Your thoughts on the current state of sixth scale figure collecting?

[ali032373]

As far of the state of 1/6 I think 95% of grails or must haves have been done. There are no glaring omissions like Luke Skywalker, or Bruce Lee, or Superman. In fact there are multiple versions of these characters (and many others). I remember in say '09 ppl still cobbling together Indiana Jones and captain America and Terminators. But they've all been done. A few times in fact.

So I think in the near future they run out of stuff to make in movies and comics. Music and (to a lesser degree) sports figures are the future- because you can't keep making Thor's and Scarlet Witches. And I'm not buying figure from new Star Wars movies.

 

[ali032373]

Well and greed of course......
Not everything is consumer driven...


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Companies have a right to earn as much as they can. In the case of publicly held companies they have a fiduciary obligation to do just that. We are not talking about insulin or clean drinkable water or a cancer drug.

Companies charge what the market will bear. Supply and demand is the cornerstone of a free market economy. And we as consumers are free to say "I'm not paying that much for that figure." We get to walk away.

I remember paying $160 for the first war machine. That was 2010ish. Last war machine (2016) was $345. And it sold out.

 

[rjszar]

You know what, they can charge what they want, just make the damn figures. I started out collecting action figures in the early 90's. I collected them all (except Starting Lineup). Every new assortment of Toy Biz X-Men had a Wolverine figure in it. Why, because he was popular and new kids/collectors were joining the market all the time. Every once in a while you have to revisit things for those who come later. I didn't not buy the 31st Wolverine because I already had 30. I would be happy to buy the next ten Hot Toys Terminators if they put them out and probably most other Terminator collectors would too. Might even get some newbies in there. Step up the quality over previous releases and I'll pay it.

 

[ali032373]

What terminator figures are you looking for?

HT has done the hamburger face, tech noir, T2 in leather biker set, the endoskeleton, the factory shoot out version, and the police station shoot out. They've also done a John Connor, at least one other endo, a Marcus wright, a t1000, a T2 Sarah Connor, and a tech comm Reese. I'm betting I'm missing at least one more. Besides LA Reese and LA Sarah they've pretty much tapped the franchise. (Supporting my original point that they are running out of material).

As far a quality, HT is still the gold standard in 1/6. Not to say they don't have issues here and there but not sure where you step up the overall quality. Some examples might help me understand.

 

[jal76]

You know what, they can charge what they want, just make the damn figures. I started out collecting action figures in the early 90's. I collected them all (except Starting Lineup). Every new assortment of Toy Biz X-Men had a Wolverine figure in it. Why, because he was popular and new kids/collectors were joining the market all the time. Every once in a while you have to revisit things for those who come later. I didn't not buy the 31st Wolverine because I already had 30. I would be happy to buy the next ten Hot Toys Terminators if they put them out and probably most other Terminator collectors would too. Might even get some newbies in there. Step up the quality over previous releases and I'll pay it.

This is exactly what Hot Toys is apparently doing...releasing 30 Iron Man figures and having people buy the 31st...revisiting things for people who come later...improving quality with subsequent Iron Man suits...taking advantage of Iron Man's popularity and recognizing that new collectors are joining the market all the time...I did not buy 30 Toy Biz Wolverines myself but it seems unfair to say that this model is ok for Toy Biz and Wolverine but somehow wrong when Hot Toys and Iron Man do it...also strange to say that 10 Terminators is okay but 10 Iron Man figures is not...I love Terminator could not care less about Iron Man but I am sure that there are many collectors who feel the exact opposite...

 

[DiFabio]

What terminator figures are you looking for?

HT has done the hamburger face, tech noir, T2 in leather biker set, the endoskeleton, the factory shoot out version, and the police station shoot out. They've also done a John Connor, at least one other endo, a Marcus wright, a t1000, a T2 Sarah Connor, and a tech comm Reese. I'm betting I'm missing at least one more. Besides LA Reese and LA Sarah they've pretty much tapped the franchise. (Supporting my original point that they are running out of material).

Imagine if they had this mentality with Robocop and said "meh, we already made Robocop 1 and Jetpack Robocop, no need for more".


Then we would have never gotten these.





(Some of their best figures and likenesses to date)


The old endoskeleton and future soldier Reese don't hold up to today's standards at all and are literally attempts Hot Toys made in their infancy. They teased and announced a 1/4 police shoot out Terminator and showed a prototype for a die cast T1 Endo. An '84 Reese has never been done. That's atleast three releases they could do.

 

[ali032373]

Not saying it's necessarily a bad thing. Terminator had several looks in the 2 films and I wanted them all released. But at this point, they're out of terminators. The license is over.

 

[a-dev]

They've never really made a truly satisfying clean Uncle Bob T-800 either. Overly buff munchkin headed MMS117 or Gorilla-cranium, afro-headed, Minotaur-necked DX10.

I'd even redo the DX13 but that's just me. Most are perfectly happy with that one. However I think you could possibly get a consensus that the clean version hasn't really been done justice.

 

[jal76]

They've never really made a truly satisfying clean Uncle Bob T-800 either. Overly buff munchkin headed MMS117 or Gorilla-cranium, afro-headed, Minotaur-necked DX10.

I'd even redo the DX13 but that's just me. Most are perfectly happy with that one. However I think you could possibly get a consensus that the clean version hasn't really been done justice.

But that MMS 136 is beautiful!

 

[a-dev]

But that MMS 136 is beautiful!

My favourite in fact. Especially with the pants and boots from MMS238. I wouldn't be too broken up if they never remade that one - but that's not to say that the sculpts couldn't be improved. They definitely have the character right but, like MMS117, the face is too short. I would also have made his fringe (bangs) more swept to the side - how they are most of the time in the movie.

Remaking that figure would cater to new collectors just joining the hobby - as you guys have been talking about above. They do it with Iron Man, they did it with Ledger Joker...

Maybe it's not time yet. Maybe in a few more years they actually would do this...although I don't think they will. I just do not see an end to Superheroes and Star Wars.

 

[DiFabio]

The MMS 136 and DX 13 are the only great Terminator figures where I think they honestly did the best that they could do at the time. They're my favorites anyway.

Still, as a license there is still more Hot Toys could do.

- 1/4 Police Shootout T-800 (teased/announced)
- 1/6 Diecast T1/T2 Endoskeleton (teased)
- Kyle Reese


And in a 1/6 world where we see them make the likes of Alfred Pennyworth, John Blake, Grand Moff Tarkin, James Gordon, Harry Osborn , Doc Brown, Agent Coulson, Maria Hill or Pepper ****ing Potts, I don't see why an '84 Sarah Connor or T2 John Connor (the mission priorities in both films that the stories are based on) would be in bad taste.

If anything, Kyle Reese should be done. Not having him is like not having the T-1000 with the Terminator or Batman with the Joker. It just isn't right. So many way Hot Toys could approach him to. A two pack with Sarah. A two pack with an Endoskeleton. A two pack with a "new" Terminator. A Hot Toys anniversary two pack with two Kyle Reese figures (future soldier and '84 version) to commemorate Hot Toys as a company and their MMS line since he was #1.

 

[a-dev]

DX13 is a fantastic set, I just don't like some of the choices they made with the battle-damaged portions - they took some creative-license and attempted realism where I would have just preferred movie accuracy. I've also fallen out of love with that lesser damaged head. The width of it...and the hair...the damned hair

So anyway. We have succeeded in making this thread about Terminator. What other threads can we turn...I say we go right into the belly of the beast, the Marvel section...

edit to account for DiFabio's edit:

Kyle Reese.........to commemorate Hot Toys as a company and their MMS line since he was #1.

Yeah it bugs me that they don't acknowledge that.

 

[DiFabio]

What Hot Toys figure has good hair anyway, sculpted or rooted?

 

[Chakor]

I don't currently collect enough 1/6 figures, nor am I familiar enough with the community, to really chip in my two cents. The first HT figure I bought was about three years ago - not because I was a fan of the company or 1/6 figures, but because no other companies made this specific character in figure form. I generally collect based on character family and not based on brand or scale, so if HT doesn't make a character I'm interested in and another company (I.E., NECA) makes the character in a different scale then I'll buy whatever the other company makes - and vice versa.

I sold my first HT figure long ago and to this day I only own three HT figures. I've never been unhappy with the quality on any of them and I think the few I have are great figures (they'll also mean more to me than however many Iron Man armors HT has done over the years combined ever would), but it's not a hobby that I plan on getting into much. When they pump out a character I'm interested in, which isn't very often, I'll bite.

 

[karamazov80]

Remember when the guy who did the milk postings on Facebook speculated that the MMS 200 was going to be a Kyle Reese and Sarah Connor 2-pack from the first Terminator film? I didn't fully believe at the time that he had real Insider information, but deep down I desperately hoped that he did.

As far of the state of 1/6 I think 95% of grails or must haves have been done.

I agree with this. And that's the reason why I'm not too sad at the fact that hot toys doesn't give me more of the figures that I really want. Now I've got figures that I at least like quite a bit from movies that I love. Some of them are Customs, some of them a hot toys, some of them are from blitzway Etc. Of course, I would be thrilled if a lot of these figures were Revisited, and if a few of the hangers-on like Kyle Reese were eventually released. But years back I made my wish list that included figures like Chris Reeve Superman, Marty McFly, tech noir Terminator, Ghostbusters. Hot toys then started taking on the original Star Wars films. I've even gotten some real Niche interests of mine like Teen Wolf, Freddie Mercury, JJ Gittes, and even Michael Jackson from Beat It. Everything else at this point is gravy.

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[Niltusk]

What Hot Toys figure has good hair anyway, sculpted or rooted?

I'm not familiar with the source, nor do I own it, but I always think that their Raiden figure has pretty nice hair, looking at pics I can't even tell if its a sculpt or little bristle hairs, but I always think , damn, thats some nicely done hair.

 

[a-dev]

What Hot Toys figure has good hair anyway, sculpted or rooted?

One of those Hawkeye figures looked damn good. Think I remember commenting on it at the time.

 

[DiFabio]

Remember when the guy who did the milk postings on Facebook speculated that the MMS 200 was going to be a Kyle Reese and Sarah Connor 2-pack from the first Terminator film? I didn't fully believe at the time that he had real Insider information, but deep down I desperately hoped that he did.

I remember that, because I believed it.

What gets me is, Hot Toys will celebrate something lame like "the 10th-anniversary collaboration between the two incredibly talented painting artist and head sculptor at Hot Toys – JC. Hong and Yulli!" with that quarter scale Ledger, but nothing else.

They get all sappy with "oh, it started 10 years ago when Mr. JC. Hong and Miss Yulli collaborated together to craft their first sixth scale The Joker collectible figure, fans were fascinated with the figure and it has received an overwhelming response."


I was there, nobody cared or liked that awful first Joker they did. People were more excited about the original costume Batman and big ass Tumbler.





Bank Robber Joker was what got everyone's attention.


But the fact they'll acknowledge and make a tribute piece to that lame muppet Joker and their artists but not themselves as a company and their Movie Masterpiece #1 is just bizarre.









I suppose Kyle Reese doesn't really hold up to the standards of modern movie goers and collectors and most probably wouldn't care. The Terminator franchise isn't really in a good place, even with a nice T2:3D release that nobody seemed to care about.

But damn it, that was their very first figure and it should be celebrated with a new release. I mean hell, Nolan Batman stuff isn't relevant anymore and the hype for that quarter scale Joker died pretty damn quick. All discussions just seemed to cease after the show with Suicide Squad threads dog piling on top of it.

I don't know what people like or want anymore.

 

[morphosis]

I have been on this site as a member for 7+ years and probably used it for about 10 years and this topic was discussed back then as well and tbh its pretty much discussed every day on this site throughout all the threads.

Collecting figures has never been a negative thing for me at all. I love what i collect and its always exciting to me when i see new releases either by HTs or whatever company I collect from. I don't really complain about a likeness or clothing materials or if they didn't make this character from whatever movie. My focus is solely on collecting from movies I love and if they make 1 figure or 100 from that particular movie, or even none, it just doesn't matter to me. Life moves on. It really does. but some people act like they just had someone cut their heart out with a tiny plastic knife that Romero Joker hasn't been put up from PO yet.

So that's the negative part in collecting. It's the internet. Reading the complaints over and over by usually the same people over and over. I try my best to tune it out, but sometimes you can't because as you read through, things catch your eye and before you know it your sucked into reading.

I think people psych themselves out or impulse buy wayyyy to much. So many collect figures they don't really care about, they only care about what is new or looks cool. I mean if thats the way you want to collect all the power to ya, but I think in some ways it makes people more frustrated because they just waited a year, spent hundreds of dollars on something they really don't care about. For example I personally loved the film Suicide Squad, but i know most people didn't like the film. But I think Harley Quinn's figure is now one of HTs best and is getting a lot or praise from collectors. So tons of people bought Harley, but they hated the film. Then there is BvS, another film I really love, but we all know a lot didn't like the film. However, the figures were super popular and in high demand because they came out so good. So tons of people bought them that didn't even like the film. I just find that kind of an odd way to collect. Personally I would never spend $$ on something I just didn't care about even if it looks cool. I mean all the IM3 figures look awesome, but I didn't like the film so I never go into those threads nor would even consider buying a figure from it.

I think collectors would be a lot happier if they stuck to things they truly loved and not just what looks cool or is new. I think that can make a huge difference on collectors. I am not saying thats the way everyone collects by any means, but its definitely something i've seen over all these years.

Anyway, hope u all can have some fun on here and try not to get too upset about collecting.

 

[darthkush]

It's pretty simple to me--everyone wants a lot of the things that they like. Marvel and DC guys want a lot, get a lot, but want more. Alien and Terminator guys want a lot, but don't get much, and are frustrated about the tradeoff that HT is making, even if it is perfectly sensible from a business POV, which most recognize. That doesn't make it sting any less though, when you get 8 or 9 Harley Quinn variants announced and released while Ripley takes a couple years to get released, and there seems to be nothing else really on the horizon at all, while Harley is getting a spin-off movie and Suicide Squad sequel that will each spawn multiple figures of her, I'm sure.

If HT produced 10 variants of 1984 T-800 figures, guys like a-dev and myself would probably still be interested. I've actually got 5 different variants of that figure on display (one being a T2 Endo that I pretend is from the '84 film). If only one version of Affleck Bats were released and took forever to come out, fans of that character would be frustrated and complain about it. No real difference here, apart from how your preferred license is being handled.

Personally, I see it for what it is, because I'm too cool and aloof for the rest of all you bozos, and prefer to just sit back and laugh.

Bingo. I think, although all responses I've read so far have been good, I think this one really sums up what's happening. Everyone wants MORE. Some are getting more and still want more anyway, some want more and aren't getting it. Either way, all of this various factions want more and they're not getting it for various reasons. Most are just sales issues but either way, there's an lack of fulfillment going on.