Beware the Recaster(s)

[carbo-fation]

Another type of person you should be aware of.....is a certain buyer on here that likes to buy something from you, then want a refund, report you to Paypal to try and get a refund before they send it back to you, then only send half of the items back to you and the other half is damaged. Then after I send all kinds of documents to Paypal, they still pretty much get their way by scamming you....only sending back certain items and not the other. Well......I'm tired of getting scammed. I may get booted from this forum, but I'm tired of getting ripped off for hundreds of dollars. They know who they are, and a couple of mods do too. I won't mention any names, but beware of people like this. I contacted by bank to dispute the charge from Paypal, and they stopped it. This person is still on the forum btw. Just as bad as a chickens*** recaster.

What's the point of this post if you won't name names?

 

[Punishment1218]

What's the point of this post if you won't name names?

Because I like being on this forum.........and I'm not looking for an excuse for a mod to boot me off.

 

[thenammagazine]

Well, ever since the originals have been discontinued he can charge whatever he wants. Its pretty much the only way to get the stuff anymore.

If you want it that bad, save up and commission an artist to do it. That's a lame attempt at justifying buying recasts.

Another type of person you should be aware of.....is a certain buyer on here that likes to buy something from you, then want a refund, report you to Paypal to try and get a refund before they send it back to you, then only send half of the items back to you and the other half is damaged. Then after I send all kinds of documents to Paypal, they still pretty much get their way by scamming you....only sending back certain items and not the other. Well......I'm tired of getting scammed. I may get booted from this forum, but I'm tired of getting ripped off for hundreds of dollars. They know who they are, and a couple of mods do too. I won't mention any names, but beware of people like this. I contacted by bank to dispute the charge from Paypal, and they stopped it. This person is still on the forum btw. Just as bad as a chickens*** recaster.

Kinda irrelevant to the thread and even moreso that no names were mentioned.

 

[Ironman1188]

If you want it that bad, save up and commission an artist to do it. That's a lame attempt at justifying buying recasts.

Not justifying recasting but, thats is part of the appeal of getting a sculpt that has been recast.
Sculptor "A" sculpts oh, say... Adam West. Said sculptor charges $65 per sculpt and limits it to only 20 heads. That head sells out and you missed out. The recaster gets his/her hands on one, recasts it and offers it for $25. You suggest commissioning someone, possibly even the very same sculptor "A" to sculpt Adam West and to pay a couple hundred dollars? Very few folks would do that, whether its right or wrong.
Its not an attempt to justify what recasters do, but some of the sculptors themselves make what the recasters do seem necessary. Why make limited runs, and decline the business of those who want your work, basically turning them over to the recasters and giving any potential profit away?
I can neither sculpt or cast so I'm at everyone's mercy. And with the exception of guys like "Diver4" on ebay I don't know for sure who a lot of the guys who recast are.
You may not be buying from the sculptor but how can you tell if you're buying from the person who commissioned a certain sculpt or not?

 

[thenammagazine]

Not justifying recasting but, thats is part of the appeal of getting a sculpt that has been recast.
Sculptor "A" sculpts oh, say... Adam West. Said sculptor charges $65 per sculpt and limits it to only 20 heads. That head sells out and you missed out. The recaster gets his/her hands on one, recasts it and offers it for $25. You suggest commissioning someone, possibly even the very same sculptor "A" to sculpt Adam West and to pay a couple hundred dollars? Very few folks would do that, whether its right or wrong.
Its not an attempt to justify what recasters do, but some of the sculptors themselves make what the recasters do seem necessary. Why make limited runs, and decline the business of those who want your work, basically turning them over to the recasters and giving any potential profit away?
I can neither sculpt or cast so I'm at everyone's mercy. And with the exception of guys like "Diver4" on ebay I don't know for sure who a lot of the guys who recast are.
You may not be buying from the sculptor but how can you tell if you're buying from the person who commissioned a certain sculpt or not?

If you can't afford to commission the sculpt, or dedicate the time and effort to create a list to get it done (or redone), then maybe you shouldn't have the figure. I'll never understand this entitlement mentality of, "I don't care if they paid for it. I can't afford it but I deserve it too!" That's the mentality that's ****ing up this country.

As for identifying a sculpt vs. a recast, this forum is an excellent resource for figuring out what's real and what isn't.

 

[ShadowX81]

If you can't afford to commission the sculpt, or dedicate the time and effort to create a list to get it done (or redone), then maybe you shouldn't have the figure. I'll never understand this entitlement mentality of, "I don't care if they paid for it. I can't afford it but I deserve it too!" That's the mentality that's ****ing up this country.

As for identifying a sculpt vs. a recast, this forum is an excellent resource for figuring out what's real and what isn't.

Its not about getting something for nothing. Its about the fact that recasters are sometimes literally your only practical means of getting a discontinued head.

And paying hundreds of dollars to commission your own sculpt is a ridiculously impractical alternative. Thats like scolding someone for downloading a pirated copy of a rare movie by telling them that if they had wanted to watch it then they should have paid a production company to film a remake.

Personally ive never bought a recast and don't intend to. In my opinion it is essentially the equivilant of plagarism. But I just don't think its the bane of humanity like some people on here do.

 

[Ironman1188]

If you can't afford to commission the sculpt, or dedicate the time and effort to create a list to get it done (or redone), then maybe you shouldn't have the figure. I'll never understand this entitlement mentality of, "I don't care if they paid for it. I can't afford it but I deserve it too!"

.

So, by your thinking, if someone could have afforded the offered, limited $65 sculpt that was offered in the first place, but missed out and can't afford a few hundred dollars to commission that very same head then they aren't entitled to have it? That's rather elitest of you.
Wouldn't it just be better for everyone if the sculptors didn't limit their sculpts? And maybe not charge such high prices? Certainly they should be compensated for their work, but more availability and better pricing would be a start at negating the "need" for recasters.

 

[thenammagazine]

Its not about getting something for nothing. Its about the fact that recasters are sometimes literally your only practical means of getting a discontinued head.

And paying hundreds of dollars to commission your own sculpt is a ridiculously impractical alternative. Thats like scolding someone for downloading a pirated copy of a rare movie by telling them that if they had wanted to watch it then they should have paid a production company to film a remake.

Personally ive never bought a recast and don't intend to. In my opinion it is essentially the equivilant of plagarism. But I just don't think its the bane of humanity like some people on here do.

So, by your thinking, if someone could have afforded the offered, limited $65 sculpt that was offered in the first place, but missed out and can't afford a few hundred dollars to commission that very same head then they aren't entitled to have it? That's rather elitest of you.
Wouldn't it just be better for everyone if the sculptors didn't limit their sculpts? And maybe not charge such high prices? Certainly they should be compensated for their work, but more availability and better pricing would be a start at negating the "need" for recasters.

Because it's too hard to create an interest list, get people involved who want a head but missed out on a first offering, and find an artist who's willing?

Instead, you guys are using procrastination, laziness and a lack of cash to justify a cancer that's ruining this hobby.

 

[ShadowX81]

And you're presenting a wildly impractical and signifigantly more expensive alternative as a solution to a negligable moral failing.

Especially when the results of the tremendous investment would be a giant question mark.

 

[Ironman1188]

Again, why commission another sculptor to sculpt what was already done to your liking. Offer more and don't exclude potential buyers. No procrastination, no laziness and the only lack of cash would possibly be the extra hundreds you suggest one should spend to resculpt what was already done.

 

[tbay]

I don't agree with recasting, but I absolutely have an issue with anyone who supports that crooked cop q or babygq14 as he's known on eBay. Recasting and buying from recasters is debatable (again i think its wrong, but this debate has been raging on for years with no middleground it seems) but supporting a guy that has threatened another member of our community to the point that he left the forums is inexcusable. There's no justification for supporting q or babygq14. I usually don't talk in black and white terms, but that guy is a bad person, plain and simple.

 

[Ironman1188]

That is something we can agree on.

 

[Lejuan]

May I ask what happened?

Trevor put the call out in that thread that he suspected that Q was recasting his stuff, as well as using Trevor's photographs in his ebay listings. Q got all blustery about it - he publicly denied it but sent Trevor some messages - Trevor didn't reveal the content of the messages except to say that they were getting threatening and nasty. Next thing we know Trevor is pulling up shop. What was said between them can only be speculated on, but what is beyond doubt is that Trevor left the board because of Q's actions. I haven't checked Q's listings for a while, but he was definitely using Trevor's sculpts to recast, and Trevor's images to promote them. Whatever one thinks about the ethics of recasting, Q is a prick. I would love a Trevor Dexter or RM Dude... but my collection will go without Q's recasts so I don't have to be reminded of him and his douchery every time I look at my shelf.

 

[tbay]

That is something we can agree on.

Trevor put the call out in that thread that he suspected that Q was recasting his stuff, as well as using Trevor's photographs in his ebay listings. Q got all blustery about it - he publicly denied it but sent Trevor some messages - Trevor didn't reveal the content of the messages except to say that they were getting threatening and nasty. Next thing we know Trevor is pulling up shop. What was said between them can only be speculated on, but what is beyond doubt is that Trevor left the board because of Q's actions. I haven't checked Q's listings for a while, but he was definitely using Trevor's sculpts to recast, and Trevor's images to promote them. Whatever one thinks about the ethics of recasting, Q is a prick. I would love a Trevor Dexter or RM Dude... but my collection will go without Q's recasts so I don't have to be reminded of him and his douchery every time I look at my shelf.

 

[tinister]

Recasting doesn't really require any talent. Sculpting and refining an original HS from scratch - on the other hand - takes and incredible amount of time and skill and patience. Not to mention all the reference research involved.

So to try to justify supporting recasts by arguing that original pieces are too expensive - or released in too few numbers; is a little insulting in my opinion. Both to the artists producing the heads - and to the hobby.

The cost of an original piece reflects the amount of effort and talent going into producing that piece. You either agree that the end result is worth what the artist is asking for it (and you buy); or you don't think it is worth it and you pass.

 

[thenammagazine]

And you're presenting a wildly impractical and signifigantly more expensive alternative as a solution to a negligable moral failing.

Especially when the results of the tremendous investment would be a giant question mark.

Most group commissions run about $50-$75 a head. If that's "wildly impractical and significantly more expensive" then perhaps you need to reconsider your fiscal priorities.

 

[PopCultKid]

I don't agree with recasting, but I absolutely have an issue with anyone who supports that crooked cop q or babygq14 as he's known on eBay. Recasting and buying from recasters is debatable (again i think its wrong, but this debate has been raging on for years with no middleground it seems) but supporting a guy that has threatened another member of our community to the point that he left the forums is inexcusable. There's no justification for supporting q or babygq14. I usually don't talk in black and white terms, but that guy is a bad person, plain and simple.

Recasting doesn't really require any talent. Sculpting and refining an original HS from scratch - on the other hand - takes and incredible amount of time and skill and patience. Not to mention all the reference research involved.

So to try to justify supporting recasts by arguing that original pieces are too expensive - or released in too few numbers; is a little insulting in my opinion. Both to the artists producing the heads - and to the hobby.

The cost of an original piece reflects the amount of effort and talent going into producing that piece. You either agree that the end result is worth what the artist is asking for it (and you buy); or you don't think it is worth it and you pass.

I'm in this camp and you guys took the words right out of my mouth. A recaster is nothing but a thief and to me some of the lowest forms of life on this planet are thieves and liars.

I have no artistic skill but I empathize with the artists on this matter. Many of the customizers on this board are people that I follow, support and some I consider friends. So recasters are stealing from either buddies of mine or people who do work that I admire.

F off scumbag recaster thieves!

 

[drdandalek]

Another type of person you should be aware of.....is a certain buyer on here that likes to buy something from you, then want a refund, report you to Paypal to try and get a refund before they send it back to you, then only send half of the items back to you and the other half is damaged. Then after I send all kinds of documents to Paypal, they still pretty much get their way by scamming you....only sending back certain items and not the other. Well......I'm tired of getting scammed. I may get booted from this forum, but I'm tired of getting ripped off for hundreds of dollars. They know who they are, and a couple of mods do too. I won't mention any names, but beware of people like this. I contacted by bank to dispute the charge from Paypal, and they stopped it. This person is still on the forum btw. Just as bad as a chickens*** recaster.

If it's a transaction through the forum, you could contact darklord Dave. He's really good to help out if he can.

 

[The Danger]

Another type of person you should be aware of.....is a certain buyer on here that likes to buy something from you, then want a refund, report you to Paypal to try and get a refund before they send it back to you, then only send half of the items back to you and the other half is damaged. Then after I send all kinds of documents to Paypal, they still pretty much get their way by scamming you....only sending back certain items and not the other. Well......I'm tired of getting scammed. I may get booted from this forum, but I'm tired of getting ripped off for hundreds of dollars. They know who they are, and a couple of mods do too. I won't mention any names, but beware of people like this. I contacted by bank to dispute the charge from Paypal, and they stopped it. This person is still on the forum btw. Just as bad as a chickens*** recaster.

Isn't this enough information to be able to post a name? Even if not for suspected recasting, but for plain trading issues? This kind of behaviour is sketchy and unfair, and people should be warned before trading or selling to someone with this questionable history. Sending items back broken alludes to recasting as the product may have been damaged in the molding process. Do some research before name-dropping, like address and location, links to other suspected recasters, and other stuff like this, then maybe post a warning about the member.

 

[Punishment1218]

Isn't this enough information to be able to post a name? Even if not for suspected recasting, but for plain trading issues? This kind of behaviour is sketchy and unfair, and people should be warned before trading or selling to someone with this questionable history. Sending items back broken alludes to recasting as the product may have been damaged in the molding process. Do some research before name-dropping, like address and location, links to other suspected recasters, and other stuff like this, then maybe post a warning about the member.

Im working with a Mod as we speak regarding this issue. When its all said and done, I'll talk about who it was.