I don’t think HT should apologize. They don’t owe us anything and they are not forcing us to spend our hard earned money on their products.
Like you mentioned, they are not custom figs. If I don’t like the sculpt, I cancel. If you are unsure about a sculpt, don’t pre-order... wait until you see in-hand reviews.
I fortunately have never had to do it, but I also heard retailers like Sideshow usually replaces defective parts or entire figs for you.
$300 per fig is too much? Find another hobby. I’m not rich nor am I trying to be crass, but we have choices. Stop this “we are entitled to” mentality. We deserve our opinions to be heard so that corrections can be made, but we are not owed anything.
Disclaimer - I don’t work for Hot Toys.
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Can understand your point of view but -
1) IMO it's bad business for any primarily online retailer to solicit orders with a view of a product - even at shows - and then replace with a lesser product. So that's not feeling entitled. That's expecting a reasonable facsimile of the sample presented to you. If I purchase an IM who is supposed to light up and he doesn't, then I didn't get what I paid for.
If I pre-order based on a given sculpt and paint job, then that's what I should receive - a production piece where every effort has been made to match the prototype. Especially from a company whose own description is:
Masterfully crafted based on the portrayal of Sebastian Stan as Bucky Barnes in the movie, the movie-accurate collectible figure features a newly developed head with striking likeness, a finely tailored tactic suit...
E.g. I certainly feel I'm owed a pretty good copy of the sample I based my purchase on. It's not like HT has a disclaimer "BTW, we reserve the right to change the sculpt at the last minute for no reason whatsoever, deliver flat amateur paint jobs, cheap wiring, dyes that stain, and too bad if you can't pose your Spiderman without permanent creases and Gamora's arms rip open, 'coz we own the 1/6 Marvel and DC licenses
, and you'll take what we put out and like it, u peasants.
"
2) For myself, it's probable I am shifting gears re the hobby. Partly as the MCU shifts, but also I keep my figs, except for an emergency. I know they were never developed to last - I think someone estimated a probable 10-year lifespan for an HT fig, depending. For myself tho except for the occasional *spectacular* piece (like the DX Jack Sparrow) IMO $300 is getting too high for the return and the kind of materials HT uses.
There are already companies that do as good or better with costumes. HT among other things is known for its paint and eye work - unbeatable at their best for production work. If that production work is being cut back (like the seam in IW Cap head) then yeah, I'm gonna re-think things.
, the way they did with Hela (tho IMO she could have used a second sculpt).
