The 3A Thread

[Artoo]

Not renewing either. I only bought 1 AP Lass in 2016, but I did renew last year to get the Von fig, but have zero interest in squares. I only collect JC and Jungler and there doesn't seem to be any interest in making more of them. I did fall for the "soon" on the mention of a Jungler squad and thought it would appear in 2016 and worth the membership. I have zero interest in any of the licensed figures but would go bonkers over the new Transformers line if I collected that, Optimus looks phenomenal!

I don't know how people (myself included) can continue buying so many figures every year. I've been playing in 1/6 seriously since 2002, and since then have amassed far too many dolls to continue along the line of consumption. I see so many people writing about how many figures they collect in a year and can't fathom it. I know I'm not the only one with a storage filled with unopened boxes of figures I had to have because they looked "cool".

 

[Ozzz]

i re-upped, but am sure this will be the final year. i do like squares so theres that. but i am also selling most of my 3a stuffs and transitioning away from them. they have lost their luster.

 

[Thainitty]

Not going to reup this year....only interested in 3A 2000ad figures not rerelease 3A figs....

 

[Rijie78]

I am interested in what they do with the 2000AD line - but I don't need a membership for that, there's nothing compelling about what they're offering there. Everything else is pretty much inconsequential; WWR sort of limps on, but Ash's not had any new creative ideas there for years, and the same goes for the Popbot/TK/TQ world. I wonder if he really has any interest in it, TBH.

The other licenced stuff largely disappoints IMO, and beyond more of that I expect we'll just see the continued proliferation of Ash's w*nk fantasy Barbies in their various lines.

It's one of those, isn't it. You keep half an eye on 3A just in case something awesome suddenly hoves in to view (see: 1/6 Dredd), but otherwise you think, meh..

 

[fart jokes]

The 3AA membership package for 2017 is a couple of Squares with tank treads and led eyes? Wow. That sucks. That sucks a lot.

 

[fosing]

im in the process of cutting down.
all 3A must go.lolz

 

[Gregorbian]

I'm in a similar boat to most of the posters here. My love for 3A has significantly waned over the years. I only ordered a couple of figures last year (in addition to renewing my 3AA membership). I did not renew this year.

 

[Alice Adrenochrome]

They recently offered A TK 3 pack. It seems the price for the figures has evolved to a 2017 standard, while the figures are basically on a 2013 level, or even older (not to say they are always a re-hash in one way or an other...). I wasn't too picky in the past about the kit-bash approach for their (TK) figures: if I liked the look of the figure, it was ok with me. Also, because I found the approach was in balance with their price point. But this year, with the three pack, that balance is lost. TK has become too expensive for what they are. Sad.

 

[Rijie78]

Ahahaha, seen the Isobelle Pascha "erotic novel" that's now being plugged (as it were) on the site? Needless to say, it's comedy, which I'm sure isn't the intention. Must be cornering that hitherto uncatered for 1:6 fetish Barbie/50 Shades Of Grey crossover market... Dear oh dear, the state of 3A

 

[ZombieRepublican]

Have 3A even made any new AK figures?

That's the best line they do imo

 

[Rijie78]

There was a new Peppermint Green recently (the original Peppermint was the last AK figure i really liked), but I must admit I didn't pay a huge amount of attention to it.. I forget what the difference was..

 

[ZombieRepublican]

The last one I was looking at was Dead Astronaut Gangster, but he was too big and puffy for my liking. I've been waiting for a black character for ages.

I might pick up s shot got serious JC. The sculpt is badass!

 

[Alice Adrenochrome]

This thread is nearly dead, still, with 2017 coming to an end: a few pix of my favorite figure of the year.

FallOut! by Alice Adrenochrome, on Flickr

 

[Rijie78]

Yep, Apocalypse War Dredd is awesome (and the only 3A figure I've bought in aaaaages).

Sounds like they're now trying to make out that without a 2018 3AA subscription, you'll miss out on stuff in future. And supposedly reigning in the licensed series. We shall see. If they abort the 2000AD stuff again, that'll be bloody irritating.

 

[Plastic Bateman]

I couldn't care less about the company at this point. I might pick up an Apocalypse War Dredd as it's the only figure they've made in years I've been interested in, but beyond that Ash can go hang with his endless repaints and rehashes of older ideas now at twice the price and half the quality. Feels bad to say that because I've always loved his art, but I cannot stand what he produces nowadays.

Recently sold off almost my entire ThreeA collection and feel no regrets.

 

[Alice Adrenochrome]

If you guys are on the fence for Apoca Dredd, don't delay, get him now. It's an outstanding figure, and I've heard there are less of those around than of the regular Dredd. I ordered that figure in 2016, and besides the 2017 membership pack I didn't buy anything from 3A this year. Partly because of the poor offerings, partly because the considerable price hike.
Their new subscription formula for 2018 '3AA Passport' raises many questions indeed. I hope they unfold the entire story soon, because getting bits & pieces of information sure is annoying.

I couldn't care less about the company at this point. I might pick up an Apocalypse War Dredd as it's the only figure they've made in years I've been interested in, but beyond that Ash can go hang with his endless repaints and rehashes of older ideas now at twice the price and half the quality. Feels bad to say that because I've always loved his art, but I cannot stand what he produces nowadays.

Recently sold off almost my entire ThreeA collection and feel no regrets.

Very understandable, yet I couldn't part with many of my 3A pieces. Still love my TK above all.
AW surely continues to milk his most popular ideas, yesterdays 7174 NOM sale on Bambaland proves that again. But in a way, he seems to give the people what they want: the figure sold out in minutes, and produced the usual emo. It puzzles me though that people seem to accept the higher prices. ThreeA figures have basically not changed in years, yet the prices have gone up considerably like you correctly pointed out.

 

[Ozzz]

I wish I could sell my collection! No one seems to want the 3a stuff much anymore.

 

[Alice Adrenochrome]

I wish I could sell my collection! No one seems to want the 3a stuff much anymore.

Yes I also have a few 3A items I'd like to sell, but alas to no avail. I need to free some space!

 

[Plastic Bateman]

Very understandable, yet I couldn't part with many of my 3A pieces. Still love my TK above all.
AW surely continues to milk his most popular ideas, yesterdays 7174 NOM sale on Bambaland proves that again. But in a way, he seems to give the people what they want: the figure sold out in minutes, and produced the usual emo. It puzzles me though that people seem to accept the higher prices. ThreeA figures have basically not changed in years, yet the prices have gone up considerably like you correctly pointed out.

I've found 1000toys have fulfilled my need for interesting, original designs not tied to a particular franchise in lieu of ThreeA nowadays. Compared to the kind of thoughtful, constantly-evolving engineering they seem to be putting into their output it's astonishing to me that ThreeA are still selling figures that would seem dated a decade ago, built on a cheap knockoff TrueType and adorned with a few vinyl and simple hard plastic parts, and commanding relatively top dollar for them.

The only thing I still feel they do well is tailoring, although I don't have anything particularly recent to back up that assertion...

 

[ZombieRepublican]

They just stopped making cool stuff. Period.
What happened to their cool AK figures?

Also the way they handle their releases and etc is rediculous, which is also what put me off..