How come it doesn't work if it's never had batteries in it?

[Tap Dancer]

Seeing the recent Furby thread got me thinking about this. When I bought mine MIB from eBay a few years ago, the seller said that they couldn't guarantee it would work even though it's never been removed from the box. They offered to open the box, check it out, and possibly fix it (if needed) before sending it to me. I told them it was for display, so I didn't want the box opened. But now I'm wondering... Why wouldn't an old toy work if it's never been used? I mean, obviously if it didn't come with a battery inside, it's not like it got destroyed by an old, leaking battery. Is it just because of age that it wouldn't work? Or is it because maybe it's gotten bumped and tossed around over the years?


Edit: Oops! I thought I was in the Off Topic forum. Please move this over there. Sorry!

*bumped over to OT for you*  PL

[Aadra310]

As of seller of old toys, I put a similar disclaimer in my listings.  A seller is merely trying to avoid any potential problems that may arise with a sale.  If you got the toy and it didn't work, the seller would have to foot the bill to have it sent back, relist it, etc etc.  By putting a disclaimer in the listing that they cannot guarantee it's working order, they are avoiding a buyer complaining about it IF it didn't work. 

Age, exposure to moisture, and/or degrading of internal parts are all things that may not change the appearance of the toy but may cause it not to work.  You just have a savvy seller who is covering their own interests and alerting buyers that they do not open and test old toys unless requested.

[Tap Dancer]

Oh, I agree, that the seller was smart. A lot of people might want the toy to play with, and I appreciate them offering to check it out for me if I wanted it for the purpose. I know that something old with a battery inside will eventually be ruined if left alone, but I figured something without one should be okay. My Furby and the box are both in perfect condition. Either way, I don't plan to play with it or sell it. Thanks for your answer.

[kaoskat]

I dunno but it does happen. I've gotten brand new old things before and they just didn't work. No clue why.

[melodys_angel]

Easy.  Not everything is wired correctly, or there might be something faulty.  You never know for sure until you turn it on <3

[Mirnyj]

There's also the fact that electronics are made of metals, metals react with oxygen and oxidation changes the conductivity of the wires and other parts so power just doesn't transfer properly.

[skyrocketneko]

A lot of the Furbys I've gotten have been MIB and did not work. They're a pain to fix, but they are usually fixable. You have to take the skin off and a bunch of the other parts off to move a gear back into place. This gear is easily knocked out of place which causes the Furby not to turn on.

[Loona]

it is a common problem with MIB original (1998 wave) Furbys that they do not work. I don't exactly know why, but for some reason the motor gets stuck having stood for so long. it often happens with used Furbys too, but it is more common with MIB ones, as those stood still for the longest time.
but most of them are fixable with a kick start of the motor ^^ I have success stories where I didn't even have to get the poor guys' fur off, I just shook and patted them for... well, quite a long time there was one who took months (not literally, just on and off. like... shaking and patting for some time, getting tired, trying again some hours or a day later), but the happiness I felt when he finally came to life was priceless <3

[SeashellnBubbles]

I just found a Fantasy Filly at the Goodwill yesterday and didn't seem to have had the batteries left in, but the spring part of one of the battery connections was rusted. I used a nail file to get a lot of the rust off the connection, and it works fine now! Even the smallest amount of corrosion can mess up connectivity and flow of energy from the batterys, whether at the main connection or further into the toy. Most things haven't been stored in ideal conditions, such as a properly aireated room, more like basements, back of closets, etc. Lack of use also factors in, since many of the connections are copper and copper tends to have it's own problems with age.

Post Merge: March 06, 2014, 10:18:18 AM

 have success stories where I didn't even have to get the poor guys' fur off, I just shook and patted them for... well, quite a long time there was one who took months (not literally, just on and off. like... shaking and patting for some time, getting tired, trying again some hours or a day later), but the happiness I felt when he finally came to life was priceless <3
[/quote]

Or you could beat it till it works...like a good man!