ok 12" then, not 10". my bad.
those preds 2ups(i'll show more pics in a sec) absolutely kick ht's attempts. just pulverize them, imho. if neca choose to enter the 12" market with those 2ups, then ht should start to worry everytime they want to do a pred.
neca's 18" pred cost $90. and i thought it was painted quite well despite the plastic being molded in color. so how much would a 12" pred, FULLY PAINTED(not molded in color), would cost? less than $90, you think? more than $90? if a $90 18" is possible, then a 2up like that for a price way below ht's offer is entirely possible!
Not really. The paint apps on the 1/4 P1 are good, but they're nowhere near the two-ups or Hot Toys' production pieces (which, for now, we'll say are on the same playing field because they're both equally spectacular).
Even if NECA did 1/6 Predator figures, they'll have to cost way more than the 1/4 to look like the prototypes. Size is a definite factor, but paint and QC are the aspects of toy manufacturing that actually require labor, therefore improvements in those departments will most-likely cost the most.
The same, consistently high-quality and detailed approach to every single piece in the line? That'd run you about the same (maybe a
little less) than a typical Hot Toys figure.
NECA could easily live off the money they get from high-end collectors like those of us on SSF who can already afford HT and the like, but doing so would alienate their low-end fanbase. Sure, common sense dictates they could dabble in both markets and come out fine in the end, but it seems common sense is sometimes lost with them. For instance, why is it taking so long to get a 1/4 P2 Elder when the base figure is essentially the same as P1?
If NECA lived up to their full potential, we'd have absolute perfection and I'd make it a point to buy every single Lost Hunter they made. After all, HT now prices their Predators in the $200-$225 range. NECA would only have to go up to $150 or so to achieve quality similar to that of the two-ups, since they lack the more-complex articulated bodies, fabric parts, electronic features, bases, and fancy packaging that HT is known for.
I'm seriously hoping tankman or someone from NECA tries to appeal to Randy on this one, because the fact is they have a huge internet following that is well-aware of their sculpting prowess and unfortunate shoddy paint apps. This is, for the most part, a high-end collectibles board and it represents a mere fraction of all the high-end collectors out there. Would we be willing to pay $150 for a NECA figure if it looked like the two-ups?
Yep, in a heartbeat.
I know I'm preaching to the choir for the millionth time (we all are), but the company doesn't have to abandon production of its smaller figures either! It can put out both and sell the high-end stuff exclusively online. They could even advertise the high-end line (maybe call it the "deluxe series" or something like that) on the back of the smaller figures, so if low-end buyers (who might have a fatter wallet than they care to admit) read the ad, they might change their mind and go the online route instead. Everyone goes home happy, both groups are satisfied, and the company even has the chance of some low-end fans bleeding into their high-end market, earning them more revenue.
Could anyone from NECA (tankman, perhaps) forward this to a certain someone?
I'm a huge Hot Toys fan, it's obvious. Their latest excellence and NECA's latest meh-ness are the reasons why I'm getting out of NECA entirely (save for their 1/4 line, but a two-up series like I proposed above would be
miles better). I can recognize that NECA has an extremely good card up their sleeve by the name of Kyle Windrix, and it's a shame for them not to play it in the best-possible way. I'll gladly buy from both if this happens. You can never have too much Predator, after all. HT knows this, and I'm thinking NECA should too.
With the factory's big 'ole finger poking at Neca/SS's chest saying, "What are you going to do about it!?"
They correct that $h!t on the latest figures but then the paint took a step backwards. You can't seem to win. One way or another theres some annoyance.
