SS paint apps

[MaulFan]

Mikey when I mean perfect I mean things like "matching the prto" or "no shiny lips"(see Han). Also with a domestic factory you would think that things like Anakin's lips could have been caught in time and corrected. With a factory in China you have that delay in shipping while production may be continuing. Like Anakin, they didn't catch it in time and so that's how the figures came. With a domestic factory maybe that could change. And besides, this IS just a hypothetical.

First, the proto's are painted high quality as a single work of art, quality and treatment that you will never get out of factory painters rolling out thousands of figures. As for incidents like the Anakin lips slipping past QC, higher price and domestic factories are no guarantee that overseeing will be done as much, just means more cost for us and potentially the illusion that it will make a difference, and the second something comes out with a mishap, then it'll be "I can't believe I'm paying this much extra for QC and look at this crap," it's an invitaion for more trouble to change things because the masses will never be happy. Why is it though, that people can spend $100 on an Hot Toys Aliens marine, pay to have the heads custom painted, and seem to have no gripes with HT for their job and be thrilled as hell with the final custom job, but hold SS to a standard that it needs to come out of the factory with no need for customizing?

 

[paulcarson]

Why is it though, that people can spend $100 on an Hot Toys Aliens marine, pay to have the heads custom painted, and seem to have no gripes with HT for their job and be thrilled as hell with the final custom job, but hold SS to a standard that it needs to come out of the factory with no need for customizing?

my sentiments exactly.

 

[Cocoboloboy]

I'm pretty sure all the repaints on the HT Aliens are being done because HT didn't have the rights to produce the exact likenesses from the actors in the films.

The ones they did have the rights to, Rocky, Clubber, Rambo, Superman/Clark are all pretty close to perfect in likeness and paint apps. Superman being the lesser.

 

[MaulFan]

I'm pretty sure all the repaints on the HT Aliens are being done because HT didn't have the rights to produce the exact likenesses from the actors in the films.

The ones they did have the rights to, Rocky, Clubber, Rambo, Superman/Clark are all pretty close to perfect in likeness and paint apps. Superman being the lesser.

I know why HT's paint apps on Aliens suck, it's just the concept that people are ok with paying more for those figures and having to pay for repaints, but pay 2/3 the price for Sideshow Star Wars and will express utter frustration when things don't come out spot on, regardless of how the paints apps are off (QC or likeness rights, etc...) I'm just baffled that when the bottom line is, the paint apps are off and need to be redone, SSC Star Wars causes griping but non-SSC companies don't get the same level of heat.

 

[The Josh]

Why is it though, that people can spend $100 on an Hot Toys Aliens marine, pay to have the heads custom painted, and seem to have no gripes with HT for their job and be thrilled as hell with the final custom job, but hold SS to a standard that it needs to come out of the factory with no need for customizing?

I'll third this. It's called a double standard.

 

[TheObsoleteMan]

I'm pretty sure all the repaints on the HT Aliens are being done because HT didn't have the rights to produce the exact likenesses from the actors in the films.

The ones they did have the rights to, Rocky, Clubber, Rambo, Superman/Clark are all pretty close to perfect in likeness and paint apps. Superman being the lesser.

I would disagree on Superman/Clark. The paint on the original HT Supes is terrible, looks like he's wearing blush and lipstick. Clark is better, but the skin color's a bit too tan and the lips are a bit too dark. Neither bears a particularly strong likeness to Brandon Routh imo.

The Rocky and Rambo stuff does look great though, no arguments there.

 

[Cocoboloboy]

I would disagree on Superman/Clark. The paint on the original HT Supes is terrible, looks like he's wearing blush and lipstick. Clark is better, but the skin color's a bit too tan and the lips are a bit too dark. Neither bears a particularly strong likeness to Brandon Routh imo.

The Rocky and Rambo stuff does look great though, no arguments there.

Yep, Supes was a little off to me too but I don't consider him terrible.

Put Yavin Luke next to Clark and he makes Clark look like an albino.

 

[screamingmetal]

I know why HT's paint apps on Aliens suck, it's just the concept that people are ok with paying more for those figures and having to pay for repaints, but pay 2/3 the price for Sideshow Star Wars and will express utter frustration when things don't come out spot on, regardless of how the paints apps are off (QC or likeness rights, etc...) I'm just baffled that when the bottom line is, the paint apps are off and need to be redone, SSC Star Wars causes griping but non-SSC companies don't get the same level of heat.

I've been buying Hot Toys figures for quite some time now and Hot Toys had cheaper prices then Medicom back when they were more or less exclusive to the east. And for Japan and Hong Kong, the price on collectibles is typically much more then it is here, some say because of the higher cost of living in those areas.
The majority of $100 figures from Hot Toys are Military ones that have a lot of very detailed gear and warrant the price such as the Firefighter figures. Far more detailed and loaded then Sideshow figures. They've also released slightly cheaper figures that were more on par with Dragon just a little more expensive then what Dragon asks for.

The truth is, Hot Toys does put out some outrageously over priced figures, their new Rambo IV and their Rocky figures are a good example of this. And it's not something that Hot Toys collectors don't notice and don't complain about. I won't order Rambo because of that price but the Rocky figures are my only chance for them, I don't think Sideshow will make the same or at the same quality anytime soon.
On the Aliens Colonial Marines, they're not meant to look like the actors but do come with some amazingly detailed gear so I can overlook the head sculpt and paint issues on most. Ripley however is one that's a bit overpriced in my eyes.
There is a slight double standard when talking about Medicom figures, I think their pieces are way under painted and over priced but I take what I can get. We also don't have a real avenue to tell Medicom or Hot Toys what we think or want them to improve upon so I think that's why you'll hear more upfront complaining about Sideshow items.
We want the best value for our money and I just don't think Sideshow is giving us the value.
For me If they improve their bodies, improve the quality and accuracy on their costumes and accessories, I'd get my value and wouldn't mind poor paint apps.

 

[The Josh]

That's all fine and very well put I might add. However, there are many like me that feel with SS we're getting our monies worth on all of it.

 

[screamingmetal]

That's all fine and very well put I might add. However, there are many like me that feel with SS we're getting our monies worth on all of it.

That's where the dispute arises, different opinions on what quality we should get for our money. Unfortunately Sideshow has to be compared to the quality other 1/6 companies produce today, the paint apps are about the same, Head sculpts are better from SSC, but everything else is just a bit better quality from the other manufacturers (except business suits). I just feel Sideshow is producing product of the quality from a few years ago instead of what is being done today.
IMHO.

 

[The Josh]

That's cool and I understand what you're saying. Even compared to other companies I and others feel that we're getting our monies worth on the quality of items being recived. Others don't feel that way and that's fine.

 

[Cocoboloboy]

I definitely give SSC a thumbs up for value on their 1/6th stuff, no doubt about it.

And I also think $80.00(Alter Ego) for the new Rambo 3 fig isn't too high or $70 for Rambo 1 for that matter 'specially considering the muscle body that HT uses on those.

 

[screamingmetal]

I definitely give SSC a thumbs up for value on their 1/6th stuff, no doubt about it.

And I also think $80.00(Alter Ego) for the new Rambo 3 fig isn't too high or $70 for Rambo 1 for that matter 'specially considering the muscle body that HT uses on those.

Yeah but I bought mine direct from SSC for $65. $80 doesn't seem that bad, but then again that's a marked down price from the suggested retail price. It doesn't come with that much more then Rambo First Blood II so it should be the same price.

 

[screamingmetal]

That's cool and I understand what you're saying. Even compared to other companies I and others feel that we're getting our monies worth on the quality of items being recived. Others don't feel that way and that's fine.

But if the complaining eventually pushed Sideshow to improve their products even if it meant a very slight price increase (hopefully not too much), would you still feel it is worth your money?
Trying to get Sideshow to improve their quality benefits us all, both satisfied customers and non-satisfied customers alike.

 

[The Josh]

I don't mind a slight increase if it means an even better product. Not at all.

 

[MaulFan]

the paint apps are about the same

Hot Toys of late is starting to show growth up to SSC quality human skin tones, but SSC is still setting the bar for realistic matte skin tones, HT and Medi still give off a plastic vibe.

 

[customizerwannabe]

SS human figures paint sucks. But you know what? All 1/6 figures paint jobs suck. Nature of the factory driven beast. I find the SS paint tones on humans look grey and dead, however, their paint apps on creatures is top notch.

Overall I'd much rather see SS concentrate on statues and PF's if Hot Toys could get all of their licenses. Their paint apps suck too, but their accessories and attention to detail make up for their poor paint and bloated price. Well worth the extra dough.

 

[MaulFan]

SS human figures paint sucks. But you know what? All 1/6 figures paint jobs suck. Nature of the factory driven beast. I find the SS paint tones on humans look grey and dead, however, their paint apps on creatures is top notch.

I'd disagree with that entirely, I think SSC offers the best skin tones overall (though Mulder and some for whatever reason turn out odd) and is above all human skin tone paint apps I've seen anywhere, even better than any customizer I've seen, but that's going by customizer's photos which may not be fair representations, as even SSC images aren't fair to their paint apps.

 

[Anzik]

Generally speaking I'm quite happy with SSC paint. There are a few, overly thick exceptions but the vast majority are better than I can do.

Although I spend ungodly amounts of money on my kids, I tend to be pretty cheap on what I buy for myself, so I wouldn't spend more than $70 on a typical action figure. As a matter of fact I won't spend more than $45 on the typical SSC offering, it has to be something I really want to spend that much on, and under that criteria, the SSC paint apps are fine with me. With no disrespect to Josh, Mikey, Darren and Les, among others,because they do a remarkable improvement. However to me its kind of fixing what isn't broke. I just don't need to have my figures look that exact. Maybe in some peoples eyes that means I'm settling for less but I can live with that.
As great as Medi, HT and Enterbay are I can't justify the price tag no matter how badly I want it. I teach Kung Fu for a living and I won't even fork over the cash for an Enterbay Bruce Lee, and I can't tell you how badly I would love one of those.

 

[customizerwannabe]

I'd disagree with that entirely, I think SSC offers the best skin tones overall (though Mulder and some for whatever reason turn out odd) and is above all human skin tone paint apps I've seen anywhere, even better than any customizer I've seen, but that's going by customizer's photos which may not be fair representations, as even SSC images aren't fair to their paint apps.

You've seen FM Les work and can say that??