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Post by rainbowfalls on Aug 31, 2009 20:33:48 GMT -7
I've been lurking here for a long time, and I finally decided to join. Perhaps you good folks could help me decide something... To make a long story short, I've been reunited with a 1st generation WoW Teddy after a fifteen year separation. (And as soon as Doctor Eeyore has a new batch ready for adoption, I'm TOTALLY buying a Grubby! ;D) The only down side is that he came with an incompatible tape from a 1998 Yes! Teddy. I'm going to track down a proper tape or two for him; besides The Airship, I'm leaning towards The Third Crystal. Can someone describe that story for me? Is it much different than the tv episode?
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Post by Deleted on Sept 1, 2009 7:15:36 GMT -7
I have "The Third Crystal", but I haven't listened to it as my Teddy is in need of some care from Dr. Eeyore as well.
I believe the story follows the episode pretty faithfully: Fuzz is kidnapped by Tweeg and the Trio must use the invisibility powers of the Third Crystal to rescue him from Tweeg's Tower.
I got a brand new, in the box copy of "The Third Crystal" off of eBay for around $12-$20...it's usually pretty easy to find. As for "The Airship", you should have no problem finding a copy on eBay. It is by far the most common tape. The only difficulty is finding one that is not being offered WITH a Teddy Ruxpin doll, but there are usually a couple of them floating around if you do a "Teddy Ruxpin Airship" search. It shouldn't be too expensive.
Hope this helps.
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Post by kaylathehedgehog on Sept 1, 2009 7:59:07 GMT -7
Welcome!
If you have the money, you might try looking for a tape and book lot. Generally, lots tend to be cheaper in the long run for gathering books and tapes.
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Post by TRO Admin on Sept 1, 2009 13:23:52 GMT -7
Just more evidence that in addition to new Teddy products, which are of course the first option and awesome... somebody could make a mint re-producing WoW compatible software... especially as those tapes begin to age.
I'm a die hard Grubby's Romance fan myself, so if you are in the market for a single story I would have to recommend that title. Kayla is right, though- if you want to get the biggest bang for your buck (especially when considering shipping charges) look for a tape & book lot, there is usually at least one or two everytime I check Ebay.
Welcome to the forums, thanks for joining! Josh
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Post by rainbowfalls on Sept 1, 2009 21:43:53 GMT -7
Thanks for the suggestions everyone! I'm going to take the plunge and try eBay.
I do have a Backpack Teddy, and I love him to pieces, but he'll never replace the original. That old Teddy was my best friend for many years. ^_^
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Post by Deleted on Sept 2, 2009 7:48:39 GMT -7
I have to agree with you, there. I thought the BackPack Toys Teddy Ruxpin was a great product. He's definitely the best version of Teddy ever made after the Worlds of Wonder Teddy. My WoW Teddy was truly my best friend. He went everywhere with me, we did everything together. Sadly, he stopped working several years ago, and I haven't gotten up the courage to send him to Dr. Eeyore for repairs. I'm sure it will happen eventually, I'm just afraid of losing him, even if it's just for a little while. I'm sure he will come back good as new. Good luck with your treasure hunting on eBay!
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Post by kaylathehedgehog on Sept 14, 2009 5:45:35 GMT -7
Just as a warning, make sure you turn him on and "exercise" his mouth and eyes about once or twice a month. If you don't, there's a possibility that they'll freeze up.
I lost my Playskool Teddy for several years and when I finally found him, he still worked, but he was a permanent ventriloquist. I fear that my WoW Mother Goose has suffered the same fate as well.
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Post by Deleted on Sept 14, 2009 6:33:18 GMT -7
I went into my basement a few years ago and found my parents had stashed a brand new, still in the box WoW Teddy Ruxpin. I tried him out, but his eyes don't move. I wonder if they just need to be played with or if he's never going to blink.
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Post by theonemouse on Sept 14, 2009 6:46:21 GMT -7
The wiring for the old 1984 bears was a little flimsy at best. Exercising the eyes and mouth every so often does nothing. From experience, it's the soldered points of the wiring that have cracked. I was able to fix mine with my soldering kit from back during my craft days, but if you force the eyes and mouth you risk breaking the servos. The original bear used tin wiring. The newer bears tried to use a combination of aluminum and copper, which also have a tendancy of failing. I am reasearching the new wires for the 2006 bear to see what the material is so I have an idea of what to do in case he fails as well. I have a feeling they went with anodized tin since the bear was so cheap to buy.
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Post by rainbowfalls on Sept 15, 2009 17:09:28 GMT -7
My Lost in Boggley Woods tape arrived today! Teddy's showing his age, but HE WORKS!!! *sigh* I'm so happy I almost cried. ^_^
I can't wait to pair him up with a Grubby.
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Post by kaylathehedgehog on Sept 16, 2009 9:19:41 GMT -7
Congratulations!
I think I might have to either get a different Grubby or a different cord, because for some reason, my current Grubby can't communicate with my Teddy.
Huh, I didn't know that. I just remember reading on either the TRFAQ or on one of the repair sites that a common cause for the mouth and eyes freezing up was the migration of the oil used to lubricate the servos, or something of the sort.
I'm assuming you have to perform open-heart surgery to get at the wires in question?
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Post by tdickensheets on Sept 17, 2009 18:13:14 GMT -7
I used to have Teddy Ruxpin & Grubby made by W.O.W. I also had 2 Fobs puppets. Also had Teddy Ruxpin outfits. I had the Yes Ent Teddy Ruxpin. Now I have right now the Teddy Ruxpin made by Back Pack Toys. www.backpacktoys.comAttachments:
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Post by kaylathehedgehog on Sept 18, 2009 17:00:03 GMT -7
One of these days, I'll write a review of the Playskool version and comparisons between it and the WoW version.
It's amazing how little information there is about that particular version.
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Post by theonemouse on Sept 21, 2009 5:43:22 GMT -7
Open heart surgery? No. Open back surgery, yes. A couple of screws, some careful and delicate prying, and the back cover comes off rather nicely. I have this nasty habit, urge really, to know how things work.
If you do want to re-lube the servos and such, I suggest getting baby oil or mineral oil. It's gentle on the bear and doesn't stick like most oils do. Carefully open the back panel of Teddy or the under panel for Grubby, use an eye dropper, and place up to 4-5 drops of oil per servo. Use baby wipes to remove the old black gunk you will find inside prior to applying the oil. My 1984 bear works perfectly thanks to some careful maintance such as this, and my replacing a few old wires.
For the Grubby to Teddy communication issue, this was a common thing with the connector wire. A small break or a kink in the wire will stop all communication between the two talkers. Age is also a mitigating factor. Best suggestion is to go the The Source (Radio Shack) with your current wire and request a replacement. Male-to-male wires are cheap and nearly 90% or them out there will replace it nicely. Unfortunately, back in the 80s, the cheapest wiring materials were used to build toys such as this to make sure costs were kept down in manufacturing. Low costs there meant low costs to consumers. Thirty bucks worth of materials in the bear to then charge $100 to consumers was considered the perfect ratio.
Goddess, I can be wordy on a Monday!
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Post by kaylathehedgehog on Sept 22, 2009 14:00:11 GMT -7
You can get replacement wires at Radio Shack?
Huh, I didn't know that either. You're a virtual fountain of knowledge.
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