Hot Toys - DX16 / DX17 - The Phantom Menace - Darth Maul and Sith Speeder

[Wor-Gar]

Hahaha, that last part made me laugh out loud.

It's all about the ref.

 

[DarthBakura]

Ok, that's one I've never heard before.......

Just going by personal experiences. And I should stress “aren’t much more.”

 

[Wor-Gar]

Does the Sith control panel light up via LED like the Sith engine does on this Sith Speeder?

 

[SilverStar17]

Hot Toys, quite frankly, is overrated. Their QC issues aren’t much more tolerable than Sideshow’s. I’ve had pretty significant issues with the last five damn figures I’ve received.

In fact, the last time I actually had a good experience with a Hot Toys figure was when I got Dr. Strange.

At this point, Hot Toys is often only a step up from Star Ace and ThreeZero. Pretty soon even Asmus will be a better company. Their dedication is astounding. They actually listen and adapt. We’re STILL dealing with dye bleeding fabrics from Hot Toys, as well as that cheap ass “flakey” pleather ****. Absurd.

That’s a bummer. Sorry to hear that.

Out of the many HT figs I have, I luckily haven’t had too many QC issues with mine out of the box. The worst I can think of is a wobbly waist joint on ANH Solo; anything else has been extremely minor. Like someone mentioned, the only issue I have is the rising prices and their seemingly constant need to have to put a fat suit on everything. And I do concur that they should start bleeding these fabrics of excess dye before putting them on the figures.

 

[DarthBakura]

Oh, my ANH Han, Chewie, Leia, TFA Rey and Kylo are all aces.

Jyn Erso, Dr. Strange, MoS Supes, BvS Bats, DX01 Joker, DX12 Bats, TDKR Catwoman, GotG Groot, Rocket, Star Lord, Iron Man mk III diecast, CW Hawkeye, WS Black Widow, TDW Thor and Loki are also pretty well-rounded releases.

There’s about 19 that aren’t though. I’ve had either extreme grievances or terrible quality control issues. God, I’d puke if a figure like this had something go wrong.

 

[DarkChocobi]

I just started collecting Hot Toys 1/6 Star Wars from last year, current in hand have 8 Hot Toys and 2 SideShow, and couple of PO will be coming end of this year and next year.

My biggest QC issues with Hot Toys so far would be those Death Troopers which I have two, there were some kind of sticky glue on top of their heads and cannot be removed and ****** material for pistols holster...which I strongly believe not accpetable for $250 price tag. Anakin with bleeding cloak...

 

[subzro]

I just started collecting Hot Toys 1/6 Star Wars from last year, current in hand have 8 Hot Toys and 2 SideShow, and couple of PO will be coming end of this year and next year.

My biggest QC issues with Hot Toys so far would be those Death Troopers which I have two, there were some kind of sticky glue on top of their heads and cannot be removed and ****** material for pistols holster...which I strongly believe not accpetable for $250 price tag. Anakin with bleeding cloak...

I hope you got the heads on the DT replaced.

 

[asgardianboy]

First of all: do you thing guys the heads are neckless on this guy?
On with the quotes.

The second head should have been a grimacing head with clenched teeth like in the close-up shot when he's dueling Qui-Gon and Obi-wan.

You are damn right.
On one hand, there is HT being a blind and deaf giant. Future-proof companies are those willing to listen to their customer base, just like Asmus.
HT seems to ignore their whorshippers, with contempt! Another good example: phicen. In the end, when it is product-designing time, they might ignore us anyway, but at least they meticulously answer emails! You might laugh at me, but I have asked them several times for the following, and each time I have had what I was asking for:

1) Smaller-titted babes. (S??, can't remember the number)
2) Black people. (M36)
3) More extraterretrial options. (Purgatori)
4) Strong but realistic guys (not straight out of the gym, e.g. Jesse Ventura)

Each time they surprised me with exactly what I was asking for. Of course, it was not just because of me asking them, but maybe because other people needed the same for their customs... it has been 3 of 4, and I am waiting for the 4th, which I am fairly sure it is coming.

So yeah: we need companies that listen to us. And if it does not happen, we need make them listen by voicing our needs loud and clearly to them.

You’re not thinking bigger picture. One day, this hobby will outpace us all. Only the truly dedicated and the rich will be able to justify the prices then. Or the other scenario is, the bubble bursts and these companies go under because sales drop tremendously. BBTS still has a **** ton of Hot Toys they can’t sell. They even have a program for store credit to help unload some of it. So, I could see it going either way.


Exactly. What happened to questioning the status quo? Do people not do that anymore? I guess it’s just, “oh, you must be poor.” A fool and his money.

I have no idea whether that is true that certain HT stuff won't sell, but if it was, I ask: might it have to do with HT doing figs from forgettable movies nobody cares about any longer a few months after release? I am tired of seeing Rey figs on everybody's desks or detolfs, and so I ask myself: do these people really have such a deep bond with that character as the one I have with OT characters? Can it be even possible after only 3 years since TFA? If they don't, what will happen when the Next Big Thing hit? Sell Rey, buy the new thing? And after that? It makes absolutely no sense, and manufacturers know it. And when a business model makes no sense, the music might come to an end at any time, and real quick.

One should actually buy stuff from concepts that are really dear to oneself. I do a lot of things (Predator, Aliens, SW, LOTR, Military/Asia, Batman and comic, some Matrix, some manga). Everything I own goes a long way back into my childhood and early youth. I love it all, I'll never sell unless to upgrade or in financial trouble. And the time is nigh when I won't have to buy anything more, just upgrade some little something every now and them. I'll have reach an equilibrium of satisfaction.

Maybe people should reflect on this.

That’s true. Collectors do dictate the prices, to a point. Hence, the frustration at seeing how welcoming the steep incline of this overpriced plastic has become—“With thunderous applause.”

I guess more and more of us are going to have to take the hit on collectibles—barring must have releases—until eventually there are so many hold outs that the industry as a whole has no choice but to acknowledge it. That and over saturation.

At least there’s some recognition that these issues are getting nuts. I was beginning to think I was the one going nuts.

I intend to stop buying eventually. Only upgrading. Hope to jump out this train of insanity.
Stopping buying is one way to influence company decisions. For instance, if they see an income decrease, they might decide doubling their R+D efforts to cut on costs. If we happily shell out what they see fit to ask, they will never do that hard work. It is easier to just ask for more money, as long as people are ready to pay it......
But as somebody already said, who want to miss out? Only being selective, buying less, and sending emails to manufacturers (to make sure the understand the trend), might help.
AND then there is the Asian market. Somebody told me once that Europe and USA combined are a minor market when compared to Asia... Might be true and price creep might be explained buy those guys being crazy about figs and shelling out any amount to have the latest stuff....
Then, our stopping buying might do nothing at all......

Best,
m.

 

[DarthBakura]

I just started collecting Hot Toys 1/6 Star Wars from last year, current in hand have 8 Hot Toys and 2 SideShow, and couple of PO will be coming end of this year and next year.

My biggest QC issues with Hot Toys so far would be those Death Troopers which I have two, there were some kind of sticky glue on top of their heads and cannot be removed and ****** material for pistols holster...which I strongly believe not accpetable for $250 price tag. Anakin with bleeding cloak...

My last two issues have mostly been dye bleed. Anakin’s cloak just ****ing sucks ass in general though.

Then, there’s Jack Sparrow’s awful, awful hat. I bet even a blind monkey would be able to tell how off that mess was.

 

[Creighton]

My last two issues have mostly been dye bleed. Anakin’s cloak just ****ing sucks ass in general though.

Then, there’s Jack Sparrow’s awful, awful hat. I bet even a blind monkey would be able to tell how off that mess was.

Im in the same boat. Im seriously considering just streamlining my buying to just "must haves." (that means unloading some of my multiples of the same character) Im really sick of the QC. Ive had problems with the last 3 figures.
Now the price increases..

HT ANH Stormy was 199.99, remember those days?

 

[DarkChocobi]

..still better than being Ironman collectors

 

[subzro]

I have been really lucky. I have had about 140 figures and i have only a major issue with two. That was just a nonworking light on an IM figure and a Stark figure, SS sent me a new ones. Other problems have just been minor and fixed with a drop of glue.

I can only really complain about prices ($227 for a accessory pack!?). i have slowed down a lot over the last couple years. i have a good collection i don't need more.

Still undecided on this but i have time. I don't rush to order on the 1st day anymore.

 

[Creighton]

My "must haves" are Bespin Han, Palps, and maybe Maul. Hate to say it, but im probably going to stop collecting after those.

ESB Vader and DS Anakin QC will certianly be my deciding factors.

 

[IronPatriotFTW]

I actually really like the rage headsculpt. I can appreciate others wanting something different or more of what the movie offered, but I like the rage one better personally. Star Wars, and Maul especially, are not just the movie (s) to me, to me it’s the EU, and the canon tv series. If anything I think maybe people should be wanting a Third sculp more then hating the wonderful action sculpt. But we all have different tastes and that’s fine.

I own a few of these figures and while I don’t dislike the bland stare look they all have, but I would be appreciative of more sculpts like this in the future to go with the generic look ones.

I missed out on it, but the civil war cap had a great expression swap, I’m not sure how good it would look on a figure without a helmet to hide seams, but I thought it was a neat feature.

 

[yy0925]

Rewatched Episode 1 yesterday. Darth Maul has such a presence. That final lightsaber fight is epic! He is a must have!

But I think I will only go for the regular version. The speedbike, although awesome, has like one minute screen time and doesn't really justify the extra 100 € + for me...

By the way both KGHobby and XL Shop have them for preorder since yesterday.

 

[Doodlebob7]

Hot Toys, quite frankly, is overrated. Their QC issues aren’t much more tolerable than Sideshow’s. I’ve had pretty significant issues with the last five damn figures I’ve received.

In fact, the last time I actually had a good experience with a Hot Toys figure was when I got Dr. Strange.

At this point, Hot Toys is often only a step up from Star Ace and ThreeZero. Pretty soon even Asmus will be a better company. Their dedication is astounding. They actually listen and adapt. We’re STILL dealing with dye bleeding fabrics from Hot Toys, as well as that cheap ass “flakey” pleather ****. Absurd.

Which figures did you have problems with?

 

[DarthBakura]

..still better than being Ironman collectors

I really do feel bad for them. They are just eating those price tags now. And the Quality Control has to be an issue. Mostly concerning scuffs.

Which figures did you have problems with?

Too many to name. It was easier just to list off ones I didn’t have an issue with.

 

[Sweet Rabbit]

..still better than being Ironman collectors

 

[agonistes86]

I actually really like the rage headsculpt. I can appreciate others wanting something different or more of what the movie offered, but I like the rage one better personally. Star Wars, and Maul especially, are not just the movie (s) to me, to me it’s the EU, and the canon tv series. If anything I think maybe people should be wanting a Third sculp more then hating the wonderful action sculpt. But we all have different tastes and that’s fine.

I own a few of these figures and while I don’t dislike the bland stare look they all have, but I would be appreciative of more sculpts like this in the future to go with the generic look ones.

I missed out on it, but the civil war cap had a great expression swap, I’m not sure how good it would look on a figure without a helmet to hide seams, but I thought it was a neat feature.

In my case, my issue lies more in the execution of the second sculpt. I generally pose some of my figures "out of (movie) character" as well sometimes, so an open mouth sculpt can be cool for that, even if he didn't do it in the movie. However, I'm just not feeling the sculpt, and I agree with others that it almost looks likes he's laughing, which simply doesn't fit my vision of the character.

 

[slikkerias]

It’s a small thing, but I think adding the fresh tone highlight on the lower eyelid like Sideshow has would change perception of the HT head, Park always showed this so it’s part of the look and I believe a factor that’s making people feel like Sideshow has a better likeness to him.

Seeing the HT next to a photo of Park, the eye openings look sculpted right, but, because the strip of flesh tone is missing below, the wide-eyed illusion of Park in makeup is lost.

Exactly what I’m thinking. The flesh tone under his eyes makes the SS paint job so lifelike.