Clearing up myths about PTT/CEC robot availability

[captslappy]

I mentioned on the for sale board how expensive some of this stuff is. I'm not sure many people understand the rarity of getting PTT/CEC robots. The first myth I want to dispel is that there is some fabled warehouse somewhere filled with old balcony shows, broken down caberets etc. This is false. The company no longer owns any of these shows. In fact, CEC does not want anyone outside of their company to own their equipment. Retired equipment is supposed to be destroyed and thrown out. So how is it obtained? There is no place to buy the stuff from. PTT stuff got sold off in the 80s when the original company bankrupted to pay debts. That's largely how what little is out there pops up. A former franchize owner, employee or contractor salvaged it and eventually decides to put it on Ebay. CEC does it's best to have these auctions shut down for copyright reasons. As for the MMBB 2 and 3 stages, those are pretty much dumpster saves after the shows go in the trash. CEC is doing more now to try to keep these shows from being salvaged from the garbage. Things like computers, especially the cyberstar system are returned to the parts dept. The one or two cyberstar systems that have gotten into private hands are missing eproms and other vital circuits rendering them in operable. As for exactly what has been out there in the past here is a list of everything I remember seeing since I began looking. I will preface this by saying this is what is for sale that I have seen on ebay or on the for sale board. It does not count private collectors. If those collectors wish to add pieces in their collection to this list that is fine. No one else should take it upon themselves to say "I know so and so has this, this and this." Marvin's and Jungle Jim's do have PTT characters but this is not counted here as their shows are not for sale. I have been collecting for 5 years. Here is what I have seen available. This will give you an idea of how scare this stuff is:

MMBB 2 stage: exactly 1 show, no computer

MMBB 3 stage: One show, no masks no computer

I have seen one Helen 3 stage bot w/ mask but missing cosmetics and one Munch 3 stage bot cosmetically complete but without organ.

CEC wink sign: 1 on ebay

Building faces for the 3 stage: 2

Random pizza cam parts: 2 (no masks)

Balcony stage: only 2 shows from the same seller, no computers, missing parts and in need of restoration. (sold as 1 big lot)

Individual PTT balcony characters:
Mr. Munch: 1
Clapper board: 1 (the other one was in a lot with a whole show)
Warblettes (black): 1 (there was also both variations available in the above lot making the total for sale 3)
Flag wavers: 1
flag without waver mech: 2
Band board: 0 but have heard rumors of one or 2 out there.

Caberet stuff:
King: 5 or 6 (only 2 of these had computers)
Beagles: 3 or 4 sets (most of these had computers)
Beach Bowzers: 1 (with computer)
Dolli: Exactly 2. One had been made into a cow
Artie: 0. I have heard rumors of one or two out there but I have yet to see him or his reels pop up. I dont know of anyone that owns one.
BB Bubbles: 0

Little Shavers, Family Album, Hot fudge: 0

I have seen no portrait stuff available for sale at all. I have also never ever seen anything Foxy Colleen related altough someone claims to have a reel of her. It has yet to have surfaced. (Crusty and the Mops were portrait exclusive. They had no balcony counterparts) The only portraits I have ever seen are 3 characters at CEC HQ (Jasper, Pasqually and Chuck). Jasper and Pasqually have since been trashed in the remodel.

Sally Sashay: No cosmetics have ever surfaced. Only one reel has popped up.

As you can see, only a handful of stuff has popped up. Im sure I have missed some but for the most part there is very little available.

[pizzacam]

Well thanks to me Nevin now has the Pizzacam mask and body ;)

[dheineCECfan]

What about myths dealing with 1977-1979/1980 CECPTT early showtapes (the first few were 1 hour show format)?

[captslappy]

I didn't get into listing show tapes but the fact is there isn't a lot of that either which is my whole point. It's very hard to get PTT/CEC related collectors stuff related to the show. As for the portrait reels specifically, as I have already stated nothing related to that area has ever turned up that I know of. This includes show tapes for them.

[MMBBfan327]

This is just my guess...

But I think that a Foxy Colleen portrait robot still exists somewhere, because I saw a pic that Darryl sent me, and in the background, it looks like someone's garage or warehouse she's in. IDK about this though...

[captslappy]

It's a picture taken from corporate headquarters.

[Mr Munch88]

Thanks Capt.!
Hes right. I am contacted every now and then about this subject, and there is really very little out there. For those that dont know... I have some balcony reels from PTT days and am willing to trade/bargin, if the right stuff comes along!

[captslappy]

Show tapes aren't as big a deal because there are enough of those out there. Most people just want to know what the PTT characters sounded like that never got a chance to see them. My main reason for posting this is I have seen a lot of requests on the board for characters and I get regular emails about the subject. A recent one was from a guy who was under the impression he could get a complete working balcony for around $500. That's the sort of myths I want to clear up.

[MMBBfan327]

Are you kidding?!?!?!? A guy wanted to buy a working Balcony for $500? Only one character can range from $500-$1000. If he's new to this sort of thing, I kinda don't blame him. :\

[captslappy]

Yes. I get questions like this all the time. That's why I started this thread to clear all of this up. PTT/CEC robots are not only rare but very expensive. Also most people don't understand that they don't just plug into a wall. They are pneumatic and require an air compressor to operate. Alot of people are also under the impression the computer system is built into the robots themselves. They have no real concept of how they work. I had some bone head email me one time that had this great plan that he was going to use some "old CEC droids" to perform with his band on stage. He got my name after finding this site. You talk about clueless. He thought he had a totally original idea. The reason it's never been done is the cost, the equipment needed to run them and they aren't designed to be portable. Plus you'd have to custom build a controller to manually operate them off the side of the stage and have someone to do it. I think after I got done cluing him in he figured out why it hadn't been done before. I never heard back from the guy after that.

[Shiney Happy Jenn]

Ah yes....

I find it's sometimes best not to let on as to what you have exactly. The less people know sometimes the better...if you know what i mean. ;)

[YoungCaliHottie]

...so Jenn has even more cool stuff!!?!?!????? :eek

:rollin

:b

[dheineCECfan]

Yes, I took some pictures of the photos of past CECPTT (including Crusty Cat, Harmony Howlette, Madame Oink, and yes, Foxy Colleeen) when I toured CEC Entertainment HQ in Irving, Texas in May 2001. Even I took a picture of the Warblettes image from the "Close Encounters of the Bird Kind" parody movie poster.

[MMBBfan327]

Yeah, "Close Encounters" is a really neat poster. Glad I own one. ;)