Sideshow ESB/ROTJ Darth Vader

[Wor-Gar]

Then another country, say India will step in a take Chinas place when they out price themselves

Let's go, India -- get in there, make us some cheapie dolls.

 

[jkno]

I do. These days, Sideshow is asking top dollar for their stuff, so I expect top quality. "Close enough" is only good enough when the price reflects the fact. Let's not forget what we're talking about here. This is not some obscure background character, this is Darth ****ing Vader. There is an enormous amount of reference material out there, and a number of people out there who are incredibly familiar with every aspect of Darth Vader's costume, so the final 1/6 product should reflect that. Do a 3D scan of original props, then there is no question the proportions are right. Hot Toy's exclusive item for Bespin Luke, the Vader head looks exponentially better than this, and it's half of a head. Why does this Vader look the way it does? Because people bought the ANH version, even with it's shortcomings, and because the Higher-ups at Sideshow know people will be satisfied with the same crap this time.

If Marmit managed to make a superb Stormtrooper in 2000 and they almost made a Vader too (and that Vader proto blows this Vader out of the water) why Sideshow cannot do it? It is really not that hard, but I guess their policy is: "make it how we want, the people will buy it anyway". And we are not talking here about a $10 Hasbro figure...

https://www1.odn.ne.jp/~cdt96010/marmit-vader.htm

 

[demorathis]

Don't know if anyone posted this info yet...
Vader has different materials used for the cloth components...tne done ands have are almost identical...almost.
Tne green"lighting" on the belt boxes are indeed painted to look as if they are glowing....to me the legs look short but maybe because im so used to the first ds' proportions...i was not terribly impressed ....but still an.improvement....

 

[demorathis]

Double post

 

[annihilate22]

Then another country, say India will step in a take Chinas place when they out price themselves

It's coming at some point. China has slowly unloaded our debt over the past years.

Makes you wonder what country will be next. India is possible, but I'm thinking one of the countries in South America.

Let's go, India -- get in there, make us some cheapie dolls.

They would never come to India, simply because India doesn't have the manufacturing capabilities China does. Also, FDI regulations are the major reason that foreign investors shy away. Go figure...

IMO it's either Indonesia or Philippines.

 

[DrQ2]

Yes, it does.

Thanks glad I waited.

 

[gibby]

They would never come to India, simply because India doesn't have the manufacturing capabilities China does. Also, FDI regulations are the major reason that foreign investors shy away. Go figure...

IMO it's either Indonesia or Philippines.

I wouldn't say never, as US companies continue to push for policy reform. You have a similar issue, though, with China in higher salaries turning people off. Companies want in, though, for the continued growth.

I agree that Indonesia and the Phillippines are both on the short list, but again, policies need to be changed, especially monetary.

 

[Too Much Garlic]

There is a fine line between caring about quality of what we pay for versus complete ____ retentive nutsness.

That's all fine if you don't care about the money you spend, but these are not cheap figure... I don't really care about them getting every stitch of the soft parts exactly right, nor the asymmetry of the hard parts, as long as they get the overall feel of the character right and for the most part, a too small dome and armor is just dropping the ball.

If I want to go all out in commenting on accuracy, then all I can see that is done right this time is the body shape - it looks proportionally better overall than the previous attempt. That's a nailed body shape and size. Everything else, just looks like they were referenced or made directly from the ANH figure... either to keep a sort of in-product-line consistency or they just didn't use better reference this time around - it's just not accurate. I can live with inaccuracies, but, not getting the HELMET right is just lazy. There are pictures, there are licensed casts, there are fan made casts, there's TONS of reference material that shows exactly how these things look along with measurements and everything.

If you are okay with blowing $200 on a figure where the general feeling was to re-use what was made for an earlier version, that's fine. I just don't have that kind of money to just throw around on something I know I'll not be satisfied with - when I pay that kind of money I don't want to have to upgrade anything.

And I can attest to the Marmit sculpt still being superior to this - and I only have an early prototype set of hard parts and not their later prototype look that was even better. If Sideshow cannot even beat Marmit's earliest attempts, let alone their near production prototype... then they've lost in my book.

 

[Darth Madden]

That's all fine if you don't care about the money you spend, but these are not cheap figure.

If you are okay with blowing $200 on a figure where the general feeling was to re-use what was made for an earlier version, that's fine.

Oh come on... I hate when people say this crap. Of course we all care about how our money is spent and don't want to waste it on garbage. This has to do with what details people care about and what they don't care about. Like I said before if they made the helmet blue thats a error I can't overlook but if he is 1/8 of an inch too tall thats one I can overlook... what you think is important will be different than what I think is important and we are both right for what we think. I know just how expensive these things are and if overall the amount of errors is too many for me to handle then I don't buy it but I'm not going to bad mouth anyone else who does want to buy it.

 

[Too Much Garlic]

And you think I'm bad mouthing people who are gonna buy it, as it is now, or if some issues will be fixed or all issues will be fixed?

If I am, then I apologize, as that was not my intention. I'm just saying that I'm not buying when it doesn't seem that they want to fix the major issues that was wrong with the last one. They fixed the height of the body... but there were other valid problems addressed that could/should be fixed in any new release. We know they have talented sculptors attached to creating these products - just look at the quality sculpting on those gloves. Use them and let them shine.

They really should take a new crack at that chest armor and that dome... those are the major hard part issues... if those are fixed... the other inaccuracies from a perfectionist standpoint can be overlooked, as those two fixes will help generate the overall LOOK of the character... and the rest is just bonus if fixed, but not as needed. With the softparts they could do the leather parts in a thinner material to create the accurate wrinkled look and the cape and tunic needs to hang and fold better - it's all just too stiff looking.

 

[OSCORP]

I just don't trust SS anymore. How long does it take to get your ____ together in the 1/6 game?

That said, i never had any issues really with the ANH Vader. Dome was not an issue to me in hand. Cod piece sucked though medi's was much better. So if we get a Vader as good as that again i'll be happy. (even though you'd think some improvements would be made.) I will get this just not till last minute. If they could fix the proto to production paint and tailoring problems they'd be top of their game. (Wanna charge HT money? Get ready for _____ing)

But as far as preordering stuff from SS anymore forget it! (just don't know how the final product will turn out)
[ame]https://youtu.be/DhrfDvQoijY[/ame]

 

[Darth Madden]

And you think I'm bad mouthing people who are gonna buy it, as it is now, or if some issues will be fixed or all issues will be fixed?

If I am, then I apologize, as that was not my intention. I'm just saying that I'm not buying when it doesn't seem that they want to fix the major issues that was wrong with the last one. They fixed the height of the body... but there were other valid problems addressed that could/should be fixed in any new release. We know they have talented sculptors attached to creating these products - just look at the quality sculpting on those gloves. Use them and let them shine.

They really should take a new crack at that chest armor and that dome... those are the major hard part issues... if those are fixed... the other inaccuracies from a perfectionist standpoint can be overlooked, as those two fixes will help generate the overall LOOK of the character... and the rest is just bonus if fixed, but not as needed. With the softparts they could do the leather parts in a thinner material to create the accurate wrinkled look and the cape and tunic needs to hang and fold better - it's all just too stiff looking.

Well, when you say its ok for us to throw our money away on this then yes, to me, you are bad mouthing those who do want to buy it. Of course we all want these things to be better and hopefully they will fix everything you mentioned but if they don't will it be a deal breaker... I don't know... we'll see. But if it is for me I know it may not be for somebody else so if they spend their money on it it doesn't matter one bit to me and I'm not going to make fun of them for it I'll just save my money for something else.

Ok, no more from me about this specific subject... back to the figure itself.

 

[Too Much Garlic]

Well, when you say its ok for us to throw our money away on this then yes, to me, you are bad mouthing those who do want to buy it.

I'm not getting that conclusion at all, so I will just have to agree to disagree. People have different preferences on what they like and what they want to spend money on. What one guy likes and have no issue spending money on will be like throwing away money to another. It's not a comment on those who DO buy: it's a comment on the product and my particular preferences - which I must confess are put really high, but not within the realm of impossibility.

When I say it's a waste of money... that's my opinion based on the product and price. Others disagree and thinks its well worth the price and they'll gladly pay it and be happy. I just can't see that my comment is in any way bad-mouthing those who DO want to buy - they just have different preferences than me. Nothing more.

Something that makes you happy is well worth the price, right. Well, seeing as buying this won't make ME happy... the price just isn't worth it for me, knowing it could easily be better and thereby more interesting to me.

I've had loads of comments thrown my way regarding the type of full scale Star Wars helmets I like and pay big money for by people who are completely satisfied with the idealized and cleaned up versions. They don't understand that I want all the warts and nicks and dents and scratches and paint detail and all that awesome little details and pay the money I do for those... I don't at all see that as bad-mouthing me... I just see it as those people making those comments don't have the same preferences as me and therefor thinks I'm throwing away money when, to them, nearly the same item can be bought for half or two thirds less than what I pay... but to me, it's NOT the same item at all and the money is well spent.

 

[krieg-der-sterne]

I'm not getting that conclusion at all, so I will just have to agree to disagree. People have different preferences on what they like and what they want to spend money on. What one guy likes and have no issue spending money on will be like throwing away money to another. It's not a comment on those who DO buy: it's a comment on the product and my particular preferences - which I must confess are put really high, but not within the realm of impossibility.

When I say it's a waste of money... that's my opinion based on the product and price. Others disagree and thinks its well worth the price and they'll gladly pay it and be happy. I just can't see that my comment is in any way bad-mouthing those who DO want to buy - they just have different preferences than me. Nothing more.

Something that makes you happy is well worth the price, right. Well, seeing as buying this won't make ME happy... the price just isn't worth it for me, knowing it could easily be better and thereby more interesting to me.

its tough to have a different opinion here.if you critisize obvious mistakes,you are bad mouthing and a titti baby.all you have to do is sayh, its great!!!than they leave you alone.everything else is a personal attack on their love child

 

[Too Much Garlic]

Well, I can certainly understand the annoyance. If I really like something I definitely feel annoyed if people keep bagging on it continuously.

There is a fine line between critiquing and just plain bashing.

But with this figure, there are very clear things worth critiquing and that will hopefully be rectified. It must feel really insulting to Sideshow that people prefer a Hasbro dome over their effort... or... at least it should be. A company making cheaper figures gets it more right... that sure should bring some drive from Sideshow to push the bar even higher... but so far... nothing.

 

[devilof76]

I guess some people just care more about what they throw their money after.

And some people care less.

Now do you see the problem with what you said?

 

[Too Much Garlic]

And some people care less.

Now do you see the problem with what you said?

No. Not at all. Good for you. Just not my thing. I care more, you care less.

 

[devilof76]

I think it has less to do with you caring, and more to do with you having an unhealthy, compulsory obsession with a child's toy. Your expectations are retentive and irrational. Your perception of the price is stingy and cheap. Miserly, even.

But good for you. Not my thing.

 

[EVILFACE]

Money is made to be spent!

 

[Too Much Garlic]

I think it has less to do with you caring, and more to do with you having an unhealthy, compulsory obsession with a child's toy. Your expectations are retentive and irrational. Your perception of the price is stingy and cheap. Miserly, even.

But good for you. Not my thing.

So, you want this over a Hasbro, why?

And is Sideshow marketed at children or collectors?