Finally got mine in- Fortunately no major issues. No broken pieces, no hugely annoying glue smears or paint app issues- and all the LEDs are working as they should.
Beautiful, epic piece. A bit surprised to find that while it's larger by a good bit than anything else I own, it's not as monstrously huge as I'd envisioned it. It easily fits on the top of the filing cabinet that I use to swap out all my SS pieces on.
A few other thoughts/observations
- much heavier and more substantial feeling than I was expecting. I don't own the early SS pieces (hulk, Thor, etc) that are more solid and heavier, but I was fully expecting very light ABS. Very happy with the impression left from handling it.
- the grit on the 'rusty' base seems to coming off on my fingers whenever i touch it. Since this will get packed away and hauled out more than a few times over the next few years, that may have some impact. OTOH, it is just the base and it probably won't make a whole lot of difference in my appreciation of the piece as a whole.
I do think the base is very well done as far as paint/texture/weathering right out of the box.
- LOVE the LED effect. I realize that people have had problems with this kind of stuff lasting over the long haul, but while they are working, they kick up- what is already a near 10/10 piece- a whole 'nother level. This one goes to "11".
- my surfer board has the bends too. it would be nice if it were more rigid, but I guess I should have expected that given how slight the attachment nub to the arm is. Rigid would have meant a fraction more weight which would have impacted the security of the attachment. I do plan to repaint the trail black and purple with stars, and possibly change the tail of the trail with a little Aves to something that looks less like the blunt end of a spoon.
All in all, a great piece and one that's not taking me any time to warm up to (as it usually does when I weigh how much I've spent on something that ultimately just sits there and collects dust). Far and away the most I've spent on something like this, but at the same time I feel like I've fully got my money's worth. ES be damned! I'm fully satisfied with this transaction.
This sits alongside The Prize, and probably Ivy, as one of the last things I would ever consider selling off.