Big Chief Studios James Bond Series

[pjam]

I'm very much looking forward to the Gerry Anderson figures based on the most recent Spring fair.These are characters I have known and loved since I was a small boy(I'm 52 now)and you appear to have smacked them out of the park.They will probably be your defining work for me,and I will happily buy everything you make from these shows.Hope Parker and Penelope get their beloved FAB 1 as well!I know it's the wrong thread but I just wanted to throw a little light into the shade.

Hope they do Supercar.

 

[kam veitch]

Especially this thread in particular tbh which is such a shame because there is genuine some really good people who offer criticisms and not just utter made up rubbish and stating things as fact.

What should I do to have a replacement? Do I have to contact Big Chief directly with pics or should I contact my local distributor?

 

[spindrift]

Hope they do Supercar.

STINGRAY!

 

[DVD1]

I’m getting my absolute must have: Captain Scarlet.
Also, totally blown away when I saw Network doing the series on Blu-ray. Volume 1 was stunning, and Volume 2 is in a post office somewhere waiting for New Year holiday to finish.
The shelf that I’m working on is 60s icons.
Currently, the Goldfinger trio, the Trek trio from QMx with Khan, and Batman & Robin from HT. All looking pretty great together.
I’m expecting the two Tracy brothers next month hopefully, then Captain Scarlet at some point,
The 1st Doctor is a dilemma, as I like him where he is (with the other Doctors), but I might add him into that 60s shelf.

Really enjoying these releases,

 

[Rogerbee]

I think HT has a lot to answer for really. They were, as far as I know, the first company where, eventually, the vast majority of their output had a 3 figure price tag. Those that could afford them bought them in their droves and they became the byword that we know now.

However, with raised prices came raised expectations, often falsely raised by superbly shot promo images of one off prototype figures painted by just one man. The factory, no matter how big can't match that prototype, and neither should anyone expect it to. Smaller outfits like Star Ace and BCS simply can't afford to produce stuff the way HT can and neither should they. Other companies should always be judged on THEIR OWN MERITS, and not constantly pitted against HT.

BCS haven't been in the game very long, so you just can't expect them to suddenly match HT. Look back at what HT's early figures were like. That is where BCS are now, starting out, finding their feet. If you bought the figure and you're not happy, politely tell them why. If you didn't buy it, butt out, it's not your figure so it's not your issue! Give BCS and their actual customers time to work things out. Enjoy what you enjoy!

 

[shells075]

I think HT has a lot to answer for really. They were, as far as I know, the first company where, eventually, the vast majority of their output had a 3 figure price tag. Those that could afford them bought them in their droves and they became the byword that we know now.

However, with raised prices came raised expectations, often falsely raised by superbly shot promo images of one off prototype figures painted by just one man. The factory, no matter how big can't match that prototype, and neither should anyone expect it to. Smaller outfits like Star Ace and BCS simply can't afford to produce stuff the way HT can and neither should they. Other companies should always be judged on THEIR OWN MERITS, and not constantly pitted against HT.

BCS haven't been in the game very long, so you just can't expect them to suddenly match HT. Look back at what HT's early figures were like. That is where BCS are now, starting out, finding their feet. If you bought the figure and you're not happy, politely tell them why. If you didn't buy it, butt out, it's not your figure so it's not your issue! Give BCS and their actual customers time to work things out. Enjoy what you enjoy!

I take your point about BCS not being able to match HT quality. HT are the Ferrari of Action figs, BCS are the Fiat, having said that, HT are more entitled to charge Ferrari prices, unfortunately BCS the Fiat of Action Figs are also charging Ferrari prices.

For example the new HT Neo will cost me £155 over at KG Hobby, Moore Bond will cost me £210. So in fact the Fiat of Action figures are charging Bugatti Veyron money.

Maybe HT can keep their costs down more then BCS but at the end of the day your getting charged a lot more money for an inferior product when you compare it to the other market leaders in the field.

 

[spindrift]

I take your point about BCS not being able to match HT quality. HT are the Ferrari of Action figs, BCS are the Fiat, having said that, HT are more entitled to charge Ferrari prices, unfortunately BCS the Fiat of Action Figs are also charging Ferrari prices.

For example the new HT Neo will cost me £155 over at KG Hobby, Moore Bond will cost me £210. So in fact the Fiat of Action figures are charging Bugatti Veyron money.

Maybe HT can keep their costs down more then BCS but at the end of the day your getting charged a lot more money for an inferior product when you compare it to the other market leaders in the field.

Agreed- I read lots of excuses- an excuse isn't saving me money. I'm not saying don't buy the Bond figures- that is each person's choice. If you are happy for what you get that's great.
Excuses to justify something are all good but this is a consumer product.

 

[sj2106]

I take your point about BCS not being able to match HT quality. HT are the Ferrari of Action figs, BCS are the Fiat, having said that, HT are more entitled to charge Ferrari prices, unfortunately BCS the Fiat of Action Figs are also charging Ferrari prices.

For example the new HT Neo will cost me £155 over at KG Hobby, Moore Bond will cost me £210. So in fact the Fiat of Action figures are charging Bugatti Veyron money.

Maybe HT can keep their costs down more then BCS but at the end of the day your getting charged a lot more money for an inferior product when you compare it to the other market leaders in the field.

That comparison is a little unfair. Hot Toys are undoubtedly still kings but Ferrari to Fiat is a pretty big exaggeration. The sculpts on these Bond figures I would say are better some of HT recent efforts such as Doc Brown, BvS Wonder Woman and some of the JL prototypes. In terms of paint application, tailoring and the bodies used obviously HT are a way ahead but the difference in resources is also vast.

Neo from KG Hobby is more like £180 after postage and you are forgetting we don't pay import taxes when ordering with them. Not that I am judging, i get most of my figures from KG Hobby, just saying that price comparison isn't really fair. Cheapest I've seen Neo from a UK retailer(with the VAT included we have to pay with any UK retailer) is £213. So maybe BCS figures are priced a little high given the difference in overall quality but £210 for Moore Bond doesn't feel outrageous to me.

 

[thecapn]

From what I understand from talking to a friend in the "biz," Hot Toys has a LOT of clout, and they're not afraid to use their name and money to get what they want. Reminds me a bit of Microsoft, or Apple, or the U.S. Gov't. So that's gotta have a factor here. Big Chief is a much smaller company who don't have a big presence in China. They don't have a name that could make or break you. So they don't get the same level of respect. And they may not be able to negotiate as well with the manufacturers. People in the industry aren't going to break their backs for them. Yet, maybe, or maybe never without a bigger Asian presence.

I said it before, but I think the problem with Big Chief's price point is that the money IS there...it's just not allocated correctly. No one cares much about their stands. Or their fancy packaging (which still causes nose rubs, making it not fulfill it's basic functionality). The body is nice and tight, with no breakage that I've heard of, but it's not designed well. The clothes are tailored well to fit that body, which isn't the clothes' fault. They have increased paint ops on things like fingernails while skimping on the buttons on the suit.

I am still of the belief that there's a lot of good here, more so than bad, and I'm enjoying Connery more and more. I have no problem with constructive criticism - I did that above - but a lot of it in this thread is just bashing for the sake of bashing. Some say Big Chief should never have gotten the license. Are people forgetting that everyone else gave up on the license because of how hard EON was being? If I recall, Barbara Broccoli said that there would never be another Bond figure EVER because she thought it enforced the ideas of violence or something? Big Chief pushed for that license and put in a lot of hard work to get something to us that we thought was impossible. Are they the best 1/6 manufacturer out there right now? Nah. But they definitely are trying to put out a quality product, and I respect that.

Does that mean we should be happy and not complain? Of course not. But bashing doesn't help anything...

 

[superado]

Though not perfect, I'M pretty happy about my BCS Connery. Wish I can one day have Odd Job and Goldfinger. Here's more lemonade making from my "lemon" Connery, this time taken indoors with the help of a flat screen TV and some images from Google:

 

[thecapn]

Is that the 1:8 scale DB5? How does he look standing next to it? That's some ingenuity right there in those pics!

 

[superado]

Is that the 1:8 scale DB5? How does he look standing next to it? That's some ingenuity right there in those pics!

Thanks! Though the flat screen method has its own challenges, it's much easier to control than outdoor shots, like the one I took last week at the beach. It's a 1/6 scale DB5, made from wood. A friend of mine, who sadly is now deceased, commissioned it for me in the Philippines based on a 1/18th scale diecast I sent over to him. It is what it is and not really up to the standards of Hot Toys or Blitzway vehicles, hence my using it more for a background to my Bond figures.

 

[thecapn]

Thanks! Though the flat screen method has its own challenges, it's much easier to control than outdoor shots, like the one I took last week at the beach. It's a 1/6 scale DB5, made from wood. A friend of mine, who sadly is now deceased, commissioned it for me in the Philippines based on a 1/18th scale diecast I sent over to him. It is what it is and not really up to the standards of Hot Toys or Blitzway vehicles, hence my using it more for a background to my Bond figures.

Wow, fully custom! I'd love to see more pics of it!

 

[ymba]

Here is my DB 5 :0

 

[superado]

Wow, fully custom! I'd love to see more pics of it!

Thanks, I'll try to do the one below eventually. I have the outfit more or less but need to make some passable golf shoes:

 

[superado]

View attachment 393245View attachment 393246
View attachment 393247

Here is my DB 5 :0

I'd like to get one of those, I hope, I hope, I hope! Eaglemoss is selling a fully assembled one for around US$2,000 I think! From almost 2 decades ago, my mahogany DB5 cost me $600, but I would have opted for the Eaglemoss version had I known it was going to be made even though it's not the same scale as my Bond figures.

It would certainly go with this Pierce Brosnan vinyl statue in 1/9th scale by Dragon Models, which I happen to have:

 

[gido]

From what I understand from talking to a friend in the "biz," Hot Toys has a LOT of clout, and they're not afraid to use their name and money to get what they want. Reminds me a bit of Microsoft, or Apple, or the U.S. Gov't. So that's gotta have a factor here. Big Chief is a much smaller company who don't have a big presence in China. They don't have a name that could make or break you. So they don't get the same level of respect. And they may not be able to negotiate as well with the manufacturers. People in the industry aren't going to break their backs for them. Yet, maybe, or maybe never without a bigger Asian presence.

I said it before, but I think the problem with Big Chief's price point is that the money IS there...it's just not allocated correctly. No one cares much about their stands. Or their fancy packaging (which still causes nose rubs, making it not fulfill it's basic functionality). The body is nice and tight, with no breakage that I've heard of, but it's not designed well. The clothes are tailored well to fit that body, which isn't the clothes' fault. They have increased paint ops on things like fingernails while skimping on the buttons on the suit.

I am still of the belief that there's a lot of good here, more so than bad, and I'm enjoying Connery more and more. I have no problem with constructive criticism - I did that above - but a lot of it in this thread is just bashing for the sake of bashing. Some say Big Chief should never have gotten the license. Are people forgetting that everyone else gave up on the license because of how hard EON was being? If I recall, Barbara Broccoli said that there would never be another Bond figure EVER because she thought it enforced the ideas of violence or something? Big Chief pushed for that license and put in a lot of hard work to get something to us that we thought was impossible. Are they the best 1/6 manufacturer out there right now? Nah. But they definitely are trying to put out a quality product, and I respect that.

Does that mean we should be happy and not complain? Of course not. But bashing doesn't help anything...

Absolutely agree!

Sent from my HUAWEI VNS-L21 using Tapatalk

 

[DioramaMaker]

HT are mass not limited so the huge numbers they the factory for manufacturing takes priority. Not all HT figures are made in the same factory. We are looking at working with the factory on improving our eyes. HT eyes are the best on the market we know how they make them but due to the huge scrap rate doing any figure other than mass is sadly not even possible so we have to find other solutions to achieve this. So five to seven people on here are completely correct and the thousands of people who own these products are wrong? Have you or do you own any of the figures on here? Because you seem to be vocal about our stuff, especially if you don’t own anything?

Greg, thanks for coming in here and chatting - not too many companies do that anymore and I see why. You and Asmus both stick it out and regardless of the situations that's pretty solid.

I don't have much to add on the matter as I'm not in on this round of Bond product (been with you for Dr. Who, though) - but I am very interested in what you say here with HT's eyes - how exactly are they done? From what I understand you to say there's a high fail rate on them, which unless exceptionally high numbers are made makes it too hard for small companies to achieve. Are they some form of decal or advanced printing tech, and how does that compare to how yours are done? I find that process fascinating and would love to hear more on it, if you have a second.

 

[illproxy]

the crap bodies with loose out of box joints is wht stopped me buyin BCS. just got silly. felt like rag dolls all jittery in hand, did not like that considering the price paid. love for doc who or in this case bond cant help that sour feel at all.

that has been my customer experience so far. if yours differs more power to ya, enjoy.

 

[Hobby-Galaxy]

But they definitely are trying to put out a quality product...

Agreed with most said, just not sure about this.