Packaging Feedback

[SideshowQ]

Hi all,

I figured I'd do some informal market research. What is your favorite Sideshow package and why? What's your least favorite and why? No mention of twist ties... as a collector myself, I'm not a big fan. Looking forward to hearing your opinions!

Q

 

[dstephan]

I have to say I love the new Premium packaging. Not just the foam in place of styrofoam, but the outer sleeve being transparent and showing the printed box beneath. I don't know why but it just seems so much classier than the old solid sleeve over a plain black box.

 

[pitchin4eva]

Got it on order but not received it yet but I've heard good things about the star wars packaging & IMO the foam is better than styrofoam

 

[Oxbeard]

I'll have to second Dave on this one as well. The new packaging with the PF Luke is just unbelievable. And I included the remailer box as well, the styrofoam corners surrounding the boxed figure inside the out shipping box is a huge plus. Then the presentation of the artwork on the box is amazing and the icing on the cake is the foam inner packing. Absolutely a work of art in itself.


While I have only been collecting SS merchandise for about 4 years, I have to say the only packing I have been somewhat disappointed with (aside from twisties ) is The Dead packaging. I know I praised it in the other thread. While I loved the artwork, color, and I still can't get over the biohazard stickers, but it was a little disappointing not to have the flip panel on the front to allow you to see the figure without actually having to break the seals and open the package.

 

[jlcmsu]

On what few 12" figures I've gotten from SS I like the whole window/book like opening they have. The graphics are always cool as is any kind of a backstory. My faves are the LOTR boxes the graphics on those are great as is the backstory on the reverse side. Also the way the foam inside keeps that polystone smell fresh is really nice

 

[Psycho Cenobite]

Got it on order but not received it yet but I've heard good things about the star wars packaging & IMO the foam is better than styrofoam

I've not had any Sideshow foam packed items but will do when my Vader and Obi come in. I also think foam is better.

If all items came with foam, then you could colapse to cardbord box so it's flat and then squish the foam into a small bag.

This would make box storage a lot easier. At the moment, you can colapse the cardbord box but you can't do much with the styrofoam - so you might as well store your boxes with the styrofoam inside and errect... ... sorry!

Psycho Cenobite :evil

 

[Sideshow Gun]

Have to also back-up Dave & Ox's comments so far. I love the new Star Wars PF packaging. The box design and artwork are 1st class, and the foam inner packing was an inspired move. I was so happy to see the styrofoam corners when I received Luke as this was the one thing I thought was sorely missing on the LotR packaging.

 

[elwood49]

Yeah, the SW 1/4 boxes are by far the best I've seen. The slipcover is very beautiful and elegant. It almost feels like a special edition DVD or something similar when you slide the cover off.

I will sound like a broken record, but the foam and the styrofoam corners are genius. I bet that breakages on Luke are almost non-existant. I've always hated how all those white pieces of styrofoam get everywhere, and I have to vacuum them up when I'm packing/unpacking my statues. Great job on SW!

 

[Buttmunch]

As a 1/6 scale only collector, I would have to say the Dead packaging is one of the best. I also love the Universal Monsters packaging. I was a bit disapointed with the London After Midnight and Nosferatu packaging (no fifth panel, no poster, etc.). They just seem very different from the others. Since I also open my figures, it isn't a big deal. I do keep all of the boxes though because they are so great

The Black Knight and other Monty Python packaging was hillarious

 

[rentu]

howdy all had to finally register when i saw the topic

personally i love the 5th panel boxes and i can't comment on the 1/4 scale as they are out of my budget. However the dead box w/ the biohazard stickers was a bit of a downer. While i like the package as a whole peeling stickers for 20 min trying not to damage the box was a big pain.

 

[DarkShadowCollectibles]

The new 1/4 scale boxes and foam is much better then before. There would appear to be less breakage on them. As a dealer I was able to inspect the Luke 1/4s much easier then the other 1/4s.

The 12" boxes have always been good and easy to check the figure (love the graphics on them).

Finally the LOTR boxes are nicely done and have been for the entire line. The foam can be a pain sometimes with breaking from the weight of the statue (thinking Gandalf the Grey).

 

[screamingmetal]

I'm pretty sure this question is about the graphics on the front of the boxes not the way they're packed.
I don't have many out right now in front of me but I liked the Hellboy box art. Mainly Kroenen, Abe Sapien and Nazi Kroenen. It's always better to have poster art then a picture of the actor or the prototype figure. I also really liked the box art on the Universal monsters and the James Bond boxes (once again posters).
I too was frustrated by the Armoury style slip cover with stickers on The Dead box too. I hated not being able to see the figure inside. If it didn't have stickers, it would've'e been a lot better But I still prefer the fifth panel window style box. The bloody hand print on the inside window was cool effect.
The packaging I like the least (of what I have in front of me) is Der Kinestood, I didn't like the weird blurring of the head on the front, but I love the Der K. drawings on the back.

-One thing I like on the packaging is a detailed description of the item inside like on the X-Files and Van Hellsing boxes.

-If there was a choice (as I know there sometimes isn't) I'd prefer the actor's pictures on the cover more so then a picture of the figure. I also like the screen caps on the back of the box as well as pictures and accompanying description of the accessories as on the Bond boxes.
I'd also like more graphics on the inside cover if possible, I have the Lazenby Bond box here and it's a little sparse on the inside of the front cover with the cast text.

The new Ultimate Hellboy was ok, the Dragon style inside cover accessory packaging work well, the stickers came off without tearing the paper, and the plastic that slipped under the cover wasn't hard to remove with too much damage. but the cover did feel a little too flimsy to me.

One last thing, if it's possible please stop using the cut tray sleeve method to secure the accessories to the packaging, I hate cutting the packaging to remove them, and I hate to break the accessories trying to remove them. It hasn't happened yet, but sometimes it looks like they are about to break.
But for the most part, I think the packaging art on Sideshow's boxes is second to none.

 

[lcummins]

Well, I'll be a broken record and join in with the rest by saying the PF Luke packaging is fantastic! I am especially grateful for the foam instead of the brittle styrofoam. I have never liked the styrofoam package, as it breaks apart much too easy, seems to sometimes be the actual cause of damage instead of preventing it, and is difficult to remove from the box on large packages. As for least favorite packaging (I love most all of Sideshow's packages as far as graphics and such) the hands down winner would be the Connery 1/4 scale! That sleeve was so tight that people were resorting to cutting the thing off! Don't do that again!! And as some have mentioned, I really liked the graphic design of The Dead box, but was disappointed by the missing opening flap to view the figure.

 

[creecher]

I am virtually re-iterating what has been said.

The older boxes were the pits, Buffy, Young Frankenstein, Patsy, Vampyre. You had to wreck the box in order to open the glued flap. They couldn't be stacked too high, either, without the window buckling under the weight. The accessories, being held by glued clear plastic, meant further dessicration of the packaging. I'm glad they eventually moved to the five panel window box, and further that they seem to have moved forward again, judging by Screamingmetals description of the Ultimate Hellboys packaging. Dragon don't need to use twisties, and that is great for those like me that rotate their display. If Sideshow have moved to that style, then my critique has virtually been nulified.

My favourite boxes graphically are of course the Universal Monsters, I really like the Outer Limits boxes as well. Being they were a black and white series, the use of the green tinging on the outside as well as the inside, where the figure lies, looks really super cool. The amount of information provided on these was quite abundant. Production notes, cast, credits, overview, pics from the episode. Simply superb.

I like the gloss better than the matt, as used on the Six Guns and Van Helsing boxes. It just looks classier to me. The use of 3D on the Monty Python boxes, the mud on the dead collector, the blood on the Black Knight, the windows on Tim the Enchanter, not 3D so much as the clever use of matt and gloss perhaps.

 

[dstephan]

Of the 1/6 boxes I much prefer the movie poster boxes like Universal and Bond. I especially like the different style posters of the same movie are used for different characters. As a movie poster collector it really adds a little something extra to the item.

I would also prefer the actor for box art on things like Buffy, although I can imagine that you can't get hi res photos of many of them and that may be why you use pics of the figure.

 

[FrankenFan]

The Outer Limits and Twilight Zone boxes are my favorites. The graphic design expertly conveys the spirit of each series and, as Creecher points out, the meticulously researched editorial content further distinguishes the package for the collector and fan.

In that regard, I guess I'm most disappointed in the Universal Monsters and Buffy boxes. Considering the wealth of information available on both licenses, the editorial content is a bit light.

 

[dstephan]

the editorial content is a bit light.

What, there's something you don't know about the monsters that could be on the box?

 

[Buttmunch]

 

[Zoomaround]

I purchased a few Classic Monsters for my 11 year old nephew. He wasn't too interested in the classic horror film until I gave him the Monsters.. I believe the editorial content may have peaked his interest...

 

[FrankenFan]

What, there's something you don't know about the monsters that could be on the box?

Absolutely! It's not like I have Poelzig's encyclopedic knowledge of the genre.

The movie poster motif for the Unis is nice but, some additional background on the films that inspired the figures would be a nice plus.

The TZ an OL boxes are like the record albums of the 60s and 70s: In addition to the vinyl, there were all these cool extras to enjoy that enhanced the listening experience.