3 inch Tails is another spot-on figure. This is Jazwares first attempt at Tails, and they've done well. He is proportional and has good face detail. The head is not too big or small, and he does not suffer 'big body' like others did. The problem he has is
His tails will NOT TWIST. While all other Tails figures have tails which turn as part of their articulation, this one is mis-made and does not. They're also applied upside-down. Future releases HAVE CORRECTED this problem as there are already incidents of them snapping off. December/November 2009+later versions have rotating tails that do not snap off. (see bottom of page for detail).
Tails Figure Warning!
Warning:
ALL EARLY released Tails figures have a defect in that they put his tails on upside-down and made them non-turn able. If you try to turn them they will BREAK off. Later figures fixed this problem, so ReBuying him may be a good idea in 2009/2010 Info by: Berzerker
EARLY Figures ONLY: As seen above the tails fit into the rectangle slot in the figure. This figure fell from a height of 17 inches into a plastic bag, which caused the tails to break off. They are extremely flimsy, to the point of nearly being a defect. They did not even seem 'attached' to the figure. Of course, they're also easily glued back in so don't let it deter you from this great figure, just be-aware that it can occur.
Photo by JSHedgehog
Photo by JSHedgehog
Look at this boxed Tails figure. You can notice some differences right away! Why is it different? The CMDStore.com is selling it...for starters. First, you can see there is no "R" sticker but the raised area of the plastic remains. Does that mean Toys R Us is losing their exclusive?? One can certainly hope so! More ways to get the figures is always better!
Next, you can see the tails are at a more natural angle, and the bands on his gloves and socks have been painted in. (they were left off before, so this is an improvement in accuracy) Will TRU get these 'fixed figures' as they re-stock? Are ALL figures sold by CMDStore of this improved variety? Several questions do remain, but this is positive news.
Toys R Us is getting this fixed figure in on further re-stocks, starting in Mid October 2009. The "R" sticker will be present, but the straps and tails will be proper.
Of course, you should always always INSPECT any figure you're going to get while you're still in the store, if that's at all possible. No figure is immune to mistakes. This all-backward Tails demonstrates that they have added his glove and sock bands, as well as placing the tails on the proper way...however this particular figure has the hands and the feet on backward. (ie left is right, right is left)
Photo by GolfGuy801
Tails with ROTATING TAILS:
On some of the later versions of this figure, you'll find him not only with painted glove/sock belts but also tails which rotate and do not just drop right off. They actually re-engineered part of this figure to make him work. This is absolute proof that Jazwares cares about the figures they produce and the fans who want them. At such a cheap price point, this figure will be easy to re-buy to get a rotating-tails version.
his Tails has a problem that's not super devastating, but nothing you'd want, either. His forearm is a shin. Clearly, they just mixed up his parts when assembling him, somehow. With the photo, you can see that it's thicker than it should be, and matches the leg that's out to the side, rather than his other arm. It doesn't affect his proportions that much, but it's still strange to see.
Photo by Thessa the Cat
Discovered by SONIC RANGER!
Look at this Tails figure in his box. It's like when he was made, they just threw him into the packing without regard for anything. His tails have come off, he seems to be either all the way twisted or the lower part of his white (on the hip area) is missing, and his legs and arms are just kind of flopped in there. It is a sealed package, so whatever this error is, happened when he was made. The right photo illustrates another odd 'thrown in there' pose.
Always inspect all figures thoroughly BEFORE you buy.
Photo by RaeLogan
Tails can have a bad shoulder pin. If he does, the arm won't sit right & won't pose well. You can't detect it in package.
Discovered by Berzerker
Single card figures are still showing up in 2014, but they're not common at retail. Some Toys R Us stores may have them, but more often than not...they don't. It's unfortunate because these cost less than ordinary figures, if you can find them at actual retail without markup or internet markup.
However, they are not immune from mistakes, as these MIB figures show. It's Tails in there, but he's labeled as Knuckles. If you find a mis-labeled one, it's likely that all the rest of them at that location will be too. They're usually not worth more (and often worth less than) a regular figure because with the wrong name they don't display as well MIB.
Photo by CoolLuke1337