Art-Figures: AF-003 "Saves" (Punisher)

[Punisher75]

wow took them a while!

 

[gunm]

Yay, urban samurai sent my shipping notice today!

 

[playboy409]

any tutorial on how to put this guy together? I got a few pieces that I have no idea where it's suppose to go. like 2 straps, and where does the 2 ammo pouches go?

 

[BrooklynWolf X]

any tutorial on how to put this guy together? I got a few pieces that I have no idea where it's suppose to go. like 2 straps, and where does the 2 ammo pouches go?

if you look closely at the box, both leg/gun straps are strapped to his belt. i'd say the ammo pouches are strapped to his belt as well.

i recently picked up this figure, and i am blown away by the quality of it. top notch headsculpt and paint, sturdy accessories, nice stand. all that for under $90. excellent work.

 

[FLOSI]

if you look closely at the box, both leg/gun straps are strapped to his belt. i'd say the ammo pouches are strapped to his belt as well.

i recently picked up this figure, and i am blown away by the quality of it. top notch headsculpt and paint, sturdy accessories, nice stand. all that for under $90. excellent work.

I was talking to a buddy about that yesterday. 2/3rds the price of a HT figure and virtually all the quality, so what does that extra 50 bucks go to? Licences? Bloated egos?

HT is an established company and I'm sure they make figures in larger batches than Art Figures does... So you'd think HT's overhead is much less... it just makes you wonder.

 

[Hydeous]

I was talking to a buddy about that yesterday. 2/3rds the price of a HT figure and virtually all the quality, so what does that extra 50 bucks go to? Licences? Bloated egos?

HT is an established company and I'm sure they make figures in larger batches than Art Figures does... So you'd think HT's overhead is much less... it just makes you wonder.

I think it would be license mate.

I live in jakarta, Indonesia. Tons of pirated DVDs here. Cost only 60 cent, while an original dvds cost around 10-15 bucks. Same material, just that the original licensee have to pay royalties etc while the bootleg/pirated ones doesnt.

 

[RollingJ]

I think licensing accounts for quite a lot of the cost, particularly on big name brands like marvel.

 

[Hydeous]

That said, where can I get this for $90?

 

[FLOSI]

I think it would be license mate.

I live in jakarta, Indonesia. Tons of pirated DVDs here. Cost only 60 cent, while an original dvds cost around 10-15 bucks. Same material, just that the original licensee have to pay royalties etc while the bootleg/pirated ones doesnt.

Apples to oranges IMO. Pirated DVDs are super cheap to make where a full figure requires tons of different materials, artists to sculpt, factories to produce and package the figures. My point is that if 1/3rd of what we pay goes to licences that seems steep.

 

[karamazov80]

I was talking to a buddy about that yesterday. 2/3rds the price of a HT figure and virtually all the quality, so what does that extra 50 bucks go to? Licences? Bloated egos?

HT is an established company and I'm sure they make figures in larger batches than Art Figures does... So you'd think HT's overhead is much less... it just makes you wonder.

I'm sure licensing is expensive, but there are other costs, as well. Administrative overhead when you have a bigger company, with staff that requires more pay and better benefits. Better customer service, and probably more spent on quality control (whether or not that contributes to a better product is another issue, of course). Then there is marketing, and money spent on building long-term relationships with various distributors around the world. They probably also have nicer office buildings, fancier packaging, more money is spent on creating newer and fancier bodies to meet the needs of the product (whereas I figure unlicensed stuff frequently goes with a standard, stock body that doesn't change around too much).

This is all complete speculation of course, but I can imagine there being inherent costs to any major, legitimate company producing collectibles that justify the high cost.

Now, how Sideshow can claim their 1/6 products are worth $125 or so (thinking about some of their Joes) when HT can produce something much nicer (such as Platoon) for only a slight bit more is more difficult for me to wrap my head around. In that sense, it seems that Hot Toys is actually giving folks a better deal than a comparably legitimate, global company. But I'm guessing being based in the U.S. creates a whole different series of expenses that have to be accounted for there.

 

[SHOCK-Advised!]

Now, how Sideshow can claim their 1/6 products are worth $125 or so (thinking about some of their Joes) when HT can produce something much nicer (such as Platoon) for only a slight bit more is more difficult for me to wrap my head around. In that sense, it seems that Hot Toys is actually giving folks a better deal than a comparably legitimate, global company. But I'm guessing being based in the U.S. creates a whole different series of expenses that have to be accounted for there.

Nothing against unions, but, I wonder if SSC employs union members? Then again, aren't SSC's figures coming from China?

 

[FLOSI]

I'm sure licensing is expensive, but there are other costs, as well. Administrative overhead when you have a bigger company, with staff that requires more pay and better benefits. Better customer service, and probably more spent on quality control (whether or not that contributes to a better product is another issue, of course). Then there is marketing, and money spent on building long-term relationships with various distributors around the world. They probably also have nicer office buildings, fancier packaging, more money is spent on creating newer and fancier bodies to meet the needs of the product (whereas I figure unlicensed stuff frequently goes with a standard, stock body that doesn't change around too much).

This is all complete speculation of course, but I can imagine there being inherent costs to any major, legitimate company producing collectibles that justify the high cost.

Now, how Sideshow can claim their 1/6 products are worth $125 or so (thinking about some of their Joes) when HT can produce something much nicer (such as Platoon) for only a slight bit more is more difficult for me to wrap my head around. In that sense, it seems that Hot Toys is actually giving folks a better deal than a comparably legitimate, global company. But I'm guessing being based in the U.S. creates a whole different series of expenses that have to be accounted for there.

Not to derail but the Platoon v. GI Joe comparison does make me wonder... I've pretty much stopped buying Joes because I just don't enjoy them as much as I did initially. They're very nice SS figures, but for $25 more I can get a standard HT figure which is far superior. Duke was the last figure I bought and while he was cool I just wasn't blown away.

Anyway... I started writing more about HT being an established company v. some new upstart and the differences between the two but who really cares. In the end we all just want better fogures for a lower price.

 

[karamazov80]

I was gonna pass on Beachhead in lieu of Taylor, because the quality between the two is so significant, while price is comparable. But nostalgia ended up winning out over good sense in that case.

 

[SHOCK-Advised!]

I don't have this figure yet--I can see that AF's HS is done well, but is the body any good as compared to SSCs?

 

[cokebabies]

For those swapping out the body with a TT, which ones are you using? I have a spare narrow, and didn't know if that might be too non-bulky (awkward phrasing) for Frank.

 

[Natrix]

Mine is on a TT narrow right now since the shoulder broke on the AF body, doesn't bother me. The upper body looked about the same size as the AF body.

 

[Vaako]

ordered mine today

 

[lobox42]

For those swapping out the body with a TT, which ones are you using? I have a spare narrow, and didn't know if that might be too non-bulky (awkward phrasing) for Frank.

I have mine with the HTTTAdvance, for me looks good!!
https://

 

[BrooklynWolf X]

my ONLY gripe with this fig is that...he's a bit too tall. he's almost as tall as war machine.

granted this isn't from HT so the scale might not meld too well, but other than that, this thing is HT quality all the way.

on that note, flosi, if i remember correctly, when HT started, their figs were priced around $80 and up. it wasn't until they started getting more ambitious and went for licensed products.

as long as they keep their figs priced under $200, i think all is fine.

yes, they can be a bit cheaper, but i think what we're getting from HT is worth the price.

punisher on the other hand, is an UN-licensed product. it just so happens to have a kick ass headsculpt with a fantastic outfit and accs.

besides, i haven't heard of the company that made this. if they charged HT prices, i'd have thought twice about purchasing it. selling cheap with great production value, if this is AF's way of building up a reputation, that can mean only one thing, they're setting themselves up as another competitor in the 1/6th ring.

as much as i love HT, they NEED competition, otherwise they'll become VERY arrogant and that $200 price point doesn't seem too far fetched.

anyhow, i want to pick up another one for my brother. just too good to pass up, along with the price point, it DEFINITELY shouldn't be passed up.

 

[lobox42]

My friend if you saw the movie the actor Ray S. is tall!! I use the pegs from HT T-800 2 for make my Punisher tall...and looks freaking GOOD!!!