Official EB X M: Pirates of the Caribbean On Stranger Tides Jack Sparrow

[Vortex]

Enterbay and Medicom have to be working out of cardboard boxes, how are they even in business? I'm going to forget about the HT version for a sec. and just say this figure is ass for $300. I wouldn't spend $100 on this POS.

hell..
I wouldn't display it if i won it.

 

[Rorywan]

Is that not stating the obvious though guys?
Everyone knows HT is the clear 'winner' with both quality and price. That's because they mass manufacture ona larger scale than EB. But they have their own strengths too, their headsculpts and production paint is generally of a higher quality than HT. Anyone who owns their figures will know this. They are a smaller company and therefore have higher overheads. But both EB and Medicom still produce some amazing releases. Head over to the Medi Gremlins thread, the Medi Star Wars droids thread, the EB scarface thread, the EB 1/4 scale T2 thread, the EB Elvis thread etc etc. The problem EB has is price and poor QC, they have never targeted the mass market like HT has. So comparing every released to HT isn't really logical.

I just wish HT would look after their own QC and timing and stop trying to squash EB, the more manufacturers in the market the better for us. If you don't like it or can't afford their prices, fair enough.
It's just a pity that most EB threads turn into "Hot Toys are better"?
Take the post above mine "I wouldn't even display it if I won it" that's just silly talk.
You have your DX? Great (I have two) but no need to piss on this because you like yours do much. It's all a bit playground isn't it?

Just my 2 cents.

 

[Gipetto0812]

^^
Well said, Rory

 

[noisetrigger]

Being a dealer who sells both HT and EB, I can say that EB DID have better paint job than HT...........like three years ago. But once HT overtook them, EB never did quite catch on again.

Being a dealer who sells Medicom too, Medicom is still stuck in the early 21st century. They never did improved their technique. If you breakdown their figure you could see that they are still using old ways and old materials to make their figure.

HT and even EB are constantly experimenting with new techniques and materials to make better products.

I am starting to think that EB might be producing their stuff at the Medi factory (since EB lost their factory some time ago) and no wonder the final product suck cause no Medi product ever look like it's even close to the final product.

I think EB is making great strides in doing figures that HT isn't doing but they really need to stop this UU crap with Medi. It's making the figure crazy expensive and EB don't get to sell it in HK. What's the point of the partnership?

 

[Rorywan]

What's being a dealer got to do with anything mate?
We are all familiar with their products. And I don't agree about failing EB headsculpts in last few years, look at T2, Scarface, BL smiling sculpt, Leon etc.
Whilst you need to look at Medi Gizmo, Medi droids, Medi fett, probably the best work they have done in years.

I agree about the UU stuff, the prices are ridiculous, personally I think this a response to HT's bully boy tactics though. Smaller companies banding together.

 

[Vortex]

No Rory, i stand by my statement. I wouldn't display this if i won it. When considering the price tag for such rubbish the figure is an insult. I don't have hate for figures outside of HT like others, i welcome the competition. Blitzway for example, is an exciting company as far a price/performance goes. These guys here though haven't got a clue. $300 for this is beyond insane regardless of competition. That's just my opinion man but if it makes you (and others) happy then by all means enjoy it.

 

[Terminator_Fan_Game]

Well said rory! IMO EBs only problem is their higher price and poor QC.
I think their sculpts are slightly better than HTs in most cases and their paint is kinda better too IMO. I hate all these "HTs are better" or "I'll wait for HTs to make it" posts in every EB thread too.

This is coming from someone who has almost 30 HTs and just 1 EB(I did have all the EB Bruce Lees at one point though) so Im no EB "fanboy".

 

[Jokes & Bats]

We need some pics!!!!!

 

[BlitzOUT]

Enterbays partnership with Medicom is a dead end. They are better off without each other.

 

[HTfreak2012]

what i don't understand is how can both HT & Enterbay have the same license? I remember before when Mcfarlane had the license for the Friday the 13th, Nightmare on Elm Street & Texas chainsaw franchises. Then NECA got them & then MEZCO. But I do not remember any of them being able to release anything once the other company had the license.

 

[CelticPredator]

Those companies had the MASTER LICENSE. Which means they can make anything and everything in that universe at any scale they want, and anything they want to. Props, toys, cups, anything.

Some companies get a license to make certain products, like 1/6 scale figures, or 6 inch figures, or swag. They can't make anything but those.

NECA had the master license to Pirates back in 2003-2004ish. When DMC came out, Zizzle also had the master license. But they could only make 4" figures, and 1/6 scale stuff.

Then they both lost it to Playmates.

 

[Monger]

Even the idea that Medicom hasn't improved at all is absurd. They try to maintain a similar style through all their anime releases so that you can properly display their stuff together, but that does not mean the quality has not went up. For one thing their bodies have improved a lot over the last ten years, but just take a look at their Jojo's Bizarre Adventure lineup and it becomes apparent that everything has improved significantly. Those figures look exactly like their manga counterparts and feature excellent articulation. Hell the Dio figure is a marvel of its own. He stands incredibly tall (probably one of the tallest 1/6 figure humans though he is a vampire) and is extremely articulated. He also comes with two distinct headsculpts that cover two different hair styles and very different expressions. He then comes with multiple sets of knives etc.. he's a very complete package. To top it all off the Dio runs on his own modified muscle body that makes him look buff as he should. Their Jotaro has wiring inside his jacket to allow for nice posability, and it works better than their Piccolo that did the same.

Then there is the Darker Than Black Hei as another example. Just compare releases like this to their Crows x Worst figures and it is pretty obvious that Medicom has had a huge jump in quality over the last five or so years. Their Crows figures (the ones based off the manga and Worst manga) feature limited articulation, not so well tailored "leather" outfits (which you can compare to the excellent Hei coat), and these terrible head neck things that just rest on top of the neck.

Yeah their prices are still high, but aside from Ultimate Unison they are consistent and if anything people overrate their prices as the figures are not that bad for the Japanese market, whereas the price ends up soaring here where the dollar sucks and the yen is strong. A basic 1/8 - 1/7 PVC non posable statue runs for something like 60-100 dollars these days. They are very expensive and yet they really aren't that high of quality. A Medicom figure might run around 120-160 and yet it is fully posable and such.

If anything the only thing Medicom still needs to work on is accessories and their terrible stands. They need to embrace a Hot Toys or Enterbay-like stand. Those work much better. As for the accessories, it often times isn't their fault. A lot of anime characters really don't have much on them to make accessories. You can tell they tried with the Jojo lineup though. They include even the most obscure of stuff with those.

I get so tired of people constantly tearing apart Medicom when it's obvious that no one can do anime figures quite like them. Their style works best when doing anime figures and the more realistic Hot Toys and the more completionist Enterbay can't really quite do that. Seriously why does Enterbay and Medicom especially get special treatment when people complain about things? Someone has part of the body on an Akira figure break from Medicom and they start complaining and mouthing off how terrible Medicom figures are and how they are so dated, but when Hot Toys figures from two years back start melting people just say it was a bad mistake? How can you do that? Enterbay has bad QC problems? Indeed, but don't act like Iron Man Mark VI never happened. Remember good old Captain America? Seriously people need to stop acting like Hot Toys is somehow above these two companies. If anything they have more manpower and resources and yet still make the same amount of mistakes if not more due to their huge mass production. Just imagine how many figures out there produced by them have melted. I can guarantee you if far outnumbers the amount of Enterbay figures that have had QC problems.

All three of these companies have their specialties and that's exactly why all three still exist right now and are still constantly pumping out figures, Medicom especially.

 

[Rorywan]

But, I guess the main thing to remember is that we the customer are better off with existence of both Medi and EB, and hopefully Blitzway. More choice more licenses. I don't understand the mentality that seems to pervade these boards sometimes. You decide with figure you want, from the company you want. You get it, no need to rip apart the versions you didn't buy? You have already spoken with your cash. Knocking an EB release doesn't make the HT release standing on your desk anymore special. The more the merrier I say.

 

[COSMOSTARX]

What do you expect? This forum is 99% Hot Toys cack riding without thought.

Ten faulty Hot Toys in hand, nobody cares.

One faulty Enterbay or Medicom in hand, all hell breaks loose.

This set's too pricey. Did whats his face get it in hand yet? I only wish the head on this was smirking more. Both this and the HT head doesn't give enough of that snide cunning smile.

 

[shadowfla]

walki talkie sparrow???? naaaaah

 

[Rorywan]

walki talkie sparrow???? naaaaah

Thanks for that enlightening and insightful addition to our conversation Shadowfla. Since when did you take up trollin?

 

[MaulFan]

But, I guess the main thing to remember is that we the customer are better off with existence of both Medi and EB, and hopefully Blitzway. More choice more licenses. I don't understand the mentality that seems to pervade these boards sometimes. You decide with figure you want, from the company you want. You get it, no need to rip apart the versions you didn't buy? You have already spoken with your cash. Knocking an EB release doesn't make the HT release standing on your desk anymore special. The more the merrier I say.

Because the hobby and forum are changing tone, the childish fun of it is fading and even toys are becoming a status symbol. Whether they'll admit it or not, many people here now treat this stuff like a status symbol and fight with others and put collectors and collectibles down for "inferiority". It's sickening to me and I am glad I still have friends to talk to who collect like me.

Given the price and unlikelihood of this figure ever being extremely discounted, I'll never own this Jack, but I has nothing to do with who makes it. I wanted a great Sparrow in my collection, HT happened to suit my tastes more, but I was open to this figure. If HT hadn't done a Jack I'd begetting this, but as is, my budget only allows for one.

That said, I love the character and I love collecting so I still desire to discuss this figure, but I like to think I balance praise and critique well on this and have also been vocal about issues on the HT figure as it too has flaws.

 

[Rorywan]

Because the hobby and forum are changing tone, the childish fun of it is fading and even toys are becoming a status symbol. Whether they'll admit it or not, many people here now treat this stuff like a status symbol and fight with others and put collectors and collectibles down for "inferiority". It's sickening to me and I am glad I still have friends to talk to who collect like me.

Given the price and unlikelihood of this figure ever being extremely discounted, I'll never own this Jack, but I has nothing to do with who makes it. I wanted a great Sparrow in my collection, HT happened to suit my tastes more, but I was open to this figure. If HT hadn't done a Jack I'd begetting this, but as is, my budget only allows for one.

That said, I love the character and I love collecting so I still desire to discuss this figure, but I like to think I balance praise and critique well on this and have also been vocal about issues on the HT figure as it too has flaws.

Excellent post MaulFan, and exactly my feelings on this subject as well.

 

[darthviper107]

I don't really think there is as much of an advantage for this market to have several companies competing to improve quality.

If Medicom and Enterbay were to go away, and Hot Toys were to increase their prices, then there would get a point where people wouldn't buy their figures. It's not like a monopoly case where people are forced to go with the only choice. If Hot Toys were charging the same prices as Medicom I wouldn't buy their figures.

 

[COSMOSTARX]

I think another reason for pricing is that aside from Hot Toys, they don't really re-release or re-issue products as often or at all.

Basically to me it seems like they acquire the license and push X amount of stuff out for this price to make a profit and move onto other stuff.