Hot Toys 1/4 Avengers Announcement!

[The Mike]

This thought crossed my mind, but...the problem with this is that 1/6 kitbashers have a wealth of items to choose from and customize from countless releases over the past x amount of years. Not to mention the countless figures that are constantly being released by a large number of companies. There aren't many players in the 1/4 figurine market, and unless you go busting up Premium Formats for clothing, you're basically SOL. I suppose the custom tailors on the boards could offer 1/4 stuff, but then you're undoubtedly getting into astronomical prices.

That is true now, but all it would take is HT to offer a TrueType and then you'll see if flourish on eBay first and then officially second. If this is successful for both HT and Enterbay it won't be long until we see that side of the hobby catching up quickly.

 

[Khev]

There's a Premium Format for that.

Yeah the Hulk is one that will almost definitely look better as a PF than a 1/4 scale figure. It'll be interesting to see if both SSC and HT take their turns at an Avengers version.

 

[The Mike]

It's going to be tough for SSC in the beginning, never has the QC and the choice of pose been more important. With SSC you're stuck in what they give you whereas with HT if you can mimic that pose for less money then what is the point? The price will be a major determining factor on how SSC will fare against these new announcements.

Also though sculpt needs to be on par from HT. Imagine if they put out a 1:4 Indy that doesn't really look like Indy? Why would people buy it?

The thing people need to remember is the only thing affected would be the Marvel film offerings for The Avengers, nothing else really will be affected.

 

[JohnnyT]

If Avatar is over $300 in 1/6th scale then these new figures will start at $500 for sure. If you have a choice between a 1/6th $300 and a 1/4 $400 you would spend the extra 100 and get the bigger one. The price difference will need to be significant for there to be a choice, otherwise they will kill their 1/6th market.

 

[The Mike]

Why would HT care if people were buying 1:4 or 1:6 figures? The announcement wasn't that they were solely going to make 1:4 figures just for The Avengers they are making both. If people buy the 1:4 over the 1:6 it's still money they are banking.

If HT is smart and makes their 1:4 figures about $300 (Avatar is about 18") or even a little more people would be more tempted to get both the 1:6 and the 1:4 figure and that's where HT wants everyone to be. I guarantee you that these will come in under the comparable prices for a PF of that same character simply because they are scaling upwards but using in theory similar materials as they are already engineering for the smaller.

 

[poomonk]

Now all we need is a quarter-scale Galactus.

 

[Y4NK33 PL4N3T]

I agree with Mike, I see these starting anywhere from $279-299 to hook an initial line of collectors.

 

[RagingBull]

I agree with Mike, I see these starting anywhere from $279-299 to hook an initial line of collectors.

Yeah like a drug dealer, hook em up cheap, get them hooked. Then rise the price

 

[Khev]

Why would HT care if people were buying 1:4 or 1:6 figures?

Especially when there are collectors like me who are already buying both the HT 1:6 CA as well as the SSC PF.

 

[RagingBull]

If Avatar is over $300 in 1/6th scale then these new figures will start at $500 for sure. If you have a choice between a 1/6th $300 and a 1/4 $400 you would spend the extra 100 and get the bigger one. The price difference will need to be significant for there to be a choice, otherwise they will kill their 1/6th market.

I'll always choose 1/6 over 1/4. 1/4 is massive, the only 1/4 figures I'd buy is Batman & the Pred 1 & 2 as stand alone pieces because I love the characters. Other than that I just want 1/6 but that's just me.

 

[The Mike]

Enterbay is going for the Premium Format collector with their offerings specifically. HT is firing back but they are also specifically targeting PF collectors, those who want massive pieces of their favorites. If HT can get people to buy both especially when there are some who are buying both formats but one from SSC or even customizers, then in the end they win.

 

[Maggus]

so interested in the 1/6 Figures... hope they´ll be great...

 

[Freak_Zombie]

I'll always choose 1/6 over 1/4. 1/4 is massive, the only 1/4 figures I'd buy is Batman & the Pred 1 & 2 as stand alone pieces because I love the characters. Other than that I just want 1/6 but that's just me.

Totally feel the same way too! I'm gonna get the dark knight batman and preds and aliens too and that's it!

 

[Theokan]

If Avatar is over $300 in 1/6th scale then these new figures will start at $500 for sure. If you have a choice between a 1/6th $300 and a 1/4 $400 you would spend the extra 100 and get the bigger one. The price difference will need to be significant for there to be a choice, otherwise they will kill their 1/6th market.

If you're referring to the Blue Aliens, those guys are already 18" tall in 1:6 scale. And you should be comparing apples to apples; Blue Alien 1:6 at $300 would mean blue Alien 1:4 is at least $500+, probably way more. But HT 1:6 12" human figures are still $170 - $230 range not including those with crazy royalty fees, so 1:4 at 18" would probably be somewhere between $300 - $500 range.


So HT Cap for examples retails for $170. So if HT 1:4 Cap retails for say $350, there's still a definitive choice there.



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[Natrix]

It's going to be tough for SSC in the beginning, never has the QC and the choice of pose been more important. With SSC you're stuck in what they give you whereas with HT if you can mimic that pose for less money then what is the point? The price will be a major determining factor on how SSC will fare against these new announcements.

Also though sculpt needs to be on par from HT. Imagine if they put out a 1:4 Indy that doesn't really look like Indy? Why would people buy it?

The thing people need to remember is the only thing affected would be the Marvel film offerings for The Avengers, nothing else really will be affected.

Not really since they are doing 1/4 scale TDKR figures as well which would go up against Sideshow's new DC License. Plus the possibility of Spider-Man and Superman reboot figures on the horizon as well.

 

[Agentofchaos]

Totally feel the same way too! I'm gonna get the dark knight batman and preds and aliens too and that's it!

That's how it all adds up to something like "oh crap i need a new besta!"

 

[Uncanny Web-Slinger]

They may charge less initially but i don't see it, 1/6 prices have been going up steadily with people already comparing prices to approaching PF range.

1/4 EB T800 is going for £274 at OSB that is slightly more than 1/6 Jake Sully and quite a bit less than 1/6 Monger.

I'd estimate £300-£350 for 1/4 for the first year and then £400 after that.

 

[Theokan]

HT 1:4 will be priced either the same or less than EB 1:4. That's Hot Toys' motto: cheaper than competitors, but with better quality.

That's how they stay at the top. If they are priced higher than EB, that gives certain collectors a reason to buy Enterbay instead of HT regardless of quality, HT eliminates their opponents by pricing just below their competitors so there's no reason to buy EB's Batman vs HT's Batman as long as HT makes a better product in the end.

 

[Darth Snoopy]

I want:

Loki
Sleeveless Thor (training costume)
Black Widow (sculpted hair)
Hulk
Hawkeye
Cap (possibly)
Nick Fury

All in 1/6th to match with the rest of my collection

That's my Want List too!

 

[SolidLiquidFox]

Forget Enterbay.

The real question is: should Sideshow be concerned? All things being equal Sideshow can't touch HT in terms of likeness. Now at 1/4 scale is a whole new game.