New Collector Here Few Questions?

[Hawk]

Hey guys sorry if this is a thread you see all the time. I am happy to poke through the forum and read some FAQs if I am pointed in the right direction.

I am new to figure collecting. My first exposure to Sideshow Hot Toys was selling a couple of my friends for him when he needed some cash. on my eBay. Needless to say they were some SS HT figures I couldn't have been any less interested in.

Recently I had seen a couple of reviews on Star Wars Black Edition figures on a YT channel that I like that was totally unrelated and kinda drifted over to SSs website again only to be awed by some of the figures they produce.

I am a large video game collector but really never realized some of the figures these days were so nice. I am used to seeing the really low end Walmart stuff.

I am just new to the whole figure game, I have a few Play Arts Kai figures and other assorted things but nothing as nice as a SS HT. I also have collected alot of the large 10 series Lego kits. I almost jumped at the 3A Metal Gear Rex a few years back but didnt have the cash or room at the time.

Right now I am looking at maybe the Boba Fett 1/6 Scale (I see its sold out so I guess I might have to try ebay) but also see the new premium format one coming out but it doesn't seem as posable? So am kinda in between. On those.

Also I would like to get an Iron Man, I am looking at the MK 42 Diecast but am looking at a couple others still. I am finding it hard looking at ebay if they are out of stock as it seems there are multiple versions of alot of these figures. So I am finding it hard to make sure its the same thing.

Also on a side note do the figures tend to keep their value within reason? I am new to this hobby and video games have treated me very well collecting over the years gaining value. I just don't know enough about these that if I bought a few at several hundred a piece in a few years if they are worth way less I would probably be kinda bummed.

Are there any other brands I should look at for figures? My Play Arts Kais have been good but not great. So I am intrested in some other brands maybe. I build alot of Gundam Figures aswell as those used to satisfy my Model/Figure needs.

I just would like a few quality pieces for my collection. I bought some MR stuff years back and since then have kinda not seen anything to get excited about until now. And nothing is worse than getting crap figures feels like just a waste of $ to me.

Thanks for any tips!

 

[potato]

There's a Hot Toys 1/4 Boba Fett coming out.

 

[Lejuan]

Pretty sure there's a re-release or second batch of the SS 1/6 Boba coming out, I thought it was due December sometime. Hot Toys has the license to produce Star Wars figures and has been releasing a few OT characters - I'd be surprised if they didn't bring out a 1/6 Boba as well as the 1/4 they're doing.

Check out the Marvel section to follow the discussion Iron Man.

Hot Toys and other high end figures tend to keep their value. Few fall below MSRP on resale, but it depends when you sell. Right now for example you're unlikely to get your money back on '66 Batman and Robin, but in a couple of years you likely will. Some figures command an after-market price well beyond their initial MSRP.

There are a stack of 1/6 companies around that feed various parts of the market - film & TV, military, historical etc. Hang around the forum for a short time and you'll get the feel for who does what.

Be patient, do your research to avoid regret-buys.

Welcome to the forum Hawk

 

[Movie-Figures]

Hey Hawk

First off, welcome to the forums.

Premium Format Figures are statues and I think all are 1/4 scale so 18" tall or thereabouts. It is confusing, but there you go. The key thing to look out for is action figure generally means articulated whereas plain old figure can be anything. Some statues have alternate, posed pieces that you can swap over like the Darth Vader Mythos statue for example. On that you can swap the arm so he can be with or without lightsaber. If you go for statues, then you tend to get larger pieces for your money that are nicely detailed and not joints are showing. But you can't pose them aside from what I said above. That said it's hard to be disappointed when you get a statue that looks like:



But it sounds like you're interested in action figures more. There, the top brand is Hot Toys who make a good range of figures that are pricey, but excellent quality. They also hold their value very well so long as you keep the original box and brown shipper. Some go up in price. Enterbay do some excellent figures too, but a much smaller range. Sideshow also do some action figures which are nice, but in my opinion not quite as nice as Hot Toys. All however kick Play Arts' butt

The Iron Man Mark 42 diecast is an awesome figure. I reviewed him recently and he is top class. You can see my vid review here. It's a really long review, but he's quite an investment. Worth it IMO. I'd go with this guy first and see what you think. He is one of the best figures made so far, in my opinion. My only minor gripe is there is no global control to easily put all lights on it one go. But that is pretty minor. I can't see where you're based, but I guess US. But if you're UK we can supply you with one, carefully shipped. I highly doubt you'll be disappointed with this figure!

Of course though, budget may be an issue. Hot Toys figures all cost around £180 to £250 for 1/6 scale or around £350 for 1/4 scale (much smaller range in the latter scale). They aren't cheap. But they do look pretty freaking cool! In terms of scale 1/6 is around 12 inches in height. So bigger than the star wars black edition which are 7.5". This means you need more space to display them. But you can see more detail and get much more articulation. And Hot Toys vs Star Wars black is a big difference in quality and realism. If you are a big star wars fan, then to date Sideshow have the nicest range of Star Wars action figures. Check out the upcoming Han Solo Hoth:



For action figures, there isn't much else competing with the brands we've discussed. If you go statues then there are some nice brands with differing scales and finishes like Attakus, Blitzway, Kotobukiya and Weta. But again, Sideshow are the premium brand in statues with the biggest range and best licences.

However I suggest you collect stuff you like because you adore it and want to admire it for a long time. Don't worry about it being an investment so much. Think 'do I love that enough to keep forever?' If yes, then get it and enjoy. If no, then don't get it! Of course you can always change your mind and sell later if you want and if you stick with the likes of Hot Toys, you shouldn't lose a great deal so long as you take care of them. But try not to buy on a whim. Take your time.

Depending on whether you want to buy new or used, it may be worth your time trying to find a local dealer to you who can show you some figures and point out some great pieces. We do that in the UK for a number of new collectors. Happy to help you if you're in the UK, but of course remotely there's only so much I can offer!

 

[Hawk]

Thanks for all the kind words from everyone so far! Ya I am in the US.

Thanks for the review that was very helpful! Watching your Boba Fett review made it even worse haha!

Thanks for the heads up about the Sideshow being different than Hot Toys I would have never noticed. I definitely lean towards action figures that can be posed in different ways. I like some of the Static looking figures but it would drive me nuts if I couldn't change the pose every once in awhile.

I really hope they do another press of the Boba Fett 1/6th! If I PO from SS on the wait list am I charged then or only if they get more when it ships?

The new Vader and that Batman armory are really slick too. Might start with the MK 42 and go from there.

Thanks for all the help so far!

 

[Movie-Figures]

You're welcome.

I think with SS you're not charged until it ships. Been a while since I done a pre-order with them though.

But yeah, take your time and go for the MK42 first and see what you think. Tis a top figure. What a great figure to start your collection with!

Thanks for all the kind words from everyone so far! Ya I am in the US.

Thanks for the review that was very helpful! Watching your Boba Fett review made it even worse haha!

Thanks for the heads up about the Sideshow being different than Hot Toys I would have never noticed. I definitely lean towards action figures that can be posed in different ways. I like some of the Static looking figures but it would drive me nuts if I couldn't change the pose every once in awhile.

I really hope they do another press of the Boba Fett 1/6th! If I PO from SS on the wait list am I charged then or only if they get more when it ships?

The new Vader and that Batman armory are really slick too. Might start with the MK 42 and go from there.

Thanks for all the help so far!

 

[Lejuan]

Yup, SSC don't charge until shipping time.

 

[Lonniehyman]

Where's Victoria the gfe

 

[Hawk]

Alright I will try and get on the list for Boba Fett hopefully they have some more come up or left over.

 

[avirup1978]

Hi Everyone,

Does anyone know who I can contact to Order Highly Detailed Customized 1:6 scale figures of my favorite Actors and Actresses. Who and How can I contact IMINIME and RAINMAN I couldn't find any of their websites or contact info. anywhere. Please help. Also open for any suggetions on other Customizing companies who deal with this type of work. Thank you once again.

Avi Datta