FIGURE PAINTING VS. SUN – POP CULTURE SHOCK ANSWERS

I’ve always been worried about my statues get sunlight, then, through the miraculous world of cyberspace, I had the chance to ask directly to the manufacturer about the eternal dilemma: figure painting vs. Sun. Here’s the answer:

My take to this answer is that indirect sunlight exposure will not damage the painting, and if does it will take several years to do so. My collecting room (which happens to be my bedroom) has one window. So as long as I keep my figures away from the window I won’t have to worry about discoloration. What are your thoughts about the matter? 

I GUESS I JUST LOVE POLYSTONE

Still unique

When you think your statue is one of a kind limited edition and then you see the assembling line one has to think all that harder to keep that frame of mind. But regardless the number of copies, yours is unique. Mine feel unique despite this image because it’s still a human process. And humans tend to even slightly vary the stroke of paint or the intensity of a shadowing work or whatever. (But not that much because that’s a standard set and one can’t deviate from this.) I look at my Sideshow Daredevil and it seems unique to me even though once he was on a huge table with a thousand like him. This one is mine and it’s numbered, and is sold out, hence limited. But seeing that image above steals a bit of the glamour of uniqueness from the figure. 

To be extremely honest and contradictory it doesn't steal that much because the assembling space looks so artisanal that you feel differently from what you would if you were seeing a mass market product assembling line. I like the artisanal aspect of our hobby, it’s what, besides the quality of the end product, separates a limited edition collectible from a Walmart toy. This and the weight of polystone. Yes the weight of polystone has a great deal of giving the statue it’s value and uniqueness. Yes, I guess I just love polystone.

INFLATING PRICES

I could cost $100 less. If  I was launched a year ago.

One thing that annoys me as much as scares me is how quick the prices of figures are increasing. Even figures with huge editions of 2500 units are hitting the $500 benchmark. I know collectible figures are a growing expanding market but this inflation of the prices will scare away lots of potential costumers both veterans (in a lesser degree) as newcomers (much strongly). I’m somewhere in between these two extremes and I confess that I had to decrease the number of statues I buy per year from three to two. This year I’ll order only one because I can’t afford to lose the statue (is the new Deadpool PF from Sideshow) and because I’m saving to reform my bedroom so I can expose my humble collection. Even if I wasn’t save money I wouldn't be able to buy three, four figures per year anymore for the single reason they became too expensive to me. I’m not a rich guy and collecting these figures never was a cheap hobby but now it’s becoming ridiculously expensive. Take the new Master of Universe Sideshow line per example: He-Man came out for $400. Skeletor and Evil-lyn a couple of months later came out for $450 and $440 respectively. It’s a huge inflation. Or the Dark Phoenix with an edition of 2500 pieces for $ 500. I believe that if it were just one year ago the same Dark Phoenix would cost no higher than $400.00. It’s becoming unbearable to me. I had to give up of Ralph McQuarrie’s Boba Fett, lose 42 bucks NRD in order to guarantee my Dark Phoenix. If things goes this way, by the end of the year a PF figure will cost 700-800 dollars and I won’t be able to buy anymore statues. I’m on my toes about the Deadpool statue, I hope it comes in the line between 450-500 bucks, otherwise I’ll simply cannot afford it what would be very frustrating since I love the character and I think the statue is turning out very well. Maybe I’m being delusional here and the prices are not growing but I’m pretty sure they are when inflation in US is almost zero. I would like to know your opinions. The only way to stop this is when the sales start to decrease abruptly due to the high costs of the pieces. Then they will rethink their marketing strategy or lose all the medium to low budget costumers like me. The worst part is as this is a piece of “art” there’s no way to regulate the prices, only the powers of demand and offering. It’s a pity to alienate this great part of the public that save every penny to buy a new shinny figure of their beloved character but that’s exactly what’s happening and will happen even faster, the faster they raise the prices.

Addendum July 7 2016:

Why is the figure of the left 450 cheaper than the one on the right? Two words: studios' extortion.

The most crying example for the argument of this post came out this week: the Voltron Statue from Sideshow Collectibles. About the same size and as nearly detailed as the Galactus Legendary Scale statue from the very Sideshow Collectibles, it will be launched by astounding $ 1,250.00 whereas Galactus, a couple of years ago, was priced $ 799.99. Given the size and detail, the two should be priced around the same plateau (even though I think Galactus is a much cooler and detailed piece) but look what happened in a couple of years: two products of the same league, so to say, have over 50% raise in the price while US inflation doesn’t get nowhere near as that or the country would be in total jeopardy. This is the studio stretching the line to see until we’re going to pay for one figure from them. It’s outrageous and I hope the line snaps soon. Even though I believe it unfortunately won’t. There’s too many rich people that really dig this hobby.  And then again the low budget collector won’t be able to get a Voltron he/she always dreamt about home. Shame on you Sideshow and on all the other studios doing the same price practice.

I KEEP ON SAYING I DON’T LIKE ACTION FIGURES BUT...

Although I don’t like action figures (maybe because I’m a bad poser) I have indeed three action figures in my collection. Two are sold out items and the other you can find for sale at Sideshow Collectibles. Which were the characters that made me go around my prejudice and acquire action figures? Well, the first one is The Joker (1989 Mime Version) from Hot Toys. It is sold out but you can find it easily and for an accessible price on eBay. The figure is the perfect portrait of Jack Nicholson on 1989 Batman and is completely black and white apart from his hair and lipstick. I chose this one by the striking resemblance with the actor and to go along with my collection of black & Batman mini statues.

The second is Ellie from the game the Last of Us – in Japanese, Elle from Those Who Remain (go figure!). I just love this game so much I had to have her. She is a figure from Iminime so it’s, besides expensive, extra rare to find.

The third and last action figure in my collection (the one that still available at Sideshow here) is Hermione Granger from Star Ace (the oldest version not the new “casual” one). I am a Harry Potter fan (first the books, then the films) and by far this is the most accurate product that I’m aware of. Besides, I just love Hermione as every Harry Potter fan. The resemblance with the actress is also striking, a special case if you see the other Star Ace Harry Potter products. And I believe I’m over with action figures with these three. I don’t imagine myself buying another action figure since my real realm are Premium Format ¼ Statues now. Oh, and I have a lot of PVC Japanese girl statues from animes (mostly Evangelion and Fate Stay Night and from the Street Fighter game, especially Chun Li). That’s how my collection started. I have some Nendroids too. And three Funko POP figures. I also have two or three Bowen Statues, a ¼ Sucker Punch Babydoll from Gentle Giant and five Premium Format Figures from Sideshow (three yet to arrive). Oh, and the Project Triforce Goliath from the game Evolve (also yet to arrive). Some Three A figures (wich could count as action figures in its own twisted way). A couple of hand painted kits (and five or six more yet to paint but where`s the money?) and that’s pretty much it. My whole collection in a nutshell.

I don’t have a place to display my figures properly yet. But one day I will redo my bedroom to accommodate my whole collection. This is the biggest dream of mine. Hope to achieve it in the next three to four years. Until then I believe I won’t be buying many statues (besides the new Deadpool!) so to save money to reform the bedroom. What doesn’t mean that I’ll stop looking for the new pieces that come out in the Market. And if something really, I mean really, grabs my eye I won’t probably resist. ;)  

FACE TO FACE: NEWER VERSION NOT ALWAYS MEANS BETTER VERSION

I realized that Hot Toys in an effort I admire to keep things fresh, redoes the heroes (actors?) faces for every new iteration of their characters. In my opinion, not always for the better. I don’t know if you’ll agree with me but let me show you some examples, after all an image worth a thousand words and two side by side should value even more. I really would like to hear some comments about this post. Oh, and I couldn’t left out the two versions of Hermione from Star Ace, so this not become a Hot Toys only issue.

Obs.: All of these figures (except the first Black Widow that is sold out) can be found on Sideshow Collectibles site. There's a search engine at the top so you can find the one you want to know better.