Sideshow grumble

I hate to moan about things but I have been having hassles with my Sideshow figures and I just wanted to see if anyone else has had similar woes.

Very recently I had a bit of unexpected financial hassle that needed fixing fast. Needing some funds fast that would not hurt the rest of the household economy I looked to selling some of my collectables.

So I listed some stuff on ebay. No problems.

Then I came to my Sideshow SW and wondered if I should carry on with them. Having just found that it is amazing what you can live without I thought, shall I stop getting these, sell what I have and save a load of money in the future and really take care of the worry I had now!

Go for it I thought!

The problems with this line were never really an issue with me until I came to sell them. Out of 21 figures, half of them have paint loss from the stands where the boots of the figures have stuck to them. Then there was the camera droid I had to glue the antannae back onto, then the Kit Fisto belt I had to glue the loops to and his lightsabre that I had to glue back together when it literally snapped in half in my hand, much like the Luke Bespin blaster that had the barrel snap off in the too tight holster. Then there was the Luke that had the glue mark on the back of his tunic and the Qui Gon Jinn whose lower leg is knackered after trying to remove the all too tight boot.

The point is I realised that half of my Sideshow figures are actually faulty and being the honest seller that I am I have to put this in the listing! How the hell could I hope to get a good price for some of these things??

So now I think well maybe I should just abandon the idea, buy the parts I need and restore them but with the figures going up and up in price there is no guarantee these little problems (that are little but bloody annoying) will stop along the line. I have found collecting Sideshow SW figures really frustrating.

A lot of it is my own fault for not buying direct from Sideshow I know but all the same I feel I have come a long way for nothing.

Sorry to moan. You guys are collectors so I wanted to get some feedback.

Honestly you will lose money anyways because their SW products seem to go down in price rather than up.

BadMoon said:

Honestly you will lose money anyways because their SW products seem to go down in price rather than up.

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I dont think this will be the case with the Imperial troopers....

ck1 said:

I dont think this will be the case with the Imperial troopers....

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I will have to see it to believe it. I was even able just weeks ago to go back and buy a good bit of the sold out PF's either at or below cost. I even bought the exclusives. They just don't hold up like the Marvel line. They make too much of it. The market is also saturated with SW stuff. I doubt the troopers will be any different.

you guys should stop buying dolls....they look bad, and doesnt stand the test of time...Statues is where this hobby is profitable and enjoyable.

+ SWSUX.

If you are looking at making your money back on the star wars line, I would consider parting them out on ebay. I often see part outs go for more than the figure would by itself. I believe this hobby is enjoyable how ever you find enjoyment in it. I don't think it matters if you collect 2000.00 statues or .99 pvc toys. It's up to the individual to collect in a manner that satisfies themselves.

I am thinking of replacing the parts at the moment and just taking it all a bit easier. I tried collecting a lot of lines at once and I think I have just got myself in a knot. I have to admit though that when I look at the Hot Toys figures I have next to the Sideshow I do think there is a huge difference in quality. I am not in it for profit and that is not my main concern. It just struck me that the Sideshow stuff has been more problematic than I previously cared to admit. I suppose all hobbies have a downside now and again.

Yeah, very few of the SW figures have gone up in value, a few have maintained and most dropped quite a bit.

Sellilng opened ones you are certainly going to take a big loss.

the_killing_joke said:

I am thinking of replacing the parts at the moment and just taking it all a bit easier. I tried collecting a lot of lines at once and I think I have just got myself in a knot. I have to admit though that when I look at the Hot Toys figures I have next to the Sideshow I do think there is a huge difference in quality. I am not in it for profit and that is not my main concern. It just struck me that the Sideshow stuff has been more problematic than I previously cared to admit. I suppose all hobbies have a downside now and again.

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Oh but there is, a huge difference....
Sidwshow SW figures are great just standing there, but they do have their issues...Hot Toys, not so much... except for the Aliens, those suck,...
I think the only figure that's hard to find and it's actually more expensive would be Jedi Luke, other than that, you'll hardly recover the money you put on it.

Shai Hulud said:

you guys should stop buying dolls....they look bad, and doesnt stand the test of time...Statues is where this hobby is profitable and enjoyable.

+ SWSUX.

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Right...

I'm not in it for profit, but the SW stuff doesn't seem to hold it's value. It's almost better to wait a bit and you can buy the ones you want for real good prices, even the exclusives. I bought a Jedi Luke not too long ago for $23!!, I've been able to even buy exclusives , like Qui Gon's Poncho , kenobi's blaster, Sith Anakin Lava stand,etc off of ebay for under $10 each. I know what you are saying though, my Bespin Luke's gun broke as I removed it from the tray!His lightsaber hook on the belt just snapped right off and one of his boots was melted, with a fingerprint imprint on it. I just tell myself that these are really delicate and treat them as such.

Shai Hulud said:

you guys should stop buying dolls....they look bad, and doesnt stand the test of time...Statues is where this hobby is profitable and enjoyable.

+ SWSUX.

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I would say you're right yet also wrong. I mean, that is a helluva sweeping statement mate??

I cant speak for previous SSC SW 'dolls' as they have not interested me until now that the new Hot Toys Imperial trooper line has arrived. Look how popular the exlusive stormies/vaders (#3477 'dolls') are - THEY SOLD OUT IN LESS THAN FOUR MINUTES!!!!

I have a feeling with their relatively low ES (7500 for stormies I think) that they will at least increase in value, maybe not along the lines of USCM Hicks but I cannot see how can they decrease, MIB ones anyway.

I've broken a few elements here and there on my figures, but I still find ways to enjoy them. I also broke the gun of my bespin luke while putting it into the holster, but the figure isn't ruined because of it. I just pose him with the saber.

The only reason to pay anywhere near retail for a SS Star Wars figure is if you want it as soon as possible. You can always get them cheaper on the secondary market, especially if you're patient. The stormtroopers and Vader could be different but I don't think so.

If you're in it to make money off of in the future, you should have done that back in 1977-1983 and buy up toys. Vintage is where it's at in value. Don't even think for a second that the new ones are EVER going to be worth what the vintage goes for.

EVERYONE has the same thing in mind since '95... Keep them in the package so they'll be worth more! Well unfortunately almost everyone did this and the saturation of carded '95 and up is immense as opposed to the Vintage line.

I say find another hobby if you think current SW toys will be worth a lot someday.

Get what matters to YOU. I like the statues far more than I do the toys anymore and am very turned off by a lot of the 3 3/4" figures. I love the PF and life-size SSC stuff as well as other unique things.

Shai Hulud said:

you guys should stop buying dolls....they look bad, and doesnt stand the test of time...Statues is where this hobby is profitable and enjoyable.

+ SWSUX.

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:chew :chew :chew :chew :chew
Amen!!!!!!!!!! :chew :chew :chew :chew :chew

I have paid for all my statues with other statues...can't do that with dolls!

Fubeca said:

:chew :chew :chew :chew :chew
Amen!!!!!!!!!! :chew :chew :chew :chew :chew

I have paid for all my statues with other statues...can't do that with dolls!

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You can if the "dolls" are from Hot Toys, it seems.

I do agree I have had the paint rub off on my stands due to the shoes sticking to the base. My solution is not to use the bases but to use dioramas for displaying the figures. The bases are pretty cheap anyway and don't do the figures justice in my opinion.

The bases are the chief offenders in all this really. I have found that I can get replacements relatively cheaply though. The repair I did on the Kit Fisto lightsabre hilt is invisible and not an issue. The Camera droid will be okay if it does not take a tumble. The only figure that needs replacing is Qui Gon with his knackered lower leg. I will tot up the bill for what I need to bring them up to scratch I think.

I am however looking at my Bespin Han and thinking WTF was I thinking buying that!

Shai Hulud said:

you guys should stop buying dolls....they look bad, and doesnt stand the test of time...Statues is where this hobby is profitable and enjoyable.

+ SWSUX.

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I don't (*&^ing believe this!

I bought some new stands and new Luke Blaster and then I snap my ANH Obi Wan sabre off at the thin part of the hilt trying to get the thing out of the figures hands.

Sideshow is a dirty word right now!