POWER AND DISMEMBERMENT

For those who don’t believe in the power of Facebook collectors groups an undeniable proof was given: you complained so much about Sideshow Psylocke portrait that the company changed it creating a completely different look for the statue. If it turned out better or worse is a subjective matter,  the fact is they did change the portrait because of us. I cannot stress it enough, we have power, our voice is heard by the companies. I can only wonder what we can achieve if we create a coordinated movement to, let’s say, ask for more months to be added to payment plans or to ask them to make a Flash or Penguin statue. I said it more than once, our saying is powerful, now with Psylocke's new portrait, you have the proof. I’ve tried to make a poll asking which statues you want Sideshow to do the most. The level of engagement was minimal because it seems we don’t know or don’t want to work as a group. I gave up trying to mobilize the community towards a goal it’s too frustrating to see so much potential capable of shape the hobby we love wasted. I won’t do it anymore but you again give the cue: at least Sideshow hears us because we are their core public. Prime 1 is another story, another reality altogether with censorship at bay. I don’t like this behavior. About XM I cannot speak because I really don’t know the company and its relationship with the public. Sideshow hears us if we mobilize ourselves towards a goal it may very well happen. I have to promise to myself that this is the last time I  talk about this subject.

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On another topic altogether, an inevitable path the evolution of statues is leading us is of increasingly complex pieces to mount. I don’t know if they think the collector likes to assemble their statues so the more pieces are regarded as better or simply because they’re daring more in the composition of the statues and it leads to this fragmentation of the pieces. I must admit I do not like complex rassemblement of my pieces, the simpler the better for me.  It’s all for now. Don’t have many contents this time around but felt the need to share this with you and hear your thoughts.

XM ON STGCC – INNOVATION FOR ELITE COLLECTORS

I have to take my hat off XM. They’ve put up the most impressive show. Better than Sideshow at SDCC and that’s saying a lot coming from an auto-proclaimed Sideshow fanboy. While Sideshow invested in portraits that are more realistic as the differential, XM truly innovated creating never before seen daring dioramas. Though there was plenty of average statues to the average collector (many very, very cool) the showstoppers were really geared towards top money collectors with plenty of space. Even though I believe, one of the best ones will be affordable to the average XM collector, the Hulk Transformation, a very inventive take on the hero, marvelously executed as Doctor Banner is detached from Hulk, making several ways of display possible. And they delivered one of the best Hulks sculptures I ever saw.

As I said, aside from Hulk Transformation the show wasn’t short of dioramas, some gigantic, all fantastically detailed and painted (a feature the XM highly praised QC will certainly deliver). I have no doubt that what was shown on the floor will be exactly like the piece you will receive at home. If they don’t improve it. XM seemed not to be afraid of alienate part of their customers from its more innovative – and massive – pieces. And there were several. Batman Shogun was one of them, a statue with a horse where the horse makes a big difference unlike Prime 1’s Wonder Woman on horse IMHO.

 The incredible Hulkbuster and its capacity to accommodate a 1/4 scale Iron Man coming out of him allowing for a variety of display options is impactful as well. And big.

The megastructure that is X-Men versus Sentinel diorama (which I don’t know why didn’t impress me as much as the ambition of such project) but is sure to please the deep-pocketed fans.

Finally, the diorama that stole the show due to its concise (so to say) size and surprising harmony of design: Batman Sanity. To display so many characters at once in such a constricted space and with elegance was no small feat. To me, the best sculpture ever released by XM. The only piece that I would truly own from the company, even though I know I will never have the means to. Because I can’t. I’m the average collector. And I know many won’t either. Affordability and displayability don’t seem to be a concern of XM as they sure are to Sideshow (a quality that I like about SS).

XM set or create a new standard with their dioramas. I don’t know where they go from here, how the industry and the collectors will react to what they shared. But I believe was the best expo I ever saw in my collector's life. There was something for everybody, everything impressive. Almost everything, I disliked the Red Hulk (just plain ugly, especially on the back) and the 1/3 Captain America failed to impress me (even though I love how the scales on the uniform turn feather-like in the shoulders of the statue). I still think that regarding portraits, Sideshow tops XM but only in this aspect (apart from being easily available and more affordable in the US where my brother lives). This show may be a game changer to the industry, especially if XM manage to sellout these crazy dios, which I’m certain they will. Hobby is about to get even more expensive I guess (albeit I thought the prices to be reasonable for what one will get, which isn’t the case with Prime 1 insane pricing and sometimes with my beloved Sideshow). 

Wanna see Sideshow top this base on their upcoming Juggernaut.

   

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. 

THE POLEMIC ABOUT ROGUE’S PORTRAIT AND PRICE

Angelina Jolie? Fergie? Kirstie Alley? Who the portrait of the Sideshow’s newly released Rogue Maquette really looks like? Answer: none and all of them. Sideshow took a bold step this year revealing figures – especially females – with more realistic portraits. Greater realism had an interesting side effect on collectors’ perception – which I believe Sideshow didn’t expect –: they found resemblance of the portrait with real life people. I don’t know how this will impact the sales but if Sideshow continues to pursue this venue, comparisons like that will become a rule more than an exception. Is it bad? I don’t think so. In my own personal opinion, I think the statues look much livelier with said realism; it adds a completely new level of personality to the pieces that I think is an admirable feat and a thing that must be valued. I thought Red Sonja Queen of the Scavengers was the apex of Sideshow efforts regarding female portraits. I imagined nothing could surpass her. SDCC18 came to prove me wrong; Rogue, Psylocke, Emma Frost, Elektra, X-23, Wonder Woman, Rebel Terminator and Harley Quinn have all distinctive realistic portraits with well-defined expressions, conveying an attitude and, even further, a charisma unseen in this hobby. I’m fine with the comparisons with real people, they help the figure to get a buzz, it’s an automatic promotion of the piece among the community what I believe won’t hurt Sideshow. On the contrary.

Talking about comparisons, I couldn’t care less about Terminator-related figures but I found Rebel Terminator to have a striking resemblance with my beloved Natalie Portman so she instantaneously became number two on my list (in between Little Mermaid and Harley Quinn). I couldn’t see that coming or even possible (since Sideshow is terrible replicating real life people). It blew my mind; even though my sister said the portrait had nothing to do with Natalie at all. Lol. In the end is how one looks to these more realistic portraits, Sideshow just need to keep them beautiful. What of course they will.

About Rogue’s price, I must say it’s out of my league, but by today standards, taking into account the complex engineering of the figure – sustained only by one hand – and by being labelled as “maquette” (which Sideshow already made clear are their deluxe, more expensive line) I don’t think it’s a friendly price but I think it’s a fair price. When one compares the figure with Prime 1 1/4 offerings, that clock around seven hundred bucks as well, I think it’s even more fair. I predicted a couple of years ago that a nine hundred dollars Anti-Venom 1/4 statue from Prime 1 statue would have a disastrous impact on the market. If there’s a company driving the prices of the figures up, the honor goes to Prime 1 in my humble opinion. But back to the subject, look at the two Sideshow pictures below:

Now tell me what you prefer: to spend 300 USD on the left one or 715 USD on the right one? Of course, you could choose to save your money (which is always the smartest choice!) but you cannot deny that there’s an immense evolution from one figure to the other. To say the least. I prefer the term revolution. Is this revolution worth 400 + dollars? Unfortunately to me it’s too much, but I am a very financially constrict collector. I can’t buy anything over six hundred dollars. Once per year. If so! I bought none this year so far. However, to the collector that buy two or three statues each year I believe is a completely feasible price for such a high-end statue. Please, compare again the two pictures below:    

Can you see any difference in the quality of the portraits of these two figures? The first (the well-versed collector surely knows) is the newest Catwoman 1/4 figure from the all-hailed XM Studios. I think that it is subpar when compared to Rogue. To say the least again. Of course, she comes with a bike and god knows how many swappable parts but I hardly believe it has an affordable price when shipped to US. What surprises me though is nobody complaints about her price. And even more, I see community praise the face sculpt of this piece while saying the new Sideshow outings to be masculine. In my humble personal opinion XM have some great male portraits, especially villains, but in the female department there’s no match in the 1/4 market to what Sideshow presented us this year on SDCC. I can’t even imagine what comes next. And can’t imagine the uproar when Juggernaut price is unveiled. Lol. That’s how the community is, in my humble opinion again, Sideshow is the company everybody loves to hate and complain. Sometimes with reason sometimes not. But, hey, as I said in the last post, I’m a Sideshow fanboy, so I’m totally biased about my opinions. I would like to close this post with a phrase: pictures don’t lie. See ya (I hope!).

ADENDUM:

I’ve made a thoroughly research with the Facebook community about which figures they desire the most to be made into PFs by Sideshow. From dozens of suggestions I narrowed the list to around twenty characters (the ones people gave more “likes”) and created a poll on the “Sideshow Collectibles Fan Page” and another on “Statue Collectors” Facebook groups. I then contacted Sideshow and shared the links of said polls for them to analyze. The rep replied me telling that she passed the links to the Production Team.

I have made all this effort in order to help fellow collectors (like you, I assume) to show Sideshow the figures they should consider doing, since the community comprises the core public of their products. To my dismay, the adhesion to the polls was underwhelming, as I believe, would be necessary hundreds of votes to get Sideshow attention. So I came here with a plead: even if you don’t believe, even if just for fun, if you’re a member of one of the said Facebook groups, take a look, click on the characters you like, make a difference. The links are below. You may say I’m a dreamer but I think that if enough of us participate we may surprise ourselves. Enjoy! I won’t do this twice and I pretty sure no one else will. ;)

- Poll onStatue Collectors

- Poll onSideshow Collectibles Fan Page

BONUS! CONVERSATION :P

IMO its all about opinion... But, even though the quality is better and realism isnt bad, i think ROGUES portrait isnt good and doesnt look like her. It has great quality, but, i really dont like it. Its all opinion.
Manage
Like · Reply · 44m
Bolalaranja Smith
Bolalaranja Smith I must confess I don't like the portrait either. But one cannot deny the qualities of the sculpture regardless its own taste.
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Manage
Like · Reply · 37m

The quality is top notch. The problem isnt the quality for me. Its the design the look itself, it doesnt appeal to me at all.
Manage
Like · Reply · 32m
Bolalaranja Smith
Bolalaranja Smith The ones I like I already named in the post (Little Mermaid, Rebel Terminator, Harley Quinn and, as a very distant dream, the all-hated PVC Swamp-Thing. He is my favorite character and I happen to love the sculpture that much. Done by hand, the old style, is fabulous). I don't like the portrait of Rogue, I would never buy that statue as cool as think it is, it isn't beautiful. And what I seek in those statues is beauty. All forms of beauty, from Little Mermaid, to Rebel Terminator to Swamp Thing. There's no connection between, they don't belong the same universes, they are very different "sculpturally" speaking, but their are beautiful, very beautiful in my eyes. That's what matters to me. And second being from characters I could relate to. Almost all the time, I remembered I don't have no relation with the character Captain Marvel and I have her. Red Sonja I read some stories but beauty alone was what made me choose her.
1
Manage
Like · Reply · 17m

I choose statues cuz of characters I love and the statue being a must for me. Pose, quality, details, all counts. I pre ordered Prime1 sqamp thing cuz it blew my mind. I always liked swamp thing, and, for me the portaits, the extra arm with the sword. Its just amazing for me. Its all about what YOU love and you want. As long as you love it, go for it!
1
Manage
Love
 · Reply · 12m
Bolalaranja Smith
Bolalaranja Smith Think I will post what I just wrote in the post. Lol. I think this honesty about the figure must be revealed. Do you mind if I copy and paste on the post your comment as a closure? When I update the blog I Iet you know so you can see it.
1
Manage
Like · Reply · 7m · Edited

Sure thing man! Thanks! Ill look forward to it!
Manage
Like · Reply · 5m
Bolalaranja Smith
Bolalaranja Smith I go beyond, you said it. Is not just beauty, it's love. That is what has to guide me. Beautiful and love are connected, we are visual beings, but love is deeper than beauty. So is a better guide for my choices.
1
Manage
Like · Reply · 4m

No doubt about it! Go for it man, i always say it, i pre order and own pieces i LOVE. Its what matters the most for me.
Manage
Like · Reply ·

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Kristie's face with Angelina's nose.
Manage
Like · Reply · 1h
Bolalaranja Smith
Bolalaranja Smith Don't you want to read? I talk about XM in the end. And make one invite. ;)
Manage
Like · Reply · 1h

I did read it. And I stand by my opinion, humbly. 😉
Manage
Like · Reply · 54m
Bolalaranja Smith
Bolalaranja Smith Lol. Thank you. The post was updated, by the way. I added more content. And maybe add some more. If I find someone to tel what just happened.
Manage
Like · Reply · 4m · Edited
Bolalaranja Smith
Bolalaranja Smith Life got funny and crazy now. Surprising to say the least.
Manage
Like
 · Reply · 2m
Bolalaranja Smith
Bolalaranja Smith Bye I need to put an end in this subject on the blog.
Manage
Like · Reply · 1m
Bolalaranja Smith
Bolalaranja Smith Discover. And if possible, use.
Manage
Like · Reply · 1m

Go live once more seeking some answers. All we be revealed.

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A private message conversation that happened.

Hey there. Saw your post linking to your blog and after reading through the article you linked I had a question for you: would you have an interest in exchanging your time writing articles for $ and/or discounts on Sideshow/Hot toys, etc products? I'm  a wholesale distributor who recently started up a new website (https://www.toyorigin.com) and am looking for a few writers to come on board to help me regularly publish articles to the blog related to one sixth scale figures, statues, news about the space, stuff like that. Doing article re-writes of articles on competing websites that I want a version of on our website

What's your proposal?
I'll make mine afterwards. 🙂

Open to discussing on the particulars on an agreement, just mostly wanted to check if it was something you might be interested in or not to begin with

What are the particulars, through what medium?

I would be looking for articles written in the toy space. Would probably start with re-writes. so I will link you an existing article that I want "re-written" in your own words while using a set of keywords that I give you throughout the text.

I would like to know how much I would receive for doing this.

O
Oops*
I'm open to negotiating the rate, but it would be per article. Or instead of cash; if you purchase items from Sideshow regularly I am a distributor and can offer you the amount in the form of savings.  Cash-wise  per article though I'm open to hearing what you think is fair. ~4-500 word articles

So it means is my turn. 🙂

Indeed, haha

Three points has to be made clear from the start. I will be completely honest.
- I’m Brazilian and live in Brazil. My English is self-taught so is not up to represent your company.
- I can try to re-write the articles still if you want. To see if I like or feel able to do it.
- I don’t know the value of such services.

That being said here’s is my proposal. To work the other way around. Instead of rewriting things for you that I wouldn’t publish on my blog or divulgate on the communities, I put you as sponsor of my blog. In every post I make I would put an advertisement of your company. But I’ll go further. Since you are starting, to attract new costumers, you could give 20% discount, what I think is a very attractive number, I would be attracted by it, through a link especially in my blog. I would put something along these lines: Only on ccfig: 20% off on ToyORigin. You would send me some pictures of the figures you would like on the background I would create the banners and direct possible costumers to your store. Man of Acton Figures, a competitor of yours, gives these discounts periodically to costumers, hence the suggestion. Plus, I will post only when I find a good story. It’s how it works for me. The content with my bad English wouldn’t be inside your company yet you would benefit by my services, of writing, being an active member of the community (somewhat respected) and divulgate your brand in all statues communities that really matters. I would like for this services 77USD per post, is my lucky number :), paid through PayPal. I can begin in this post that is online right now. It may reach, by the hot subject, 1k readers. I have already 510 hits. So think fast. And choose one of the products sideshow sells so I can create the banner and post as soon as possible. That’s it.

(the conversation went all the night until morning and I ended empty-handed as I was and expected. :P) 

BONUS 2 - List of Characters on the polls.

Dark Knight Returns 5
Classic Doctor Octopus 4
Nightcrawler 15
Doctor Strange 4
Silver Surfer 11
Adam Warlock 3
Beast 8
Hawkgirl 4
Winter Soldier 3
Bishop 4
She-Hulk 5
Two Face 4
The Riddler 5
The Flash 20
Nightwing 6
Spawn 5
Etrigan 6
Martian Manhunter 8
The Question 5
Red Lantern Bleez 4
Captain Cold 4
Michael Myers 4
Pumpkinhead
Leeloo (Fifth Element)
Moon Knight 8
Bizarro 4
Disney Line of Villains
Nova 2
Iron Fist 4
Conan 5
Captain Cold 4

I AM A FANBOY. IS THIS A BAD THING?

I even have their t-shirt and the printing and the fabric are not that great
but I'm feel pretty comfortable with it. Lol.

I came to an obvious conclusion watching the Wonderfest: I am a fanboy. A Sideshow fanboy. Though I hear, read, see and know the faults of Sideshow, something in me that grew I don’t know how makes me prefer their statues over the others. Not by far but from a safe distance Prime 1 and XM can’t touch. I won’t mention ECC because I’m not into movie pieces (except for their Gizmo) and they are a selected niche company in an already niche market. So I’ll focus on the big three. I know and I see that XM and Prime 1 have undeniable strengths. XM packaging, the weight of their statues, the creative bases, the attention to detail, the quality of the production and finishing, the daring projects (X-Men vs. Sentinel diorama or Hulkbuster, for instance) the variety of characters offered all adds up to the legacy the company has built and that they deserve. Almost the same can be said of Prime 1 gargantuan figures and bases (minus the creativity). The two of them offer some major works and in some regards their pieces surpass Sideshow’s. It’s a fact I cannot deny. The flaming Ghost Rider in his devilish motorcycle it’s a sight to behold, the beautiful contrast of black and vibrant shades of orange really grabs the eye. But assembling it is almost as puzzle solving. And I don’t like that (I gave up my P.O. on Malavestros for the same reason). To me it breaks the magic of the statue even though these several-pieces figures are done that way to minimize breakage. The intention is the best I just don’t happen to like it. The less parts the better. I start collecting Bowen figures. And yes I know the hobby evolved in complexity and keeps evolving in unbelievable ways since I started collecting, so measures like that are the guarantee to deliver the most astonishing pieces possible. One can give me all the reasons in the world to buy a statue with dozens of pieces to assemble, I don’t care I just won’t get the statue. But enough of this subject.

The one thing I care the most about a statue is the portrait. And Sideshow is simply the king of portraits. They amped the game to extremely high standards this last SDCC (as long as they don’t try to do portraits based on actual people, they completely suck in this category, they’re extremely bad on that. If you want a figure of a celebrity, go for Hot Toys or Blitzway). I was completely blown away by most of the SS portraits shown in 2018, all of them with different facial features, each of them with unique personalities. For this reason alone – my main decision factor to choose whether to buy a figure or not – Sideshow owns me. Completely. I think Prime 1 statues to have lifeless uninspiring portraits while XM have them too generic (apart from Kingpin, Vulture and that old screaming Inhuman’s guy, the name escapes me now). This is the main reason I am a Sideshow fanboy. Added to the fact they tend to do bases that are good in size and don’t distract the attention from the character. I really don’t like convoluted bases with dozens of elements or big ones that overshadow the statue. Prime 1 is notorious to do that and XM in some cases does the same (though with much more finesse, in my opinion).

As a fanboy – what I certainly am – I have the bad side of it, in other words, I have prejudice against other companies. I don’t like this side of mine and try to keep it to myself as best as I can. I try not to go on criticizing other companies on the communities, I think it leads nowhere; it’s impolite and irrational, as I believe any fandom is. It’s quite an emotional thing. And I can’t criticize what I don’t have, what I just saw in the pictures posted by the community or on sites. However, here is my space and I feel free to be more outspoken regarding my tastes.

If I had to choose one figure from Prime 1 and one figure of XM to have which I would choose? As for Prime 1 I would contradictorily go for one of the most lifeless museum-esque figures of their catalogue: Batman Beyond Golden Version. A golden 1/3 Batman would really add up to my collection it would look like a gigantic trophy of sorts and would complement my SS Hulk LSB as the center of my collection. Unfortunately, I don’t have money for it right now. Would have to sell some pieces in order to get him. It’s a case to think. A gigantic golden Batman appeals highly to me. As for XM I know the obvious answers would be Magneto on Throne or Ghost Rider but I don’t like the head sculpt of Magneto, as much as I like the overall design, concept and execution of the piece. It’s the one throne figure to rule them all because it makes sense to me he's seating on a Sentinel’s hand. It tells a story others figures on throne don’t. Unfortunately, I don’t like the portrait and don’t like those mandatory grails every great collector must have in order to prove themselves so. And I don’t like figures on thrones either! Lol. About Ghost Rider I don’t like it because it’s awkward shape turns him a pain to display and I think the main character on this piece is the bike not Ghost Rider. It’s a pretty cool piece beautifully executed but not my alley. I think I would get the Inhuman’s guy, I guess his name is Blackbolt. The screaming portrait is phenomenal and makes one wonder what would happen if the guy did that in the comics.

To finally close this post I will enumerate some pros and cons of Sideshow. Please, keep in mind that despite being a longtime collector (since the Bowen era) I don’t know much about the market as you guys do.

CONS OF SIDESHOW

- Their figures seem poorly or cheaply casted in comparison to XM and Prime 1, hence they’re lighter (or so you say). I love my Hulk LSB but I bet I would love it even more if it was casted in polystone instead o fiberglass. It doesn’t really make a difference while on display but it bothers me I don’t know why. That being said, if I had the means I would buy SS PVC Swamp Thing simply because he is my all-time favorite character and I think the sculpture is just fabulous. (Yes he comes first Batman Beyond Golden Version on my list).

- Sideshow still have quality control issues, though I think this have becoming to be addressed more seriously and I hear less complaints in this regard on the communities than a couple of years ago. I’m optimistic about it but, hey, I’m a fanboy and never got any defective piece. Maybe I’m just lucky.

- It’s a pain to get replacement parts or figures that came defective. Or so I heard.

- Bases can be very simplistic to many collectors.

- Not much variety in characters released. Which I think changed a bit this last SDCC but it’s far from what XM has to offer.

- This is a polemic one, but I really don’t see the point in the Court of the Dead line. I know that to launch a new IP is a tremendously bold step that leads to a lot of creative freedom and the sculptures are just fabulous but I believe it’s a thing that exists more in the mind of Tom Gilliland than outside of it. I ended up ordering Malavestros and canceled it not because I disliked the statue but because (as I mentioned) I disliked it came like a puzzle to assemble what I truly hate.

- Not akin to take much risk regarding characters but then again they launched a PVC statue and have an IP of their own.  

- They suck when trying to replicate real life portraits.

- Head seams. They just turn me off of a figure completely. Sideshow should learn from XM and Prime 1 in this respect. They nailed it. Sideshow is beginning to learn. I'm all over Rebel Terminator because she happen to look like Natalie Portman to me but I don't know how the interchangeable heads will work. The pictures don't show any seam but I believe the production piece will have an ugly seam since there's no necklace or something to hide it.

- They’re capitalist as hell.

PROS OF SIDEHOSW COLLECTIBLES

- The portraits of fictional characters are unmatched. Period.

- The price of the delivered product is the best when comparing to XM and especially Prime 1. Not saying it is cheap but it’s the most affordable high-end collectibles company I’m aware of. (Apart F4F!)

- They still have some artists who hand sculpt which I believe is a dying art and most of my statues are hand sculpted.

- The figures are generally designed to be display-friendly which is a great plus to a collector that have only his own room to show the figures (like me).

- They’ve made me a believer of digital sculpting with what they achieved in this last SDCC. It far surpasses the competition. The portraits and poses and the level of detail are just amazing and could not be achieved by hand sculpting alone.

 - They have the best distribution service on the market.

- They congregate almost all of the great brands, they’re site it’s a joy to navigate.

- The customer service is second to none. (I know many will disagree with that. Lol. But they always solved my little issues).

- There aren’t many substantial delays on their schedules.

I can’t think of anything else. All I know is that I prefer Sideshow style of sculpting above all other companies. And they keeping getting better. I know they’re maybe more money thirsty than other companies but I believe this leads them to stay always on top of the competition which is not a bad thing for collectors. Answering the question of the title, I don’t think it is bad to be a fanboy, it’s limiting in more ways than it needed to be, but so is my money. And I like to spend it in what I truly love and the company that hits my sweet spot is Sideshow. Again I don’t know why. It’s like a favorite band I guess. I consider myself lucky from the financial standpoint though. If I was a Prime 1 or XM fan I would be in real trouble (with all due respect for the companies). I just wonder why there’s so much hate towards Sideshow and only praises about the others. Maybe being at the top attracts this type of hate. I don’t know. You, that is not a Sideshow fanboy, could explain it to me?

P.S.: the experiment testing the power of the Facebook communities mentioned in the last post will take place on Wednesday, one hour after Sideshow Live on Statue Collectors community. Let’s unite our forces and try to make a difference regarding Sideshow line of PFs. I believe dreams may come true. Do you? Be ready. :)

ADENDUM

GOOD NEWS ABOUT REBEL TERMINATOR - If you read my post, you know I hate Sideshow’s figures head seams. I’m very interested in acquiring (if I can) the Rebel Terminator figure since she resembles my dear Natalie Portman (to me at least). My only concern was that it had an awful head seam since the EX is an alternative portrait. Therefore, I asked Sideshow about it and here’s the answer: “As you can see (pun intended), you cannot see any seam anywhere - the break comes all down to the shirt. As such you should have no issue with ordering the item.”

Indeed the only issue I have now is to arrange the money. Someone has to leave in order to her come into my collection. Sideshow is learning from its previous mistakes and seems to have realized that crude head seams are not tolerable by today (high) standards. I’m more fanboy then ever! I have to move things around fast, as the ES of exclusive version is only 350 pieces.

SS SWAMP THING ES AND THE POWER OF THE FACEBOOK COMMUNITIES

I intended to buy SS Swamp Thing statue but the price became very prohibitive for my present reality. Plus I think I would need to ship it directly to Brazil since Brazilian’s airports don’t accept oversized luggage (what I think is precisely the case) and shipping to Brazil, paying all the taxes here would more than double the value of the statue. I don’t mind it being PVC at all (since is my all-time favorite character) but most of the members from the Facebook’s communities thought otherwise and despised the figure. I went to check the statue just now and discovered that the Limited Edition size to be of only 250 pieces! Astonished, this led me to some conclusions. First, the immense majority of the collectors are members of said communities. Second, we have the power to simply shake the market with our words and actions (or, in the case of Swamp Thing, lack of action). I think I’m not overestimating things here. As another example, I could mention that former custom sculptors highly praised by the community are now working for the big companies, as is the case of Daniel Bel and Kucharek Brothers (to name the ones I’m aware of). I believe they would not come to the eyes of the big guns if it wasn’t for us, collectors who religiously build these communities. Most of us decided not to buy SS Swamp Thing and since most of us are the majority of their buyers, we flopped the statue. We clearly stated that we don’t like our statues to be all PVC. For some reason the community understands that PVC is a worst, cheap material to build a so expensive figure and this common sense of hundreds or thousands of people hit heavy on Sideshow. We, even without organizing any movement, were able to achieve those things. I can only imagine what we could achieve if we organized ourselves. I believe every major company has the eyes upon us. They know we are their core public, the ones that really love collecting figures and the ones that drive the sales of their products. We, members of the main statues communities are the ones who spend hundreds and commonly thousands of dollars in their products per year. We are their public, the target they have to hit. We have a power, a saying, that I don’t know how to measure. Or better yet, I know. I will launch a little experiment and see what happens. Wait and see. If I’m correct about our latent power we will achieve something most of us desire. And I will gladly wait Sideshow give a fat discount and free global shipping to Swamp Thing to see if I can gather the means to acquire it. Swimming against the tide I’m not a PVC hater and I just happen to love the character and the sculpture (and the EX). Being said that, I felt fooled because my most expensive piece, SS Hulk LSB (is the fourth time I mention this statue today, utterly curious) is made out of fiberglass. I asked Sideshow the material and they never answered. That got me pissed but I love the piece so much that decided to accept the facts.

In resume, you and me and everybody from the Facebook communities have (Sideshow at least) in our hands. We’re just not aware of that and don’t know what to do with such power. Well, this is my conclusion. I know that many of you don’t believe that. Wait for my experiment and the next SDCC and we’ll see. I may be proven wrong but I really believe I won’t.

Finally, I would like to thank each and every one of you that makes these communities so lively and fun. It’s a pleasure to be part of them with you. It’s a thing made by collectors to collectors that only who’s in and love figures can truly grasp. I’m sure that at least all of us share this sentiment. J       

P.S.: you may be asking why I don’t think the communities affect Prime 1 and XM as much as Sideshow. Well, first XM has lower ESes, is from a different market and everything they do sells out. As for Prime 1, their community feels like 1984 or a Disney cartoon, one cannot criticize, everything is always wonderful there, always flowers and smiles (a too alienated place for my liking). It’s like the fans lack the personality that Prime 1 figures also do. That’s why.

P.S. 2: anyone got scammed by Project Triforce too? Lost 750 bucks ordering a never to be seen Goliath from the Evolve game.

P.S. 3: I will run the experiment on Statue Collector community. Hope you participate on it. 

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…