ObiGlennKenobi
Super Freak
I tried an insta search for viva lai but got distracted when mady_gio came up in the suggestions box...
Hot Toys Bespin Luke 2.0
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ObiGlennKenobi
Super Freak
Still 1 of my fav sets for the price paid back in the day..before the dark times,before the price rise!!
The Green Goblin
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See this attitude is why we can?t have nice things.....
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But it is nice!
It's just not new and overpriced by at least $50
Sixth Scale Man
Super Freak
Yep, this was my first Hot Toys figure. Waaaay back when I thought AU$350 was nuts to spend on a collectible, so I asked my whole family to chip in for my birthday. To think that price was high when it included 2 figures/costumes a light up display, PERS and a bunch of accessories (mine wasn't the deluxe, so no Vader/Luke head). Opening that box was a feeling I'd not felt sinnncccccce.....
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I remember opening it up for the first time. It really felt like it was made for fans.
That passion is missing from Hot Toys for a while now.
Awesome-O
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The 1/6 market was a different place back then. We look at the price of that now and go "WOW that's insane!" but at the time people were concerned about the price. I mean, a lot of people were not totally open to spending that much on a 1/6 figure, even if it included 2 in the package and all of the extras. PLUS we didn't know if HT was going to continue with Star Wars. I think they didn't FULLY have the license yet, they were able to make DX07 due to being connected to Sideshow who DID have a 1/6 Star Wars license I believe. So this was seen as possibly a 1 off. Some people didn't want to jump in unless they knew there was going to be a full line of figures.
I still think HT gives us pretty solid stuff. But there's more to consider. They have a larger market to serve now, especially after MCU stuff blew up. They're currently working with factory delays/issues with the restrictions and CV19 situation. When you scale up production of ANY type of thing, a certain facet of "care" gets lost. And of COURSE they're going to scale up, they're making figures of some of the most popular and best selling movies in the world of all time now. Star Wars, Marvel etc. There's a HUGE market now, and they're playing a balancing act. Plus look at the SW market. They're so finicky. I see people complaining about TCW Maul's legs when that's LITERALLY how they look in S7. Or people complain about Deathwatch being a "kitbash", that's how they look in The Mandalorian. It's accurate to that show. But still, people complain. It's wild, who WANTS to serve a market like that? We're lucky they even consider making any figure that's not just one of the main film characters at this point.
It's not PASSION that's missing. It's just the nature of the market and logistics.
I still think HT gives us pretty solid stuff. But there's more to consider. They have a larger market to serve now, especially after MCU stuff blew up. They're currently working with factory delays/issues with the restrictions and CV19 situation. When you scale up production of ANY type of thing, a certain facet of "care" gets lost. And of COURSE they're going to scale up, they're making figures of some of the most popular and best selling movies in the world of all time now. Star Wars, Marvel etc. There's a HUGE market now, and they're playing a balancing act. Plus look at the SW market. They're so finicky. I see people complaining about TCW Maul's legs when that's LITERALLY how they look in S7. Or people complain about Deathwatch being a "kitbash", that's how they look in The Mandalorian. It's accurate to that show. But still, people complain. It's wild, who WANTS to serve a market like that? We're lucky they even consider making any figure that's not just one of the main film characters at this point.
It's not PASSION that's missing. It's just the nature of the market and logistics.
jedijim3002
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I had almost half expected this might go up for PO in the frst days of NYCC, but now that it hasn't I guess I'm not surprised.
I can't imagine they'd send a Luke Bespin 2.0 out to pasture like Death Star Trooper etc - too much money to lose - but nothing surprises me with HT. I mean they showed and actually shipped a power droid instead of Han Bespin.
Yeah it's the SSC Luke Snowspeder hairpiece - I've attached a pic of both Sideshow hairpeices on this HT Luke Jedi sculpt, plus also one of the HT ANH Luke with a Sideshow hairpiece, which I think improves the somewhat weak likeness a bit. I did mod the front of the hairpieces.
It's kind of weird to have done these "swap the hairpiece" customs... and then have HT do pretty much the exact same thing, on the same outfits.I do think this Luke sculpt works a bit better for ROTJ (where his face is more angular than ANH and ESB) but it works well enough for ESB.
A new Luke Bespin you would think would be an occasion for a whole new Luke sculpt.
Great work. I did the same thing with my ANH Luke. Sideshow X-wing hair makes a big difference.
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You make valid points, but it doesn't have to be either/or. The current market and logistical limitations are realities; but I do think (and there are no surprises here since most businesses act this way) they consistently make decisions that favour profit margins over truly exceptional quality. Articulation on many figures is less than what it once was, fabrics and materials are more restrictive and prone to damage; certain design choices are dictated by what's easy as opposed to what's best.
Their figures still look better than most of what's on the market, but their product also seems to have plateaued. Is it because collectors won't pay more or because HT wants to squeeze their margins? A little of both, I guess.
The one thing that has progressed in almost linear fashion is their paint applications on portraits, with notable exceptions such as the Black Panther Boseman portrait.
Looking at their offerings over the last 5 years or so, I see a more or less static product. I don't know if it's going to stay that way.
There's an argument to be made that they're choosing high fidelity to what we see on-screen in favour of things like articulation or durability, but I'm not sure I buy that. This is all wild speculation at the end of the day, I have no insight into their actual means of production or decision-making process.
And we thank the HT social media marketing branch for chiming in....
In all reality. HT has changed and gives us much less for way more. It?s all to do with increasing profits, to pay for those licenses, and the upper management bonuses. Just like every single business on the planet.
I would be fine with less releases ( troopers and Spiderman looking at you) and increased prices if the figures were all unique and had a lot with them, like Bespin Luke has....
But sadly, they seem to be on a path of trying to use as much of a previous work as they can, slapping a few gadgets on them and selling new ?versions? of figures that people really don?t want as much..... but due to the nature of many collectors , they will buy anyway.
I would have bought a Bespin Han and Lando years ago if offered.....but instead we got 10 versions of the ST Trooper.
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Smudger9
Super Freak
And we thank the HT social media marketing branch for chiming in....
In all reality. HT has changed and gives us much less for way more. It?s all to do with increasing profits, to pay for those licenses, and the upper management bonuses. Just like every single business on the planet.
I would be fine with less releases ( troopers and Spiderman looking at you) and increased prices if the figures were all unique and had a lot with them, like Bespin Luke has....
But sadly, they seem to be on a path of trying to use as much of a previous work as they can, slapping a few gadgets on them and selling new ?versions? of figures that people really don?t want as much..... but due to the nature of many collectors , they will buy anyway.
I would have bought a Bespin Han and Lando years ago if offered.....but instead we got 10 versions of the ST Trooper.
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HT have only had a Star Wars license for 6 years.
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And we thank the HT social media marketing branch for chiming in....
In all reality. HT has changed and gives us much less for way more. It?s all to do with increasing profits, to pay for those licenses, and the upper management bonuses. Just like every single business on the planet.
It's not just upper management bonuses. It's Chinese labour cost in general. China is no longer a low cost country. If every one of your workers is asking to be paid more, and they have no issues in leaving, you as a business have no option but to a). close shop, b). cut costs by use of existing designs etc or c). pass on the costs to the customers. In this particular business skilled sculptors and painters just aren't on every street corner so letting them go is not really an option.
Therefore we see a mix of b) and c).
I'm really surprised how many people here don't understand that all workers wages make up the biggest part of any companies fixed cost structure. (60-70% according to Google for many companies)
Sorry, but the Chinese want to make their way in the world as well and have the same living standard as us Westerners, and that means earning more to pay for it all.
Hahaha, I love Mady, she's the biggest distraction
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Woah thats an interesting sculpt. Not sure how I feel about it.
Empire has always been my favorite, so I've been waiting on a HT Bepsin Luke for awhile now (since I missed the first one). This would go well with my 40th Anniversary Vader.
And if this sculpt sucks, then I might just swap it out with my RotJ Luke sculpt instead.
If that is what they are going with, there will only be one, and they will count on you buying the snowspeeder Luke to get the other hairstyle.
ObiGlennKenobi
Super Freak
hey hey!
As Gipetto said,it's the Tony Stark IM3 base.
I thought it better used for my Bespin Luke at the time
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