Replitronics / New Wave Toys USB Charge Machine / Rowe BC-35 Change Machine

This is not exactly brand new, but it is the first of the Replitronics/New Wave Toys sixth-scale versions of real world machinery that I have gotten. While most would probably prefer the more interactive features of their arcade-type games, to me the change machine (reproducing the Rowe BC-35 bill changers) seemed more worthwhile because of its applicability to more environments and real-world utility (as a USB charging station).



The machine comes in a cardboard box with the Replitronics logo, and is kept safe by a simple and collector-friendly white plastic foam assembly. There is a multi-language instruction/reference booklet, but the arcade flooring pad does not seem to be included with these (perhaps it was an exclusive available only for those who participated in the kickstart campaign or preordered). A 10-ft long power cable is provided to connect to an outlet and power the machine. The back of the machine features a port for the power plug, an on/off switch, power indicator light, 5 USB-A 2.0 ports, 1 Quick Charge USB-A 3.0 port, and a button to toggle the "temporarily out of service" light located on the front side.



Apart from the USB ports (several of which can be used to hook up other Replitronics sixth-scale game machines), the "temporarily out of service" light is the only electrical feature of the machine. The lock latch at the front can rotate but does not open anything, and the bill "acceptor" and coin slots are non-functional. Everything looks and works great, and the whole unit seems well-made and sturdy. The paint job is realistic, with silverish metal and faux wood panels. The only imperfection I have spotted is a very slight off-printing on the raised lettering reading "$1 or $5 BILLS."



The machine comes with 12 tokens worth 25 cents each (the equivalent of change for $3) which are made of metal and colored gold (the two sides read 25 cents and R -- for Replitronics -- respectively). I understand that Replitronics' earlier game machines came with silverish coins representing quarters, and I would have preferred those myself, but if you are picking up both change machine and one or more of the game machines, you would be all set. There are also a couple of optional stickers that you could peel off and attach to the unit's surface. Each is provided in duplicate, in case you mess up or one sticker gets damaged. One sticker, with white printing on transparent background, is meant for the brown vertical space below the bill "acceptor" and cautions that bills should be fed into it unfolded and face up; the other, with black printing on transparent background, is meant for the space on the almost horizontal silverish "ledge" just below the bill "acceptor" and repeats the same information in a slightly different form. Whether or not you go for this added detail, the unit looks just as you would expect to find it in the real world -- well, I suppose you can get it to look more worn or dirty if you really wanted.



The machine is just over 4.5 in wide, 4 in deep, and 8 in tall, and appears to be accurate in size to its real world counterpart. It works well juxtaposed with sixth-scale figures and with the Replitronics game machines (you can see it among them in ReverendSpooky's thread HERE). Add some of those machines and the flooring (which doubles as a mouse pad), and you would have an arcade. Or customize some washers and driers and create a laundromat diorama! Or maybe a hallway with vending machines, if you're more ambitious.



The machine retails for about $60, which is about half the price of the Replicade game machines. I got mine from Big Bad Toy Store (HERE).



All in all, I'm very happy with this purchase. It is not the most exciting piece in itself, but it is realistic, functional (as a real-life USB charger), and useful (in both real life and sixth-scale environments), while not being horrendously pricey (a normal USB charger with six ports would be at about half or more of the price).



You must not unlearn what you have learned, so let's see how much you remember or can observe...



As always, what do you think?

#replitronics #newwavetoys #changemachine #usb #charger #arcade

Oh,nice that there are so many charging ports. And the out of order light is cute.

Looking at the last pic,
I think if you add feet, it makes a perfect droid.

Great Find ! They have to do more things like this as a 1:6 Style.

Maul insert some republic Kredits and the machine change it in useless Dollar notes ?

Or is it because Maul is to sexy for his shirt ?

Oh, and number Three is because the handsome Guy gets the blond Girl. Maul wants her too.

Ovy wrote:Oh,nice that there are so many charging ports. And the out of order light is cute.

Looking at the last pic, I think if you add feet, it makes a perfect droid.

Oh, I agree on all counts. But are you saying Maul is mad that the machine doesn't have feet?

Ephiane wrote:Great Find ! They have to do more things like this as a 1:6 Style.

Maul insert some republic Kredits and the machine change it in useless Dollar notes ?

Or is it because Maul is to sexy for his shirt ?

Oh, and number Three is because the handsome Guy gets the blond Girl. Maul wants her too.

Glad you liked it too. Well, dollars and shirt have something to do with it, you're on the right track (there was no intended connection with the other figures). But look closer and try again -- and you may also find a hint in Ovy's response too.

No shoes, no shirt, no service, Maul. Seems like a really cool machine.

2 questions: Where is the male sculpt from? It looks like Johnny Knoxville, sort of. And what body did you use for the girl, she is super skinny.

Stryker2011 wrote:No shoes, no shirt, no service, Maul. Seems like a really cool machine.

2 questions: Where is the male sculpt from? It looks like Johnny Knoxville, sort of. And what body did you use for the girl, she is super skinny.

Yep, the machine is great. You're right about this reason for the machine failing to satisfy Maul, but look for two more. Edit -- you actually solved it elsewhere (in the OSF Funnies).

The male head sculpt is a de-necked Scarlet Speedster from SooSoo Toys (i.e., Grant Gustin as the Flash).

The female body is a TBLeague S27B (the most petite version, if I recall); the clothing is actually a little large on her (more visible with the top than with the skirt, which is overlapped by it).

Now that I think of it, Maul sees a Gonkh droid without feet/legs in the machine, triggering a force vision of him losing his legs and driving him mad.

Ovy wrote:Now that I think of it, Maul sees a Gonkh droid without feet/legs in the machine, triggering a force vision of him losing his legs and driving him mad.

Well, that is an interesting alternative explanation that delves much deeper than expected into Star Wars characters and psychology.

Looks nice and it's also useful which is always a plus. I remember changing dollar bills for tokens at wall mounted ones and quarters at a small standing one at the cinema back in december. I really don't play arcade games I just like tokens and coins in general.

Theboo-bomb wrote:Looks nice and it's also useful which is always a plus. I remember changing dollar bills for tokens at wall mounted ones and quarters at a small standing one at the cinema back in december. I really don't play arcade games I just like tokens and coins in general.

I thought so too. And perhaps because I myself am not much of an arcade game player, I appreciated this piece more than the others. It occurs to me that college dorms might be another area where such machines were common -- for the laundry rooms.

Indeed that is a great Find, very cool!

BAD WOLF-787 wrote:Indeed that is a great Find, very cool!

Glad you like it. I've been using it as a USB charger, and it works like a charm. So there's that, too.

So glad to see you picked one of these up too, and that you're enjoying it! I love mine so much. Great review on it too. And for the record, I totally needed those backup stickers, since I botched the first application. And I think we've all (or at least those of us old enough) have felt Maul's pain, when the damn thing refuses to take your dollar.

ReverendSpooky wrote:So glad to see you picked one of these up too, and that you're enjoying it!  I love mine so much.  Great review on it too.  And for the record, I totally needed those backup stickers, since I botched the first application.  And I think we've all (or at least those of us old enough) have felt Maul's pain, when the damn thing refuses to take your dollar.  

Thank you very much. I believe it was you who got me to look at this line more closely, and I did see this among the ones you picked up. Thanks. Without being a particularly interactive piece, it is so much more fun than a regular charger, and a great bonus for modern civilian scenes. I got lucky with the stickers (that's why you see only one set still on its papers), but it was a close call. I noticed most video reviewers shrank back from using them, but I figured it is the kind of extra detail that helps sell this piece. Maul is getting over this by now, but mostly because of a greater outrage: Maul 2.0 (who will be revealed shortly).

Nice review. I'm a fan of all the Replitronics stuff.

shazzdan wrote:Nice review. I'm a fan of all the Replitronics stuff.

Thank you very much. I like them all too, although I have less of a sentimental attachment to the arcade games in general. This object was both more familiar to me and lent itself to more environments, at half the price -- that, and it's actually utilitarian. So that's why I focused on this one.