AFRAID OF THE NEXT SDCC

I’ve finished my collection (counting the P.O.s) but for one piece that I’m negotiating with the factory, Gantaku, the Balance of Nine Skies Azure Dragon SHCC version. It’s all almost set. Therefore, I already consider it a P.O. Being that way, here’s what’s yet to come:

Putting them all together got me wowed at how many pieces I’ve pre-ordered. It’s a lot to me. All have a special meaning to me, each one gave the “click” and I deeply like them all. Certainly, to my parameters, is a great finale that will slowly arrive in the months to come. And may take years for all of them – along with others – make their way from my brother’s US basement to my room in Brazil. Maybe I will have to wait until 2020 to have them all here. But my room is already being planned by an architect to accommodate all the figures I have and the ones yet to arrive. I hope she can figure it out because my room isn’t that big.

Well, with these statues, I feel I finally completed my collection. The sense of fulfillment is very pleasant, something I never experienced before in around fifteen years of collecting. I think I’m done and I’m very glad I did. It’s not a big collection. I have several Japanese PVC figures I can’t even dare to name, but I can list the resin ones. You will realize I have the tendency to choose underrated statues, having no grail whatsoever. Here’s the list I passed to the architect with the measurements (which I will not mention here):

- SS Hulk Life-Size Bust (green version)

- SS The Thing Maquette (from the infamous movie)

- SS Daredevil OG (the one before the Daniel Bel one)

- SS He-Man

- SS Capitain America Allies Charge Against Hydra

- SS Captain Marvel

- SS Red Sonja Queen of Scavengers

- SS Rebel Terminator

- SS Harley Quinn

- SS The Little Mermaid

- Gentle Giant Babydoll

- PCS Blanka Player 2

- Volks Rei Ayanami

- Prime 1 Batman Beyond White Version

- Diamond Select Marvel Milestones The Thing

- Bowen Man-Thing

- Bowen Silver Surfer Faux Bronze

- Bowen Spider-Man Symbiont Museum

- Bowen Spider Man Museum

- Custom Wolverine Beast Mode

- Gantaku Azure Dragon

- 5 DC Collectibles Batman Black & White

Well, that’s about it. I pre-ordered Harley Quinn yesterday in a leap of faith because the architect isn’t counting with her and I don’t know if Sideshow will deliver on the painting of the figure, what worries me the most, since it is a complex painting scheme, especially the portrait. The architect isn’t certain about Azure Dragon as well. The remodeling will take place in February next year and I believe everything will fit, even though a lot of empty spaces will remain until all the figures arrive in Brazil, the biggest of them to Prime 1 Batman Beyond, a figure I can’t fully grasp the size since I’ve never seen a 1/3 upclose. It will be the second centerpiece of my collection with a dedicated place to it. The other centerpiece being Hulk LSB that will be right at the entrance of my room to cause the impact that this is not an ordinary room but, I believe, a magical room with so much to see and grasp, especially in Brazil, specifically in my region (Northeast) where I don’t know anybody that collect statues. And it will be a pleasure I can only imagine being in a room surrounded by these fantastic characters. I am pretty sure my life will be happier when they come out of the boxes and go to the shelves, all protected with glass, of course, since I don’t have the patience to dust them off. Only Hulk will be “free” because I think a glass box would diminish its impact. I guess Hulk is the figure I love the most, the one I would never let go. Even though it will be very difficult to sell any of my figures for two reasons: first, I’m in Brazil and second, I will have to throw away all the boxes. There’s simply no room for them in the apartment. I don’t know what will happen if I have to move. And I don’t want to think about it. My plan is to stay here till my last breath but chaos-destiny is very unpredictable, one can only wonder. Excuse me, I will smoke a cigarette, can’t do it inside the apartment (where I live with two persons that hate smoking, my mom and my stepdad).

Underrated corner

Well, even though I believe I acquired all the pieces I can possibly desire I am afraid of the next SDCC. Sideshow keeps pushing boundaries regarding portraits, especially female ones. In addition, I geared my collection towards girls. I believe no one will surpass the ones I already have but I thought that when pre-ordered Red Sonja and had to eat my words due to Harley Quinn, Rebel Terminator, and The Little Mermaid. Luckily, I survived unharmed to SDCC 18 but nobody knows what’s just around the corner. And this thought is unsettling to me. I asked the architect to plan my room taking into account free space for three more figures (now two, since Harley Quinn wasn’t on the plan) but I don’t know if this will be possible because I think she didn’t take into account my PVC anime collection with around two dozen figures from 1/7 to nendroids. Anyway, the future worries me because I can’t get “clicked” by any other figure and the possibility exists. What doesn’t exist is room for it. I won’t be able to sell the less desired figure and replace it with a new one because I won’t have the boxes anymore. I could just stop visiting the communities but they are a source of joy to me, I won’t do it. Maybe since my collection is complete I will gradually lose interest in the community but I hardly think so.

I just hope my room becomes a marvelous enchanted place to be. And that I can resist the temptation if it comes. I’m almost certain it will come. Got to be prepared and enjoy the feeling of having every piece I desire. I closed a cicle in my life, a long and delightful cicle dedicated to this hobby and its amazing pieces. I’m done with what I have and it feels good. I thought I would be taken by a sentiment of emptiness but it’s quite the opposite. I feel full, complete, satisfied, happy, and very, very curious about how my room will turn out. How will I feel being in it? How cool it will be to spend some time watching my pieces, these fifteen years of great hits and terrible misses, gaining experience and sharping my tastes, being wowed and disappointed. Was a hell of a ride. But it’s over. Once I achieve the pre-order of Azure Dragon. The rest is waiting. Then contemplating the small world of wonder I built to myself. Living in it. Loving it. Proud of it even though no one gets it. I totally get it and it is all the matters. Until next SDCC… better not to think about it. Live and let live. Thanks for reading.

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DOM PEEPS INTERVIEW – A COLLECTOR TALKS ABOUT COLLECTING

I already interviewed several statue creators but I never interviewed a collector. After seeing Dom Peeps museum, the idea emerged and I thought he would be perfect for this article.

1 – Hi, Dom! Pleasure to have you here. When did you start to collect? And when did you started to take it seriously?

Dom Peeps: I started to collect statues at the age of 9 years old. I’ve always taken collecting very seriously. As soon as I got to know about statues/sculptures I quit collecting comic books to be able to purchase more statues.

2 – What was the first statue of your collection? Do you still have it? Can you share a picture?

Dom: My first statue is a batman and robin statue I received for my birthday. I chose the statue myself on a family vacation in Florida at this small kiosk in the middle of Aventura mall. Yes I still own the statue and to add I have never sold a statue that has been part of my personal collection.

3 – What do you do with the boxes? With so many pieces, I just can’t imagine how you manage them.

Dom: I keep and protect every box, I have two garages and 2 storage rooms in my house. Every box is double wrapped to protect from getting any moisture or water damage. So far I haven’t spent any money on storing my boxes in storage facilities.

4 – You told me you have 550 figures on display and two hundred more scattered around your house. Do you intend to display them all? Is there room for the ones left in your museum?

Dom: I have a total of 750 statues. In my new museum area I have around 550 statues that are strictly Marvel and DC. The other 200 are on display in my living room, dining room and spare bedroom which is in the middle of getting converted into a movie room. So to properly answer your question every piece I own is currently on display in my home. I’m not the type to keep pieces in the box.

5 – From all your collection what are your five favorite pieces? The ones you love the most?

Dom:

- One of a kind Wolverine vs Hulk diorama

- Sideshow Wolverine legendary scale figure

- Prime 1 1990 Movie TMNT SET

- Prime 1 Optimus Prime Dark of the Moon

- Dr. Doom on throne ex premium format figure

6 – What’s your criterion to choose a new statue to your collection? What drives you to a new figure?

Dom: What drives me the most is the art, the colors and being a “completionist” I love having an entire set. I only buy statues of the universes/characters I love.

7 – Is there a figure (or figures) you regretted you bought? Which one(s) and why? Did you sell them?

Dom: I haven’t ever purchased an item for myself that I ended regretting, I also never sold a statue from my personal collection.

8 – What do you think about “collectors” who buys figures just to resell them for a profit?

Dom: To be honest it doesn’t bother me. It’s their choice I could obviously do the same but have no time to waste doing this. I buy statues for the art and really don’t have any interest in making money from them. A lot of people don’t have the means to collect the way I do so a lot sale for space or to pay their next sculpture which makes a lot of sense.

9 – To you what’s today’s best company and why?

Dom: I will always be a huge fan of Sideshow because of their variety but I think Prime 1 is the leader today just because of their amazing sculpts and overall quality.

10 – What do you think about the customs market? Do you have any customs in your collection? In this case what led you to choose said custom(s)?

Dom: I think they are amazing, it’s great to be able to create your own statue and get to see it be created or even on display in your own collection. I do own a few but a lot have been purchased because they fell into my lap. I’m not the type to pre-order a custom statue because it’s usually not part of a set or doesn’t fit in great with other licensed pieces.

11 – What do you think about the escalating prices in our hobby? Is there someone to blame?

Dom: I think it’s horrible. I have actually stopped pre-ordering statues because of this. Almost every statue today has decreased in price after its release so instead of paying more on pre-order day I will patiently hunt down the ones I’m missing in the near future on the aftermarket. I think it’s terrible how companies can drive away their number one fans (like me) who have supported them on every release since day one with this incredible increase in price. I think the new competition and customs are to blame. People are spending more on statues today, any company can see that and say why can’t we do the same if they are successfully selling out their products at those prices.

12 – From the SDCC18 and Wonderfest (if you followed them) what pieces get you excited about? Why?

Dom: Every single Marvel/DC statue. I just love seeing new representations of every character and how statues are getting more detailed and paint applications bringing them alive more and more. If I have to pick just a few favorites it would have to be Sideshow's Wolverine, X-23, Harley Quinn and Joker premium formats.

13 – You know death comes to all of us, so what do think will happen to your collection? Got any plans for it? If so, which are your plans?

Dom: I’m planning to reduce it in the far future. I will use the money to travel the world with my wife. I wouldn’t want to leave my family with the burden of taking care of such a big collection.

14 – Is there a company (or companies) you would never buy from? Why?

Dom: No there isn’t. I am very open to all companies. I love to see variety in my collection and to see what other companies can offer once their pieces are released in hand. If I have to pick one it would be Hot Toys because I don’t collect action figures or toys.

15 – How do you see the statue’s market today? Any changes since you began? Please, develop a bit over the subject.

Dom: The market has took a turn for the worst. We are no longer purchasing collectibles that are hard to obtain yet we are paying more than ever to own these so called “collectibles”. There are so many new collectors in the hobby who buy and sell so quickly and so many statues just floating in the community. I don’t feel many people have the same love for collecting it is more a money making business and for me that is the biggest turn off. You will never see a statue sold at 300$ on pre-order and be worth almost 4-5k 10 years down the road like for example a Dr. Doom on throne premium format. The rarity has just gone straight out the window.

16 – What characters you would love to see transformed in 1/4 statues?

Dom: My favorite band Metallica.

17 – Do you think this hobby is addicting? If so, do you consider yourself addicted? If so (once again), how do you control your craving?

Dom: Yes, I do think this hobby is very addicting. I consider myself an addict at 100% but just like any addiction you need to be able to control yourself. If I don’t have the money to spend I will not order any statues but I have in the past used flex pay options or also made arrangements with monthly payments with collector friends to help afford certain statues. Like I mentioned earlier I have today completely stopped ordering any new pieces because prices are just not justified any longer and US$ to Canadian $ conversion does not help me either. I love collecting but I’m not ready to just throw my money in the garbage or put my life in jeopardy over collecting.

18 – There’s much ado about Sideshow new more realistic take on portraits, what do you think about it?

Dom: I’m always opened to new concepts from artists, after all we are buying the art created by them, the way they see, the artist in their eyes at that specific moment. If you’re not a fan of that sculpt or vision all the more reason to keep your money in your pocket. I don’t know many people who complain about the Mona Lisa and ask Leonardo Da Vinci to change the way her face looks. Lol. That’s just my opinion, of course. Seems like everyone is an artist today in this hobby.

19 – What do you think about the Facebook collectors’ community? Do you believe they (we) influence the market somehow?

Dom: I think there are pros and cons to this subject. When I was younger I figured I was the only collector who existed. Through time and the development of the internet I slowly began to meet other collectors from forums or on YouTube. Collecting was always great and very low key. Prices were fair and always very easy to find good deals from comic book stores, eBay or Kijiji. Since the creation of Facebook a lot of this changed. Yes it’s great to get in touch with so many collectors around the world but this also created a lot of fake collectors, a lot of people just looking to make a quick buck and many others who think they might become rich from this hobby. People looking at this hobby more as a business. Today a lot of people compare each other from one another. There is a lot of jealousy out there and worst of all a lot of people getting scammed. People sending money to purchase a statue but never receiving it. Send deposits and then sellers deleting profiles. Just not right that these things happen to people who share the same passion & hobby.

20 – Is there a sculptor (or sculptors) you like are more fond of? Could you name them?

Dom: Martin Canale, Pablo Viggiano would probably be my favorite sculptors. They have produced some of my favorite sculpts by Sideshow and are also probably the most talented in the industry in my opinion.

21 – Will you buy the new Wolverine life-size bust from Sideshow?

Dom: Most probably down the road when I find him for less than retail.

22 – Name your three favorite characters.

Dom:

- Wolverine

- Superman

- Batman

23 – Name three favorite movies.

Dom:

- Batman 89

- TMNT 90’S

- Transformers

24 – Name three favorite bands/singers.

Dom:

- Metallica

- Bon jovi

- Eminem

25 – What message/advice would you give to humankind? What life taught you?

Dom: The best message I can give is to follow your dreams, do not let anybody tell you otherwise. We have only one life to live and the best way to live it is with as much happiness as possible and with the least amount of regret. What life always taught me is that nothing comes easy and with hard work anything is possible. I’ve always been a big dreamer and hard worker. I am currently 32 years old. I have my dream job and live in my dream house, which is actually my childhood home that I purchased from my parents. I finally completed my museum in my basement that I have always dreamed about having and did everything with my bare two hands and of course help from my best friends and family. Many people told me I wouldn’t be able to do it or I dream to big but in the end my dreams became a reality and if it wasn’t for my positive way of thinking and never giving up in myself I would have never been able to prove them wrong.

Thanks for the interview! I’m quite sure collectors will love it!

P.S.: if you are interested in reading more interviews, click here. 

WHY THE SAME CHARACTERS EVERY YEAR? (AND OTHER TOPICS)

I’m a Sideshow fanboy and I’m not ashamed of that (maybe I was just lucky to get all my statues in perfect condition until now). Even so, I must admit that one thing that XM, which I see as the main competitor to Sideshow, excels is in the variety of characters offered. Sideshow is lacking badly in this department. Ok, we’ve got Swamp Thing and Green Arrow and X23 what was kind of a miracle, but this year, once again, we see Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Joker, Harley Quinn, Green Lantern, Spider-man, Thor, Captain America, Iron Man, Red Sonja, Darth Maul, Darth Vader etc. and etc. I don’t know if they choose the characters based on some kind of marketing research but I don’t believe so. If they heard the Facebook communities (the right place to watch because the majority of the hardcore collectors clusters there), they would know that many, many of us want Nightcrawler, Flash, Beast and many others that XM addressed in their line-up. And XM excels even further not being afraid to approach the villains with the same ratio they address the heroes, another thing Sideshow lacks too. It’s always Venom and Joker. I believe they would make the same money if they give attention to other, more low profile, characters. Even more, perhaps. If they were able to simply revolutionize the quality of their sculpts to the level achieved in this SDDC, why don’t revolutionize the choice of characters made as well?

By the way, my greatest concern is regarding the production pieces of these more sophisticated new figures. Once it goes to mass production. The painting jobs of the prototypes were top notch as ever. I’m not paranoid yet because they delivered with Red Sonja and with Wolverine, the two first pieces of that new generation of Sideshow sculpts.

Two things I would rethink on Sideshow are their 1/6 articulated dolls and the obsession with Court of the Dead. They really have to had some classes with partner Hot Toys to learn how to sew clothes that fit well in the character, they’re definitely are lacking on this. Court of the Dead, on the other hand, looks to me as a big effort that appeals only to a few.

0h31. I went to smoke, I never smoke in here where my figures are. Am drinking Coca-Cola Zero with lots of Ice. I live in Brazil and thought while smoking that I am a completely failure in every aspect of my life. First, the law considers me as an invalid citizen. In other words, one that cannot even vote, work, drive, marry, that have to have a tutor, a person to take care of me and control my pension (money). This tutor as for now – and I hope for a great while for sure – is my mother. She is very tight handed regarding money, so to acquire the statues is a complicated process, especially because she thinks I have too many already. I don’t know if I’ll be able to acquire another statue even though I have some money on PayPal because it is an Brazilian account and they do not accept transactions with Sideshow. I’m in a dead end here. Worst I’m in dire straits because I didn’t resist the offer of Blanka (the Brazilian Street Fighter) Player Two Version discount at the time PCS distribution went to Sideshow and bought the figure. My mother already said that if I buy something without talking to her first she would cancel my credit card. I’ll try to lie saying that the Red Sonja (that she knows about and should be my last statue) launched early and the remaining installments came at once. I hope this works. PCS Blanka already arrived at my brother’s in the US. I want badly to acquire The Little Mermaid (me and J Scott Campbell think she is perfect! Lol) and one of the new SS DC or Marvel girls (probably Harley Quinn since her expression is so hard to sculpt and the overall piece from body to base is extremely detailed). However, then again, I don’t believe my mother will believe in my Red Sonja excuse and will cancel my credit card. Let’s see what life will bring me. Apart that, I bought a PS3 game called Persona 5 during Amazon’s Prime Day and to that I have no excuse at all. And I’m not even playing my systems anymore (PS3, Wii U and Nintendo Switch), I’ve got saturated of games, Persona 5 would be my last try. Call me a heretic but although a huge Zelda fan I didn’t dig Breath Of The Wild at all. It’s an artistic masterpiece but there are too much stressful variables that push me away from playing it. I can see the grandiose about it but is not my alley. I don’t believe that at 41 I will get into a JRPG like Persona 5 but the critical and public appraisal was so high that I felt impelled to buy it (an it also went to my brother’s) and give it a try when it eventually come to my hands. Hey, but this post should be about statues. I got carried away.

Here is where a spend the most part of my life and I dream to transform into
a collectors room with all my figures on display.

-x-x-x-x-

13h54. Waked up and saw I told a bit of my personal drama as a collector and as a gamer. And as a human being. Well, maybe I have to give up collecting after Red Sonja. I don’t even know if all my statues fit in my room, since it will be remodeled to accommodate them all and it’s not a big room. It’s my bedroom and office and will become my man cave as well (maybe I’m expecting too much of my room but everything will have to fit, the games, the CDs, the DVDs, the books, the clothes, my statues and figures not to mention my stereo and my bed! The architect will have a hard time to figure this mess out! Lol). In other words, I don’t know if I can accommodate two more pieces. I think there’s space for a smaller figure like the Little Mermaid but maybe there’s no space to Harley, or maybe Rogue, or Psylocke. And I happen to have a bad taste regarding statues, since I only choose underrated pieces which are sold on eBay for prices below the one I paid (Ralph McQuarrie Boba Fett EX, The Thing Maquette – the one based on the movie – or Three A Iron Man anyone?). Well, I’m starting to feel that the new bunch of fabulous pieces Sideshow unveiled in SDCC 18 will not find a way into my collection. What is a pitty. And it’s not. I believe it’s better for me for one side, because this hobby is too expensive to my reality and the display of the statues I dream of is one that is not crowded, I think the visual pollution of some displays too overwhelming and ugly. The display I dream to my room is each PF put side by side. For the smaller figures (Batman Black & White pieces and PVC anime figures) I don’t mind that much if it turns to be a more convoluted display and cannot be any other way since I have about a dozen PF (max) and around 50 smaller figures so there is no way I can display them all side by side.

Returning to the initial debate of this post, I think competition, especially between XM and Sideshow to be very positive for us collectors because one is always trying to surpass the other. Including in quality control. I sincerely think Sideshow is taking more care regarding the mass production of their pieces than they used to do. I remember to hear a lot more complaints from the community about this subject a couple of years ago. Talking about production pieces, I just don’t know what happened to the eyes of the SS Wonder Woman based on the movie, they differ completely from the prototype version. I think they intended to make it resemble more Gal Gadot and changed the blue eyes for smaller black eyes, which didn’t help the figure at all, the result was ridiculous. If I have ordered the piece based on the prototype pictures, I would feel myself fooled and scammed. Thank god I didn’t. But other examples as the new Wolverine and the new Red Sonja proves that their quality control evolved. If I happen to buy Harley Quinn though, I will wait for production pieces pictures before buying, the figure has a very complex and detailed paint scheme and I’m still uncomfortable with Sideshow QC (even though, as I said before, I have no issues with my SS orders so far). In this regard, XM excels Sideshow largely. Their quality control is second to none and you know that what you see is exactly what you get. Same must be said of Prime 1. I believe the big complaint collectors have with Sideshow is quality control of their production pieces, as the prices seem to be stabilized around 500 – 600 for a Premium Format Figure. It’s not a small amount by any means, but collectors are already used to it. Hope pricing stays like this for the time come.

As though I am a Sideshow fanboy and only have Sideshow 1/4 and 1/5 pieces, I greatly admire the work of XM. It just not fit my tastes. If I have to choose between a Prime 1 or a XM piece, I would definitely grab an XM. I’m not too fond of Prime 1 sculpting I think they produce soulless figures, there’s something strange about their pieces, a lack of humanity, personality that bothers me. Not to mention the sizes, 1/3 (most of it) is definitely not for me due to the lack of space issue and because is so big it freaks me. I hate the gargantuan bases as well. And there’s the issue of my brother bringing the pieces to Brazil. My country does not allow oversized luggage to be dispatched and the taxes and shipping costs to Brazil are astronomical. I had to pay twice the original price to have the Hulk LSB to be delivered directly to Brazil (since it could not come by plane with my brother due to oversize).

In resume, I think XM has the creativity, the quality and the variety of characters. It is a company more akin to take risks, sometimes big risks as the Sentinel vs. X-Men diorama. I appreciate that. Their characters have personality and soul. I like that too. Sideshow does not have the same quality control of their pieces and like to play it safe most of the time (albeit they launched the Fairytale Collection, The Court of the Dead line and the Gotham Nightmare duo which are big departures from the more of the same they usually do). That being said, Sideshow has the most beautiful and well-rounded sculptures to my taste. Prime 1 figures look big lifeless museum pieces and I truly dislike them with some notable exceptions like Poison Ivy that I think is magnificent even though is such a massive piece I can’t even imagine the price. Nevertheless everything about the figure is quite perfect, the SS Ivy pales down by comparison, even being a beautiful piece with its own merits it is no match to Prime one offering. For some irrational thing on me, the statue I really wanted from Prime one is perhaps the most lifeless statuesque of them all: Batman Beyond Gold Version. But is an unreachable dream so I don’t care with this contradiction. The only massive statue allowed in my room is Hulk LSB and that’s enough for me.

On a final note, I don’t mind edition sizes if they don’t compromise the final product. Be one among 2k people to have the statue is still pretty exclusive to my taste, considering the planet to have around 7 billion people. Lol. Oh, and I’m having fun with customs being called now “fan art” as if it justified the legal infringements of producing and especially selling these pieces. I cannot complain at all since I’m a proud owner of a “fan art” Wolverine. I also think that the big companies follow the customs market closely as they have used the works of Daniel Bel and Kuchareck Brothers on recent pieces. That surprised me a lot and I thought was an excellent move from the big companies. May this trend thrive, we collectors win with it because we don’t have to pay extortive “fan art” prices for their works and, better yet, the figures come already professionally painted so one don’t have to pay for that either. I know the exclusivists may not agree with me but I’m not rich to pay 1k plus for a statue, so I love these talented artists being contracted by the big guns.

Well, I touched many different subjects on this post. Maybe one too many. But when I start to write I like to put it all out. Would love to hear some opinions. Thank you for reading and sorry for my broken and poor English. See ya! I hope…   

IT

“It's tricky when you feel someone has done something on your behalf”
Desired Constellation, Björk

Thank you for reading this. You arrived at this post without the aid of Facebook, my main channel of divulgation. I chose not to use Facebook because this is a different post. I felt the urge to write in English and see where it leads me, just to practice my poor domain of the language and because I may talk about figures and the universal language to collectibles is English. Right now, I’m intrigued with the conclusion that when I write what I think and you read what I wrote I’m uploading my thoughts to your head. You and I become one. Our souls merge although in a different space-time since you’re not in my room in Brazil and cannot read as I write. Your present is my future at this very moment, as in this very moment, my present is your past, depending on who is looking at it, you or me. This space-time lapse set us apart. Your interpretation may also differ completely from mine and you can form an opinion of your own regarding this text, two other things that set us apart since you are you and I am I. However, as you read this is like my thoughts are rooting and manifesting in someone else’s mind. They are my thoughts and they aren’t since who are thinking them now is you. So my thoughts become your thoughts and this is all a very strange and powerful experience. I guess this is the marvelousness of writing or communication in general, though I think writing is more personal. More up close. More deep. It’s kind of hypnotic. This looping of me becoming you and you becoming me even though we never met eye to eye. Now you’re inside my soul, You’re reading exactly what I’m thinking, no holding ups. Now I’m think since I remembered that I’m writing on my collectibles blog about one figure, one specific picture of it you can only imagine if you saw and as I don’t know if you did I’ll will post the picture below so that our “databanks” stay updated regarding the subject. Here we go:

I gave up my Malavestros pre-order and all my reward points I put into that statue due to this piece. Hulk life-size bust. I believe its box will be bigger than the maximum size allowed to be brought to Brazil as checked luggage so I will have to send it directly to Brazil via Sideshow (that is the most inexpensive delivery service I could find). Even being cheaper, the shipping costs will be well over $300 not to mention the custom taxes of my country that are 60% over the declared price plus the shipping. In other words, I will have to pay more than twice for the figure. That is already expensive by its own, $980. This is very bad news and something I was not waiting since it’s the first (and last) bust I buy. You can add to the calculus the $184,50 I lost cancelling Malavestros pre-order and – boom – you have the most expensive figure I have ever bought. By a far margin.  How I dealt with the other figures I’ve bought? Very simple, I sent them to my brother’s home who lives in US and once they get to visit us here or we get to visit them there we bring one or two statues as luggage. No absurd taxes or shipping costs. Why did I give up Malavestros? Well, I am retired or better saying legally invalid so I’m almost not a citzen anymore. I can’t vote, I can’t drive, I can’t marry… the list goes on. And who responds legally for me is my mother who controls my pension. As you may imagine my mother just hates the figures and think they are an awful waste of money. As most people do. I don’t blame her, especially because I’m the only one who cares about figures and statues in my social circle. Everyone thinks is quite nuts to spend such amount of money on a “toy”.

Well, not knowing how to communicate my mother about the arrival of Hulk without getting her infuriated, I decided to write an e-mail telling about the Hulk and the two other figures I intend to buy before quitting collecting. In the e-mail that “stunned” her (in her own words), I forgot to mention Malavestros’ pre-order. Fearing a retaliation of some kind, like cutting my credit card, I decided to cancel the pre-order since I didn’t mention that on the e-mail and I was most certain she wouldn’t believe me I ordered it before the Hulk (what wouldn’t make much of a difference anyway). My mother is very tight-handed about money and a very irascible person so I saw myself with no alternative whatsoever than cancelling Malavestros. That was the only way to earn her trust and maybe be able to acquire besides Hulk, the two other figures I wish before I quit collecting once for all. The prices are raising too darn fast. I can’t keep up with them. My pension is not enough to keep collecting and pay all my bills and although maybe other figures come to arise my desire I will have to contempt myself with what I will have. Also due to space issues I can’t have the luxury of have many more figures. My bedroom is my “man-cave” (I think this term so sexist, since there are girls who collect too) and my room is not a big one. I need to reform it in order to be able to accommodate my collection. I hope for the reform to happen in mid-2018 to the beginning of 2019. In other words, more money to spend, even though labor is much cheaper here than in first world countries it will be expensive nevertheless. But which other figures I want to acquire?

I hope the Mona Lisa smile comes with the figure and is not a light and shadow effect from the picture. I found her to have an Art Nouveau style for the head sculpt making her the most beautiful female character Sideshow ever produced, in my opinion.

It’s obvious to me that she is a computer generated piece, but, although I consider myself a purist and prefer hand sculpted pieces, I think technology came in favor of the piece in this particular case. I believe it would be almost impossible to sculpt such a wonderful face with hand sculpt. Not to mention the details on the axe and overall armor and weapons. But especially the face caught me. And I like her body, less muscular than other sideshow female statues. All in all, a perfect sculpt I have to have in my collection. I’m expecting her price not to be over $500-550 since the Red Sonja She Devil with a Sword has a much more elaborated base and costed $550. I hope this one not to be different. It would be the fair price tag for a statue from the same character with a much less elaborated base. Got my fingers crossed on that. (Note: it came ot for $560 exclusive, $550 regular)

The final statue of my collection is this big boy:

A terrific hand sculpted statue that could not be captured like this with computer programs. This organic and manual feeling can’t be done on computers. It’s the exact opposite of Red Sonja. It uses all that only hand sculpting offers to thrive in glorious shape. I’m very afraid of the price of this piece, it can range from $700 to more than $1,000. I hope Sideshow keep its feet on the ground and offers this figure for $750-$800 max, so I can afford it. I also hope that the box fit checked luggage specifications so I don’t need to spend another load of cash to have it here in Brazil (apart the load of cash I will already be spending in acquiring it). But who I’m trying to fool? My mother will not allow me to buy any other figure anymore in my life after the Hulk experience she’s about to have. What will make really me sad. Or upset, since the money in the end is mine. There’s an inch of hope since I already communicated my plans to her on the e-mail. Maybe just maybe, after I pay Hulk, she allows me to go on with these two. Then no more statues for me, I’m done with it. For good. Then will be time to fix my room to accommodate my pieces and be able to watch them every day.

If I had to choose one of the three? I would say thank god Hulk bust came out first since is the figure I’m really in love. I never felt this way with any other figure in my life. I go to its page every day to watch the pictures and allow me to be enchanted by them. Enchanted, this is the precise word to describe how I feel about Hulk. To me is the best Hulk sculpture ever done. It oozes so much detail and personality is breathtaking. I think I will never get tired of looking at it. That’s why I don’t think in quitting it at all. It’s a huge problem. An expensive one. But if I have to have a great finale to my collection Hulk LSB will be it. As always, I seem to like statues that are underrated and have low revenue value. But I don’t plan to sell my statues anytime soon. Only when I am very old I will slowly selling them. Therefore, I will not bother anyone else with the burden to deal with them, an idea I got from a very wise collector from Facebook.

Well, thanks for visiting my mind, my life and my dilemmas. I wrote exactly as it came to me. Sorry for my broken English I never took English classes, I’m a self-taught English speaker/writer and not a good one at that, as I always say.

Many must be thinking I will not quit collecting at all. But none of you know my mother or my will.

I will only post this text after I publish Erick Sosa’s interview. He may read this and quit answering the questions altogether. (Note of the editor: Erick is taking too long to answer because he is very busy and I have the freedom to post what I want in my blog.) This Matrix thing in the beginning of the text is not for the faint of heart. And I don’t know if it’s true. It’s just the way I feel about writing and the power of the written word. I think is kind of a symbiotic experience where one mind entangles with the other, more in autobiographic texts but also in fictional ones though accessing different parts of a person’s mind. The fictional texts are more distant from the author himself than an autobiographic one. I the latter you get to know the real feelings and thoughts of the person writing and share in your own way the experiences the author is experiencing. I don’t know if it will touch the reader the same way, since we are two completely different persons but will be as close as it gets to dive into one’s mind. I think this kind of sharing what drives me to write, especially in Portuguese. On this blog I am sincere but I have a subject other than me, the figures. I can’t escape the figures in my Portuguese blog but they appear more like in this post, as an integrated part of my life, I’m not advocating nothing regarding them, just expressing my feelings and worries about them and how they mingle into my life. And I bring my mother a lot in my writing since she controls my life in more aspects that would be suitable. In part because I let her to. In part because of my legal situation. The only thing I know is that after much darkness in my life I like living and want to keep it that way. Be over-controlled by my mother is just a tiny detail. A big tiny detail. Nevertheless, she started going to therapy. Maybe this helps her to respect more my spaces. And let me live my life with a bit more freedom. A freedom that I don’t really need right now given I’m so anti-social nowadays. When I don’t go to the CAPS (Center of Psychosocial Aid) I’m in my room writing or roaming through the collectors groups. Looks like a very limited life but it suits me just fine. I do what I love that is writing. I don't have to participate in the theatre of social interactions. I can be me most fully when I write then when I talk to someone. I am strange I know. I feel strange and out of the place in this world. But as I said, I enjoy living, I’m glad there’s another day after this one. I spent a lot of time hating tomorrows, begging to today be my last day as myself, even trying to accomplish that. As I said, I come from darker times. I hated myself and wanted to die. All days. All day. Finally, when I find my comfort zone, find a way I like to be me I won’t abandon myself just because it’s a weird behavior in everybody’s eyes. I stick to what I have as tight as I can, since I found my formula of being happy. The loneliness can be sometimes tedious, but this feeling doesn’t come very often. It would be a joy to have a girlfriend. That’s why I still socialize, in search for a girl that fits my heart and I fit hers. Other than that I don’t see much point in go to parties since I don’t drink anymore and really don’t like to dance and really dislike the social circus where once I was the clown, the heart and soul of the party. I’m not this guy anymore. As I said I’m passing by a very anti-social social stage of my life. I like it but it bothers me because I didn’t want to become so weird. However, at the core I came to believe we’re all alone in this life, all of our social network is based in dependence, interdependence, codependence or supplying. I seek to be as independent as I can and it revolves in loneliness so I’m steadily becoming an urbanoid hermit. I thought and sometimes I still do think that true love can aid a lot to one’s happiness but I am not emotionally available to it right now. And yes I will come back to therapy by the end of the year. I know I need. I just don’t want right now. Again not emotionally or psychologically available. I guess this post went far too long. I will end it here. If I would trade my Hulk LSB for a girlfriend? Only if it was Aurora the love of my life. Yes she exists but is just a platonic passion as things goes at the time being. And you? How did you feel about being me for a while? Hope you can get the statues you want, I hope I get the statues I want. And by the end of 2019 have all of them exposed in my room. I wish I started to like gaming once again. And watch movies. Have so many to see. So much to play. But I don’t quite feel like it. My urge is to write. It’s the most fun I have and is the easiest thing in the world for me. Not in English but in Portuguese. By the way, I got to revise what I wrote yesterday. Until the next post I hope will be more targeted in figures.

P.S.: I know I seem like a complete social failure but look at the bright side I not going with the herd, I determined a modus operandi completely mine and most importantly I’m happy being this way. There are limitations. Several. However, there’s a kind of freedom few people experience. The freedom of the mind. My mind is as free as it possibly gets. Therefore, I can be free even on a jail. As long as I’m able to write. Writing is what ties me and liberates me from the world. It’s my meditation. It’s my way to connect to myself and explore me. There’s lots to uncover and discover yet and I think there will always be more. The human being, the human essence is endless.

Why the quote from Björk at the beginning of the text? I really don’t know. I was listening to it and happened to like the verses. Lol.     

ODE TO HULK LIFE-SIZE BUST AND A BIT OF SWAMP THING

I know you dislike the half-mouthed grunt. I know you dislike the face sculpt altogether. Looks like he had a stroke you said. I know you hate the brown shading. I know some of you see it as a “half” life-size bust because there’s no back. I know most of you disliked because is very light to its size. In one word, you’ll never get the Hulk LSB. I did. And don’t regret a bit. On the contrary, it’s the statue I’m most excited to receive ever. No other sculpture generated – and generates since it is yet to come – such a frisson in my collector’s mind (and heart) than this one. Forget OG Hulk, this is the Hulk to get. The ultimate Hulk sculpture. The expression of Hulk is incredible as is the facial sculpture altogether. It gives him character and personality. Prove of this is people find it looks like many different persons, generally ridiculing him (I also think it resembles Clint Eastwood by the way, which is a good thing to me! :) ). What people don’t realize is that Hulk is a monster and as such it’ll never be pretty. The half-opened mouth give dynamics to an otherwise very static figure. The brown shadings ads depth and variation to the piece otherwise, with all shadings green, would look very one-dimensional according to a professional painter who happens to like the paint scheme all of you detested. Apart that, the figure is a perfect merge of reality and fantasy with hyper-detailed skin marks and pores and a comic book face sculpt. It’ll be an impacting piece in anyone’s collection and it’s decidedly the center piece of mine. One cannot deny that Hulk LSB causes a strong impression even if you are a life-size bust collector. It’s a piece that grabs you attention and doesn’t let go. I get to look at the pictures of Hulk LSB every day like I’m kind of in love with it. Like watching pictures of a beloved one who travelled. That’s how strongly connected I am to this statue. I’m just enchanted by it. Enchanted is the precise word about my feelings towards this piece.

Say all you gonna say it won’t move me a bit from my decision. The only thing I dislike about Hulk LSB is that I will have to ship it directly to Brazil (what won’t be cheap) since the box will be too big to fit checked luggage specifications. It is by a far margin the most expensive statue I have ever bought and also the last I will pay this astronomic price for a piece. I just wished I live in US like my brother… but the thing is I love Brazil, I really enjoy where I live and I’m retired and I could not receive my pension in US let alone live there. Nor I would trade my country just because of statues! I just hope Swamp Thing box to fit in checked luggage specifications. In addition, I expect it to be around $700-750 max. I don’t see why even with the size, for a niche DC character with simple casting to be more than that. I know it’s big. But it’s not Hulk LSB big (only in height). The base is not complex. It’s not a difficult statue to paint. No Heat-Seeker complexities on that piece, no throne. So it can be more affordable. Even though $700-750 is no small money. But it can’t cost the price of a 1/3 statue. Because it’s not. Bane, which is also a massive DC character and only 3 inches shorter, with a much more complex composition and mixed media went for $699. I hope it goes for $750. I will not pay more than this for this 1/4 figure even if it is my all-time favorite character (which Swamp Thing indeed is). I just find it outrageous to the consumer to ask more than that. Loyalty to a brand has limits and Sideshow nowadays are pushing the limits far too far. Better keep the feet on the ground and make everybody happy than have a stockpile of unsold figures since only the wealthy collectors will be able to afford. And there isn’t as much people interested in Swamp Thing as there is in Thanos on Throne. Be certain of that, so Sideshow should pick an inclusive price tag to gather as many lovers of the creature from the swamp as possible, not alienate them with preposterous prices. And, please, Sideshow, make a box that fits checked luggage specifications! The more compact the better without sacrificing the piece safety of course. Just like Killer Croc box organization would be fine. I believe there won’t be many parts to attach to this figure otherwise it would break the flow of the body vines and ligaments, breaking this way the whole concept of Paul Komoda as well. 


P.S.: a new interview may be coming soon. 

RAMBLINGS

Obviously the best Hulk figure is on the left, right?

4h34. I couldn’t sleep. I slept 14 hours straight last night so I don’t have a single drop of sleepiness. I even tried to sleep but just kept rolling in my bed. So I’m back here. Writing. I was writing my Portuguese blog but as all I talked about was the collectible communities of Facebook, concerned I’m addicted to them, I decided to write my ramblings in English and try to post in ccfigures to see how it goes. 

I posted on the Sideshow Collectibles and Statue Collectors groups the same thing: “I know most of you hated it. I would like to know now who actually ordered (or plan to order) it (image of SS Hulk Life-Size Bust).”

To my astonishment, from a universe of thousands of people, only one (besides me) manifested he ordered it and only three consider ordering the bust. Even though I was very specific on the subject, I still got lots of haters input. It’s without a doubt the most repudiated piece I ever saw in these communities since I began to follow them. I can get why (a strange expression to many, the use of brownish shading when Hulk is supposed to be all green, the weight compared to the size of the piece and the price, even though is the same as the Deadpool life-size bust) but what I can’t get is how strong the negativity movement around this piece became. It became “cool” or “in”, I think, to mock this piece. On the other hand in another thread I’m following, people are all praises to the new Avengers Assemble Hulk, whose heads I found to be very ugly and poorly detailed compared with other 1/5 statues such as the ones from the MotU line. I just don’t get it. I think the Hulk bust to be a fabulous piece so much so I ordered it against my own promess to stop collecting with the order of Malavestros but I was so amazed by this statue that I took the crazy decision of spending $980 on a figure and don’t regret it. It’s almost beyond my means but I had to have it. And I’m not a bust collector, I really don’t dig busts but this one turned out to me as the best Hulk figure I have ever saw, beating even my most desired grail of all: OG Hulk. Yes, I wouldn’t trade this new SS Hulk bust for a OG Hulk (only if it was for resell, buy the bust again and make some easy money over the statue). I am already dreaming with it right at the entrance of my room faced to the door so to cause everyone that enters an impact. And for me to see it many times a day, since I get to get out a lot from my room in order to get Coke to drink (or to eat, go to the bathroom you name it). For me this Hulk bust is a work of art. I hope my mother don’t get too crazy when my credit card starts to come with Hulk flexpayment along with Killer Croc’s last payment and shipping then starting with Malavestros plus Hulk. It's my pension that's paying it but my mom just happens to hate my statues. The worst thing about this Hulk bust is the small number of months offered in the flexpayment. Only 5. I don’t know if it is a measure to avoid order cancelations but I can’t see how could one thing prevent the other. I believe the small number of months to pay and such a high value per month ($176) will alienate even more potential buyers. But it’s just my opinion, SS have more than 20 years of expertise in the business so they know better than anyone what they’re up to.

5h22. A guy just posted a picture of the old coach from “Rocky” movies as his reference to the Hulk bust. Other put the ugly face of a Canadian politician. I can see the resemblance but I can’t see this as a good enough reason to turn the back to the figure. Maybe because it reminds me of Clint Eastwood which is not a bad reference at all. But coming back to the praises to the Avengers Assemble Hulk. It’s a meh piece with a nice body sculpt and terrible heads. But everyone so far thinks it’s wonderful. I just don’t get it. My taste must be the inverse of the people in these groups. And indeed it is. Everybody is devoted to XM studios. I think they make very good and creative bases and have a tremendous quality control but that’s it. Their main differential is that is so darn complicated to get one of their pieces that this fact alone turns all of them grails that only a few can afford to have. Prime 1 is another darling of the collectors and is ruining the market with their absurd prices for 1/4 figures. They also have a better quality control than Sideshow but they leave a lot to be desired in terms of head sculpt and poses. But my main complaint about Prime 1 is that they’re pushing the prices of the market up since other companies realize people are paying their prices and think why not practice the same price points too? That’s really bad for the market and I don’t know where it’s going to end. At least I will watch the time when a 1k 1/4 statue arrives from a safe distance since I stop collecting and my last piece was the Hulk bust, even though the last to arrive will be Malavestros, which I bought first. Maybe the 1k statue appears in this coming Comic Con. Maybe SS Magneto will be that piece depending on the base. Or maybe it comes from Prime 1 themselves with some huge character from DC. I will curiously watch it all knowing that I own everything that I want. I have every character I cherish now that I have a Hulk. And not only a Hulk but the best Hulk ever. I believe Magneto will be a letdown unless it really floats in the air through magnetic charges, because if the drawing circulating the internet is true, Magneto will come in a meh pose with a cloth wired cape on a very uninspiring base. This Comic Con (as the others) will be very interesting to follow. And I will follow very closely. Oh, yes, sir (and miss), I will. Now I’ll get some Coke and watch what’s cooking on the groups which I believe is not much since is 5h55 in the morning. 

-x-x-x-x-

HULK BUST IS HOLLOW… SO IS EVERY STATUE

The weight of a given statue is one of the things that grants it that sensation of being a special item, not a toy, I guess most of us agree with that. But all of them are hollow to some degree. Otherwise, they would be too costly and complicated to produce and shipping costs would be astronomical. Not to mention the hurdles to display them safely. It is true, however, that some companies make them more hollow than others. Even though I never saw a Prime 1 or a XM statue crack open, legend says they put more polystone or whatever material they use than Sideshow but they’re all hollow in the wider parts. By the way, Sideshow by being the most popular brand out there is always the aim of the majority of the criticisms among collectors. Maybe this is true, maybe SS makes hollower statues, but I don’t believe this to be the decisive point in the choice of a piece over the other. That being said I was a bit shocked at how light the new Sideshow Hulk bust seemed to be during the Sideshow Live broadcast. But thinking over it I believe this means some good things. For once, the shipping costs won’t be as heavy as they would if the statue were heavier. I have more options of display without being afraid of a shelf collapse by the weight of it. Finally, that may mean Sideshow is aiming for a friendlier price tag, maybe around $700, since is a much simpler bust to produce than the Deadpool one (which may be just as hollow as Hulk even though it is said to weight about 15 kg). I may being very optimistic here, I know. And I’m more optimistic yet because a lot of the community rejected the sculpt of the bust referring often to it as the “stroke” Hulk. The more the haters, the more the chance of getting it for a cheaper price. A price that I can pay, I mean. I agree that the bust seems way too hollow and I’m afraid of breakage if the resin layer is too thin, but I guess it’s not the case. It’s just that Hulk is too bulky in his forms that leaves a lot of empty space inside, more than other busts. And regardless of its weight it definitely doesn’t look like a toy. I think the art style is outstanding, so much in fact that it is the first bust I seriously consider buying even though I really don’t like this format of statue. And I had quit collecting, mind you. However, this piece is too awesome to pass (depending on the price once again). Besides, its one of the last hand sculpted pieces we'll see. And I value hand sculpting a lot.

The one thing that bogged me the most (and wasn’t mentioned by nobody) is the use of a very brownish green in the shadows and very heavily in my opinion. Hulk should be green. I don’t know where the brown fits in the color scheme. It seem disruptive to me. Other than that, there is the meh base which seems out of place with the statue, but looking at Deadpool bust it seems to have the same very base, so maybe Sideshow is trying to unify the bases visual of all their new Marvel busts. I don’t like it but it’s such a minor part of the whole product that I can pass over that.

I hope haters continue to hate and spread the hate on the web to create a chain of rejection that motivates Sideshow to lower the price in order to attract consumers like me, that can’t spend 1k on a piece no matter how much they love it. Around $700 would be the sweet spot to me. Same price as SS Joker bust, a much more complex piece with mixed media and all (yes, I know the times were others but I believe the times are changing again, the figure boom is slowly fading and new SS prices reflect this). On this topic of the market boom passing I guess it doesn’t affect XM Studios as they always had low ES and their cult surpasses everything on the market. But I see Prime 1 and SS edition sizes diminishing and SS rethinking their price points. I believe the market is oversaturated with statues. That’s the trend I’m getting but I may be completely wrong. After all I’m the one who loves the Hulk bust against all trends. Lol. 

Update: Hulk bust is on sale for $980. Ouch. But I ordered it.

HULK, HULK BUST AND HULKBUSTER

The figures I am more interested about are related to Hulk. Unfortunately I believe only one will be affordable to me so I will begin with this one. I just happen to love the Hulk from SS Avengers Assemble line. It’s true that the head sculpt could be better but all the rest is top notch, the dynamic pose, the proportions, the anatomy, everything is quite perfect in this Hulk, well balanced and full of movement. I guess the price will be affordable as will not pass the $500 threshold, after all is a 1/5 figure. To be honest it should be the same price as Thor ($450 max) because is a much simpler piece to produce even though is bigger. It would be the perfect Hulk for me if the head sculpt was done right. Let’s wait and see. I don’t believe they will change the head sculpt so far along in the development process but I’ll keep my fingers crossed.

Going to the realms of dreams now there’s XM Hulkbuster. It’s not really Hulk but boy it’s really a stunning piece. And must be gigantic since there’s an 1/4 (I believe) Iron Man going out of it. Ingenuous design and right now already candidate for statue of the year. The model is extremely detailed and is supposed to have an alternate display with the armor all closed (though I’m not certain about this). Think about an ambitious project. The only pieces that could beat this one are the X-Men and JLA maquettes promised by XM, which I don’t know if are still in development or proved to be a too audacious undertaking. Which I believe they are, the cost would be astronomical and few would have place to display such gargantuan pieces even if the proportion is 1/6. And there were people wanting these pieces to be 1/4 mind you. But back to Hulkbuster. I just love the idea even more with its alternate closed display if proven to be true. But it ain’t come cheap either, as none of XM pieces are to US residents due to all importing hurdle and deal with flippers and all the process of acquiring XM Studios pieces require. I have a sister that lives in Germany, I don’t know if things are better that side of Atlantic. I would like hear about that from the readers. I’m sure hyped by this new XM marvel and if I have to choose one piece from XM to have that would be it. Unfortunately, I cannot see it coming for less than 1k sans shipping and fees. So, in fact, I will contempt myself in seeing pics of it from the lucky fellas who bought it posted on the Facebook groups. But would still like to know if it easier to get XM pieces overseas in Europe nevertheless.

Last but not least, the one I am most hyped about, even though I don’t like the format, is Hulk life-size bust from SS. I thought the sculpture, which I believe was handmade, not digital, so full of personality, so expressive that it became I must have for me. If it comes for around $700. It’s all I’m willing to pay. I know I said I have given up collecting with Malavestros, but I think I would cancel it if the Hulk bust come for a friendly price. It’s sure a huge piece but it’s not a very complex one to produce. So, I’m eagerly waiting for the full reveal to make plans according. I also need to know when it will launch and when flex payment begins. To not overlap with my other order, Killer Croc. I guess I’m just dreaming here too if Thanos came for 1,2 k I believe Hulk bust will come for around this price which is more than too much for me. Not to mention the shipping cost.

I was astonished as how many members of the groups disliked the sculpt, wanted something more traditional, less creative and expressive than the piece is. In this I’m against the trend because I found it to be a perfect rendition of Hulk. Hope this general dislike motivates Sideshow to lower the price in an attempt to grab consumers. So here too I got my fingers crossed even more harder than with Hulkbuster because I believe I’ll never own that piece due to the price and hardships to get one and because if I have to choose one of the two I would go with the bust. And that would be definitely the last piece I would buy. Since I don’t have place in my room to display anything else. I was counting and I have about 15 to 17 1/4 and 1/5 statues not to mention countless smaller figures from Black & White Batmans to Evangelion girls (lots of them) and a bit of everything in between. And my room is not big. I will have to make a reform in order to make them all fit. I live in Brazil in an apartment, so, there’s no basement to make a man cave (even though I know girls also collect statues) and the only place I have to display them is in my room, the other rooms are occupied by other family members. My brother lives in the US and every piece I buy I send to his house, so to avoid the ludicrous taxes from importing them directly to Brazil. Every now and then when we go there or they come here, we bring one or two statues to me but I still have more statues in States than here in Brazil which is pretty sad and pretty lame, I know. However, to finish this post I have to mention that from my favorite heroes the only one I don’t have any statue is The Incredible Hulk. And I’m definitely wanting to fill this gap with the bust. I just don’t know where I will put my printer since the only place I can imagine Hulk to be is where it is. Lol.