Getting started, Looking for opinions

[TrackZ]

I'm 38 and a long time fan/collector of everything that fits that age (G.I. Joe, Transformers, He-Man, Star Wars, Marvel, DC, etc). I've collected lots of lines over the years, but have recently been drawn toward higher end collecting. Ultimate goal is just an nice display of these properties with better/best representations of each. I own the run of Masterpiece TFs since MP10, the run of Classics He-Man covering the first 3 years of the original line, and a similar run for Joe from the 25th anniversary onward.

I'm trying to settle on a Star Wars line. I had been looking at the Vintage collection series, but then Black came along so I held off. I've held off on Black too, but it's decision time. So, I'm thinking it comes down to Black 6" or Hot Toys. I'm curious if other people made a similar decision and why?

Black would get more characters into the display, but every time I look at them in the store, I'm mostly underwhelmed by a lot of the quality. It's cheaper too, and while it's nice to save $$$, I could afford the Hot Toys. Display space restrictions come to mind, especially when it comes to larger elements like a 1/6 Speeder Bike or Tauntaun.

I'm also curious if people are forgoing the Sideshow 1/6 SW items to go exclusively HT. How do people feel about SS vs HT 1/6? Many of the earlier 1/6 SS don't look that great to me, honestly. I'm thinking I'd be exclusive HT and take/wait for what they release.

Lastly is the 1/6 accessory items. Do we know if HT has license to make Speeder Bikes, Tauntauns, and such and if they actually plan to? I'm wondering if it might be wise to buy the current SS versions of these now to save them for use with the potential HT figures to come.

Going HT would certainly elevate my display over the Black. The display otherwise though is mostly more original toy focused versus art pieces like the HT would be. I wonder if the Black would just fit in better amongst the Masterpiece, Classics, and other more toy lines. It might give the display a better overall cohesiveness.

Anyway, how are you approaching SW collecting now/going forward and why?

EDIT: I should add as well that right now I own no SW collectibles. I had sold off previous series of smaller figures and such a while back. So, making this decision from collecting scratch.

 

[Zodach]

Personally I think Sideshow and Hot Toys are probably collaborating on their release schedule a bit so they don't cannibalize each others' sales. So far it doesn't seem that Hot Toys will be getting into the vehicle/beast game yet for 1/6. I am buying the Hot Toys versions and a small handful of Sideshow releases (Biker Scout and droids) that I don't think Hot Toys will get around to until years from now.

 

[DarthAlias]

Hot Toys 1/4 Vader is coming and will be ROTS version. As far collecting, i'm a little biased but would go for replica props and HT. If you're into statues, go for SS PF line, but for poseable figures, HT all the way. Also, having a mix of props in there too makes the display look classy and impressive from what i gotten from feedback. Good luck and collect what you like!

Old pic:

 

[B1GMARC]

It all depends what you're into. When I began I went nuts with the 3.5" to 6" figures. Then slowly getting into some statues & 12" figures. Then my lack of space happens. And I stopped buying the 3" figures. Of course, I have to buy cabinets but I'm limited in space in my current apartment. I recently gotten into the Funko Pop! figures. *sigh* lol.

Sent from my Samsung Galaxy S5 using tapatalk

 

[TrackZ]

It all depends what you're into.

Ha, that's one my problems. I'm interested in too many properties. I wish I could choose just one and run with it as a fan and collector.

At this point I'm not collecting Star Wars... BUT if they come out with a Hot Toys 1/4th Vader (apparently someone saw a pic of it somewhere) then I would consider collecting the 1/4 scale - only because it's different than I have had in the past.

1/4 scale is an interesting thought. I think it's too big for me though. I've looked longingly at the Premium Format as well, especially when they started the DC Comics characters. Same deal though, I think they take up too much space than I will have to allocate. We finished a sizable, new custom home last year, but designed it in such a way that free wall space for display/curio cabinetry is sparse.

As far collecting, i'm a little biased but would go for replica props and HT. If you're into statues, go for SS PF line, but for poseable figures, HT all the way.

Where do you guys get the display cases I see pictured often, like the ones shown above?

 

[Spark Extractor]

I'm about the same age and have the MP-10 and after MP collection plus TFPrime and some of the IDW Generations plus a few odds and ends from other lines as well. I never collected Star Wars until the 6" Black Series came along, but I've recently sold of my 6" Black Series collection. I enjoyed it at first, but they became more and more just retail toys to me and not definitive versions. Yes, you could get many more characters for the same $$, but I would rather have HT 1/6 ANH Obi-Wan than 4 6" stormtroopers, Greedo, Bossk, and 2 clone troopers any day. I'd say snap up these 1/6 HT Star Wars figures now while you can get new ones at retail. If you are like me at all in your collecting, you'll appreciate the fewer more expensive definitive versions way more than piles and piles of retail figures. I'm just getting the HT ANH figures, but if you can swing it I'd grab the SS speeder bike and taun taun etc... Shouldn't be hard to get rid of them later if you decide you don't want them. I also think that when the next movie actually comes out and the ball really gets rolling with SW these things might be hard/expensive to back track on. Coming from a MP TF collection perspective, I think these higher end purchases are want we really wanted all these years.

My 2 cents.

 

[Fremen]

That's one of the reasons I won't open my home up and knock down walls to make it more modern. I need the wall space.

I collect both Hot Toys and SS 1/6 Star Wars. The environments and beasts from SS are really nice.
The Hot Toys figures are better but the latest Hoth Han and Luke are pretty nice.

 

[TrackZ]

I never collected Star Wars until the 6" Black Series came along, but I've recently sold of my 6" Black Series collection. I enjoyed it at first, but they became more and more just retail toys to me and not definitive versions.

Our mentality is on a similar page. What I've been thinking in recent years is to go for the "definitive version" of a franchise/character. That's how I put together the Joe figures I have, researching to find the single best example of XYZ character and get that one.

Although in the vein of looking towards higher end items, I'm considering dropping the 3 3/4" stuff and just getting the Retaliation HT Snake Eyes and Storm Shadow and leaving it at that for Joe stuff. That goes down a deeper discussion though of accepting movie likeness versus classic toy/cartoon likeness. Same for Marvel too. The AoU HT Marvel figures are calling to me, but I'm not sure the movie representation is what I want, having been into comics to varying degrees since 5th grade. The comic likeness is more "true" to me.

I'm just getting the HT ANH figures, but if you can swing it I'd grab the SS speeder bike and taun taun etc... Shouldn't be hard to get rid of them later if you decide you don't want them. I also think that when the next movie actually comes out and the ball really gets rolling with SW these things might be hard/expensive to back track on.

That's really why I want to make decisions now. I'd like to have the Dewback as well, and the SS 1/6 one is costly now and rarely listed it seems. I do not want to miss the chance to just direct order/preorder these HT and have to end up going to eBay for them. Especially in the wake of the new movie. If the new movie is good, it's going to build huge interest in SW all over again and the secondary market is going to go nuts on tons of items.

Same with Black series too. If I went that route, I need to move quick to buy up what I can retail/online without paying inflated prices via eBay. As it is, wave 1 already has an aftermarket premium on it. If I act now, I can still get everything from wave 2 onward at retail prices.

I had to laugh at that because I know some wives that would do that "by design" to curb our collecting habits!

Ha, thankfully not in my case. It just worked out that way. Although, she did lobby for a lot of big windows... My wife has been a pretty much collecting trophy wife. Can't recall how many times I've come with the "I'd like to sell all of those and buy all of these even though just X years ago I wanted those" as she rolls her eyes, but accepts my interests.

 

[evenflow]

I have stopped buying everything except for Hot Toys. I used to buy all of the Hasbro 3 3/4 figures, etc... I say go Hot Toys, it may seem expensive but it is really no different than what I was spending on Hasbro figures. Yes you get fewer figures but they are much better.

I am still thinking sprinkling in a few Sideshow releases.

 

[Bloodyedge]

As far as what I'm collecting I'm all hot toys star wars and Tamashii Movie Realization Star Wars. And a few sideshow collectibles. I have been selling all my others. As far as the 6inch black. Don't waste your time. The quality has gon way down and has been all I'm all a massive disappointment.

 

[SithThundercracker]

During my collector career I went through Transformers (I almost completed G1, lots of masterpieces from MP-01, many other stuff 3p included), Saint Seiya (finishing now), United Cutlery LOTR swords, and Star Wars 12" (I started with Medi Vader and the first ROTJ Luke, then stopped for years, then came back buying a lot of stuff).
My advice would be: priority to HT stuff (buy everything) and take what you like from SSC if/when you can.

 

[WWEJedi]

Have you considered the 3 3/4 Hasbro figures?

 

[ZE_501]

I jettisoned all Black Series 6". I don't hold a toy line to the same standard as (relatively) high end 1/6 scale collectibles, but the quality nosedived so quickly I couldn't justify it.

I have an interest in some of the 6" lines but going forward, I'm all for quality and visual impact so I don't see myself investing so heavily in those due to size and limitations of scale. It also generally doesn't make sense to me to double up on characters in different scales.

For me this means some Tamashii Movie Realization, a small selection of 1:1 prop replicas and a smallish group of 1/6.

In my experience Hot Toys is not perfect but their quality and execution tends to beat the hell out of Sideshow.

That being said, the SSC Probe Droid is one of my favourites so it's not like I have them boycotted or anything.

I'm not a completist but Star Wars is a brutal property to get involved in regardless, as it runs so deep but over time I'm finding what's important to me.

 

[generalgrevious]

I am in the same boat. I collected the new potf2 way back in the day and everything 3 3/4 all the way up to the rots. I have sold off every action I had back in 05 and never bought another action figure ever since. and in 06 I started the ssc 1/6 scale line and haven`t stopped since. I have sold off half of my ssc pt stuff and kept the original trilogy stuff as that`s what sw meant to me growing up. so like every one on here will tell you collect what you like and yes this property is brutal but fun in the long run.

 

[TrackZ]

Have you considered the 3 3/4 Hasbro figures?

At one point, 3 3/4" black is what I was intending buy. My mindset was it should be the best representation of the same form factor of the original toys I played with as a kid. 6" just felt wrong with SW. Then I saw them when they started shipping, and I have not been impressed at all. I thought these figures would be the pinnacle of 3 3/4" quality, and I find to be far from that.

As an additional note, I have a SS account, but have not bought from them. Anyone have tips on ordering there and getting the best deal? It seems that they have coupons, but how do you get them? Seems also like they aren't applicable to all items. Can you use the same coupon on multiple orders?

 

[Iggyrox]

With HT's push into SW, I'm envisioning my collection to start tilting heavily toward that line as well. You could not have started collecting "high-end" action figures at a better time as a Star Wars fan.

 

[Cocoboloboy]

Yep, I agree with Iggy. There's never been a better time to jump into 1/6 SW. There are several SS SW figures that are worth getting now but for the most part HT is the way to go.

I wouldn't hesitate to buy the big 1/6 stuff from SS though. I doubt we'll see a Tauntaun, Dewback, Speederbike, etc. from HT anytime soon if ever. And SS's quality on those items is really good anyways.

Jump on in to the HT SW line, TrackZ. They're gonna make an awesome display.

 

[darth toffeeman]

I always bought the 3.75 Hasbro stuff. Legacy and Vintage stuff was really good but then they started the 6inch line. I had no interest in larger scaled versions of what I already owned and with the distribution becoming increasingly poor for articulated 3.75 I decided to buy a Sideshow Clone.

I have not looked back since. With Hot Toys fully involved now this is a great time to get involved. Just buy what you like. There is too much to try and be a completionist but it's fun trying to determin the next figure to target for a collection.