Sideshow will do Star Wars 12 inch figures!!!

[Darth Kustomizer]

Star Wars Figures

This is great news! Count me in for one of each!

Darth Kustomizer

Feel free to check out my 12" Hollywood based figure fan site at: p066.ezboard.com/bplastichollywood

 

[Morgan the Raider]

Re: Star Wars Figures

It's good news in that decent Star Wars 12" will finally be available. It's horrible news for most everything else that Sideshow does.

Couple the SW 12" with the spate of 1/1, 1/4, and prop replicas that Sideshow is now doing, and it feels like they're kissing off all of their other 12" lines.

 

[Sir Tristram]

Re: Star Wars Figures

I would too, if I was able to snag the Star Wars lisence!

 

[Morgan the Raider]

Re: Star Wars Figures

I guess so.

I just can't see myself buying a new crop of Star Wars figures (even with Sideshow's quality). The filth that Hasbro has put out for the past decade has left a bad taste in my mouth and made me spend my money in other areas. I doubt I'll get up for another Darth Vader, Darth Maul, etc.

I'd much rather see quirky lines of toys or a license that hasn't been done to death.

 

[MiskatonicNick]

Re: Star Wars Figures

From someone who opens, plays with, and customises his toys, I'm tinged with apathy over this announcement - 12-16 months ago I might have been more excited but I have a nasty feeling I'll be wanting to repaint/bodyswap Sideshow's SW figures as much as I do with Hasblow's... and at least Hasblow is cheap and plentiful in that regard (and in many others too!).

For all their faults, some of Hasbro's stuff wasn't too bad; there are some incredible customs out there using Hasbro heads - Tony DiTerlizzi's work immediately springs to mind www.rebelscum.com/tony1.asp

A new 1/6th SW line? My wallet's been there, done that. I'll watch interested from the sidelines and perhaps pick up one or two figures but can't see myself buying into this line a great deal.

Nick

 

[Morgan the Raider]

Re: Star Wars Figures

Well said, Nick.

The biggest problem with this line will be the deluge that's going to hit around the middle of 2006. At $40-50 a pop, it's going to be ridiculous to collect 'em all. Plus the exclusives will be ridiculously hard to get. A veritable Ebay scalpers' paradise.

Much of my disdain for Star Wars collecting has come from the impossibility of getting any new product within a reasonable period of time. Unless you want to pay 30-50% more on Ebay.

Star Wars collecting was ruined for me a long time ago. (Pun intended)

Color me casually interested at best.

 

[darth kered]

Re: Star Wars Figures

i'm really suprised to see all the negative comments about sideshow doing 12" star wars.

i've seen the following on numerous forums.....

1. "they cost too much"
2. "what about collectors under 21 who can't afford a $40 figure?"
3. "now i can't customize anymore!"
4. "the prequils suck"
5. "their heads are too big"
6. "i don't buy dolls"
7. "what do i do with my hasbro collection?"

what a spoiled bunch of collectors we all are. :bonk

 

[Gazmog]

re

www.rebelscum.com/sdcc05/sideshow/image11.asp

 

[Morgan the Raider]

Re: re

I don't think we're spoiled per say. I have been a fan of Star Wars my whole life. I was born in 1973, so almost as long as I can remember Star Wars has been there.

The problem: the entire fanbase has been exploited for so long by Hasbro, Kenner, and the myriad other producers of merchandise that I haven't the need to put any more money into it. I'd simply rather spend my collectible money elsewhere at this point.

How many Vaders, Lukes, and Hans does one person need. Sideshow getting the license is about five years too late for me.

It's not to say that I won't buy anything. I'm sure something will appeal to me. I still have an affinity towards items from the original film.

 

[denger4000]

Re: re

I have about 140 12 inch star wars figures, no money and zero room, with that being said, I don't think I'll be able to resist....sideshow knows what hasbro put out, I think they will try and make stuff we didnt have yet in some way.

 

[Viking28]

Re: re

The coolest thing about this announcement is the fact they are including the expanded universe! :thud
I dont think that this will hurt any of the Sideshow 1/6 lines, this will actually help them. By opening more doors a lot of dealers LCB's will want to carry the SW line and will perhaps pick up a couple other 1/6s.

 

[Morgan the Raider]

Re: re

It would be great if it helped some of the other lines.

Unfortunately, Sideshow has let a few of their lines fade out with nary a word. Buffy seems fine, but what about Bond, POTA, and Universal Monsters? There hasn't been much but rehashes from those lines since Toy Fair.

 

[Viking28]

Re: re

But POTA has had a rush of figures lately, more figures than buffy right or equal to?

 

[screamingmetal]

Re: re

I have maybe ten of the Hasblow figures, Their lack of quality put me off from buying any more. I'd much rather save the $20 I could have spent on them for quality 1/6 figures from other lines from other manufacturers.
I don't see why someone would whine about being under 21 and not having enough money for $40-$50 figures. I'm over 21 and can not afford many of the expensive things put out by Sideshow, and I don't complain. I can live with missing out. Just because you're nuts over Star Wars merchandise doesn't mean you have to buy everything.
Sideshow does occasionally put out figures with big heads, but these people have a biasness against Sideshow. They never complain about how poorly the Cy/Cool girl heads are painted or about their lack of detail. Same goes for Dragon's "licensed" figures. They never complain about how bad the likeness is on their movie figures. The only Dragon movie figures that ever had a perfect likeness was Jackie Chan.


The Extended Universe stuff will be great! now we can finally have a Mara Jade and a Quinlan Vos!!

 

[Morgan the Raider]

Re: re

POTA has had a lot lately, but with no new announcements, I wonder if Sideshow is putting the line to rest. It's so hard to gauge Sideshow's plans for a line. We very rarely get anything from them, even in general terms, about the future of their lines.

Things just stop and you hear nothing further.

 

[MiskatonicNick]

Re: re

but these people have a biasness against Sideshow. They never complain about how poorly the Cy/Cool girl heads are painted or about their lack of detail. Same goes for Dragon's "licensed" figures.

Cool Girl heads are a wholly different animal to Sideshow's - there's none of this limited-edition collectibles mullarky about them; they're just basic factory production-line facial screening. However, this does mean when we see the picture of a Cool Girl prototype we know that's what we're getting. That's partially why you see so many shockingly good custom paintjobs; Cyheads can quickly be made into a wonderful blank canvas.

As for Dragon's licenced figures... probably; but they have a remarkable record of licencing figures from movie flops so I've never really bothered to look

Nick

 

[airbond]

yuck

That image from Rebelscum is awesomely unattractive...yuck.

I wonder what the gimmick will be around this line? They can't just offer more accessories, that won't be enough to justify the doubling of the price point. What can they do that's truly special?

I guess genuinely good sculpts would be the obvious one - I've yet to see a good Harrison Ford anywhere other than the Toys McCoy Indy. A sculpt that makes you go 'wow! that really captures something about Mark Hamill!' (ie it would have to be better than the current Luke Skywalker 1/4 sculpts) would be a genuine selling point.

What else? When I used to collect Star Wars (I sold off my collection a few years ago) I always liked toys that I felt my younger self would have gone crazy over - like the 12" Han and Tauntaun, for instance. Something that gives you that retro 'I would have loved this as a kid' feeling. Otherwise it's going to feel kind of dead, like a line that collectors will collect for the sake of being completists, rather than because they really love the product they're buying.

Talking figures? Figures based on McQuarrie pre-production designs? Movie accurate figures with EU accessories (a Tatooine Luke with a dead womp rat, or Han Solo with Sabacc game...).

Any other ideas?

hope Sideshow don't neglect their other 12" lines (or continue to neglect them) don't forget, there's a reason Hasbro is offloading this line, and don't forget, you've gained your position in the market by carving out a niche for yourself...not by being Hasbro (although is anyone else starting to feel that Hasbro, a vast faceless corporation, is somehow more communicative than little old, good 'ol Sideshow?.)

 

[screamingmetal]

Re: yuck

Cool Girl heads are a wholly different animal to Sideshow's - there's none of this limited-edition collectibles mullarky about them; they're just basic factory production-line facial screening. However, this does mean when we see the picture of a Cool Girl prototype we know that's what we're getting. That's partially why you see so many shockingly good custom paintjobs; Cyheads can quickly be made into a wonderful blank canvas.

True, what you see in prototype you get in production figure.
But Cool Girl Heads have been Limited Edition collectables, with Midori, Ghost in the Shell, Shi, Akiko Fuji, Anne Yuri, Gatchaman's Jun, Luna, the Beka V. from Andromeda, and the terrible Perfect Dark head sculpt.
With the exceptions of Shi, GITS, Jun all of those have poorly painted undefined heads. The ones I excluded are based on Anime and Comic book head designs. And the Beka Valentine head didn't look anything like the actress plus she had the wrong hair color.

 

[Viking28]

Re: yuck

Looks like the POTA line might be complete, as from what was said in the chat.

 

[Morgan the Raider]

Re: yuck

Airbond, that was one of the most eloquent replies I've ever read on a message board. You nailed so many big points.

So much of Star Wars collecting seems to be completion for the sake of it. It's so rare to hear Star Wars fans that are truly excited about getting a new product. It's all about owning them all. Maybe Sideshow can somehow put the fun back in Star Wars collecting, but I doubt it.

As to Sideshow's ability to communicate, frankly, it's pretty bad. At least in regard to what they plan for lines. Bond collectors may not be as vocal or important as LOTR, SW, or Buffy, but we still should be told what is going on.

Being put off is not a good thing.