GG Collectors Club Guild

[Seth Gecko]

Well i only collect the GG mini busts.I stay away from the statues.(maybe a maquette or 2)

 

[Turbo]

Well i only collect the GG mini busts.I stay away from the statues.(maybe a maquette or 2)

I'm very selective with the statues and maquettes. The maquette's aren't my favorites. Mini busts is where it's at. My Rancor will finally be here tomorrow, so we'll just see how awesome thisthing is.

 

[tomandshell]

I'm the opposite--I have a complete collection of the Star Wars statues and maquettes, but I only pick up a bust now and then if I like it.

 

[The Josh]

I'm very selective with my GG purchases. I've got a few busts (clones and Maul) and 3 statues. We'll see with the LOTR stuff how I do with GG. They're gonna have to step things up as a whole though for me (New Club is a great way to start). I'm just not all the high on GG overall because of their CS and how they select their product sales. Stuff with the BHST really keeps me from being high on GG.

Edit: Wanted to make statement more clear about that I like GG stuff but company actions make me not so high on collecting their stuff.

 

[KitFisto]

The GG statues and busts are 2 lines I collect. I get all the OT stuff and just the Jedi/Sith/Clones from the PT although I passed on all the armless Jedi in hopes of better busts of those characters later. I do want Dooku though.

 

[The Josh]

Once I'm down with the Ep3 Clones when they stop making those I'm not sure I'll get many more GG Busts. Maybe if they do another Yoda from Ep 3 I'd get that or another Maul bust. GG makes nice stuff but I don't see my SW collection from them getting that big.

Edit: The main reason it won't get that big is a lot of the older bust I want are just too exspensive for me to get. So that leaves me moving forward with whatever few they come out with.

 

[tomandshell]

GG makes some cool stuff. Too many exclusives, and almost all released in a way that excludes their core collectors in some way or another. The quality of their recent mass productions has begun to slip a little, but they are churning out tons of great Star Wars stuff of all kinds at a very rapid rate, and with two or three releases shipping each month, it's easier to forgive a disappointment here or there.

Now as far as customer service, interaction with the fans, a reliable website, contests and freebies, etc.--I don't want to say that Gentle Giant has a long, long way to go in order to catch up with Sideshow, because that would wrongly imply that Gentle Giant could somehow catch up with Sideshow. And that won't happen--ever. They make decisions that make no sense and that alienate and frustrate their fans, and refuse to communicate with them about it. GG is improving, but for every step forward that they take, Sideshow takes six.

Neither company is perfect, but SS works harder at it by remaining innovative, attempting improvements, communicating those improvements to the fans, evaluating and discussing those improvements with their customers, and then making changes as necessary. Lather, rinse, repeat.

 

[The Josh]

GG makes some cool stuff. Too many exclusives, and almost all released in a way that excludes their core collectors in some way or another. The quality of their recent mass productions has begun to slip a little, but they are churning out tons of great Star Wars stuff of all kinds at a very rapid rate, and with two or three releases shipping each month, it's easier to forgive a disappointment here or there.

Exactly! They make cool stuff but they do way too many exclusvies and they never release them in a way that is helpful to the people that collect these busts. That's why I felt so lucky to get the Shock bust after the BHST and why I jumped on the Club they just offered.

The thing with GG is since they do scanning on their sculpts they shouldnt have issues with those and there in lies the paint jobs, etc end up being my focus. As you said they have slipped a little but they are still nice.

Now as far as customer service, interaction with the fans, a reliable website, contests and freebies, etc.--I don't want to say that Gentle Giant has a long, long way to go in order to catch up with Sideshow, because that would wrongly imply that Gentle Giant could somehow catch up with Sideshow. And that won't happen--ever. They make decisions that make no sense and that alienate and frustrate their fans, and refuse to communicate with them about it. GG is improving, but for every step forward that they take, Sideshow takes six.

Totally agree. This is why it's hard for me to spend much money on GG stuff overall. The way they act totally effects my spending habbits on their stuff and how I look at their stuff.

Neither company is perfect, but SS works harder at it by remaining innovative, attempting improvements, communicating those improvements to the fans, evaluating and discussing those improvements with their customers, and then making changes as necessary. Lather, rinse, repeat.

Yup

 

[mloradites]

A previous poster mentioned the Palisades Collectors Club and while he apparently joined at the tail end of the company's existence, it was well worth it during their hey days.

Basically besides a cool exclusive signup figure, you got lifetime membership and the rights to purchase on a first come first serve basis any show exclusives like an SDCC whatever, or wizard world and then they would also hold lotteries for the right to buy trade exclusives like from Toy Fair or the annual christmas figures. There were also newsletters and such but this was the main point of the program. It allowed people like myself to get exclusives without having to resort to heavily marked up eBay.

I have no idea how GG handles their exclusives right now, I have never bought from them but if they are anything like Palisades it would be well worth it IMO for GG fans

 

[swabie2424]

GG makes some cool stuff. Too many exclusives, and almost all released in a way that excludes their core collectors in some way or another. The quality of their recent mass productions has begun to slip a little, but they are churning out tons of great Star Wars stuff of all kinds at a very rapid rate, and with two or three releases shipping each month, it's easier to forgive a disappointment here or there.

Now as far as customer service, interaction with the fans, a reliable website, contests and freebies, etc.--I don't want to say that Gentle Giant has a long, long way to go in order to catch up with Sideshow, because that would wrongly imply that Gentle Giant could somehow catch up with Sideshow. And that won't happen--ever. They make decisions that make no sense and that alienate and frustrate their fans, and refuse to communicate with them about it. GG is improving, but for every step forward that they take, Sideshow takes six.

Neither company is perfect, but SS works harder at it by remaining innovative, attempting improvements, communicating those improvements to the fans, evaluating and discussing those improvements with their customers, and then making changes as necessary. Lather, rinse, repeat.

Great post, Tom!

I'm actually of the minority opinion that both Gentle Giant and Sideshow should slow down their Star Wars lines. They're both milking the cow too hard. At some point the amount of milk she'll give is gonna slow down...

I've already stated my GG Club opinions. I think we should give it a shot this year and meet back here this time next year to discuss if it was worth it!

 

[tomandshell]

I happen to believe that the money I paid to join the Collector's Club will be worth it. You can't put a price on the stress involved in trying to get their exclusives. I only casually collect their busts, but it always seems that the ones I want end up being the rarest and most exclusive, and if this club makes it easier to get those then I am all for it.

And I hope the mmembership item is something cool and not just the Bust-Up variant that I am expecting...

 

[gambit]

I have sent an e-mail asking if they will be shipping to Turkey if I will join with no response yet.

Anyone knows if they will start to ship internationally as they weren't before

 

[The Josh]

I happen to believe that the money I paid to join the Collector's Club will be worth it. You can't put a price on the stress involved in trying to get their exclusives. I only casually collect their busts, but it always seems that the ones I want end up being the rarest and most exclusive, and if this club makes it easier to get those then I am all for it.

And I hope the mmembership item is something cool and not just the Bust-Up variant that I am expecting...

That's why I joined. For $50 bucks the chance to be stress free is so worth it.

I think they said the exclusive will be a bust of some kind and not a bust up.

 

[Darklord Dave]

Thanks for bringing up the Palisades club - gee, that was a great $50 investment (not).

I was also a member of the Mezco club and that was a big waste too.

However I don't think GG is going to disappear like Palisades and/or doing stuff I have no interest in like Mezco.

As for quality - I'll say it myself - SSC has yet to do a line that is as consistantly fantastic as GG's Harry Potter, not a mistep yet after what, 15 busts? As much as I like SW though the GG line of busts and statues has never interested me.

 

[tomandshell]

As for quality - I'll say it myself - SSC has yet to do a line that is as consistantly fantastic as GG's Harry Potter, not a mistep yet after what, 15 busts? As much as I like SW though the GG line of busts and statues has never interested me.

Yes, their HP line is flawless. I don't know how long their luck can hold out, but so far their track record with the Potter line is perfect.

 

[The Josh]

Yeah, I wonder how long myself. Not a messed up item but screw the fans buying them over.

 

[Darth Loki]

Yes, their HP line is flawless. I don't know how long their luck can hold out, but so far their track record with the Potter line is perfect.

Thanks for jinxing it Tom. You know the next few are going to have some serious flaws now

 

[The Josh]

Thanks for jinxing it Tom. You know the next few are going to have some serious flaws now

Not if you knock on wood, do a rain dance, eat black eyed peas, and run around in a circle for 5 mins screaming who's your daddy.