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Old 11-29-2021, 03:20 PM   #3001
Tuxedo Moroboshi
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Originally Posted by Y2Josh View Post
Just as a point of comparison, whether you think NECA's prices are reasonable or not, looking at Groundchuck and Dirtbag just for the sake of the highest price point (currently) in that line... you're paying $32.50 a figure. And that's for figures that I would argue are, overall, of significantly higher quality than what Super7 puts out, especially in terms of engineering and durability.
This is interesting and slightly surprising to read. Not to start a dumb "brand war", but I've actually had the opposite experience with these two brands (and I do love both). I haven't had any QC issues with the Super7 Ultimates, but I have consistently had super stiff joints on most of my NECA TMNT figures, to the point of it feeling like posing them could break them (in fact, I've had two figures break just from taking them out of the package). I dunno if it's as consistent with other people, or if I just have really lousy luck with NECA.

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As you went on in this same paragraph to show, you are basing that assessment on a pyramid of lies the entire toy industry has sold to us over the past 10-20 years as prices have crept up, then skyrocketed. "This seems worth X, because I pay Y for that". But follow the thread all the way and realize that all of X, Y, and Z are and have been overpriced themselves for a long time now. We let them get away with this and now it's just snowballing.

At first $10 sounds laughable. But a company could make product like this and sell it at a profit for $10-20. Promise. They just aren't. Because they don't have to. Because people will pay whatever they ask at this point.
Maybe you're right. I'll admit, I have no knowledge of the economics involved, the work/labor that goes in, or the price of plastic, so I can't say for certain what any of these things are truly worth outside of making comparisons. But I will admit, prices have gotten crazy in the past two decades or so, and I do miss when $20 was the typical highest price for a high-end collector's figure... and that seems like an eternity ago.
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Old 11-29-2021, 04:01 PM   #3002
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While I probably have 50+ NECA figures and appreciate their aesthetics, I have issues with QC. My Zork fell face flat twice, loosing his ankle in the process. I had to crazy glue it. Paint flaking is so commonplace that I've been conditioned to forgive NECA for it. Metalhead's switch is broken (not that it is functional). However, there is no denying the aesthetic and toon fidelity.

I only have 5 Super7 TMNT figures but haven't experienced any QC issues unless you consider April's Vaseline smudged skin to be a production error. Metalhead's legs are a bit flimsy. No problems with Baxter, Splinter or Rocksteady.

P.S: I don't collect the ReAction figures but they are waay overpriced, even objectively speaking. The Ultimates are higher quality than the Marvel Legends, Star Wars Black Series, and Masterverse figures which typically sell for $20-25.

Last edited by Dask; 11-29-2021 at 04:07 PM.
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Old 11-29-2021, 05:39 PM   #3003
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QC wise I think Super 7 tend to feel less fragile to me than NECA. That said, the newer NECA stuff does feel better and I’m less worried handling them than I used to be.

Super 7 I’ve had frozen joints on all Turtles (knee on Raph & Leo, hip on Mike). I get 2 of each Turtle and each time 1 has been perfect and 1 has had an issue. Everyone else I’ve had no problems with.

On price, NECA is definitely cheaper (IF you want both figures in the 2-pack) but I don’t consider S7 that overpriced for a made to order collector line (van obviously excluded). It helps that Toysarama in the UK is still charging £50 each for the figures so we’ve not had the $10 increase. Yeah, they’re expensive, no arguments there, but they come far more packed out than say a Black Series or Marvel Legend and don’t have the same economies of scale those lines do. As a consumer I’d always love the line to be cheaper but I’m also content to pick up the characters I like at this price point. IF they do go up as drastically as Brian suggested next year then I’ll have to reconsider what I consider essential for my collection.
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Old 11-29-2021, 08:37 PM   #3004
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I just found out that one of my favorite toys sculptors, Joe Amaro is responsible for the Super7 Party Wagon.....getting tempted again lol
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Old 11-30-2021, 08:44 AM   #3005
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Originally Posted by Juicexct View Post
People are getting WAYYYY too deep on this.
You don't have to go very deep to see reality here. Nostalgia is just too powerful a drug, apparently.

It's about time that toy threads start to have an equal number of "that's awesome, I'm buying" posts as "wait a minute, are we being f***ed here" posts.
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Old 11-30-2021, 09:10 AM   #3006
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Originally Posted by DonnieLaForge View Post
Nostalgia is just too powerful a drug, apparently.
I wouldn't call it a drug, but for most it is an escape from the stress of adult life to the illusion of being forever a child. In the last decades the nostalgia factor has become a business on its own as more and more adults like to indulge in it.
Well, that's way we are still here talking about ninja turtles at 30/40.
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Old 11-30-2021, 09:51 AM   #3007
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Originally Posted by Tuxedo Moroboshi View Post
This is interesting and slightly surprising to read. Not to start a dumb "brand war", but I've actually had the opposite experience with these two brands (and I do love both). I haven't had any QC issues with the Super7 Ultimates, but I have consistently had super stiff joints on most of my NECA TMNT figures, to the point of it feeling like posing them could break them (in fact, I've had two figures break just from taking them out of the package). I dunno if it's as consistent with other people, or if I just have really lousy luck with NECA.
When I say Super7 has bad QC issues, I guess I'm not trying to negate the idea that NECA ALSO has fairly bad QC - it's just that NECA's QC, for me, has been more inconvenient (heating up frozen joints, the notorious paint flaking, etc.), while Super7's has left me with useless and/or broken figures.

Of the twelve Super7 figures I have, the only ones WITHOUT loose, wobbly hips are Splinter, Shredder, April and Mikey. Most of the others can still stand well enough, but getting Rocksteady and Metalhead to stand upright, never mind posing them in any kind of dynamic fashion, is a real feat.

Just from an engineering standpoint, Super7's figures are baffling. The flimsy little pins they use for main connecting points (hips and elbows, mainly) result in broken joints or figures that simply can't stand up. Someone had mentioned this before, but it's like the people sculpting the accessories have no access to the figures they're intended for, as several of the accessories just have no way to be held by the figure they accompany. Someone at Super7 actually OK'd the idea to run thin, flimsy tubes behind Metalhead's knees. Rocksteady's torso and head are solid hunks of plastic that are significantly heavier than the legs can handle (and then it doesn't help that the whole hip assembly is built around those flimsy pins).

Don't get me wrong, Super7's sculpts and paint apps (usually) are amazing... but it's like that's where the professional work ends and then they hand it off to interns to actually construct the figures and make the accessories. Again, I'm not saying NECA's QC issues don't exist... I'm just saying Super7's are significant, and they're charging at least $20 more per figure.
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Old 11-30-2021, 10:26 AM   #3008
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When I say Super7 has bad QC issues, I guess I'm not trying to negate the idea that NECA ALSO has fairly bad QC - it's just that NECA's QC, for me, has been more inconvenient (heating up frozen joints, the notorious paint flaking, etc.), while Super7's has left me with useless and/or broken figures.

Of the twelve Super7 figures I have, the only ones WITHOUT loose, wobbly hips are Splinter, Shredder, April and Mikey. Most of the others can still stand well enough, but getting Rocksteady and Metalhead to stand upright, never mind posing them in any kind of dynamic fashion, is a real feat.

Just from an engineering standpoint, Super7's figures are baffling. The flimsy little pins they use for main connecting points (hips and elbows, mainly) result in broken joints or figures that simply can't stand up. Someone had mentioned this before, but it's like the people sculpting the accessories have no access to the figures they're intended for, as several of the accessories just have no way to be held by the figure they accompany. Someone at Super7 actually OK'd the idea to run thin, flimsy tubes behind Metalhead's knees. Rocksteady's torso and head are solid hunks of plastic that are significantly heavier than the legs can handle (and then it doesn't help that the whole hip assembly is built around those flimsy pins).

Don't get me wrong, Super7's sculpts and paint apps (usually) are amazing... but it's like that's where the professional work ends and then they hand it off to interns to actually construct the figures and make the accessories. Again, I'm not saying NECA's QC issues don't exist... I'm just saying Super7's are significant, and they're charging at least $20 more per figure.
I honestly kind of think that Bryan would prefer to make Ultimates statues rather than figures. He is on record saying he favors appearance over pose-ability, hence the lack of ab crunch or double joints. They go to great lengths to make sure their figures are accurate, but then yeah, they completely drop the ball when it comes to actually making them useable. I'm not a guy that poses much but even I find the figures pretty lacking. They're no longer confined to the hunched action poses of the 80s/90s buuuuut they're not far off in a lot of cases.
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Old 11-30-2021, 10:28 AM   #3009
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I wouldn't call it a drug, but for most it is an escape from the stress of adult life
Isn't that why people take drugs? It's comforting, an escape, and provides a "high" to get a new action figure and surround yourself with happy memories. And people continue doing it to their own financial detriment. Yeah, it won't mess up your body or your brain (directly) but then again some posters on here do seem to have a few misfiring neurons... It can be bad for your mental health to over-indulge on stuff like this. I've gotten so much of it piled up now that it gives me anxiety to think how I will get rid of it.

A big clue that you have a problem is when you are justifying a habit at all costs.... .... ....
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Old 11-30-2021, 10:32 AM   #3010
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People are getting WAYYYY too deep on this. They’re toys and collectibles. Buy what you want and enjoy it. Don’t let someone tell you it’s overpriced and you’re a sheep.
You are treating this like the clarification and calls to action that I've been making are something to make a stand on, when in fact the mindless buying via exploitive companies is the thing to make a stand on. You are completely backwards here.

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I wouldn't call it a drug, but for most it is an escape from the stress of adult life to the illusion of being forever a child. In the last decades the nostalgia factor has become a business on its own as more and more adults like to indulge in it.
Well, that's way we are still here talking about ninja turtles at 30/40.
Buying this stuff definitely involves a neurotransmitter hit that we then wait to fiend on for the next release. And that's really the point I've been illustrating for my part in the convo at least. That there is a lot of mindless support of products and it's so bad that some people drink the manufacturer kool-aid of price justification.

So sure, semantics - buying these toys even under the exploitive pricing may not be a drug in of itself, but it elicits the same neurological responses. Companies count on that. The exploitation is jacking up the price like a bad crack dealer.

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I honestly kind of think that Bryan would prefer to make Ultimates statues rather than figures. He is on record saying he favors appearance over pose-ability, hence the lack of ab crunch or double joints. They go to great lengths to make sure their figures are accurate, but then yeah, they completely drop the ball when it comes to actually making them useable. I'm not a guy that poses much but even I find the figures pretty lacking. They're no longer confined to the hunched action poses of the 80s/90s buuuuut they're not far off in a lot of cases.
Can you imagine what the new Super 7 Ultimates price point would be if they added the ab-crunch and then used that as justification for "tooling costs" and whatnot? geeze.
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Old 11-30-2021, 11:01 AM   #3011
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Suppose it’s a far-fetched long shot, but what do you suppose the chances are that the 4kids turtles get either the Super7 or NECA treatment?
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Old 11-30-2021, 11:08 AM   #3012
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Suppose it’s a far-fetched long shot, but what do you suppose the chances are that the 4kids turtles get either the Super7 or NECA treatment?
Given the speed of release of the two lines I'd say NECA is our best shot at 4Kids stuff. I hope they do as it's my favourite series.
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Old 11-30-2021, 11:10 AM   #3013
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Given the speed of release of the two lines I'd say NECA is our best shot at 4Kids stuff. I hope they do as it's my favourite series.
Same here. I grew up with the Fred Wolf Turtles, so they have a special place in my heart, but the care and creativity that went into making turtles 2k3 helped elevate them to number 1 in my book. Would love to have some proper figures to honor those characters.
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Old 11-30-2021, 11:12 AM   #3014
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Suppose it’s a far-fetched long shot, but what do you suppose the chances are that the 4kids turtles get either the Super7 or NECA treatment?
I think TMNT has put NECA on the map for a lot of toy collectors and I'd fully expect them to milk it for all it's worth. 4Kids probably isn't coming any time soon (we know Mirage is coming next, right?), and I'm not sure if it would even be in the top 5 iterations they'd tackle, but if there is still a big buyer pool NECA will absolutely get around to it.

Of course, they might have exhausted the average TMNT collector by then.
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Old 11-30-2021, 11:18 AM   #3015
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Suppose it’s a far-fetched long shot, but what do you suppose the chances are that the 4kids turtles get either the Super7 or NECA treatment?
I would be cool with that - especially NECA. I'd be even more all-in if they did an "Archie Comics" line. That would conceivably be my last "needed" hurrah into TMNT buying possibly ever.
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Old 11-30-2021, 11:57 AM   #3016
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I would be cool with that - especially NECA. I'd be even more all-in if they did an "Archie Comics" line. That would conceivably be my last "needed" hurrah into TMNT buying possibly ever.
I do really hope S7 doesn't do Archie or 4kids... I'd much rather both be NECA lines.

I've been hoping that when NECA eventually runs out of sellable characters that appeared in the '87 series that Archie figures would come next... And maybe a 4kids line could do the same once they've finished out the arcade line.
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Old 11-30-2021, 01:11 PM   #3017
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I honestly kind of think that Bryan would prefer to make Ultimates statues rather than figures. He is on record saying he favors appearance over pose-ability

i honestly love that about this line. the sculpts are works of art.
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Old 12-01-2021, 01:44 AM   #3018
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Buying this stuff definitely involves a neurotransmitter hit that we then wait to fiend on for the next release.
Well, it makes sense. Both you and DonnieLaForge were right about the drug thing after all, even if I think only a small part of the buyers falls into the addiction, all the others are buying the figures because of a real appreciation and are ok with spending a lot of money for toys.
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Old 12-02-2021, 02:35 AM   #3019
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Isn't that why people take drugs?
...

A big clue that you have a problem is when you are justifying a habit at all costs.... .... ....
You're not wrong. It's all about dopamine.
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Old 12-02-2021, 10:39 AM   #3020
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I honestly kind of think that Bryan would prefer to make Ultimates statues rather than figures. He is on record saying he favors appearance over pose-ability, hence the lack of ab crunch or double joints. They go to great lengths to make sure their figures are accurate, but then yeah, they completely drop the ball when it comes to actually making them useable. I'm not a guy that poses much but even I find the figures pretty lacking. They're no longer confined to the hunched action poses of the 80s/90s buuuuut they're not far off in a lot of cases.
Honestly, I'd be fine with less articulation if it meant the figures would be able to stand upright without an extraordinary amount of effort on my part. I'd even be fine if they just adopted the "ball and socket" style joints NECA's been using, as those are incredibly easy to fix if they do become loose. The way Super7's figures are set up now, they're already extremely finicky, and they're definitely not going to hold up over time.
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