the wings on. In my case, I went to pick up the figure once and they just dropped off.
Anyway, my heartbreaking breakage would probably be the assorted Triad Toys figures I had that came apart, because those weren't cheap to buy but boy were they cheaply made.
Bows with molded strings, especially if the arrow is permanently sculpted on, ala DCUC Green Arrow. The useless arrows make it even worse, especially since you can't put them in the quiver. I guess at some point including string with figures became illegal. Those cool bat-ropes and grappling hooks are nonexistent nowadays, and even string attached to a bow is verboten. My 2003 Splinter and ML Hawkeye have them, so it must have been post 2004/5 when the ban came down.
The movie Hawkeye comes with no arrows and a molded string, which initially pissed me off. But then I realized, HE CAN USE GA'S ARROWS! Finally, the boxing glove arrow can be displayed. Only downside is, his quiver is molded shut. Grrr. Guess the extras stick with Artemis, who has a real quiver. Too bad she came with the cheapest, ugliest arrows ever made.
Lost the antenae to my Poppy Star Blazers Yamato with sound and lights. A $300+ you at the time. Also lost a heat shield to my Serenity ornament but that cost alot less.
You hit it right on the head with this one Rann!
Several of the S.I.C. Kamen Riders and their motorcycles are now slowly becoming a sticky, dusty mess. It seems to be the clear parts that are chemically breaking down, the rest of it is okay. But what is the Jungler without those huge wings?!
It's so disappointing that nothing can be done about this, except just watch them get worse. Head, arms and bodies can be fixed, there is nothing to be done with this problem. Never mind the exorbitant import prices for each one . Truly a heartbreaker.
Well, since SIC was basically Japanese toys going more towards a McFarlane-ized model (the original SIC Kikaider line were basically statues), I guess it makes sense... 
I should probably dig my older SICs out and see how they're holding up...
When I was a kid I had the original Jabba the Hut figure that came on a base that opened up. He had very little articulation, and only his arms moved up and down. One day his arm broke off. I ended up super gluing it back. From then on his arm was always in the air like he was waving. Who knows what happend to that toy. One of the few that disappeared as I actually still have most of the toys I have ever had, including all the weapons.
- Matt
When I was growing up (mid 1970s), I had a hefty supply of Barbies, but no Ken. I finally managed to get one (with stick on/peel off sideburns, no less--lol!) as a reward for helping my dad paint the entire exterior of our house. Needless to say, I was quite pleased, because now Barbie had a great driving companion for her Corvette.
My brothers, who are twins two years my junior, were rather jealous at the time of my Barbie Corvette, and didn't harbor any guilt over stealing it from time to time and running it down our rather steep driveway.
Anyhow, one day I was having a particularly tough day (as tough, I suppose, as a day can seem in the mind of a thrid grader), and was bemoaning all that had gone wrong. After I aired my complaints, one of my brothers said something to the general effect of, "Wow, that's pretty bad day. Next thing you know, your Ken doll will lose his leg or something." Well, sure enough, I headed into my bedroom, and there laying neatly across my bed was Ken, one leg completely popped off, placed neatly by his side. Ken was a full amputee.
Neither brother ever fessed up, but the best we could figure is that they sent Ken careening down the driveway in the Corvette (which bore signs of its own battle damage), and let's just it would appear Ken was not wearing his seat belt. All my hard work helping paint the house was down the tubes. (