An act of desperation by a cash- or time-strapped effects team in the days before digital imaging became affordable and subsequently took over Special Effects. Instead of incurring the time or expense of building their own miniatures, they instead take a shortcut by purchasing off-the-shelf toys or model kits. Depending on the quality of their manufacture (and, in the case of models, assembly), the results can range from surprisingly effective, to sub-par, to obvious Special Effect Failure. This trope comes in two flavors: See also Special Effect Failure. Examples of Off-the-Shelf FX include: