Chris Howes' Sculptural Creations

[Something Sexy]

I am a new member here so please be gentle if I screw up. I saw his auctions on ebay and was thinking about getting them, luckily I did a search for him and found this forum along with the onesixthwarriors one.

I have spent the past couple of days reading all of this and all I can say is WOW and thanks for preventing me from spending my hard earned money on something I may or may not have received.....

I was looking at some of the figures you guys have made and they are amazing and awe inspiring, hopefully some day I can make one that is a fraction as good as the figures I have seen here.....

Good luck to all in this situation and thanks again.....

Well apparently if you buy it off ebay you will receive it instantly.

 

[King Darkness]

Well apparently if you buy it off ebay you will receive it instantly.

I was waiting for someone to say that

 

[p!tu]

Well apparently if you buy it off ebay you will receive it instantly.

 

[SpawnFan]

I'll just cut and paste Progs email

I might do that too.

 

[costumeball]

I know this whole situation is compelling and interesting, but it seems to me some of you are just looking for something to get mad about, especially those of you without any orders from Howes.

 

[Darth Waller]

Well, sent my first email to Chris in a while. This is the first one demanding action. I'm sure it will be ignored but I made it clear that his ignoring me will definately trigger a formal complaint which I will certainly file.

"Dear Chris,

Please send my River Tam headsculpt immediately to the below address. I no longer require it to be painted and would just like this transaction to conclude. If the head is not available to be sent, please immediately send a money order refunding the funds to the same address below or a paypal refund to this email address.

Please respond to this email immediately with your decision. If I do not receive a personal response with a proposed resolution within 2 weeks I will be filing an internet fraud complaint with your local authorities. I write this letter with knowledge that other refund requests have been ignored, and will consider any disregard to my email as a deliberate attempt to avoid your fiduciary responsibility.

Waiting your reply,

Eric"

You should include this with your next letter:

 

[Ironman1188]

I am a new member here so please be gentle if I screw up. I saw his auctions on ebay and was thinking about getting them, luckily I did a search for him and found this forum along with the onesixthwarriors one.

I have spent the past couple of days reading all of this and all I can say is WOW and thanks for preventing me from spending my hard earned money on something I may or may not have received.....

I was looking at some of the figures you guys have made and they are amazing and awe inspiring, hopefully some day I can make one that is a fraction as good as the figures I have seen here.....

Good luck to all in this situation and thanks again.....

Welcome, raider. Peruse thru the forum and you will find many reputable dealers and customizers. This particular "seller" is against the norm of the forum, and most other forums I've frequented.

I know this whole situation is compelling and interesting, but it seems to me some of you are just looking for something to get mad about, especially those of you without any orders from Howes.

I would hardly say that anyone need look for something to get angry about where howes lack of production, updates and/or communication are involved.

 

[costumeball]

If it were really as bad as some are making it out to be, why wouldn't EVERYONE on Howes' lists be here frothing at the mouth?

I'm just saying, I see how this can all be very enticing and entertaining for people to want to get involved. The more scandalous, the better, right? It's why tabloids sell.

But if someone like me with like $200 or whatever tied up in work from Howes can be chill and is willing to give someone the benefit of the doubt, I don't see why those who haven't even bought a dime's worth of merch should be chiming in.

I know, I know, looking out for their fellow collectors, blah blah blah. Well, I for one don't need the protection, but thanks anyway.

 

[mosaicsquare]

who are the ones who haven't bought anything from him?... i hate how this keeps coming up.

 

[Ironman1188]

If it were really as bad as some are making it out to be, why wouldn't EVERYONE on Howes' lists be here frothing at the mouth?

I'm just saying, I see how this can all be very enticing and entertaining for people to want to get involved. The more scandalous, the better, right? It's why tabloids sell.

But if someone like me with like $200 or whatever tied up in work from Howes can be chill and is willing to give someone the benefit of the doubt, I don't see why those who haven't even bought a dime's worth of merch should be chiming in.

I know, I know, looking out for their fellow collectors, blah blah blah. Well, I for one don't need the protection, but thanks anyway.

No offense, but I think P.T. Barnum summed it up best...

 

[ProgMatinee]

so costumeball, will you tell us your personal deadline? are you prepared to go 8 months, 1 year, 2 years longer before you go "frothing at the mouth"?

 

[Ironman1188]

who are the ones who haven't bought anything from him?... i hate how this keeps coming up.

I hadn't sent him any money for anything yet. And now am glad. I was waiting on how several of the sculpts came out before commiting. I guess to some that means I don't get an opinion.

 

[mosaicsquare]

Well to be fair you didn't pay for anything. What complaints do you have?

 

[Ironman1188]

Well to be fair you didn't pay for anything. What complaints do you have?

For starters that I'll probably never see the Aliens Gormans sculpt that he was supposed to be working on. I doubt the Trek heads will ever be completed. The Summer Glau sculpts are who knows where? Its as I've said before and in other threads. I was willing to wait until the sculpts were finished to decide which to buy going by the likenesses. I wasn't interested in his "advance discount" that sucked in all the money the other's are out. Therefore I am out several heads that I was hoping to add to my collection and he cut himself off from who knows how much money from people that would have bought decent looking sculpts that were completed.
And, whether he's sitting on my money or just everyone elses it does not excuse his inaction, lack of communication, terrible excuses and shoddy business practices.

 

[icruise]

If it were really as bad as some are making it out to be, why wouldn't EVERYONE on Howes' lists be here frothing at the mouth?

I would guess that many of the people not posting here may not be aware of the entire situation. A lot of the individual commission/interest threads have not been updated.

To be clear, it's not just the amount of time that has passed -- it's how Chris has treated us. No updates (or promises of updates that never materialize). No apologies for the lack of communication (instead we were chided for being impatient). Bizarre stories about being targeted by Russian scammers and recasters trying to ruin his life. And people who buy from him on ebay have been getting their heads in a week when the people originally funded the commissions have been waiting for months without getting anything. You don't think there's something a little screwy going on?

 

[costumeball]

No offense, but I think P.T. Barnum summed it up best...

So I'm a sucker? OK.

If I get my order within the next couple of weeks, will I still be a sucker?

OR, will I be a collector who took part in a group commission where EVERYONE agreed to pay UP FRONT for custom heads that (at the time, especially) were available nowhere else, created by a professional sculptor offering his services at a ridiculously reduced rate, with no promise that they would be available by any specific deadline, and with no promise that they would only be sold to us on the initial list, and with no promise that they would be prioritized over "real job" gigs?

Maybe that makes me a sucker, but with the exception of the captdan/diver thing which we haven't heard the full story on, none of this has been surprising to me. Well also, some of the sad displays of entitlement from some people, I didn't expect that either.

 

[ProgMatinee]

still would like to know when you'll give up on the order and get mad. seems to me you just can't be bothered with the reality. which is fine and will probably keep you from getting stressed, but means little to anyone else. if you're the type of person that is willing to wait until the end of time without complaining, I don't see how it can be used as a measuring stick of patience.

also, i'm sorry but lack of explanation on Chris' part doesn't get him scottfree of being at fault here.

basically you're saying "he never said he wouldn't rake us on the coals, so now that he's doing it you can't complain".

 

[icruise]

So I'm a sucker? OK.

If I get my order within the next couple of weeks, will I still be a sucker?

OR, will I be a collector who took part in a group commission where EVERYONE agreed to pay UP FRONT for custom heads that (at the time, especially) were available nowhere else, created by a professional sculptor offering his services at a ridiculously reduced rate, with no promise that they would be available by any specific deadline, and with no promise that they would only be sold to us on the initial list, and with no promise that they would be prioritized over "real job" gigs?

Maybe that makes me a sucker, but with the exception of the captdan/diver thing which we haven't heard the full story on, none of this has been surprising to me. Well also, some of the sad displays of entitlement from some people, I didn't expect that either.

Hi Chris!

 

[costumeball]

so costumeball, will you tell us your personal deadline? are you prepared to go 8 months, 1 year, 2 years longer before you go "frothing at the mouth"?

I'm sure I have an answer to that question.

I've been in pretty steady contact with Howes since the House commission started, first via PMs and later via e-mail after he instructed us to do so.

So for me, there aren't the same alarm bells that I feel a lot of other people seem to just be looking for.

Maybe they had unrealistic expectations.
Maybe they unwisely spent money they couldn't afford, or would like to have now, and can't get it back, so it's frustrating and compounding the situation artificially.

I don't know, I can't speak for anyone else.
But like I say, people are attracted to scandal.
It's all very EXCITING, isn't it?

 

[Ironman1188]

So I'm a sucker? OK.

If I get my order within the next couple of weeks, will I still be a sucker?

OR, will I be a collector who took part in a group commission where EVERYONE agreed to pay UP FRONT for custom heads that (at the time, especially) were available nowhere else, created by a professional sculptor offering his services at a ridiculously reduced rate, with no promise that they would be available by any specific deadline, and with no promise that they would only be sold to us on the initial list, and with no promise that they would be prioritized over "real job" gigs?

Maybe that makes me a sucker, but with the exception of the captdan/diver thing which we haven't heard the full story on, none of this has been surprising to me. Well also, some of the sad displays of entitlement from some people, I didn't expect that either.

No offense, but ANYONE who wants to pay $200 for something, sight unseen, wait months for it without any updates, apologies, communication from the sculptor except for stories of Russian spammers and recasters "targeting" him may very well fall into that category.