[iminime] (The Cowboy), The Bounty Hunter & The Bandit

[paramoremcr88]

The ignorance in this review is OUTSTANDING. Really, wow... talk about not understanding the dynamics of (a) customs or (b) BUSINESS. The proficiency of the review is right up there with the reviewers proficiency in English. Good lord, take a grammar class

 

[Stealth V3teran]

The ignorance in this review is OUTSTANDING. Really, wow... talk about not understanding the dynamics of (a) customs or (b) BUSINESS. The proficiency of the review is right up there with the reviewers proficiency in English. Good lord, take a grammar class

Hit the nail on the head well said

 

[turbo.VS.ozone]

It is not a misinformed statement....it's absolutely obvious that's what it is. There are at least 5 different design aspects to his sculpt that perfectly mimic what Rainman originally did. Other than MJ's talent for sculpting, there's nothing original about it and looks more like somthing copied than something original. At least attempt a slightly different expression. The exact use of the mustache stem design, the two casted parts battle cap and sculpt etc are all signs that suggest he was working off inspiration from Rainmans than any reference material from the film.
What I see with my eyes looks more like a specific attempt at copying Rainmans sculpt than somthing inspired by DDL photo reference.

If I were to take Rainmans unpainted sculpt and MJ's and explained to random people on the street that "this one from artist A was sculpted first, and this one from artist B came a year and few months after" then asked them if they thought it was a copy.....you think we'd get an honest opinion of it then?

I might just do this and put it up on YouTube.

Your insinuation of MJ's sculpt being a copy of RM's 'original' work is a very misinformed statement. Both the artists have attempted to capture an actor's likeness through their perspective. There's no plagiarism here.

The figure might be close to your heart and figuratively worth a million bucks but don't diss another artist's work to massage your fallacy.

 

[Lakhota]

This MJ And RM discussion spreads like aids in these threads. Daniel Day Lewis could take a **** in a glass and people would buy it, It is just a different interpretation of the same character in a fictional movie. Maybe the casting process is similar but that is because of manufacturing technology. Omar and Denny's thread is now polluted with this nonsense. Denny and Omar need to release head sculpts periodically minus the DX alternate sculpts and the artist make their money and the collectors get their figures.... The end It not rocket science, now I must go stop baby seals from being clubbed!

 

[TheClipperKing]

I welcome all opinions on my reviews as always and thanks for watching em . I expect a lot of people will see things differently and I know collectors who have just spent a fortune on a figure set find it hard to see anything negative about there purchase so the review might come across as nitpicking or a buzz killer or too honest and insensitive but isn't that why we should be reviewing these things , there's no contract sayin that just coz you've bought the item you have to dickride the artist , once its paid its yours to say what you like . also the "take a grammer class" insult , ive heard it all before and im not gunna say sorry for how I talk , that's how we talk around here and plus youtube is already full of over excited , helium sucking American yes men so a change is sometimes nice . also I know who sculpted these heads and he did a great job but hes no bigger or better than arnie kim , the only difference is when I reviewed carlito arnie actually took the time to thank me for my thoughts , trevor doesn't even answer his facebook messages when your tryin to buy sculpts from him , so I say if ya cant buy the original then buy a recast and create the figures you want

 

[batfan08]

I try to be civil with everybody, and, though I do agree with some here that you are a bit misinformed, I'm not going to pull out the torches and pitchforks, and I do respect your opinion, for what it's worth. I'll primarily try to address the last ten minutes of your video, with your thoughts on custom collectors, and "the Carlito's test." First and foremost, I can see how someone who primarily collects Hot Toys might think that custom collectors view this stuff the same way a watch collector might value a Rolex over a Casio, but I don't think that's the case. I can't speak for everyone, but I buy what I like, and I've got a very select taste, in regards to what I like. DC Superheroes and Classic movies. It may seem like I can't prioritize, but I own the version 1 Cowboy/Blondie, and I'm not the uppity one percenter that custom collectors tend to be, for lack of a better word, demonized as.

Going back to what I said before, I buy what I like, and Blondie is a character that I love. You could argue that "Hot Toys are cheaper," but the odds of HT getting the license for The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly are slim to none. As much as I like Batman, I don't buy everything, so, I roll things together. For example, when I bought Blondie, I sold my Keaton Batman and Nicholson Joker. I adore those characters, as well, but I was weighing my options, and, as I'm sure you know, if you look at the secondary market, I can get an 89 Batman and Joker set for far less than Blondie's current going rate.

The point is that it shouldn't be considered "elitist," to buy what you like. People might say that customizers cater to a different market than mass market companies, but they really don't. I just look at it this way, I don't need two characters I kind of like over a character that I love, and if you view things differently, that's great, but, spending time in the customs section, I've met people just as awesome, and who I really like, as a lot of the primarily Hot Toys collectors that I encounter in the DC section, so, with no I'll intent meant, I'd say that statement is a product of ignorance. I don't mean that in a disrespectful way, I simply mean that, if you familiarize yourself with the people, you'll come to find that they're not that different from people you'd encounter on OSR, and, in some cases, they're the same people.

In regards to the Carlito test, you single-handedly answered your own question with a single word in the first sentence: "licensed." Blitzway may have only two figures for "the company's" 15, but both of those figures are licensed from Universal. That may not seem like much, but it does mean a lot. For one thing, mass production. As Rdeezy pointed out, Blitzway is able to mass produce their figures. The more figures you make, the more you can spread out the cost. The company behind Blondie doesn't have that luxury, because, if these things were mass produced, without the license, the copyright lawyers would be on their ass faster than a rat on cheese. Right now, you're probably thinking "why don't they just get the license," but Clint Eastwood is a notorious holdout, when it comes to his likeness, and you can't have The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly without Clint Eastwood. Moral of the story: without a license, you can't outsource your product to factories for mass production. Without mass production, prices are going to be higher.

You said that it's not one guy making this, and you're right, Denny does have a small team, but that team does not equate to an entire factory. All of these items are handcrafted by the same people working on the prototype, and that costs money. The teams wages, the cost of materials, etc., are all factored into the item that you're receiving, and that's part of the reason for the boxes and the bodies. Did you ever notice how a Rainman figure or a Serang figure cost $1000-2000, while these cost $400-600? A lot of that has to do with wholesale. The boxes are the way that they are because the company buys them in bulk. They provide proper protection, and a simple, yet, at least, presentable aesthetic (as much as you may hate it, it beats the hell out of a cardboard box full of packing peanuts and you know it ), and the same could be said for the bodies. Wholesale means savings; savings for the company are then passed on to the customers.

Truetypes are the cream of the crop, there's no doubt about that, but let me ask you this: do you think it would be reasonable for a company that specializes in unlicensed figures to purchase the bodies for said unlicensed figures in bulk from a company with a close relationship to many of the licensors? MGM owns Robocop and The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly. Hot Toys has a relationship with MGM, as evidenced by their three Robocop releases this year. Do you think it's mutually beneficial for a company to risk losing their relationship with a licensor, and, by extension, every product they're able to make with said licensor's licenses, to provide bodies wholesale to a company that is, technically, committing copyright infringement against those licensors, and, at the same time, would it be beneficial for that company to run the risk of any legal ramifications that might come to pass, in the event that the company they bought their bodies wholesale from decided to bring their products to the attention of the licensors and studios that own those properties?

It wouldn't make sense, and then no one would get the figures they wanted. Anyway, I hope this helps, and, for the most part, I thought that was a really great and in-depth review.

 

[Rdeezy]

Wow...so Trevor didnt answer your pm's and sell you casts personally(he probably gets tons of messages a day to buy his work)he's busy im sure sculpting and doesnt have time to cast sculpts for everyone, if he did he wouldn't have time to even sculpt anything new, if all he was doing was casting his older work to sell....so its ok to buy recasts of his work?

 

[batfan08]

I also want to make sure my "copyright infringement" quote doesn't get taken out of context. I'm of the belief that many of these customizers are justified in creating these characters. They fill a hole in the hobby that would remain in filled, if not for their existence. I doubt Hot Toys would make Wizard of Oz figures, or Goodfellas, or half of the other licenses that customizers specialize in, and, in the context of multimillion dollar studios that control these licenses, the amount of money these guys bring in making these figures is probably slim to none, with the low production runs and the fact that, I'd estimate, at least, 75% of the money given to them by customers goes towards the cost of creating the actual figures.

 

[turbo.VS.ozone]

I just finished watching the review. One of the most truthful and no-bullsh|t reviews I've ever seen. This man just earned another subscriber to his channel. I'm a diehard custom collector but this guy is coming from a straightforward and honest place. I really can't say that I disagree with his assessment of what the custom figure game is now. His Carlito comparison brought up a lot of very interesting points and his point of view was honest, fair and balanced. None of this ass kissing we see these days just to win favor.

Great review Clipper
Channel subscribed!

 

[Lakhota]

I just finished watching this review and this gentleman just earned another subscriber to his channel. I'm a diehard custom collector but this guy is coming from a straightforward and honest place. I really can't say that I disagree with his assessment of what the custom figure game is now. His Carlito comparison brought up a lot of very interesting points and his point of view was honest, fair and balanced. None of this ass kissing we see these days just to win favor.

Great review Clipper
Channel subscribed!

He did have some valid points, I also watched the video. I just started collecting customs maybe 6 months and I asked the very same questions after receiving my Bill V2, the lapels were wrong, there was threads hanging from the belt, glue marks, the shoes didn't fit my TT bodies, the hat fell off and a few other things. I shrugged it off because it was RM and at this moment is super hot, but if I purchased lets say a Hot Toys Captain America figure and it had these same problems I would have sent it back immediately.I have only received one figure from Iminime to date which is the Town Sheriff and I was blown away at arrival, but the buckle broke as soon as I tried to put it on and I noticed the massive wrist pegs that were so distracting, My heart did skip a beat when the buckle broke and I thought WTF am I going to do now, this is a 500 plus dollar figure how can that happen!. Needless to say I repaired the belt buckle, and will replace the hands I am still extremely happy with the product and am thankful Denny gave me the opportunity to purchase a figure that is sold out. I think ClipperKing was just being honest , hes English my family is from Cornwall,Redding, Devon etc. they are all like that we cant blame him

 

[TheClipperKing]

thanks for your comment , I can see all your points and agree with just about all you say and I know how the money spread works and the logistics behind it all . but I stick to the views I give in the review . if you look at the set and not think of the price then there's a lot to like about em , but if you keep in your mind the question am I getting value for money then you start seeing the cheap short cuts taken . anyways I picked the carlito in fairness to the custom figures and give them a chance in comparison , I was gunna compare them to dx jack sparrow but that would've been a none starter because I feel that sculpt rules all , not the best figure but fault head sculpt . ive been lucky to have seen some really nice custom figures in hand from serangs jimi , to dennys rick grimes , chaplin , bateman , fight club and ive gotta be honest for every point where there awesome theres also little things that drive me mad and I feel I hope the artists see this review because if all they feel is smoke being blown up there arses then there never gunna sort the things that drive me mad drive . and a lot of what I said in the last ten minutes is more to do with some of the elitist custom collectors view that hot toys or enterbay are some what beneath them and that because of the size of the price tag that automatically dictate top quality but I don't see that as the case and I wont suck up to any artist in fear of missing one of the next pieces . answer me this honestly ..... if you equally loved the character of blondie from the good the bad and the ugly and arnie from t2 and someone put both figures in your hand and never told you the going rate but told you had to spend your last £150 on one , and im including all extras and packaging !!! which one do you walk home with ???

 

[TheClipperKing]

thanks to turbo vs ozone and lakhota , for understanding my points , the figures could be amazing with a little love and attention , the clint in particular if it was £150 as is id prob be on it or if someone said for your £330 we'll put it on a truetype , include 6-8 acurrate hands that actually hold things correctly , weather the outfit , include a stand with decals then id have less of a problem with the pricepoint

 

[batfan08]

That's tough for me, because I don't love T2 Arnie as much as Clint, but I think you also bring up another point with that comparison: the gap is rapidly closing between customs and mass market releases. Take the new Bank Robber Joker from Hot Toys. $280 for a figure that's about 80% recycled. With tax, you're closing in on $300, depending on where you live, plus $20, give or take, for shipping. Back when The Cowboy was sold as a single release, he was available to VIP members for $450, I believe. The DX with the extra head was more, but the same figure you reviewed was only about $130 more than the new Bank Robber Joker. Just to put that in perspective, the gap between the DX01 Joker and the new Bank Robber Joker is about $80-100 depending on where you got it, and the price of these custom figures has remained relatively consistent over the past few years.

 

[batfan08]

I do agree, though, with some of your points. There's no reason for anyone to have an elitist mentality. The Hot Toys Adam West Batman, for me, is on par with Blondie, and there are figures from customizers that are worse than mass market releases, and figures from big companies that are worse than stuff that customizers put out. It's just the nature of the beast. At the end of the day, though, going back to your T2 comparison, I judge value differently. I'll be honest, I wouldn't pay $600 for just anything. If we're purely talking about releases, the DX 07 Luke Skywalker is a better value than Blondie; that's a logistical fact. You're getting two figures, with a ton of accessories, for $150-100 less than one with nothing but a gun to accompany him, but, as a character, I value Blondie more than Luke. It's just personal tastes, man.

I look at the customs the same way as I looked at Hot Toys when I stopped collecting 6" figures: quality over quantity. I'm not presuming to say that this Blondie would be better than anything Hot Toys could produce, given the opportunity (though I do think they'd have a hell of a time trying to top that headsculpt), but this is the only version of Blondie available that is, at least, comparable, in quality to Hot Toys, and if it means skipping out on two HT figures that I'd only "kind of like" to get him, that's what I'll do.

 

[chubbyman]

Clipper's reviews are one's I enjoy when I want to get comfy in bed at night or when I need a good viewing during lunch. The guy is no Bull**** and I love that. Your views on customs is your opinion man, not gonna dive into that but what I do know is this is a another great review.

 

[TheClipperKing]

it all comes down to what you like and what you feel is a fair price for it , as a reviewer I have to try and maintain an honest and fair opinion and remain fearless of how viewers will take it or even how the artist themselves will react if they also by any chance see it . I see the pull of custom collecting to be honest and if any company ever made my hero Muhammad Ali id find it hard not to buy it but id know in my heart that it wouldn't as good as I'd want it to be and Id not be getting value for money , but I guess that's what you get when you spend with your heart and not with your head

 

[Wake]

I think the greater problem at hand is that you cannot compare mass produced product (I.e. Hot toys, blitz way and enterbay) to handmade artwork (I.e. Iminime, rainman and Kato/Sean). It's like comparing a lithographic print to an ordinal oil canvas. Sure the lithograph might have 1000 perfect copies and the oil has it's distinct flaws but one takes a lot more mastery and time to produce than the other. It's unfair to hold the custom artists and their small teams to the standards of a 100 million dollar a year toy manufacturing giant.

Secondarily, the comment regarding "value" is downright laughable. If someone gave me the option of two brand new hot toys at $500 or the Blondie DX I'd take the custom in a heartbeat. I know the true value in the custom... I sold a DX set for $3200! Which figure holds its value better? Which will command a better resale price? Shouldn't that be a ute indicator of "value"!? Surely that's more important than the lack of artwork on the box or the quality of easily replaceable hands (I mean seriously who doesn't have a thousand extra HT hands lying around! Every figure comes with 4 franking pairs). But clipper king fails to mention that customs often appreciate greatly over time. Much more so than hot toys do. That's why the review is invalid in my opinion. It's decidedly unbalanced and lacks vital information. Don't you think it would greatly affect a potential buyers opinion to know that the custom could appreciate as much as three to four hundred percent?!

 

[batfan08]

it all comes down to what you like and what you feel is a fair price for it , as a reviewer I have to try and maintain an honest and fair opinion and remain fearless of how viewers will take it or even how the artist themselves will react if they also by any chance see it . I see the pull of custom collecting to be honest and if any company ever made my hero Muhammad Ali id find it hard not to buy it but id know in my heart that it wouldn't as good as I'd want it to be and Id not be getting value for money , but I guess that's what you get when you spend with your heart and not with your head

It goes like this "I take things as they are, not how I'd want them to be." This may very well be the best Blondie we ever get. That's not a certainty, but nothing ever is, in this hobby, but, to me, Blondie is one of those characters, not dissimilar to how you feel about Muhammad Ali, that I love. This hobby is a personal one, when you really think about it. Would we really spend this much money on these figures, if we didn't love the characters they're based on? Then, too, I guess it all depends on your perspective.

Buying this figure, for me, is like buying a statue. Articulation is a non-issue because I'm going to have him posed as he was in the movie. Standing straight, either ready to draw or with his gun already in his hand. I'll agree with you that I dislike the hands; they remind me of prosthetics that Blondie would have if he had an accident, rather than actual hands, but, again, I don't harbor any ill will towards the company, because, ultimately, they have tried to remedy it (attempts to paint the hands proved unsuccessful, as the paint rubs and chips, as I was informed of by Denny). Ultimately, though, if you're asking me if I would pay $600 for a flawed figure of a character I love, then the answer is yes, I would, as the flaws are minor enough that I can live with them.

 

[batfan08]

I think the greater problem at hand is that you cannot compare mass produced product (I.e. Hot toys, blitz way and enterbay) to handmade artwork (I.e. Iminime, rainman and Kato/Sean). It's like comparing a lithographic print to an ordinal oil canvas. Sure the lithograph might have 1000 perfect copies and the oil has it's distinct flaws but one takes a lot more mastery and time to produce than the other. It's unfair to hold the custom artists and their small teams to the standards of a 100 million dollar a year toy manufacturing giant.

Secondarily, the comment regarding "value" is downright laughable. If someone gave me the option of two brand new hot toys at $500 or the Blondie DX I'd take the custom in a heartbeat. I know the true value in the custom... I sold a DX set for $3200! Which figure holds its value better? Which will command a better resale price? Shouldn't that be a ute indicator of "value"!? Surely that's more important than the lack of artwork on the box or the quality of easily replaceable hands (I mean seriously who doesn't have a thousand extra HT hands lying around! Every figure comes with 4 franking pairs). But clipper king fails to mention that customs often appreciate greatly over time. Much more so than hot toys do. That's why the review is invalid in my opinion. It's decidedly unbalanced and lacks vital information. Don't you think it would greatly affect a potential buyers opinion to know that the custom could appreciate as much as three to four hundred percent?!

Wake does make an excellent point, though, Clipper. I don't collect these things for the value, but, if we're purely judging this in monetary terms, it's actually more beneficial to buy the custom. Look at Wake. The DX set was $620 when it came out. That's roughly three times what your basic MMS figure would cost, but, as he said, he did manage to sell it for $3,200. You could buy 16 Hot Toys figures with that much. You could argue that you don't buy these for the resale value, but priorities do change, for some people, and they might think that they'd be willing to part with it, if it meant having 16 Hot Toys instead. So, what is the better value: 3 Hot Toys figures, or 16?

 

[Ryno]

I think this company should just make head and clothing kits and sell them for less. JMO. I enjoyed Ric's review. I do understand the custom collecting dynamics, but this particular company I sort of find in a grey area between custom and production, and it seems as though that gap is slowly getting wider. This is just how I see it, though. I've never purchased from them, and have only seen some of their stuff briefly. That being said, much respect to all points of view. It's cool to see different collecting styles and perspectives on this hobby.