QMX Star Trek General discussion thread

[Marine Boy]

I can sort of accept that if a line peters out, then that's just the way it is. What annoys me is how i was not able to acquire Sulu, despite pre-ordering in the proper manner. It's not like a random act, accidental fire or some such, destroyed the moulds or anything. They just didn't bother making more.

 

[nanjin]

Firefly figure couldnt be completed until I ?helped? in Nov 2015

I joined in 2016 March.

In 2017 SDCC, Mr Chan came to the booth. He didnt look happy, didnt he? I wasnt happy that day too, because Mr Chan was NOT supposed to know what the heck that we were doing....

Everyone there thought they were good, top of world and such... even HT had to come over.

Little did they know, the giant had his eyes on us.om that moment on.

2019 Pennywise showed up from HT

I must had done something, hadn't i ?

The last time Mr Chan at war with someone was 10+ years ago with EB.

I was preparing and looking forward to this war, just to irritate the giant by picking his nose.

The oldest armature in the entire collectible business challenging the industry Biggest Giant.

Trek was my mentor, the crew of 1/6 Trek had shown me what 1/6 Trek and I could do. The Giant knew what I knew. I broke ALL barriers and Marvel was knocking at the company's door (who's knocking who's door?)

Top 1/6 Quality Trek at Bootlegger pricing was my nuclear weapon.

The war ended before I get on the battlefield.

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[Mike86]

What was it he didn’t like exactly? Another company showing what they could do for lower prices? Was Hot Toys after the license? I mean it’s business and there are going to be competitors out there. I would think a guy like Howard Chan would realize that, and QMX wasn’t stepping on the toes of Hot Toys with brands that they were already producing for. Seems odd to me.

 

[BrooklynWolf X]

This is why the industry desperately needs you back in the field. One thing I hate the most is a bully.

Before those that come in and say "it's the nature of the business"

Yes I'm aware of that. It doesn't make me feel any better. To ask Howard to allow for more competition is to ask him and other ruthless business folk to find a conscience. But it doesn't hurt to try and take these jerks down a few notches. If what you're saying is true that other license holders were knocking on your door, i just wish you and your team went through with it, in spite of the hurdles you had to jump over.

Imagine if apple (another company run by a-holes) had a monopoly over smart phones. I think we all can agree they wouldn't merely be charging $1k plus per phone.

 

[BrooklynWolf X]

What was it he didn?t like exactly? Another company showing what they could do for lower prices? Was Hot Toys after the license? I mean it?s business and there are going to be competitors out there. I would think a guy like Howard Chan would realize that, and QMX wasn?t stepping on the toes of Hot Toys with brands that they were already producing for. Seems odd to me.

Same thing they did with EB.

Remember when EB and HT had the terminator license? When EB revealed their 1/4 scale terminator, HT LITERALLY, ON THE SAME MILLISECOND at the same time revealed their DX terminator figure.

It was effin childish.

Edit-I remember in an interview someone had with Howard; he said something along the lines of "not liking it when license holders allow other toy manufacturers the same license." Meaning, he doesn't want competition.

Ok, fair enough. You eat into each other's profit like that. Fine.

What I DONT like is when you buy licenses but DONT make any product from it just for the sole purpose of keeping other companies from making them.

So yeah, HT can go to hell for that.

 

[abake]

From what I've heard, Hot Toys is a pretty aggressive company that uses aggressive tactics to corner other companies and push them out of the market.

 

[nanjin]

Hey, dont be mistaken. Surely Mr Chan didnt bully. He is highly respectful from what I learnt in 1/6 field. I too. Give him my highest respect. He is a good man!

Competitors will do what need to do to each other on the field. Is natural. He has a ton of people to feed. Moreover, guys like him have some attitudes. These usually are the ingredients of making determination decisions.

Seriously, who could achieve their qualities? (in respect to the volume produced) Even someone can do as good, they wouldn't have the volume to lower their overall cost. This was why I only offer QMx to be the 2nd largest (3zero is the real competitor), and Trek must be at frontlines to spearhead the whole deal.

Anyway, I only like to do Trek. I was thinking to push QMx to be the 2nd largest 1/6 producer in the world by penetrating into DC licensing (succeeded, they had Lynda WW! A jewel in DC) and built them a production. All I want to do is Trek,

Everyone supposed to be happy.

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[BrooklynWolf X]

From what I've heard, Hot Toys is a pretty aggressive company that uses aggressive tactics to corner other companies and push them out of the market.

I wouldn't put it past them. License hoarding is one of the many signs of their ruthless practices.

I'm finding it more and more unlikely I will continue to buy anything from HT anymore. I just...don't like how they do things. Snuffing out other companies that, like he at one point in time, have passion and love for toys is just unacceptable to me.

 

[nanjin]

Same thing they did with EB.

Remember when EB and HT had the terminator license? When EB revealed their 1/4 scale terminator, HT LITERALLY, ON THE SAME MILLISECOND at the same time revealed their DX terminator figure.

It was effin childish.

Edit-I remember in an interview someone had with Howard; he said something along the lines of "not liking it when license holders allow other toy manufacturers the same license." Meaning, he doesn't want competition.

Ok, fair enough. You eat into each other's profit like that. Fine.

What I DONT like is when you buy licenses but DONT make any product from it just for the sole purpose of keeping other companies from making them.

So yeah, HT can go to hell for that.

There is a bigger picture behind this and involve some other giants' way of doing things. Sometime, HT has no choice... but they are aggressive in nature. That's why I was looking forward to the War. Just to see what an axxhole like me can do to this industry.

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[abake]

You did a great job with Star Trek Nanjin, I wish you could find some passion for other 1/6 projects.

 

[davejames]

Well 1/6 figure collecting doesn't seem to be going away, and even third party companies are putting out great work now, so hopefully someone else will come along to continue the Trek line.

I just hope we don't have to wait another 10 years for it.

 

[NCC-1701 no bloody ABCorD]

My interests in 1/6 are very limited. I don?t give a %#@$ about Marvel or DC or other superhero stuff, with the exception of WATCHMEN of which there exist only one good figure in my opinion: Hot Toys? THE COMEDIAN, which I missed and is so expensive now in the secondary market that I don?t even bother looking anymore. My prime interest in 1/6 is very limited to Trek, and only TOS to be precise. And that?s good because I don?t have a very large display space: I?m married. Nuff said, right?

Anyway, I don?t follow manufacturer politics. I don?t pretend to have alliances and I am not friends or enemies with any makers based on their philosophy. I have no conscience so I?ll sell my soul to buy what interests me if the quality is good and the price is not ridiculous. I will not refuse to give buy from a company because they might run an overly ruthless business. Bottom line, it?s a capitalist toy society as it should be. It is not an ?Errand of Mercy.?

I?d be grateful to fulfill a TOS collection to include Bones and Scotty. But it?s not the end of the world if I don?t manage this and don’t end up paying $400 ea. to achieve this. Still hoping for a QMx Bones if I get lucky sometime before I get too old to care.

 

[Steel & Flesh]

I had close to 400gbp tied with pre-order Scotty and Sulu with Planet Action Figures UK, so I asked Nanjin a very important question about QMX, his answer #4916 should tell you everything you need to know about QMX intentions with those figures. So I got my refund but I had to ask for it. Ask yourself a simple question, if you intend to make another batch of figures what would your priorities be.

 

[Aaron]

Totally agree, and am also more than a bit miffed that if this is true, planet action figures hasn't let us know and offered the full refund. So not just QMX dropping the ball with customer service and satisfaction. I wont be buying anything made by QMX in the future, gone are the days when integrity and pride drove a companies business strategy a real shower of shxt. I now understand why previous employees left from their artisan lines too, business model all wrong and now gone down the linene of low end collectables with yet another Niche only clientele. Clearly the company will be assigned to mediocratiy.

Hey, If anyone has contacted us for a refund we have issued it in full. The problem here is there is more to this behind closed doors. If QMx said to me right now, we have no clue if they are coming then I would do a mass email regarding the situation. Most people have no idea on the damage this has caused us as a retailer and to be honest, my faith in being the Official UK ambassador for them. Due to confidentiality emails I cannot divulge too much. But as it stands PAF has been utterly thrown under the bus even before this happened. Our orders being passed on to a bigger company as they clearly hold more buying power is just one of the situations we faced previously. I am a collector too, I order myself from other companies on stuff I do not stock and fully appreciate the frustrations of preorders that go quiet.

If anyone wants to talk to me regarding the situation please feel free to message of FB via our page or group. (I am not very active on here)

Thanks

Aaron

 

[spindrift]

I think QMX will come through with more Scott and Sulu. If it doesn't happen this year yeah it's over.

 

[BrooklynWolf X]

Hey, dont be mistaken. Surely Mr Chan didnt bully. He is highly respectful from what I learnt in 1/6 field. I too. Give him my highest respect. He is a good man!

Competitors will do what need to do to each other on the field. Is natural. He has a ton of people to feed. Moreover, guys like him have some attitudes. These usually are the ingredients of making determination decisions.

Seriously, who could achieve their qualities? (in respect to the volume produced) Even someone can do as good, they wouldn't have the volume to lower their overall cost. This was why I only offer QMx to be the 2nd largest (3zero is the real competitor), and Trek must be at frontlines to spearhead the whole deal.

Anyway, I only like to do Trek. I was thinking to push QMx to be the 2nd largest 1/6 producer in the world by penetrating into DC licensing (succeeded, they had Lynda WW! A jewel in DC) and built them a production. All I want to do is Trek,

Everyone supposed to be happy.

Sent from my SM-N9750 using Tapatalk

As an aspiring filmmaker, one thing I learned from observing that industry is if you want to make it in Hollywood and get work, you don't talk $#!T. You don't know who you're going to insult and you'll get blacklisted.

Since you're in the toy industry, I can see why you'd be respectful of others in the field. Like in hollywood...well, it's not exclusive to hollywood, but nonetheless, you don't want to insult the wrong people and be exiled.

So while I greatly appreciate you and your opinion, as a consumer and figure enthusiast, I can't agree with your assessment of Howard.

I know it's the nature of a capitalist society and it's all business yadda yadda...but it doesn't mean I'm going to willingly accept it. You mentioned he has people to feed....but with all due respect, nanjin, so? You don't have people to feed? Other toy manufacturers don't have people to feed?

I'm sure 8 out of 10 companies approach the toys they're making from a place of passion. Much like how a more humble Howard began; A desire to take the things they love and to make highly detailed action figures...with a secondary desire to make money of course. That's the one common thing that is necessary by nature...it is a business after all.

But somewhere down the line, things began to change. It became less about the passion, and more about the bottom line.

It's one thing to raise prices. I get it. I don't condone it, but it is what it is.

But when you hoard licenses with NO intention of producing anything, just so X company or Y company can't even get their foot in the door...as a consumer and fellow human being, all I can say to that is "go ****yourself".

 

[BrooklynWolf X]

Howard of all people should know how hard it was to start. The struggles, the cancelled meetings, the almost had it situations. But his hard work has paid off and look at where he and his company are at now. They have all the big guns I.e. Marvel, Disney, Star Wars.

So HT is a success. He and his employees have it good. Everyone's making money and providing dinner for their family.

So why the hell does Howard feel the need to stop others from achieving the same results?

(Rhetorical question, no need to school me on nature of business, i get it guys haha)

It's like 2 restaurants across the street from one another. One restaurant is afraid of competition and does the most grimey thing by stopping the supply of meat to the other restaurant. Ruthless business maneuver? Sure. But it's dirty as **** and shouldn't be practiced. What follows is ok, no meat? They'll do vegetarian. Oh wait, now the supply of vegetarian items has been stopped by the dirty competition. Fine. Let's do novelty drinks...you see where this is going.

Competition is good and encourages growth and improvement. If competition is healthy and everyone gets to eat without "stepping over other people's territory" (a widely used Hong Kong term", then good! WE ALL BENEFIT.

What I've described is a fairytale, ideal world. But it's not possible. It isn't something you, nor I can control.

But what I can control is where I spend my money. And I'd rather spend it somewhere else.

 

[BrooklynWolf X]

My posts are broken up for everyone's benefit. Don't want walls of text to flood this page.

I respect nanjin a great deal because his ideals falls in line with mine: affordable, high quality products so EVERYONE can enjoy them. When you have TOYS with prices that match those of car payments...I don't know, doesn't anyone see the problem here? Yes, only those with that kind of disposable income should even consider purchasing toys like these...but having such a high barrier of entry, you automatically exclude fans that WOULD consider buying a $180 captain America or batman.

For me it's not about not having the funds to buy them...when my next video drops, you'll see that I can afford these things. But I've come to the point of my collecting "career" that I need to see and feel the value of what I'm buying. I can't just drop $260 on the name alone. Just about every non collector or collectors on a budget have seen my collection. And the ONE sentiment these two separate groups have shared is "how much?! Damn dude, if it were cheaper, I'd get it for sure...but not at THAT price point!"

"OH MAN, THESE TOYS ARE SO AWESOME, I JUST WISH THEY WERE MORE EXPENSIVE!" - said no one ever in the history of buying toys.

 

[Mike86]

I don’t exactly know how QMX/Nanjin got away with the prices they did. I mean it seems like literally every other manufacturer of licensed figures charges more. $180 for figures while great is kind of unheard of anymore, and I have to wonder how much profit was left after taking everything into account (production cost, overhead cost, licensing, etc.). I’d be curious to know the actual base price on a lot of these figures and how much companies are taking for profit, which granted is the goal of business and to be expected.

 

[davejames]

The fact they were using existing COO bodies probably helped quite a bit, and the fact these were pretty simple outfits they were wearing compared to most other 1/6 figures these days.