Why Sideshow should make a new body

[lcummins]

Someone correct me if I'm wrong (and I know you will) but, doesn't the average Hot Toys or Medicom figure sell around $90 to $100, with some reaching the $150 or higher level, even if you get them direct from Japan or Hong Kong?. Sideshow figures sell for between $50 to $65 on average. So if my math is correct, a Hot Toys or Medicom figure costs about $35 or $40 more on average. How much of that is for the body? I know they most times have more accessories, but is it $35 or $40 more?

So my question is, if a Sideshow figure matched the Hot Toys or Medicom in "pose-ability", and "quality feel", would you then be willing to pay $90 or $100 like that Hot Toys or Medicom? And if so, why is that different than replacing the current body and ending up paying $100? Why should a new body only cost $10 or $20? How much does a nude Medicom or Hot Toys body cost?

I'm really curious, not trying debate you or anything. I am not as familiar with what the bodies do or don't do, because I tend not to open most of my 1/6 figures.

 

[King Darkness]

I think it is for a little bit more than just the body.

The tailoring of the costumes is far better than SS. They fit the body's much much better. They look like clothes that were made to fit a normal man, then shrunk down to fit a 1:6 figure.

If anyone out there owns the HT Kyle Reese, or marines, can tell you how much better than costumes are for HT figures.

There is more to HT being above SS than just the bodies.

And more often than not, HT figures come with far more accessories than most SS figures.

I have no Medi so I can not speak for them.

 

[Anzik]

The cost of a body should be negligible considering the cost is diffused of the quantity made. They have been using the Buck body for years now, so it has paid for itself many times over by this point, and lets face it, plastic is cheap. The initial cost would be big up front, with the design, and retooling of molds but once that was done it should cost basically the same as the Buck. Incidently the buck is sold at SSC for $20 and you can pick up a nude Sideshow body at other sites for about $8 and I'm sure they are still making money on it. Another thing to consider is that the development of a new body is a business expense, and it should be tax deductible.

 

[LordAzrael]

I have no Medi so I can not speak for them.

great figures but bugger all accessories. I have almost all the marvel ones (just missing Carnage & comic symbiote)) and I think I have no accessories at all - some like the SM3 are even lacking a bit in alternate hands. That said - other than more hands I don't feel they are missing anything for the figures they have produced. I think one that could is SM3 Peter Parker - I suspect he doesn't come with a camera - which he should.

Given you can buy the bodies separate now for $35 or so there's no real explanation for the huge price difference.

 

[lcummins]

So a Buck sells for $20 and the Medicom sells for $35... would people be willing to pay that extra $15 for a new Sideshow body comparable to the Medicom? (Not taking into account the accessories question).

Since I don't really open and pose my figures, that would be a hard price increase to accept... but then again, I pay for the Medicom and others, so...

 

[JustinLuck]

Someone correct me if I'm wrong (and I know you will) but, doesn't the average Hot Toys or Medicom figure sell around $90 to $100, with some reaching the $150 or higher level, even if you get them direct from Japan or Hong Kong?. Sideshow figures sell for between $50 to $65 on average. So if my math is correct, a Hot Toys or Medicom figure costs about $35 or $40 more on average. How much of that is for the body? I know they most times have more accessories, but is it $35 or $40 more?

So my question is, if a Sideshow figure matched the Hot Toys or Medicom in "pose-ability", and "quality feel", would you then be willing to pay $90 or $100 like that Hot Toys or Medicom? And if so, why is that different than replacing the current body and ending up paying $100? Why should a new body only cost $10 or $20? How much does a nude Medicom or Hot Toys body cost?

I'm really curious, not trying debate you or anything. I am not as familiar with what the bodies do or don't do, because I tend not to open most of my 1/6 figures.

First off, Hot Toys and Medicom cater towards the Asian markets and people are presumably willing to spend that much over there. So a lot of it I think is pure profit. Then as KD stated, their accessories and clothing are usually higher quality. But Sideshow beats them on the head sculpts.

Anyway, I purchased a BBi 3.5 body for less than $10. It is EXTREMELY similar in quality to the HT GL body. The only difference is the proportions. But the quality and feel of the joints are identical. As Anzik Hayes said, Sideshow would sell at least tens of thousands if not hundreds of thousands of these bodies, so the initial cost would quickly be paid back through nude body sales. (think about ES counts and then people buying nudes for figures from other companies) Nude body sales would sky rocket when the price is right and the quality is there.

 

[Anzik]

Personally I would want to know why the Medi body costs more than the SSC body. These are the one part of high end 1/6 figures that are mass produced, and should be the cheapest part.

 

[lcummins]

From my experience, 1/6 figures in general from any company in the Asian market are much higher than the US, so you may have a point about it just being what the market will bear...

 

[Jango56031]

If SS were to switch to a body more like the HT one and the cost goes up to $90-$100 I think they would lose more sales than just staying with the body they have. Before SS I collected only Hasbro stuff and for me justifying $50-$65 can be difficult at times. I personally like the SS body, sure there are better bodies out there but for the price range they are trying to stay in we get great figures with great detail for a somewhat affordable price.

 

[rabidwolverine21]

i just dont like how we have seen a general price increase and not a really large quality increase.

 

[JustinLuck]

I've been trying to explain that there is no need to raise the price...

 

[Captain Faramir]

I only hope Sideshow maintains the double wrist joints that the Buck body has now. It's one of their saving graces; the hands on Sideshow are more natural than any others because it has a wrist swivel and a hand swivel, meaning the figures can be much more expressive. Other things can certainly be improved, but I hope they keep the wrists in the same style if they ever change their bodies.

I myself rather like the Buck body, but to each his own I guess.

 

[JustinLuck]

Faramir, yes that articulation is great. But fortunately Hot Toys can do this too, and with a more aesthetic joint connection. The hands can rotate and bend in any direction just like Sideshow's, except without the noticeable peg.

 

[Captain Faramir]

Really? I thought it just had the rotating wrist, not two. Oh well, like Mr. Rogers used to say, you learn something old every day!

 

[bluesparrow]

The argument that because Hot Toys and Medicom figures cost a lot more that using a similar body would drive up costs $15-50 doesn't really wash imo. The difference in cost radically reduces when Sideshow imports Hot Toys and Medicom figures(ie the production size goes up). A Hot Toys figure imported by Sideshow retails for $85 if it's just a human figure. Sideshow human figures are now around $60 each(for the Star Wars figures, anyway).

Factoring in the far larger number(and better quality) of accessories with Hot Toys and the fact that the profit is split between two companies instead of one, I think we're rather close there. It's a negligible difference at best.

I'm not sure Sideshow is that interested in 1/6 scale anymore anyway, to be honest.

 

[Rob]

But the SSC body can do ANY pose that a medi, ht or dragon can.

Not really. The SSC body can't balance on it's toes without falling down, nor can it make any pose look natural, which both Medicom and HT pull off incredibly.

Face it. Sideshow needs a new body, plus some new factory painters.

The only thing IMHO Sideshow is good for, is making statues/PFs and headsculpts and maybe clothes.

 

[Masao]

I disagree...


...Sideshow needs at least two new bodies!

-Per sex!

Reason? S-T-A-R W-A-R-S. Why is Luke on the same body as Han or Vader??

If you get this kind of license, it is implicit that you will be at least as flexible as Hasbro in developing accurate character figures.

Planning new bodies pays dividends with future licenses simply because the future expense of other figure sizes is avoided. Yes, this should have been done years ago when it was cheaper, but now is cheaper than later.

Also, with anything like SW that has ranks of unmoving ranks of troops, there should be new figures...unmoving ranks of troops! Stormtroopers come to mind. What Vader fan wouldn't want a few of those?

Suggested additional bodies:

Average Male (under 6')
Short male
Heavy Torso for either, and

Average Female (under 6'!)
Short Female
Heavy Torso for either

Wee folks -3' Male and Female

Why weren't these made 5 years ago???

 

[minivader]

Why weren't these made 5 years ago???

well, it would have jacked up the price from $40 to $90, I think it would just tanked the whole line.

 

[IrishJedi]

I do think that Sideshow started releasing 12" SW figures before they were truly ready with an arsenal of bodies necessary for the most accurate and full line possible.

 

[minivader]

I do think that Sideshow started releasing 12" SW figures before they were truly ready with an arsenal of bodies necessary for the most accurate and full line possible.

true, but then again, they were catering to a larger group of fans, not just the 1/6 collectors. and the new to 1/6 sw fans probably would still be impressed by the buck. and at $50, its not a bad price for new 1/6 collectors to start.