Colossus Comiquette

[aces888]

I'm fine with Sideshow doing modern costumes, but not when the design is terrible. I'm not going to have high expectations for the PF because I know I'll be disappointed.

 

[INFECDEAD]

This being 17 inches and 300 bucks is an insult when PF's are around the same price, 25% bigger and have fabrication to add to the cost.

 

[quadcent]

This being 17 inches and 300 bucks is an insult when PF's are around the same price, 25% bigger and have fabrication to add to the cost.

should only be insulted if you actually ordered it.

 

[INFECDEAD]

That's not going to happen!
Comiquettes seem to have gone up at least 25% in the last few months. That Sideshow Sales report makes me think they have decided to skin collectors extra for what the secondary market is doing, which is fine, but unfortunately they forgot that you have to keep the product quality and value at the same levels.

 

[traylorc]

That's not going to happen!
Comiquettes seem to have gone up at least 25% in the last few months. That Sideshow Sales report makes me think they have decided to skin collectors extra for what the secondary market is doing, which is fine, but unfortunately they forgot that you have to keep the product quality and value at the same levels.

Whose definition of product quality and value are we using to gauge these products? Yours?? Mine??

It's all so subjective I just don't know how you objectively judge product quality and value in the collectibles market. In the auto industry you can look at information gathered by JD Powers and Associates or you can track the number of recalls to gauge how consumers feel about their products. I just don't know how you objectively gauge quality and value for SS products.

What complicates matters is that SS products continue to sell in an economic environment where the average consumer's disposable income has significantly decreased. You would think that if there were serious or systemic quality or value issues SS revenues would be down and you would see an aggressive reduction in prices to increase sales. Yet we are seeing just the opposite, SS appears to have the ability to increase prices and consumers continue to buy.

 

[makkari1]

I love this sculpt, the body is dead on and the costume is great, but Side show is screwing the face up again. Why couldn't the comiquette face look like the the bust face which is dead on. First Namor, then Thanos now Colossus, come on guys get with the program. Who ever is deciding that these faces look good really need to get their eyes checked. How can they do a bust that's right on then screw up the comiquette as if they didn't see the bust?

 

[makkari1]

Whose definition of product quality and value are we using to gauge these products? Yours?? Mine??

It's all so subjective I just don't know how you objectively judge product quality and value in the collectibles market. In the auto industry you can look at information gathered by JD Powers and Associates or you can track the number of recalls to gauge how consumers feel about their products. I just don't know how you objectively gauge quality and value for SS products.

What complicates matters is that SS products continue to sell in an economic environment where the average consumer's disposable income has significantly decreased. You would think that if there were serious or systemic quality or value issues SS revenues would be down and you would see an aggressive reduction in prices to increase sales. Yet we are seeing just the opposite, SS appears to have the ability to increase prices and consumers continue to buy.

Thats true up to a point then even die-hard fans will fall way. I have personally cancel several items due to quality and cost issues and some of their product is not being sold out as you think. Quite a few pieces that should have sold out are still for sale months after release.

 

[Captain Spidey]

Don't know if someone already made this comment (cuz I'm too lazy to read them all), but has anyone seen the BSP for this statue?
All the (I think X-Men) PF's will be 90's Jim Lee style!!! SWEET!

 

[INFECDEAD]

Whose definition of product quality and value are we using to gauge these products? Yours?? Mine??

It's all so subjective I just don't know how you objectively judge product quality and value in the collectibles market. In the auto industry you can look at information gathered by JD Powers and Associates or you can track the number of recalls to gauge how consumers feel about their products. I just don't know how you objectively gauge quality and value for SS products.

What complicates matters is that SS products continue to sell in an economic environment where the average consumer's disposable income has significantly decreased. You would think that if there were serious or systemic quality or value issues SS revenues would be down and you would see an aggressive reduction in prices to increase sales. Yet we are seeing just the opposite, SS appears to have the ability to increase prices and consumers continue to buy.

In some ways it is comparing apples and oranges, or asking how long is a piece of string.... but I compare the Mystique Com with the Colossus Com and can't see the latter being worth twice as much only a year later. I compare say the Sabretooth PF with the Colossus Com and wonder why Sabretooth is only a fraction more yet is a massive statue with addtional fabrication.
To me it is detail and scale where value is present. This statue has neither when compared to other SS product and at a $300 price point is a rip. Thanos and Mistress Death combined are only $50 more....
Quality wise my own experience means that I would not have had a full return and 3 partial refunds on 4 out of my last 6 sideshow purchases. I am not a fussy buyer, they just ship out a lot of poorly inspected rubbish.

 

[traylorc]

Thats true up to a point then even die-hard fans will fall way. I have personally cancel several items due to quality and cost issues and some of their product is not being sold out as you think. Quite a few pieces that should have sold out are still for sale months after release.

I agree, at some point even the diehard fans will fall away....IMHO I'm not convinced diefans have reached that point. Is the fact that not everything is sold out a byproduct of product quality and value issues or the fact there is an increased amount of product available for purchase?

Just look at the volume of releases we have seen over the past few weeks. Think about the growing number of product offerings for the fourth quarter of this year. As collectors we would love to purchase everything, but with price increases and more product flooding the market, folks are being more selective.

Let's not forget there are more options outside of SS to purchase their merchandise. We all tend to focus on what "sells out". However, those numbers we see on SS websites likely only account for direct consumer purchases. We have no idea how much product is sold to places like Big Bad Toy Store. There are a number of folks that will purchase SS product from BBTS or their LCS in an effort to save some cash. However, SS gets a piece of that action as well as BBTS and your LCS has to purchase those products from SS.

 

[fuzzylojiks]

I agree, at some point even the diehard fans will fall away....IMHO I'm not convinced diefans have reached that point. Is the fact that not everything is sold out a byproduct of product quality and value issues or the fact there is an increased amount of product available for purchase?

Just look at the volume of releases we have seen over the past few weeks. Think about the growing number of product offerings for the fourth quarter of this year. As collectors we would love to purchase everything, but with price increases and more product flooding the market, folks are being more selective.

Let's not forget there are more options outside of SS to purchase their merchandise. We all tend to focus on what "sells out". However, those numbers we see on SS websites likely only account for direct consumer purchases. We have no idea how much product is sold to places like Big Bad Toy Store. There are a number of folks that will purchase SS product from BBTS or their LCS in an effort to save some cash. However, SS gets a piece of that action as well as BBTS and your LCS has to purchase those products from SS.

You guys have all brought up very interesting and good points.

I'd like to add that SSC now still holds a monopoly on the large scale Marvel statue market tho', which is also a big factor why they can double dip into it in both 1/4 and 1/5 scale and still be popular when they produce products that don't please a majority. They have made a very smart move producing 1/5 scale to match the 1/4 because both scales are larger than any other company's offering and not in direct competition scalewise with anyone. There is simply is no alternative. If they make any profit at all off their 1/5's before they double dip into the 1/4 PF, then it's already a win for them. At least they reserved the Jim Lee suits for 1/4. Now hope they don't mess with it too much and that Colossus PF isn't delayed due to the 1/5 version.

 

[traylorc]

In some ways it is comparing apples and oranges, or asking how long is a piece of string.... but I compare the Mystique Com with the Colossus Com and can't see the latter being worth twice as much only a year later. I compare say the Sabretooth PF with the Colossus Com and wonder why Sabretooth is only a fraction more yet is a massive statue with addtional fabrication.
To me it is detail and scale where value is present. This statue has neither when compared to other SS product and at a $300 price point is a rip. Thanos and Mistress Death combined are only $50 more....
Quality wise my own experience means that I would not have had a full return and 3 partial refunds on 4 out of my last 6 sideshow purchases. I am not a fussy buyer, they just ship out a lot of poorly inspected rubbish.

Ok...you can't understand the price differential between the Mystique and Colossus pieces. You are looking for a reason for the price increase. You don't see the increase in quality, or craftsmanship to justify the price increase. I get that. However, sometimes there is not a direct correlation between quality & craftsmanship and the final price. Let's be honest, one of the reasons SS is charging more for Colossus is because they can. The popularity of Spider Man, Wolverine, Darth Vader means that manufacturers will charge more because they can. In the case of Colossus SS hopes the market will bear a higher price for a character that IMHO is more popular than Mystique.

If you don't want to pay the $300 price point that's fine...and I respect your decision. But the bottom line is that there are a number of buyers who will step up and make the purchase. I don't have a problem with any business charging as much as they can for their product or service because I believe in the end the market will correct themselves. If SS gets to the point where the majority of their consumers feel their products are overpriced, they will go elsewhere. Without having the ability to review SS current financials, it's difficult to determine if their current pricing policies are negatively impacting their business.

In regards to your issues with quality control...I don't blame you for being upset. Personally I haven't had any issues with SS. If your experiences start becoming the norm for the majority of customers then SS will have some serious issues. That being said, I don't know of one manufacturer that has never had quality control issues. Heck, look at the issues Apple is having with their Iphone4. Historically Apple has been the darlings of the computer industry. When you mass produce a product, the best you can hope for is that the majority of your product offerings are problem free.

 

[traylorc]

You guys have all brought up very interesting and good points.

I'd like to add that SSC now still holds a monopoly on the large scale Marvel statue market tho', which is also a big factor why they can double dip into it in both 1/4 and 1/5 scale and still be popular when they produce products that don't please a majority. They have made a very smart move producing 1/5 scale to match the 1/4 because both scales are larger than any other company's offering and not in direct competition scalewise with anyone. There is simply is no alternative. If they make any profit at all off their 1/5's before they double dip into the 1/4 PF, then it's already a win for them. At least they reserved the Jim Lee suits for 1/4. Now hope they don't mess with it too much and that Colossus PF isn't delayed due to the 1/5 version.

Fuzzy that is an excellent point. Folks underestimate the power SS possesses by being the major player in the market. This fact alone gives SS the ability not only to double dip their products, but to double dip while implementing a premium pricing structure.

I understand that point upsets people and they feel they are being ripped off. But I simply can't fault SS or any other business for charging what the market will bear. SS knows they have us all by the short hairs because we are all addicts that desperately love our figures and statues. When I decided to finally give into the dark side and join the collection game, I asked folks where I should go to look for statues. 98% of those asked indicated that Sideshow is the major player in the market.

 

[INFECDEAD]

All you have said is very true and while I agree it's true I am not happy about it either!
It hasn't been SS way of doing things before where characters received a premium because of who they were, but this looks to have changed. I am voting with my wallet for 2 reasons, price point and scale which equals my perceived value. Others might not care about either and I have no dramas how people who like this spend their cash.
I have really locked down my collection lately because I literally can't park my car in the garage because of SS boxes, and I am out of shelf room and using the floor so not collecting 1/5 scale comiquettes I think are way over priced solves some of the space and financial dramas too!

 

[traylorc]

All you have said is very true and while I agree it's true I am not happy about it either!
It hasn't been SS way of doing things before where characters received a premium because of who they were, but this looks to have changed. I am voting with my wallet for 2 reasons, price point and scale which equals my perceived value. Others might not care about either and I have no dramas how people who like this spend their cash.
I have really locked down my collection lately because I literally can't park my car in the garage because of SS boxes, and I am out of shelf room and using the floor so not collecting 1/5 scale comiquettes I think are way over priced solves some of the space and financial dramas too!

You aren't kidding about the growing space restrictions. I thought I would have plenty of space, but that was before the statue addiction kicked in. Since then my house is slowly being overrun by SS boxes!

 

[Sweet Rabbit]

You aren't kidding about the growing space restrictions. I thought I would have plenty of space, but that was before the statue addiction kicked in. Since then my house is slowly being overrun by SS boxes!

the thor & hulk PF boxes take up a whole corner

 

[Shai]

I prefer their Nightcrawler over this one.

 

[Skiman]

WTF, stop complaining, it's either you like or not.

it's your scale liking or not, just don't buy then... that simple... GEEZ

 

[fuzzylojiks]

All you have said is very true and while I agree it's true I am not happy about it either!
It hasn't been SS way of doing things before where characters received a premium because of who they were, but this looks to have changed. I am voting with my wallet for 2 reasons, price point and scale which equals my perceived value. Others might not care about either and I have no dramas how people who like this spend their cash.
I have really locked down my collection lately because I literally can't park my car in the garage because of SS boxes, and I am out of shelf room and using the floor so not collecting 1/5 scale comiquettes I think are way over priced solves some of the space and financial dramas too!

Great points. Some people don't understand people having a meaningful discussion on a msg board and just go off on people or are plain rude. : ) I'm glad there are people who can respectfully discuss such topics, practice freedom of speech, and understanding the other side without having the need to fling insults or juvenile jaunts. It's been a pleasure reading both sides of this and if people don't like you expressing yourself, eloquently like you and traylorc have, then that's just too bad for them.

Marvel FTMW!

 

[Skiman]

please....