Tech Deck High-Tech Dregs Is That The Mystery Machine or Am I Just Hallucinating?
Written: Aug 07 '03 (Updated Aug 23 '03)
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Pros: Nice designs, blank blacks for personalization, solid metal construction.
Cons: Jump rings pull apart.
The Bottom Line: Need to add some flair to your skate gear? Show off your local colors with the Tech Deck Dregs clips!
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| Freak369's Full Review: Tech Deck "Dregs" Metal High Tech Clip [Gen1] |
I'd seen the various Dregs logos around the city and always found them rather amusing so when I spotted this as part of the first generation of the Tech Deck clips, I was pretty happy. Dregs is a San Diego based company that has a world wide presence in the realm of skateboarding and assorted extreme sports. Small but growing in popularity, the company has a wide variety of themes to choose from but the Dregs logo and Pool Service ones are the most popular. Maybe that’s why these two designs were chosen for the Tech Deck series, to show off the best of the best and cash in on some of those advertising dollars they’ve been spending. This set carries on the general theme of the Tech Deck clips, one ornate design and one basic logo pattern. Since the first generation is the only one that has been released, it’s hard to tell if the second and third series will have the same concept. No one has been able to give me an exact release date of the second and third generation of clips and as I mentioned in an earlier review, I get a time from of “in a month or so” to “never, they’ve been axed”. Yeah, yeah, we heard the same thing about Beanie Babies and they are still going strong.
Dregs Logo
The Dregs logo clip is about two and a half inches long and a little over an inch and a half high and looks pretty freakin’ cool. The logo is the basic Dregs image, silver on black, and comes with a blank back that makes it great for personalizing or etching. I’m really happy that this one has rounded edges instead of straight corners, since this is made of metal and is pretty heavy it reduces the risk of cutting or ripping material if it’s attached to a gear bag or clothing. This also reduces the chance of personal injury if worn when skating. I can’t say that there is anything wrong with this particular clip, it’s just a little on the plain side for my tastes.
Dregs Pool Service
When I first saw this clip I immediately thought of the Mystery Machine from Scooby-Doo. It looks the same, has some of the same detail to it and even has the same styled banner on the side of the van. How they managed to get away with copying the overall design is beyond me. Regardless, this is one of the clips that got a lot of attention when it was passed around at the ComiCon. Everyone wanted to buy this set but the people that had them were only vending the entire collection, not individual sets. There’s a lot of detail to this clip and for the most part there aren’t any sharp edges to deal with. If you pick up this set be prepared for complete strangers to walk up to you and ask you about it, when they find out it isn’t Scooby-Doo but rather the Dregs they either lose all interest or flip out and ask where you got it.
Things To Know
The images that are shown as the product description are shown in reverse, meaning that instead of the Dregs logo being black on silver, it is silver on black. This was done to give the product the best possible representation and so you could see all the detail of the product. Now, to confuse you a little more, there were some early sets that were released ‘as is’ but eventually they were converted over to the reverse image so they were more prominent when displayed. That doesn’t mean you won’t be able to find the reverse image in a store, but for the most part, you’ll be getting the black on silver rather than silver on black. Just a word of warning, the jump rings that connect the clip to the chain and the chain to the logo are a little on the weak side. With some pulling and tugging, the rings will start to pull apart. If this happens all that is needed to remedy the situation is to grab a pair of needle nosed pliers and squeeze the ring back into place.
Generation 1 Tech Deck Series
Included in the first series of Tech Clips are the following sets:
World Industries [3961], Blind [3962], Toy Machine [3963], Foundation [3964], Alien Workshop [3966], Santa Cruz [3967], Dregs [3968] and New Deal [3969]. These were all two clip sets that were first released in 1999 then again in 2000 as companion products to the Tech Deck line of fingerboards, stickers and accessories.
The Bottom Line
While I really like the Pool Service clip, the basic Dregs logo leaves a little to be desired. Since this was part of the first generation and came with the set, I can’t really complain [after all it was free]. If you are a fan of the skate boarding scene or know someone that is, this would make for a great purchase. Overall the clips are well made and will hold up to a lot of use without showing scratches or street damage. The only thing to keep in mind is the jump rings, they will start to pull apart if pulled on. These have a suggested retail price of $4.99 but are getting a little hard to find in stores. They were first released in 1999 then again in 2000 so most places will have already marked them down to get rid of them. The Tech Deck site still has a few of the designs from the first series, they are going for $1.99 a set which should tell you one thing – when they are gone, they are gone for good.
For more information about the Dregs line, visit their official website at www.dregsskateboards.com or drop them an email at info@dregsskateboards.com. To check out other Tech Deck products, supplies and accessories, visit www.techdeck.com.
As always, thanks for the read!
^V^ Freak ^V^
© 2003 Freak369
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): ==free==
Type of Toy: Other
Age Range of Child: Whole Family
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![Tech Deck "Dregs" Metal High Tech Clip [Gen1]](http://di1.shopping.com/images1/pi/cf/9f/2b/32730297-177x150-0-0.jpg)
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